Supports: cabinet structure – With lock or latch selector-operator
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-16
2002-12-24
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3629)
Supports: cabinet structure
With lock or latch selector-operator
C070S078000, C312S107500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06497462
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an upright storage cabinet and more particularly, an upright storage cabinet having a self-adjusting cam lock for locking the drawers of the cabinet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Upright storage cabinets, as used in offices and similar environments, conventionally include an upright hollow housing which is open at the front so as to receive a plurality of file drawers therein in a vertically stacked arrangement. Such cabinets are well known and typically include a locking mechanism so as to securely lock the drawers in a closed position. These locking mechanisms employ a key-operated lock device which is mounted so as to be accessible from a front side of the housing, which lock device acts through a suitable intermediate linkage for controlling a vertical lock bar which is disposed adjacent one of the corners of the housing. The lock bar is in turn provided with locking elements which cooperate with the individual drawers so as to simultaneously lock them in the closed position. Some conventional cabinets are provided with locking mechanisms including a cam member which is rotated or otherwise actuated to vertically manipulate the lock bar to bring same into locking engagement with the drawers. One example of such a cabinet and locking mechanism is the commercially available PREMISE® pedestal storage unit sold by the assignee of the instant invention having a family code number of FS49DPFN.
The cam member of the above PREMISE® pedestal unit as illustrated in
FIGS. 15-17
herein includes a cam lock assembly
100
which is mounted adjacent the rearwardly facing side of a front wall of the topmost drawer. The cam lock assembly
100
includes a cam member
101
having a generally hemispherically-shaped main body
102
. Main body
102
mounts thereon a generally fin-shaped cam
103
which projects sidewardly from an outer surface of main body
102
and terminates in a straight edge
104
. The rearwardly facing side of main body
102
defines a circular opening
106
therein which projects into main body
102
and terminates at a flat base wall
107
. As shown in
FIG. 16
, base wall
107
defines therein a vertically-elongate rectangular slot
110
which communicates with a circular recess
111
defined in the frontwardly facing side of main body
102
.
Cam lock assembly
100
additionally includes a cylindrically shaped lock shell
112
which is non-rotatably mounted on the front upright wall of a cabinet drawer. Lock shell
112
defines a forwardly opening receptacle
113
for a plug-type actuator
121
(shown schematically in
FIG. 17
in dotted lines) which is operable by a key to lock and unlock the cam lock assembly
100
. A lock insert or lug
114
is mounted for rotation within lock shell
112
, and includes an internally threaded hole
115
for receiving a pinch bolt or screw
116
. Screw
116
is engaged within the threaded hole
115
so that the screw head
117
thereof is oriented within opening
106
of main body
102
. When the screw
116
is fully tightened within hole
115
, the screw head
117
clamps against the base wall
107
along the longitudinal edges thereof. This clamping of the screw head
117
against base wall
107
serves to fix the cam member
101
to the lug
114
. The engagement of the lug
114
within slot
110
allows rotation of cam member
101
along with lug
114
when same is actuated as discussed below.
The rotation of the lug
114
relative to the lock shell
112
between the locked and unlocked positions is limited by an annular plate
120
which is nonrotatably fixed to lug
114
. Plate
120
defines a peripherally located arcuate recess or inset portion which defines a pair of shoulders (not shown) which are spaced from one another along the circumference of plate
120
. The shoulders cooperate with a correspondingly located stop (not shown) which projects outwardly from the rearmost end of lock shell
112
. The lug
114
is keyed at a front end thereof for cooperation with the actuator
121
. Thus, when locking of the drawers is desirable, a key
122
is inserted into the plug-type actuator
121
and turned. The turning of the key
122
rotates lug
114
and cam member
101
to the locked position as limited by the stop of lock shell
112
, causing the fin-shaped cam
103
to rotate upwardly so that the edge
104
thereof makes contact with a horizontal locking bar journalled along the upper and frontmost edge of the cabinet housing. The actuation of the horizontal locking bar by cam
103
in turn raises a vertical locking bar oriented along a side wall of the cabinet. The vertical locking bar includes locking elements which cooperate with the individual drawers to lock same in the closed position.
The cam
103
of the above-described cam lock assembly
100
tends to undergo “creep” over a period of time relative to the lug
114
and the associated screw
116
. That is, repeated use of the lock assembly
100
, movement of the cabinet, etc., can cause cam member
101
to shift longitudinally from its original installed position relative to lug
114
and screw
116
. This shifting of the cam member
101
in turn often results in a misalignment of the fin-shaped cam
103
relative to the horizontal locking bar. The creep of cam
103
from its original position, as set at the time of manufacture and assembly of the cabinet, causes malfunctioning of the lock assembly of the cabinet, which in turn necessitates time consuming and costly readjustment of the position of the cam member
101
.
The present invention was developed in order to eliminate or at least minimize the inconveniences caused by creep or shifting of the cam member as discussed above. More specifically, the invention includes a cam lock assembly which permits self-adjustment of the cam member relative to the lug. More specifically, the cam member is provided with a spring-loaded plunger which allows the cam member to float relative to the lug and the associated screw.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
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Fisher Michael J.
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
Haworth Inc.
Weiss John G.
LandOfFree
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