Improvements in or relating to drawers

Abstract

 A drawer (1) comprising four perimeter panels (2, 3, 4). The perimeter panels having spigots (5, 6) thereon and/or apertures (10, 11) thereon. Selected spigots (5, 6) on one panel being passed through a selected aperture (10, 11) on another panel to locate the perimeter panels (2, 3, 4). Each perimeter panel (2, 3, 4) has a slot (23) adjacent the lower edge in use of its inwardly facing face so that the slots (23) receive the edges of a panel (24) forming a drawer bottom.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a drawer.

[0002] There exists a need for a moulded drawer which is able to be formed by use of a minimum number of moulds. Such drawers should also be simple to erect.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a drawer which will go at least some distance towards meeting the foregoing desiderata or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

[0004] Accordingly, the invention consists in a drawer comprising four perimeter panels, said perimeter panels having spigots thereon and/or apertures thereon, selected spigots on one panel being passed through selected aperture to locate said perimeter panels, each perimeter panel having a slot adjacent the lower edge in use of its inwardly facing face so that said slots receive the edges of a panel forming a drawer bottom.

[0005] To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

[0006] One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which is an exploded perspective partly cut away view of a drawer according to one preferred form of the invention.

[0007] Referring to the drawing a drawer 1 is provided which is formed from perimeter panels and a base panel. Four perimeter panels are provided which comprise a pair of end panels formed by a front panel 2 and a rear panel 3 and a pair of side panels 4. The panels have a combination of spigots and apertures and in the preferred form a pair of perimeter panels have spigots extending therefrom and these are preferably the front panel 2 and rear panel 3. The remaining panels preferably the side panels 4 have apertures therein which receive the spigots. The perimeter panels are preferable moulded from, for example, a suitable plastics material so that the side panels 4 are substantially identical and also desirably the end panels 2 and 3 are identical. Each end panel 2 or 3 preferably provides a pair of spigots 5 and 6 at each end and in cross section each spigot is preferably in the form of a bifurcated arrowhead having a pair of forwardly extending tapered faces 7 with a substantially vertical face at 8 therebehind. A slot 9 is provided between each part of the arrowhead. The spigots 5 and 6 are preferably formed integrally with the end panels 2 and 3. The side panels 4 have apertures 10 and 11 therein through which the spigots 5 and 6 pass. The height of the apertures 10 and 11 is preferably substantially equal to but a little greater than the thickness of the spigots 5 and 6 behind the arrowhead. The slot 9 allows the arrowhead parts to be forced inwardly to allow the arrowheads to pass through the apertures 10 and 11 where the substantially vertical faces at 8 become caught by the material defining the perimeter of the apertures 10 and 11. Further spigots can be provided towards the bottom of the panels if desired.

[0008] The perimeter panels 2, 3 and 4 are preferably formed so that they provide an inwardly substantially planar face with strengthening constructions on the rear face such as, for example, a plurality of substantially horizontal ribs 12, 13, 14 and 15 for example with for example substantially vertical end ribs 16 and if desired intermediate vertical ribs 17 which may carry receiving members for example in the form of short tubes such as 18 to receive screws or the like passing through a facing panel which can form a decorative front to the construction.

[0009] The side panels can be formed in a similar way but in a preferred construction a recess is provided at 20 into which a plurality of wheels, rollers or the like are positioned and shown in the figure are a plurality of wheels or rollers such as wheels 21 which are fitted into the recess 20 but spaced upwardly from the lower surface 22 of the recess so that an arm of the like provided on a carcass into which the drawer is positioned becomes positioned in the gap between the face 20 and the wheels 21 so that the wheels 21 will run on that arm. The perimeter panels have a slot 23 therein adjacent the lower edge thereof in use. Into the slot 23 is positioned a substantially planar panel 24 which forms the drawer bottom. This can be further located by for example staples or other fixing devices passing through a flange 25 which forms the lower edge in use of the slot 23.

[0010] Rather than the wheels 21 drawer slides of substantially known type may be engaged with the carcass so parts of the sides may run on or in the slides in use.

[0011] The sides 4 preferably carry cut outs such as cut outs 27 which will enable a locking member associated with the carcass to be inserted therein or removed therefrom to allow locking of the drawer. The locking member may comprise a simple gang lock such as a bar with a number of flanges thereon mounted on the drawer carcass.

[0012] Each perimeter panel may have a groove 30 therein and in particular the side panels 4 so that a drawer divider or other item can have parts thereof frictionally engaged into the recess. The side panels 4 in particular, but also if desired the front panels 2 and 3, may have a raised rib 31 which may be utilised for suspension files or mounting of a tray, for example, a pencil tray or the like.

[0013] In the construction shown in the figure it will be noted that the spigots 5 and 6 are positioned at the ends of the end panels 2 and 3 and also within the boundaries of the upper half of those panels further aperture sets 35, 36 and 37, 38 allow the ends 2 and 3 to be inwardly displayed if required.

[0014] A recess 40 is provided in the inwardly facing bottom flange 23. This enables sides 4 and ends 2 and 3 to be stacked one upon the other to increase the depth of the drawers.

[0015] Removal of the drawer from the carcass can be substantially prevented by providing stops on the drawer and also stops on, for example, runners. The stops in the draw can be formed by necked member passable into a selected slot 42. The necked member may carry a resilient part which strikes in use the slot on the runner.

[0016] The use of the invention is as follows.

[0017] In use the front and rear panels 2 and 3 and the side panels 4 are interconnected as above described about a base panel 24. The drawers may have a front decorative member engaged thereto by the passage of, for example, screws into the cylindrical parts 18. The drawer is then positioned in a suitable carcass and used substantially in the known manner.

[0018] A facility is provided which permits only one drawer to be opened fully at a time and to this end in the front panel 2 and rear panel 3 may be provided a pair of vertical ribs 32 into which is positioned a bar 33 shown in the form of a half round. By engaging each drawer with a safety strap passing within the carcass the length of the strap can be set so that only one drawer may be fully opened at a time. The strap is slidingly engaged to the carcass between each drawer.

[0019] Thus it can be seen that at least in the preferred form of the invention a drawer is provided which has the advantage that it can be simply erected from moulded components whilst having provision for the mounting of rollers or wheels if required. The construction is therefore simple to make and because of the moulded components can be made with substantially regularity as to size.

Claims

1. A drawer comprising four perimeter panels, said perimeter panels having spigots thereon and/or apertures thereon, selected spigot on one panel being passed through a selected aperture to locate said perimeter panels, each perimeter panel having a slot adjacent the lower edge in use of its inwardly facing face so that said slots receive the edges of a panel forming a drawer bottom.

2. A drawer as claimed in claim 1 wherein two said perimeter panels have spigots thereon and the remaining two panels have apertures therein.

3. A drawer as claimed in claim 2 wherein a pair of spigots are provided at each end of said perimeter panels carrying said spigots, and a pair of receiving apertures are provided in each perimeter panel providing receiving apertures.

4. A drawer as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each spigot has a cross section in the shape of a bifurcated arrowhead so that said head passes through said aperture so that the rear faces of the arrowhead bear upon the parts of the perimeter panel forming edges of said aperture to substantially prevent withdrawal of said spigot from said apertures.

5. A drawer as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4 wherein said spigots are provided on end panels and said apertures are provided on side panels.

6. A drawer as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said side panels have a recess on the outwardly facing face thereof, said recess carrying a plurality of wheels, rollers or the like, said wheels, rollers or the like being spaced from the bottom face of said recess.

Drawing