Method and device for mounting a modular drawer and support inside a cabinet

PRIOR APPLICATION DATA

The present application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/767,596 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,567 entitled “Method and Device for Mounting a Modular Drawer and Support Inside a Cabinet” filed Jan. 22, 2001 by Applicant herein which, in turn, is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/569,660, now abandoned, filed May 12, 2000 by Applicant herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to storage cabinets. Specifically, the present invention is a modular drawer and support device and method for mounting a drawer within a cabinet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known in the art that there are advantages to substituting fixed shelves in storage cabinets with movable shelves or drawers. A key difference is that objects stored at the back of a fixed shelf is not accessible while movable shelves and drawers allow full utilization of the cabinet space.

There are various devices and methods known in the art for installing drawers inside cabinets. One system known in the art includes attaching guides directly to the sides of the cabinet to mate with runners on the sides of a drawer. However, this system cannot be installed in cabinets with intermediate supports. Also, the drawers must be continuous across the width of the cabinet.

One attempt to address these drawbacks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,421,647 and 5,761,786 to Simons. The device shown in these references include guides attached to columns that are, in turn, secured to the floor of a cabinet. However, a drawback of this device is that the columns supporting the guides are independent. That is, each side must be placed in the cabinet in the correct position separately. In a confined space such as a cabinet, it can be difficult to position the columns parallel to one another, with the correct spacing, at the correct alignment to allow the drawer to move freely along the guides. Moreover, once positioned, an installer must correctly locate the holes in the brackets securing the columns. Even if corrected positioned and located, the act of installing screws through the holes in the columns may cause the columns to shift out of alignment. Any error in the measuring, positioning, or installing of the columns can cause the drawer to bind inside the guides.

Therefore, it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a modular drawer and support that may be easily installed in a cabinet that reduces or eliminates the possibility of misalignment and errors in positioning and installation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A device for mounting a movable drawer within a cabinet having a floor includes a drawer and a support. The drawer includes a bottom, the width of which defines a footprint, opposing parallel side walls, and rollers mounted to and extending from the side walls. Optionally, the rollers are combined with runners to provide additional support. The side walls cooperate with the bottom to define a container with an open top.

The support includes a base and two guide rails to receive the rollers to mount and guide movement of the drawer. The base may, in an optional embodiment, comprise base components and, in a further optional embodiment, cross braces. The guide rails are secured to the base in a substantially parallel relationship at a fixed spacing equal to the spacing between the rollers. Optionally, the guide rails are secured to the base using angle brackets. The device includes means for fixing the support to the cabinet floor.

The present invention also includes a method for mounting a movable drawer within a cabinet having a floor. The method is directed to drawers of the type having a bottom, the width of which defines a footprint, and rollers secured to and extending from the side walls of the drawer. The method begins with providing a base and two guide rails adapted to receive said rollers to mount and guide movement of the drawer. The guide rails are secured to the base in a substantially parallel relationship at a fixed spacing equal to the spacing between the rollers. The base is secured to the cabinet floor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and device for mounting a movable drawer to the floor of a cabinet. It is a further object of the invention to provide a drawer system for a cabinet that avoids the shifting and misalignment problems of the prior art by providing a base that correctly spaces the guide rails prior to installation in the cabinet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

is an elevated assembly view of a drawer and support according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2

is an elevated perspective view of the device of the present invention with the drawer in an open position;

FIG. 3

is an elevated perspective view of the device of the present invention with the drawer in a closed position;

FIG. 4

is a front view of the drawer and support according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5

is a rear view of the drawer and support according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6

is a top view of the drawer and support of the present invention with the drawer in an open position;

FIG. 7

is a cutaway side view taken along line A—A of

FIG. 6

showing the drawer and support of the present invention with the drawer in an open position;

FIG. 8

is an elevated assembly view of a drawer and support according to an alternate embodiment the present invention;

FIG. 9

is an elevated perspective view of the device of the alternate embodiment of

FIG. 8

with the drawer in an open position;

FIG. 10

is an elevated perspective view of the device of the alternate embodiment of

FIG. 8

with the drawer in a closed position;

FIG. 11

is an elevated assembly view of a drawer and support according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12

is an elevated perspective view of the device of the alternate embodiment of

FIG. 11

with the drawer in an open position;

FIG. 13

is an elevated perspective view of the device of the alternate embodiment of

FIG. 11

with the drawer in a closed position;

FIG. 14

is an elevated assembly view of a drawer and support according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. The present device is a modular drawer

10

and support

20

for mounting within a conventional cabinet having a floor. With reference to

FIGS. 1-3

, the device of the present invention includes two interconnecting parts: a drawer

10

and a support

20

. It is important to note that references to the drawer

10

include any structure that may be drawn forward from the cabinet, including rolling shelves, rolling cutting boards, rolling containers, as well as conventional rectangular parallelopiped drawers

10

. The drawer

10

includes at least a bottom

12

. The width of the bottom

12

defines a footprint. The drawer

10

also includes side walls

14

.

Attached to the side walls

14

are freely pivotable rollers

18

, optionally mounted inside runners

16

in a manner conventional in the art. As can be seen in the figures, the rollers

18

are mounted to, and extend laterally from, the side walls

14

of the drawer

10

. While the number of rollers

18

may vary, in an optional embodiment, there are two rollers

18

, one on each side of the drawer

10

.

The support

20

includes a base

22

. In an optional embodiment, the base

22

is substantially flat and of uniform thickness. The base

22

may optionally include holes

24

through which fasteners

26

, such as screws, nails, bolts, or the like, may be disposed to secure the base

22

to the floor of the cabinet. Alternatively, the base

22

may be secured to the floor using adhesives, mechanical clips or fasteners

26

, bonding, or the like.

Attached to the base

22

are two guide rails

28

. The guide rails

28

are positioned substantially parallel to one another at a fixed spacing substantially equal to the spacing between the rollers

18

. The guide rails

28

may be attached to the base

22

in any fashion known in the art including mechanical fasteners, adhesives, or the like. In an optional alternate embodiment, the guide rails

28

are elevated above the base

22

using angle brackets

23

.

The base

22

may be a unitary, substantially continuous piece, such as shown in

FIGS. 1-7

, or the base

22

may comprise two or more base components

40

spaced from one another connecting the guide rails

28

, as shown in

FIGS. 8-14

. In one optional embodiment, shown in

FIGS. 8-10

, the base components

40

and guide rails

28

. cooperate maintain the the guide rails

28

substantially parallel at a fixed spacing substantially equal to the spacing between the rollers

18

. In a further optional embodiment, shown in

FIGS. 11-13

, one or more cross braces

42

may connect and space the base components

40

. For example, in the optional embodiment of

FIGS. 11-13

, the base components

40

and cross braces

42

are substantially perpendicular to form a base

22

in the shape of a rectangular lattice with a central opening, although it is contemplated that the base

22

could form a lattice of any shape. It is also contemplated that the base components

40

and brackets may be integral as shown in

FIG. 14

to form a substantially continuous U-shaped base component

44

.

Referring generally to

FIGS. 1-14

, the guide rails

28

are shaped to receive the runners

16

and engage the rollers

18

to mount and guide movement of the drawer

10

as it is drawn. In an optional embodiment, the guide rails

28

are U-shaped with the opening of the guide rails

28

directed toward the center of the base

22

. The guide rails

28

include a slot

30

for inserting the rollers

18

to mount the rollers

18

and runners

16

inside the guide rails

28

. The guide rails

28

may optionally include a downward slope

32

at the back of the rails so that the area of the drawer

10

near the rollers

18

is at a slightly lower position when the drawer

10

is closed. This slope

32

maintains the drawer

10

in the closed position.

Guide rollers

34

may also be disposed along the guide rails

28

or, alternatively, aligned with the rollers

18

as shown in

FIGS. 1-3

, to support the drawer

10

and facilitate opening and closing of the drawer

10

.

The drawer

10

and support

20

are assembled by aligning the rollers

18

with the slots

30

on the guide rails

28

. The drawer

10

is lowered until the rollers

18

rest on the bottom

12

of the guide rails

28

and the runners

16

of the drawer

10

rests on the guide rollers

34

as shown in

FIGS. 4 and 5

. In use, the drawer

10

may be rolled forward into an open position in which the drawer

10

protrudes from the cabinet as shown in

FIGS. 2

,

6

, and

7

. The drawer

10

may also be rolled back into a closed position in which the base

22

is directly under the drawer

10

as shown in FIG.

3

.

Referring again to

FIG. 1

, the system of the present invention is installed by first securing the base

22

to the floor of the cabinet. Because the guide rails

28

are already secured to the base

22

in a substantially parallel relationship to one another at a spacing substantially equal to the spacing between the rollers

18

, no alignment, measuring, or installation of the guide rails

28

is necessary. Thus, the system of the present invention avoids the shifting and misalignment problems of the prior art by providing the element of a base

22

that correctly spaces the guide rails

28

prior to installation in the cabinet. The drawer

10

is installed into the guide rails

28

as previously described.

While certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described it is to be understood that the present invention is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims presented herein.