Claims
- 1. A storage cabinet comprising:
- a plurality of drawers each of which is movable between an open position and a closed position;
- a plurality of camplates each attached to one of the drawers and each having a camming surface;
- a first locking bar which is engaged by a first camming surface of each of the camplates such that said first locking bar pivots about a first pivot axis from an unlocked to a locked position when one of the drawers is moved to an open position and which, in the locked position, provides an obstruction which prevents drawers in the closed position from being moved to an open position, the first locking bar, in the direction of the pivot axis, having two opposite end portions and an intermediate portion between the two end portions;
- a support rail which contacts and supports the intermediate portion of the first locking bar, the support rail restricting lateral movement of the first locking bar, but allowing pivoting movement thereof;
- a second locking bar which is engaged by a second camming surface of each of the camplates such that the second locking bar pivots about a second pivot axis substantially parallel to the first pivot axis, the engagement of the second locking bar by the second camming surface causing the second locking bar to pivot from a locked position to an unlocked position when a drawer in an open position is moved to a closed position;
- a linkage which links the pivoting motion of the first locking bar and the second locking bar such that the bars pivot between a locked position and an unlocked position in unison;
- a locking mechanism comprising
- a) pivot bar having a locking surface on a first side adjacent to said second locking bar and a contact arm extending from a second side adjacent to said first locking bar;
- b) means for pivotally mounting said pivot bar to said support rail; and
- c) means for rotating said pivot bar about a pivot point between a locked and unlocked position;
- wherein said locking surface of said pivot bar engages said second locking bar to secure said second locking bar in the locked position and further wherein said contact arm of said pivot bar engages said first locking bar causing said first locking bar to pivot from the locked position to the unlocked position.
- 2. A storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said means for rotating said pivot bar comprises:
- a user-controlled rotating rod;
- a rotor fixedly attached to said rotating rod adjacent to said pivot bar; and
- an engagement block connected to said pivot bar for engaging said rotor as said rotor rotates with said rotating rod.
- 3. A storage cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a ganglock system for ganglocking said cabinet with neighboring cabinets, said ganglock system comprising:
- an actuator means;
- a coupling plate attached to said pivot bar;
- a first actuating rod coupled to said actuator means and pivotally coupled to said coupling plate; and
- additional actuating rods, each coupling said pivot bars of said neighboring cabinets.
- 4. A storage cabinet comprising:
- a plurality of drawers each of which is movable between an open position and a closed position;
- a plurality of camplates each attached to one of the drawers and each having a camming surface and one or more side supports;
- a first locking bar which is engaged by a first camming surface of each of the camplates such that said first locking bar moves from an unlocked to a locked position when one of the drawers is moved to an open position and which, in the locked position, provides an obstruction which prevents drawers in the closed position from being moved to an open position;
- wherein each of said one or more side supports is located adjacent to said first locking bar when the drawer to which the side support is attached is in the closed position, each side support adjacent to said first locking bar limiting any substantial deflection of said first locking bar caused by any lateral forces on said first locking bar;
- a second locking bar which is engaged by a second camming surface of each of said camplates, said first locking bar being engaged by a first camming surface of a camplate when said drawer to which said camplate is attached is moved from a closed position an open position and said second locking bar being engaged by said second camming surface of said camplate when said drawer to which said camplate is attached is moved from said open position to said closed position;
- a locking mechanism, comprising
- a) a pivot bar having a locking surface on a first side adjacent to said second locking bar and a contact arm extending from a second side adjacent to said first locking bar;
- b) means for pivotally mounting said pivot bar; and
- c) means for rotating said pivot bar about a pivot point between a locked and unlocked position;
- wherein said locking surface of said pivot bar engages said second locking bar to secure said second locking bar in the locked position and further wherein said contact arm of said pivot bar engages said first locking bar causing said first locking bar to pivot from the locked position to the unlocked position.
- 5. A storage cabinet according to claim 4, wherein said means for rotating said pivot bar comprises:
- a rotating rod;
- a rotor fixedly attached to said rotating rod adjacent to said pivot bar: and
- an engagement block connected to said pivot bar for engaging said rotor as said rotor rotates with said rotating rod.
- 6. A storage cabinet according to claim 4, further comprising a ganglock system for ganglocking said cabinet with neighboring cabinets, said ganglock system comprising:
- an actuator means;
- a coupling plate attached to said pivot bar;
- a first actuating rod coupled to said actuator means and pivotally coupled to said coupling plate; and
- additional actuating rods, each coupling said pivot bars of said neighboring cabinets.
- 7. A storage cabinet comprising:
- a plurality of drawers, each of which is movable between an open position and a closed position;
- a plurality of camplates, each attached to one of the drawers such that the camplates are parallel to one another when the drawers are in a closed position, each camplate having a first camming surface and a second camming surface;
- a first locking bar which is engaged by the first camming surface of the camplate of a particular drawer when that drawer is moved from a closed position to an open position, said engagement of the first locking bar resulting in an angular displacement of the first locking bar from a first angular position to a second angular position;
- a second locking bar which is engaged by the second camming surface of said camplate of said particular drawer when that drawer is moved from said open position to said closed position, said engagement of the second locking bar resulting in an angular displacement of the second locking bar from a second angular position to a first angular position;
- a linkage which links the angular motion of the first locking bar to the angular motion of the second locking bar such that both locking bars move between their respective first angular positions and second angular positions in unison;
- a plurality of locking surfaces each movable in unison with an associated camplate, each locking surface of a camplate of a drawer in the closed position being obstructed by the second locking bar when the second locking bar is in its second angular orientation such as to prevent movement of said drawer in the closed position to the open position;
- a plurality of support surfaces each rigidly affixed to a drawer and each residing adjacent to one of said first and second locking bars when the drawer to which the plurality of support surfaces is affixed is in the closed position such as to provide a side support which prevents any substantial deflection of the adjacent locking bar;
- a locking mechanism comprising
- a) a pivot bar having a locking surface on a first side adjacent to said second locking bar and a contact arm extending from a second side adjacent to said first locking bar;
- b) means for pivotally mounting said pivot bar; and
- c) means for rotating said pivot bar about a pivot point between a locked and unlocked position;
- wherein said locking surface of said pivot bar engages said second locking bar to secure said second locking bar in the locked position and further wherein said contact arm of said pivot bar engages said first locking bar causing said first locking bar to pivot from the locked position to the unlocked position.
- 8. A storage cabinet according to claim 7, wherein said means for rotating said pivot bar comprises:
- a user-controlled rotating rod;
- a rotor fixedly attached to said rotating rod adjacent to said pivot bar: and
- an engagement block connected to said pivot bar for engaging said rotor as said rotor rotates with said rotating rod.
- 9. A storage cabinet according to claim 7, further comprising a ganglock system for ganglocking said cabinet with neighboring cabinets, said ganglock system comprising:
- an actuator means;
- a coupling plate attached to said pivot bar;
- a first actuating rod coupled to said actuator means and pivotally coupled to said coupling plate; and
- additional actuating rods, each coupling said pivot bars of said neighboring cabinets.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/388,623, filed Feb. 14, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,388 entitled "CABINET DRAWER INTERLOCKING SYSTEM."
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
388623 |
Feb 1995 |
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