This application claims priority from Mexican application Serial No. MX/a/2008/006644 filed May 22, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention refers to a drawer adjustment system and method, and particularly, to an adjustment and alignment system and method for the front panels or drawer doors using threaded adjustment means.
There are several different types of mounting implements to close the front access of bottom mount drawers, possibly in home appliances. In one embodiment, the drawer doors are mounted by hinges to the compartment lateral wall or liner, to allow door rotation in a vertical axis to open. In another embodiment, the door falls or rotates in a horizontal axis.
In yet another embodiment for mounting the bottom mount drawer, a drawer door slides horizontally relative to other compartments. In this embodiment, a door panel is secured to extending rails, usually telescopic, from the compartment that allow a front door panel to be pulled and pushed in a vertical axis relative to the compartment, to carry out the opening and closing of the compartment. Typically, this pullable door has a drawer or container in which articles are supported and are accessible to the user when the door is pulled towards the front part of the compartment.
A problem typically found with a pulling door in a compartment, is that the door is mounted directly in the telescopic arms of the guide rails, and thus, the positioning and securing of the guide rails within the compartment, is critical for the correct alignment of the front door panel, to close the aperture of the compartment front access and so that when carrying out the closing of said compartment, said closure aligns with the rest of the compartment. In some cases, providing guide rails is not within the tolerances, and thus, as a result, the door will be slightly inclined in relation to the compartment, resulting in an unpleasant appearance of the apparatus.
There have been several manners in which this problem has been solved. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,698,214 discloses a complete drawer adjustment manner, so that the sealing, once closed, is correct. U.S. Pat. No. 2,551,843 discloses drawer alignment means. U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,308 discloses a support adapted to be moved in a vertical and/or horizontal directional plain, wherein a drawer and a drawer guide system, may be aligned to prevent the bond between the drawer and its support structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,422 discloses a mechanism used to adjust the guide level, which at its time, adjust the rail level of an elongated drawer, relative to the cabinet support structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,614 discloses a drawer including in each one of its ends an adjustment device proximal to the front plate for vertically and laterally adjusting the drawer with regards to the telescopic rails. U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,443 discloses a device for fastening and adjusting a drawer front panel with regards to its lateral panel, that comprises a sliding element, which slides by combining means in the longitude direction of the lateral panel. U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,083 discloses an isolated freezer compartment with telescopically extending rails, wherein one end of the rails has a front part, said front part is directed towards the drawer door, and has a pair of brackets to mount said door to the guide rails, in such a way that it allows the door to be adjusted to the compartment in regards to the horizontal and vertical axis. U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,336 discloses a sliding drawer with an adjustment device that includes a cam. The cam can be actuated to adjust the position of the drawer slide with respect to a drawer to which the drawer slide is attached. U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,739 discloses a positioning system that includes a first and second lift, and a leveling system. Each lift includes a base, an adjustment element including a tubular body having a first end coupled to the base and a second end, and a drive screw carried within the body and having an end extending from the body through the drive nut, the drive screw movable between a retracted position and an extended position by rotation of the drive nut, and a support plate coupled to the end of the drive screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,902,244 discloses the guide structure that includes two guide rails mounted to another pair of guide rails, and these to a rail mounted in the drawer. An adjustment screw is provided in the outer end of each one of the plates; a spring plate is located below the adjustment screw to make pressure. When the adjustment screw is threaded, the spring plate may be adjusted to a different level, and thus, the front panel of the drawer, may be adjusted in a different vertical position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,518 discloses a rail and a mechanism to adjust rails. U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,618 discloses a rail position mechanism comprising a directional adjustment of the drawer with regards to the rail. U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,139 discloses a drawer height adjustment device, which, by means of a telescopic guide it hooks to a drawer side, which is guided by means of telescopic rails in support rails. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/406,238 with publication No. 2006/0244351 discloses a refrigerator having a height-adjustable door. The body of the refrigerator has at least one storage space having a front opening. By means of the use of a height adjustment screw that is coupled to the frame hinge, to travel vertically. The adjusting screw upper end abuts the bottom surface of the hinge bush so that, when rotated, the height adjustment screw lifts/lowers the hinge bush, in order to adjust the height of the door.
Austrian Patent No. 390175 discloses a drawer front panel adjustment element, wherein the front panel is directly adjusted with an adjustable inclination angle, the angles may be fixed by positioning screws in the front ends of the frame rails. German Patent No. 2432329 discloses a front drawer with alignment means.
Therefore, drawer or door front panel vertical alignment means are known in the art, however, there is a need for adjustment or alignment means in a vertical axis for drawer or door front panels, which are easy to produce, easy to adjust, ease to hide from the final user and easy that, in the case of being necessary, the end user may adjust the door, wherein said adjustment may be done manually by the user.
The present invention contemplates a height adjustment system for a drawer front panel or a door front panel with regards to the rest of the drawer or door. The adjustment system of the present invention, is specially contemplated for drawer doors, that is, doors that slide in a horizontal axis along with a drawer. In an exemplary and non limitative manner, the invention may be used in two compartment refrigerator doors, wherein one compartment in the lower part, opens and closes in a slidable manner, an oven or dish washing machine wherein the door of said oven or dish washing machines be slidable in a horizontal axis, instead of the traditional rotatable opening in the lower axis if the door. Likewise, the adjusting system of the present invention, is adapted to any type of drawer, be it a typical cabinet of a home, a tool furniture cabinet or a drawer as those disclosed above. The adjusting system is preferably used in drawers whose weight is substantial, however, it is not limited to these types of drawers only.
The vertical adjusting system is used in drawers with rails. Specifically a first part of the adjustment mechanism is found in the front end of the rails, wherein said front end abuts with the door inner panel or inner liner, wherein said front end is capable of supporting the door by means of a bracket, support or similar mechanism, integrated in the front end of the rail.
The rail bracket functions to fasten the door or drawer front panel, wherein the rail bracket is capable of supporting the weight of said front panel and of said door. The weight of the front panel and door, is distributed by the rails, which are fastened to the wall or liner of the drawer or compartment, and thus, the door or drawer front panel weight is in fact supported by the wall or liner of the drawer or compartment.
The first part of the adjustment mechanism is a perpendicular part to the rail bracket, being said first part an integral piece with the rail bracket. Therefore, the first end of the adjustment mechanism, is a bracket in relation to the rail bracket.
A second front panel, totally independent of the rail, that is fastened to the door inner wall or inner liner, is aligned in the same vertical axis in a lower position than the adjustment mechanism first part, forming the adjustment mechanism second part. Both the first and second adjustment mechanism has at least one opening, in which a threaded member is added, where it preferably enters in a threaded manner, each member and opening having approximately the same dimension.
An adjusting means, which may be, however is not limited to, a screw, is capable of being threaded by the opening of both the first adjustment mechanism and the opening of the second adjustment mechanism.
As stated before, both the rail bracket and thus the first adjustment mechanism, and the second bracket or second adjustment mechanism, are fasted to the front wall or liner, which at its time is fasted to the drawer or compartment.
Therefore, when threading the adjustment means, said adjustment means will initially cross the first adjustment mechanism. When reaching the second adjustment mechanism, that is, when the adjusting means start to cross through the second adjustment mechanism, the adjusting means, by means of the work done in said adjusting means, starts to generate a normal force between the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism. The greater threading of the adjusting means with regards to the second adjustment mechanism, the greater normal force there will exist between the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism. Likewise, a partial tension force between the adjusting means, specifically the part which is in between the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism, exists.
When doing work in the adjusting means, and as a consequence, a normal force between the adjustment mechanisms and a partial tension force in the adjusting means, the adjusting means when crossing through the second adjustment mechanism, that is, when threaded towards the second adjustment mechanism, is capable of pulling down in a vertical axis the front panel or drawer or compartment door. When withdrawing the second adjustment mechanism adjusting means, that is, when unthreading the second adjustment mechanism adjusting means, the adjusting means is capable of pulling upwards in a vertical axis the front panel or drawer or compartment door.
Likewise, a simple adjusting means if the front panel or drawer or compartment door is created, that allows adjusting in both sides of the front panel or compartment in an independent manner, wherein both the producer as the final user may have easy access to the system to adjust the front panel or compartment, and wherein the system is not directly visible by the end user.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention creating a simple system to adjust a drawer front panel. A further object, is providing a drawer front panel adjustment mechanism and system, that may be adjusted by both the producer and the end user.
It is a further object of the present invention, allowing the system, by means of force and work, to be capable of vertically pulling up and down the drawer front panel.
Another object is providing a home appliance with the present invention.
Finally, another object of the present invention is providing a method wherein a front panel or compartment or drawer door may be adjusted.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear when having reference of the specification taken into account with the following figures.
The particular features and advantages of the invention, as well as other objects of the invention, will become clear of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying figures, which:
a is an exploded upper conventional perspective view of the adjustment system of the present invention, being used in a drawer front panel.
The present invention is not limited to be used in refrigerators, rather, it may be used in other home appliances, such as ovens, washing machines, dish washing machines, conventional drawers and any other type of cabinet, as well as any type of drawer.
In a lower compartment (91) having as a member a drawer (5), as shown in
A rail (4) is commonly integrated by diverse components, wherein at least one of these components is called mobile vehicle (12) which is embedded within a second part, said mobile vehicle (12) slides with regards to the second part, which at the same time embeds or surrounds it, which is commonly fastened to the inner wall (93) or liner of the lower compartment (91) using fastening means (26). A support (7) which is fastened to the mobile vehicle (12), wherein said support (7) contains projections (6), which allow attaching the basket (2), which at its time will hold the articles within it. At the same time, the support (7) in its front part, has a front section (20), which holds the door (1) using fastening means (26) which are inserted in the door (1) inner wall (9). Throughout the support (7), in said support (7), at least two projections (6) may be usually found, being located along said support (7) in an equilibrated distance to provide stability to the basket (2).
In the rail (4) mobile vehicle (12) front section (20), a front section (20) may be found, that is capable of fastening the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9), which at its time, holds the lower compartment (91) door (1), by means of openings (21) in the support (7) front section (20), wherein using fastening means (26) as well as openings (10) located in the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9), as may be seen in the right and left conventional perspective views of
The front section (20) is made up of at least one opening (21). The inner part of the opening (21), is preferably threaded, so that a fastening means (26) is introduced in it, which may also be threaded, this fastening means (26) may, and is not limitative to a screw, pin, fastener, or any other fastening means (26) that may be threaded or introduced in an opening (21), said fastening means (26) crosses through said opening (21). Likewise, the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9), has at least one opening (10), preferably the same number of openings (21) that the front section has (20), which at the same time, the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) will have. The inner part of the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) door opening (10), is preferably threaded by the same fastening means (26), which will be threaded, to likewise cross the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) opening (10). Therefore, the front end (20) opening (21), along with the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) opening, are co-lineal. At least one opening (21) in the front section (20) may be found, and more preferably, at least for openings (21) in the front section (20). As stated before, the same number of openings (21) found in the front section (20) should be found in the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9).
The front section (20) opening (21) has preferably an oval shape, wherein said oval has the same width that the diameter width of the fastening means (26) threaded part, and wherein the oval has a length greater than the width diameter of the fastening means (26) threaded part. That is, the oval shaped front section (20) opening (21), has a length greater than its width. However, the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) opening (10) diameter, has to be substantially similar to the width diameter of the fastening means (26) threaded part. That is, the oval shaped front section (20) opening (21), has a length greater than its width. However, the opening (10) diameter in the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9), has to be substantially similar to the width diameter of the fastening means (26) threaded part.
In the front section (20) intermediate part, an intermediate aperture (22) is found. The intermediate aperture (22), faces the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9). The aperture (22) has substantially the same length than an adjusting means (31) as well as the same width than a second adjustment mechanism (40).
In the exploded conventional perspective view of
It should be noted that in the example of a refrigerator or isolated cabinet compartment (91) drawer (5), the door (1), through its inner wall (9) makes a “liner”, said “liner” is based on a sheet, plate or plastic laminate, which is later subjected to a thermoforming process, having said inner wall or liner (9) a low thickness that will not allow it to burden the weight of the front panel or drawer (5), and thus, a pair of support beams (17) helpful for supporting, without depending on the resistance of the inner wall or liner (9), since the fastening means (26) are fastened or anchored in said support beams (17), as may be seen in
A first adjustment mechanism (23) that is part of the front section (20), wherein said front section (20) first adjustment mechanism (23) which is perpendicular, is made up of an upper edge (24) of the intermediate section (22). The first adjustment mechanism (23) is part of the front section (20), wherein the first adjustment mechanism (23) is positioned perpendicular to the rest of the front section (20). The first adjustment mechanism (23) intermediate part, is made up of an opening (25), preferably threaded, wherein in said opening (25) a fastening means (26) is introduced. The intermediate opening (22) is centered taking in regards the relation kept by the vertical dimension, as well as the horizontal dimension of the front section (20). The intermediate section (22) is located in the central part of the front section (20), for better reference it is symmetrically placed between the upper openings (21) and the lower openings (21) as exemplified in
A second adjustment mechanism (40), which is totally independent of the front section (20), is fastened to the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) by means of the front section (20) intermediate opening (22). Said second adjustment mechanism (40) is made up of two perpendicular walls between themselves, wherein first wall (41) which abuts with the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) has a first opening (43), a second wall (42) which is perpendicular to the first wall (41), consequently to the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) has a second opening (44).
A second fastening means (32) fastens the second adjustment mechanism (40) with the internal wall (9) or inner liner (9), by means of threading, which does not limit the second fastening means (32), which could or could not be a threaded second fastening means (32), said fastening means (32) is crossed through the first wall (41) opening (43) and smaller opening (11) found in the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9). The width of the second fastening means (32) threading part is substantially similar to the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) smaller opening (11) diameter, through which the second fastening means (32) crosses when using the chords in the same fastening means (32). The second adjustment mechanism (40) is fastened to the door (1) inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) in view of the fastening means (32). The width of the second adjustment mechanism (40) first wall (41) is slightly less than the width of the intermediate aperture (22) so that the second adjustment mechanism (40) is installed within the front section (20) intermediate aperture (22).
The first adjustment mechanism (23) opening (25) is aligned in the same vertical axis than the second adjustment mechanism (40) second wall (42) opening (44), using fastening means (32), as well as the adjusting means (31).
Since the front section (20) opening (21) longitude (L1) is greater than the fastening means (26) width, and since the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) openings (10) diameter are substantially similar to the fastening means (26) diameter width, movement in a vertical axis through longitude (L1) is allowed, for the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9), and consequently the door (1) with regards to the lower compartment (91), particularly in regards to the rail (4) and more particularly with regards to the rail (4) support (7).
The door (1) movement in a vertical axis, is controlled by the adjusting means (31), said adjusting means (31) crosses in its central part the opening (25) concerning the first adjustment mechanism (23), and further crosses in its central part the opening (44) concerning the second adjustment mechanism (40).
The alignment of the second adjustment mechanism (40) in the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9) uses as a reference the intermediate aperture (22), the first adjustment mechanism (23) opening (25) and the second adjustment mechanism (40) second wall (42) opening (44), thus being aligned in the same vertical axis. The adjusting means (31) crosses in its central part the first adjustment mechanism (23) opening (25), as well as second adjustment mechanism (44) second wall (42) opening (44).
The adjusting means (31) initially crosses the first adjustment means (23) opening (25), until reaching the second adjusting means (40), and when initiating its crossing through the second adjusting means (40) opening (44), the adjusting means (31) generates work, in other words, the threading or un-threading done by the adjusting means (31), generates a normal force between the first adjustment mechanism (23) and the second adjustment mechanism (40), administering preciseness, firmness and immobility when aligning the door (1) with the lower compartment (91), as well as with the rail (4) along the support (7), achieving rigidity in the already aligned components.
The more incorporated or threaded the adjustment means (31) is with regards to the second adjustment mechanism (40), the greater normal force there will be between the first adjustment mechanism (23) towards the second adjustment mechanism (40), wherein the normal force created by the work of threading, translates in pulling up the inner wall (9) or inner liner (9), obtaining thus, the pulling up of the door (1). When making the insertion or threading work of the adjusting means (31), there exists as a consequence a normal force between the first adjusting mechanism (23) and the second adjusting mechanism (40), and thus creating a tension force in the adjusting means (31). This normal force is represented by the arrow in
When withdrawing or unthreading the adjusting means (31) from the second adjustment mechanism (40), the adjusting means (31) of the second adjustment mechanism (40), said adjusting means (31) diminishes the normal drive force made by the adjusting means (31) in regards to the first adjusting mechanism (23), therefore, tension release of the second adjustment mechanism (40) is allowed, and consequently the inner wall (9) goes up in a vertical axis, and thus so does the drawer (5) door (1).
The race done by the drawer (5) door (1) is caused by the insertion or withdrawal, threading and unthreading of the adjusting means (31) through the first adjustment mechanism (23) opening (25), as well as through its crossing though the second adjusting mechanism (40) opening (44), said race is carried out by the passing of the fastening means (26) throughout longitude (L1) of the front section (20) opening (21). The insertion or withdrawal race, threading or unthreading of the adjusting means (31) through the first adjustment mechanism (23) opening (25), as well as through the second adjustment mechanism (40) opening (44), said race is limited by the passing of the fastening means (26) throughout longitude (L1) of the front section (20) openings (21).
The intermediate aperture (22), stated above, is placed in the central part, in reference to the front section (20) openings (21).
The second adjustment mechanism (40) second wall (42) opening (44), is aligned in the same vertical axis with regards to the first adjusting mechanism (23) opening (25).
An assembly method for a door is also possible with the present system. In
An alternate embodiment for the invention is illustrated in
Alterations to the structure disclosed in the present invention, may be seen by those skilled in the field. However, it should be understood that the present invention relates to the preferred embodiments of the invention, which is for illustrative purposes only, and should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. All amendments that do not depart from the spirit of the invention are included within the body of the attached claims.
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MX/A/2008/006644 | May 2008 | MX | national |
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