This invention relates to an upright storage cabinet and more particularly, to an upright storage cabinet having a rotatable lock cam which is rotated to actuate a locking mechanism for locking drawers of the cabinet.
Upright storage cabinets used in offices and similar environments conventionally include an upright hollow cabinet housing which is open at the front and receives one or more file drawers in a vertically stacked arrangement. Such cabinets are well known and typically include a locking mechanism which securely locks each drawer in a closed position.
These locking mechanisms often employ a key-operated lock device which is mounted on a drawer so as to be accessible from a front thereof. The lock device drives an intermediate linkage in the housing that controls vertical movement of a lock bar also supported in the housing. The lock bar cooperates with the individual drawers so as to simultaneously lock the drawers in the closed position when in a locking position and release said drawers when the lock bar is moved vertically to a release position.
Some known cabinets have locking mechanisms which include a lock cam on the lock device which is rotated to drive the intermediate linkage and vertically manipulate the lock bar to move the lock bar between the locking position and the release position. One example of such a cabinet and locking mechanism is the commercially available PREMISE® pedestal storage unit sold by the assignee of the present invention having a family code number of FS49DPFN.
The lock cam of the PREMISE® pedestal unit as illustrated in
The lock assembly 100 additionally includes a cylindrically shaped lock shell 112 which is non-rotatably mounted on the front wall of the cabinet drawer. The lock shell 112 defines a receptacle 113 which opens forwardly and is adapted to receive a plug-type actuator 121 (illustrated in phantom outline in FIG. 17). The actuator 121 is a key-type actuator which is operated by a key 122 (
The lock assembly 100 further includes a generally rectangular insert or lug 114 that is mounted to said actuator for rotation within the lock shell 112. The lug 114 includes an internally threaded hole 115 for receiving a pinch bolt or screw 116 which said screw 116 is engaged with the threaded hole 115 to fasten the lock cam 103 to the lock shell 112. In this regard, the screw head 117 is located within the cam hole 106 on the rearward side of the cam base wall 107 such that the screw head 117 clamps the base wall 107 along the longitudinal edges of the rectangular slot 110. The screw 116 thereby fixes the cam member 101 on the lug 114 and due to the rectangular shape of the lug 114, the cam 103 rotates in unison with the lug 114.
More particularly, the lug 114 includes an annular plate 120 which is non-rotatably fixed to lug 114 and cooperates with the lock shell 112 to prevent rotation of the lug 114 relative to the lock shell 112. In this regard, the plate 120 includes a notch on the periphery thereof which defines a pair of shoulders (not shown) which are circumferentially spaced apart from one another and cooperate with a corresponding stop (not shown) on the rearmost end of the lock shell 112.
Thus, when locking of the drawers is desirable, the key 122 is inserted into the actuator 120 and turned which thereby rotates the lug 114 and associated lock cam 101 between locked and unlocked positions which positions are defined by the shoulders of plate 120 with the stop on the lock shell 112. Rotation of the cam 101 causes the edge 104 thereof to make contact with a horizontal drive element or shaft which extends along the upper frontmost edge of the cabinet housing. Rotation of the drive element by cam portion 103 in turn raises a vertical locking bar oriented along a side wall of the cabinet. The vertical locking bar cooperates with the individual drawers to lock same in the closed position or release the drawers for opening thereof by vertical displacement of the locking bar.
Since the lug 114 may be slid vertically and thereby adjusted within the vertically elongate slot of the cam 101, the cam 101 tends to undergo “creep” or undesirable sliding within the slot 110 over a period of time. That is, repeated use of the lock assembly 100, movement of the cabinet, etc., can cause the cam 101 to shift longitudinally within the slot 110 from its original installed position. This shifting of the cam member 103 often results in a misalignment of the cam 103 relative to the drive element. Such creep of the cam body 101 from this installed position typically causes malfunctioning of the lock assembly 100 which in turn necessitates time consuming and costly readjustment of the position of the cam body 101.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages associated with the lock assembly 100 and undesirable creep or shifting of the cam body 101 referenced above. The invention relates to an improved lock assembly which has a cam body that is fixed on said lug 114 which eliminates undesirable creep or shifting of the cam body. To accommodate changes in the relative distance between the cam body and a horizontal drive element which differences may result from variations in manufacturing tolerances, wear or the like, the cam body includes a resilient cam projecting radially outwardly therefrom. The cam is resiliently deflectable radially inwardly which automatically compensates for manufacturing tolerances and wear without any adjustments being required in the connection of the cam body with the lug on the lock assembly.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Further, the words “frontwardly” and “rearwardly” will respectively refer to the side of the storage cabinet which normally faces the user and the side of the cabinet which normally faces away from the user. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the arrangement and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.
Frame 16 includes a pair of horizontally-spaced and generally parallel upright front frame members 20 and a pair of horizontally-spaced and generally parallel upright rear frame members 21. The respective front frame members 20 are connected to one another by upper and lower vertically spaced and generally parallel horizontal frame members 22. The rear frame members 21 are interconnected to one another in a similar manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjacent pairs of front and rear upright frame members 20 and 21 are fixed to the inner sides of the respective right and left side walls 13. The horizontal frame members 22 extend transversely between the right and left side walls 13 and are vertically positioned with respect thereto via flanges 23 formed on the upper and lower edges of side walls 13.
To mount the drawers 12 within the cabinet 10, a plurality of elongate drawer slides 24 (not shown in
Each of the drawers 12 includes a pair of identical side walls 30, a bottom wall 31, a back wall 32, and a front wall 33 which mounts thereon a drawer pull 34. The respective side walls 30 of each drawer 12 define outwardly projecting, generally horizontally oriented reinforcing channels 35 which seat on the respective opposed drawer slides 24 mounted on the right and left side walls 13 of the cabinet 10. In this regard, channels 35 define pockets and tabs therein which snap lockingly engage the drawer slide 24 so as to prevent dislodgement of the drawer 12 therefrom. The mounting of drawer slides 24 on side walls 13 as mentioned above, as well as the supporting of the drawers 12 on the opposed pairs of slides 24 by pockets and tabs, are conventional and thus a more detailed description is not believed necessary.
As shown in
The storage cabinet 10 is provided with a locking arrangement 40 (
As shown in
The locking bar 41 includes a plurality of tabs or flanges 52 (
With reference to
The horizontal drive element 42 is journalled in the guide channel 44 of cross member 43. With reference to
A rectangular window or cut-out 62 is defined within cross member 43 and interrupts and divides the guide channel 44 into two longitudinally aligned channel parts 44A and 44B. Window 62 has a pair of straight longitudinal edges 63 which are parallel to, and spaced a short distance outwardly from guide channel 44, and a pair of straight transverse edges 64 which extend between the edges 63 and respectively form inner terminal U-shaped end edges 65 of guide channel 44. Guide channel 44 thus has an upwardly-opening U-shape when viewed in transverse cross-section, and projects downwardly from the horizontal plane occupied by parts 60 and 61.
Cross member 43 is further defined by a wall or shoulder 66 which projects vertically upwardly from frontmost part 61, and a frontwardly oriented flat portion 70 which projects horizontally forwardly from the uppermost end of wall 66. A flange 71 (
Horizontal drive element 42 is positioned within guide channel 44 so that the actuator portion 54 thereof is disposed within window 62 to allow same to move freely between the locked and unlocked positions, and the straight rod-like portions 53 of element 42 are seated upon the upwardly facing lowermost surfaces of the channel portions 44A and 44B. Thus, with the second leg 56 of the element 42 engaged within the slot 50 of vertical locking bar 41, the channel 44 serves to journal the drive element 42 so that same can be rotated between locked and unlocked positions or in other words, active and inactive positions.
The above-discussed construction of the storage cabinet 10 is conventional, and the advantageous construction of the cam lock assembly 45 according to the invention will now be described. The cam lock assembly 45 is similar in construction to the cam lock assembly 100 discussed above, and therefore some of the same reference numbers to depict identical or similar components.
With reference to
More particularly as to the cam body 79, this cam body 79 has a one-piece plastic construction which is adapted to accommodate variations in dimensional tolerances in the cam body 79, the lock assembly 45 and the drive element 42 in addition to other components of the overall storage cabinet 10.
In this regard, the cam body 79 has a circular opening or bore 80 which terminates at a flat base wall 81. The base wall 81 includes a substantially square or rectangular opening 82 which has a size and shape that corresponds to the lug 114 so as to slidably receive the end of the lug 114 in close fitting engagement within the opening 82. When the cam body 79 is fitted on the lug 114, the cam body 79 and lug 114 thereby rotate in unison about a rotation axis 83 and the cam body 79 is thereby non-movable or stationary relative to the rotation axis 83. Due to the close fitting engagement of the lug 114 and the opening 82, undesirable creep or slippage which occurs with the cam member 101 of the prior art arrangement is avoided in the inventive cam body 79.
To effect rotation of the drive member 42 about the rod sections 53, the cam body 79 includes a radially projecting cam 85 which is adapted to contact the lever 54 (
During rotation of the cam body 79, the cam 85 rotates circumferentially between the active position illustrated in FIG. 8 and the sidewardly projecting initial or inactive position illustrated in FIG. 10. More particularly as to
As the cam body 79 is rotated back to the inactive position of
Since the relative vertical distance between the lever 54 and the rotation axis 83 may vary depending upon dimensional variations in tolerances in the various parts and on wear which might occur in the components, the resiliency of the cam 85 permits deflection thereof and generates a constant upward biasing force on the lever 54. If tolerances vary or wear occurs, the cam 85 is constantly biased upwardly into contact with the lever 54 in the active position of
The inventive cam body 79 furthermore includes a fixed radial projection 99 which generally projects in the same radial direction as the distal end 91 but is spaced axially from the distal cam section 91. The radial projection 99 is adapted to axially contact an inside face of the cabinet housing 11 as generally illustrated in
With reference to
In operation, when it is desirable to lock all of the drawers 12 of the storage cabinet 10 according to the invention, the user inserts a key into the actuator 121 (not shown) of cam lock assembly 45 and turns the key clockwise to cause rotation of the cam 85 in a clockwise direction. As the cam 85 translates upwardly, the camming surface 92 thereof engages the actuator portion 54 of horizontal drive element 42 and lifts same upwardly causing rotation of drive element 42 relative to and within guide channel 44. This upward lifting of the actuator portion 54 and rotation of element 42 and the second leg 56 thereof applies an upwardly directed force on vertical locking bar 41 to lift same into its uppermost position relative to side wall 13, so that the flanges 52 thereof engage within correspondingly located recesses defined in the individual drawers 12. The engagement of the flanges 52 of locking bar 41 with the drawers 12 prevents same from being opened.
To unlock the drawers 12, the user turns the key in a counterclockwise direction, which causes rotation of the cam body 79 counterclockwise. As the cam 85 translates circumferentially downwardly, the actuator portion 54 of locking bar 42 rotates, and the vertical locking bar 41 under its own weight returns to the unlocked or lowermost position to disengage the flanges 52 from the drawers 12 and allow same to be opened.
The ability of the cam 85 to deflect avoids the need for readjustment of the position of cam member 79 relative to the horizontal locking bar 42. Further, the cam body 79 remains stationary relative to the rotation axis 83 to thereby avoid undesirable creep. Accordingly, the cam body 79 pursuant to the present invention deflects and self-adjusts every time the cam member 79 is moved into the active position, which avoids the need for positional readjustment of the cam member 79.
Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention.
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Number | Date | Country |
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2 583 813 | Dec 1986 | FR |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040119383 A1 | Jun 2004 | US |