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

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6659576
  • Patent Number
    6,659,576
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, April 9, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 9, 2003
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Wilkens; Janet M.
    Agents
    • Anderson & Morishita
    • Morishita; Robert Ryan
Abstract
A modular drawer system for mounting a movable drawer within a cabinet having a floor includes a drawer having a bottom and side walls. Rollers are mounted to and extend from the side walls. Two guide rails adapted to receive the rollers to mount and guide movement of the drawer are secured to a base, optionally comprising two or more base components. The guide rails are fixed in a substantially parallel relationship at a fixed spacing substantially equal to the spacing between the rollers. The system includes a member for securing the base to the cabinet floor.
Description




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.



Claims
  • 1. A method for retrofitting an existing cabinet having a planar floor with a movable drawer of the type having a bottom, side walls, and rollers mounted to and extending from the side walls, comprising:providing a base separate from said cabinet floor with brackets mounted thereon secured to two guide rails, said base comprising two or more base components secured to said guide rails through said brackets to cooperate with said guide rails to maintain the guide rails substantially parallel at a fixed spacing substantially equal to the spacing between the rollers, said brackets elevating said guide rails above said base to engage the rollers extending laterally from the sides of said drawer side walls; securing said guide rails to said base prior to securing said base to the cabinet floor; and securing the base to the planar surface of the cabinet floor.
  • 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said base components are secured perpendicular to said guide rails.
  • 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said base further comprises cross braces connecting said base components to one another.
  • 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said brackets and said base components are integrally formed.
  • 5. A retrofit kit for mounting a modular drawer system having a movable drawer within an existing cabinet having a planar floor, the kit comprising:a drawer defined by a bottom wall and side walls; runners mounted to and extending laterally from said side walls, said runners including rollers rotating on an axis perpendicular to said side walls; two guide rails adapted to receive the rollers to mount and guide movement of the drawer; brackets secured to said guide rails; a base separate from said cabinet floor, the base comprising two or more base components secured to said guide rails through said brackets to cooperate with said guide rails to maintain the guide rails substantially parallel at a fixed spacing substantially equal to the spacing between the rollers, said brackets elevating said guide rails above said base to engage the rollers extending laterally from the sides of said drawer side walls; and means for securing the base to the planar surface of the cabinet floor.
  • 6. The retrofit kit of claim 5 wherein said base components are secured perpendicular to said guide rails.
  • 7. The retrofit kit of claim 5 wherein said base further comprises cross braces connecting said base components to one another.
  • 8. The retrofit kit of claim 5 wherein said brackets and said base components are integrally formed.
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.

US Referenced Citations (12)
Number Name Date Kind
233796 Pines Oct 1880 A
1315922 Franklin Sep 1919 A
1951390 Barker Mar 1934 A
2273918 Zalkind Feb 1942 A
3056641 Parmet Oct 1962 A
3272583 Averdieck Sep 1966 A
3372966 Duy Mar 1968 A
3441330 Wildi Apr 1969 A
4140355 Swain Feb 1979 A
5421647 Simons Jun 1995 A
5761786 Simons Jun 1998 A
5785402 DeLorenzo Jul 1998 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
1249354 Nov 1960 FR
Continuation in Parts (2)
Number Date Country
Parent 09/767596 Jan 2001 US
Child 10/120061 US
Parent 09/569660 May 2000 US
Child 09/767596 US