This application claims the right of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to Application Serial Number 2009100488 filed in Australia on May 25, 2009 by the same inventor, and to Application Serial Number 2009202679 filed in Australia on Jul. 1, 2009 by the same inventor, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties.
This invention relates to a safety storage unit.
Present storage systems, such as filing cabinets and chests of drawers, enable a number of drawers to be open at any one time. This redistributes the weight of the whole storage system and presents a danger, particularly to children, of the storage system accidentally tipping over and injuring a person due to the increased moment that is created by the weight of the open drawers. In some instances fatal injuries have been caused. Furthermore, where a number of drawers are open, this can create a step ladder that children can use to climb upon in order to reach the top of the storage system. This presents a similar danger in that as the child's weight is placed on the open drawers, the whole storage system is susceptible to tipping. Furthermore, once the child has reached the top panel of the storage system, another danger is presented in that the child can inadvertently fall or deliberately jump off the top of the storage system with a possible injury to the child resulting.
There are existing systems for locking drawers, particularly filing cabinets or desk drawers that use a lock bolt and key arrangement. A series of vertically stacked drawers may be linked by a rod whereby all of the drawers can be locked at one time through the turn of a key in a single key lock. Such arrangements are generally complex and costly to manufacture and still present the option of having more than one drawer open at a time.
The present invention provides an alternative to the above arrangements and provides an improvement to the safety of users of storage systems.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:
a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;
a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit;
means for linking the first guide assembly such that the means for linking is moveable through the first guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened and wherein only one storage compartment is fully open at any one time.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:
a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another and moveable between an open position and a closed position;
a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit, and
means for linking the first guide assembly such that upon opening a storage compartment the means for linking moves through the first guide assembly and is of a predetermined length to ensure that only one storage compartment is fully open at a time.
The storage unit may further include a second guide assembly located at a distance from the first guide assembly; wherein the means for linking links the second guide assembly to the first guide assembly and is moveable through the second guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened.
The second guide assembly can be housed within or attached to a support structure and the first guide assembly may be attached to the storage compartments. The support structure may be a rear panel of the safety storage unit or a projection attached to or forming part of the rear panel of the safety storage unit. Alternatively, the support structure is a post extending between a top panel and a bottom panel of the safety storage unit.
Each storage compartment preferably has a front panel, a rear panel, side panels and a bottom panel. The first guide assembly can include a guide attached to the rear panel of each storage compartment.
Alternatively, the first guide assembly can include a guide attached to a rear side of the front panel of each storage compartment. Preferably the first guide assembly includes a first set of guides and a second set of guides, such that the first set of guides and second set of guides are attached to the rear side of the front panel of the storage compartments adjacent respective side edges of each front panel, the means for linking is arranged as first means for linking and second means for linking, the first means for linking each guide in the first set of guides and the second means for linking each guide in the second set of guides, such that upon opening a storage compartment the first means for linking moves through the first set of guides and the second means for linking moves through the second sets of guides.
The safety storage unit may further include a second guide assembly attached to or forming part of a frame of the safety storage unit, the second guide assembly including a first set of guides through which the first means for linking passes and a second set of guides through which the second means for linking passes.
The means for linking may be a loop of material and each end of the loop of material is secured at a location removed from any one of the storage compartments.
The means for linking may have a portion substantially the same length as the full outward extension of one of the storage compartments that has no tension when all storage compartments are in the closed position.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:
a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;
means for linking the storage compartments together whereby:
Preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which:
a) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing a set of storage compartments in a closed position with a linking means linking a first set and a second set of guide means;
b) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a second embodiment of the invention, showing a set of storage compartments in a closed position with a linking means linking a single set of guide means;
c) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a third embodiment of the invention, showing a set of two storage compartments in a closed position linked by a linking means;
a) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a fifth embodiment in which the rear sides of the front panel of each storage compartment have a first set of guide means and a frame of the storage unit having a second set of guide means linked to the first set of guide means by a linking means;
b) is a plan view of
c) is a side view of a safety storage unit according to a sixth embodiment in which the rear sides of the front panel of each storage compartment have a single set of guide means linked by a linking means; and
Shown in
In
c) shows an alternative embodiment in which a set of two drawers 4, 6 have respective ends of elongate length of material 36 attached and secured at a back panel thereof, at anchors 27 and 29. A first guide assembly includes a pair of guides, in the form of rings or eyelets 31, 33 that are secured to back panel 14 and have material 36 extending therethrough. When drawers 4, 6 are in the closed position, untensioned portion 35 hangs from eyelet 31 and anchor 29 on the back panel of drawer 4.
With each of the arrangements shown in
An alternative arrangement is shown in
Each of the guides 18 to 30 may suitably be in the form of any one of an eyelet, eye bolt, pulley or hook or any material having an aperture through it through which the material 36 can freely pass. Each of the anchors 32 and 34 can be, for example, an eye bolt where a knot is tied in the material 36 against the eye in the anchors 32 and 34. Alternatively it can be in the form of a cleat attached to the outside of the rear panel 14 with material length 36 secured in any one of a number of grooves of the cleat.
With reference to
The advantage of the post 38 is that it can have anchors 32 and 34 attached thereto without the need to apply the fittings to the back panel 14. This can be used for newly built storage units, whereas the embodiments as shown in
Shown in
In
With all of the embodiments, a smooth fixture can be attached to edges of the drawers that come into contact with the means for linking, so as to prevent unnecessary wear on the means for linking.
It is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be made to the features of the preferred embodiments of the invention as herein described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2009100488 | May 2009 | AU | national |
2009202679 | Jul 2009 | AU | national |