DE29824601U1 - Locking device for drawers in furniture - Google Patents

Description

Ojmar, SA 1020 005 ^U -EN

E-20600 Eibar (Guipuzcoa) June 26, 2001

Locking device for drawers in furniture

The present invention relates to a locking device for drawers, in particular for drawers of office furniture and the like, which prevents the furniture from tipping over.

At present, a large number of pieces of furniture with drawers or similar are used for archiving documents of all kinds (index cards, folders, etc.) and numerous devices have already been developed that prevent the furniture from tipping over by preventing several drawers from being opened at the same time. The number of patents in this area is correspondingly large.

The applicant has focused on some problems not solved by the devices mentioned:

(a) the individual components of the devices are manufactured according to the dimensions of the furniture or drawers, so that parts of different dimensions have to be manufactured for each manufacturer and for each piece of furniture, which prevents standardisation and increases the price;

(b) excessive restrictions are imposed on the furniture manufacturer by the manufacturer of the mechanism;

(c) operating devices such as springs and locking or blocking devices are in opposite directions or in inappropriate locations;

d) inadequate security against manipulation;

e) Impossibility of opening in case of accidental closing.

These problems are solved by the invention filed here.

In order to better understand the subject matter of the present invention, a preferred embodiment is shown in the drawing. In the embodiment shown, minor changes can of course be made which do not alter the essence of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the locking device forming the subject of the invention.

Figures 2a, 2b, 2c are three consecutive views showing the interaction of the bolt B of the drawer with the sliding elements of the devices of Figure 1 from closed drawer to open drawer.

Figure 2d is an illustration of an inadvertently closed drawer with bolt B in the opening position.

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The locking device according to the invention for drawers in office furniture and the like with anti-tipping and locking function comprises a guide plate 1 or a similarly acting guide means which interacts with all drawers of a piece of furniture. Linearly displaceable devices 2 are arranged in the guide plate 1, which are in an interrelationship with one another as described below.

Such a device 2 is provided for each drawer of the furniture.

To complete the device according to the invention, the following are also arranged above the devices 2: a spring for automatically adjusting the devices 2 and means 4 for closing/blocking the entire arrangement in its closed position.

According to the invention and as shown in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, each device 2 consists of several sub-boards 21a, 21b, 21c. A first outer sub-board 21a carrying a composite tilting element 23 and a second outer sub-board 21c carrying a receiving element 22 can be used together in drawers of any type and size, thereby reducing manufacturing and distribution costs. The intermediate sub-board 21b is used to adapt the device to the size of drawers or the needs of the user.

The composite tilting element 23 consists of a cam plate 231, which can have a curved, preferably a cylindrical profile P, a swing arm 232 which rotates about the axis 233 and consists of an inner arm 234 and an outer arm 235, which are equal or different.

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can be designed differently (in the figures they are designed differently).

The aim is to vertically separate the assembled tilting element 23 from the receiving element 22 by means of a bolt B fixed to each drawer of the furniture, thereby achieving a displacement of the overlying devices 2 or the corresponding sub-boards in the guide board 1.

Advantageously, the transition region 236 between the inner arm 234 and the outer arm 235 of the swing arm 232 has a partially cylindrical shape such that the bolt B with a cylindrical shape can engage therein.

The end of the inner arm 234 has a rear extension 237 whose surface at least partially coincides with the profile P of the cam plate 231 and with dimensions similar to those of the bolt B.

The device according to the invention functions as follows:

When the user pulls out the drawer C, the bolt B comes into contact with the outer arm 235, which it follows in its movement. The bolt B is located tangentially to the plane of the surface S of the receiving element 22 and fits between the outer surface of the cam plate 231 (which may be curved) and the surface of the receiving element 22, causing a vertical upward displacement of the composite tilting element 23 in the guide plate 1.

The bolt B carries the outer arm 235 along its path and the rocker 232 continues to rotate until the bolt B no longer comes into contact with the outer arm 235, which coincides with the vertical position of the inner arm 234. The inner arm 234, with its rear extension 237, takes up the space left by the bolt B and maintains the vertical displacement of the assembled tilting element 23, causing a collision between the bolts B and the receiving elements 22 of the remaining drawers, which have also been displaced upwards, thus preventing their extraction. In the position shown in Figure 2c to prevent accidental closing, the inner arm 234 forms an obtuse angle with the surface S of the receiving element 22, the surface S and the end of the inner arm 234 remaining in abutment with each other.

The receiving element 22 preferably has a chamfer 238a which facilitates the entry of the bolt B in the event of an accident (Figure 2d).

Since the entirety of the boards has a free space Δ only in their upper section, a vertical movement Δ (Figure 2c) of a board or sub-board blocks all the others because, although the amplitude Δ can be reached when activating each device 2, once one of the devices has been activated, the remaining devices 2 can no longer be activated.

To avoid external influence on this mechanism, the body of the cam plate 231 is formed by its edge as a protective shield 239. To prevent unintentional movement of the swing arm 232 in the

In order to avoid a locking in the closed position, the body of the cam plate 231 has on its outer surface a stop 5 for the inner arm 234, whereby a further stop can be provided for the opening position.

The sub-boards 21a, 21c can be made of plastic. Advantageously, the sub-board 21c is formed as one piece with the receiving element 22 and the sub-board 21a is formed as one piece with the cam plate 231.

Once the open position (Figure 2c) has been reached, the drawer can be closed and returned to the closed position (Figure 2a).

If a strong impact or unforeseen circumstances accidentally occur in the open position (Figure 2c), the inner arm 234 may rotate to its closed position even though the bolt B is still in the open position (Figure 2d). If the outer arm 235 had the same dimensions as the inner arm 234, the user would be faced with a major problem.

To prevent this, the outer arm 235 is designed so that it can bend. For this purpose, the outer arm 235 can have an additional elastic element or, as shown in Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, a weakening zone or a pivoting zone Z can be formed on the swing arm 232 such that the outer arm 235 is much thinner than the inner arm 234 and can bend.

With this construction, the bolt B causes after an accidental, unintentional closing (Figure 2d), when it leaves the position of the outer arm

mes 235 and acts on it, a bending of the outer arm 235 (clockwise in Figure 2d) so that the bolt can pass and reach its closed position (Figure 2a).

Claims (9)

1. Locking device for drawers in furniture, consisting of an actuating bolt (B) connected to the drawer (C) and a sliding plate ( 2 ) for each drawer (C), all plates ( 2 ) being vertically operatively connected, characterized by : a) each board ( 2 ) consists of at least 1. an outer sub-plate ( 21a ) carrying a composite rocking element ( 23 ) consisting of a cam plate ( 231 ) and a rocking arm ( 232 ) rotatably mounted on the cam plate ( 231 ) and having an outer arm ( 235 ) and an inner arm ( 234 ), the inner arm ( 234 ) having an extension whose cross-sectional dimensions are similar to those of the bolt (B), 2. a further outer sub-plate ( 21c ) carrying a receiving element ( 22 ); b) the actuating bolt (B) is located tangentially on the upper horizontal surface (S) of the receiving element ( 22 ) and, during its movement, engages in the swing arm ( 232 ) between its inner arm ( 234 ) and its outer arm ( 235 ). 2. Locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer arm ( 235 ) is flexible. 3. Locking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the swing arm ( 232 ) has a weakening zone (Z) between the inner arm ( 234 ) and the outer arm ( 235 ) which allows bending of the outer arm ( 235 ) under the action of compressive force. 4. Locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower plate ( 21 c) carrying the receiving element ( 22 ) has a bevel on the outside which facilitates the entry of the bolt (B). 5. Locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact between the inner arm ( 234 ) and the lower plate ( 21c ) carrying the receiving element ( 22 ) is formed by abutment of two planes. 6. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that stops ( 5 ) are provided for limiting the movement of the swing arm ( 232 ) during its opening and closing movement. 7. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a protective shield ( 239 ) projecting from the body of the cam plate ( 231 ) is provided to prevent undesired actuation. 8. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an overhead actuating spring and a locking means ( 4 ) are provided. 9. Locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross-sectional dimensions of the ends of the inner and outer arms ( 234 , 235 ), the transition between the arms and the bolt (B) are similar.