GB2401305A

GB2401305A - An adjustable drawer front fixing device

Info

Publication number: GB2401305A
Application number: GB0310669A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Philip Shenton
Original assignee: Window Fabrication and Fixing Supplies Ltd
Current assignee: Window Fabrication and Fixing Supplies Ltd
Priority date: 2003-05-09
Filing date: 2003-05-09
Publication date: 2004-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-09
Also published as: GB0310669D0; HK1069295A1; GB2401305B; CN1550173A; CN100464672C

Abstract

A fixing device 10 for attaching a drawer front to a drawer side comprises a first member 12 attached to the back of the drawer, a second member 20 connected to and axially adjustable relative to the first member and a clamping means (42 figure 2) adapted to engage a downwardly opening aperture in the drawer side, for clamping the drawer front to an end of the drawer side. The clamping means may be an eccentric pin whereby the first part (44 figure 2) of the eccentric pin passes through an aperture 40 in the second member and a second part (54 figure 2)of the eccentric pin fits into a downwardly opening aperture in the drawer side. Rotation of the eccentric pin causes the drawer front to be clamped against an end of the drawer side. The first and second members may have co-operating guide means 30 and (32 figure 1a) which guide the relative axial movement of the first and second members. Rotation of a threaded screw 36 allows relative axial movement of the first and second members and thereby ensure that the drawer fronts are aligned parallel and evenly spaced apart with one-another.

Description

J

240 I./$Oj P02044UK 20030508 SpeificationAsFiled.wpd 1 Title: Fixing Device The present invention relates to a fixing device and more particularly but not exclusively to a fixing device for fixing a drawer front to the sides of a drawer.

A drawer for a kitchen or bedroom cabinet or the like may have sides formed from metal, and it is usual to provide a decorative drawer front, which attaches to the ends ofthe drawer sides. The drawer sides may also serve the purpose of runners, which engage in tracks attached to the inside of the cabinet walls.

It is aproblem when assembling acabinetofdrawers, to fit all ofthe drawer fronts in alignment parallel with one-another and spaced evenly apart. It is therefore desirable for the front of a drawer to be adjustable relative to the drawer sides to which it is attached, thereby allowing for inaccuracies in the positioning ofthe runnertracks. It is aproblem of known drawer front fixings that screw fixings are visible after fitting, apertures have to be provided in the side ofthe drawer sides which are visible in use, the fixings are complicated and expensive to produce, and are difficult to assemble.

It is an object ofthe invention to provide a fixing device, particularly for attaching a drawer front to a drawer side, which substantially overcomes the abovementioned problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a fixing device for attaching a drawer front to a drawer side comprising a first member adapted to be attached to the back ofthe drawer front, a second member connected to and axially adjustable relative to the first member, and a clamping means adapted to engage a downwardly opening aperture in the drawer side, for clamping the drawer front to an end of the drawer side.

It is an advantage ofthe invention that the fixing device can be attached and adjusted from the underside of the drawer, with no fixings visible in use after fitting.

P02044UK 20030508 SpificationAsFiled.wpd 2 Preferably the clamping means is an eccentric pin.

Preferablythe second member has a aperture therethrough, and a first pert ofthe eccentric pin is adapted to pass through the aperture in the second member, and a second part ofthe eccentric pin is adapted to fit into the downwardlyopening aperture in the drawer side, rotation ofthe eccentric pin causing the back of the drawer front to be clamped against an end of the drawer side.

It is a further advantage ofthe invention that the fixings are Remountable, enabling changing ofthe drawer fronts with ease.

Preferably co-operating guide means are provided on the first and second members respectively, which guide the relative axial movement of the first and second members.

The first member preferably includes a fixing plate and a pair of abutments extending perpendicularly therefrom.

Preferablythe second member includes abodyportion, havingthe aperture therethrough, and a perpendicularly extending leg portion, which is positioned in a space between the abutments of the first member.

Aligned axial slots may be provided across ends of the abutments, which guide co-operating projections extending from the body portion ofthe second member on either side ofthe leg portion.

Preferably a threaded screw extends across the space between the abutments ofthe first member, and engages a correspondingly threaded bore of the leg portion.

The threaded screw is preferably freelyrotatable relative to the abutments, but is longitudinallyheld, rotation ofthe screw causing axial movement ofthe second memberrelative to the first member.

P02044UK 20030508 SpificationAsFiled.wpd 3 The threaded screw is preferably provided with means for receiving the tip of a driving tool.

A circumferential recess maybe provided on the second part ofthe eccentric pin, bywhich the eccentric pin may be held in an aperture in a drawer side by means of a circlip.

A stop membermay extend racially from the distal end ofthe first part ofthe eccentric pin, which may engage one end of the body portion of the second member, in use.

The aperture preferablyhas a cross section, through which the end ofthe first part ofthe eccentric pin can be passed with ease.

The end ofthe first part ofthe eccentric pin is preferably provided with means for receiving the tip of a driving tool.

The invention will now be describedbywayofexample onlywith reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 shows a schematic side view of a fixing device in accordance with the invention; Fig 1A shows a plan view from above of first and second members of the fixing device; Fig 2 shows a front view of an eccentric pin; Fig 3 shows a side view of the eccentric pin of Fig 2; Fig 3A shows a plan view from above of the eccentric pin of Figs 2 and 3; Fig 3B shows a plan view from below of the eccentric pin of Figs 2,3 and 3A; and Fig 4 shows a schematic side view of the fixing device attached to a drawer front and side.

P02044UK 20030508 SpificationAsFiled.wpd 4 Referring firstly to Fig 1, a fixing device for attaching a drawer front to a drawer side is indicated generally at 10. The fixing device 10 includes a first member 12 having a fixing plate 14 and a pair of abutments 16,18 extending therefrom, and a second member 20 having body portion 22 and a leg portion 24. The leg portion 24 ofthe second member 18 extends perpendicularly from the bodyportion 20 into a space, indicated at26, between the abutments 16,18 ofthe first member 12. The fixing plate 14 is provided with two countersunkholes28, bywhichscrew fixings (not shown) may hold the first member 12 to the rear surface of a drawer front.

Referring also to Fig 1A, aligned axial slots 30, are provided across the ends ofthe abutments, which guide co-operating proj ections 32, the end of one of which can be seen in Fig 1 A, extending fromthebodyportion22 ofthe second member20 on either side ofthe legportion24. The slots and projections 32 form co-operating guide means, which guide relative axial movement ofthe first and second members as described below, and as indicated by arrow A. A bore 34, shown in dotted outline in Fig 4, is provided through the abutments 16,18 and receives a threaded screw 36, which extends across the space 26 between the abutments. The threaded screw 36 engages a correspondingly threaded bore ofthe lea portion24, but is longitudinallyheld and freelyrotatablerelativetotheabutments 16,18. Driveslots38, shownin Fig 1A, are provided at the head ofthe threaded screw 36 for engagement by the tip of a driving tool. Rotation ofthe threaded screw 36 causes axial movement ofthe second member 20 relative to the first member 12, in a direction dependent on the direction of rotation. The extent of axial movement is limited by the space 26 between the abutments 16,18, which act as stops.

An aperture 40, indicated in dotted outline in Fig 1, extends through the bodyportion 22 ofthe second member 20, the cross section of which is substantially circular with a smaller semi-circular area 41 extending radially from the side ofthe circular areaclosest to the projections 32, as can be seen in Fig 1A.

1'02044UK 20030508 Sp6:ificationAsFiled.wpd 5 An eccentric pin 42, shown also in Figs 2 and 3, has a substantiallycylindrical first part 44 and an integral stop member in the form of a smaller semi-cylindrical portion 46, which extends radially from and in axial alignment with the first part, over a part of its length from a distal end thereof. The distal end ofthe first part44 ofthe eccentric pin is provided with adriving slot 52, forreceivingthe tip of a driving tool (not shown). An axial rib 50 is also provided which extends from the smaller semi-cylindrical portion 46 to the other end ofthe first part 44, which terminates in a circular plate 48. The first part extends eccentrically from the circular plate 48, as can seen most clearly in Figs 3 and 3B. The aperture 40 through the bodyportion ofthe second member20 is sized to enable the first part 44 of the eccentric pin to be passed through it with ease, to a position in which the circular plate 48 abuts the body portion 22.

A second part 54 ofthe eccentric pin 42 is cylindrical and extends concentrically from the other side ofthe circular plate 48. A circumferential recess 56 is provided in the second part 54 close to the plate, by which the eccentric pin 42 can be held in a downwardly opening aperture in a drawer side 58, see Fig 4, bymeans of acirclip 60. The circlip 60 retains the eccentric pin 42, but does not prevent rotation of the ecentric pin.

In order to assemble a drawer using the fixing device 10, the second part 54 ofthe eccentric pin 42 i s fastened in position in the aperture in the drawer side 58 using the circlip 60. The first and second members 12,20 are held together by means ofthe threaded screw 36, and are fastened to the rear surface of a drawer front by means of screw fixings passing through the countersunk holes 28. It should be understood that a similar fixing device 10 is used to attach the other end of the drawer front to the other side of the drawer.

The drawer front is then lifted from below the drawer, into its assembled position and the first part 44 ofthe eccentric pin42 enters the aperture40 ofthe body portion 22. The first part44 extends through the aperture 40 and the pin is rotated using atool, for example a flat bladed screwdriver, engaged in the driving slot 52 ofthe eccentric pin. As soon as the eccentric pin is rotated, the upper end ofthe stop member46 comes into contact with the underside ofthe bodyportion 22 of the second member 20, and prevents the drawer front from dropping downwards relative to the P02044UK 20030508 SpificationAsFiled.wpd 6 drawer side. On further rotation ofthe eccentric pin 42, the drawer front is pulled onto the end of the drawer side and is locked in position. The maximum clamping force is achieved when the pin has rotated through 180 , ie. when the offset between the first and second parts 44,54 of the eccentric pin is in alignment with the axis ofthe drawer side 58. The axial rib 50 firmly engages the wall of the aperture 40, and ensures that the pin remains in the locked position.

If the drawer front is not aligned with other drawer fronts, or the cabinet supporting the drawer, the eccentric pin can be partiallyreleased to relieve the clamping force, and the threaded screw 36 rotated, using a tool engaged in the driving slots 38, to adjustthepositionofthe drawer front and first member 12 relative to the drawer side 58 and second member 20. When the adjustment has been made, the eccentric pincanbe tightened again. Alternatively, if the clamping force exerted by the eccentric pin 42 in its tightened position is not too great, it is not necessary to relieve the clamping force prior to adjustment of the threaded screw 36.

The adjustment to the threaded screw 36 can optionallybe made as soon as the eccentric pin 42 is partially rotated, for example through 10 , to support the drawer front.

In fitting, the first and second members 12, 20 of the fixing 10 are lifted into engagement with the eccentric pin 42, and the adjustment ofthe threaded screw 36 and tightening ofthe eccentric pin 42 are made from below the drawer. The fixing 10 can therefore be accommodated in an aperture within the side of the drawer, accessed only from below. The inner and outer surfaces of the drawer side 58 can therefore be uninterrupted and smooth, which is both appealing to the eye and safe in use ofthe drawer. Furthermore, thepositionofthedrawerfrontcanbe adjusted et anytime after it is fitted, and can easily be swapped for a new drawer front, for example, in the refurbishment of a kitchen or bedroom.

Claims

P02044UK 20030508 Sp6cificationAsFilcd.wpd 7

I. A fixing device for attaching a drawer front to a drawer side comprising a first member adapted to be attached to the back ofthe drawer front, a second member connected to and axially adjustable relative to the first member, and a clamping means adapted to engage a downwardly opening aperture in the drawer side, for clamping the drawer front to an end of the drawer side.
2. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1 in which the clamping means is an eccentric pin.
3. A fixing device as claimed in claim 2 in which the second member has a aperture therethrough, and a first part ofthe eccentric pin is adapted to pass through the aperture in the second member, and a second part of the eccentric pin is adapted to fit into the downwardly opening aperture in the drawer side, rotation ofthe eccentric pin causing the back of the drawer front to be clamped against an end of the drawer side.
4. A fixing device as claimed in any preceding claim in which cooperating guide means are provided on the first and second members respectively, which guide the relative axial movement of the first and second members.
5. A fixing device as claimed in anypreceding claim in which rotation of a threaded screw causes axial movement of the second member relative to the first member.