U.S. patent application number 09/776437 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-08 for storage unit with improved drawer side rails and detachable face.
This patent application is currently assigned to Geographics, Inc.. Invention is credited to Dorman, J Lee.
Application Number | 20020105252 09/776437 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25107376 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020105252 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dorman, J Lee |
August 8, 2002 |
Storage unit with improved drawer side rails and detachable
face
Abstract
A storage unit including a snap-together cabinet having a
forwardly-opening cavity and a drawer for hanging files slidably
received within the cavity. The drawer includes a face and an item
containing portion having a pair of side rails detachably
interconnected with the face. Each side rail includes an inner
flange, an outer flange, and a cross-member connected between the
inner and outer flange. The side rails are generally I-beam shaped
such that the flanges are substantially vertical and the
cross-member is substantially horizontal. The storage unit is also
detachably stackable with an accessory unit including a cabinet and
drawer for storing items slidably received within the cabinet.
Inventors: |
Dorman, J Lee; (Hartland,
WI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
David B. Smith
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
100 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee
WI
53202-4108
US
|
Assignee: |
Geographics, Inc.
Blaine
WA
|
Family ID: |
25107376 |
Appl. No.: |
09/776437 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/257.1 ;
312/350 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 67/04 20130101;
F16B 12/26 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/257.1 ;
312/350 |
International
Class: |
A47B 043/00 |
Claims
1. A storage unit comprising: a cabinet having a forwardly-opening
cavity; and a drawer slidably received within said cavity, said
drawer having an item containing portion; and a face releasably
connectable to said item containing portion, said face being
interconnectable and disconnectable from said item containing
portion without the use of tools.
2. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said face is
releasably connected to said face at the top portion of said
face.
3. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said item
containing portion includes first and second side rails each
including an inner flange, an outer flange, and a cross-member
connected between said inner and outer flange, wherein said flanges
are substantially vertical, and said cross-member is substantially
horizontal.
4. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said face further
includes a handle located at approximately the same vertical height
as said first and second side rails.
5. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said item
containing portion further includes a plurality of ribs extending
substantially perpendicularly from said cross-member, wherein said
ribs are connected between said inner and outer flanges.
6. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said inner flange
includes a file support edge located on the top of said inner
flange, whereby said file support edge of said first side rail and
said file support edge of said second side rail act together to
support hanging files within the drawer.
7. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said item
containing portion further comprises a forward support extending
between said first and second side rails, wherein said face is
releasably connectable to said forward support.
8. A storage unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein said face further
includes at least one tab and a horizontal stiffener located
proximate to said tab, said horizontal stiffener having at least
one slot located thereon, and wherein said forward support further
includes at least one mating face and at least one tab located
proximate to said mating face, whereby said face is connected to
said forward support of said item containing portion by inserting
said mating face of said forward support behind said tab of said
face and rotating said item containing portion to position said tab
of said forward support within said slot of said horizontal
stiffener of said face.
9. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein said face further
includes at least one downwardly extending tab adjacent to the side
edge of said face, and at least one upwardly extending flange
adjacent to the bottom edge of said face, said side rails include
at least one upwardly-extending tab on the forward end, and said
item containing portion includes a bottom portion having at least
one slot located adjacent the front edge, whereby said face is
connected to said item containing portion by inserting said
upwardly-extending tab of said side rails behind said
downwardly-extending tab of said face, and rotating said item
containing portion to position said flange of said face within said
slot of said bottom portion of said item containing portion.
10. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an
enclosure releasably connectable to said face and item containing
portion without the use of tools.
11. A storage unit as claimed in claim 10, wherein said enclosure
includes a generally rectangular bottom portion having a four
edges, a generally rectangular rear portion having four edges,
wherein said rear portion is connected to said bottom portion along
a common edge, and generally rectangular first and second side
portions each having four edges, wherein each of said side portions
are connected said bottom portion along a common edge and connected
to said rear portion along a common edge.
12. A storage unit as claimed in claim 11, wherein said item
containing portion further includes a forward support and a
rearward support extending between said side rails, said rearward
support being separated from said forward support by a distance,
wherein said rear portion of said enclosure is releasably
connectable to said rearward support, said bottom portion of said
enclosure is releasably connectable to said face, and said side
portions of said enclosure are releasably connectable to said face
and said side rails.
13. A storage unit as claimed in claim 11, wherein said rear
portion of said enclosure is connected to said bottom portion of
said enclosure along a common edge by a living hinge and wherein
each of said side portions of said enclosure is connected to said
bottom portion of said enclosure along a common edge by a living
hinge and connected to said rear portion of said enclosure along a
common edge by slot and tab connections.
14. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cabinet
further includes a bottom panel, a pair of side panels
interconnected with said bottom panel, a rear panel interconnected
with said side panels and said rear panel.
15. A storage unit as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a
function panel having one of a tab and slot located thereon,
wherein said side panels further include an outwardly-facing recess
on the exterior side of the cabinet, the recess having the other of
a tab and slot located therein, whereby the function panel is
mountable within said recess by inserting said tab into said
slot.
16. A storage unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein said side panels
further include at least one upper rail guide, and one lower rail
guide on the interior of said cabinet for slidably receiving said
side rails of said item containing portion.
17. A storage unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein said rail guides
are integrally formed with said side panel.
18. A storage unit as claimed in claim 16, wherein said side panels
further include at least one roller rotatably mounted proximate the
forward end of said lower guide for facilitating sliding of said
drawer with respect to said cavity.
19. A storage unit as claimed in claim 18, wherein said
cross-member defines a roller track between said inner and outer
flanges, whereby said roller acts against said roller track.
20. A storage unit as claimed in claim 19, wherein said roller
track includes a stop to resist said item containing portion from
rolling after said stop contacts said roller.
21. A storage unit comprising: a cabinet having a forwardly-opening
cavity; and a drawer slidably received within said cavity, said
drawer having a face; and an item containing portion including a
pair of side rails interconnected with said face, wherein each side
rail includes an inner flange, an outer flange, and a cross-member
connected between said inner and outer flange, wherein said flanges
are substantially vertical, and said cross-member is substantially
horizontal.
22. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said face is
releasably connectable to said item containing portion, said face
being interconnectable and disconnectable without the use of
tools.
23. A storage unit as claimed in claim 22, wherein said face is
releasably connected to said face at the top portion of said
face.
24. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said drawer
further includes a plurality of ribs extending substantially
perpendicularly from said cross-member, wherein said ribs are
connected between said inner and outer flanges.
25. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said face
further includes a handle located at approximately the same
vertical height as said pair of side rails.
26. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said inner
flange includes a file support edge located on the top of said
inner flange, whereby said file support edge of said first side
rail and said file support edge of said second side rail act
together to support hanging files from said item containing
portion.
27. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said item
containing portion also includes a forward support extending
between said pair of side rails, wherein said face is releasably
connectable to said forward support.
28. A storage unit as claimed in claim 27, wherein said face
further includes at least one tab and a horizontal stiffener
located proximate to said tab, said horizontal stiffener having at
least one slot located thereon, and wherein said forward support
further includes at least one mating face and at least one tab
located proximate to said mating face, whereby said face is
connected to said forward support of said item containing portion
by inserting said mating face of said forward support behind said
tab of said face and rotating said item containing portion to
position said tab of said forward support within said slot of said
horizontal stiffener of said face.
29. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21, wherein said face
further includes at least one downwardly extending tab adjacent to
the side edge of said face, and at least one upwardly extending
flange adjacent to the bottom edge of said face, said side rails
include at least one upwardly-extending tab on the forward end, and
said item containing portion includes a bottom portion having at
least one slot located adjacent the front edge, whereby said face
is connected to said item containing portion by inserting said
upwardly-extending tab of said side rails behind said
downwardly-extending tab of said face, and rotating said item
containing portion to position said flange of said face within said
slot of said bottom portion of said item containing portion.
30. A storage unit as claimed in claim 21, further comprising an
enclosure releasably connectable to said face and item containing
portion without the use of tools.
31. A storage unit as claimed in claim 30, wherein said enclosure
includes a generally rectangular bottom portion having a four
edges, a generally rectangular rear portion having four edges,
wherein said rear portion is connected to said bottom portion along
a common edge, and generally rectangular side portions each having
four edges, wherein each of said side portions are connected to
said bottom portion along a respective common edge and connected to
said rear portion along a respective common edge.
32. A storage unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein said item
containing portion further includes a forward and a rearward
support extending between said side rails, said rearward support
being separated from said forward support by a distance, wherein
said rear portion of said enclosure is releasably connectable to
said rearward support, said bottom portion of said enclosure is
releasably connectable to said face, and said side portions of said
enclosure are releasably connectable to said face and said side
rails.
33. A storage unit as claimed in claim 31, wherein said rear
portion of said enclosure is connected to said bottom portion of
said enclosure along a common edge by a living hinge and wherein
each of said side portions of said enclosure is connected to said
bottom portion of said enclosure along a respective common edge by
a living hinge and connected to said rear portion of said enclosure
along a respective common edge by slot and tab connections.
34. A storage unit as claimed in claim 2 1, wherein the cabinet
further includes a bottom panel, a pair of side panels
interconnected with said bottom panel, a rear panel interconnected
with said side panels and said rear panel.
35. A storage unit as claimed in claim 34, further comprising a
function panel having one of a tab and slot located thereon,
wherein said side panels further include an outwardly-facing recess
on the exterior side of the cabinet, the recess having the other of
a tab and slot located therein, whereby the function panel is
mountable within said recess by inserting said tab into said
slot.
36. A storage unit as claimed in claim 34, wherein said side panels
further includes at least one upper rail guide, and one lower rail
guide on the interior of said cabinet for slidably receiving said
side rails of said item containing portion.
37. A storage unit as claimed in claim 36, wherein said rail guides
are integrally formed with said side panel.
38. A storage unit as claimed in claim 36, wherein said side panels
further include at least one roller rotatably mounted proximate the
forward end of said lower guides for facilitating sliding of said
drawer with respect to said cavity.
39. A storage unit as claimed in claim 38, wherein said
cross-member defines a roller track between said inner and outer
flanges, whereby said roller acts against said roller track.
40. A storage unit as claimed in claim 39, wherein said roller
track includes a stop to resist the item containing portion from
rolling after said stop contacts said roller.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to an improved ready-to-assemble file
storage unit.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Typical prior art file cabinets are metal file cabinets that
are assembled with the use of fasteners and tools by the
manufacturer. The assembled file cabinet is then shipped to a store
where it is sold and typically delivered to the purchaser in its
assembled condition.
[0003] It is known to construct file storage containers of plastic
and other materials. It is also known to sell file storage
containers in panel form that are intended to be snapped together
by the end user.
SUMMARY
[0004] One problem that has been identified with known file
cabinets is that the file cabinets are assembled by the
manufacturer. Thus, an assembled file cabinet is stored by the
manufacturer, shipped to the retail store, stored by the retailer
or displayed on the sales floor, and delivered to the customer.
Assembled file cabinets tend to be bulky, and, because shipping and
storage costs are often associated with the amount of space
occupied by the item, may be expensive to ship and store. Also,
because assembled file cabinets are relatively bulky items, they
may be difficult to maneuver around in a store or warehouse without
bumping into other items and causing damage to the file cabinet
and/or the other items.
[0005] It is known to provide a plastic file storage container
consisting of a plurality of panels that are snapped together by
the end user of the container. However, these known file storage
containers typically do not include the functional benefits of a
file cabinet. For example, it is very difficult to manufacture
plastic panels having the proper rollers and guides to create a
plastic, snap-together file cabinet having a drawer slidably
received within a cabinet. Consequently, known plastic
snap-together file storage containers typically do not include a
drawer slidable over a roller.
[0006] It would be advantageous to manufacture, store, and ship a
file cabinet or other file storage container in a disassembled
condition in which the various panels of the file cabinet are
stacked and contained in a shipping box that occupies less space
than the assembled file cabinet. This may result in significant
shipping and storage cost. The box would also substantially protect
the panels from dents and scratches while the box is being
moved.
[0007] Molded file storage units most commonly use drawers that are
manufactured as one piece in a single mold. This method of
manufacture results in a number of disadvantages. First, this
method involves a large and complex mold that requires a
substantial initial investment for tooling and equipment. Second,
the one-piece molded drawer occupies a greater amount of shipping
space as opposed to a drawer capable of being shipped in a
disassembled condition. Third, each time an esthetic change is made
to the face of the drawer, a costly new mold for the entire drawer
would be required. Finally, these one-piece molded drawers are at a
disadvantage to meet the market demands because of the lengthy lead
times necessary to make these complicated new molds. Solving these
problems would potentially create a huge market advantage by
decreasing the initial investment required, reducing shipping
costs, and meeting market demands.
[0008] The present invention provides a storage unit comprising a
cabinet defining a cavity, and a pair of drawers slidably received
within the cavity. The cabinet can be assembled without the use of
tools. Preferably, the drawers can also be assembled without the
use of tools, and both the drawers and the cabinet are constructed
of a plurality of plastic molded panels. Preferably, the panels are
interconnected with tongues inserted into slots, and the panels may
be disconnected from each other without the use of tools and
without damage to the panels.
[0009] Each drawer includes a face and an item containing portion
detachably connectable with the face. The item containing portion
includes a pair of side rails that are movable within guides
located on the cabinet to assist sliding the drawer into and out of
the cavity. Preferably, the side rails are generally I-beam shaped
and provide a rigid frame for the drawer to support the weight of
the drawer and items contained in the drawer.
[0010] The invention also provides an accessory unit that can be
stacked on top of the storage unit for the storage of items other
than files. A number of accessory units may be stacked, one on top
of the other, to create a file cabinet having a plurality of item
containing drawers. The accessory unit or units may also be stacked
on the above-described storage unit. Slots and tabs in the tops and
bottoms of each storage and accessory unit cooperate to
interconnect with the adjacent units.
[0011] Other features and advantages of the invention will become
apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following
detailed description, claims, and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage unit embodying the
present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cabinet of the storage
unit illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the drawer of the storage unit
illustrated in FIG. 1.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the drawer taken along
line 4-4 in FIG. 1.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of the face of the drawer
taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the item containing
portion of the drawer taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 3.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of a side rail taken along
line 7-7 in FIG. 4.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the enclosure shown in an unfolded
condition.
[0020] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the enclosure partially
folded into a folded condition.
[0021] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the storage unit of FIG. 1
having an accessory unit attached thereto.
[0022] FIG. 11 is a cross-section view taken along line 11-11 in
FIG. 10.
[0023] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the drawer of the accessory
unit illustrated in FIG. 10.
[0024] FIG. 13 is a cross-section view taken along line 13-13 in
FIG. 12.
[0025] Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in
detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in
its application to the details of construction and the arrangements
of the components set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various
ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology
used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be
regarded as limiting. The use of "including" and "comprising" and
variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed
thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The
use of "consisting of" and variations thereof herein is meant to
encompass only the items listed thereafter. The use of letters to
identify elements of a method or process is simply for
identification and is not meant to indicate that the elements
should be performed in a particular order.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a storage unit 10 including a cabinet 14
and a pair of drawers 18 according to the present invention. As
will be explained further below, the storage unit 10 is made to be
easily assembled and disassembled by hand, without the use of
tools.
[0027] FIG. 2 better illustrates the component parts of the cabinet
14. The cabinet 14 includes a bottom panel 22, first and second
side panels 26, a rear panel 30, and a top panel 34. When
assembled, the cabinet 14 defines a forwardly opening cavity that
can slidably receive the drawers 18. In the illustrated embodiment
of the invention, the panels 22, 26, 30, 34 for the cabinet 14 and
the drawers 18 are constructed of injection-molded thermoplastic
material, and are preferably made of high impact polystyrene.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2, the panels 22, 26, 30, 34 of the
cabinet 14 are designed to be releasably connectable to each other
to allow for simple assembly and disassembly of the cabinet 14. The
side panels 26, the bottom panel 22, and the top panel 34 include
flexible tongues or tabs. Each tab includes a ledge or protrusion.
The flexible tabs are movable between a lock position and a
clearance position, and are biased toward the lock position. The
cabinet side panels 26, bottom panel 22, and top panel 34 include
slots or collars into which a corresponding tab may be inserted
when the tab is in the clearance position. The cabinet panels 22,
26, 30, 34 may be configured to have various combinations of slots
and tabs other than that illustrated. For a further explanation of
a similar cabinet, the entire contents of U.S. application Ser. No.
09/368,272, filed Aug. 3, 1999, are hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0029] The side panels 26 of the illustrated embodiment also each
include a vertical wall 38 and a frame 42 defining an
outwardly-facing recess 46. The frame 42 includes multiple slots 50
located about the interior of the frame 42 adjacent to the vertical
wall 38. The storage unit 10 also includes a function panel 54
(FIG. 10) that can be positioned within the recess 46. The function
panel 54 includes multiple corresponding tabs (not shown) that can
be positioned within the slots 50 of the frame. The tabs could
alternatively be located on the frame 42 and be mounted within
slots located on the function panel 54. The illustrated function
panel 54 can be used to hold paper or office supplies and is
located at the bottom of the recess 46. However, the function
panels 54 can have multiple configurations and can be positioned
anywhere within the recess 46. While advantageous to have function
panels 54 entirely within the recess 46 for space-saving purposes,
larger function panels 54 may be used that extend partially out of
recess 46.
[0030] With reference to FIG. 2, each cabinet side panel 26 also
includes an upper rail guide 58, and a lower rail guide 62
extending into the cavity from the interior surface of the side
panel 26. The rail guides 58, 62 can be integrally formed with the
side panel 26 and are used to slidably support the drawers 18, as
will be further described below. The side panels 26 also include a
roller 66 rotatably mounted to the interior of the side panel 26 at
the front end of the rail guides 58, 62. The roller 66 is
preferably made of Nylon. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the roller 66
is mounted so that the top of the roller 66 is slightly above the
lower rail guide 62 to provide a rolling surface for the drawer 18
as the drawer 18 slides into and out of the cavity within the upper
and lower rail guides 58, 62.
[0031] With reference to FIGS. 3-9, the drawer 18 includes an item
containing portion 70, and a face 74 detachably connectable to the
item containing portion 70. The item containing portion 70 holds
hanging file folders, office supplies, stationary, and the
like.
[0032] The detachability of the face 74 and item containing portion
70 provide for tooling advantages, simple assembly and disassembly
allowing for less expensive shipping costs, and the option to
interchange the face 74 of the drawer 18 with faces having other
ornamental and functional designs. Because the item containing
portion 70 and face 74 are manufactured separately from
injection-molded thermoplastic material, the present invention
offers potential cost savings in tooling. More specifically,
modifications may be made to the face 74 (e.g., ornamental
modifications) without having to retool the entire drawer.
Additionally, retooling that would be required for modifications to
the face 74 would be significantly simplified (e.g., a less complex
and shallower tool to replace) when compared to the retooling of a
mold for a one-piece drawer. The result is that a new line of
drawers may be made at a lower price and at a faster response time
to meet the demands of the marketplace.
[0033] Another advantage is the space saving nature of separable
parts. Because the cabinet 14 and drawers 18 need not be assembled
prior to shipping, assembly costs, storage costs, and shipping
costs are substantially reduced. In this regard, the unit 10 may be
stored and shipped in a box that occupies significantly less space
than the assembled unit 10. Assembling the unit 10 does not require
tools; the end user can simply assemble the storage unit 10 by
hand. Even after the drawer 18 is assembled, the components can be
disassembled easily as well for storage and/or shipping.
[0034] Finally, because the face 74 and the item containing portion
70 are releasably attachable, either element can be substituted
with other potential interchangeable parts. For example, if a new
face is available with a different aesthetic feature such as color,
or with a different functional feature such as a more comfortable
handle or a labeling window, the end user may purchase the new face
and exchange it with the old face at a lower cost than replacing
the entire drawer. Therefore, this configuration provides the end
user with potential options that will be supplied at a cost
savings.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the face 74 includes an edge
stiffener 78 located around the perimeter of the face 74 and
extending from the back of the face 74 towards the item containing
portion 70. The edge stiffener 78 includes a top edge stiffener 82
across the top of the face 74. The top edge stiffener 82 includes
two exterior tabs 86 located adjacent the outward ends of the top
edge stiffener 82. The exterior tabs 86 extend downward away from
the top edge stiffener 82. The top edge stiffener 82 also includes
two downwardly extending interior tabs 90 located between the two
exterior tabs 86. The face 74 also includes a horizontal stiffener
94 substantially parallel to the top edge stiffener 82. The
horizontal stiffener 94 is located below the top edge stiffener 82
and includes two slots 98. The face 74 also includes ribs 102
located on the interior side of the face 74 that extend
substantially perpendicularly away from the face 74. In the
illustrated embodiment, there are two vertical ribs 102 and one
horizontal rib 102. The ribs 102 include multiple forward
connection points 106 located thereon. Additional stiffening
members 104 are also provided between the vertical ribs 102.
[0036] With reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7, the item containing
portion 70 includes a forward support 110, a rear support 114, and
first and second side rails 118 separated by a distance and
connected between the forward support 110 and the rear support 114.
The forward support 110, the rear support 114, and the side rails
118 are made from injection-molded polypropylene, and the face 74
is made from injection-molded polystyrene. The item containing
portion 70 is preferably molded as one integral piece. The forward
support 110 includes a plurality of mating faces 122 along its top
edge that are pressable against the tabs 86, 90 of the top edge
stiffener 82 of the face 74. The forward support 110 also includes
two downwardly extending flanges 126 that are insertable into the
slots 98 of the horizontal stiffener 94 of the face 74. The forward
support 110 also includes multiple strengthening ribs 130 that
extend substantially perpendicularly from the interior side of the
forward support 110.
[0037] As seen in FIG. 3, the rear support 114 is connected between
the side rails 118 at a distance away from the forward support 110.
The rear support 114 extends generally parallel to the forward
support 110 and is substantially perpendicular to the side rails
118. The rear support 114 has multiple rear attachment points 134
located on the interior side thereof.
[0038] Referring to FIGS. 3-7, the side rails 118 are generally
I-beam shaped and each include an inner flange 138, a substantially
parallel outer flange 142 separated from the inner flange 138 by a
distance, and a substantially perpendicular cross-member or web 146
connected between the inner flange 138 and the outer flange 142.
Although the illustrated embodiment shows the cross-member 146
located towards the lower portions of the inner and outer flange
138, 142, the cross-member 146 can be located at any position along
the flanges 138, 142. For example, the cross-member 146 could be
positioned at the extreme lowermost end of the inner flange 138 and
positioned near the center or top portion of the outer flange 142.
As will become apparent below, it is preferred to space the
cross-member 146 from the lowermost edges of the flanges 138, 142.
The side rails 118 also include multiple upwardly extending
strengthening ribs 150 located between the inner and outer flanges
138, 142. The ribs 150 provide the side rails 118 with increased
strength and resist twisting of the inner and outer flanges 138,
142. The inner flange 138 has a file support surface 154 located on
its uppermost edge. As shown in FIG. 7, the hook 158 of a file
hanger extends over the inner flange 138 and is supported by the
file support surface 154. The inner flanges 138 also include
multiple side attachment points 156 located on the interior face of
the inner flanges 138.
[0039] The cross-member 146 of the side rail 118 has a roller track
162 located on the bottom side of the cross-member 146 opposite the
ribs 150. The roller track 162 is defined by the lower portions of
the flanges 138, 142 and the cross-member 146. The roller track 162
contacts the roller 66 of the side panel 26 (as shown in phantom in
FIG. 7) and provides a smooth continuous surface for the roller 66
to ride against when the drawer 18 is inserted or pulled from the
cabinet 14. The roller track 162 includes a roller stop (not shown)
positioned adjacent its rearward end. The roller stop resists
movement of the drawer 18 entirely out of the cavity. Specifically,
when the drawer 18 is pulled out, the roller 66 rolls against the
roller track 162 until the roller 66 comes into contact with the
roller stop. The roller stop acts as a fulcrum, or pivot, whereby
the weight of the drawer 18 forces the rearward ends of the side
rails 118 against the upper rail guides 58 of the side panels 26,
thereby resisting unintentional sliding or falling out of the
drawer 18 with respect to the cabinet 14.
[0040] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, the face 74 of the drawer
18 also includes a handle 170 on its exterior side. When the face
74 is connected to the item containing portion 70, the handle 170
is located substantially at the same vertical level as the side
rails 118. When the handle 170 is substantially aligned with the
side rails 118, the pulling forces are more directly transferred
through to the side rails 118. This eliminates the bending stress
that would be present if the handle 170 was located a vertical
distance from the side rails 118. Therefore, the pulling motion
will act substantially solely to slide out the drawer 18 from the
cavity 14 without drawer 18 incurring significant pinching or
bending stresses.
[0041] The method of connecting the item containing portion 70 to
the face 74 is best illustrated in FIG. 4. First, the item
containing portion 70 should be positioned on an angle relative to
the face 74 as shown in phantom lines. The mating faces 122 of the
forward support 110 are positioned behind both the exterior and
interior tabs 86, 90 of the top edge stiffener 82. Once the mating
faces 122 are located behind the tabs 86, 90, the item containing
portion 70 can be rotated about the mating faces 122 toward the
locked position as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4. Before the
rotation is complete, the flanges 126 of the forward support 110
will contact the horizontal stiffener 94. As the rotation
continues, the flanges 126 will press against the horizontal
stiffener 94 causing the horizontal stiffener 94 to deflect
downward away from the flanges 126. This deflection will continue
until the flanges 126 fall into the slots 98 of the horizontal
stiffener 94 at which time the horizontal stiffener 94 will
elastically return to its original undeflected position. The item
containing portion 70 is thereby effectively locked into the
functional position by the combination of the tabs 86, 90 of the
top edge stiffener 82 positioned against the mating faces 122 of
the forward support 110 and the flanges 126 of the forward support
110 positioned within the slots 98 of the horizontal stiffener 94.
Additionally, the item containing portion 70 can be separated from
the face 74 by deflecting the horizontal stiffener 94 down and
rotating the item containing portion 70 in a direction opposite to
that described above.
[0042] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
forward support 110 of the item containing portion 70 is releasably
connected to the top portion of the face 74. Specifically, the
connection is located within about the uppermost 20% of the face,
leaving about 80% of the face 74 hanging free from any connection
with the forward support 110 or side rails 118.
[0043] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the drawer 18 also includes an
enclosure 174 detachably connectable to the item containing portion
70 and the face 74. The enclosure 174 is die cut from a sheet of
polypropylene or similar resilient plastic material. The enclosure
174 prevents objects from falling out of the drawer 18 as well as
to give the drawer 18 the appearance of a solid enclosure.
[0044] The enclosure 174 includes a generally rectangular bottom
portion 178 having four edges, a generally rectangular rear portion
182 having four edges, wherein the rear portion 182 is connected to
the bottom portion 178 along a common edge. The bottom portion 178
also has two holes 186 located at the edge opposite the edge
connected to the rear portion 182. The rear portion 182 also has
two holes 186 located near the edge opposite the edge connected to
the bottom portion 178. The rear portion 182 also has multiple
outwardly extending tabs 190 connected to the remaining edges.
[0045] The enclosure 174 also includes two side portions 194 each
connected to a respective remaining edge of the bottom portion 178.
As illustrated best in FIG. 9, the connections between the bottom
portion 178 and each of the other portions 182, 194 are
accomplished by a living material hinge created by scoring the
material with a knife or blade. The side portions 194 include a
hanging edge 198 opposite the edge connected to the bottom portion
178, and multiple holes 186 located along that same edge. The
hanging edge 198 includes two tabs 202 projecting outwardly from
the side portions 194. The side portion 194 includes flaps 206
connected to the edges adjacent to the rear portion 182, wherein
two slots 210 are cut into the connection edge. The side portions
194 also include a single hole 186 located adjacent to the edge
opposite the edge connected to the flap 206.
[0046] Referring specifically to FIG. 9, the enclosure 174 can be
assembled by folding the flaps 206 of the side portions 194 ninety
degrees upward from the side portions 194. After the flaps 206 are
folded, the side portions 194 are folded ninety degrees upward from
the bottom portion 178 to create a U-shape. Next, the tabs 190 of
the rear portion 182 are folded upward ninety degrees from the rear
portion 182. Finally, the rear portion 182 is folded upward ninety
degrees while at the same time positioning the tabs 202 of the rear
portion 182 into the slots 210 of the side portion 194 and
positioning the bent flaps 206 inside of the rear portion 182.
After the assembly is complete, the enclosure 174 defines a
forwardly and upwardly-opening cavity.
[0047] Referring now the FIGS. 3, and 9, the assembled enclosure
174 can be releasably connected to the item containing portion 70
and the face 74. First, the projecting tabs 202 of the side
portions 194 are placed onto the forward support 110 and the rear
support 114 respectively. After the tabs 202 are positioned, the
holes 186 of the enclosure 174 should be substantially aligned with
the attachment points 134, 156 of the item containing portion 70
and the connection points 106 of the face 74. Specifically, the
holes 186 of the side
[0048] The drawer 230 of the accessory unit 222 is better
illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13. The drawer 230 includes an item
containing portion 254 and a face 258 releasably connected to the
item containing portion 254. The item containing portion 254
includes a pair of spaced side rails 262 and a rear support 266
connected between the side rails 262. The item containing portion
254 also includes an upwardly-opening compartment 270 having a
bottom wall 274, a rear wall 278 extending between the bottom wall
274 and the rear support 266, first and second side walls 282
extending between the bottom wall 274 and the side rails 262, and a
front wall 286 partially extending upwardly from the bottom wall
274 and connected between the side walls 282. The bottom wall 274
includes two slots 290 adjacent the front wall 286.
[0049] Each side rail 262 includes a inner flange 294 spaced from a
substantially parallel outer flange 298. Each side rail 262 also
includes a cross-member 302 connected between and substantially
perpendicular to the inner and outer flange 294, 298. The bottom
side of the cross-member 302 defines a roller track 306 that
contacts the roller of the side panels 242 when the drawer 230 is
slidably inserted into the cabinet 226. Each side rail 262 includes
an upwardly extending tab 310 located on its forward end.
[0050] The face 258 of the drawer 230 includes a handle 314 located
on the exterior side of the face 258. The face 258 also includes
edge stiffeners 318 projecting outwardly from the interior side of
the face 258, and located on the perimeter of the face 258. The
edge stiffeners 318 includes a lower edge stiffener 322 including
two upwardly projecting tabs 326. The face 258 also includes two
downwardly projecting tabs 330 and two outwardly extending flanges
334, both located on the interior side of the face 258.
[0051] The method of assembling the accessory unit drawer 230 is
best shown in FIG. 13. Similar to the storage unit drawer 18, the
face 258 is in the upright position and the item containing portion
254 is tilted at a slight angle relative to the face 258. The
upwardly portions 194 are positioned over the side attachment
points 156 of the inner flanges 138 of the side rails 118. The
holes 186 of the rear portion 182 are positioned over the rear
attachment points 134 of the rear support 114. Finally, the forward
holes 186 of the bottom portion 178 and the side portions 194 are
connected with the connection points 106 of the rib 102. The method
of connecting is different from the connections on the item
containing portion 70 due to tooling considerations. In particular,
the connection points 106 of the rib 102 include an additional hole
instead of a protrusion upon which to hang the enclosure. Because
of this configuration, a common plastic pin must inserted through
both the hole in the connection points 106 of the rib 102 and
through the hole 186 in the respective portion of the enclosure
174.
[0052] Referring now to FIGS. 2, 10, and 11, the top panel 34
includes a top surface 214. The top surface 214 includes multiple
mounting holes 218 configured to permit the stacking of an
accessory unit 222 on the storage unit 10. The accessory unit 222
includes both a cabinet 226 and a drawer 230 slidably mounted
within the cabinet 226. The cabinet 226 includes a bottom panel 234
having four legs 238, first and second side panels 242, a rear
panel (not shown), and a top panel 250 in a manner similar to the
storage unit 10 described above. The side panels 242 also include
an upper rail guide, and a lower rail guide (not shown) extending
into the cavity from the interior surface of the side panel 242.
The side panels 242 also include a roller (not shown) rotatably
mounted to the interior of the side panel 242 at the front end of
the rail guides. The top panel mounting holes 218 of the storage
unit 10 receive the corresponding legs 238 of the bottom panel 234
of the accessory unit 222 stacked on top of it (See FIG. 11). By
way of this configuration, the upper accessory unit 222 is
substantially prevented from sliding off of the lower storage unit
10. Also, the bottom panel 134 of the upper accessory unit 222 is
substantially aligned with the top panel 34 of the lower storage
unit 10. extending tabs 310 of the side rails 262 are positioned
behind the downwardly projecting tabs 330 of the face 258. The item
containing portion 254 is pivoted from this point and is rotated
downward until the upwardly extending flanges 326 of the lower edge
stiffener 322 come into contact with the bottom wall 274 of the
compartment 270. Rotation is continued until the flanges 334 of the
lower edge stiffener 322 are positioned within the slots 290 of the
bottom wall 274 of the compartment 270. Finally, the front wall 286
is snugly positioned between the outwardly projecting flange 334 of
the face 258 and the lower edge stiffener 322. The face 258 can be
removed from the item containing portion 254 in a similar fashion
by deflecting the lower edge stiffener 322 and rotating the item
containing portion 258 in the reverse direction away from the face
258.
* * * * *