U.S. patent application number 10/058176 was filed with the patent office on 2003-07-31 for fastening device for end plate of a drawer.
Invention is credited to Collins, Philip K., Domenig, Georg, Peer, Manfred.
Application Number | 20030141792 10/058176 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27609534 |
Filed Date | 2003-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030141792 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Domenig, Georg ; et
al. |
July 31, 2003 |
Fastening device for end plate of a drawer
Abstract
A fastening device for securing a drawer end plate, front or
back, to metal or plastic sidewalls incorporates a tensioning
device to force open split dowels held inside holes made in the
interior surface of the drawer plate. The dowels thus spread firmly
grip the walls of the hole and clamp the sidewall flanges to secure
the plate to the sidewalls. Tensioning takes place by the rotation
of an expanding member that has an oval cross sectional
configuration with the larger diameter formed by the oval shape
forcing open the split dowels.
Inventors: |
Domenig, Georg;
(Kernersville, NC) ; Collins, Philip K.;
(Kernersville, NC) ; Peer, Manfred; (Kernersville,
NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Charles Y. Lackey
Post Office Box 5871
Winston-Salem
NC
27113-5871
US
|
Family ID: |
27609534 |
Appl. No.: |
10/058176 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/348.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 88/956
20170101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/348.4 |
International
Class: |
A47B 088/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fastening device for fastening the end plate of a drawer to a
drawer side wall, the end plate having at least one dowel receiving
hole therein, the device comprising: a flange having a first side
directed toward the end plate, a second side directed away from the
end plate and an expanding member receiving aperture therein; a
member positioned between the end plate and the flange first side;
a capping member positioned adjacent the flange second side; at
least one expandable dowel positioned in the end plate hole; an
expanding member having a first end positioned in the at least one
expandable dowel and a second end extending from the dowel, the
expanding member movable within the dowel between an expanding
position and a release position, the dowel and expanding member
positioned proximate the flange side and the expanding member
second end extending through the expanding member receiving
aperture in the flange; and at least one tensioning lever
positioned at the capping member side and movably connected to the
expanding member second end for movement between a released
position and a tensioning position, the expanding member first end
having a caming exterior surface operable to expand the dowel
outwardly and clamp the flange and base member between the dowel
and the capping member.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flange is formed
integrally with the front end of a side wall.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1 having two dowels, two
expanding member receiving apertures in the flange, and an
expanding member in each dowel extending through an expanding
member receiving aperture in the flange.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3 having a tensioning lever
connected to each expanding member.
5. The device as claimed in claim 2 having two dowels, two
expanding member receiving apertures in the flange, and an
expanding member in each dowel extending through an expanding
member receiving aperture in the flange.
6. The device as claimed in claim 5 having a tensioning lever
connected to each expanding member.
7. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: drawer
front adjusting means for selective unidirectional movement of the
drawer front with respect to the drawer side.
8. The device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the base member has
receiving sleeves associated therewith and the drawer front
adjusting means includes a camming member extending through the
capping member and the flange and into a receiving sleeve and
operable to move the drawer front with respect to the side wall
upon movement of the camming member.
9. The device as claimed in claim 8 wherein a base member receiving
sleeve cooperatively receives an expanding member and extends into
and is held within a dowel.
10. The device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the base member has
first and second ends, a receiving sleeve is positioned near each
end, and the camming member receiving sleeve is positioned
approximately midway between the base member first and second
ends.
11. The device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the base member and
receiving sleeves are integrally formed.
12. The device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the camming member is
a rotationally movable threaded member and displaces the drawer
front with respect to the side wall upon rotation.
13. The device as claimed in claim 1 having a tensioning lever
connected to the at least one expanding member.
14. The device as claimed in claim 13 further comprising: drawer
front adjusting means for selective unidirectional movement of the
drawer front with respect to the drawer side.
15. The device as claimed in claim 14 wherein the base member has
one or more receiving sleeves associated therewith and the drawer
front adjusting means includes a camming member extending through
the capping member and the flange and into a receiving sleeve
operable to move the drawer front with respect to the side wall
upon movement of the camming member.
16. The device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the base member
receiving sleeve cooperatively receives the at least one expanding
member and extends into and is held within the at least one
dowel.
17. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the expanding member
first end is substantially oval in cross section wherein the at
least one dowel is expanded when the thicker dimension is active
and relaxed when the thinner dimension is active.
18. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base member has
first and second ends and each end has latching means securing the
base member to the capping member and securing the flange
therebetween.
19. The device as claimed in claim 17 wherein the base member has
first and second ends and each end has latching means securing the
base member to the capping member and securing the flange
therebetween.
20. The device as claimed in claim 18 wherein the at least one
expandable dowel and base member are integrally formed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a furniture fitting for
connecting parts of an article of furniture and more particularly
to a fastening device for fastening a front or rear plate of a
drawer to metal or plastic drawer sidewalls where the front plate
may be of wooden material.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] In many previously known front plate adjustments systems,
the mechanism used was visible behind the front panel when the
drawer was open. Moreover, the connection between the front panel
and the associated fitting was not quickly removed but, on the
contrary, was releasable only with rather difficult and tedious
manipulation. The fittings usually included a holding member
mounted on the front plate and a holding member mounted on the
drawer or sidewall with the two members being connectable.
[0005] Improvements have been made in these mechanisms to enable a
more rapid assembly of the drawer when the drawer front or rear
plate is installed. More recent developments have involved the use
of integrated concealed slides that are inserted into hollow
chamber profiles on which adjustable front panels can be
attached.
[0006] While progress has been made, there is still a need for more
simplistic and expeditious assembly of the front and rear plates
and greater concealment of the mechanism when the drawers are in
the open condition. It is to these needs that the present invention
is directed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A primary objective of the present invention is to
incorporate all of the advantages of prior art fastening devices
and more and none of the disadvantages.
[0008] Another principle objective of the present invention to
provide a rapid fastening of the front and rear plates especially
on metal drawer sides.
[0009] Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide
such a fastening device with the capability of being horizontally
and vertically adjusted.
[0010] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a
fastening device of the type described that is unnoticed when the
drawer is in the open condition.
[0011] The invention is a fastening device for fastening the end
plates (front and rear) of the drawer to the drawer sidewalls
utilizing expandable or split dowels to attach the device to the
inside face of the end plate. The flange to connect with the end
plate can be formed integrally from the sidewalls or fashioned
separately and attached to the sidewalls. An expanding member is
positioned within an expandable dowel the free end of which then
extends through a aperture in the flange to a tensioning lever
which is movably connected to the expanding member for movement
between a release position and a tensioning position. The end of
the expanding member positioned within the expandable dowel has a
camming exterior surface operable to expand the dowel outward and
clamp the flange and base member between the dowel and a capping
member positioned on the inside surface of the end plate.
Horizontal adjustment between the sidewalls and the end plate can
be made by loosening the expanding members within the dowels and
vertically by a camming device engaging a receiving sleeve
positioned on a base member between other receiving sleeves where
dowels are inserted into the end plate. A second embodiment
utilizes a single dowel, expanding member and tensioning lever.
[0012] Thus there has been outlined the more important features of
the invention in order that the detailed description that follows
may be better understood and in order that the present contribution
to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course,
additional features of the invention that will be described
hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims
appended hereto. In that respect, before explaining at least one
embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited in its arrangement of the components
set forth in the following description and illustrated in the
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of
being practiced and carried out in various ways.
[0013] It is also to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting in any respect. Those skilled in
the art will appreciate that the concept upon which this disclosure
is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other
structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several
purposes of this development. It is important that the claims be
regarded as including such equivalent methods and products
resulting therefrom that do not depart from the spirit and scope of
the present invention. The application is neither intended to
define the invention, which is measured by its claims, nor to limit
its scope in any way.
[0014] Thus, the objects of the invention set forth above, along
with the various features of novelty which characterize the
invention, are noted with particularity in the claims annexed to
and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding
of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific results
obtained by its use, reference should be made to the following
detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts
throughout the several views.
[0015] The drawings are included to provide a further understanding
of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of
this specification. They illustrate embodiments of the invention
and, together with their description, serve to explain the
principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer with a mounted
front plate;
[0017] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the device shown as A in FIG.
1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective isolated view of the device shown in
FIG. 2 removed from the drawer;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective and sectional view of the fastening
device of the present invention shown in Figure;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective and sectional view of the embodiment
of the present shown in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a
drawer shown generally as 10 includes a front plate 12, a drawer
bottom 14, a rear plate 16 and two drawer sidewalls 18. In the
first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and
4, drawer sidewalls 18 are provided with flanges 22 protruding at
right angles. Each flange 22 has two keyhole slots 24 and an
aperture 26 situated approximately midway between keyhole slots 26.
Split dowels 28 encompass expanding members 30 that are positioned
through keyhole slots 26. Tensioning levers 32 are secured to ends
34 of the expanding members 30 and are movable from a released
position to a tensioning position in a plane substantially parallel
to the plane of front plate 12. A base member 36 is positioned
between flange 22 and dowels 28.
[0023] A capping member 38 supports tensioning levers 32 in the
manner shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When a lever 32 is moved to a
tensioning position, the connected expanding member 30 rotates.
Because each expanding member has an oval cross-sectional
configuration, rotating it until the larger diameter engages and
spreads the relevant split dowel 28 which tightens dowel 28 and
held base 36 within the end plate interior surface hole to secure
end plate 12 to sidewalls 18.
[0024] Additional front plate adjusting means shown generally as 40
includes a camming member 42 (a threaded screw in FIG. 4) which
extends through capping member 38 and flange 22 into receiving
sleeve 44 preferably formed, along with interior bore 29 of dowels
28, integrally with base member 36. Camming member 42 and receiving
sleeve 44 are cooperatively designed to move front plate 12 with
respect to sidewalls 18 upon movement (in this case rotation) of
camming member 42 to provide for vertical adjustment.
[0025] The configuration of the present invention when installed
with the drawer in the open position is best visualized in FIG. 3
where only tensioning levers 32 (one closed, one partially open)
are seen. Attachment of drawer front plate 12 to sidewalls 18 is
expeditiously and efficiently accomplished by the insertion of
dowels 28 and receiving sleeve 44 usually carried by base 36 into
holes provided in the inside surface of drawer front plate 12 and
the subsequent attachment of the remaining part of the device by
inserting expanding members 30 and camming member 42 into the
openings provided therein.
[0026] In another embodiment of the present invention shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6, a simplified version of the first embodiment is
disclosed which has a base member 48 supporting a dowel 50 placed
against flange 52. A capping member 54 provides a surface for
tensioning lever 56. Latching devices 58 can be separately applied
to secure base member 48 to capping member 54 and grip, by that
securement action, flange 52. Alternatively, latching members 58
and split dowel 50 can be integrally formed with base 48.
[0027] Affixing the drawer end plate in this embodiment is
accomplished essentially in the same manner as in the first
embodiment. An expanding member 60 is placed within dowel 50 and
attached at the expanding member far end to tensioning lever 56.
Expanding member 60 has an oval cross-section with a narrow
dimension and a wide dimension. When tensioning lever 56 is rotated
to the tensioning position, the thicker dimension of expanding
member 60 is active and forces the walls of split dowel 50 open and
into tight engagement with the interior of the aperture in the
interior surface of the end plate being attached. Thus securement
of the end plate to the sidewalls is attained through tightly
fitting expanded split dowel 50 and latching members 58 engaging
cooperative surfaces of capping member 54.
[0028] Although all of the embodiments of the furniture fitting of
the present invention have been described and illustrated with
respect to connecting a drawer sidewall to a drawer end plate,
either front or rear, it is contemplated that the furniture fitting
of the present invention equally could be employed for connecting
other parts of an article of furniture. For example, it is
contemplated that the furniture fitting of the present invention
could be incorporated into a hinge mounting a door to an article of
furniture. Further, it is contemplated that the furniture fitting
of the present invention could be employed to connect two abutting
walls of an article of furniture. Other modifications and uses will
be apparent to one skilled in the art from a consideration of the
present disclosure.
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