U.S. patent application number 11/596131 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-14 for chest and method of manufacturing the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to IRIS OHYAMA, INC. Invention is credited to Susumu Kobayashi.
Application Number | 20080036346 11/596131 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35393922 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080036346 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kobayashi; Susumu |
February 14, 2008 |
Chest And Method Of Manufacturing The Same
Abstract
A drawer is stored in a space surrounded by front supporting
column frames and a front frame on the front side, and rear
supporting column frames and a rear frame on the rear side so as to
be capable of being drawn out therefrom. Both side frames are
provided with holding members including a lower holding strip and a
pair of upper holding strips, and a front locking strip and a rear
locking strip are formed on the inner side surface of the front
supporting column frame and on the rear frame respectively. Fixed
rail is press-interposed between the lower holding strip and the
pair of upper holding strips, and the front locking strip is
engaged with the front end of the fixed rail and the rear locking
strip is engaged with the rear end of the fixed rail,
respectively.
Inventors: |
Kobayashi; Susumu; (Miyagi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FRISHAUF, HOLTZ, GOODMAN & CHICK, PC
220 Fifth Avenue
16TH Floor
NEW YORK
NY
10001-7708
US
|
Assignee: |
IRIS OHYAMA, INC
Miyagi
JP
|
Family ID: |
35393922 |
Appl. No.: |
11/596131 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
April 28, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP05/08147 |
371 Date: |
January 4, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/334.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 87/0215 20130101;
A47B 88/467 20170101; A47B 88/944 20170101; A47B 67/04
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/334.1 |
International
Class: |
A47B 88/04 20060101
A47B088/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 13, 2004 |
JP |
2004-143205 |
Claims
1. A chest including a chest body having a space surrounded by
synthetic resin frames and a drawer fitted to the space in the
chest body so as to be capable of being drawn out therefrom,
comprising: rails disposed in the space in the chest body along the
direction of movement of the drawer; and movable members provided
on the drawer so as to be capable of moving in the rails.
2. The chest according to claim 1, wherein the rails are formed of
metal.
3. The chest according to claim 1, wherein the rails are disposed
on the lower portions of opposed side surfaces of the space.
4. The chest according to claim 1, wherein the rails are disposed
on the bottom portion of the space.
5. The chest according to claim 1, wherein the chest body is
provided with holding members that hold the rails in association
with the power capacity of operation to assemble the rails.
6. The chest according to claim 1, wherein the chest body is
provided with holding members that hold the rails in association
with the power capacity of operation to assemble the rails, and the
holding members include a plurality of holding strips which hold
the upper and lower surfaces of the rails in press-contact thereto
without protruding to the inner sides of the rails.
7. The chest according to claim 1, wherein the chest body includes
a pair of front and rear supporting column frames extending in the
vertical direction on the left and right sides, the space is
defined between these supporting column frames, and the rails are
disposed between the pair of front and rear supporting column
frames.
8. The chest according to claim 1, wherein the chest body includes
a plurality of frame units formed of integrally assembled
predetermined frames combined to each other, and the rails are
disposed on the respective frame units in advance.
9. A method of manufacturing a chest including a chest body having
a space surrounded by synthetic resin frames and a drawer fitted to
the space in the chest body so as to be capable of being drawn out
therefrom, rails disposed on the chest body along the direction of
movement of the drawer, and movable members provided on the drawer
so as to be capable of moving in the rails, the method comprising:
molding the chest body by injection molding; and assembling the
rails in the space along the direction of movement of the drawer
after having taken out the molded chest body from a metal mold
before the resin is cured.
10. The method of manufacturing a chest according to claim 9,
wherein at the time of the injection molding, holding members for
holding the rails in association with the fitting operation are
formed on the chest body, and the rails are assembled to the
holding members before the resin is cured.
11. The method of manufacturing a chest according to claim 10,
wherein the holding members include a plurality of holding strips
that holds the upper and lower surfaces of the rails in
press-contact thereto without protruding to the inner side of the
rails.
12. The chest according to claim 2, wherein the rails are disposed
on the lower portions of opposed side surfaces of the space.
13. The chest according to claim 2, wherein the rails are disposed
on the bottom portion of the space.
14. The chest according to claim 2, wherein the chest body is
provided with holding members that hold the rails in association
with the power capacity of operation to assemble the rails.
15. The chest according to claim 2, wherein the chest body is
provided with holding members that hold the rails in association
with the power capacity of operation to assemble the rails, and the
holding members include a plurality of holding strips which hold
the upper and lower surfaces of the rails in press-contact thereto
without protruding to the inner sides of the rails.
16. The chest according to claim 2, wherein the chest body includes
a pair of front and rear supporting column frames extending in the
vertical direction on the left and right sides, the space is
defined between these supporting column frames, and the rails are
disposed between the pair of front and rear supporting column
frames.
17. The chest according to claim 2, wherein the chest body includes
a plurality of frame units formed of integrally assembled
predetermined frames combined to each other, and the rails are
disposed on the respective frame units in advance.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a chest for storing
clothes, small articles and so on and a method of manufacturing the
same.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Hitherto, a chest is used for storing clothes or small
articles and so on. The chest is composed of a chest body and a
drawer stored in the chest body so as to be capable of being drawn
out therefrom. A chest of a type in which the chest body and the
drawer are formed of synthetic resin by injection molding and the
chest body has a frame structure considering manufacturing cost or
manufacturability is also in the market. The chest of this type
includes a chest body having a space surrounded by synthetic resin
frames and a drawer which is fitted into the space in the chest
body so as to be capable of being drawn out therefrom.
[0005] However, when the chest body and the drawer as described
above are molded with synthetic resin, the drawer is low in
rigidity and hence is easily deformed and, in addition, sliding
resistance generated between the chest body and the drawer is
significant due to surface contact between synthetic resin parts.
Therefore, difficulty in sliding operation of the drawer is
encountered, which may result in lowering of quality feeling and
lowering of user-friendliness of the synthetic resin chest of this
type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the
invention to provide a chest in which slidability of a drawer in
the synthetic resin chest is improved, and a method of
manufacturing the same.
[0007] In order to solve the above-described problems, a chest
according to the invention of claim 1 is a chest including a chest
body having a space surrounded by synthetic resin frames and a
drawer fitted to the space in the chest body so as to be capable of
being drawn out therefrom, including rails disposed in the space in
the chest body along the direction of movement of the drawer, and
movable members provided on the drawer so as to be capable of
moving in the rails. Therefore, when a user operates to open or
close the drawer, the movable members on the drawer slide in the
rails on the chest body. Therefore, slidability of the drawer in
the chest in which the chest body is molded with synthetic resin
can be improved.
[0008] According to claim 2, the rails are formed of metal.
Therefore, the movable members slide in the metallic rails having
low sliding resistance and hence slidability of the drawer is
improved.
[0009] According to claim 3, the rails are disposed on the lower
portions of opposed side surfaces of the space. Therefore, the
movable members are also arranged on the lower portion of the
drawer, and hence reduction of capacity of the drawer can be
alleviated in comparison with the case in which the movable members
are provided on the upper portion of the drawer.
[0010] According to claim 4, the rails are disposed on the bottom
portion of the space. Therefore, the movable members are also
arranged on the bottom portion of the drawer, and hence reduction
of capacity of the drawer can further be alleviated in comparison
with the case in which the movable members are provided on the
upper portion of the drawer.
[0011] According to claim 5, the chest body is provided with
holding members that hold the rails in association with the power
capacity of operation to assemble the rails. Therefore, an operator
can assemble the rails easily with a simple operation with a light
power.
[0012] According to claim 6, the chest body is provided with
holding members that hold the rails in association with the power
capacity of operation to assemble the rails, where the holding
members include a plurality of holding strips which hold the upper
and lower surfaces of the rails in press-contact thereto without
protruding to the inner side of the rails. Therefore, the
slidability of the movable members can be secured without
interference or contact of the movable members sliding in the rails
with respect to the holding strips.
[0013] According to claim 7, the chest body includes a pair of
front and rear supporting column frames extending in the vertical
direction on the left and right sides, the space is defined between
these supporting column frames, and the rails are disposed between
the pair of front and rear supporting column frames. Therefore,
supporting rigidity of the supporting column frames extending in
the vertical direction can be enhanced by effectively utilizing the
rigidity of the rails.
[0014] According to claim 8, the chest body includes a plurality of
frame units formed of integrally assembled predetermined frames
combined to each other, and the rails are disposed on the
respective frame units in advance. Therefore, the chest body is
completed easily by combining the plurality of frame units.
[0015] The invention according to claim 9 is a method of
manufacturing a chest including a chest body having a space
surrounded by synthetic resin frames and a drawer fitted to the
space in the chest body so as to be capable of being drawn out
therefrom, rails disposed on the chest body along the direction of
movement of the drawer, and movable members provided on the drawer
so as to be capable of moving in the rails, the method comprising:
molding the chest body by injection molding; and assembling the
rails in the space along the direction of movement of the drawer
after having taken out the molded chest body from a metal mold
before the resin is cured. Therefore, since the resin is in a soft
state before having completely cured at the time of assembly of the
rails, the operator can complete a mounting work of the rails in a
simple operation without any difficulty.
[0016] According to the invention of claim 10, at the time of the
injection molding, holding members for holding the rails in
association with the fitting operation are formed on the chest
body, and the rails are assembled to the holding members before the
resin is cured. Therefore, since holding strips are in a soft state
in which the resin is not completely cured at the time of assembly
of the rails, the operator can complete a mounting work of the
rails in a simple operation without any difficulty.
[0017] According to the invention of claim 11, the holding members
include a plurality of holding strips that holds the upper and
lower surfaces of the rails in press-contact thereto without
protruding to the inner sides of the rails. Therefore, the mounting
work of the rails can be completed in a simple operation so as to
interpose the rails between the plurality of holding strips in the
uncured state.
Advantage Effect
[0018] As described the above, according to the invention of claim
1, when a user operates to open or close the drawer, the movable
members on the drawer slide in the rails on the chest body.
Therefore, slidability of the drawer in the chest in which the
chest body is molded with synthetic resin can be improved, whereby
the quality feeling and the user-friendliness of the synthetic
resin chest of this type can be improved.
[0019] According to claim 2, the movable members slide in the
metallic rails having low sliding resistance and hence slidability
of the drawer is improved.
[0020] According to claim 3, the movable members in the drawer are
also arranged on the lower portion of the drawer, and hence
reduction of capacity of the drawer can be alleviated in comparison
with the case in which the movable members are provided on the
upper portion of the drawer.
[0021] According to claim 4, the movable members in the drawer are
also arranged on the bottom portion of the drawer, and hence
reduction of capacity of the drawer can further be alleviated in
comparison with the case in which the movable members are provided
on the upper portion of the drawer.
[0022] According to claim 5, an operator can assemble the rails
easily with a simple operation with a light power.
[0023] According to claim 6, the slidability of the movable members
can be secured without interference or contact of the movable
members sliding in the rails with respect to the holding strips.
Consequently, the slidability of the movable members can be secured
while fixing the rail in a simple structure.
[0024] According to claim 7, supporting rigidity of the supporting
column frames extending in the vertical direction can be enhanced
by effectively utilizing the rigidity of the rails and hence the
rigidity of the entire frame can be enhanced, thereby improving the
quality feeling of the chest.
[0025] According to claim 8, the chest body is completed easily by
combining the plurality of frame units.
[0026] According to the invention of claim 9, since the resin is in
a soft state before having completely cured at the time of assembly
of the rails, the operator can complete a mounting work of the
rails in a simple operation without any difficulty. Consequently,
assembly of the rails can be completed in an injection molding line
for the chest body without providing a specific line therefor.
[0027] According to the invention of claim 10, since holding strips
are in a soft state in which the resin is not completely cured at
the time of assembly of the rails, the operator can complete a
mounting work of the rails in a simple operation without any
difficulty.
[0028] According to the invention of claim 11, the mounting work of
the rails can be completed in a simple operation so as to interpose
the rails between the plurality of holding strips in the uncured
state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the
invention;
[0030] FIG. 2 is a side view in the same embodiment;
[0031] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the inner side
surface of a frame member in the same embodiment;
[0032] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a drawer body in the same
embodiment;
[0033] FIG. 5 is an explanatory drawing showing a state in which
the drawer in the same embodiment is drawn out from a chest
body;
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a front plate in the same embodiment, in which
a front surface is illustrated on the right side in the drawing,
and a back surface is illustrated on the left side in the
drawing;
[0035] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A
in FIG. 6;
[0036] FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B
in FIG. 7A;
[0037] FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C
in FIG. 1;
[0038] FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D
in FIG. 1;
[0039] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in
FIG. 5;
[0040] FIG. 10 is a bottom view showing the front plate in the same
embodiment; and
[0041] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F
in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0042] Referring now to the drawings, an embodiment of the
invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a chest 1
in this embodiment, and the chest 1 is used for storing clothes,
small articles, and so on.
[0043] As shown also in FIG. 2, the chest 1 includes a chest body
11 which constitutes a frame and three rectangular container-shaped
drawers 12, . . . provided in the chest body 11. The chest body 11
and the drawers 12 are formed of synthetic resin by injection
molding.
[0044] The chest body 11 includes three frame units 21, . . .
connected in the vertically direction, and the frame unit 21 at the
bottom is provided with leg portions 23, . . . on a bottom surface
22 thereof. The frame unit 21 on top is provided with a top plate
24, and the drawers 12, . . . are held in the respective frame
units 21 so as to be capable of being drawn out therefrom.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 3, the frame unit 21 includes a rectangular
bottom plate portion 31, opening at the center portion thereof,
supporting column frames 32 (front supporting column frames 32F and
rear supporting column frames 32R) standing upright at the four
corners of the bottom plate portion 31, both side frames 51 bridged
between the lower ends of the front and rear supporting column
frames 32F and 32R, a front frame 33F bridged between the lower
ends of a pair of the left and right front supporting column frames
32F, and a rear frame 33R bridged between the lower ends of a pair
of the left and right rear supporting column frames 32R. In FIG. 3
and other drawings, reference sign F represents the front side of
the chest body 11, and reference sign R represents the rear side
thereof. The drawer 12 is stored in a space 34 surrounded by the
front supporting column frames 32F and the front frame 33F on the
front side, and by the rear supporting column frames 32R and the
rear frame 33R on the rear side so as to be capable of being drawn
out therefrom.
[0046] The front and rear supporting column frames 32F, 32R each
are formed into the shape of a square pole, and each integrally
include a supporting column body 41 extending upright from the
bottom plate portion 31 and an insert portion 42 provided at the
upper end of the supporting column body 41. The insert portion 42
is formed to be smaller than the supporting column body 41 in
diameter, and a shoulder 44 is formed at the upper end of the
supporting column body 41 where the insert portion 42 extends
upright from.
[0047] The supporting column body 41 is provided at the lower end
thereof with a connecting portion 45 to which the insert portion 42
of the supporting column frame 32 arranged below or the leg portion
23 is selectively inserted. Accordingly, the frame unit 21 on the
lower side and the frame unit 21 on the upper side can be connected
in a state in which the insert portions 42 of the supporting column
frames 32 of the lower frame unit 21 are inserted into the
connecting portions 45 of the supporting column frames 32 of the
upper frame unit 21, and the shoulders 44 of the lower supporting
column bodies 41 are brought into abutment with the lower ends of
the supporting column bodies 41 on the upper side.
[0048] The inner surfaces of the both side frames 51, which
correspond to surfaces on the side where the space 34 exists, are
provided with metallic fixed rails 53 having rollers 52 along the
longitudinal direction thereof so as to be bridged between the
supporting column frames 32, 32. The fixed rail 53 is formed into
an angular C-shape in cross section, and has an upper surface
portion 531, a side surface portion 532, and a lower surface
portion 533 continued integrally.
[0049] On the other hand, the both side frames 51 each are provided
with a holding member 510 composed of a lower holding strip 511 and
a pair of upper holding strips 512, 513. A front locking strip 514
is formed on the inner surface of the front supporting column frame
32F, and a rear locking strip 515 is formed on the rear frame 33R,
respectively. Each of the fixed rails 53 is press-interposed
between the lower holding strip 511 and the pair of upper holding
strips 512 and 513, so that the front locking strip 514 locks the
front end of the fixed rail 53 and the rear locking strip 515 locks
the rear end of the fixed rail 53 respectively.
[0050] Although the lower holding strip 511 is in press-contact
with the lower surface portion 533 of the fixed rail 53, it has a
shape which does not protrude upward (to the inner side of the rail
53) with respect to the lower surface portion 533. Likewise,
although the upper holding strips 512, 513 are in press-contact
with the upper surface portion 531 of the fixed rail 53, it has a
shape which does not protrude downwardly (to the inner side of the
rail 53) with respect to the upper surface portion 531.
[0051] A drawer body 12a of the drawer 12 which is held between the
left and right supporting column frames 32F, 32R of the frame unit
21 is formed into a rectangular container shape opening on top as
shown in FIG. 4. The drawer body 12a is formed by a metal mold
which is opened in the vertical direction, and left and right side
surfaces 61, 61, a front surface 62, and a rear surface 63 are
formed to be inclined outward as they go upward by a draft
angle.
[0052] The side surfaces 61, the lower portion of 61 each are
provided with a metallic movable rail 65 which is paired with the
fixed rail 53. The movable rail 65 includes a lower fixed surface
to be fixed to a shoulder portion, not shown, formed on the lateral
portion of a lower surface 71 of the drawer body 12a and an upright
surface 75 extending upright from the lower fixed surface to be
fixed to a set-back portion 74 at the lower portion of the side
surface 61 of the drawer body 12a, and the lower corner at the
front end of the upright surface 75 is held in a state of being
interposed between a lower locking portion 76 formed on the side
surface 61 and the side surface 61. The upper corner of the front
end of the upright surface 75 is limited from moving forward by an
angular-shaped projection 77 protruded from the side surface
61.
[0053] Then, the lower fixed surface of the movable rail 65 is held
in a state of being interposed between locking strips 81, . . . of
an L-shape in cross section provided on the lower surface 71 of the
drawer body 12a so as to open toward the side and the lower surface
71, and a roller 82 is provided at the rear end of the upright
surface 75.
[0054] Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, the roller 52 provided on
the fixed rail 53 rotates along an upper surface guide 83 provided
on the movable rail 65, and the roller 82 provided on the movable
rail 65 rotates along the upper surface portion 531 of the fixed
rail 53, so that the movement of the drawer 12 is facilitated.
[0055] A front plate 12b is fixed to the front portion of the
drawer body 12a. As shown in FIG. 6, the front plate 12b is formed
into a laterally elongated rectangular shape and a flange extending
toward the back side is formed along the entire peripheral edge
thereof. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIGS. 7A and 7B, an upper edge
flange 91 of the front plate 12b is formed with a downwardly
depressed recess of a trapezoidal shape at the center portion
thereof, and the recess forms a hand grip portion 92 at the upper
edge of the front plate 12b for placing the hand when drawing the
drawer out. The hand grip portion 92 is provided with a projecting
ridge 93 at the front edge thereof as a fingerhold to be used when
it is operated as shown in FIG. 7B.
[0056] The upper edge flange 91 extending from the upper edge of
the hand grip portion 92 toward the back side of the front plate
12b is formed with a locking claw 101, which is an engaging claw
projecting downward, so as to extend widthwise of the front plate
12b, so that a locking portion 102 set at the center of the upper
edge of the front surface 62 of the drawer body 12a is interposed
between the locking claw 101 and the back surface of the hand grip
portion 92 as shown in FIG. 8A. Accordingly, the front plate 12b is
prevented from coming apart toward the front by the engagement of
the locking claw 101 and the locking portion 102.
[0057] As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A, L-shaped locking projections
111, 111 projecting downward are formed at the both ends of the
upper edge flange 91, and the locking projection 111 includes a
rearward extension 112 extending rearward from the front plate 12b
and a center extension 113 extending from the rearward extension
112 toward the center portion of the front plate 12b. As shown in
FIG. 8B and FIG. 9, the center extension 113 is inserted into a
lateral groove 115 of the protrusion 114 protruding from the upper
edge of the drawer body 12a, and the rearward extension 112 is
arranged on the side of a protrusion 114. Accordingly, an
engagement structure is established by the protrusion 114 formed
with the lateral groove 115 and the locking projection 111 engaged
with each other. In this state, the upper edge flange 91 is
prevented from moving rearward by a stopper 116 projecting at the
upper edge of the drawer body 12a.
[0058] As shown in FIG. 10, a lower edge flange 121 of the front
plate 12b is formed with a plurality of laterally elongated
engaging holes 122, . . . extending along the rear edge arranged
juxtapositionally, and as shown in FIG. 11, engaging projections
124 to be inserted into the respective engaging holes 122, . . .
project from a fitting portion 123 provided on the lower surface 71
of the drawer body 12a to which the lower edge flange 121 is
fitted.
[0059] In this embodiment configured as described above, when
manufacturing the frame unit 21, the frame unit 21 is
injection-molded and taken out from a metal mold. Then, in a state
in which resin is not completely cured and hence the product (the
frame unit 21) is still at a high temperature, the fixed rail 53 is
inserted between the lower holding strip 511 and the pair of upper
holding strips 512, 513 as shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the
fixed rail 53 is engaged with the front locking strip 514, and the
rear end thereof is engaged with the rear locking strip 515,
respectively. At this time, since the lower holding strip 511, the
upper holding strips 512, 513, the front locking strip 514 and the
rear locking strip 515 are in a soft state in which resin is not
completely cured, an operator can complete a mounting work of the
fixed rail 53 in a simple operation without any difficulty.
Therefore, assembly of the metallic fixed rails 53 can be completed
in an injection molding line for the frame unit 21 without
providing a specific line therefor.
[0060] Then, the chest 1 according to this embodiment is configured
as described above using the three frame units 21 and the drawers
12 manufactured in this manner. In this chest 1, the fixed rails 53
are arranged inside the both side frames 51, they cannot be viewed
from the outside, and hence lowering of the quality feeling caused
by exposure of the fixed rails 53 can be prevented in advance.
[0061] In addition, since the fixed rails 53 are arranged on the
both side frames 51 of the frame unit 21, the movable rails 65 as
counterparts are arranged on the lower portion of the drawer 12.
Therefore, since the movable rails 65 are arranged on the lower
portion of the drawer 12, reduction of capacity of the drawer 12
can be alleviated in comparison with the case in which the movable
rails 65 are arranged on the upper portion of the drawer 12.
[0062] In addition, since the metallic fixed rails 63 are bridged
between the lower ends of the front and rear supporting column
frames 32F and 32R, the supporting rigidity of the front and rear
supporting column frames 32F and 32R can be enhanced by effectively
utilizing rigidity of the metallic rails 65, and hence the rigidity
of the entire frame unit 21 can also be enhanced, thereby improving
the quality feeling of the synthetic resin chest.
[0063] When a user operates the drawer 12 to open or close, the
movable rails 65 on the drawer 12 side are slid in the fixed rails
53 on the frame unit 21, while involving rotation of the rollers 52
and 82. Therefore, slidability of the drawer 12 in the chest 1 in
which the chest body 11 and the drawer 12 are both molded with
synthetic resin can be improved, whereby the quality feeling and
the user-friendliness of the synthetic resin chest of this type can
be improved.
[0064] In this case, as described above, although the lower holding
strip 511 is in press-contact with the lower surface portion 533 of
the fixed rail 53, it has a shape which does not protrude upward
(to the inner side of the rail 53) with respect to the lower
surface portion 533. Likewise, although the upper holding strips
512, 513 are in press-contact with the upper surface portion 531 of
the fixed rail 53, it has a shape which does not protrude
downwardly (to the inner side of the rail 53) with respect to the
upper surface portion 531. Therefore, slidability of the movable
rail 65 can be secured without interference or contact of the
movable rail 65 with respect to the lower holding strip 511 and the
upper holding strips 512, 513. Therefore, the slidability of the
movable rail 65 can be secured while fixing the fixed rail 53 in a
simple structure.
[0065] Although the fixed rails 53 are arranged inside the both
side frames 51 in this embodiment, the invention is not limited
thereto, and the fixed rail 53 can be arranged on the bottom
surface portion of the frame unit 21, that is, between the front
frame 33F and the rear frame 33R. In this case, the movable rail 65
is disposed on the lower surface of the bottom portion of the
drawer 12.
[0066] Although the mounting of the fixed rail 53 is done by the
operator by inserting the fixed rail 53 between the lower holding
strip 511 and the pair of upper holding strips 512, 513, and
engaging the front end and the rear end of the fixed rail 53 with
the front locking strip 514 and the rear locking strip 515
respectively in this embodiment, it is also possible to fix the
fixed rail 53 by a locking mechanism which achieves fixation by
inserting the fixed rail 53 in one direction and then returning the
same in the opposite direction.
* * * * *