U.S. patent application number 13/206995 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-01 for pantry drawer slide system.
Invention is credited to Paul F. Chambers, Kenneth R. Rowland, Bryan K. Tingle, William L. Walburn, Kevin M. Ward, JR..
Application Number | 20120049713 13/206995 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45696222 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120049713 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tingle; Bryan K. ; et
al. |
March 1, 2012 |
PANTRY DRAWER SLIDE SYSTEM
Abstract
A drawer slide system having an elongated base channel, an
intermediate assembly at least partially received within the
elongated base channel, a longitudinally extending I-beam assembly
at least partially received within the intermediate assembly, and a
pantry mount lock assembly including forward and rearward mounting
plates adapted to be coupled to a bottom surface of a drawer. The
pantry mount lock assembly can be accessed through the bottom of
the drawer to achieve engagement or disengagement between the
pantry mount lock assembly and the I-beam assembly. The rearward
mounting plates having lateral portions extending over the upper
surfaces of the I-beam assembly upper flanges to permit a tilting
adjustment of the drawer relative to the drawer slide system. A
soft close assembly can be included to provide a soft close for the
drawer. A vertically adjustable rear panel can inhibit goods from
being lost over the back of the drawer.
Inventors: |
Tingle; Bryan K.;
(Shelbyville, KY) ; Walburn; William L.; (Muncie,
IN) ; Rowland; Kenneth R.; (Louisville, KY) ;
Chambers; Paul F.; (Louisville, KY) ; Ward, JR.;
Kevin M.; (Louisville, KY) |
Family ID: |
45696222 |
Appl. No.: |
13/206995 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61376837 |
Aug 25, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
312/334.33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 88/42 20170101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/334.33 |
International
Class: |
A47B 88/14 20060101
A47B088/14; A47B 77/04 20060101 A47B077/04 |
Claims
1. A drawer slide system comprising: an elongated base channel
including a bottom portion having outside edges, the bottom portion
adapted to be secured to a cabinet bottom, an pair of vertical webs
extending upwardly from the outside edges, an upper margin of each
vertical web having an inwardly directed flange, an intermediate
assembly at least partially received within the elongated base
channel and including a pair of spaced-apart vertically oriented
and longitudinally extending parallel members, a plurality of first
rollers supporting each member on the bottom portion of the base
channel for longitudinal movement relative to the base channel, and
second rollers on one end of each member contacting a lower surface
of the inwardly directed flange of the elongated base channel, a
longitudinally extending I-beam assembly at least partially
received within the intermediate assembly and including laterally
outwardly extending lower flanges having a lower surface contacting
at least one of the plurality of first rollers and an upper surface
in contact with a third roller fixed to the intermediate assembly,
laterally outwardly extending upper flanges including an upper
surface, and a pantry mount lock assembly including forward and
rearward mounting plates adapted to be coupled to a bottom surface
of a drawer, the mounting plates having lateral portions extending
over the upper surfaces of the I-beam assembly upper flanges, and a
longitudinal member fixed to and extending between the mounting
plates including a locking mechanism positioned between the
mounting plates adapted to lock to the I-beam assembly.
2. The drawer slide system of claim 1, wherein the elongated base
channel further comprises a mounting stud fixed to a laterally
central position of the bottom portion.
3. The drawer slide system of claim 1, wherein the elongated base
channel further comprises a stop bumper at a front end of the base
channel limiting any outward movement of the intermediate assembly
relative to the base channel.
4. The drawer slide system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate
assembly further comprises a plurality of fasteners extending
between confronting inner surfaces of the longitudinally extending
parallel members.
5. The drawer slide system of claim 3, wherein the intermediate
assembly further comprises at least one stop pin projecting
laterally outward from at least one of the longitudinally extending
parallel members for interaction with the stop bumper.
6. The drawer slide system of claim 1, wherein the longitudinally
extending I-beam assembly further comprises two C-channel members
and a plurality of fasteners coupling the two C-channel members to
each other.
7. The drawer slide system of claim 1, wherein the pantry mount
lock assembly wherein the locking mechanism comprises a J-hook
having an adjustable fastener.
8. The drawer slide system of claim 1, wherein the forward and
rearward mounting plates of the pantry mount lock assembly include
a plurality of openings to receive fasteners to fasten the pantry
mount lock assembly to a bottom surface of a drawer.
9. The drawer slide system of claim 1, wherein the pantry mount
lock assembly further comprises a rear adjustment mechanism between
the lateral portion of at least one of the rearward mounting plates
and at least one upper surface of an upper flange of the I-beam
assembly.
10. The drawer slide system of claim 2, further comprising a soft
close assembly having a first end coupled to the mounting stud of
the elongated base channel and a second end adapted for movement
with the intermediate assembly relative to a closed position of the
assembly.
11. A drawer slide system comprising: an elongated base channel
including a bottom portion having outside edges, the bottom portion
adapted to be secured to a cabinet bottom, an upwardly extending
stud fixed to a laterally central position of the bottom portion,
an pair of vertical webs extending upwardly from the outside edges,
an upper margin of each vertical web having an inwardly directed
flange, an intermediate assembly at least partially received within
the elongated base channel and including a pair of spaced-apart
vertically oriented and longitudinally extending parallel members,
a plurality of first rollers supporting each member on the bottom
portion of the base channel for longitudinal movement relative to
the base channel, and second rollers on one end of each member
contacting a lower surface of the inwardly directed flange of the
elongated base channel, a longitudinally extending I-beam assembly
at least partially received within the intermediate assembly and
including laterally outwardly extending lower flanges having a
lower surface contacting at least one of the plurality of first
rollers and an upper surface in contact with a third roller fixed
to the intermediate assembly, laterally outwardly extending upper
flanges including an upper surface, and a soft close assembly
situated in the base channel below the I-beam assembly and between
the plurality of first rollers including a gas spring unit having a
first end coupled to said stud and a second end adapted for
movement with the intermediate assembly, the gas spring unit
biasing the intermediate assembly toward a closed position where
the I-beam assembly is substantially fully received within the
intermediate assembly, the gas spring unit including an oil damper
to prevent any abrupt stop of the I-beam assembly.
12. The drawer slide system of claim 11, wherein the gas spring
unit comprises a pair of confronting guides having longitudinal
slots, and a slide coupled to the gas spring unit second end, the
slide having a pair of lateral projections engaging the
longitudinal slots of the confronting guides.
13. The drawer slide system of claim 12, wherein the intermediate
assembly includes a pawl and the slide includes a pawl receiving
portion for engaging the pawl of the intermediate assembly to
provide cooperative movement of the intermediate assembly and the
gas spring.
14. The drawer slide system of claim 13, wherein the longitudinal
slots of the confronting guides include downward extending portions
at a forward end of the slots allowing for disengagement of the
slide and pawl when the intermediate assembly is displaced forward
by a selected distance.
15. The drawer slide system of claim 14, wherein the slide includes
a back wall portion adapted to engage the pawl of the intermediate
assembly upon rearward movement of the intermediate assembly, the
engagement of the pawl and slide back wall causing withdrawal of
the slide from the downward extending portions of the longitudinal
slots of the confronting guides.
16. The drawer slide system of claim 11, wherein the elongated base
channel further comprises a stop bumper at a front end of the base
channel, and the intermediate assembly further comprises at least
one stop pin projecting laterally outward from at least one of the
longitudinally extending parallel members for interaction with the
stop bumper.
17. The drawer slide system of claim 16, further comprising a
pantry lock assembly adapted to be coupled to a bottom surface of a
drawer and having a locking mechanism adapted to lock to the I-beam
assembly.
18. The drawer slide system of claim 17, wherein the pantry lock
assembly further comprises forward and rearward mounting plates
having lateral portions extending over the upper surfaces of the
I-beam assembly upper flanges, and a rear adjustment mechanism
operating between at least one of the lateral portions of the
rearward mounting plate and at least one of the I-beam assembly
upper flanges.
19. The drawer slide system of claim 18, wherein the pantry lock
assembly further comprises a longitudinal member fixed to and
extending between the forward and rearward mounting plates, and
wherein the locking mechanism is located on the longitudinal member
between the forward and rearward mounting plates.
20. The drawer slide system of claim 18, wherein the locking
mechanism comprises a J-hook having an adjustable fastener engaging
the I-beam assembly.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This case is related to and claims all available benefit of
U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/376,837 filed Aug. 25,
2010.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present disclosure relates to slides useful on tall
cupboard pull-outs from cabinets, particularly such slides as may
include a self closing bias and a soft close feature, while
preferably omitting any top guide.
[0004] 2. Background Information
[0005] Most drawers typically consist of a bottom surrounded by
four upright members defining a back wall, two side walls, and a
drawer front. The contents of the drawer can be accessed through an
open horizontal plane defined generally by the upper margins of the
back wall and two side walls. To facilitate such access, a drawer
slide can be coupled to each side of the drawer and to each side of
the drawer receiving opening in the cabinet holding the drawer.
Each drawer slide consists generally of a first rail that is
designed to be fixed to the side of the drawer and a second rail
that is designed to be fixed to the cabinet. The first and second
rails are coupled to each other by inter-engaging surfaces such a
glides or bearings that facilitate relative movement between the
two rails. A wide variety of such drawer slides exist that are
suitable for use to permit drawers to move smoothly and easily in
and out of cabinetry, particularly cabinetry typically found in
kitchens. Pantry drawers, which are designed to hold up to 500
pounds, or even more, of canned goods and/or other kitchen items
can be particularly difficult to support on some drawer slides.
[0006] Some drawers including pantry drawers have a much different
construction from that previously described. In particular, some
drawers consist of a bottom, a back wall; a drawer front and one or
more shelves or racks connected between the back wall and the
drawer front. Access to the shelves or racks is gained through one
or both of two vertical planes located on either side of the drawer
and defined generally by the lateral margins of the back wall and
bottom. In view of the desirability of maximizing the side access
to such drawers, the use of side-mounded drawer slides is
undesirable. As a result, some installations involve the use of a
drawer slide mounted between the bottom of the side access drawer
and the drawer receiving opening in the cabinet holding the drawer.
If the side access drawer is much taller than it is wide, the
drawer can exhibit significant vertical instability. To enhance the
vertical stability of the side access drawer, another slide or
guide can be placed between the top of the back wall and the drawer
front and coupled to the top of the drawer receiving opening in the
cabinet holding the drawer. Examples of this construction are to be
found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,199,966; 6,412,892; and
6,682,159. A unit designed for the heavier loads commonly found
with pantry drawers can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,423. While
this top slide or guide works satisfactorily to stabilize the side
access drawer, it restricts access to the top shelf or rack in the
drawer.
[0007] Efforts have been undertaken to omit the top slide or guide
so that access to the top shelf or rack of such a side access
drawer can be through either vertical side plane as described
before, or through the same horizontal plane as described
previously, while still providing the desired lateral stability for
the drawer as it moves in and out of the cabinet. A drawer slide
system that will provide the desired access and stability for a
side access drawer can have a base that includes an outside pair of
vertical webs and a centrally situated portion that is elevated
with respect to lower margins of the outside pair of vertical webs.
Vertically oriented drawer slides can be coupled to each of the
vertical webs and a horizontally oriented drawer slide can be
coupled to the centrally situated portion of the base. The
vertically oriented drawer slides can be coupled to outside margins
of a side access drawer adjacent to a bottom of the drawer. The
horizontally oriented drawer slide can be coupled to a central
portion of the bottom of the drawer. The base can be fixed to a
bottom surface of a cabinet to position the side access drawer
within a suitable drawer receiving opening in the cabinet. An
example of this construction can be found in U.S. Pat. No.
7,306,301.
[0008] There remains a need, however, for a drawer supporting
arrangement that will provide the desired access and stability to a
side access drawer designed for the heavy loads common with pantry
drawers having a locking feature to lock the drawer to the slide,
and particularly for such a drawer supporting arrange that will
include a soft close feature, and particularly for such a drawer
supporting feature that will include an adjustment feature to vary
the tilt at the back of the drawer so that repositioning of the
drawer front can be omitted.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0009] A drawer slide system that will provide the desired access
and stability for a heavily loadable side access pantry drawer can
have an elongated base channel including a bottom portion having
outside edges. The bottom portion can be adapted to be secured to a
cabinet bottom, and can have a pair of vertical webs extending
upwardly from the outside edges. An upper margin of each vertical
web can have an inwardly directed flange. The drawer slide system
can also have an intermediate assembly at least partially received
within the elongated base channel. The intermediate assembly can
include a pair of spaced-apart vertically oriented and
longitudinally extending parallel members. A plurality of first
rollers secured to the intermediate assembly can support each
member on the bottom portion of the base channel for longitudinal
movement relative to the base channel. Second rollers can be
provided on one end of each member for contacting a lower surface
of the inwardly directed flange of the elongated base channel. The
drawer slide system can also have a longitudinally extending I-beam
assembly at least partially received within the intermediate
assembly. The I-beam assembly can include laterally outwardly
extending lower flanges having a lower surface contacting at least
one of the plurality of first rollers and an upper surface in
contact with a third roller fixed to the intermediate assembly. The
I-beam assembly can also include laterally outwardly extending
upper flanges that include an upper surface.
[0010] One feature that can be included in the drawer slide system
is a pantry mount lock assembly that can include forward and
rearward mounting plates adapted to be coupled to a bottom surface
of a pantry drawer. The mounting plates can have lateral portions
that will extend over the upper surfaces of the I-beam assembly
upper flanges. A longitudinal member can be fixed to extend between
the mounting plates that can include a locking mechanism positioned
between the mounting plates, which can be adapted to lock to the
I-beam assembly. The pantry mount lock assembly can be coupled to a
bottom surface of a pantry drawer that can include an opening over
the locking mechanism to permit engagement and disengagement of the
locking mechanism manually or by a suitable tool positioned inside
in the pantry drawer while the pantry drawer is in an open
position.
[0011] Another feature that can be included in the drawer slide
system is a soft close assembly that can be situated in the base
channel below the I-beam assembly and between the plurality of
first rollers. The soft close assembly can include a gas spring
unit having a first end coupled to a stud that can be fixed to a
laterally central position of the bottom portion of the elongated
base channel. A second end of the gas spring unit can be adapted
for movement with the intermediate assembly. The gas spring unit
can bias the intermediate assembly toward a closed position where
the I-beam assembly is substantially fully received within the
intermediate assembly. The gas spring unit can include an oil
damper to prevent any abrupt stop of the I-beam assembly.
[0012] Another feature that can be included in the drawer slide
system is a rear adjustment mechanism that can be coupled to the
lateral portions of the rearmost mounting plates of the pantry
mount lock assembly that extend over the upper surfaces of the
I-beam assembly upper flanges. The adjustment mechanism can permit
adjustment of the vertical space between the lateral portions of
the rearmost mounting plates and the upper surfaces of the I-beam
assembly upper flanges. Desirably, the adjustment mechanism can be
accessible through an opening in a bottom of a pantry drawer fixed
to the pantry mount lock assembly so that adjustment can occur
after the pantry mount lock assembly is locked securely to the
I-beam assembly. The adjustment of the adjustment mechanism can
cause a pivoting movement of the pantry drawer about a front edge
of the drawer slide system to provide easy alignment of the pantry
drawer within a cabinet.
[0013] Another feature that can be included in the drawer slide
system is an adjustable rear panel coupled to a back wall of the
drawer to permit vertical adjustment of the height of the back wall
to inhibit any goods carried by the drawer from falling behind the
drawer. The rear panel can include one or more vertical slots. A
suitable number of fasteners, which can be adjustable from inside
the drawer, can extend through the back wall and one of the
vertical slots in the adjustable rear panel. Upon installation of
the drawer and drawer slide system into a cabinet, the adjustable
back wall can be extended upward to a desired position, for
example, immediately below the ceiling of the cabinet, and secured
in that position.
[0014] Still other features and advantages of the present system
will become apparent from the following description of preferred
embodiments, which should be considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet and side access
pantry drawer using the present drawer slide system.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drawer slide system in
an outwardly extended or open position.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a base channel for the
drawer slide system shown in FIG. 2.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an intermediate assembly
for the drawer system shown in FIG. 2.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the intermediate assembly shown
in FIG. 4.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG.
5.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an I-beam assembly for the
drawer slide system shown in FIG. 2.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the I-beam assembly of FIG.
7.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a pantry mount lock assembly
for the drawer slide system shown in FIG. 2.
[0024] FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG.
9.
[0025] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a soft close sub assembly
for the drawer slide system shown in FIG. 2.
[0026] FIG. 12 is a sectional view for the drawer slide system
shown in FIG. 2 in a compact or closed position
[0027] FIG. 13 is side elevation view of the drawer slide system
shown in FIG. 2.
[0028] FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of a drawer designed to
be supported on a drawer slide system and including a vertically
adjustable rear panel.
[0029] FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective detail of a portion of a
drawer including a vertically adjustable rear panel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a side access pantry drawer 10 supported on a
drawer slide system 12 extending outward from a cabinet 14. The use
of the term "pantry drawer" is merely intended to emphasize the
heavy duty nature of the drawer slide system 12 disclosed herein,
and is not intended to limit the use of the drawer slide system 12
to merely support drawers in a particular environment or to limit
the type of contents that might be supported on the drawer 10. The
pantry drawer 10 includes a bottom shelf 16, a back wall 18, and a
front portion 20. Additional shelves 22 can extend between the back
wall 18 and the front portion 20 at spaced vertical intervals above
the bottom shelf 16. While the additional shelves 22 are shown to
include solid planar horizontal surfaces 24 bounded laterally by
ridges 26, it will be appreciated that the shelves 22 can be racks,
supports, or holders of various shapes and construction. An
additional drawer front or cover 28, shown in phantom, can be
attached to the front portion 20 to provide a decorative cover for
the pantry drawer 10 that can be coordinated with other decorative
features or elements of the cabinet 14.
[0031] The cabinet 14 can be seen to have a bottom surface 30 and
vertical partitions 32 extending upward from the bottom surface 30.
The vertical partitions 32 can extend upward to an under surface or
ceiling 34 of the cabinet top surface 36. A cabinet front 38
defines a perimeter 40 of an opening 42 in the cabinet 14 that
receives the pantry drawer 10. In general, the drawer front 20 or
cover 28 extends laterally outward by a distance sufficient to
overlap the cabinet front 38 adjacent to the perimeter 40 to
provide closure of the space within the cabinet 14 when the pantry
drawer 10 is in a closed position. It is to be noted that there is
no guide or slide attached between the top of the pantry drawer 10
and the cabinet 14 since such a structure is rendered un-necessary
by the present drawer slide system 12, but such a top guide or
slide could be optionally included, if desired. The movement of the
pantry drawer 10 into and out of the cabinet 14 is facilitated by
the drawer slide system 12, which has an elongated base channel 44
that is fixed to the cabinet bottom surface 30. An intermediate
assembly 46 can be, at least partially received within the
elongated base channel 44. The drawer slide system 12 can also
include a longitudinally extending I-beam assembly 48 and a pantry
mount lock assembly 50 as illustrated further in FIGS. 2-13.
[0032] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the drawer slide system
12 in an extended or open position. The drawer slide system 12 is
shown in FIG. 2 to include an elongated base channel 44, an
intermediate assembly 46, a longitudinally extending I-beam
assembly 48 and a pantry mount lock assembly 50. The elongated base
channel 44, which is also shown in FIG. 3, can include a bottom
portion 52 having outside edges 54. The bottom portion 52 can be
adapted to be secured to a cabinet bottom 30 with screws, bolts, or
other fasteners, not shown that pass through openings 56 in the
bottom portion 52 and extend at least partially into the cabinet
bottom 30. A pair of vertical webs 58 can extend upwardly from the
outside edges 54 of the bottom portion 52 to upper margins 60. An
inwardly directed flange 62 can be provided along the length of
each of the upper margins 60. A mounting stud 64 can be fixed to a
laterally central position of the bottom portion 52 for utilization
with a soft close feature, detailed below. A stop bumper 66 can be
provided at the front end 68 of the base channel 44 to limit the
outward movement of the intermediate assembly 46, longitudinally
extending I-beam assembly 48 and pantry mount lock assembly 50
relative to the base channel 44. The stop bumper 66 can take the
form of elastomeric blocks 70 fixed to posts 72 on the vertical
webs 58 adjacent to a forward end of the upper margins 60.
[0033] The intermediate assembly 46 is seen partially received
within the elongated base channel 44 in FIG. 2, and in more detail
in FIGS. 4-6. The intermediate assembly 46 can include a pair of
spaced-apart vertically oriented and longitudinally extending
parallel members 74 having forward ends 76 which can protrude from
the front end 68 of the base channel 44 and rearward ends 78
retained within the base channel 44. A plurality of first rollers
80 can be secured to a lower portion of a laterally inner surface
82 the members 74 forming the intermediate assembly 46. The first
rollers 80 can support each member 74 on the bottom portion 52 of
the base channel 44 to permit longitudinal movement of the
intermediate assembly 46 relative to the base channel 44. Second
rollers 84 can be provided on a laterally outer surface 86 of
members 74 adjacent the rearward end 78 of each member 74. The
second rollers 82 can contact a lower surface of the inwardly
directed flanges 62 of the elongated base channel 44 to provide, in
combination with first rollers 80, a cantilever support for the
pantry drawer 10 when the pantry drawer is extended out of the
cabinet 14. The two longitudinally extending parallel members 74
can be coupled to each other by bolts, rivets, or other fasteners
90 extending between the inner surfaces 82 of the two members 74,
as shown in FIG. 5. A limit member 92 can be situated between the
two members 74 for contact with the longitudinally extending I-beam
assembly 48 in a manner described below. A stop pin 94 can extend
laterally outward from each of the members 74 to interact with the
stop bumpers 66 at the front end 68 of the base channel 44 to limit
the outward movement of the intermediate assembly 46. Third rollers
96 can be provided on an upper portion of the laterally inner
surfaces 82 the members 74 forming the intermediate assembly 46.
The third rollers 96 interact with the longitudinally extending
I-beam assembly 48, as described below, to permit longitudinal
movement of the extending I-beam assembly 48 relative to the
intermediate assembly 46.
[0034] The longitudinally extending I-beam assembly 48 can be seen
partially received within the intermediate assembly 46 in FIG. 2,
and in more detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. The I-beam assembly 48 can
include laterally outwardly extending lower flanges 98 having a
lower surface 100 contacting at least one of the plurality of first
rollers 80 and an upper surface 102 in contact with the third
roller 96 fixed to the intermediate assembly 46 to permit
longitudinal movement of the I-beam assembly 48 relative to the
intermediate assembly 46. The third rollers 96, in contact the
upper surface of the flanges 98 of the I-beam assembly 48, provide,
in combination with first rollers 80, a cantilever support for the
pantry drawer 10 when the pantry drawer is extended out of the
cabinet 14. The I-beam assembly 46 can also include laterally
outwardly extending upper flanges 104 that include an upper surface
106. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the I-beam assembly can be formed
from two C-channel members 108 coupled together by a plurality of
bolts, rivets, or other fasteners 110. A pawl 112 can be provided
adjacent a rearward end 114 of the I-beam assembly 48 for
interaction with a soft close assembly described below.
[0035] The pantry mount lock assembly 50 can be seen coupled to the
I-beam assembly 48 in FIG. 2, and in more detail in FIGS. 9 and 10.
The pantry mount lock assembly 50 can include forward mounting
plate 116 and rearward mounting plate 118 that include openings 119
to receive screws, bolts, or other fasteners, not shown, to couple
the pantry mount lock assembly 50 to a bottom surface of a pantry
drawer 10. The mounting plates 116 and 118 can have lateral
portions 120 that extend over the upper surfaces 106 of the I-beam
assembly upper flanges 104. A longitudinal member 121 can be fixed
to extend between the mounting plates 116 and 118 that can include
a locking mechanism 122 positioned between the mounting plates 116
and 118, which can be adapted to lock to the I-beam assembly 48.
The locking mechanism 122 can take the form of a J-hook 124 having
an adjustable fastener 126 for adjusting the position of the J-hook
124 in relation to the longitudinal member 121. One or more
additional hooks 125 can be provided on the longitudinal member
121, as shown in FIG. 10, for coupling the pantry mount lock
assembly to the I-beam assembly 48 for simultaneous movement
relative to the intermediate, assembly 46. The pantry mount lock
assembly 50 can be coupled to a bottom surface of a pantry drawer
10 that can include an opening 128, shown in FIG. 1, positioned
over the locking mechanism 122 to permit engagement and
disengagement of the locking mechanism 122 manually or with the aid
of a suitable tool positioned inside in the pantry drawer 10 while
the drawer is in an open position.
[0036] A rear adjustment mechanism 130 can be coupled to the
lateral portions 120 of the rearward mounting plate 118 of the
pantry mount lock assembly 50 to interact with the upper surfaces
106 of the I-beam assembly upper flanges 104. The adjustment
mechanism 130 can take the form, for example, of threaded or
stepped rods 132 that will permit adjustment of the vertical space
between the lateral portions 120 of the rearward mounting plates
118 and the upper surfaces 106 of the I-beam assembly upper flanges
104. Desirably, the adjustment mechanism 130 can be accessible
through an opening 133, shown in FIG. 1, in a bottom of a pantry
drawer 10 fixed to the pantry mount lock assembly 50 so that
adjustment can occur after the pantry mount lock assembly 50 is
locked securely to the I-beam assembly 48. The adjustment of the
adjustment mechanism 130 can cause a pivoting movement of the
pantry drawer 10 about a front edge 98 of the drawer slide system
12 to provide easy alignment of the drawer front 20 and/or cover 28
within the cabinet 14.
[0037] A soft close assembly 134 as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 can be
situated in the base channel 44 below the I-beam assembly 48 and
between the plurality of first rollers 80 supporting the
intermediate assembly 46. The soft close assembly 134 can include a
gas spring unit 136 having a first end 138 coupled to the stud 64
fixed to a laterally central position of the bottom portion 52 of
the elongated base channel 44 as shown in FIG. 12. A second end 140
of the gas spring unit 136 can be coupled to a slide 142 that is
received for sliding movement between an confronting pair of guides
144, shown in FIG. 11, that are fixed to base channel 44. The slide
142 is shown to include a downwardly extending coupling 146 that
can be attached to the second end 140 of the gas spring unit 136.
The slide 142 is shown to also include a pair of laterally
extending projections 148 and 150, which protrude on both sides of
the slide 142, to be received in slots 152 of guides 144. The slide
142 also includes an upper surface 154 including a front inclined
portion 156, a pawl-receiving portion 158, and a back wall portion
160. The slide 142 is adapted for engagement by and for some
movement with the pawl 112 of the intermediate assembly 46 as can
best be understood from a consideration of FIG. 12, which shows the
drawer slide system 10, including the soft close assembly 134, in a
closed position.
[0038] As the pantry drawer 10 is moved from a closed position
toward an open position, as shown in FIG. 1, the pantry mount lock
assembly 50 and the I-beam assembly 48, which are locked to each
other, move to the right from the position shown in FIG. 12 toward
the position shown in FIG. 13. The pawl 112, engaged within the
pawl-receiving portion 158 of the slide 142, pulls the slide 142 to
the right, which compresses the gas spring unit 136. This
compression action continues until the front laterally extending
projections 148 of the slide 142 received within slots 152 of
guides 144 encounter front downwardly curved surfaces 162. The
interaction between the projections 148 and the surfaces 162 causes
a downward movement of the projections 148 into pockets 164, which
are designed to capture and retain the projections 148. This
downward movement of projections 148 causes a forward and downward
pivoting movement of the slide 142 around the rear laterally
extending projections 150 leading to a disengagement of the pawl
112 from the slide 142. During the movement prior to disengagement
of the pawl 112 from the slide 142, the gas spring unit 136 exerts
a bias on the drawer against further opening. Once the pawl 112 is
disengaged from the slide 142, any further movement of the pantry
drawer 10 toward the fully open position is without any biasing
force so that if the pantry drawer 10 is released, the pantry
drawer 10 will remain in the open position. An outward limit of the
movement of the pantry drawer 10 can be defined by a contact
between the stop pins 94 that extend laterally outward from each of
the members 74 of the intermediate assembly 46 and the stop bumpers
66 at the front end 68 of the base channel 44.
[0039] As the pantry drawer 10 is moved from an open position, as
shown in FIG. 1, back toward a closed position the pantry mount
lock assembly 50 and the I-beam assembly 48, which are locked to
each other, move to the left from the position shown in FIG. 13
back toward the position shown in FIG. 12. An initial portion of
the movement may be without any bias whatsoever. At some point in
the movement, the pawl 112 will contact the back wall portion 160
of the slide 142. This contact will provide a force causing a
rearward and upward pivoting movement of the slide 142 around the
rear laterally extending projections 150 leading to a disengagement
of the front laterally extending projections 148 from the pockets
164 back into longitudinal slots 152. At this point, the gas spring
unit 136 can again bias the I-beam assembly 48 and intermediate
assembly 46 toward a closed position, where the I-beam assembly 48
is substantially fully received within the intermediate assembly
46. The gas spring unit 136 can include an oil damper to prevent
any abrupt stop of the I-beam assembly 48 and pantry drawer 10,
thus leading to a soft close. In the event of a premature release
of the front laterally extending projections 148 from the pockets
164 back into longitudinal slots 152, the slide 142 will naturally
return to the position shown in FIG. 12 under the biasing influence
of the gas spring unit 136. Any subsequent closing of the pantry
drawer 10 will cause the pawl 112 to ride up the front inclined
portion 156 of the slide 142 against the bias of spring 166 and
into the pawl-receiving portion 158, thereby providing for
satisfactory re-engagement between the pawl 112 and slide 142 for
the next opening of the pantry drawer 10.
[0040] FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of a side access pantry
drawer 10 including a bottom shelf 16, a back wall 18, and a front
portion 20. The back wall is seen to include a central lower
opening 17 through which the drawer slide system 12 can extend as
the drawer 10 is moved outward from a cabinet 14. Additional
shelves 22 are shown extending between the back wall 18 and the
front portion 20. An adjustable rear panel 168 can be coupled to
the back wall 18 of the drawer 10. The adjustable rear panel 168
can include one or more vertical slots 170. A suitable number of
fasteners 172, which can be adjustable from inside the drawer 10,
can extend through the back wall 18 and one of the vertical slots
170 in the adjustable rear panel 168. The fasteners 172 can
penetrate the back wall 18 immediately below the uppermost shelf
19. Upon installation of the drawer 10 and drawer slide system 12
shown in FIG. 14 into a cabinet 14 as shown in FIG. 1, the
adjustable rear panel 168 can be extended upward to a desired
position, for example, immediately below the ceiling 34 of the
cabinet 14, and secured in that position. So positioned, the
adjustable rear panel 168 inhibits any goods carried by the drawer
10 from falling behind the drawer 10.
[0041] FIG. 15 shows an exploded perspective detail view of another
side access pantry drawer 10 including an adjustable rear panel
168. The adjustable rear panel 168 is shown to include only a
single vertical slot 170. A fastener 172, which can take the form
of a screw 178 and a nut 180, can secure the adjustable rear panel
168 to the back wall 18 at any point over the range of vertical
movement provided by the slot 170. This same arrangement of parts
can also be used in the two slot embodiment shown in FIG. 14.
[0042] Variations in dimensions and other characteristics will
become apparent to those skilled in the art that are still within
the scope of the invention defined in the following claims. The
foregoing detailed description should be regarded as merely
illustrative rather than limiting, and the following claims,
including all equivalents, are intended to define the spirit and
scope of this invention.
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