Cassette Drawer Unit With Latch

Abstract

A drawer for cassettes and concealed latch therefor requiring only slight inward pressure to unlatch the drawer. A detent on the drawer and a latch bar on the stationary frame; a latch bar lifting cam on the drawer and lifting the bar off the detent when the drawer is pressed inwardly, the cam tipping to conceal the detent and guide the bar over the detent as the drawer is released and urged outwardly under spring pressure, the drawer having an upwardly tilting cassette pocket tipped upward by the outward spring pressed thrust of the drawer.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to drawer units and has special reference to the storage of tape cassettes and film cassettes.

The problem forming the basis of the invention is to provide a simple to handle drawer unit, for example for tape cassettes and film cassettes, which enables a quick and easy insertion and removal of individual cassettes.

According to the invention a drawer unit includes a drawer, a frame in which the drawer is movable between a closed position and an open position, biasing means resiliently biasing the drawer toward the open position, and a catch mechanism arranged to retain the drawer in the closed position, but to release the drawer from the closed position in response to an initial movement of the drawer directed away from the open position.

In a preferred arrangement the catch mechanism includes a detent, a locking member engageable in the detent when the drawer is in the closed position, and a cam so arranged that during the said initial movement the cam moves the locking member out of the detent and during movement of the drawer toward the open position the cam prevents the locking member from returning to the detent. Preferably the detent is provided on the drawer, the locking member is mounted on the frame, and the cam is mounted on the drawer.

Preferably also the locking member is generally U-shaped, one leg of the U-shape being pivotally mounted on the frame and the other leg being arranged to engage the detent. In a preferred arrangement the cam is pivotally mounted.

The drawer may include a receiving pocket for a tape or film cassette, the receiving pocket being arranged to be partly ejected automatically from the drawer as the drawer is moved into the open position. Preferably the receiving pocket is pivotally mounted in the drawer and is provided with a surface arranged to engage the frame as the drawer is moved to the open position and to cause rotation of the pocket.

By way of example, one embodiment of the invention is described in detail with reference to the drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a storage rack with several drawer units arranged one above the other, and

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a rack having 32 drawers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIG. 1 is shown part of a rack 2 with a number of drawer compartments arranged next to and above each other for receiving a corresponding number of drawers 1 for the storage of cassettes 10. Three drawers appear in FIG. 1.

The lowest drawer 1 contains a cassette and is shown in its closed position with the front wall 11 of the drawer flush with the front of the rack 2. The drawer 1 has toward its rear an extension flange 8a with an upstanding locking projection 8, the front edge or face 8b of which forms one wall of a detent. On the rear wall 2a of the rack 2 is pivotally mounted a U-shaped locking lever 3 which can engage the edge 8b of projection 8 and which is biased downwardly in a clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 1) by a tension spring 8c anchored to the rear wall of the rack. Clockwise movement of the locking lever 3 is limited by an L-shaped support 3a which is affixed on frame rail 2b of the rack. In the position illustrated by the lowest drawer, the lever 3 rests in the detent in front of the projection 8 to confront edge 8b and the drawer 1 securely closed.

If a drawer 1 is to be opened for inserting or removing a cassette, it is gently pushed a little way into the drawer compartment so that the locking lever 3 rides up and over the rear sloping edge 4a of a swivel cam 4 pivoted to flange 8a in front of the projection 8. Then pressure on the drawer is released so that, as illustrated by the uppermost drawer in FIG. 1, the spring 5 moves the drawer outwardly, causing the locking lever 3 to tip cam 4 in a rearward direction and then ride up the front faces 4b of the tilted cam 4, the front face 4b of the cam being long enough to enable the lever 3 to clear the projection 8 and release the drawer. The cam 4 has lower edges 4c, 4d oriented obliquely of each other and confronting the horizontal lip 8e of flange 8a. The edges 4c, 4d alternately engage lip 8e as the cam is tipped to limit the swinging or tilting of the cam 4 in the alternate positions of the cam.

At all times the drawers are biased toward the open position by one or a pair of prestressed compression springs 5 which are arranged under each drawer on a rod 5a and which bear against a slide bearing 1a which is affixed to the underside of the drawer.

For receiving and storing cassettes there is in each drawer a separate receiving pocket 6 (see middle drawer) having on its rear wall an upwardly projecting stop bar 7 which meets with a stop surface 9 in the rack approximately 10-15 mm. before reaching its end position, whereby the receiving pocket 6 is tilted into an upward inclining position enabling easy access to the cassette 10 as illustrated at the middle drawer of FIG. 1.

When the occasion arises, the cassette 10 is reinserted in the receiving pocket 6, and the drawer 1 pushed into the respective drawer compartment in the rack 2 until its front side 11 is flush with the front side 12 of the rack 2. As the drawer is pushed inwardly, the rear facing oblique camming edge or face 8d of projection 8 engages and lifts the locking lever 3 off support 3a. Lever 3 passes over the projection 8 and engages and tips the cam 4 forwardly. Subsequently, the locking lever 3 drops into the detent in front of the projection 8, simultaneously pushing the swivel cam 4 back again into its normal position as shown by the lowest drawer. The drawer is automatically held in this position.

The rack shown in FIG. 2 is illustrative of the way in which drawer units in accordance with the invention may be arranged in a convenient manner for storage of large numbers of articles such as tape or film cassettes.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A drawer unit including a drawer, a frame in which the drawer is moveable between a closed position and an open position, biasing means resiliently biasing the drawer towards the open position, a catch mechanism arranged to retain the drawer in the closed position but to release the drawer from the closed position in response to an initial movement of the drawer directed away from the open position and subsequent release of the drawer, and a receiving pocket for a tape or film cassette, the pocket being pivotally mounted in the drawer and having a surface arranged to engage the frame as the drawer is moved to the open position to cause rotation of the pocket and partial ejection thereof from the drawer automatically as the drawer is moved to the open position.

2. A drawer unit comprising:

a stationary frame having an open drawer compartment and drawer support and guide means underlying the compartment,

a drawer in the compartment and slidable on such support and guide means, said drawer having a front and a rearwardly extending flange having an upstanding projection with a forwardly facing retainer edge and a detent adjacent to and forwardly of the upstanding projection, the upstanding projection having a forwardly and upwardly inclined guide edge facing generally rearwardly and extending to the top of the projection,

an upwardly and downwardly swinging lock lever swingably mounted on the stationary frame and having a retainer end in the detent and lying transversely of the upstanding projection in engagement with the retainer edge to restrain forward movement of the drawer,

a spring engaging and urging the lock lever downward into the detent and against the retainer edge of the upstanding projection,

stop means on the frame limiting downward swinging of the lock lever when the drawer and flange are moved forwardly in the drawer compartment, said stop means retaining the locking lever in confronting relation with inclined guide edge of the projection to cause the guide edge to engage and lift the lock lever over the projection as the drawer moves inwardly in the compartment,

a drawer operating spring means urging the drawer forwardly out of the compartment and in to open position,

a swivel cam pivoted on the flange of the drawer and below the detent for limited fore and aft swinging, said cam having an upper lock lever guiding portion with fore and aft facing guide faces extending upwardly and convergently of each other for guiding the lock lever upwardly, the cam being higher than the upstanding projection to lift and guide the lock lever over the projection as the drawer moves forwardly, and to be engaged and tipped forwardly by the lock lever as the lock lever slides up the inclined guide edge of the projection during inward movement of the drawer, and the cam having means to limit tipping of the upper guiding portion thereof adjacent the projection and retainer edge thereof.

3. The drawer unit according to claim 2, and

the frame having a stop above the drawer and adjacent the front thereof,

a tiltable pocket lying in the drawer and movable therewith, the pocket having a rear portion with an upright abutment thereon and confronting said stop to engage the stop as the drawer moves forwardly into open position under pressure by said spring means and to thereby tip the pocket upwardly into oblique position to provide ready access into the pocket.

4. A drawer unit including a drawer, a frame in which the drawer is moveable between closed and open positions, and a receiving pocket pivotally mounted in the drawer and having a surface arranged to engage the frame as the drawer is moved to the open position, the engagement with the frame causing rotation of the pocket to partially eject the same automatically from the drawer as the drawer is moved into the open position.