Patent ID: 6736468
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: E05B

Abstract:
An article of furniture comprising:a case structure having a wall member, the case structure defining at least two openings including an upper opening and a lower opening, each of the upper and lower openings being adapted to removably receive articles for storage therein; at least one drawer disposed in one of the upper opening and the lower opening, the drawer being selectively movable between an open position and a closed position, the drawer including a lateral sidewall that is spaced laterally apart from the wall member; a lock rod having a lock structure and an actuator, the lock structure extending between the upper opening and the lower opening and slidably coupled to the wall member so as to be movable in a generally vertical direction between an unlocked position and a locked position, the lock structure including at least one extending lock member for each drawer, the actuator including an actuator member that is coupled to the lock structure and disposed in a user-accessible area of the other one of the upper opening and the lower opening so as to require a user to reach into the other one of the upper opening and the lower opening to manipulate the actuator member to cause the actuator to move the lock structure from the locked position to the unlocked position; and a dog member for each drawer, the dog member being coupled to the lateral sidewall and including a resilient trailing portion that tapers outwardly from the lateral sidewall, the trailing portion including a trailing edge; wherein placement of the lock structure in the unlocked position orients the lock member into a position where the lock member does not cooperate with the dog member to maintain the drawer in the closed position or otherwise inhibit movement of the drawer between the closed position and the open position; wherein placement of the lock structure in the locked position orients the lock member into a position where it is horizontally aligned to the dog member; wherein movement of the drawer from the open position to the closed position when the lock structure is in the locked position entails contact between the lock member and the trailing edge of the dog member which moves the trailing portion of the dog member toward the sidewall of the drawer; and wherein contact between the trailing edge of the dog member and the lock member inhibits movement of the drawer from the closed position to the open position when the lock structure is in the locked position and the drawer is in the closed position.