Abstract:
A portable fixture/method for installing drawer fronts/faces to drawer boxes. The fixture provides the proper alignment/orientation of the drawer front/face to the drawer box based on two dimensions set by the user. Said dimensions, covers full inset to full overlay application and is easily set by the user. The drawer box is then screwed to the drawer front/face and the assembly is installed in the cabinet box.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable 
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0004]    1. Field 
         [0005]    This device generally relates to the field of woodworking, specifically to aligning and installing a drawer front/face to a drawer box. 
         [0006]    2. Prior Art 
         [0007]    Attaching and aligning drawer fronts/faces is a time consuming and tedious process in the cabinetry industry. One solution can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,711 to D. L. Johnson (1991) that discloses a complex clamp, which temporarily secures the drawer front to the drawer box with the drawer closed. The drawer front can then be aligned and secured. This clamping device is both complex and cumbersome to use and does not necessarily provide a significant reduction in installation time. In addition, potential damage to the drawer front exists, as well as fine adjustments will most likely be required after the clamp is removed. 
         [0008]    Another solution can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,420 to T. E. Ackerman (2004) which discloses a semi complex system of attaching a fixture to the drawer box, attaching hook &amp; loop material to the drawer front, which will attach to the fixture with the drawer closed. The drawer is then secured in position. Once the fixture is removed, fine adjustment of the drawer front will most likely be required in addition to removing the hook &amp; loop material. 
         [0009]    Still another solution has been to use drawer front adjuster screw assemblies. These devices require the worker to drill two 20 mm holes about ½ inch deep into the back of the drawer front. The worker then pounds a plastic plug into the hole in the drawer front. The plastic plug has a center void with a nut. The worker drills two holes in the drawer box and attaches a screw through the hole and into the nut. The location of the holes must be relatively precise as the adjusters are only for fine adjustment. A number of problems may occur using this solution that could result in lost time and materials: Time required to locate holes; damaged drawer front if drilled to deep; broken plastic plug that must be removed. 
         [0010]    Thus, there exists a need for an easier and faster way to install a drawer front/face to a drawer box with only minor, if any, fine adjustment. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    In accordance with one embodiment, a portable fixture is used to locate the drawer front/face relative to the desired position of the drawer box. The drawer box is then placed on the drawer front/face and attached using screws. A hole in the drawer box is made slightly larger than the screw to allow for fine adjustment, if needed. The drawer assembly is then installed in the main component/cabinet and adjusted, if needed. Typically, just minor horizontal adjustment may be needed. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a fixture with fixed side and bottom supports set to a specific side and bottom support setting in accordance with one embodiment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a similar fixture with adjustable side and bottom supports so that the support settings are variable in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a similar fixture with adjustable side and bottom supports with graduations and an index mark or pointer to simplify setting the supports in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a similar fixture with adjustable side and bottom supports having pins in the slots that ensure the supports stay horizontal with the members when changing the settings. Graduations and an index mark or pointer is only required on one end of the supports. This is in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a similar fixture with the side support removed. In its place is an adjustment screw/stop. This is in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  shows the preferred embodiment of the fixture with a drawer front/face placed in the fixture. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  shows a typical cabinet box with a drawer box installed, less drawer front/face. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  shows a side view of the fixture with a drawer front/face and drawer box installed in the fixture. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  shows an end view of the fixture with a drawer front/face and drawer box installed in the fixture. For illustration purposes, the right-hand side of the drawer box is not shown. 
       
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     Reference Numerals 
       [0000]    
       
           10  bottom fixture member 
           10   a  bottom fixture member with threads for locking knob  22   
           10   b  bottom fixture member with threads for locking knob  22 , index marks  26   
           10   c  bottom fixture member with threads for locking knob  22 , index marks  26 , and alignment pins  28   
           12  side fixture member 
           12   a  side fixture member with threads for locking knob  22   
           12   b  side fixture member with threads for locking knob  22 , index marks  26   
           12   c  side fixture member with threads for locking knob  22 , index marks  26 , and alignment pins  28   
           14  fixture base 
           16  side support 
           16   a  side support with the addition of slots  21   
           16   b  side support with the addition of slots  21  and graduations  24   
           16   c  side support with the addition of slots  21 , and graduations  24 , and pins  28   
           17  screw adjustment saddle or block 
           18  bottom support 
           18   a  bottom support with the addition of slots  21   
           18   b  bottom support with the addition of slots  21  and graduations  24   
           18   c  bottom support with the addition of slots  21 , and graduations  24 , and pins  28   
           19  adjustment screw/stop 
           20  screws 
           21  slots 
           22  screw knobs 
           23  locking set screw  24   
           24  graduations, English and/or metric 
           26  index mark 
           28  alignment pins 
           29  typical cabinet box with drawer box installed 
           30  drawer box front member 
           31  holes in drawer box 
           32  drawer slide set back (DSSB) 
           34  bottom clearance (BC) 
           36  side support setting (SSS) 
           38  bottom support setting (BSS) 
           40  drawer front/face 
           44  drawer box L/H side 
           46  drawer box bottom 
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0057]    Most any material may be used in the construction of this fixture, such as wood, plastic, metal, etc. 
         [0058]      FIG. 1  shows the first embodiment, which is the bases of the fixture. The fixture is assembled by first attaching bottom fixture member  10  to side fixture member  12  perpendicular to each other. This assembly is then attached to fixture base  14 . The thickness of fixture member&#39;s  10  and  12  should be slightly thicker then the drawer front/faces so as to allow the drawer front/face to slide under supports  16  and  18 . The side support  16  is set to dimension SSS  36  and attached with screws  20  to side fixture member  12 . The bottom support  18  is set to dimension BSS  38  and attached with screws  20  to bottom fixture member  10 . 
         [0059]      FIG. 2  shows the second embodiment, which consists of adding slots  21  to the side support  16   a  and the bottom support  18   a . Screw threads, such as brass or metal inserts, are added to bottom and side fixture members  10   a  and  12   a  to accept screw knobs  22 . This enhances the use of the fixture when changing settings SSS  36  and BSS  38  with more ease. 
         [0060]      FIG. 3  shows the third embodiment, which consists of adding graduations  24  in English and/or Metric to side support  16   b  and bottom support  18   b . Index marks  26  are added to bottom member  10   b  and side member  12   b  calibrated to the graduations  24 . This further enhances the use of the fixture when setting SSS  36  and BSS  38  as a measuring device is no longer required. 
         [0061]      FIG. 4  shows the fourth and preferred embodiment that consist of adding alignment pins  28  within slots  21 . Two pins are inserted, for each support slot, into the bottom and side support member&#39;s  10   c  and  12   c . The pin diameter is slightly smaller than the width of the slots to prevent binding when moving the supports  16   c  and  18   c . Pins  28  ensure that side and bottom supports  16   c  and  18   c  stay parallel with support members  10   c  and  12   c  when setting dimensions SSS  36  and BSS  38 . As a result, graduations  24  and index marks  26  are needed just on one end of each support  16   c  and  18   c  and support member&#39;s  10   c  and  12   c.    
         [0062]      FIG. 5  shows the fifth embodiment that consists of removing the side support  16   FIG. 1  and adding screw adjustment saddle or block  17   FIG. 5  with an adjustment screw/stop  19  and locking setscrew  23 . The saddle or block  17  is attached to side fixture member  12  with screws  20 . Although this configuration simplifies the construction of the fixture, a measuring device is needed to set dimension  36 . In addition, the assumption is that bottom support  18   c  aligns the drawer box front member  30   FIG. 7  square to the drawer front/face  40   FIG. 6  thus requiring only a stop to establish dimension  36   FIG. 5 . 
       Operation—FIGS.  6 , 7 , 8 , 9   
       [0063]    The first step in the use of this fixture is to determine side support setting (SSS)  36  and bottom support setting (BSS)  38 ,  FIG. 6 . Following is a formula to calculate these dimensions: 
         [0064]    Side support setting (SSS)  36  calculations:
       For full inset installation of the drawer front/face, measure drawer slide set back dimension  32 ,  FIG. 7  and subtract desired side clearance of drawer front/face when installed. Set side support  16   c ,  FIG. 6  to this dimension.   For overlay installation of the drawer front/face, measure drawer slide set back dimension  32 ,  FIG. 7  and add the desired overlay of drawer front/face when installed. Set side support  16   c ,  FIG. 6  to this dimension.       
 
         [0067]    Bottom support setting (BSS)  38  calculation:
       For full inset installation of the drawer front/face, measure drawer bottom clearance  34 ,  FIG. 7  and subtract desired bottom clearance of drawer front/face when installed. Set bottom support  18   c ,  FIG. 6  to this dimension.   For overlay installation of the drawer front/face, measure drawer bottom clearance  34 ,  FIG. 7  and add the desired overlay of drawer front/face when installed. Set bottom support  18   c ,  FIG. 6  to this dimension.       
 
         [0070]    Drill holes  31 ,  FIG. 7  in drawer box front member  30 . Ideally, holes  31  should be slightly larger than the screws that will be used to hold the drawer front/face  40   FIG. 6  in place. This can allow for fine adjustment of the drawer front/face  40  when installed in the cabinet box. 
         [0071]    Place drawer front/face  40  on fixture base  14 , finished side down. The drawer front/face should be tight against bottom and side support member&#39;s  10   c  and  12   c , and under side and bottom supports  16   c  and  18   c.    
         [0072]    Place drawer box front member  30 ,  FIG. 8  on drawer front/face  40  with drawer box L/H side  44  against side support  16   c  and the bottom of the drawer box front member  30  against bottom support  18   c ,  FIG. 9 . Note that, drawer box bottom  46  should be towards bottom of fixture. Install screws through holes  31  into drawer front/face  40 . Remove drawer assembly from fixture and install into cabinet. Adjust drawer front/face as needed. Typically only horizontal adjustment may be needed, if at all. 
       FIGS.  1 - 3  and  5   
     Additional Embodiments 
       [0073]    Additional embodiments are shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  5 . 
         [0074]      FIG. 1  shows the simplest way to construct this fixture by attaching side support  16  and bottom support  18  with screws. It is a practicable use of this fixture if dimensions  36  and  38  never change. However, in practice this is unlikely. 
         [0075]      FIG. 2  shows the side support  16   a  and bottom support  18   a  modified with slots  21  to allow easier adjustments of dimensions  36  and  38 . The fixture is furthered modified with threads in fixture member&#39;s  10   a  and  12   a  to accept screw knobs  22 . Dimensions  36  and  38  can be set with a measuring tape or rule and the side and bottom supports  16   a  and  18   a  secured in place with screw knobs  22 . This modification allows ease in changing dimensions  36  and  38 . 
         [0076]      FIG. 3  shows the fixture with the addition of graduations in English and/or metric  24  on the side and bottom supports  16   b  and  18   b . An index mark is added to fixture member  10   b  and  12   b  and calibrated to the graduations. 
         [0077]      FIG. 5  shows the fixture modified with a screw adjustment saddle or block  17  in place side support  16   c    FIG. 4  assembly. The adjustment screw/stop  19   FIG. 5  simplifies the construction of the fixture, however, a measuring device is required to set dimension  36 . 
       CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
       [0078]    Thus, there has been described a simple device and method for attaching a drawer front/face to a drawer box. In fact, this device and method will reduce the time to install a drawer front/face to a drawer box to a fraction of the time required for prior art methods. Additionally, the present device reduces the number of errors associated with prior art systems. 
         [0079]    While this device has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alterations, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations in the appended claims.