Abstract:
A drawer with a first wall part, a second wall part, and a fixing device, via which the first wall part and the second wall part can be connected to each other. The fixing device has at least one locking element for locking the wall elements to each other. The locking element has at least one tongue, which is spring-elastic in particular and which can be inserted into a recess of one of the wall parts and fixed in the recess, in particular in a clamped manner. The locking element is substantially designed in a comb-like manner in which two or more tongues that are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of a connecting piece project laterally from the connecting piece.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a drawer comprising a first wall portion and a second wall portion, and a fixing device, by way of which the first wall portion and the second wall portion can be connected together, wherein the fixing device has at least one arresting element for arresting the wall elements relative to each other, wherein the arresting element has at least one, in particular spring-elastic, tongue which can be introduced into an opening in one of the wall portions and can be fixed therein—in particular in clamping relationship. 
     The invention further concerns an article of furniture comprising at least one drawer of the kind to be described. 
     A drawer of the general kind set forth is described for example in WO 2009/111807 A1 to the present applicant, wherein two wall portions can be secured relative to each other after they have been positioned relative to each other by a gripping element of a fixing device. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-8 of WO 2009/111807 there is a holding device with push-in pins which can be pushed into guide passages of a wall element. Relatively many components are necessary for that structure while in addition a considerable manual force has to be applied for tightening the gripping element depending on the respective tolerance situation. 
     GB 1 431 046 A and GB 1 522 598 A each describe fitments for connecting two drawer wall portions, wherein resilient hooks of the fitments can be introduced into openings in a wall portion and latched in corresponding openings there. Those hooks require on the one hand a large amount of structural space while on the other hand the wall portions have to be provided with corresponding openings. 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a drawer of the general kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, wherein the fixing device for arresting the two wall elements is of a simple, inexpensive and robust structure and permits reliable fixing of the two wall portions relative to each other. 
     According to the invention it is therefore provided that the arresting element is substantially of a comb-like configuration, wherein two or more tongues spaced in the longitudinal direction of a bar portion project laterally from the bar portion. 
     By virtue of the—preferably spring-elastic—tongues they can be pushed into the opening in a wall portion, in which case those tongues are held in force-locking relationship within the opening by bearing against a flank of the opening. In that case the tongues are arranged on one of the wall portions and can be pushed into the opening provided in the other wall portion. In that case the opening in the wall portion can be in the form of a groove extending in the longitudinal extent of the wall portion, in which case the tongues can be pushed into the groove at an end of the wall portion and are fixed or can be fixed therein by clamping. In the rest condition the tongues project outwardly beyond the edge of the opening and upon being pushed in—preferably in opposite relationship to the spring force of the tongues—they can be bent into the opening, in which case the tongues are held in self-arresting relationship by constantly bearing against a flank of the opening. 
     In an embodiment it can be provided that at least one tongue has a longitudinal direction, the longitudinal direction of the tongue extending inclinedly relative to a longitudinal extent of the opening. In that way, the free end of the tongue forms a kind of barb which engages in claw-like relationship within the opening and the tongue is prevented from being undesirably pulled out. 
     The tongue can have a free end—preferably of a sharp-edged configuration—which viewed in the push-in direction is arranged displaced rearwardly with respect to the connecting location between the tongue and bar portion. In that way the tongue can be pushed into place in the insertion direction but the tongue cannot be pulled out in the opposite direction. 
     In a development of the invention it can be provided that there is a release device, by which at least one tongue can be released from the arresting position. 
     The article of furniture according to the invention is characterised by at least one drawer of the kind in question. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further details and advantages of the present invention are described by means of the embodiment by way of example shown in the Figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an article of furniture in cabinet form, wherein the two wall portions to be connected jointly form a front wall of an internal extension drawer, 
         FIG. 2  shows the drawer in the form of the internal drawer extension, with the front wall not yet fixed in place, 
         FIG. 3  shows the front wall of the drawer in a disassembled condition, formed from first and second wall portions, 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the interconnected wall portions, 
         FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  show a perspective view of a first wall portion and the two wall portions to be connected together, 
         FIGS. 6   a  and  6   b  show the two wall portions to be connected together, wherein the tongues of the arresting element are partially pushed into the opening in a wall portion, and a wall portion having a fixing device in a further embodiment, and 
         FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  show perspective views of the first wall portion and as an enlarged detail view of the wall portion, wherein the two wall portions are separable from each other by a release device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an article of furniture  1  comprising a furniture carcass  2 , wherein drawers  3 ,  4 ,  5  are supported displaceably relative to the furniture carcass  2 . The central drawer  4  is in the form of an internal extension drawer  4  which in the closed position is concealed by the upwardly extended front panel of the lower drawer  5 . The drawer  4  has drawer side walls  6 , a drawer bottom  32  and a front wall which in the illustrated embodiment is composed of lateral first wall portions  7  and a second wall portion  8  disposed therebetween. 
       FIG. 2  shows the drawer  4  in the form of the internal extension drawer as shown in  FIG. 1 . It has drawer side walls  6 , a drawer bottom  32  and a rear wall  10 . The front wall of the drawer  4  includes two lateral first wall portions  7  which are each to be connected to a second wall portion  8  by way of a fixing device  15  that is still to be described. The wall portions  7 ,  8  jointly form a drawer wall portion which extends substantially straight, in the present case in form of the front wall. The first wall portions  7  each have at least one holding portion  11  on the rear side, wherein the holding portions  11  can be releasably latched with a latching device  12  of the drawer side wall  6 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the wall portions  7 ,  8  in a slightly modified embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the two first wall portions  7  include two holding portions  11  which are spaced in a heightwise direction and which can be respectively releasably latched in separate latching devices  12  ( FIG. 1 ) of the drawer side wall  6 . The wall portions  7  are respectively provided with an insertion pocket  13  for receiving a plate-shaped wall portion  14 , wherein the plate-shaped wall portion  14  can be in the form of a decorative insert of glass, wood, metal, plastic or ceramic. Arranged at the wall portions  7  are respective vertically spaced fixing devices  15  which respectively have—preferably spring-elastic—tongues  16   a  ( FIG. 5   b ) which can be respectively inserted at the ends in openings  17  in the second wall portion  8  and can be clampingly fixed therein. At the top side the second wall portion  8  has a—preferably U-shaped—channel  18  into which the plate-shaped wall element  14  can be fitted with its lower longitudinal edge. 
       FIG. 4  shows the wall portions  7  and  8  in the interconnected condition, with the plate-shaped wall element  14  being received between therebetween. For improved fixing of the wall portions  7 ,  8 , it can be provided that each fixing device  15  has an arresting element  16  which includes two or more tongues  16   a  ( FIG. 5   b ) spaced in the longitudinal direction of the wall portion  8 , wherein the tongues  16   a  in the fitted condition respectively bear against a flank of the openings  17  (FIG.  2 )—preferably under their own elasticity. 
       FIG. 5   a  shows a perspective view of the first wall portion  7 . It is possible to see the insertion pocket  13  which is provided thereon and which is intended to receive an end region of the plate-shaped wall element  14 . The two holding portions  11  serve to fix the wall portion  7  relative to the drawer side wall  6 . The two fixing devices  15  spaced in the heightwise direction of the wall portion  7  can provide for a tilt-resistant connection between the two wall portions  7 ,  8 . The fixing devices  15  each have an arresting element  16  with at least two or more tongues  16   a.    
       FIG. 5   b  shows a part of the first wall portion  7  and an end region of the second wall portion  8  as a perspective view on an enlarged scale. The opening  17  of the second wall portion  8  has a longitudinal extent (L), wherein the longitudinal direction of the tongues  16   a  extends inclinedly relative to the longitudinal extent (L) of the opening  17 . It is possible to see an arresting element  16  which is of a substantially comb-like configuration and which has a bar portion  17  and a plurality of tongues  16   a  which are spaced in the longitudinal direction of the bar portion  19  and which project laterally from the bar portion  19 . The tongues  16   a  respectively have a free end—preferably of a sharp-edged configuration—which points rearwardly in the direction of insertion of the tongues  16   a . The tongues  16   a  are formed from metal—preferably in one piece with the arresting element  16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the opening  17  in the wall portion  8  is in the form of a groove extending in the longitudinal extent (L) of the wall portion  8 . Upon assembly, the tongues  16   a  are pushed into the opening  17  and in that case bear against a flank  20  of the opening  17 . 
       FIG. 6   a  partly shows the first wall portion  7  and the second wall portion  8 , wherein the tongues  16   a  of the fixing device  15  are partially pushed into a lower opening  17  of the second wall portion  8 . The sharp-edged free ends of the tongues  16   a  bear in that case constantly against a flank  20  of the lower recess  17 . The upper recess  17  of the second wall portion  8  is in the form of a profile groove, in which respect it may also be sufficient for only one push-in projection  21  to be inserted into the upper opening  17 . 
       FIG. 6   b  shows a partial region of the first wall portion  7  with the vertically spaced fixing devices  15 . A particularity to be mentioned is a release device  24  by which the tongues  16   a  are releasable from the arresting position. The release device  24  includes a lever  25  to be actuated by a person, in which case, by actuation of the lever  25 , the tongues  16   a  are movable from the arresting position, preferably in opposition to the spring-elastic action of the tongues  16   a , into a release position in which the clamping fixing of the two wall portions  7 ,  8  is removed and the wall portions  7 ,  8  are separable from each other. The lever  25  is mounted pivotably about the axis  23  and performs a further purpose, namely it embraces the tongues  16   a  in such a way that only the tips  22  of the tongues  16   a  project slightly laterally. In that way the risk of injury to people or damage to objects can be substantially eliminated. The lever  25  can be pivoted—for example with a screwdriver—about the axis  23  in opposition to the resilient force of the tongues  16   a , whereby the tips  22  of the tongues  16   a  are urged back and no longer bear against the flank  20  of the opening  17  so that the wall portions  7 ,  8  can therefore be separated from each other. So that a person in separating the two wall portions  7 ,  8  does not have to continuously apply a force against the resilient action of the tongues  16   a  there is provided a holding device  27  by which the lever  25  can be held in the release position. As shown in the Figure, the holding device  27  can have a projection  30  ( FIG. 7   b ) which is provided on the arresting element  16  and which in the release position releasably latches in a corresponding aperture  31  ( FIG. 7   b ) in the lever  25 . By suitable actuation of the lever  25 , the projection  30  can be disengaged from the opening  31  again, whereupon the tongues  16   a  automatically spring back into the arresting position again. 
       FIG. 7   a  shows a perspective view from below of the first wall portion  7 , wherein the lever  25  is movable by a screwdriver  28  about the axis  23  against the resilient action of the tongues  16   a  into a release position so that the tongues  16   a  are no longer arrested within the opening  17 .  FIG. 7   b  shows an enlarged view of the region circled in  FIG. 7   a . The lever  25  has a receiving means  29  for the screwdriver  28 , in which case the lever  25  is pivoted by a rotary movement of the screwdriver  28  in opposition to the resilient action of the tongues  16   a  about the axis  23  so that the tips  22  of the tongues  16   a  are pushed back until the projection  30  of the arresting element  16  latches in a corresponding opening  31  of the lever  25  and thus holds the tips  22  in a release position spaced from the flank  20 . The projection  30  can be disengaged from the opening  31  again by an opposite rotary movement of the screwdriver  28  so that the tongues  16   a  automatically spring back into the arresting position. 
     The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment but includes or extends to all variants and technical equivalents which can fall within the scope of the appended claims. The positional references adopted in the description such as for example up, down, lateral and so forth are also related to the directly described and illustrated Figure and are to be appropriately transferred to the new position upon a change in position.