Security panel

A security apparatus for a chest of drawers comprising a pair of insert guides, each of the insert guides comprising a planar contact surface capable of being secured to the interior side walls of the chest of drawers, the insert guides extending horizontally and defining horizontally extending grooves. A security panel being slidably received within the grooves and the insert guides have a security panel retention assembly adapted to selectively secure the security panel in a fixed position. Each individual drawer is provided with a suitable locking mechanism, which precludes all individuals other than the individual with the key to the locking mechanism from removing the security panel and having access to the contents contained within the drawer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an apparatus for providing security to a 
plurality of drawers contained in a drawer-support cell. More 
specifically, the invention comprises a pair of insert guides, which are 
inserted within a drawer support unit, which rails slidably receive a 
security panel which, when used in combination with a locking device, 
precludes all individuals other than the individual with the key to the 
locking mechanism from removing the security panel and having access to 
the contents contained within the drawer. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Many attempts have been made to provide a security mechanism for a 
plurality of vertically-arranged drawers. For example, an ordinary 
executive desk may be provided with a locking mechanism for each drawer. 
Similarly, file cabinets have been provided with a locking mechanism for 
preventing the withdrawal of the contents of the cabinet by one other than 
the authorized individual. The locking mechanisms of the prior art, 
however, suffer from a basic disadvantage that is alleviated by the 
present invention. More specifically, the use of a locking mechanism in an 
executive desk precludes an unauthorized individual from opening the 
particular drawer to which the locking mechanism is attached. Yet once an 
individual is given access to a particular drawer, and that drawer is 
completely removable from the desk, then the individual is consequently 
given access to the drawer immediately beneath the original drawer. This 
is a consequence sought to be avoided by the present invention. 
As previously mentioned, file cabinets have also been provided with 
security or locking mechanisms, yet they too suffer from two basic 
disadvantages. If the file cabinet is provided with a single lock for the 
entire set of drawers, then all individuals with the key will have 
complete access to all drawers. Often times, it is necessary for security 
or other reasons for individuals to have access to only one drawer within 
a file cabinet and therefore a single locking mechanism does not provide 
complete security. Additionally, if the file cabinet is provided with a 
single lock for each drawer, then, as previously described, the entire 
file drawer could be removed and thereby provide access for the drawer 
immediately beneath the drawer removed. Here again, complete security has 
been eliminated. Thus it can be seen that a security mechanism is 
desirable which allows many individuals to have access to individual 
drawers without being given access to any other drawers. 
A file cabinet or chest of drawers-like structure with this type of 
security would have many varied uses. For example, a modular cell as 
hereinafter described, might be extremely useful in a school environment 
wherein each individual student could be given a key which corresponds to 
the lock for the drawer for which the student is assigned. Access to the 
student's drawer would be provided while the invention described precludes 
the student from gaining access to any other drawer including the drawer 
immediately beneath the individual's. 
The security apparatus and chest of drawers could also have similar 
utilitarian uses in a hospital environment wherein the individual patients 
are given a drawer for storing their personal belongings. Here again, the 
security panel and locking mechanism allow the patient to gain access to 
his or her particular drawer while precluding the possibility of gaining 
access to any other patient's drawer and personal belongings. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention comprises two insert guides which are capable of 
being fixedly secured within a modular cell unit. The pair of insert 
guides can be inserted within any file cabinet or chest of drawers-like 
structures, but, in the preferred embodiment are capable of being secured 
within a modular cell type unit as will be hereinafter described. The pair 
of insert guides provide a sliding groove surface for a security panel. 
The security panel is a flat member which horizontally slides within the 
grooves provided by the pair of insert guides. The security panel and 
corresponding insert guide members are secured beneath each drawer within 
the file cabinet or modular cell unit. A locking device is also provided 
for precluding the individual drawers from being removed by an 
unauthorized individual. In the preferred embodiment, a particular locking 
device is disclosed which is suitable for the modular cell unit as 
disclosed. The pair of insert guides are each provided with a locking pin 
mechanism which mechanism allows the individual with access to the 
particular drawer beneath the security panel to remove the panel when 
desired. 
In operation, the system works like this: a plurality of drawers are 
located within a file cabinet. Beneath each drawer is a pair of 
horizontally-extending insert guides. Sliding within the grooves provided 
by the pair of insert guides is a security panel. The security panel is 
locked in place by a pair of locking pin mechanisms. The removal of the 
security panel can only be accomplished by going beneath the security 
panel. Each individual drawer is provided with a suitable locking 
mechanism. Thus it can be seen that an individual can unlock his or her 
drawer and gain access to the contents held within the drawer but is 
precluded from gaining access to the drawer immediately beneath his or her 
drawer by removing his or her drawer. The security panel thus serves to 
separate the drawers into individual secure compartments. While an 
individual can totally remove his or her drawer from the file cabinet or 
cell-like structure, he cannot gain access to the contents within the 
drawer beneath his. Removal of the security panel above one's drawer can 
only be accomplished by the individual who possesses the key to open the 
locking mechanism for that particular drawer. 
The construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will become 
more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed 
specification accompanying the drawings in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Two horizontal insert guides 10, as best shown in FIG. 1, are mirror images 
of each other and therefore description of one will serve to fully 
describe and disclose the other. The insert guide 10 comprises a vertical 
contact surface 12 and a horizontally-extending groove 14. The vertical 
contact surface 12 will abut against and contact the vertical inside 
surface of the file cabinet or other drawer support surface. In the 
preferred embodiment, a cutout 16 is provided which is adapted to be 
placed over any inwardly projecting flanges from the inside of the drawer 
support member and therefore serves to secure the horizontal insert guides 
in their exact position. The insert guide 10 is provided with a top 
surface 18 and a bottom surface 20. Extending horizontally yet slightly 
recessed beneath top surface 18 is the top groove forming member 22. 
Located beneath the top groove forming member 22 and also extending 
horizontally from the vertical contact surface 12 is the lower groove 
forming member 24. The distance between the top groove forming member 22 
and the lower groove forming member 24 is slightly greater than the 
thickness of the security panel 26. 
In operation, the wall rails are secured against the vertical walls of the 
cabinet in a parallel fashion. The grooves 14, parallel to one another, 
slidably receive the security panel 26. In the preferred embodiment, the 
insert guides 10 are fixedly secured to the interior of the cabinet by 
wood screws, welding, or other suitable conventional fastening means. 
The insert guides are further defined by the rear surface 28 and the front 
surface 30, the distance between the two being less than the depth of the 
cabinet or cell-like structure within which the insert guides are secured. 
As best seen in FIG. 2, the security panel 26 is rectangular and provided 
with two apertures 32 located approximately at the midway point between 
the leading edge 34 and the following edge 36 of the security panel. The 
width of the security panel 26 is sufficient to extend between the pair of 
horizontally-extending insert guides 10. As previously mentioned, the 
thickness of the security panel 26 is small enough so as to allow the 
security panel to easily slide within the grooves 14 of the insert guides 
10. 
A chest of drawers, bureau, or modular cell unit 40, is generally provided 
with a plurality of horizontally-extending support rails 42. The 
horizontally-extending support rails 42 provide convenient gliding 
surfaces for a drawer 44. The horizontally-extending support rails 42 
extend internally from the side walls 46 of the chest of drawers or 
modular cell unit 40. A drawer 44, as best shown in FIG. 5, is generally 
provided with a pair of flanges 48 which flanges glide upon the horizontal 
support rails 42. 
In the preferred embodiment, the support rails are provided with associated 
stabilizer arms 50 which arms extend interiorly from the side walls 46 of 
the chest of drawers or modular cell unit 40. The stabilizer arms 50 serve 
to provide a flat surface for the upper surface of the flanges 48 of the 
drawer 44 to glide beneath. The stabilizer arm 50 is connected to the 
horizontal support rail immediately above the support rail which it serves 
by an inclined leg 52. Thus, it can be seen that the flange 48 of the 
drawer 44 slides between the stabilizer arm 50 and the horizontal support 
rail immediately beneath it. FIG. 1 clearly shows the insert guide 10, 
with the cutout 16, specifically adapted to be secured over the incline 
leg 52 and stabilizer arm 50, as the preferred embodiment of the 
invention. The top surface 18 and bottom surface 20 of the insert guide 10 
will rest between the horizontal support rail 42 and the immediately 
adjacent horizontal rail. 
As best seen in FIG. 5, a locking mechanism 60 is provided, which serves to 
preclude the unauthorized withdrawal of a particular drawer from the chest 
of drawers or modular cell unit 40. The locking mechanism can be of any 
conventional means. In the preferred embodiment, however, the locking 
mechanism comprises a lock 62 which is located in the center front face 64 
of the drawer 44. The lock 62 is connected via short arms 66 and 68 to a 
pair of linkage arms 70 and 72. The linkage arms 70 and 72 are adapted to 
be secured behind vertical planar surfaces of locking blocks 54. The 
locking blocks 54 project inwardly from the interior side walls 46 of the 
modular cell unit 40. It can be seen that rotation of the lock 62, by the 
appropriate key, forces the short arms 66 and 68 to rotate about the pivot 
point or lock 62 and consequently serves to retract the linkage arms 70 
and 72 from behind the vertical planar surfaces of the locking blocks 54. 
In operation, when it is desired to remove the drawer from the chest of 
drawers or modular cell unit 40, the appropriate key is inserted into the 
lock 62 and rotated until the linkage arms 70 and 72 are retracted from 
behind the vertical planar surfaces of the locking blocks 54. In this 
manner, the drawers can be easily removed by the authorized individual. 
FIG. 4 discloses a retaining mechanism for securing the security panel to 
the insert guides. The retaining mechanism 74 comprises a spring clip 76 
which is secured to the insert guide 10 by a rivet or other conventional 
fastening means 78. The spring clip 76 is provided with an 
upwardly-protruding pin 80 which passes through the lower groove-forming 
member 24. A finger hole 82, preferably semicircular, is cut into the 
lower groove-forming member 24 and provides an aperture which allows the 
authorized individual's finger to depress the spring clip 76 of the 
retaining mechanism 74 and thereby release the pin 80 from passing through 
the apertures 32 of the security panel 26. By depressing the spring clip 
76, as just mentioned, the security panel can be removed by an individual. 
Due to the fact that the retaining mechanism is located beneath the groove 
14 and, consequently, beneath the security panel 26, only that authorized 
individual who has access to the drawer immediately beneath the security 
panel may remove that security panel. This completely eliminates the 
possibility of an individual removing his or her drawer and thereby 
creating immediate access to the drawer and articles stored immediately 
beneath his or her now-removed drawer. 
In operation, as best seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, a plurality of drawers 44 
are contained within a chest of drawers or modular cell unit 40. These 
drawers 44 are supported and glide upon support rails 42 which project 
inwardly from the interior side walls 46 of the modular cell unit 40. Each 
individual drawer is provided with its own associated locking mechanism 60 
which precludes the drawer from being removed by any unauthorized 
individual. Removal of the drawer will only occur when the proper key is 
inserted into the lock 62. The interior walls of the modular cell unit are 
provided with corresponding pairs of insert guides 10 which fit over the 
inclined leg 52 and stabilizer arms 50 and are secured to the walls by 
conventional fastening means. In this manner, a horizontally-extending 
groove 14 is provided which is adapted to slidably receive the security 
panel 26. The security panel 26 is slid within the grooves 14 until the 
apertures 32 of the security panel 26 are positioned above the pin 80 of 
the spring clip 76. At this point, the pin 80 will protrude through the 
apertures 32 of the security panel and prevent the security panel from 
being pushed further into the modular cell unit 40. Withdrawal of the 
security panel can only be accomplished by the authorized individual 
reaching beneath the insert guides and, more specifically, the lower 
groove-forming member 24, and depressing the spring clip 76 through the 
finger holes 82. With the spring clip 76 and associated pin 80 depressed, 
the security panel can now be removed. 
In operation, each drawer 44 is provided with its own locking mechanism 60, 
as mentioned, and its own security panel and insert guides 10 immediately 
above the drawer. When an individual opens the lock and removes the drawer 
from within the cavity, the individual is precluded from reaching down 
into the drawer immediately beneath it by the security panel 26. Only the 
individual who has authority to open a particular drawer can remove the 
security panel located immediately above the open cavity of the drawer. 
This is accomplished by the novel configuration of the security panel and 
the retaining mechanism 74. 
Thus, it has been shown that a chest of drawers or modular cell unit is 
disclosed, which allows individuals complete accessibility to his or her 
particular drawer while providing complete security for the other 
individuals' drawers and personal belongings. 
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is 
understood that the invention is not limited to such an embodiment since 
it may be otherwise embodied in the scope of the appended Claim.