Drawer retention mechanisms for furniture

Dresser includes a frame having a front, a drawer slidable into and out of the frame, and a drawer retention mechanism between each side wall of the drawer and the frame alongside the side wall. The retention mechanism includes a track on the side wall defined between upper and lower parts, and a rail on the drawer movable in the track. A first stop is on the upper part and a second stop is on the drawer. The first and second stops are positioned to cause contact of a front surface of the second stop and rear surface of the first stop to prevent sliding of the drawer out of the frame and such that an angled rear surface of the second stop comes into contact with and slides over an angled front surface of the first stop during insertion of the drawer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to drawer retaining systems or drawer retention mechanisms incorporated into a piece of furniture that prevents unintentional and unwanted outward sliding of the drawer, especially during tipping of the piece of furniture. The present invention also relates to a piece of furniture including or incorporating such drawer retaining systems and drawer retention mechanisms.

The present invention also relates to a drawer sliding mechanism for pieces of furniture that requires a certain amount of force to open. This prevents toddlers and infants unable to exert such force from opening the drawer and potentially causing tipping of the furniture when the drawer would be open and susceptible to being pulled downward causing it to tip over.

The present invention also relates to methods for regulating opening of a drawer of a piece of furniture to prevent inadvertent opening of the drawer and also opening of the drawer during tipping of the piece of furniture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Furniture tipping accidents and deaths are on the rise. The majority many of toddler furniture pieces, typically dressers, are anywhere from about 16 inches to about 24 inches deep and often toddlers can grab the top of the dresser, grab the top drawer of the dresser and even climb into the bottom drawer of the dresser before the parent is aware of this. Top drawers of these dressers often have heavy contents in them further making the dresser easier to tip over, which when it occurs, often results in the toddler getting severely hurt, sometimes even rushed to the hospital and even more worrisome, a tragic death.

Often, dressers tip over when an open drawer is pulled downward. The present invention seeks to reduce or eliminate the possibility of toddlers and infants from being able to open drawers of pieces of furniture and thereby reduce the potential for tipping over arising from open drawers.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide new and improved systems for integrating or incorporating into pieces of furniture to prevent drawers of the furniture from sliding out during tipping over of the piece of furniture.

It is another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide new and improved drawer retention mechanisms integrated or incorporated into pieces of furniture to prevent drawers of the furniture from easily being slidable outward unless a specific movement of the drawer is undertaken.

It is yet another object of at least one embodiment of the present invention to provide methods for regulating opening of a drawer of a piece of furniture to prevent inadvertent opening of the drawer and also opening of the drawer during tipping of the piece of furniture.

A piece of furniture such as a dresser in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a frame having a front, a drawer slidable through the front of the frame into the frame and alternatively slidable partly out of the frame, and which drawer has first and second opposed side walls, and a drawer retention mechanism arranged between the first side wall of the drawer and a respective portion of the frame alongside the first side wall. The drawer retention mechanism includes an elongate, horizontal track on one of the first side wall or the respective portion of the frame alongside the first side wall, and which track is defined between an upper part and a lower part. There is a first stop on the upper part including a rear surface and an angled front surface, and a movable, elongate rail and a second stop on the other of the first side wall or the respective portion of the frame alongside the first side wall. The rail and track are positioned relative to one another such that the rail is movable in the track.

The first and second stops are positioned relative to one another to cause contact of the front surface of the second stop and the rear surface of the first stop to prevent sliding of the drawer out of the frame and such that the angled rear surface of the second stop comes into contact with and slides over the angled front surface of the first stop during insertion of the drawer into the frame.

In one embodiment, the first stop is spaced apart a distance from the second stop such that a distance between the rear surface of the first stop and the front surface of the second stop is equal to or larger than a thickness of a front panel of the drawer.

Another embodiment of a piece for furniture in accordance with the invention includes a frame having a front, a drawer slidable through the front of the frame into the frame and alternatively partly out of the frame and which has opposed side walls, and a drawer retention mechanism arranged between each side wall and a respective portion of the frame alongside that side wall. Each drawer retention mechanism includes a movable, elongate rail, an elongate, horizontal track in which the rail is movable, a front well at a frontend region, an optional rear well at a rear end region spaced apart from the front well with the front and rear wells opening to a common direction, and a spring-loaded plunger that projects into the front or rear well when the drawer is in a closed state. The plunger has a compressed state when projecting against the straight portion of the rail.

In one embodiment, the front well and rear well when present are formed on the rail and the plunger projects into the track. In this case, the straight portion of the rail is between the front and rear wells, and the plunger projects into the front well when the drawer is in the closed state. If the front and rear wells open in a downward direction, the plunger projects upward into the front well when the drawer is in the closed state or against the straight portion of the rail. In each drawer retention mechanism, the plunger can project upward into the rear well when the drawer is in a maximum safe open state, and this hinders continued movement of the drawer out of the frame.

Also, in each drawer retention mechanism, the track may be defined between an upper part and a lower part, and the plunger arranged in a front region of the lower part. The plunger may have a hemispherical shaped or otherwise curved plunging portion, and a compression spring having one end against a surface of the portion and an opposite end in a well in the lower part. Also, in each drawer retention mechanism, the front well can have a greater depth than a depth of the rear well. In one embodiment, in each drawer retention mechanism, the rail is attached to the side wall and the track is formed on or as part of the frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the embodiments disclosed herein, a dresser including a plurality of drawers is often used as an example of a piece of furniture for which the drawer slide-prevention mechanism during tipping of the furniture may be used, and in which the drawer slide-prevention mechanism may be integrated or incorporated. The drawer slide-prevention mechanisms of the invention can be used on other types of furniture in addition to dressers and are not limited to use with only dressers. Also, the dressers may include one or more drawers in any of the sections therein.

Referring first toFIGS. 1-8, a dresser10in accordance with the invention includes a frame12, a one or more drawers14slidable into and out of the frame12(four drawers14in the illustrated embodiment) and drawer slide supports16on the side panels of the frame12. The frame12includes sufficient structure to form a stable housing for the drawers14and to this end typically includes a rear panel, side panels, a top panel and a bottom panel. The side panel is not shown in the drawings to enable viewing of the invention, but is present. This side panel may be a planar piece of material that covers the structure shown on the side of the dresser10. The drawer slide support16is between the drawer14and the side panel so that by not showing the side panel, the drawer slide support16is visible. Part of the drawer slide support16is attached or otherwise connected to the inner surface of the side panel.

The front of the dresser10may be a panel with apertures through which the drawers14pass when sliding into and out of the interior of the frame12. There may also be interior, side panels if there are, for example, two or more columns of drawers.

Each drawer slide support16includes a track18defined between an upper part20on the frame12having a substantially planar lower surface and a lower part22on the frame12having a substantially planar upper surface, which parts20,22may be integral with the frame12of the dresser10or separate members that are attached thereto, e.g., the interior surface of the side panels alongside the drawers14. These parts20,22may be made of any suitable material, e.g., wood or metal, and define the generally horizontal track18since it is desired that the drawer14opens horizontally.

Dresser10includes a drawer slide-out prevention system24that has a first stop26at the front, upper region of the upper part20, projecting upward relative to an upper surface thereof behind the first stop26, and a second stop28on each drawer14positioned relative to the first stop26to provide for the functional effect described below. The first stop26has a rear face30that serves as a stop surface and an angled front surface32that forms an upward-facing ramp when viewed toward a rear of the frame12. The rear face30may be contiguous with the upper surface of the upper part20. The first stop26therefore has a triangular shape projecting upward from the upper surface of the upper part20on the frame12that defines the track18below it. The first stop26is not required to be attached to the upper part20defining the track18but this is a preferred construction.

The second stop28has a front face34that serves as a stop surface and an angled rear surface36that forms a downward-facing ramp when viewed toward a front of the frame12. The second stop86therefore has a triangular shape projecting downward from the upper surface of the side panel14A of the drawer14. Other shapes are possible provided the front face34is capable of serving as a barrier and the angled rear surface36is angled suitably rearwardly. The characteristics of the top surface of the triangular-shaped second stop28are essentially inconsequential provided it does not interfere with the opening or closing movement of the drawer14.

The slopes of the angled front surface32and angled rear surface36should be selected to be the same or similar, and at whatever angles are determined to provide for easy pushing of the second stop28over the first stop26in order to close the drawer14, described below.

Drawer slide-out prevention system24may be used together with the drawer retention mechanism52described below with reference toFIGS. 10-14, i.e., for use with the same drawer, or independent thereof.

The particular shape of the surfaces of the first and second stops26,28can vary from that shown, provided the stops26,28engage with one another to prevent forward movement of the drawer14out of the frame12unless the drawer14is lifted to a position in which the second stop28is able to clear the first stop26in a vertical direction.

That is, in order to open the drawer14from the fully closed state shown inFIG. 1, which may also be considered a locked state, the person must first lift the drawer14upward until the second stop28is vertically above the first stop26, seeFIG. 2. A toddler or infant is usually unable to do this, and this alone prevents the toddler and infant from sliding the drawer14out and then pulling the drawer14downward causing the furniture10to tip over. The drawer slide-out prevention mechanism therefore provides an anti-tipping feature or characteristic to a piece of furniture.

Once the second stop28is vertical above the first stop26, the person then pulls the drawer14forward as shown inFIG. 3(arrow A). A rail44is on a side panel14A of the drawer14and slides in the track18between the upper and lower parts20,22. The rail includes a downward-facing well46and a plunger48is shown that engages with the well46. The well46and plunger48are optional, and described more fully in the embodiment ofFIGS. 10-14.

Moreover, when the dresser10is tipped forward as shown inFIG. 1, the drawers14cannot slide forward in view of the contact of the second stop28against the first stop26. This also provides an advantage of the invention.

Preferably, there is a set of first and second stops26,28on each side of the drawer14(only one side is shown but the same configuration is present on the other side of the drawer14), and possibly on each side of every drawer14in a piece of furniture. Nonetheless, the drawer slide-out prevention system24may be used selectively on only a portion of the drawers of a piece of furniture.

Although the dresser10is susceptible to tipping over when one of the drawers14is open, presumably since an adult would open the drawer14and not a toddler or infant, the adult would close the drawer14after use and thus the dresser10would not remain in a position with an open drawer14and thus would not be susceptible to being tipped over by a toddler or infant pulling an open drawer downward.

To insert the drawer14, the user pushes the drawer14inward until the second stop28abuts against the first stop26and is in contact therewith as shown inFIG. 4, this movement being in the direction of arrow B. The user then has to continue to push the drawer14inward, possibly with slightly more force, to cause the second stop28to ride along and over the first stop26, i.e., the angled rear surface36of the second stop28engages the angled front surface32of the first stop26and easily moves over it as shown inFIG. 5until the second stop28has cleared the first stop26and is behind the first stop26. In this position, the second stop28is more rearward in the frame12than the first stop26and the drawer14is in its initial, fully closed and locked state (seeFIG. 1).

FIG. 6shows the angled surfaces32,36of the first and second stops26,28, respectively. The angled surface32may be longer than the angled surface36to ensure that the angled surface32engages with the angled surface36during insertion of the drawer14into the frame12of the dresser10.

In the embodiments illustrated inFIGS. 1-8, the stops26,28are positioned on the upper part20of the drawer slide support16and the side panel14A of the drawer14. Alternative locations for the first and second stops26,28are possible and considered to be within the scope and spirit of the invention, provided they cooperate to enable the locking, release and insertion of the drawer14as described above. For example, it is possible to reverse the locking member so that it is part of the track18or other part of the drawer slide support16.

The embodiment of the dresser10shown inFIGS. 1-6requires space to lift up each drawer14, and to this end, the front panel38of the drawer14are spaced slightly away from the structure above the front panel38(see the spaces40inFIG. 1). As such, it is possible to position the second stop28immediately rearward of the first stop26as shown inFIG. 1so that as soon as the second stop28rides over the first stop26, the drawer14is closed.

However, since it is not always possible or desirable to leave spaces40between the front panel38of the drawers14the overlying part of the frame12of the dresser10, in another embodiment of the invention shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, the second stop28is positioned a little rearward of the first stop26so that there is a space42between the rear face30of the first stop26and the front face34of the second stop28. This space42should be at least equal to the thickness of the front panel38of the drawer14so that it is possible to pull the drawer14forward to a position as shown inFIG. 7in which the front surface34of the second stop28comes into contact with the rear surface30of the first stop26.

In this position, the front panel38of the drawer14is more forward than the front panel38of the drawer14about it and as such allows the drawer14to be lifted without interference from the front panel38of the drawer14above. Obviously there needs to be a correlation between the thickness of the front panel38and the space42between the rear surface30of the first stop26and the front surface34of the second stop28, with the latter being equal to or greater than the thickness of the front panel38. With this configuration, it is possible to provide the front panels38of the drawers to be almost flush against one another at their upper and lower edges as can be gleaned fromFIG. 7.

FIG. 8shows the state of the drawers14when the user lifts the middle drawer14upward, after pulling it out up to the maximum distance allowed, i.e., when the front surface34of the second stop28comes into contact with the rear surface30of the first stop26. The drawer14can then easily be pulled forward with the second stop28passing over the first stop26. Insertion of the drawer14into the dresser10is as described above. During this insertion however, the drawer14will be moved upward as the angled rear surface36of the second stop28contacts and slides along the angled front surface32of the first stop28. This movement will occur before the front panel38of the drawer14is underneath the front panel38or furniture part above it and thus is possible. This is an important advantage of the invention in that a dedicated lifting force is not required to insert the drawer14into the dresser10but rather simply by moving the drawer14rearward, it will cause contact between the angled surfaces of the stops26,28and lift itself up and over the first stop26.

Using the drawer slide-out prevention system24, the invention also includes a method for regulating opening of the drawer14of the dresser10including a frame12having a front through which the drawer14slides into the frame and partly out of the frame12, and a drawer retention mechanism between a side wall of the drawer14and a respective portion of the frame12alongside the side wall. The drawer retention mechanism includes an elongate, horizontal track18on one of the side wall or the respective portion of the frame12alongside the side wall, and which track18is defined between the upper part20and the lower part22. In the illustrated embodiment ofFIGS. 1-8, the track18is on the inner surface of the side panel of the frame12but can alternatively be placed on the drawer14.

The drawer opening regulating method involves arranging the first stop26on the upper part20and which has preferably the flat and planar rear surface30, vertically oriented and perpendicular to the horizontal upper surface of the upper part20rearward of the first stop26, and the angled front surface32which angles forward and downward to a location approximately in line with the upper surface of the upper part20, and thus faces the front of the dresser10. The second stop28and the rail44are arranged on the other of the side wall or the respective portion of the frame12alongside the side wall (on the side14A of the drawer14in the illustrated embodiment). The rail44and the track18are positioned relative to one another such that the rail44is movable in the track18. The second stop28preferably has a flat and planar front surface34, vertically oriented and perpendicular to the horizontal upper and/or lower surfaces of the drawer14or its side panel14A, and the angled rear surface32which angles rearward and upward and thus faces the rear of the dresser10.

The first and second stops26,28are positioned relative to one another to cause contact of the front surface34of the second stop28and the rear surface30of the first stop26which prevents sliding of the drawer14out of the frame12and such that the angled rear surface36of the second stop28comes into contact with and slides over the angled front surface32of the first stop26during insertion of the drawer14into the frame12.

As in the embodiment ofFIGS. 7 and 8, it is possible to space the first stop26a distance apart from the second stop28such that a distance between the rear surface30of the first stop26and the front surface34of the second stop28is equal to or larger than a thickness of a front panel38of the drawer14. There may also be an additional set of first and second stops26,28on an opposite side of the drawer14, which may be a preferred embodiment.

FIG. 9is a schematic showing essential components of the first and second stops26,28. This drawing conveys that the placement of the first stop26on the frame12and the placement of the second stop28on the side panel14A of the drawer14are not material and can be reversed. That is, it is possible to position the first stop26on the side panel14A of the drawer14and the second stop28on the frame12. Also, whichever stop26or28is positioned on the frame12is not required to be attached to the upper part20of the structure defining the track18and can be separate therefrom. The stops26,28are not required to be triangular with three side surfaces as shown inFIGS. 1-8, but rather can be formed by two elongate pieces of material forming an acute angle therebetween with one piece providing the vertical stop surface30or34and the other piece providing the angled surface32or36. Even more so, these pieces are not required to be continuous but might even be formed from a series of discontinuous pieces that in combination form a surface of the required size and strength to provide engagement of the surfaces30and34to prevent opening of the drawer14unless there is vertical movement above the stop26, and also sliding movement during insertion of the drawer14arising from contact between angled surfaces34and36.

Referring now toFIGS. 10-14, a multi-drawer dresser50in accordance with the invention includes a drawer retention mechanism52that provides secure retention of a respective drawer54both when in a closed state (FIG. 10) and in an access state partly out of a frame56of the dresser50(FIG. 11). In the latter state, the drawer54is prevented from moving further forward and possibly causing tipping of the dresser50when grasped by a child or toddler. There is a drawer retention mechanism52on each side of each drawer54. The side panel is not shown in the drawings to enable viewing of the invention, but is present. This side panel may be a planar piece of material that covers the structure shown on the side of the dresser50. The drawer retention mechanism52is between the drawer54and the side panel so that by not showing the side panel, the drawer retention mechanism52is visible. Part of the drawer retention mechanism52is attached or otherwise connected to the inner surface of the side panel.

Each drawer retention mechanism52includes an elongate track58into which a spring-loaded plunger60projects and a cooperating elongate rail62attached to a side wall54A of the drawer54and that is movable through and in a longitudinal direction of the track54. The rail62includes a pair of concave wells64,66, one at each end region of the rail62, and into which the plunger60projects depending on the position of the rail62relative to the plunger60. Between the wells64,66, the rail62has a straight, elongate portion68. As shown, the wells64,66open downward while the plunger60is configured to spring upward when not pressed downward (the reverse configuration is also a possibility). The plunger60thus has a compressed state in which it is maintained below the track58by the elongate portion68of the rail62, and a spring70therein is compressed, and an extended state in which it projects into one of the wells64,66, and the spring70therein is expanded. When in the extended state projecting into the front or rear well64,66, the spring70generates a temporary stop to the movement of the drawer54.

The rear well66is optional and indeed, a drawer retention mechanism52may be provided without the rear well66and be functional to achieve the object of drawer retention sought by the mechanism. The optional rear well66engages with the plunger60to establish the maximum pulled-out safe position of the drawer54, but other means to achieve this pull-out limit may be provided in the invention, including those known to people skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

Each track58may be defined between an upper part72of the frame56having a planar lower surface and a lower part74of the frame56having a planar upper surface, which parts72,74may be integral with the frame56of the dresser50or separate members that are attached thereto. These parts72,74may be made of any suitable material, e.g., wood or metal, and define the generally horizontal track58since it is desired that the drawer54open horizontally. The plunger60is situated in a front region of the lower part74. Its position is coordinated to the dimensions of the drawer54and dresser50in general so that the drawer54is in its fully closed state when the plunger60enters into the front well64. The parts72,74may even be formed from a single member.

Each of the wells64,66preferably has soft lead-in and lead-out easements, especially at the rear of the front well64and the front of the rear well66since the upper surface of the plunger60will move over these parts when moving into the elongate portion68of the rail62. In one embodiment, an additional plunger is provided at the rear of the track58to aid in retention of the drawer54and in this case, the easement at the rear of the rear well66should also be soft.

Plunger60has a curved plunging portion76at its top and the spring70enters into a cavity78in the plunging portion76with the other end of the spring70preferably being fixed at the bottom of a well80in the lower part74(FIG. 14). The plunging portion76may be hemispherically shaped. In the compressed state, the upper surface of the plunging portion76may be flush with the upper surface of the lower part74defining the track54(FIG. 13). As such, the elongate portion68of the rail62, which preferably has a flat, planar lower surface, slides easily over the plunging portion76.

The depth of the front well64can be deeper than the depth of the rear well66to allow the spring-loaded plunger60to form a more forceful safety stop when the drawer54is closed. An advantage of this is that in the event the dresser50is tipped forward by a toddler, the drawer54would resist moving forward to cause injury by hitting the toddler in the face or head. When the drawer54is in a partly open state, the plunger60will slide along the straight, elongate portion68of the rail62during continued forward movement of the drawer54until a maximum safe open state of the drawer54is reached in which the plunger60projects into the rear well66, and thereby the drawer54is prevented from moving fully outward and apart from the dresser50.

In use, when a person wants to open the drawer54of the dresser50, the person must exert a force to overcome the spring force or resistance that is urging the plunger60into the front well64. This force should be greater than the force that a toddler can exert to thereby prevent the toddler from opening the drawer54, and possibly even a child 3-5 years old. Determination of the magnitude of this force is possible based on the characteristics of the spring force provided by the spring70and the easements at the edges of the well64. Once the plunger60is urged downward into the well80of the lower part74defining the track58, it remains there by pressure provided by the elongate portion68of the rail62.

In this embodiment, the rail62includes the wells64,66and the plunger60is incorporated into the lower part74defining the track58. The reverse configuration is also possible, i.e., constructing the rail62to include the plunger60(which would be at a rear of the rail) and two wells in the upper or lower part72,74defining the track58(one at each of forward and rear end regions). In such an embodiment, the plunger would move upon movement of the drawer while the wells would remain stationary (instead of the wells moving and the plunger staying stationary as in the illustrated embodiment).

Furthermore, although in dresser50, the side rail62is attached to the side wall54A of the drawer54and the plunger60is mounted in the lower track74attached to or part of the frame56of the dresser50, these components can be reversed. That is, it is possible to attach the rail62to the frame56of the dresser50and the upper and lower parts72,74and plunger60incorporated into the drawer54.