Drawer assembly that is locked automatically when it is closed

A drawer assembly includes a housing, a drawer body retractably mounted on the housing, two locking members mounted in the housing, and a control bar pivotally mounted on the drawer body and having two opposite ends each provided with a locking end that is movable to lock a respective one of the locking members. Thus, when the drawer body is retracted into and received in the housing, the locking end of the control bar is locked onto the respective locking member to lock the drawer body onto the housing so that the drawer body is locked onto the housing when the drawer assembly is closed and will not be moved outward from the housing when the drawer assembly is moved or declined to facilitate the user moving or transporting the drawer assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a drawer and, more particularly, to a drawer assembly for a desk, cabinet, rack and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional drawer assembly comprises a housing and a drawer body retractably mounted on the housing. Thus, the drawer body can be retracted into the housing to close the drawer assembly and can be pulled outward from the housing to open the drawer assembly. However, the drawer body will be moved outward from the housing easily when the drawer assembly is transported or declined, thereby causing inconvenience or even danger to the user when moving or transporting the drawer assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a drawer assembly, comprising a housing, a drawer body retractably mounted on the housing, two locking members mounted in the housing, and a control bar pivotally mounted on the drawer body to move in concert with the drawer body and having two opposite ends each provided with a locking end that is movable to lock a respective one of the two locking members when the drawer body is retracted into and received in the housing so as to lock the drawer body onto the housing.

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a drawer assembly that is locked automatically when it is closed.

According to the primary advantage of the present invention, when the drawer body is retracted into and received in the housing, the locking end of the control bar is locked onto the respective locking member to lock the drawer body onto the housing so that the drawer body is locked onto the housing when the drawer assembly is closed and will not be moved outward from the housing when the drawer assembly is moved or declined to facilitate the user moving or transporting the drawer assembly.

According to another advantage of the present invention, the locking end of the control bar is directly locked onto the respective locking member when the drawer body is retracted into and received in the housing, so that the drawer body is locked onto the housing automatically when the drawer assembly is closed to facilitate the user locking the drawer assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings and initially toFIGS. 1-3, a drawer assembly in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing10, a drawer body20retractably mounted on the housing10, two locking members12mounted in the housing10, a control bar30pivotally mounted on the drawer body20to move in concert with the drawer body20and having two opposite ends each provided with a locking end31that is movable to lock a respective one of the two locking members12when the drawer body20is retracted into and received in the housing10so as to lock the drawer body20onto the housing10, a pull handle24mounted on the drawer body20to cover the control bar30, a guide track11mounted in the housing10, and a sliding rail21mounted on the drawer body20to move in concert with the drawer body20and slidably mounted in the guide track11to guide movement of the drawer body20relative to the housing10.

The drawer body20has a surface provided with a plurality of mounting brackets22for mounting the control bar30and a plurality of limit plates23for limiting the control bar30. The mounting brackets22are covered by the pull handle24. Each of the mounting brackets22has a substantially L-shaped profile. The limit plates23are covered by the pull handle24. Each of the limit plates23is located above each of the mounting brackets22. Each of the limit plates23is inclined relative to the surface of the drawer body20and is extended outward and downward from the surface of the drawer body20.

The pull handle24is inclined relative to the surface of the drawer body20and is extended outward and downward from the surface of the drawer body20.

Each of the two locking members12is fixedly mounted on an inner wall of the housing10and is fully hidden in the housing10. Each of the two locking members12has a distal end provided with a locking hook121detachably locked onto the respective locking end31of the control bar30.

The control bar30is disposed between the drawer body20and the pull handle24and is limited between the mounting brackets22and the limit plates23as shown inFIG. 2. The control bar30has a surface provided with a plurality of mounting holes32pivotally mounted on the mounting brackets22respectively. The control bar30has a substantially L-shaped profile and is inclined relative to the surface of the drawer body20. The locking end31of the control bar30has a side provided with a locking recess310locked onto the locking hook121of the respective locking member12.

In operation, referring toFIGS. 4-6with reference toFIGS. 1-3, when the drawer body20is retracted into and received in the housing10, the control bar30touches and is pushed by the respective locking member12to pivot upward relative to the drawer body20so that the locking end31of the control bar30is locked onto the locking hook121of the respective locking member12as shown inFIG. 4to lock the drawer body20onto the housing10. In such a manner, the drawer body20is locked onto the housing10when the drawer assembly is closed so that the drawer body20will not be moved outward from the housing10when the drawer assembly is moved or declined to facilitate a user moving or transporting the drawer assembly. On the contrary, when the control bar30is driven upward by the user to pivot upward toward the pull handle24, the locking end31of the control bar30is detached from the locking hook121of the respective locking member12as shown inFIG. 5to unlock the drawer body20from the housing10. In such a manner, the drawer body20can be moved outward from the housing10as shown inFIG. 6to open the drawer assembly.

As shown inFIG. 7, each of the two locking members12ais integrally formed on and protruded outward from a distal end of the guide track11. Preferably, each of the two locking members12ais located at a middle position of the guide track11.

As shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, each of the two locking members12bis located at a top position of the guide track11.

Accordingly, when the drawer body20is retracted into and received in the housing10, the locking end31of the control bar30is locked onto the respective locking member12to lock the drawer body20onto the housing10so that the drawer body20is locked onto the housing10when the drawer assembly is closed and will not be moved outward from the housing10when the drawer assembly is moved or declined to facilitate the user moving or transporting the drawer assembly. In addition, the locking end31of the control bar30is directly locked onto the respective locking member12when the drawer body20is retracted into and received in the housing10, so that the drawer body20is locked onto the housing10automatically when the drawer assembly is closed to facilitate the user locking the drawer assembly.