DRAWER LOCKING SYSTEM

A locking system is provided which can be readily attached to a drawer without the necessity of any carpentry or other alteration of the drawer or associated cabinet. The locking system comprises a first body having at least one side attachable to the front of a drawer, a second body which has a side attachable to a surface of the drawer cabinet adjacent to the movable drawer. A cable or cord is permanently attached to one body and is removably attached to the other body and retained in place by a lock mechanism in this other body. The lock mechanism may be key actuated or may actuated by a combination lock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A lock system in accordance with the invention is shown in a typical installation inFIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the lock system or locking system is shown attached to the slidable draw10of a desk12. The lock system includes a first body14attached to the front of draw10, and a second body16attached to the side18of the desk12. A cable or cord20is permanently attached to body16and releasably attached to body14when in the locked position. The body14includes a lock mechanism which is actuatable by a user such as by a key or combination lock to lock and unlock the mechanism. In the locked position, the end of the cable captured in body14is secured by the lock mechanism. In the unlocked position, the end of the cable retained by the lock mechanism in body14is released so that the cable can be removed from the body14allowing the draw10to be opened and closed by a user.

The bodies14and16can be affixed to the respective surfaces of the draw front and desk side by an adhesive material which is sufficiently strong to prevent ready removable of either any of the bodies from the mounting surfaces. In one embodiment, the adhesive can be pre-applied to the mounting surface of each body14,16shown inFIG. 2as layer30, and a release layer32can be applied over the adhesive layer to cover the adhesive layer until installation of the lock bodies onto their mounting surfaces. For mounting of the bodies containing an adhesive layer, the release layer32is peeled away and the exposed adhesive layer pressed against the respective mounting surfaces to adhere the respective bodies to their mounting surfaces. In another embodiment, an adhesive can be applied to the mounting surface of bodies14and16from a tube or can of adhesive material just prior to pressing the bodies14and16onto the mounting surfaces.

In an alternative embodiment, one or both of the bodies14and16can be attached to their respective mounting surfaces by one or more fasteners. For example, as shown inFIG. 3, a fastener40such as a machine screw is inserted through an opening provided in the mounting wall of the desk side and/or draw front and threaded into a threaded opening in the lock body14and/or16. The use of a fastener such as shown inFIG. 3, will necessitate the drilling of one or more holes through the walls of the mounting structure to accommodate the screw or other fastening element. For many purposes, the adhesive mounting is preferred as no holes need be drilled in the draw or cabinetry of the mounting structure with which the locking system is employed.

The cable20can be for example a stainless steel flexible cable which may be covered with a plastic, rubber or other relatively soft or pliant material which will not scratch or otherwise mar the confronting surfaces of a desk or other piece of furniture or cabinetry with which the locking system is employed.

The cable or cord can also be a flexible non-metallic material such as Kevlar. The cable end affixed to body16can be secured in the body by any convenient means. For example, the cable end can extend through an opening in a side of body16and be retained therein by a clamp or other mechanism in the body which is constructed in a sufficiently robust manner to prevent easy pulling of the cable end from the body. The cable may also be welded or otherwise secured within body16, such as by an epoxy adhesive.

Alternatively, the cable can be a chain of metal or plastic material. In another implementation, a 90° angled bar or rod can be employed instead of a cable, cord or chain. In this version, one end of the bar can be attached to one lock body and the other end of the bar can be releasably attached to the other lock body. The bar can, alternatively, be releasably attached at both ends to respective lock bodies. For purposes of this invention, the term “cable” is intended to mean a flexible cable of cord of any suitable material or a rigid bar or rod of any suitable material.

The end of the cable20lockable within the lock mechanism of body14can have an end or retention element mateable with one or more cooperative elements of the locking mechanism for the purposes of retaining the cable in the body when in the locked position. In one embodiment shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B, the cable14has a ball50welded or otherwise secured to an end of the cable. The body has a slot52provided on the front which can accommodate the cable along its length. The ball50fits into a well or recess54and is urged and retained in a receptacle area56by a bolt58of a locking mechanism in the body. The bolt is actuated by a key inserted into keyhole60. With the bolt58retracted, as shown inFIG. 4A, the ball56can be fitted into the recess54of the body. When the bolt58is extended into its locked position by operation of the key actuated lock in the body, as seen inFIG. 4B, the ball56is urged under a cover plate62or front of the body14into a receptacle area of the recess54sized to receive the ball56. In this locked position, the cable is retained in the body.

The bodies14and16are positioned such that the cable20is almost taut or slightly slackened so that the drawer10cannot be moved outward by a distance sufficient to gain access to the interior of the drawer. It is usually preferable to mount body14at the side edge of the drawer to minimize the amount of drawer travel before the cable tightens to prevent further movement. The lock mechanism itself can be of any known construction and can be key actuated or actuated by a combination lock. In some embodiments, a lock bolt may be employed which is spring loaded in a normally outward position. In an unlocked state, the bolt can be pushed inward by a ball or other retention element on the cable and then the bolt can be released to urge the ball or other retention element into the receiving receptacle prior to locking the lock and capturing the ball or other retention element in body14.

In another embodiment, the end of the cable securable in the body14need not have a retention or end element, and the cable end can itself be secured in body14. For example, the free end of cable20can be threaded into an opening in the side of body14, and in a locked position, the portion of the cable within the body can be captured by clamping elements to prevent cable removal when the locking mechanism is in its locked position.

An embodiment is shown inFIGS. 5A,5B and5C in which the body attachable to the draw front includes a retractable cable mechanism. InFIG. 5A, the cable is in a retracted position with end element70abutting the housing of the body14a.InFIG. 5B, the cable72is shown in an extended position with the end element70in position to be inserted into the receptacle74of body16awhich is attached to the side of the desk or cabinet adjacent to the slidable draw. InFIG. 5C, the end element70is shown disposed within receptacle74and pulled inward into the receptacle by slight retraction of cable17into body14a.The body14aincludes a lock mechanism71such as a combination or key lock which in locked position secures the cable against outward movement which could cause the retaining element to come loose from the receptacle of body16a.The receptacle74includes a T-shaped slot illustrated in enlarged form inFIG. 5D. The end element cooperative with this T-slot is in the form of a disc attached to one end of cable72and sized to fit within slot portion76and into a recess or chamber below the slot when the cable72is moved toward the body14a.

FIG. 6shows an end element80attached to cable82and which is in the shape of a cylinder. The cylinder is cooperative and can be retained in the receptacle shown inFIG. 7which includes a pair of fingers84spaced with a slot86sized to receive cable82when in a locked position. The cylinder80is retained in the slotted area88below the fingers84in the locked position.

Another embodiment is shown inFIG. 8in which body14bhas two cables20aand20beach having an end securable to body14band each having an outer retention element cooperative with the receptacles of respective second bodies16a,only one being shown.FIG. 9shows yet another embodiment in which the body14chas a cable20cwhich can be looped around a receptacle21such as a draw pull on slidable draw10cand locked into the body. In further embodiments, a cable20dcan be of sufficient length to wrap around an entire cabinet and across a draw front as shown inFIG. 10. In this wraparound version, the cable can pass through a draw pull21aor other such element on the draw front before being locked into the lock body as shown inFIG. 11.

The invention can alternatively be implemented with each of the two lock bodies having a locking mechanism for releasably securing respective ends of the cable when in an unlocked position.

The invention is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described but is to embrace the full scope and spirit of the appended claims.