VERTICAL SUPPORT FOR A SLIDE MECHANISM IN A CABINET

Abstract: A vertical support (50) for supporting a drawer slide mechanism (30) in a cabinet (2). The vertical support includes a support member that has an opening (58) and a resilient tab member (66) that extends into the opening. The resilient tab member releasably engages the slide mechanism as it is disposed in the opening. Alternatively, a resilient tab member is attached to the slide mechanism and is adapted to releasably engage an opening in the front vertical support member. A method is also provided for assembling a drawer support assembly in a cabinet. The method comprises the steps of providing a cabinet housing, a slide mechanism that has a forward and rear portion, and a front vertical support member that has an opening and a resilient tab member extending into the opening. The front vertical support is attached to the housing and the forward portion of the slide mechanism is secured to the front vertical support member such that the resilient tab member releasably engages the forward portion.

Description: VERTICAL SUPPORT FOR A SLIDE MECHANISM IN A CABINET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a cabinet, such as a file cabinet, and more particularly, to an improved vertical support used to support drawers positioned in such a cabinet. File cabinets of the type used in office environments are commonly configured with one or more drawers. Often, such drawers are supported by a pair of slide mechanisms that are attached to the side walls of the cabinet housing. Each slide mechanism typically is secured to a pair of vertical supports positioned along the side wall of the housing: one at the rear of the housing and another at the front of the housing. Often, in such an arrangement, the rear vertical support has a forwardly facing opening which is adapted to receive a rearwardly facing hook member disposed on a rear portion of the slide mechanism. The front vertical support, typically configured as a channel, usually includes a surface that lies parallel to the housing side wall. Typically, this surface has a rectangular opening adapted to receive a portion of the slide mechanism. The slide mechanism typically has a forward hook member which engages the bottom edge of the opening and a lip portion that engages the top edge of the opening. When installed, the hook member and lip portion releasably secure the slide mechanism to the vertical support. Typically, the width and length of the opening are defined so that the slide mechanism is tightly secured to the support member. To install the slide mechanism, the installer typically inserts the rear hook member into the forwardly facing opening in the rear vertical support. The forward hook member is then positioned on the bottom edge of the opening. The installer then applies a dynamic impact force to the slide mechanism to force the hook member down over the bottom edge of the opening and to force the lip portion past the top edge of the opening. Because the opening, hook members and lip portion are intended to provide a snug fit, the impact force required to install the slide mechanism can be quite significant. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, the invention is directed to an improved vertical support for supporting a slide mechanism in a cabinet. The vertical support includes a support member that has an opening adapted to receive the slide mechanism and a resilient tab member that is adapted to releasably engage the slide mechanism when disposed in the opening. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support member comprises a channel having a base section. The opening is positioned in the base section. In one aspect of the invention, a cabinet having a housing and a drawer is provided. The vertical support is attached to the housing and a slide mechanism is attached to the vertical support. The drawer is supported on the slide mechanism. In another aspect of the invention, an improved slide mechanism is provided to support the cabinet drawer. The slide mechanism has a forward and rear portion. The forward portion preferably includes two mounting members: a hook member, and a lip portion disposed on a side of the slide mechanism. When the slide mechanism is installed, the hook member is disposed on a bottom edge of the opening and the lip portion releasably engages the tab member extending downwardly from the base section. In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for assembling the support assembly which supports the sliding drawer in the cabinet. The method includes providing a housing, a slide mechanism that has a forward and rear portion, a rear vertical support member and a front vertical support member that has an opening and a resilient tab member extending into the opening. To assemble the support assembly, the vertical support members are attached to the housing. The rear portion of the slide mechanism is releasably secured to the rear vertical support member. The forward portion of the slide mechanism is releasably secured to the front vertical support member at the opening such that the tab member releasably engages the forward portion. The present invention provides significant advantages over other vertical supports and methods for installing slide mechanisms on the vertical supports. Most importantly, when installing the slide mechanism, the resilient tab member deflects as the forward portion of the slide mechanism is inserted into the opening. Once the forward portion is inserted in the opening, the tab member snaps back to its original position thereby releasably securing the slide mechanism to the vertical support member. Because the tab member is resilient, less force is required to install the slide mechanism. Accordingly, the installer can easily apply the insertion force with his hand, rather than by using a mechanical aid such as a rubber mallet. Another advantage of the invention is that the opening can be manufactured with less demanding tolerances while maintaining a secure attachment with the slide mechanism when installed. In particular, the distance between the free end of the tab member and the opposite side of the opening does not have to be maintained with tight tolerances because the tab member can deflect if the mounting members on the slide mechanism are slightly oversized. The present invention, together with further objects and advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a file cabinet having a sliding drawer and a slide mechanism. FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a file cabinet having a front and rear vertical support shown in cut away and a slide mechanism applied thereto. FIGURE 3 is a side view of a front vertical support. FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of a front vertical support. FIGURE 5 is a rear view of a front vertical support. FIGURE 6 is an side view of a slide mechanism. FIGURE 7 is a top view of a slide mechanism. FIGURE 8 is a cross section of a slide mechanism secured to a vertical support taken along line 8-8 of Figure 2. FIGURE 9 is a partial side view of an alternative slide mechanism with a resilient tab member. FIGURE 10 is a side view of the rear vertical support. FIGURE 11 is a front view of the rear vertical support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show a cabinet 2 having a housing 10, a sliding drawer 4, and a slide mechanism 30. The housing 10 includes a pair of side walls 12, a back wall 14, a base 16, and a top wall 18. A front vertical support 50 and a rear vertical support 70 are attached to each of the side walls 12. Preferably, the housing and vertical support members are made out of sheet metal . Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11 , the rear vertical support 70 is preferably configured as an open channel, having a pair of flanges 74 and a pair of L-shaped side legs 72 and 73. The front side leg 72 has an opening 78 positioned in it. A top and bottom mounting flange 76 extend outwardly from the top and bottom of flanges 74 as shown in FIG. 11. The rear vertical support is fixedly attached to the housing by welding the mounting flanges to inwardly extending flanges on the top and bottom of the side wall 12, or, in the alternative, by employing a plurality of fasteners. The flanges 74 can also be welded directly to the sidewalls. The front vertical support member 50 is preferably configured as a channel with a pair of side legs 52, a base section 54 connecting the side legs, and a pair of flanges 56 extending perpendicularly from the side legs 52, as shown in FIGS. 3-5. The front vertical support 50 also includes mounting flanges 53 that extend outwardly from the top and bottom of the support. The base section 54 is spaced laterally inward from the side wall 12 of the housing. The front vertical support member is fixedly attached to the side wall 12 of the housing by welding or mechanically fastening the mounting flanges to top and bottom flanges on the sidewall, or by some comparable method. Referring to FIG. 3, the base section 54 of the front vertical support member includes an opening 58 that is defined by a bottom edge 60, a top edge 62 and a pair of side edges 64. The dimensions of the opening 58 are dictated by the corresponding dimensions of the mating portion of the slide mechanism. For example, when using a slide mechanism, Model No. TR-200-US, produced by Thomas Regout USA, Inc. , the opening preferably has a width of about 0.750 inches. A resilient tab member 66 extends downwardly from the base section 54 of the front vertical support member into the opening 58. Preferably, the tab member 66 lies in the same plane formed by the base section, which is substantially flat as shown in FIG. 5. In a preferred embodiment, the tab member is about 0.375 inches long, although other lengths are acceptable. As shown in the FIG. 3, the distance between the bottom edge 60 of the opening and a free edge 68 of the tab member is preferably about 0.50 inches. As shown in FIG. 3, the tab member 66 preferably is formed by stamping two slots 57 in the base 54 that define the sides 59 of the tab member and form part of the opening 58. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 6-8, the slide mechanism 30 includes a mounting bracket 32, two slide members 34, and a plurality of bearings 36 interfacing between the slide members 34 and the mounting bracket 32. An acceptable commercial slide mechanism is the Model TR-200-US mechanism sold by Thomas Regout USA, Inc. In operation, the slide members 34 extend outwardly from the mounting bracket 32 as the drawer 4, which is attached to the outermost slide member, is pulled outwardly from the housing 10. The mounting bracket 32 generally has a forward portion 38, a rear portion 40, a side surface 42 and a rear hook member 44 extending outwardly and rearwardly from the side surface at the rear portion 40. The rear hook member 44 is adapted to engage the opening 78 in the front side leg 72 of the rear vertical member. The forward portion 38 of the slide mechanism has a first and second mounting members 46, 48 that protrude from the side surface of the mounting bracket. The first mounting member 46 is preferably configured as a downwardly extending hook member, as shown in FIG. 8. The hook member 46 is spaced apart from the side surface 42 about .046 inches, which is about the thickness of the sheet metal forming the base section 54 of the front vertical support member. It should be understood that the space between the hook member 46 and side surface 42 can be altered to accommodate other thicknesses of sheet metal. The second mounting member 48 is preferably configured as a lip portion. It should also be understood that other types of mounting members, such as a single boss protruding from the slide mechanism, would also interface with the improved vertical support member described herein. To install the slide mechanism 30, as shown in FIG. 2, an installer first inserts the rearwardly extending rear hook member 44 into the opening 78 in the rear vertical support member, so that the first and second mounting members 46, 48 are aligned with the opening 58 in the front vertical support member. Preferably, the rear hook member 44 includes an end portion 45 that is angled away from the side surface 42 so as to ease the insertion of the hook member 44 into the opening 78. Similarly, the forward hook member 46 also preferably has an end portion 43 that is angled away from the side surface 42. The installer slides the end portion 43 of the forward hook member 46 onto the bottom edge 60 of the opening. The installer then applies a downward and lateral force to the slide mechanism 30, forcing the forward hook member 46 over the bottom edge of the opening while simultaneously forcing the lip portion 48 past the free edge 68 of the tab member 66 as shown in FIG. 8. Because the tab member 66 is resilient, it deflects during the insertion of the lip portion 48 and springs back to its original position once the lip portion 48 clears the free edge 68. Because the tab member 66 deflects, less energy is required to install the slide mechanism. Previously, the installer was required to force the lip portion past a rigid top edge that defined the opening in the base section. Because the top edge does not deflect, a greater force is required to install the slide mechanism, thereby making installation more difficult for the installer. The improved vertical support also facilitates the removal of a worn or damaged slide mechanism. In essence, the reverse procedure is followed; the installer forces the lip portion away from the free edge of the tab member causing it to deflect. Once the lip portion disengages from the free edge, the resilient tab member snaps back to its original configuration. Thus, the force required to remove the slide mechanism is reduced as when compared to the prior art structure. As an alternative to the aforedescribed improvement to the vertical support member, the slide mechanism can also be altered to reduce the installation 7/48311 PC17US97/10390 - 9 - force. In such an embodiment the vertical support member has a rectangular opening, but does not have a resilient tab member extending into the opening. Instead, as shown in FIG. 9, an opening 80 is formed in the side surface 42 of the slide mechanism around three sides of the lip portion 48. In this way, the lip portion becomes a resilient tab member 82. Accordingly, when installing the slide mechanism, the resilient tab member 82, Le ^ , the lip portion having a relief cut around it, deflects as it is forced past the rigid top edge defining the opening in the vertical support member. Once the lip portion passes the top edge, the resilient tab member 82 returns to its original position, thereby releasably securing the slide mechanism to the vertical support member with a minimum of installation force. Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As such, it is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it is the appended claims, including all equivalents thereof, which are intended to define the scope of the invention.

Claims: We claim: 1. A vertical support for supporting a slide mechanism in a cabinet, said vertical support comprising: a support member having an opening adapted to receive said slide mechanism; and a resilient tab member extending from said support member into said opening, said tab member adapted to releasably engage said slide mechanism when disposed in said opening. 2. The vertical support of claim 1 wherein said support member comprises a channel having a base section, wherein said opening is disposed in said base section and wherein said tab member extends from said base section into said opening. 3. The vertical support of claim 2 wherein said tab member extends downwardly into said opening. 4. The vertical support of claim 2 wherein said channel is formed of sheet metal. 5. The vertical support of claim 2 wherein said opening is defined by a top edge, a bottom edge and a pair of side edges. 6. The vertical support of claim 5 wherein the distance between the side edges is about .75 inches wide. 7. The vertical support of claim 6 wherein the distance between a free end of the tab member and the bottom edge of the opening is about .5 inches. 8. The vertical support of claim 7 wherein said tab is about .375 inches long. 9. A cabinet having a drawer, said cabinet comprising: a housing; a slide mechanism adapted to support the drawer, said slide mechanism having a forward portion and a rear portion; a forward vertical support member attached to said housing, said support member having an opening adapted to receive said forward portion of said slide mechanism; a resilient tab member extending from said vertical support member into said opening; wherein said forward portion of said slide mechanism is disposed in said opening and said tab releasably engages said slide mechanism. 10. The cabinet of claim 9 wherein said vertical support member is welded to said housing. 11. The cabinet of claim 9 wherein said forward vertical support member comprises a channel having a base section, wherein said opening is positioned in said base section, and wherein said tab member extends from said base section into said opening. 12. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein said tab member extends downwardly from said base section into said opening. 13. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein said opening is defined by a top edge, a bottom edge and a pair of side edges. 14. The cabinet of claim 13 wherein the distance between the side edges is about .75 inches wide. 15. The cabinet of claim 14 wherein the distance between a free end of the tab and the bottom edge of the opening is about .5 inches. 16. The cabinet of claim 11 wherein said slide mechanism furmer comprises a side surface and said forward portion of said slide mechanism comprises a first and second mounting member disposed on said side surface, wherein said first mounting member is adapted to releasably engage the bottom edge of said opening and said second mounting member is adapted to releasably engage said tab member. 17. The cabinet of claim 16 wherein said first mounting member comprises a resilient hook member, and said second mounting member comprises a lip portion. 18. The cabinet of claim 17 wherein said hook member has an end portion angled away from said side surface so as to facilitate the insertion of said hook member on the bottom edge. 19. A slide mechanism for supporting a drawer in a cabinet housing having a vertical support with an opening, said slide mechanism comprising: a mounting bracket having a side surface, a downwardly extending hook member disposed on said side surface, and a resilient tab member disposed on said mounting bracket above said hook member, wherein said hook member and said resilient tab member are adapted to engage said vertical support at said opening; a slide member adapted to support said drawer, said slide member slidably mounted on said mounting bracket. 20. The slide mechanism of claim 19 wherein resilient tab member is formed by providing a lip portion on the side surface of the mounting bracket and forming an opening around said lip portion in the mounting bracket. 21. The cabinet of claim 20 wherein said hook member comprises an end portion angled away from said side surface so as to facilitate the insertion of said hook member on the bottom edge. 22. A method for assembling a support assembly for a sliding drawer in a cabinet, said method comprising; providing a housing; providing a slide mechanism having a forward portion and a rear portion; providing a forward vertical support member having an opening and a resilient tab member extending into said opening; attaching said vertical support member to said housing; securing said forward portion of said slide mechanism to said support member at said opening such that said tab releasably engages said forward portion. 23. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of attaching said support member to said housing comprises welding said support member to said housing. 24. The method of claim 22 wherein said support member comprises a channel having a base section, wherein said opening is positioned in said base section and wherein said tab member extends from said base section into said opening. 25. The method of claim 24 wherein said slide mechanism further comprises a side surface and said forward portion of said slide mechanism comprises a first and second mounting member extending from said side surface, wherein said step of securing said forward portion of said slide mechanism further comprises positioning said first mounting member on a bottom edge of said opening and applying a downward lateral force to the slide mechanism such that the first mounting member is disposed on said bottom edge and the second mounting member releasably engages said tab member. 26. The method of claim 25 wherein said first mounting member comprises a hook member, and said second mounting member comprises a lip portion. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein said hook member further comprises an end portion angled away from said side surface so as to facilitate said step of positioning said hook member on said bottom edge. 28. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of providing a rear vertical support member, and attaching said rear portion of said slide mechanism to said rear vertical support member. 29. The method of claim 28 wherein said rear portion of said slide mechanism further comprises a rearwardly extending hook member, and wherein said rear vertical support member has a forwardly facing opening adapted to receive said rearwardly facing hook member, wherein said step of attaching said rear portion of said slide mechanism to said rear vertical support member comprises inserting said rearwardly facing hook member into said forwardly facing opening. 30. The method of claim 29 wherein said rearwardly facing hook member further comprises an end portion angled away from said side surface so as to facilitate said step of inserting said hook member into said opening. - 17 - AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 22 October 1997 (22.10.97); original claims 1-30 replaced new claims 1-30 (6 pages)] 1 A cabinet having a drawer compnsing a housing, a slide mechanism adapted to support the drawer, said slide mechanism compnsing a side surface and a first and second mounting member disposed on said side surface, a vertical support member attached to said housing, said support member compnsing a channel having a base section and an opening positioned in said base section, said opening adapted to receive said first and second mounting members of said slide mechanism, a resilient tab member extending from said base section into said opening, wherein said first mounting member releasably engages an edge of said opening and said second mounting member releasably engages said resilient tab member, whereby said slide mechanism is mounted to said vertical support in said housing 2 The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said first mounting member compπses a hook member, and said second mounting member comprises a lip portion 3 The cabinet of claim 2 wherein said hook member comprises an end portion angled away from said side surface so as to facilitate the insertion of said hook member on said edge of said opening 4 The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said resilient tab member extends downwardly from said support member and wherein said edge is formed along a bottom of said opening 5 The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said support member is mounted in a forward portion of the cabinet 6 The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said first mounting member compπses a hook member 7 The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said second mounting member compπses a lip portion 8 The cabinet of claim 6 wherein said hook member is spaced apart from a side surface of said slide mechanism 9 The cabinet of claim 6 wherein said hook member comprises an end portion angled away from a side surface of the slide mechanism 10 A cabinet compπsing a support member having an opening forming an edge in said support member and comprising a resilient tab member extending into said opening toward said edge such that a free edge of the tab member is spaced apart from and faces said edge of said opening, a slide mechanism compπsing a mounting bracket and a slide member, said slide member slidably mounted to said mounting bracket such that said slide member can slide outwardly from said mounting bracket and wherein said slide member is adapted to support a drawer, said mounting bracket engaging said support member at said edge of said opening and said free edge of said resilient tab member, whereby said slide mechanism is mounted to said support member 1 1 The cabinet of claim 10 wherein said mounting bracket comprises a first mounting member engaging said support member at said edge formed by said opening and a second mounting member engaging said free edge of said resilient tab member 12 The cabinet of claim 10 wherein said support member comprises a channel having a base section wherein said opening is positioned in said base section and wherein said resilient tab member extends from said base section into said opening 13 The cabinet of claim 11 wherein said first mounting member comprises a resilient hook member 14 The cabinet of claim 13 wherein said hook member is spaced apart from a side surface of said mounting bracket 15 The cabinet of claim 1 1 wherein said second mounting member comprises a lip portion 16 The cabinet of claim 1 1 wherein said first mounting member comprises a resilient hook member and said second mounting member comprises a lip portion 17 The cabinet of claim 13 wherein said hook member compπses an end portion angled away from a side surface of said slide mechanism 18 The cabinet of claim 10 wherein said resilient tab member extends downwardly from said support member and wherein said edge is formed along a bottom of said opening 19 A slide mechanism for supporting a drawer in a cabinet housing having a vertical support with an opening, said slide mechanism comprising a mounting bracket having a side surface, a downwardly extending hook member disposed on said side surface, and an upwardly extending resilient tab member positioned above said hook member, wherein said hook member and said resilient tab member are adapted to engage said vertical support at said opening, a slide member slidably mounted on said mounting bracket 20 The slide mechanism of claim 19 wherein resilient tab member is formed by providing a lip portion on the side of the mounting bracket and forming an opening around said lip portion in the side of said mounting bracket 21 The cabinet of claim 19 wherein said hook member comprises an end portion angled away from said side surface 22 A method for assembling a support assembly for a sliding drawer in a cabinet, said method for assembling comprising, providing a housing, providing a slide mechanism, providing a vertical support member having an opening forming an edge, said support member having a resilient tab member extending into said opening toward said edge such that a free edge of said tab member is spaced apart from and faces said edge of said opening, attaching said vertical support member to said housing, securing said slide mechanism to said support member at said opening such that slide mechanism releasably engages said edge of said opening and said free edge of said tab member 23 The method of claim 22 wherein said step of attaching said support member to said housing comprises integrally forming said support member with said housing 24 The method of claim 22 wherein said support member comprises a channel having a base section, wherein said opening is positioned in said base section and wherein said tab member extends from said base section into said opening 25 The method of claim 24 wherein said slide mechanism further comprises a side surface and a first and second mounting member extending from said side surface, wherein said step of securing said slide mechanism further comprises disposing said first mounting member on said edge of said opening and applying a lateral force to the slide mechanism such that the second mounting member releasably engages said tab member 26. The method of claim 25 wherein said first mounting member comprises a hook member, and said second mounting member comprises a lip portion 27 The method of claim 26 wherein said hook member further comprises an end portion angled away from said side 28 The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of providing a second vertical support member spaced apart from said first vertical support member, and attaching said slide mechanism to said second vertical support member 29 The method of claim 28 wherein said slide mechanism further comprises a rearwardly extending tab member, and wherein said second vertical support member has a forwardly facing opening adapted to receive said rearwardly facing tab member, wherein said step of attaching said slide mechanism to said second vertical support member comprises inserting said rearwardly facing tab member into said forwardly facing opening 30 The method of claim 29 wherein said rearwardly facing tab member further compπses an end portion angled away from said side surface of said slide mechanism

Inventors: BOWYER STEVE, SMEETZ HERMAN, WRIGHT ALAN, BOWYER, STEVE, SMEETZ, HERMAN, WRIGHT, ALAN
Applicants: MILLER HERMAN INC, HERMAN MILLER, INC.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A47B88
IPC codes: A47B88