Abstract:
A latch arrangement for a drawer includes a latching mechanism having a latch element and a latching mechanism-receiving structure formed as part of a drawer. The structure includes two integral spring elements for biasing the latching mechanism upwardly. The latching mechanism and the drawer have cooperating, snap-engageable retaining features that allow the latching mechanism to move over a vertical range of movement but retain the latching mechanism on the structure. The structure and the remaining portions of the drawer can be molded as a unitary plastic part. The latching mechanism can be molded as a second unitary plastic part.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to latching mechanisms for drawers. Particularly, the invention relates to a latching mechanism for plastic drawers carried in a lightweight plastic stackable drawer cabinet structure. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Storage systems are known which include stackable drawer cabinet structures each slidably supporting a drawer. Such arrangements typically comprise plastic cabinets and plastic drawers which are advantageously inexpensively manufactured, durable and lightweight. Drawer cabinets and drawers of varying depth can be selected for customized or consumer-selected stacked arrangements of drawer sizes. 
     With such arrangements, it is known to provide each individual drawer with a latching arrangement to ensure that once the individual drawer is closed to the respective drawer cabinet, the drawer is latched closed, and prevented from inadvertently opening due to being jostled, or overfilled, or the cabinet being slightly tipped. The use of latches ensures a neat storage system for storing household articles. 
     One such system utilizes a latch element having spring arms integrally formed therewith. The latch element is captured in a latch cover, the latch cover being attached to the front wall of the drawer. The latch element is spring biased to an elevated position to engage a latch receiving element of the drawer cabinet. The drawer-and-latch system thus utilizes at least three separate pieces: the drawer, the latch element and the cover. 
     Although such known drawer systems can provide satisfactory results, the present inventors have recognized the desirability of providing a drawer system with a latching mechanism which is, among other things, more cost effectively manufactured. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a drawer latching system that is cost effectively manufactured, is durable, and can be disassembled and reassembled easily for replacement or cleaning. The latching system is effectively used for drawers that are slidably carried by stackable drawer cabinets. 
     The present invention provides a latch arrangement for a drawer that includes a latch mechanism having a latch element, and a latch mechanism-receiving structure formed as part of the drawer. The structure includes an integral spring element for biasing the latch mechanism upwardly. The latch mechanism and the drawer have cooperating, snap-engageable retaining features that allow the latch mechanism to move over a vertical range of movement but retain the latch mechanism on the structure. The structure and the remaining portions of the drawer can be molded as a unitary plastic part. The latch mechanism can be molded as a second unitary plastic part. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a drawer latching mechanism includes a latch body which incorporates a latch element, latch mechanism retaining tabs, a finger-actuatable surface and a guiding structure, all as a single unitary piece. The invention provides a drawer structure which includes a tab receiving structure for engagement of the latch mechanism retaining tabs of the latch body, retaining the latch body onto the drawer structure but allowing the latch body to slide on the drawer structure. The drawer structure further includes spring elements which bias the latch body toward an elevated position on the drawer structure and are resiliently deflected by spring actuation elements of the latch body, when the latch body is moved to a depressed, latch-disengaged position. The spring actuation elements engage the spring elements of the drawer structure to resiliently bias the latch body toward its elevated position. The spring actuation elements also capture a front wall of the drawer structure between a front wall of the latch body and the spring actuation elements to guide a vertical sliding movement of said latch body from the elevated position to the lowered position of the latch element. 
     Above the drawer latching mechanism, the cabinet that carries the drawer provides an overlying front frame portion or other structure adjacent to a latch-receiving recess that is configured to receive the latch element to latch the drawer in its closed position. Accordingly, the latch element of the latch body includes a downwardly inclined face toward the front frame portion such that the downwardly inclined face, when pushed against the front frame portion during closing of the drawer to the drawer cabinet, forces the latch body to its lowered position. Once the latch element passes by the front wall structure during closing of the drawer, the latch element will rebound with the latch body to its elevated position, the latch element extending into the recess. The latch element includes a vertical latch face which abuts the front frame portion when the latch element is inserted into the recess, to prevent opening of the drawer. Once latched, the latched body must be manually depressed downwardly, such as by using a finger recess exposed on a front side of the latch body as a pushing point, to disengage the latch element from the recess. 
     The present invention latching mechanism is cost effectively manufactured in that it is effectively only one additional piece aside from the molded drawer structure. The drawer structure provides the mounting arrangement and the resilient elements for complete attachment and operation of the latch body. No intervening latch carrying plate attached to the drawer is needed. The drawer structure can be molded of a single piece with remaining portions of the drawer, and the latching mechanism can also be molded of a single piece, reducing material costs and simplifying the assembly of the drawer latching system. 
     The latch body can be easily removed from the drawer structure for cleaning or replacement by delatching the tabs from the slots by a pushing force from inside the drawer. The latch body can then be reinstalled simply by vertically pressing the latch body into the drawer structure until the tab members snap-lock into the guiding slots of the drawer structure. 
     Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of drawers carried with drawer cabinets, the drawer cabinets and drawers being in a vertically stacked arrangement; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged perspective view of a portion of a drawer and drawer cabinet shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a drawer latch body taken from FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the latch body shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a drawer structure, with the latch body removed in order view the underlying structure; 
     FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the drawer structure of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of a drawer structure with the latch body engaged thereto; 
     FIG. 8 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the drawer structure and latch body of FIG. 7, with a portion of the rear wall of the drawer structure removed in order to view the interaction of the latch body with the drawer structure; and 
     FIG. 9 is a fragmentary rear perspective view as shown in FIG. 8 but with the latch body depressed as occurs during disengagement of the drawer from the drawer cabinet. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, a specific embodiment thereof, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a stacked drawer assembly  20  including a plurality of drawer assemblies  26 ,  28 ,  30  of variable volumes arranged in a vertically stacked alignment. The bottom drawer assembly  26  includes a drawer cabinet  36  having opposing sidewalls  38 ,  40 , a bottom wall  42  and a top wall  44 . The top wall  44  serves as the bottom wall of the overlying drawer assembly  28 . The drawer assembly  28  includes a drawer cabinet  46  having sidewalls  48 ,  50  and an overlying top wall  52 . The top wall  52  serves as a bottom wall of the overlying drawer cabinet  30 . The drawer cabinet  30  includes a drawer cabinet  56  having sidewalls  62 ,  64  and a top wall  66 . The top wall  66  includes a central panel  68 . The panel  68  can be omitted from the walls  52 ,  44  and  42 , if desired. 
     The drawer cabinets  36 ,  46 ,  56  carry drawers  70 ,  72 ,  74 , respectively. Each of the drawers  70 ,  72 ,  74  includes a latching mechanism  80  as described below. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the latching mechanism  80  fit on the drawer  72 , as an example. The drawer  72  includes a front wall  84 , and a rearwardly extending compartment  86  formed with the front wall  72 . The compartment  86  includes sidewalls  88 ,  90  (shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) and a rear wall  92 . The latching mechanism  80  includes a front wall portion  96 , a top wall portion  98  and a quarter-spherical recess  102  extending from the front and top walls. A wedge-shaped latch  106  extends upwardly from the top wall  98 . 
     The overlying wall  52  of the cabinet  46  includes a front rim portion  110  having a curved front wall  112  and a straight back wall  114  reinforced by one or more perpendicular ribs  116 . The walls  112 ,  114  and ribs  116  provide for a rigid construction of the wall  52 . The rib  116  further provides a block such that the latch  106  does not enter the space defined between the walls  112 ,  114  during drawer closing. 
     The wall  52  further includes an elongated rib reinforcement  118  substantially aligned with the rib  116 . The rib reinforcement  118  includes a rectangular recess  120  adjacent the rear wall  114 . The recess  120  is sized to allow the entry of the latch element  106  therein to latch the latching mechanism  80  to the wall  52 . The latch element  106  includes a substantially vertical front wall  122  for latching abutment against the wall  114 , and a rearwardly declined front face  126  which assists in the vertical depression of the latching mechanism  80  during closing of the drawer to the wall  52  by abutment of the face  126  with the wall  112 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the latching mechanism  80  in more detail, separate from the drawer structure. Particularly viewing FIG. 4, the latching mechanism  80  includes locking tabs  132 ,  134  extending downward from the top wall  98 . The locking tabs  132 ,  134  each include a tapered head portion  132   a ,  134   a  having a retaining surface  132   b ,  134   b.    
     Extending downwardly from the top wall are spring actuation elements  136 ,  138  which are spaced from the front wall  96  along their length and which also provide spring actuation abutment surfaces  136   a ,  138   a , the function of which will be described hereinafter. The spring actuation elements  136 ,  138  are reinforced by ribs  136   b ,  138   b  ( 136   b  not shown but identical in mirror image fashion to  138   b ). 
     The front wall  96  is also reinforced by ribs  140   a ,  140   b ,  140   c . A central web  151  connects the recessed quarter-spherical portion  102  with the top wall  98  and into a void created by the raised latch element  106 . 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the compartment  86  of the drawer  72 . The compartment  86  includes a semicircular recess  152  on a top edge of the front wall  84  which is open into a rectangular recess  154  having a top edge  154   a , the recess  154  extending below a top edge  84   a  of the front wall  84 . Extending rearwardly from the front wall  84  is a reinforcing web  156  that is connected to the rear wall  92 . Extending inwardly from the sidewalls  88 ,  90  are cantilever spring arms  162 ,  164 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the rear wall  92  includes two vertical slots  166 ,  168  that each receives one of the locking tabs  132 ,  134  of the latching mechanism  80 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the latching mechanism  80  in its elevated position, fit within the compartment  86  of the drawer front wall  84 . The locking tab tapered head portions  132   a ,  134   a  have been downwardly slid against an inside surface of the rear wall  92 . The tabs  132 ,  134  resiliently deflect inwardly during the downward sliding movement, as the elements  136 ,  138  downwardly slide and press against an inside surface of the front wall  84 , until the head portions  132   a ,  134   a  are received into the slots  166 ,  168  with the retaining surfaces  132   b ,  134   b  retained from further upward vertical movement by top limits  166   a ,  168   a  of the slots  166 ,  168 . To facilitate the insertion of the latching mechanism  80  into the compartment and the deflection of the tabs during installation, the head portions  132   a ,  134   a  have oblique faces  132   c ,  134   c  which slide against the inside surface of the rear wall  92 . 
     FIG. 8 illustrates the spring actuation elements  136 ,  138  slightly depressing the cantilever spring arms  162 ,  164  due to the snap engagement of the locking tabs  132 ,  134  in the slots as shown in FIG.  7 . The central web  156  is vertically aligned with the reinforcing web  156  with a space therebetween to allow for relative vertical movement of the latching mechanism  80  with respect to the drawer  72 . 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the latching mechanism  80  in a vertically lowered position with respect to the drawer  72 . The spring actuation elements  136 ,  138  have more drastically deflected the cantilever spring arms  162 ,  164 . The central web  151  has reached a position adjacent to or abutting the reinforcing web  156 . The tabs  132 ,  134  have vertically translated through the slots  166 ,  168  without interference. 
     When assembled, the spring actuation elements  136 ,  138  are spaced from the front wall  96  of the latching mechanism  80  with a clearance to closely receive the front wall  84  of the drawer  72  between the spring actuation elements  136 ,  138  and the front wall  96  of the latching mechanism  80 . This acts to guide the vertical movement of the latching mechanism  80  with respect to the drawer  72 . Additionally, the top edge  154   a  of the rectangular recess  154  provides a vertical limit stop of an underside of the top wall  98 . 
     From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims, all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.