Abstract:
A drawer unit has a frame and two or more drawers. The frame may be made in a single piece, for example of injection molded plastic. The drawers may also be of a single piece, for example of injection molded plastic. The frame may be open in a vertical region between the top and bottom of the frame, or between an upper and a lower drawer, in a horizontal region including the bottom of the upper drawer. The frame may also be without horizontal members between the fronts of the drawers. The frame and a drawer may each have a part of a drawer slider mechanism integrated into them. The top and bottom of the frame may be sized and configured such that an upper frame bottom may nest into a lower frame top. A slider mechanism may resist lateral deflection of the side of the frame. The fronts of the drawers may slope upwards to the back of the drawer. The front of the frame may include surfaces backing or obscuring from view angled portions of the drawer fronts.

Description:
This is an application claiming the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/798,323 filed May 8, 2006. Application Ser. No. 60/798,323 is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by this reference to it. 

   FIELD 
   This specification relates to furniture having drawers. 
   BACKGROUND 
   A drawer unit, optionally called a chest of drawers, may have a frame, optionally called a carcase, and drawers. The frame may have two sides, a top and bottom, and a back forming five of the six sides of a rectangular prism. Sides may be defined by, for example, a solid surface, a system of horizontal and vertical members, or merely a pair of posts, one or more of which may be shared with an adjacent side. The sixth side, or front, may have a face frame with horizontal cross members spanning between sides of the face frame. Alternately, the front may be defined by the edges of the sides and interior frames or plates spanning between the sides. The cross members of the face frame or the interior frames or plates divide the frame into a series of cavities, each cavity sized to accept a corresponding drawer. The drawers may rest on the cross members, frames or plates, directly or through runners attached to the frame. Alternately, the drawer may be supported on glides, alternately called sliders or other names, which are mechanisms having a pair of matched components, one of the components attached to the drawer, one to the frame. 
   In plastic drawer units, a frame may be assembled from stacked sub-frames, Each sub-frame may have a horizontal plate or frame and four posts extending upwards from the horizontal frame to a height slightly greater than a corresponding drawer. Several sub-frames may be attached together in a vertical stack with a top placed on the upper sub-frame to form a multi-drawer frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,806 describes an example of such a plastic drawer unit. 
   SUMMARY 
   The following summary is intended to introduce the reader to this specification but not to define any invention. One or more inventions may reside in a combination or sub-combination of apparatus elements or process steps described in this summary or in other parts of this document, for example the detailed description or the claims. 
   When making furniture with drawers, particularly furniture that is to be produced in a factory, it is generally desirable to reduce the number of components and assembly steps for a given product. When working with plastics it is also generally desirable to reduce the mass of plastic in a given product. However, it is also generally desirable for a drawer unit to have a clean appearance and for the drawers to operate conveniently. 
   This specification describes a drawer unit comprising a one piece frame and two or more drawers. The frame or drawers may be adapted to be injection molded of plastic. The frame or drawer may be molded in a fully formed state in a single mold. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit having a frame and two or more drawers. The interior of the frame is open in plan view in an area containing the bottom of a closed drawer and in elevation view between the top and bottom of the frame or between two drawers. The frame may be without horizontal members between vertically adjacent drawer fronts. The depth of a drawer may extend beyond a spacing between vertically spaced drawer slider elements associated with the frame. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame and a drawer wherein the frame and drawer each have one part of a drawer slider mechanism integrated into them. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame with a top and a bottom. The top and bottom are sized and configured such that, if two drawer units are stacked vertically, the bottom of the frame of an upper drawer unit may be nested into the top of the frame of a lower drawer unit. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit having a frame and a drawer. The drawer may slide relative to the frame through a slider mechanism. The slider mechanism may be adapted to resist deflection of the sides of the frame away from the drawer. The resistance may be provided by an interference fit between a portion of the slider mechanism associated with the drawer and a portion of the slider mechanism associated with the frame. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit having two or more drawers. The front of the drawers may slope upwards towards the back of the drawer. When closed, the bottom of the front of an upper drawer may protrude forward beyond the top of the front of a lower drawer. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit having a frame and a drawer. The front of the drawer may extend horizontally past sides of the drawer to produce an edge of the front of the drawer. In a front view, the edge may have a slope downwards and inwards. In a side view, the edge may slope upwards and towards the back of the drawer. The frame may have a front that provides a vertical surface directly behind the front view slope when viewed from the front. The face may have a vertical surface outside of the drawer edges that covers the side view slope when viewed from the side. The drawer may be injection molded of plastic and the slopes may correspond to draft angles of a mold used to produce the drawers. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a one piece injection molded plastic frame and two or more drawers. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame and a drawer; the frame comprising a top, a bottom, and a pair of sides; the drawer comprising a drawer bottom, wherein the frame is open in a region which in plan view includes the area of the drawer bottom and in elevation view extends between two vertically adjacent drawers. The drawer unit may have a second drawer wherein the second drawer is upper and may abut the lower drawer. The bottom of the upper drawer may abut against the top edge of the front of the lower drawer. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame and a drawer wherein the sides of the frames have two or more vertically spaced horizontally extending runners and the drawers have sides, the drawer sides having horizontally extending ridges, wherein the runners of the sides and ridges of the drawers are configured to slide together such that a portion of the runner is interior to a portion of the ridge so as to provide a laterally interfering fit. The sides of the drawer may have a vertical depth greater than the vertical spacing between the runners. The runners and ridges may have a vertically interfering fit. The runners may comprise a surface above the ridges. The surface above the ridges may be generally continuous along the length of the runner. The runners may comprise a surface below the ridges. The surface below the ridges may comprise a portion near the front of the frame which abuts against the ridge. The runners may have detents. A detent of the back of the drawer may abut a horizontal portion of the runner. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame, the frame further comprising a top and a bottom, the top having a raised lip, the inside of the raised lip being outside the plan view periphery of the bottom. The raised lip may surround the perimeter of the top. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame and a drawer wherein the drawer has a front sloping upwards towards the back of the drawer. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame and a drawer wherein a part of the drawer has edges extending beyond the sides of the drawer and backs of the edges slope upwards towards the back of the drawer. The drawer may be injection molded. The frame may have sides and the frame sides may have front edges that overlap the edges of the drawer at least as far as the back of the bottom of the drawer edges. 
   This specification also describes a drawer unit comprising a frame and two or more drawers wherein the frame is free of horizontal members between the fronts of vertically adjacent drawers. 
   This specification also describes the ornamental design of a frame, drawer or drawer unit as shown in the Figures. 
   This specification also describes various further combinations of two or more of the aspects or sets of features discussed above and various additional features. An embodiment will be described below having the aspects discussed above as well as various additional features. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a drawer unit showing the front, right side and top. 
       FIG. 2  is a right side elevation view of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3A  is an elevation view of a part of the right side of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  with a fully open drawer. 
       FIG. 3B  is an elevation view of a part of the right side of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  with a partially opened drawer. 
       FIG. 4  is an elevation view of a part of the right side of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  with a drawer removed. 
       FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a part of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  with an upper drawer removed and a lower drawer partly open and showing the inside of the back and right side of the drawer unit. 
       FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a drawer of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  showing the front, top and right side of the drawer. 
       FIGS. 7A ,  7 B and  7 C are cross sections of parts of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  along the section lines shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 8A  is a front view of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 8B  is a front view of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  with a drawer removed. 
       FIG. 8C  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 8B . 
       FIGS. 9A ,  9 B and  9 C are front views of the drawer unit of  FIG. 1  with alternate drawer sets. 
       FIG. 10  is a front view of a pair of the drawer units of  FIG. 1  stacked vertically. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Various apparatuses or processes will be described below to provide an example of an embodiment of each claimed invention. No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover processes or apparatuses that are not described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an embodiment of any claimed invention. The applicants, inventors and owners reserve all rights in any invention disclosed in an apparatus or process described below that is not claimed in this document, for example the right to claim such an invention in a continuing application, and do not abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document. 
     FIG. 1  shows a drawer unit  10  having a frame  12  and a drawer  14 . The drawer unit  10  may have one or more drawers, for example between 2 and 6, or three as shown. The frame  12  is adapted to be injection molded of plastic in a single piece in the form shown. Each drawer  14  is also adapted to be injection molded of plastic in a single piece. Alternately, a frame or drawer may be made of other materials, in multiple pieces or in a single or multiple piece knock down form that may be folded or assembled into the standing configuration shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   The frame  10  has a top  16 , bottom  18 , back  20 , front  22 , left side  24  and a right side  26 . The right side  26  visible in  FIG. 8B  and is generally a mirror image of the left side  24 . Referring to  FIG. 6 , a drawer  14  has a top  28 , left side  30 , right side  32 , bottom  34 , back  36  and front  38 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 ,  7 C,  8 B and  8 C, the front  22  of the frame  12  defines an entrance or opening  40  sized and configured to accept a drawer  14 , or multiple drawers  14  or all of the drawers  14  of the drawer unit  10 . To accept a drawer  14 , the opening  40  admits at least a major portion of the drawer  14  behind the front  38  of the drawer  14 . The front  22  of the frame  12  or the opening  40  may be without horizontal cross members spanning across the sides  24 ,  26  of the frame  12  between a vertically adjacent pair of drawers  14  or between all vertically adjacent pairs of drawers  14 . The frame  12  may be open in plan view area between a pair of vertically adjacent drawers  14  or between all pairs of vertically adjacent drawers  14 . In this way, a drawer  14  may be replaced by a deeper drawer, for example deep drawer  44  or double drawer  42  shown in  FIGS. 9B and 9C , without interference between the deeper drawer and the frame  12 . 
   Referring, for example, to  FIGS. 5 ,  7 A,  7 B and  7 C, the sides  24 ,  26  of the frame  12  have runners  46 . The runners  46  protrude inwards from the sides  24 ,  26  and extend generally horizontally across most of the width of the sides  24 ,  26 . The runners  46  may have an upper part  48  and a lower part  50  which define an open fronted slot  52 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , the sides  24 ,  26  may have multiple vertically spaced runners  46 . The spacing between adjacent runners  46  may be generally constant as shown, or according to some other form of division, or irregular. An uppermost runner  46  may incorporate the top  16  of the frame in place of an upper part  48 . The runners  46  may be integral with, for example molded as a part of the sides  24 ,  26  of the frame  12 , or may be separate components attached to the sides  24 ,  26 . 
   The tops  28  of a drawer  14  may have ridges  54  extending horizontally across most of the length of the sides  30 ,  32  of the drawer  14 . The ridges  54  of a drawer  14  may slide into, out of or along a portion of the length of the runners  46 . When the ridges  54  of a drawer  14  are at least partially within the slot  52  of a runner  44  a portion of the runner  46  is located between an outer wall portion  56  of the ridge  54  of the drawer  14  and the side  30 ,  32  of the drawer  14 . This provides a laterally interfering fit between the ridge  54  and the runner  46 . In this way, the drawer  14  prevents the sides  24 ,  26  of the frame from moving away from each other beyond a permitted range of movement. This in turn inhibits slender column buckling of the sides  24 ,  26  of the frame  12  and so allows for a comparatively lighter structure of the sides  24 ,  26 , or the reduction or elimination of horizontal cross members between the sides  24 ,  26 . 
   Runners  46  may be provided at vertical locations part way, for example half way, between the top  28  and bottom  34  of the drawer  12 . In this way, as shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , a shorter drawer  60  may be used in place of a drawer  14  and another drawer added below the shorter drawer  60 . For example, two shorter drawers  60  may fill the space of one drawer  14 . In the drawer unit  10  shown, each side  24 ,  26  has six equally spaced runners  46  and may be outfitted with drawers  14 ,  42 ,  44 ,  60  corresponding to a multiple, for example one, two, three or four of the spaces between adjacent runners  46 . This allows the alternate drawer units  62  of  FIG. 9A ,  9 B, or  9 C to be made. Other alternate drawer units may also be made. For example, in  FIG. 9A , any one or two adjacent pairs of shorter drawers  60  may be replaced by a drawer  14 . For further example, in  FIG. 9B , any adjacent pair of shorter drawers  60  may be replaced by a drawer  14  or all three shorter drawers  60  may be replaced by a deep drawer  44 . For further example, in  FIG. 9C , the drawer  14  may be replaced by a pair of shorter drawers  60 . Alternate drawers  42 ,  44 ,  46  may be similar to drawer  14  in all respects other than their depth. 
   Referring, for example, to  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the ridges  54  of the drawers  14  may also have a vertically interfering fit with runners  46 . To support the weight of the drawer, a rear corner  64  of the ridge may be shallower than the wall portion  56  of the ridges  54 . The rear corner  64  of the ridge  54  is narrower than the slot  52  to allow the drawer  14  to be slid into the slot  52 . The rear corner  64  can abut on or bear against the lower part  50  of the runner to help transfer the weight of the drawer  14  to the frame  12 . Further, the front of the lower part  50  may have a notch  66  which provides clearance for the outer wall portion  56  when the ridge  54  is slid into the slot  52 . The upper surface of this notch  66  may bear against the bottom surface of the wall portion  56  of the ridge  54  to help transfer load from the drawer  14  to the frame  12 . When a drawer  14  is fully closed, as shown for example in  FIG. 2 , or partially closed to a degree in which most of the weight of the drawer and its contents are behind the notch  66 , the weight of the drawer  14  and its contents are essentially carried by the two pairs of abutting surfaces described above. 
   To help prevent a person from inadvertently pulling a drawer  14  too far out of the frame  12 , the runners  46  may have a detent  68  which protrudes upwards from the lower part  50  of the runner  46  into the slot  52 . As shown in  FIG. 3A , when a person pulls a drawer  14  open, but supports the front  38  of the drawer, the inside of the rear corner  64  of the ridge  54  will abut against detent  68  at a forward position of the drawer  14 . However, if the person lowers the front of drawer  14 , the rear corner  64  of ridge  54  may be pivoted upwards to clear detent  68  and allow the drawer  14  to be removed because the thickness of rear corner  64  is less than the distance between the top of detent  68  and the bottom of upper part  48  of runner  46 . On installation of a drawer  14 , a sloped front  70  of the detent  68  lifts the rear corner  64  of the ridge  54  as it passes by the detent  68 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3B , when a drawer  14  is opened to a point where most of the weight of the drawer  14  is in front of notch  66 , the drawer  14  may tip downward. In this case, the top of the rear corner  64  may abut against and bear on a lower surface of the upper part  48  of runner  46 . For the uppermost drawer  14 , rear corner  64  may bear on the top  16  of the frame. Alternately or additionally, the back  36  of a drawer  14  may bear on the bottom  34  of an upper drawer  14 . In a position as shown in  FIG. 3B , the drawer  14  may continue to be supported by notch  66 , or may be supported by the top of the front  32  of a lower drawer or the bottom  18  of the frame  12 , or in part by the notch  66  and in part by a part of a drawer  14  or the frame  12 , below and abutting against the bottom  18  of the open drawer  14 . 
   Referring for example to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  10 , the top  16  of the frame  12  has a platform  72  surrounded by a raised lip  74 . The bottom  18  of the frame  12  has a pedestal  76 . The outer periphery of the pedestal  76  may be sized and configured to fit inside the lip  74  of the top  16 . In this way, the bottom  18   b  of an upper drawer unit  10   b  can be fit inside the top  16   a  of a lower drawer unit  10   a . The pedestal  76  may have an interference fit in the lip  74  such that the upper drawer unit  10   b  may not move sideways relative to the lower drawer unit  10   a.    
   Referring for example to  FIG. 2 , the front  38  of the drawers  14  may slope upwards towards the back of the drawer  14 . A front face of the front  38  of the drawer  14 , excluding a handle  78 , sticks out farther near the bottom  34  of the drawer  14  than near the top  28 . In this way, a line of sight into a lower drawer  14  through a vertical gap between the lower drawer  14  and an upper drawer  14  only exists up to a shallow angle, for example 30 degrees or less or 20 degrees or less from horizontal. This makes it difficult to see the contents inside the lower drawer  14 , even if the lower drawer  14  is slightly open, despite the lack or horizontal cross members between vertically adjacent drawer fronts  38 . Since it is difficult to see into a lower drawer  14 , the appearance of the front of the drawer unit  10  is smoother and less cluttered. 
   Referring, for example, to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 A and  6 , the front  38  of a drawer  14  may have edges  80  that extend beyond the sides  30 ,  32  of the drawer  14 . As shown for example in  FIG. 8C , these edges  80  hide the runners  46  and various other complex molded shapes of the sides  24 ,  26  of the frame  12  in a front view of the drawer unit  10 . The edges  80  also hide the ridges  54  of the drawer  14  in a front view. This again provides a cleaner, less cluttered appearance to the front of the drawer unit  10 . 
   In a side view, as shown for example in  FIGS. 2 and 3A , the back of the edges  80  slope upwards and to the back of the drawer  14  at an angle from vertical slightly greater than for the face of the drawer  14  front  38 . This provides draft angles to facilitate injection molding the drawers  14 . However, when a drawer  14  is closed, the angle of the back of the edges  80  is hidden by a projection  82  of the sides  24 ,  26  or front  22  of the frame  12  that overlaps the edges  80  of the drawer  14 . This again improves the appearance of the front of the drawer unit  10 . 
   As shown for example in  FIGS. 8A ,  8 B and  8 C, the edges  80  may also angle outwards towards the top  28  of the drawer  14 . The drawer  14  may be generally wider at the top  28  than at the bottom  34 . This again provides draft angles that facilitate injection molding the drawer. In a front view, spaces are created between the projection  82  and the edges. A smooth backing surface  84  of the sides  24 ,  26  or front  22  of the frame behind these spaces minimizes the visual distraction that might otherwise be created by those spaces. 
   The invention or inventions which are currently claimed in this document are described in the following claims.