Abstract:
A drawer mounted on a drawer housing which is attached to the base plate of a cabinet, the drawer being sized to contain a bathroom scale, and being movable inwardly and outwardly by attachment to telescopic drawer glides. A hinged door is mounted to the drawer housing to cover the drawer when in a closed position. An alternative provides and electro-mechanical connection to the drawer, to enable opening and closing of the drawer by activation of an electrical motor.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for mounting to the base of a cabinet of the type commonly used in residential kitchens or bathrooms, for supporting a scale and providing a sliding drawer for moving the scale outwardly from the cabinet or inwardly to a secured position under the cabinet. 
     Any conventional cabinet of the type commonly used in residential or commercial construction can be easily adapted for receiving the present invention. Such cabinets typically have a recessed base portion supporting a storage cabinet which may have slidable drawers or hinged doors enclosing a storage volume. The base portion typically measures about 3½ inches in height and at least about 18 inches in depth, with a standard cabinet width—usually between 13½ and 16 inches. To adapt a cabinet to receive the invention requires only that a portion of the front base plate of the cabinet be removed; the size of the removed base plate portion corresponds to the external dimensions of the slidable drawer corresponding to the present invention. When the base plate portion is removed, an under-cabinet volume is revealed which is an unobstructed opening of a size which easily receives the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises an apparatus for attachment to a conventional cabinet, having a drawer for holding a scale, commonly referred to as a bathroom scale. The drawer is mounted to a pair of telescoping drawer glides, and one end of each glide is attachable to the interior of the cabinet and the other end of each glide is attachable to the drawer. The drawer glides are extendable, preferably through three telescoping sections, to allow the drawer to be moved well outside the front profile of the cabinet. When fully expanded, the drawer glides position the drawer with the scale sufficiently far from the cabinet to permit space for a person to stand on the scale to be weighed, without interference with the cabinet. An alternative embodiment of the invention includes an electrical motor and drive assembly connected to a telescoping rod or tube, whereby activation of the motor extends and retracts the telescoping rod or tube, and whereby the end of the rod or tube is connected to the slidable drawer. 
     It is a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a drawer for holding a scale used for measuring a person&#39;s weight, occupying a storage position in the otherwise unused space in a cabinet base. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a scale storage drawer which can be moved conveniently into a storage space beneath a cabinet which is otherwise unused and wasted space. 
     It is a further object of the alternative embodiment of the invention to provide a scale drawer which is openable and closeable by operation of an electrical motor drive system. 
     Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims and with reference to the appended drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a conventional cabinet with the invention shown in an extended position; 
     FIG. 2 shows a front elevation view of the invention in partial breakaway view; 
     FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of the invention in retracted position with a cabinet shown in cross section; 
     FIG. 4 shows the same side elevation view of the invention, with the drawer in extended position; and 
     FIG. 5 shows a top view of an alternate embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, an isometric view of a typical cabinet  10  is shown, with the invention shown in a mounted position, and with the drawer  20  extended. The drawer  20  is mounted to a pair of telescoping drawer glides  22 ,  23 , which are commercially available and operate by using nestable sections which are slidable inside one another. For example, glide  22  has an outer section  22   a  (see FIGS.  2 - 4 ), an intermediate section  22   b , and an interior section  22   c , all of which side relative to one another. Section  22   a  is affixed at one end to a drawer housing  40 , and section  22   c  is affixed to drawer  20 . The glide sections are designed with interlocks between the various sections to prevent the sections from completely withdrawing from one another and separating. 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, an isometric view of a typical cabinet  10  is shown, with the invention shown in a mounted position, and with the drawer  20  extended. The drawer  20  is mounted to a pair of telescoping drawer glides  22 ,  23 , which are commercially available and operate by using nestable sections which are slidable inside one another. For example, glide  22  has an outer section  22   a , an intermediate section  22   b , and an interior section  22   c , all of which slide relative to one another. Section  22   a  is affixed at one end to a drawer housing  40 , and section  22   c  is affixed to drawer  20 . The glide sections are designed with interlocks between the various sections to prevent the sections from completely withdrawing from one another and separating. 
     A scale  30  is mounted inside drawer  20  as shown, preferably with sufficient clearance around the perimeter of scale  30  so as not to interfere with the function and operation of the scale  30 . Drawer  20  has a pair of adjustable feet  26 ,  28  attached to its underside, to provide support for the drawer when a person is standing on scale  30 . The feet are individually adjustable by a threaded mounting screw, so as to provide a means for leveling the drawer against the floor when in use. Optionally, a handle  15  may be attached to the front of drawer  20  to assist in opening the drawer. 
     FIG. 2 shows a front elevation view of the invention with portions of a hinged door  50  removed for clarity. Door  50  is pivotal about a hinge pin  51  on either side of the door  50 . Each hinge pin  51  is pivotally mounted through a corresponding opening in the drawer housing  40 . In an alternative construction, door  50  could also be hinged along a bottom edge, as with a piano hinge or similar device, and in such construction the door  50  would pivot downwardly, and drawer  20  would slide over the top of the door  50 . 
     The drawer glide section  22   a  is attached at its interior end to drawer housing  40 . Drawer housing  40  has a bottom surface  41  which rests on spring  48 , and has a pair of parallel upstanding side walls, each of which have a front flange ( 42 ,  43 ) which extends outside the opening in the cabinet base  11 . Each flange has openings  44  for accepting fasteners to secure the drawer housing  40  to the cabinet base  11 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of the invention, retracted into the volume of cabinet base  11 . Cabinet  10  and drawer housing  40  are each shown in partial cutaway for clarity. The attachment fastener  25  is shown, which attaches the rear edge of glide section  22   a  to drawer housing  40 , and permits a limited degree of pivotal motion of drawer  20 . Drawer glides  22   a  and  23   a  each rest on leaf springs  48 , which have sufficient stiffness to support the front end of drawer  20  in an elevated position when the drawer is retracted. FIG. 4 shows the same view, with the drawer  20  opened. The leaf springs  48  become compressed and flattened when the drawer  20  is opened and a person stands on the scale  30 ; otherwise, the spring force of leaf springs  48  is sufficient keep the feet  26 ,  28  raised from the floor as the drawer opens and closes. 
     FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention, wherein the drawer  20  may be retracted and extended under electrical control. The alternative shown is intended to be representative, it being understood that other forms of electro-mechanical drive may be contemplated to accomplish this function. A low voltage power supply  60  is mounted to drawer housing  40 ; power supply  60  may be a 12-volt transformer for converting 120-volt AC power input (not shown) to 12-volt AC output, which is connected to a conventional rectifier circuit  62 . Rectifier circuit  62  produces a 12-volt DC output voltage which is connected to a 12-volt DC motor  65 . Motor  65  is mechanically connected to drive a cable reel  68  by rotary motion. A length of flexible cable  69  is wound around cable reel  68 ; the end of cable  69  being connected to a telescoping tube  70  at connection  72 . When voltage is applied to motor  65 , cable reel  68  is caused to rotate, and cable is unwound from cable reel  68 , causing telescoping tube  70  to extend. As telescoping tube  70  extends, drawer  20  is caused to open by virtue of the mechanical connection  72 . Cable reel  68  is equipped with a safety clutch  67 , which has a switch to disconnect the power to motor  65  whenever sufficient resistance to motion is detected. Motor  65  is a reversible motor, and an external power switch (not shown) can be switched to turn the motor on in either direction. Experimentation has shown that a commercially available automobile power antenna assembly can be used to perform the functions described herein, by connecting the telescoping antenna at point  72 , and using the commercial antenna motor and cable reel assembly to operate as described herein. The antenna assembly typically includes a four-section telescoping tubular antenna body connected to a cable and reel assembly as described herein. The electrical and mechanical components will readily fit within the volume provided, including the drawer and drawer housing mechanism. 
     In operation, whether manual or electrical, the drawer is pulled outward from its protected storage position with the cabinet base, until the scale is fully positioned away from the cabinet. The user may then step on the scale to be weighed, and when finished with the weighing operation, simply move the drawer back under the cabinet base for further storage. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof; and it is, therefore, desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.