Patent Publication Number: US-11653760-B2

Title: Bracket for drawer slide

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/011,773, filed Apr. 17, 2020, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in full. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed generally to furniture, and more particularly to cabinets with sliding drawers and trays. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many cabinets, particularly those found in kitchens, include drawers for storing various items. Often, drawers are mounted to the cabinet with elongate drawer slides that are fixed to the drawer. Each drawer slide has a slide member fixed to the drawer that slidably engages a stationary member that is fixed to the walls of the cabinet (often either the slide member or the stationary member includes a small wheel that facilitates sliding motion). Some of such cabinets include multiple drawers, which can be disposed in vertically stacked fashion, side-by-side fashion, or both. 
     Some drawers have slides that are mounted on the underside of the drawer (so-called “undermounted” drawer slides). These drawer slides may be preferred in some environments because they are less exposed than side-mounted drawer slides (and therefore may be less exposed to damage) and may avoid taking up space on either side of the drawer. In some embodiments, undermounted slides may have mechanisms that cause the drawer to close automatically without slamming. An exemplary undermounted drawer slide is the DYNAMIC NT slide, available from Mepla-Alfit, Reinheim, Germany; another is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,817 to Simon. 
     An undermounted drawer slide may be mounted to a side wall of the cabinet, or may be mounted at either end to the front or rear wall. If the slide is to be mounted to the front or rear wall, often the wall will include mounting holes for receiving screws or other fasteners inserted through a mounting bracket that connects to the slide. However, the tolerances of cabinets and drawer slides are typically insufficiently precise to consistently position the holes in the mounting bracket for easy mounting of the drawer slide. Also, some currently popular cabinets have drawers that are configured such that, when the drawer is closed, the front face of the drawer is substantially flush with the front face of the cabinet. In such instances, it is typically desirable that the drawer be mounted precisely to ensure the flush relationship of the drawer face and cabinet face. However, achieving a flush relationship may be difficult due to inconsistencies in the thickness of the drawer face, the length of the cabinet and drawer slides, and the thickness of the front wall of the cabinet. Examples of systems that can help to address these issues are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,911,037, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in full by reference. 
     In view of the foregoing, it may be desirable to provide improved components that expand on this mounting technique. 
     SUMMARY 
     As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to an undermount slide bracket. The bracket comprises: a panel with upper and lower edges; a nub extending from a first side of the panel; a shelf extending from a second, opposed side of the panel; a lower panel extending downwardly from the shelf; a plurality of pairs of wings extending from the lower panel, the pairs of wings being arranged in stacked, spaced apart relationship, such that a gap is formed between adjacent pairs of wings; and a stop located in the gap between the wings. 
     As a second aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a bracket assembly for mounting a drawer slide in a cabinet comprising the undermount slide bracket described above and a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket comprises: a main panel having front and rear surfaces, upper and lower edges, and opposed side edges; an L-shaped upper flange mounted to front surface of the main panel; an L-shaped lower flange mounted to the front surface of the main panel substantially parallel to the upper flange; a recess in the main panel positioned between the upper flange and the lower flange; and means for mounting the main panel to the cabinet wall so that the rear surface confronts the rear wall. The upper edge of the undermount slide bracket panel is captured by the upper flange, the lower edge of the mating bracket panel is captured by the lower flange, and the nub is received in the recess. The recess and nub are configured such that the nub is free to translate horizontally within the recess relative to the main panel, such that the position of the mating bracket relative to the mounting bracket can be adjusted horizontally. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of an undercount slide bracket useful in mounting drawer slides in cabinets according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of the bracket of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a top view of the bracket of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is a rear view of the bracket of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  5    is a front perspective view of a mounting bracket that can be used with the undermount slide bracket of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  6    is a front perspective view of the undermount slide bracket of  FIG.  1    mounted on a bracket of  FIG.  5   , which is in turn mounted to the rear wall of a cabinet, wherein a drawer slide is being inserted into the lower gap of the undermount slide bracket. 
         FIG.  7    is a top perspective view of the components shown in  FIG.  6   , wherein the drawer slide is fully inserted into the lower gap and engages the stop residing therein. 
         FIG.  8    is a side perspective view of the front end of the drawer slide shown in  FIG.  7   , mounted within the “window” of the front wall of a cabinet. 
         FIG.  9    is a front perspective view of the undermount slide bracket of  FIG.  1    mounted on a bracket of  FIG.  5   , wherein a drawer slide is being inserted into the top gap of the undermount slide bracket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some components may be exaggerated for clarity. 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein the expression “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     In addition, spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature&#39;s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. 
     Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. 
     Referring now to the drawings, an undermount slide bracket, designated broadly at  40 , is shown in  FIGS.  1 - 4   . The undermount slide bracket  40  has a vertical panel  42  that extends downwardly to a shelf  43 . The shelf  43  extends forwardly to a lower panel  45 . The vertical panel  42  includes an upper edge  44  and a lower edge  46 . A rear nub  58  extends from the rear surface of the vertical panel  42 . 
     Three sets of wings (lower wings  48 , intermediate wings  50 , and upper wings  52 ) extend forwardly from the lower panel  45 . The lower wings  48  extend forwardly from the lower edge of the lower panel  45 , and the upper wings  52  extend forwardly from the shelf  43 . The wings  48 ,  50 ,  52  are “stair-stepped”, such that the intermediate wings  50  extend forwardly slightly farther than do the upper wings  52 , and the lower wings  48  extend forwardly slightly farther than do the intermediate wings  50 . The strata of wings  48 ,  50 ,  52  are separated from each other by foundations  53 ,  55 , which create gaps  49 ,  51  between respective pairs of wings  48 ,  50 ,  52 . It can also be seen in  FIG.  3    that the intermediate and upper wings  50 ,  52  are narrower in width than the lower wings  48 . 
     Reinforcing ribs  54  extend forwardly from the lateral edges of the vertical panel  42  and merge with the edges of the shelf  43 . A central rib  56  divides the wings  48 ,  50 ,  52  and extends upwardly from the upper wings  52 . The rib  56  includes a triangular gusset  57  that extends rearwardly to the front surface of the vertical panel  42 , although in other embodiments the gusset may extend farther forwardly, or may be omitted entirely. 
     As seen in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a lower stop  60  is present in each of the gaps  49  between the lower and intermediate wings  48 ,  50 . An upper stop  62  is present in each of the gaps  51  between the intermediate and upper wings  50 ,  52 . Notably, the upper stops  62  are not directly above the lower stops  60 , but instead are, in the illustrated embodiment, positioned farther rearwardly (i.e., nearer the lower panel  45 ) than the stops  60 . Also, in the illustrated embodiment, the stops  60 ,  62  extend from their respective foundations  53 ,  55  all the way to the edges of the wings  48 ,  50 ,  52 . 
     The undermount slide bracket  40  is typically of unitary construction, but may be formed of multiple components if desired. The undermount slide bracket  40  may be formed of any material suitable for the mounting of drawer slides; a polymeric material, such as acetal, is typically employed. The undermount drawer slide  40  is typically formed by injection molding. 
     The use of the undermount slide bracket  40  can be understood by reference to  FIGS.  5 - 8   . As described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,911,037, supra, a mounting bracket  10  (shown in  FIG.  5   ) includes a main panel  12 . An L-shaped upper flange  20  projects from the front side of the main panel  12  and extends downwardly, and another L-shaped lower flange  22  projects from the front side of the main panel and extends upwardly. An access ramp  16  leads from one edge of the main panel  12  toward the center thereof. The access ramp  16  leads to a rectangular recess  18  that extends horizontally between the upper and lower flanges  20 ,  22 . The inwardmost portion of the access ramp  16  juts forwardly (i.e., toward the front surface of the main panel  12 ), with the result that the recess is bounded on all sides: on three sides by the main panel  12 , and on the fourth side by the inwardmost portion of the access ramp  16 . 
     The back side of the main panel  12  may include features, such as split dowels, that enable the bracket  10  to be mounted to a rear cabinet wall  70 . In other embodiments, holes in the main panel  12  may receive screws for mounting the bracket  10  to the wall  70 . 
     The mounting bracket  10  is typically of unitary construction, but may be formed of multiple components if desired. The mounting bracket  10  may be formed of any material suitable for the mounting of drawer slides; a polymeric material, such as ABS, is typically employed. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS.  6  and  7   , interconnection of the mounting bracket  10  and the undermount slide bracket  40  is accomplished by sliding the upper edge  44  of the vertical panel  42  into the pocket created by the upper flange  20 , and by sliding the lower edge  46  of the vertical panel  42  into the pocket created by the lower flange  22  ( FIG.  6   ). When so positioned, the rear nub  58  is received in the access ramp  16  in the main panel  12 . The undermount slide bracket  40  is then slid toward the center of the mounting bracket  10  until the rear nub  58  is received in and captured by the rectangular recess. Once the nub  58  is positioned within the recess, the undermount slide bracket  40  is free to slide horizontally relative to the main panel  12  until the nub  58  strikes either of the side edges of the recess. Thus, the position of the undermount slide bracket  40  relative to the mounting bracket  10  can be adjusted. 
     Referring still to  FIG.  6   , once the mounting bracket  10  and undermount slide bracket  40  have been mounted to the cabinet wall  70  (typically by the manufacturer), a drawer slide  67  can be mounted to the undermount slide bracket  40 . Typically, the drawer slide  67  will not already be attached to the underside of a drawer, although this need not be the case. Mounting is achieved by sliding lips  68  that define a slot  69  in the drawer slides  67  into one of the set of the gaps  49 ,  51  between wings  48 ,  50 ,  52  of the undermount slide bracket  40  ( FIG.  6    shows the lips  68  inserted into the lower gap  49 , whereas  FIG.  9    shows the lips inserted into the upper gap  51 ). Notably, because the undermount slide bracket  40  is free to slide horizontally relative to the mounting bracket  10 , the horizontal position of the undermount slide bracket  40  can be adjusted so that the drawer slide  67  can be received more readily and easily even if the drawer slide  67  is already mounted to the drawer. 
     Because the stops  60 ,  62  are present between vertically adjacent wings  48 ,  50 ,  52 , they can ensure that the slides  67  of the same drawer are positioned similarly within the undermount slide bracket  40 . Also, the presence of the stops  60 ,  62  at the same location on each side of the undermount slide bracket  40  can ensure that each drawer slide  67  is oriented correctly relative to the undermount slide bracket  40  (i.e., the drawer slide  67  is not canted or tilted to the left or right) for proper mounting on the front of the cabinet. 
     In addition, the presence of the stops  60 ,  62  can provide an engagement surface within the gaps  49 ,  51  that, when the lips  68  engage the stops  60 ,  62 , the stops provide a forwardly-directed pressure thereon. This pressure can assist in maintaining both the undermount slide bracket  40  in place relative to the bracket  10  and the drawer slide  67  in place relative to the undermount slide bracket  40 . On some embodiments, the stops  60 ,  62  are located so that the drawer slides  67  extend into the gaps  49 ,  51  at least 50 percent of the length of the wings  48 ,  50 ,  52  from the lower panel  45  (in other words, at least 50 percent of the length of the pairs of wings that sandwich the drawer slide  67  engage the drawer slide  67 ). 
     Further, the relative positions of the stops  60 ,  62  can enable the same undermount slide bracket  40  to be employed with drawer slides of different sizes, and even from different manufacturers. This flexibility can enable cabinet manufacturers to use fewer different sizes of undermount slide brackets  40 . 
     Further, although the stops  60 ,  62  are shown with the stops  60  being “forward” of the stops  62 , in some embodiments these relative positions may be reversed. In other embodiments, one of the pairs of stops  60 ,  62  may be omitted. It should be noted that, if the undermount slide bracket  40  is injection molded, the positions of the stops  60 ,  62  may be changed by moving inserts within the mold, thereby enabling the production of a variety of brackets  40  with the same underlying base mold. 
     It should also be noted that the dimensions of the upper and lower edges  44 ,  46  of the undermount slide bracket  40 , the upper and lower flanges  20 ,  22 , and/or the nub  58  may be selected so that there is some frictional resistance to horizontal movement of the nub  58  within the recess  18 . Such frictional resistance can limit unwanted horizontal movement, such that once the position of the undermount slide bracket  40  has been adjusted, the undermount slide bracket  40  remains in place and provides stable mounting to the drawer slide  67 . 
     It should be noted that the bracket  10  may take a large variety of different configurations, particularly on the rear side of the main panel  12 , that enable the bracket  10  of choice to used with a particular cabinet wall  70 . Generally speaking, manufacturers of cabinets often employ several different hole patterns for mounting of the bracket  10 . Virtually any of the brackets  10  that may be employed with such a cabinet may be used with the undermount slide brackets  40  described herein. As a result, “mixing and matching” of the combination of the brackets  10 , the undermount slide brackets  40 , and the drawer slides  67  is facilitated by the versatility of the undermount slide bracket  40 . 
     As another potential advantage, in some embodiments only a single stop is included, and on only one side of the wings, and is positioned near the “entrance” of one of the gaps to indicate to the installer that it is the other gap that is to receive the drawer side. 
     It should also be noted that, although the undermount slide bracket  40  is illustrated herein, other varieties of undermount slide brackets that are suitable for mounting of undermount drawer slides may also be employed. 
     The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.