Patent Publication Number: US-2013249369-A1

Title: Container rail for a drawer container

Description:
The present invention concerns a drawer arrangement comprising a container rail pre-mounted to a drawer container and a drawer extension guide having a movable drawer rail, wherein the drawer container can be fixedly connected to the movable drawer rail of the drawer extension guide by way of the container rail for extendable support with respect to a furniture carcass, wherein the container rail has a portion which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section and which in the mounted condition accommodates the drawer rail. 
     Such a container rail is frequently fitted in a recess in the underside of the bottom of a drawer container and serves to connect the drawer container to a movable rail of a drawer extension guide. In that case the drawer extension guide can selectively be in the form of a two-part rail system with a carcass rail to be fixed to a furniture carcass and a drawer rail displaceable relative thereto, or also in the form of a three-part rail system, wherein an additional central rail is supported displaceably between the carcass rail and the drawer rail in order in that way to permit full extension of the drawer container relative to a furniture carcass. In conventional solutions for connecting the drawer container to typically two drawer extension guides pre-mounted to the furniture carcass, the drawer container is fitted with the container rails fixed to the drawer bottom, on to the drawer rails of the drawer extension guides, and connected with corresponding fixing means mounted to the drawer extension guides. For that purpose it is generally necessary for the fitter to displace the drawer container along the drawer rails, in which case the drawer container is guided solely by the fitter until being fixed to the drawer rails, whereby lateral displacement of the drawer container can occur during the pushing-in movement. Not infrequently that involves tilting of the drawer container and resultant damage to the drawer side walls. 
     The object of the invention is to provide a drawer arrangement of the general kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, while avoiding the foregoing disadvantages, wherein the invention seeks to provide in particular for guidance and pre-positioning of the drawer container during mounting on the drawer extension guides associated therewith. 
     According to the invention that is achieved by the features of claim  1 . Further advantageous configurations of the invention are recited in the appendant claims. 
     According to the invention therefore it is provided that provided in the U-shaped portion is at least one abutment for the drawer rail, the abutment extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail. 
     That can provide for stable mounting of the drawer container on the drawer rails of the drawer extension guides and in particular this can avoid tilting when mounting the drawer container to the drawer extension guides. In that way it is also possible to avoid the drawer side walls of the drawer container being scratched in the assembly procedure for example against the carcass rails of the drawer extension guides and/or the side walls of the furniture carcass, by virtue of the drawer container being inserted in a skewed position. That is particularly important when the drawer side walls have sensitive outside surfaces, for example sensitive decorative portions. In that respect the proposed at least one abutment is helpful in particular when fitting the drawer container to the drawer extension guides. After fitting has been effected the drawer rail can be so oriented for example by suitable fixing to the container rail that the drawer rail no longer bears against the abutment on the container rail. 
     Preferably the at least one abutment can be formed by a series of individual abutments which overall form the abutment which preferably extends in the longitudinal direction of the rail. Structurally that can be achieved for example by the abutment being formed by at least one knob which is embossed or stamped out of the container rail, preferably by a series of knobs which are embossed or stamped out of the container rail along a notional straight line. In that case those knobs can be arranged on a horizontal limb and/or on a leg of the U-shaped portion of the container rail and thus overall form one or more abutments for the drawer rail. 
     The internal width of the U-shaped portion of the container rail can be reduced by the at least one abutment so that as a result pre-positioning of the container rail can be achieved for subsequent fixing to the drawer rail. For that purpose the U-shaped portion can have a leg, wherein the abutment which can be arranged on the horizontal limb of the U-shaped portion is arranged spaced horizontally from the leg and the remaining internal width of the U-shaped portion is greater than or equal to the width of the drawer rail. In that case the leg of the U-shaped portion and the abutment can form a guide means for the drawer rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail. From another point of view, the container rail can be supported displaceably on the drawer rail in the longitudinal direction of the rail with the minimum play, by the at least one abutment. 
     Alternatively or additionally the leg of the U-shaped portion can also have an abutment. It can preferably be provided in that case that the U-shaped portion has a horizontal limb, the horizontal limb having a first abutment, and the U-shaped portion has a leg, wherein the leg has a second abutment, wherein the remaining internal width between the first abutment and the second abutment is greater than or equal to the width of the drawer rail. 
     Depending on whether there is only one abutment or for example two abutments, there can be a remaining internal width between the leg and an abutment on the horizontal limb or another remaining internal width between a first abutment on the leg and a second abutment on the horizontal limb, wherein the respective internal width is preferably only slightly greater than the width of the drawer rail. 
     Preferably it can be provided in that case that the respective remaining internal width is greater than the width of the drawer rail by at most 5%, preferably by at most 1%. For example it can be provided that the respective remaining internal width is greater than the width of the drawer rail in the region of between 0.2 mm and 1.6 mm, preferably by at most 0.8 mm. 
     In a further variant of the invention it can be so designed that the container rail has fixing means for releasable fixing of the drawer rail. In particular it can be provided that arranged in the front end region of the container rail in the U-shaped portion is a releasable coupling for connecting the container rail to the drawer rail. 
     In a preferred embodiment it can also be provided that the container rail is made from a metallic material. 
     In a particularly preferably embodiment there is provided a pair of container rails of the general specified kind for the drawer container, wherein only one of the two container rails has at least one abutment extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail while the other container rail has no abutment in the U-shaped portion. 
    
    
     
       Further details and advantages of the present invention are described by means of the specific description hereinafter. In the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  shows a front view of a drawer container with embodiments mounted thereto of proposed container rails, 
         FIG. 1   a  is shows a detail view of a region in  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view from below of a variant of the proposed container rail, 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view from below of an embodiment of a proposed pair of container rails with drawer side walls fixed thereto, 
         FIG. 3   a  shows a detail view of a region in  FIG. 3 , 
         FIGS. 4 and 4   a  show further perspective views from below of the views in  FIGS. 3 and 3   a  with drawer rails fitted into the container rails, 
         FIGS. 5 ,  5   a  and  5   b  show a view from below and detail views of container rails shown in  FIG. 4 , 
         FIGS. 6 ,  6   a  and  6   b  show a front view and detail views of container rails shown in  FIG. 5 , 
         FIG. 7  shows a perspective view from below of a drawer container with embodiments fixed thereto of proposed container rails, and 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view from above of an article of furniture with a plurality of drawer containers as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a front view of a drawer container  2  with container rails  1 ,  1 ′ mounted thereto and Figure is shows the region marked with a circle in  FIG. 1  on an enlarged scale. The container rails  1 ,  1 ′ serve for fixing the drawer container  2  to drawer extension guides  5  which are pre-mounted for example in a furniture carcass  3  (not shown here) and on which the drawer container  2  is mounted displaceably in the longitudinal direction L of the rail for being extended from the furniture carcass  3  or for being moved into the furniture carcass  3 . The drawer extension guides  5  typically each include at least one carcass rail  16  fixed with respect to the carcass and a drawer rail  4  displaceable relative thereto in the longitudinal direction L of the rail (see  FIG. 4 ). In addition a central rail  17  can be arranged between the carcass rail  16  and the drawer rail  4  and which permits full extension of the drawer container  2  from the furniture carcass  3 . 
     At its underside in the region of the outer edges the drawer bottom  11  of the drawer container  2  has recesses  12  which are open towards the lateral edge of the drawer bottom  11  so that the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ can be fitted into the recesses  12  in the drawer bottom  11 . In this example the recesses  12  extend substantially over the entire length of the drawer bottom  11 . The container rails  1 ,  1 ′ have U-shaped portions  6  adjoined by respective horizontal contact limbs  10 . In this case the U-shaped portions  6  each include a leg  9  which projects substantially at a right angle from the respective horizontal contact limb  10 . The container rails  1 ,  1 ′ can be fixed to the underside of the drawer bottom  11  for example by suitable fixing means, for example screw connections, at the horizontal contact limbs  10  and/or at the legs  9  of the container rails  1 ,  1 ′. 
     In the illustrated example the U-shaped portion  6  of the container rail  1  has a horizontal limb  8 , the horizontal limb  8  having an abutment  7  extending in the longitudinal direction L of the rail (see  FIG. 2 ) for the drawer rail  4  of a drawer extension guide  5 . In this case the abutment  7  is arranged spaced horizontally from the leg  9  whereby the remaining internal width B of the U-shaped portion  6  is correspondingly reduced. 
     In addition in this example the leg  9  has a second abutment  7   a  (see  FIG. 2 ), wherein the remaining internal width B′ between the first abutment  7  on the horizontal limb  8  and the second abutment  7   a  on the leg  9  is greater than or equal to the width b of the drawer rail  4 . In this case the remaining internal width B′ is only slightly greater than the width b of the drawer rail  4  so that the container rail  1  can be fitted on to the drawer rail  4  with only very slight play and can thus be very well guided. Preferably it can be provided in that respect that the play between the vertical legs of the drawer rail  4  and the respective abutment  7 ,  7   a  is only between 0.2 mm and 0.8 mm, preferably only between 0.1 mm and 0.4 mm. 
     That structure, when the drawer container  2  is hung in engagement with container rails  1 ,  1 ′ fixed thereto on the drawer rails  4  of the drawer extension guides  5 , provides good guidance with only little play so that tilting of the drawer container  2  can be avoided in particular when pushing in the drawer container  2  for connecting the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ to the drawer rails  4 , for example by couplings  14  arranged in the U-shaped portions  6  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     The abutments  7 ,  7   a  of the container rails  1  thus lead on the one hand to easier fitment of the drawer container  2  on the drawer extension guides  5 . On the other hand that can also simplify connection of the drawer rails  4  to the couplings  14  as the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ and thus the couplings  14  can be suitably correctly positionally pre-positioned relative to the drawer rails  4  by the abutments  7 ,  7   a  in order to be able to easily connect them with corresponding devices on the drawer rails  4 . Thirdly, damage to the drawer side walls  15  can also be prevented by avoiding tilting of the drawer container  2  during fitment of the drawer container  2  to the drawer rails  4 . 
     As shown in the  FIG. 1  example, the abutment-governed pre-positioning of the drawer container  2  in relation to the drawer extension guides  5 , in particular in relation to the carcass rails  16  of the drawer extension guides  5 , affords a suitable spacing between the drawer side walls  15  and the vertical legs  18  of the carcass rails  16  or the side walls of a furniture carcass  3  (not shown here), to which the carcass rails  16  can be fixed. When the drawer container  2  is pushed in along the drawer extension guides  5 , guidance in the longitudinal direction L of the rail, which is appropriately afforded by the at least one abutment  7 , means that there is no contact between the drawer side walls  15  and the vertical legs  18  of the carcass rails  16  or the side walls of the furniture carcass  3 , whereby it is possible to avoid damage, in particular scratching of delicate outside surfaces, of the drawer side walls  15 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view from below of a variant of the proposed container rail  1 . In this embodiment the container rail  1  has two abutments  7 ,  7   a  for guiding a drawer rail  4 . In this case the first abutment  7  is disposed on the horizontal limb  8  of the U-shaped portion  6  and is formed from a series of individual abutments  7 ′ by knobs stamped out of the container rail  1 . The second abutment  7   a  is on the leg  9  of the U-shaped portion  6  and is also formed from a series of individual abutments  7   a ′ by suitable embossings on the container rail  1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view from below of container rails  1 ,  1 ′ with drawer side walls  15  fixed thereto and  FIG. 3   a  shows the region identified by A and marked with a circle in  FIG. 3  on an enlarged scale. The container rail  1  has at least one abutment  7 , in this embodiment the abutment  7  being formed by a series of individual abutments  7 ′. In specific terms in this case the abutment  7  is formed by a series of knobs which are embossed or stamped out of the container rail  1  along a notional straight line extending in the longitudinal direction L of the rail. Those knobs which are arranged on the horizontal limb  8  of the U-shaped portion of the container rail  1  and are suitably spaced from the leg  9  of the U-shaped portion  6  overall constitute an abutment  7 , extending in the longitudinal direction L of the rail, for the drawer rail  4  of a drawer extension guide  5 . The container rail  1 ′ does not have any abutment  7  in its U-shaped portion  6 . 
     Arranged in the front end regions of the container rails  1 ,  1 ′, in the respective U-shaped portions  6 , are releasable couplings  14  for connecting the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ to the drawer rails  4 . In this embodiment, rear wall holders  13  for fixing a drawer rear wall are mounted to the rear ends of the container rails  1 ,  1 ′. 
       FIGS. 4 and 4   a  show the arrangement of  FIGS. 3 and 3   a  respectively as a further perspective view from below, wherein the U-shaped portions  6  of the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ are fitted on to drawer extension guides  5 . In this embodiment the drawer extension guides  5  respectively include a carcass rail  16  fixed with respect to the carcass and a drawer rail  4  displaceable relative thereto in the longitudinal direction L of the rail. In addition, provided between the carcass rail  16  and the drawer rail  4  is a respective central rail  17  for permitting full extension from a furniture carcass  3 , of a drawer container  2  connected to the drawer extension guides  5 . As can be clearly seen the individual abutments  7 ′ provided on the container rail  1  along a notional line extending in the longitudinal direction L of the rail afford an abutment  7  and a guide means for the drawer rail  4  of the corresponding drawer extension guide  5 . As a result corresponding couplings  14  arranged on the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ can be pre-positioned relative to the drawer rails  4  for connecting the drawer container  2  or the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ fixed thereto, to the drawer rails  4 , so that the drawer rails  4  can be connected to the couplings  14  in a simple uncomplicated fashion, in particular without tilting. 
       FIG. 5  shows a view from below of the pair of container rails  1 ,  1 ′ shown in  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5   a  shows the region identified by C and marked with a circle in  FIG. 5  on an enlarged scale while  FIG. 5   b  shows the region identified by D and marked with a circle in  FIG. 5  on an enlarged scale. It can be clearly seen from  FIGS. 5 and 5   a  that the drawer rail  4  of the drawer extension guide  5  bears against the abutment  7  of the container rail  1 , formed from a plurality of individual abutments  7 ′, and is guided by the abutment  7  in the longitudinal direction L of the rail. 
     The container rails  1 ,  1 ′ can be fixed to the underside of a drawer bottom  11  of a drawer container  2  (see  FIG. 7 ) in order in a further procedure to connect the drawer container  2  to drawer extension guides  5  pre-mounted to a furniture carcass  3 . Tilting of the drawer container  2  and/or contact of the drawer side walls  15  with the carcass rails  16  and the side walls of the furniture carcass  3  and thus scratching of the drawer side walls  15  can be avoided by virtue of the abutment  7  on the container rail  1  and by the guidance effect, formed thereby, for the drawer rails  4 , during mounting of the drawer container  2  to the drawer extension guides  5 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a front view of the pair of container rails  1 ,  1 ′ shown in  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6   a  shows the region identified by A in  FIG. 6  on an enlarged scale and  FIG. 6   b  shows the region identified by A′ in  FIG. 6  on an enlarged scale. In this example the container rail  1  has two abutments  7 ,  7   a  (not visible due to the perspective used in the view) (see  FIG. 2 ), by which the drawer rail  4  can be guided with only little play. The remaining internal width B′ between the two abutments  7 ,  7   a  is only slightly greater than the width of the drawer rail  4  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
     The drawer container  2  and/or the furniture carcass  3  can have production tolerances. To be able to compensate generally for production tolerances, in particular dimensional errors in the furniture carcass  3  and/or the drawer container  2  in respect of width, and nonetheless to permit good guidance for the drawer rails  4  during fitment of the container rails  1 ,  1 ′ to the drawer rails  4 , the abutments  7 ,  7   a  are preferably arranged only on the container rail  1 . The container rail  1 ′ does not have any abutments  7 ,  7   a  whereby the drawer rail  4  associated with the container rail  1 ′ can be accommodated with some lateral play S in the U-shaped portion  6  of the container rail  1 ′. Production tolerances can be suitably compensated by virtue of that lateral play S. 
       FIG. 7  shows a drawer container  2  with container rails  1 ,  1 ′ mounted at the underside of the drawer bottom  11  of the drawer container  2 . In the rear region the container rail  1  has individual abutments  7 ′ which are arranged along a notional line in the longitudinal direction L of the rail on the horizontal limb  8  of the U-shaped portion  6  of the container rail  1 , and overall form an abutment  7  for the drawer rail  4  of a drawer extension guide  5  (not shown here) to be connected to the drawer container  2 . In the front end region of the container rail  1  arranged in the U-shaped portion  6  is a coupling  14  which serves as a releasable fixing means for fixing the drawer container  2  to the drawer rail  4 . 
       FIG. 8  shows an article of furniture with a furniture carcass  3  and drawer containers  2  which are mounted movably relative to the furniture carcass  3  by means of drawer extension guides  5 . Two drawer extension guides  5  are respectively mounted to the side walls of the furniture carcass  3 , for each drawer container  2 . Proposed container rails  1 ,  1 ′ can be mounted at the underside of the drawer bottom  11  of a drawer container  2  (this is not visible here), with which container rails the drawer container  2  can be fitted on to the drawer rails  4  of the drawer extension guides  5  in order subsequently to be connected to the drawer extension guides  5  for example by means of couplings  14  arranged on the container rails  1 ,  1 ′. For tilt-free fitment of the drawer container  2  to the drawer extension guides  5  the container rail  1  can have at least one abutment  7 , by which the drawer container  2  can be pre-positioned relative to the drawer rails  4  of the drawer extension guides  5  during the assembly procedure.