Patent Publication Number: US-10327550-B2

Title: Drawer comprising a base panel, a screen, a rear wall and two lateral walls which are rigidly interconnected

Description:
A drawer having a bottom panel, a facing, a back wall, and two side walls that are firmly connected to one another. 
     There are also drawers in which the side walls do not extend as far as the upper edge of the facing and of the back wall. Often, the facings are connected to the face end of the side walls of the drawer via special fittings, which make it possible to orient the facing of the drawer with the aid of special fittings. 
     It is the object of the invention, in a drawer in which the side walls do not extend as far as the upper edge of the facing and of the back wall, to achieve a position of the facing by substantially simpler means. 
     The stated object is attained by the features of claim  1 . 
     This is attained in that a drawer of the usual type, which has a bottom panel, a facing, a back wall, and two side walls that are firmly connected to one another, whereby the side walls extend below a top edge of the facing and the back wall, whereby the facing and the back wall are connected to one another in the vicinity of their upper edges by side wall profile segments that on their ends receive connection elements with housings that are insertable into side wall profile segments and that are connectable to the facing and the back wall. The connection element associated with the back wall is extractable to a limited extent in a sheath in the vicinity of the housing and can be screwed, adjacent to the sheath, into a threaded bore, whereby the end of the connection element being embodied as a threaded bolt, so that the side wall profile segment is thus adjustable toward the facing or toward the back wall, whereby the facing that is connected to the side wall profile segment through the connection element is also adjustable. In this way, via the connection elements of the side wall profile segments, the facing and the back wall of the drawer are connected to one another in such a way that the facing of the drawer can be oriented substantially more simply. Thus the expensive and complicated fittings between the facing and the face ends of the two side walls can be dispensed with. 
     Advantageous refinements of the drawer can be learned from the dependent claims. 
     The connection element associated with the facing is embodied as a rotatable connection peg with a detent shoulder that can be unscrewed from the side wall profile segment, that connection peg being insertable into a bore in the facing side of the facing and being latchable with the unscrewed detent shoulder into a detent receptacle on the back side of the facing. 
     The connection element associated with the facing protrudes on a face end of the side wall profile segment by an amount which is less than the thickness of the facing of the drawer and that the connection element closes the face end opening of the side wall profile segment. 
     The side wall profile segment has a recess for the unscrewable detent shoulder. 
     The recess has an edge which defines the unscrewed final position of the detent shoulder and thus determines the maximum angle of the oblique position of the side wall profile segment relative to the facing. 
     In the housing of the connecting element associated with the facing additionally a fold-out cover is provided, which covers the recess in the side wall profile segment. 
     The housing of the connection element associated with the back wall is flush with the face end of the side wall profile segment and is provided with firmly protruding detent shoulders, which are latched in detent receptacles on the side facing them of the back wall. 
     The detent shoulders are integrally formed with the housing. 
    
    
     
       The invention will be described in further detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in terms of an exemplary embodiment of a drawer according to the invention. In drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows the basic construction of the drawer of the invention in perspective, seen from the back side of the drawer; 
         FIG. 2  shows the basic construction of the drawer of  FIG. 1  in perspective, seen from the facing; 
         FIG. 3  shows the end, oriented toward the facing and the back wall, of a side wall profile segment with a connection element  16 , and also shows the connection element  15  associated, by a region of the back wall, with the end of the side wall profile segment; 
         FIGS. 4-6  show the connection element  16 , oriented toward the back side of the facing  11 , which connection element is insertable with a housing  26  into the side wall profile segment  13  and can be fixed therein; 
         FIGS. 7-9  show the connection between the facing and the side wall profile segment in various positions; 
         FIGS. 10-12  show the connection between the side wall profile segment and the back wall in the various positions; 
         FIGS. 13-16  show the side wall profile segment connected with the wall in various positions relative to the facing or to the back wall; 
         FIGS. 17-19  show the connection element  15  between the side wall profile segment  13  and the back wall  14  in various positions. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows the basic construction of a drawer of the invention in a perspective view, seen from the back side of the drawer. The drawer comprises a bottom panel  10 , a facing  11 , a back wall  14  on the free rear end of the bottom panel  10 , and two side walls  12 , which, however, do not extend as far as the upper edges of the facing  11  and of the back wall  14 . Thus there is enough room to connect the facing  11  and the back wall  14  firmly to one another via two side wall profile segments  13 . That purpose is served by a connection element  16 , on the side of the facing  11 , and a connection element  15 , on the side of the back wall  14 , which are located at the ends of the side wall profile segment  13 , as  FIG. 3  shows. 
       FIG. 2  shows the basic construction of the drawer of  FIG. 1  in perspective, seen from the facing  11 . 
     As  FIG. 3  shows, the connection element  16  protrudes in the form of a bolt from the face end  18  of the side wall profile segment  13  by an amount which is less than the thickness of the facing  11 . If a bore of appropriate depth is made in the back side of the facing  11 , then the connection element  16  can be inserted and thus connected to the facing  11 . The connection element  16  is rotatably supported in a housing  26  that has a recess oriented toward the back side of the facing  11 . By rotating the connection element  16 , a detent shoulder  24  in the housing  26  is rotated and unscrewed via a recess in the side wall profile segment  13  and screwed into a detent receptacle on the back side, oriented toward it, of the facing  11  and latched. Thus the side wall profile segment  13  with the closed face end  18  of the housing of the connection element  16  can be firmly connected flush with the back side of the facing  11  and adjusted into various angular positions of the facing  11 . The recess in the side wall profile segment  13  has a stop edge, which limits the rotary motion of the detent shoulder  24  and thus limits the adjustment of the detent shoulder into the detent receptacle on the back side of the facing  11 . The connection element  16  is rotatably supported in the housing. 
     In  FIGS. 4 through 6 , the connection element  16  with a housing  26  is shown, which can be inserted into the side wall profile segment  13 . The housing  26  can be provided with detent cams, which latch in bores of the side wall profile segment  13  and fix the connection element  16  therein. The bolt-like connecting element  16  protrudes on the closed face end  18  of the housing  26  by an amount that fits into a space around which the side wall profile section  13  is set back relative to the plane of the side wall  12  of the drawer. The connection element  16  is provided with a threaded bolt  19  at the end and is screwed into a threaded bore in the housing  26 . Furthermore, after this screw connection is loosened, the connection element  16  can be pulled to a limited extent out of the sheath in the housing  26 . With a panel, the housing  26  closes the face end opening of the side wall profile segment  13 . Detent shoulders are firmly formed onto the housing  26 ; they protrude from the housing  26  and latch into detent receptacles, on the side oriented toward them, of the back wall  14  of the drawer. In the vicinity of the detent shoulders, the side wall profile segment  13  therefore has a corresponding recess, out of which the detent shoulders are guided out of the side wall profile segment  13 . Furthermore, a cover  22  can be folded out in the housing  26  that is supported on the side wall profile segment  13  and covers the recess in the side wall profile segment  13 . 
     With this connection element  16 , the side wall profile segment  13  can be adjusted into a position which is transferred via the connecting element  16  to the facing  11  of the drawer. In this way, by a substantially simpler means, the drawer facing position can be evened out. Furthermore, the connection element  16  always remains accessible, so that a change in the facing position is possible at any time. 
       FIGS. 7 through 9  show the various positions of the connection between the side wall profile segment  13  and the back side of the facing  11 ; above, the detent shoulder  24  that can be unscrewed and the fold out cover  22  that covers this detent shoulder  24  are shown. 
       FIG. 10  shows the installed position of the side wall profile segment  13  relative to the back wall  14 . The connection screw  15 , as can be seen from  FIG. 17 , is also introduced into a housing  20 . The face end of the housing  20  has offset detent shoulders  13 . 1  and  13 . 2 ; the detent shoulder  13 . 2  can be introduced into the detent receptacle  14 . 1  of the back wall  14 . Then, the side wall profile segment  13  is rotated, as  FIG. 11  shows, and the detent shoulder  13 . 1  is introduced into the detent receptacle  14 . 2  of the back wall  14  and latched. In  FIG. 12 , the connection of the side wall profile segment  13  to the back wall  14  is shown. 
     From the flush basic setting of  FIG. 13 , the connection element  15  can be adjusted to a pull-out position A, in which the side wall profile segment  13  is adjusted in the direction toward the back wall  14 , as  FIG. 14  shows. By rotating the connection element  15  in the direction B, the adjustment toward the back wall  14  can be increased still further, which the arrow D in  FIG. 15  indicates. 
     If the direction of rotation at the connection element  15  is reversed, as  FIG. 16  shows, then the side wall profile segment  13  is adjusted in the direction E toward the facing. Since the facing  11  is firmly connected to the side wall profile segment  13 , the adjustment is transferred in the same way to the facing  11 . 
     As  FIG. 17  shows, the connection element  15  is supported on an adjusting bolt  17  and introduced into a housing  20  and can be screwed into a threaded receptacle [in the housing  20 . The detent elements  13 . 1  and  13 . 2  are integrally formed onto the housing  20 . The housing  20  is inserted into the side wall profile segment  13  and retained there. By means of the rotary motion at the connection element  15 , the adjustment can be made toward the facing  11 , or toward the back wall  14 . The detent shoulders  13 . 1  and  13 . 2  are fixed in the detent receptacles  14 . 1  and  14 . 2  of the back wall  14 , as can already be seen from  FIGS. 14 through 16 .