Laterally stablizing drawer slide for tall cupboard pull-out

• US 20060001337A1
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rev-A-Shelf Company LLC (Jones Plastic & Engineering Company, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rev-A-Shelf Company LLC (Jones Plastic & Engineering Company, LLC)
• Inventors: Walburn, William L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,306,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/334.270
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/42 Vertically-oriented drawers, i.e. drawers where the height exceeds the width

Abstract

A drawer slide system providing access and stability for side access drawers has a base including an outside pair of vertical webs and a centrally situated elevated portion. Vertically oriented drawer slides are coupled to each of the vertical webs and a horizontally oriented drawer slide is coupled to the centrally situated portion of the base. The vertically oriented drawer slides are coupled to outside margins of a side access drawer adjacent to a bottom of the drawer. The horizontally oriented drawer slide is coupled to a central portion of the bottom of the drawer. The base can be fixed to a bottom surface of a cabinet to position the side access drawer within a suitable drawer receiving opening in the cabinet.

Claims

1. A drawer slide system comprising:

a base including an outside pair of vertical webs and a centrally situated elevated portion,

vertically oriented, longitudinally extendable, drawer slides including fixed portions coupled to the vertical webs of the base, and

a horizontally oriented, longitudinally extendable, drawer slide including a fixed portion coupled to the centrally situated elevated portion of the base,

the vertically and horizontally oriented drawer slides including movable portions movable with respect to the fixed portions and coupled to a common drawer to permit longitudinal movement of the drawer relative to the base.

2. The drawer slide system of claim 1 wherein said base comprises a plurality of similar bases coupled to the fixed portions of the drawer slides in spaced relation from each other.

3. The drawer slide system of claim 1 or 2 wherein each base further comprises lower horizontal portions extending inward from lower margins of the outside pair of vertical webs, the lower horizontal portions including openings to receive fasteners for fastening the base to a cabinet.

4. The drawer slide system of claim 3 wherein each base further comprises inner vertical portions extending upward from inward margins of the lower horizontal portions, the inner vertical portions supporting said centrally situated elevated portion.

5. The drawer slide system of claim 1 or 2 wherein each drawer slide includes a bridging portion coupling the movable portion to the fixed portion.

6. The drawer slide system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the fixed portions of the vertically oriented drawer slides are coupled to inside facing surfaces of the vertical webs.

7. The drawer slide system of claim 1 or 2 wherein the vertically oriented drawer slides include a releasable locking mechanism.

8. The drawer slide system of claim 1 further comprising a cabinet having a margin defining an opening for receiving a drawer and a bottom surface extending horizontally inward from a bottom portion of the margin, the base being fixed to the bottom surface.

9. The drawer slide system of claim 8 wherein the margin includes side portions defining a width of the opening, the outside pair of vertical webs of the base being separated by a distance nearly equal to the width of the opening.

10. The drawer slide system of claim 8 or 9 further comprising a a side access drawer coupled to the movable portions of the drawer slides, the drawer including a bottom shelf having lateral edges

11. The drawer slide system of claim 10 wherein the lateral edges of the drawer bottom shelf are located outside the vertical webs of the base.

12. The drawer slide system of claim 10 further comprising longitudinal supports coupled to the drawer bottom shelf, the longitudinal supports having outside surfaces coupled to the movable portions of the vertically oriented drawer slides.

13. The drawer slide system of claim 12 wherein the longitudinal supports include inside surfaces spaced apart from each other by a distance sufficient to receive the horizontally oriented drawer slide.

14. The drawer slide system of claim 13 further comprising a spacer situated between the longitudinal supports, the spacer being coupled to the movable portion of the horizontally oriented drawer slide.

15. A drawer slide system comprising:

a side access drawer having a front portion, a rear portion, and a plurality of shelves extending between the front portion and the back portion including a bottom shelf having lateral margins on opposite sides of the bottom shelf,

two vertically oriented, longitudinally extendable, drawer slides including movable portions coupled to the bottom shelf adjacent the lateral margins of the bottom shelf,

a horizontally oriented, longitudinally extendable, drawer slide including a fixed portion coupled to a central portion of the bottom shelf, the vertically and horizontally oriented drawer slides having fixed portions, and

at least one base coupled to the fixed portions of all the drawer slides and adapted for mounting within a cabinet.

16. The drawer slide system of claim 15 further comprising longitudinal supports coupled to the drawer bottom shelf, the longitudinal supports having outside surfaces coupled to the movable portions of the vertically oriented drawer slides.

17. The drawer slide system of claim 16 wherein the longitudinal supports include inside surfaces spaced apart from each other by a distance sufficient to receive the horizontally oriented drawer slide.

18. The drawer slide system of claim 17 further comprising a spacer situated between the longitudinal supports, the spacer being coupled to the movable portion of the horizontally oriented drawer slide.

19. The drawer slide system of claim 15, 16, 17 or 18 wherein each base includes an outside pair of vertical webs coupled to the fixed portions of the vertically oriented drawer slides, and a centrally situated elevated portion fixed to the fixed portion of the horizontally oriented drawer slide.

20. The drawer slide system of claim 19 wherein each base further comprises lower horizontal portions extending inward from lower margins of the outside pair of vertical webs, the lower horizontal portions including openings to receive fasteners for fastening the base to a cabinet.

21. The drawer slide system of claim 20 wherein each base further comprises inner vertical portions extending upward from inward margins of the lower horizontal portions, the inner vertical portions supporting said centrally situated elevated portion.

22. The drawer slide system of claim 19 wherein the fixed portions of the vertically oriented drawer slides are coupled to inside facing surfaces of the vertical webs.

23. The drawer slide system of claim 22 wherein the lateral edges of the drawer bottom shelf are located outside the vertical webs of the base.

24. The drawer slide system of claim 20 further comprising a cabinet having a margin defining an opening for receiving a drawer and a bottom surface extending horizontally inward from a bottom portion of the margin, the base being fixed to the bottom surface.

25. The drawer slide system of claim 24 wherein the margin includes side portions defining a width of the opening, the outside pair of vertical webs of the base being separated by a distance nearly equal to the width of the opening.

26. The drawer slide system of claim of claim 15, 16, 17 or 18 wherein each drawer slide includes a bridging portion coupling the movable portion to the fixed portion.

27. The drawer slide system of claim 26 wherein the vertically oriented drawer slides include a releasable locking mechanism.