Interlock mechanism for lateral file cabinets
First Claim
1. An interlock for a drawer positionable within a cabinet, the drawer being movable in the cabinet in a first direction toward an open position and in a second, opposite direction toward a closed position, said interlock comprising:
- an elongated, flexible member;
a rotatable level adapted to switch the amount of slack in said elongated, flexible member between a low slack condition and a high slack condition by rotating between a first and second position, respectively;
an engagement member attached to said drawer and positioned to cause said rotatable lever to rotate toward said first position when said drawer is initially moved from the closed position in the first direction; and
a biasing member positioned adjacent said lever, said biasing member adapted to exert a biasing force that tends to prevent said lever from rotating from said second position to said first position until said drawer is moved in said first direction to the open position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to interlocks for file cabinets and the like which generally prevent more than one drawer from being opened at a given time. The interlocks include a cable which is changeable from a slack condition to a taut condition. In the taut condition, the interlocks prevent the associated drawer from being opened. In the slack condition, the interlock allows the associated drawer to be opened. The interlocks may be used in conjunction with a lock that selectively changes the tension in the cable from a slack condition to a taut condition and vise versa. The interlocks may be constructed to exert a tension on a cable that is independent of the pulling force exerted on a locked drawer. Alternatively, the interlocks may be constructed to exert a force on the cable that is a small fraction of the pulling force exerted on a locked drawer.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An interlock for a drawer positionable within a cabinet, the drawer being movable in the cabinet in a first direction toward an open position and in a second, opposite direction toward a closed position, said interlock comprising:
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an elongated, flexible member;
a rotatable level adapted to switch the amount of slack in said elongated, flexible member between a low slack condition and a high slack condition by rotating between a first and second position, respectively;
an engagement member attached to said drawer and positioned to cause said rotatable lever to rotate toward said first position when said drawer is initially moved from the closed position in the first direction; and
a biasing member positioned adjacent said lever, said biasing member adapted to exert a biasing force that tends to prevent said lever from rotating from said second position to said first position until said drawer is moved in said first direction to the open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An interlock for a drawer positionable within a cabinet, the drawer being movable in the cabinet in a first direction toward an open position and in a second, opposite direction toward a closed position, said interlock comprising:
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an elongated, flexible member adapted to be changeable between a high slack condition and a low slack condition; and
an actuating member positioned to be operatively engageable with said elongated, flexible member, said actuating member adapted to change said elongated, flexible member to said low slack position when the drawer is opened and to allow said elongated flexible member to exist in said high slack condition when the drawer is closed, said actuating member adapted to translate a first force exerted on said drawer in said first direction to a second force on said elongated, flexible member which is less than said first force. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21-64. -64. (canceled)
Specification