METHOD OF MAKING A THERMOPLASTIC DRAWER

• US 3,791,002 A
• Filed: 07/31/1972
• Issued: 02/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John G. Lampe, Willie E. Wall
• Original Assignee: John G. Lampe, Willie E. Wall
• Inventors: Lampe, John G., Wall, Willie E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eager, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US05/276,688
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 29/4D,400,407,476,155R,155C
• US Class Current: 29/897
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2096/203 Profiled sections
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/9416 connecting first side panel to back panel and back panel to second side panel by two folding lines
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/202 with a continuous layer allowing folding foldable cabinets A47B43/00; foldable drawers A47B88/9412
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/20 for porous or cellular articles, e.g. of foam plastics, coarse-pored chemical aspects of working up macro-molecular substances to porous or cellular articles C08J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49616 Structural member making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49892 Joining plate edge perpendicularly to frame

Abstract

A drawer structure is made by the following described method steps. The rear and side panels of a drawer are formed from a single slab of foamed rigid poly(vinyl chloride) having a reinforcing densified core and a densified outer skin with a wood grain pattern thereon. A longitudinal groove is formed in one surface of the slab adjacent the bottom edge thereof, and two Vshaped grooves are cut across the width of the same surface at appropriate ultimate corner forming locations. Appropriate guide slots and drawer front fastening configurations are formed on the slab. The slab is heated and bent at the V-shaped groove locations to form the rear and side panels of the drawer. A drawer bottom panel is installed in the longitudinal groove adjacent the bottom edge of the rear and side panels and the drawer front is attached. The drawer looks, feels, sounds, and handles like wood, but is less expensive and has many desirable qualities not possessed by wood.

Claims

1. A process for forming a drawer or the like comprising providing a foamed thermoplastic slab having a length equal to the combined lengths of the side walls and rear wall of the drawer to be formed, said slab having a dense reinforcing core and densified skin on its planar surfaces, forming a decorative design on at least one of said skin surfaces, forming a continuous longitudinal groove in one planar surface of said slab adjacent the bottom edge thereof, forming guide means in said slab, said guide means being adapted to function with cooperating guide means in a drawer receiving structure, forming fastening means on the ends of said slab, said fastening means being adapted to function with cooperating fastening means on a drawer front panel, forming substantially V-shaped grooves extending across the width of said slab, said V-shaped grooves being formed in the surface having said longitudinal groove therein and being located at points defining the rear corner portions of a drawer to be formed, treating the slanting surfaces of said V-shaped grooves to cause coherence therebetween when the opposed slanting surfaces are forced into contact with each other, heating and bending said slab in the area of said V-shaped grooves to close the V-shaPed grooves and form the side walls and rear wall of said drawer, installing a drawer bottom panel in the longitudinal groove of said side walls and rear wall and attaching the drawer front panel to the ends of said side walls.