Vertical filing cabinet having a device for balancing and holding lid in a safety position

• US 4,742,598 A
• Filed: 10/09/1986
• Issued: 05/10/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alpia SA
• Original Assignee: Alpia SA
• Inventors: Bruneau, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Edward
• Application Number:
  US06/917,656
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 16/1 C, 16/286, 16/289, 16/292, 16/306, 16/322, 16/327, 16/332, 16/335, 16/387, 16/85, 217/60 B, 217/60 R, 217/61, 220/334, 220/335, 49/394
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1066 with a traction spring

Abstract

Device for balancing a lid of a suspended plan filing cabinet, comprising a stay (4) fixed at one end (40) on a pivot pin (5) fastened to the lid (1), the other end (41) being free, said stay being pulled towards the top of the cabinet by a spring (6) compensating the weight of the lid. The stay is guided by a roller (7) free to turn on a pin (8) fastened to the frame (2). This stay has a notch (9) which is entered by the roller (7) in order to hold the lid open, and a notch (10) holding the lid closed. Means of adjusting the tension of the spring (6) make it possible to fix a safety position (α) before the complete closure of the lid.

Claims

1. A vertical filing cabinet having an open top, a lid, hinges connecting said lid with said cabinet for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis disposed above an upper edge of a rearwall of said cabinet between open and closed position, and a device for controlling the opening and closing of said lid, said device comprising,

a roller rotatably mounted on a side wall of said cabinet for rotation about a horizontal axis disposed forwardly and below the pivotal axis of the lid,

a straight stay having an upper end pivotally connected with said lid forwardly of the pivotal axis of said lid and having an edge engageable with said roller,

a tension spring having an upper end connected with an upper rear portion of said cabinet and a lower end connected with a lower end of said stay, said spring acting on said stay to bias said stay toward said roller and to compensate the weight of said lid,

said stay having in an edge engageable with said roller a first notch positioned to engage said roller when said lid is in fully open position and a second notch engageable with said roller when the lid is in fully closed position,

said tension device being adjustable to overcompensate the weight of said lid so that in a state of equilibrium said spring supports the lid in a partially open position with said roller engaging said stay between said first and second notches.

2. A filing cabinet according to claim 1, in which said hinges have the shape of an open-sided trapezoid with a lower side fixedly mounted on said cabinet and an upper side pivotally connected with said lid.