Drawer device

• US 5,004,306 A
• Filed: 12/14/1989
• Issued: 04/02/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Inventors: Oshida, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/450,482
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 312/333, 312/319, 312/336, 312/337, 312/341.1
• US Class Current: 312/319.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0032 Balls
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0056 Guide located at the bottom of the drawer
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/487 with rollers, ball bearings, wheels, or the like

Abstract

A drawer device includes a staionary case, a guide piece provided within the stationary case and rotatably supporting a plurality of balls along opposite side wall portions thereof in a sliding direction, a slide piece disposed within the guide piece and in contact with the balls, a movable case having a bottom surface to which the slide piece is fixed, and a spring provided between the stationary case and the movable case. When the movable case is accommodated within the stationary case, and latched at such state by means of a latching device defined between the movable case and the stationary case, the spring is tensioned so as to tend to bias the movable case in an ejection direction.

Claims

1. A drawer device, comprising:

a stationary case open at the top and front ends thereof;

a guide piece disposed within said stationary case and rotatably supporting a plurality of balls arranged along opposite side wall portions thereof in a reciprocating sliding direction;

a slide piece disposed within said guide piece and in contact with said balls;

a movable case fixed to said slide piece;

a front cover mounted upon said movable case;

a spring interposed between said movable case and said stationary case for biasing said movable case in an ejection direction out of said stationary case; and

latch means for latching said front cover of said movable case to a recess defined within a front portion of said stationary case for releasably latching said movable case within said stationary case in an accommodated state and for releasing said movable case from said latched state so as to permit said movable case to be ejected from said stationary case under the influence of the biasing force of said spring.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

fastening means for fixedly securing said guide piece to said stationary case.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

fastening means for fixedly securing said slide piece to said movable case.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a ball retainer, having a plurality of holes defined within opposite sidewall portions thereof for rotatably housing said plurality of balls, interposed between said slide piece and and guide piece.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4, wherein:

said guide piece has a substantially U-shaped configuration in cross-section and includes opposite upstanding sidewalls serving as outer race means for engaging said plurality of balls; and

said slide piece has a substantially U-shaped configuration in cross-section and includes opposite dependent sidewalls serving as inner race means for engaging said plurality of balls.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

bracket means fixedly secured upon said movable case for mounting one end of said spring, an opposite end of said spring being fixed to said stationary case.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said spring comprises a retractor-type coiled spring.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

damping means mounted upon said bracket means and operatively engaged with said one end of said spring for damping said movement of said movable case from said latched state to an ejected state in said ejection direction under the influence of said biasing force of said spring.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

said damping means comprises a one-way oil type damper.

10. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

receptacle means removably disposed within said movable case.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said receptacle means comprises an ashtray.

12. A device as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

said latch means and said front cover are disposed upon said receptacle.

13. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

damping means mounted upon said stationary case and operatively engaged with said movable case for damping said movement of said movable case from said latched state to an ejected state in said ejection direction under the influence of said biasing force of said spring.

14. A device as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said damping means comprises rotary gears; and

said movable case comprises rack means for engaging said rotary gears of said damping means.

15. A device as set forth in claim 14, wherein:

said damping means comprises a pair of rotary gears mounted upon opposite sides of said stationary case; and

said rack means comprises a pair of racks integrally formed within opposite sidewalls of said movable case.