Drawer apparatus

• US 5,199,777 A
• Filed: 06/17/1991
• Issued: 04/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Inventors: Taima, Hajime, Oki, Shinsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US07/716,288
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 312/319, 312/333, 312/348, 312/9.22
• US Class Current: 312/319.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/417 Profiled cabinet walls with grooves or protuberances for supporting drawers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/463 self-opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/087 for stowing money or valuables, e.g. using safes

Abstract

A drawer apparatus includes a hollow housing, a tray slidably retained in the hollow housing, the tray being entered or drawn out from the housing through the open front surface thereof, and an urging device for urging the tray in a direction in which it protrudes from the open front surface of the housing. The urging device includes a constant-pressure spring, and a hook fixed to the other end portion of the constant-pressure spring, the hook being hooked to an open front edge portion of a bottom wall of the housing. A front frame is mounted on the housing. The front frame has a retaining portion which faces the open front edge portion of the bottom wall of the housing with the hook provided on the other end portion of the constant-pressure spring therebetween. A stopper member is provided on at least either an upper edge of a rear portion of the tray or an under surface of an upper wall of the housing which opposes the upper edge of the rear portion of the tray.

Claims

1. A drawer apparatus comprising:

a hollow housing having a front frame with at least one open front surface, an upper wall and a bottom wall with an open edge portion;

a tray slidably retained in said hollow housing and having a tray body with a rear portion and a recessed portion for storage, said tray being entered or drawn out from said housing through the open front surface thereof;

urging means for urging said tray in a direction in which said tray protrudes from the open front surface of said housing;

locking means disposed inside said housing for locking said tray to a position where said tray is accommodated in said hollow housing against urging force of said urging means; and

restriction means disposed inside said housing for restricting maximum protruding position of said tray,

wherein said urging means includes a constant-pressure spring for providing a contracting force and for urging said tray to move in the direction in which said tray protrudes from the open front surface of said housing due to the contracting force of said urging means, a spool to which one end portion of said constant-pressure spring is fixed and around which said constant-pressure spring is wound, said spool being pivotally fixed to said tray, and a hook foxed to the other end portion of said constant-pressure spring, said hook being hooked to the open front edge portion of the bottom wall of said housing, said front frame having an opening through which said tray is entered or drawn out from said housing, said front frame having a retaining portion which faces the open front edge portion of said bottom wall of said housing with the hook provided on the other end portion of said constant-pressure spring.

2. A drawer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said front frame comprises a rectangular frame.

3. A drawer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retaining portion comprises a recess which is formed at the central portion of the lower edge of said front frame so as to house the hook.

4. A drawer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one stopper member disposed on at least one of the rear potion of said tray and said upper wall of housing facing said rear portion of said tray.

5. A drawer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of said stopper members is formed on both said rear portion of said tray body and said upper wall in opposed relation such that they do not align in the longitudinal direction of the housing.

6. A drawer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of said stopper members is formed on both said rear portion of said tray body and said upper wall such that one of said stopper members protrudes from said upper wall toward said rear portion of said tray body and is located adjacent to and in opposed relation to said rear portion of said tray body.

7. A drawer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said stopper member has a plate-like form whose height is larger than a depth of the recessed portion of the tray body and whose lateral length is substantially the same as a width of the recessed portion.

8. A drawer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said stopper member is formed of an elastic material.

9. A drawer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said stopper member is formed of an elastic foamed material.