Stay-closed drawer slide with socket

• US 7,331,644 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hardware Resources Incorporated (Dimora Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mark Jeffrey Lowe
• Inventors: Lowe, Mark Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US10/964,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20060076862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 312/334.4, 312/334.6, 312/334.5, 312/334.7, 312/334.8, 312/334.12, 384/19
• US Class Current: 312/334.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0043 Wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0059 Guide located at the side of the drawer
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/43 at cabinet side
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/463 self-opening

Abstract

A self-closing drawer slide assembly for installation between a drawer and the interior of a cabinet is disclosed in conjunction with a compatible mounting socket for mounting the rear of the cabinet member to the rear wall of the cabinet. The socket telescopically accepts the declining rear portion of the cabinet member and is telescopically adjustable to suit a range of variations in the length of the drawer slide or the length of the cabinet. The socket also has a range of lateral adjustment which is transferable into lateral adjustment for the drawer slides assembly once installed.

Claims

1. A self-closing drawer slide assembly for suspending a drawer within a cabinet comprising:

at least two drawer slides installable onto a drawer, where each of said drawer slides includes a rear declining portion for self-closing action and a front portion including a stay close flange;

a socket assembly associated with each of said drawer slides, where each socket assembly includes a socket base releasably and laterally connected to a socket receiver wherein the socket receiver is laterally adjustable with respect to the socket base, wherein the socket receiver is slideably and longitudinally connected to the rear declining portion and wherein each rear declining portion is longitudinally adjustable within the corresponding socket receiver; and

,

where the socket base is mountable onto the rear wall of the cabinet and is releasably coupled to the socket receiver with a flexible latch.

2. A self-closing drawer slide assembly as set forth in claim 1, where each of the at least two drawer slides includes a cabinet member front rest means for determining proper installation height for mounting each front portion of each said drawer slide assembly.

3. A self-closing drawer slide assembly as set forth in claim 1, where each of the at least two drawer slides further includes a drawer member top flange, having a first out stop and a second out stop, where the first out stop is larger than the second out stop, where the drawer member top flange supports a cabinet roller and where the second out stop prevents the passage of the cabinet roller and the cabinet roller tends to rest between the first out stop and the second out stop.

4. A cabinet comprising:

a front, two sides, and a rear wall;

at least one drawer;

at least two drawer slides mounted on each of said drawers, where the drawer slides include a rear declining portion for promoting self-closing action;

a socket assembly associated with each of said drawer slides, where each socket assembly includes a declining receiver longitudinally and slideably supporting the rear declining portion of each drawer slide and wherein each declining receiver is laterally and slideably supported by a socket base;

wherein each socket base is vertically and laterally adjustably mounted to the interior of the cabinet; and

,

wherein the declining receiver is laterally and slideably supported by the socket base by a pair of opposing support flanges and a releasable latch member affixed to the socket base.

5. A self-closing drawer slide assembly for suspending a drawer within a cabinet comprising:

at least two self-closing drawer slides for attachment to a drawer, where each of said drawer slides includes a rear declining portion for promoting a self-closing bias;

a socket assembly associated with each of said drawer slides where each socket assembly includes a receiver removably attached to a base; and

,

further where said receiver removably accepts and supports the rear declining portion of each drawer slide and where the receiver provides for a range of longitudinal travel of the rear declining portion of each drawer slide, wherein the receiver and the base are slideably engaged and allow for a range of lateral travel, and where the base is mountable on the rear wall of the cabinet and is releasably coupled to the socket receiver with a flexible latch.

6. A self-closing drawer slide assembly as set forth in claim 5, where each of the at least two self-closing drawer slides includes a cabinet member front rest means, attached at a front portion of each drawer slide, for height adjustment of the drawer during installation in the cabinet.

7. A self-closing drawer slide assembly for suspending a drawer within a cabinet comprising:

at least two self-closing drawer slides for attachment to a drawer, where each of said drawer slides includes a rear declining portion for promoting a self-closing bias;

a socket assembly associated with each of said drawer slides where each socket assembly includes a receiver and a base;

further where said receiver longitudinally and slideably accepts and retains the rear declining portion of a drawer slide, and the receiver and the base are slideably engaged for a range of lateral travel, and where the base is mountable on the rear wall of the cabinet and is releasably coupled to the receiver with a flexible latch; and

,

where the drawer slide and the socket assembly are longitudinally and slideably adjustable for accommodation of variations in the length of the cabinet.

8. A method for installing a self-closing drawer slide assembly onto a drawer and in a cabinet, the steps of which comprise:

releaseably attaching a socket receiver to a socket base by depressing a bottom retainer member end and laterally inserting a socket receiver flange under a set of socket base retaining flanges until a socket receiver rib engages the bottom retainer member end;

fitting a cabinet member from a self-closing drawer slide assembly into the socket receiver;

aligning a cabinet member front with a drawer opening in the cabinet;

positioning the cabinet member front to the appropriate height for installation in the drawer opening in the cabinet using a cabinet member front rest attached to the self-closing drawer slide assembly;

securing the cabinet member front to the cabinet;

leveling the cabinet member within the cabinet;

fastening the socket base to the rear wall of the cabinet;

inserting the drawer, with drawer members installed, into the cabinet and engaging the drawer members with the corresponding cabinet members;

laterally adjusting the location of the socket receiver within the socket base to properly align the cabinet member with the drawer member by opening and closing the drawer.

9. A self-closing drawer slide assembly for suspending a drawer within a cabinet comprising:

at least two drawer slides installable onto the drawer;

a socket assembly associated with each of said drawer slides,

where each socket assembly includes a socket base releasably and laterally connected to a socket receiver;

where the socket receiver is laterally adjustable with respect to the socket base;

where each socket receiver is slideably connected to a corresponding rear declining portion;

where each rear declining portion is longitudinally adjustable within the corresponding socket receiver and where each socket base is mountable onto the interior of a cabinet; and

,

where each socket receiver is laterally and slidably supported by the corresponding socket base by a pair of opposing support flanges and a releasable latch member affixed to each socket base.

10. A self-closing drawer slide assembly as set forth in claim 9, where the socket base is mountable on the rear wall of the cabinet and is releasably coupled to the socket receiver.

11. A self-closing drawer slide assembly as set forth in claim 9, where each of the at least two drawer slides includes a cabinet member front rest means for determining proper installation height for mounting each said front portion of each said drawer slide assembly.