IP Library Granted Patent US 6,986,558
Granted Patent B2
US 6,986,558 · App. 10/424,953 · Granted Jan 17, 2006

Drawer slide

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,986,558
App. No.
10/424,953
Granted
Jan 17, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention concerns a drawer slide with width equalization and, if necessary, centering, including a cabinet-side and a drawer-side slide rail for both sides of the drawer. At least one elastic, springy flexible width equalization element is on both sides of the drawer—each is located between the cabinet-side slide rail and the cabinet body, indirectly or directly by, for example, an angle rail. The cabinet-side slide rail is located, releasable, on the cabinet-attached angle rail, axially engaged, but still moveable crosswise/transversely and is lockable in the end position of the drawer. The advantage here is that any desired combination between the width equalization element and the slide rail can be set flexibly and, additionally, the drawer slide is easy to maintain and simple to repair or replace.

Claims (19)

1. Drawer slide with width equalization and centering, comprising:

a drawer slide element mountable to a cabinet within a drawer opening;

a cabinet-side slide rail supported on the drawer slide element for movement relative to the drawer slide element in a direction transverse of a longitudinal axis of the drawer slide element;

a drawer-side slide rail mountable to a drawer and coupled to the cabinet-side slide rail for movement relative to the cabinet-side slide rail and drawer slide element in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drawer slide element between fully open and fully closed positions of the drawer; and

at least one elastic spring width equalization element that is disposed between the cabinet-side slide rail and the drawer slide element and urging the cabinet-side rail and drawer-side slide rail away from the drawer slide element.

2. Drawer slide according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastic spring width equalization element further comprises at least one of a spiral spring, a leaf spring, a plate spring, an elastic flexible spring element, and a plastic spring element.

3. Drawer slide according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one elastic spring width equalization element has an adjustable spring force.

4. Drawer slide according to claim 3 further comprising wedge surfaces of a wedge surface slider for adjusting the spring force of the at least one elastic spring width equalization element.

5. Drawer slide according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said elastic spring width equalization elements disposed between the cabinet-side slide rail and the drawer slide element and urging the cabinet-side rail and drawer-side slide rail away from the drawer slide element.

6. Drawer slide according to claim 5 wherein at least one of said plurality of elastic spring width equalization elements is located proximate an end area of said cabinet-side slide rail and at least a second one of said plurality of elastic spring width equalization elements is disposed proximate an opposite end area of said cabinet-side slide rail.

7. Drawer slide according to claim 6 wherein said elastic spring width equalization elements are coupled to the respective end areas of the cabinet-side slide rail.

8. Drawer slide according to claim 1 wherein the drawer slide element further comprises an angle rail.

9. Drawer slide according to claim 8 wherein the elastic spring width equalization element is releasably attached on the angle rail.

10. Drawer slide according to claim 8 wherein the cabinet-side slide rail is releasably attached on the angle rail and is axially lockable to the angle rail by an axial catch that allows said movement of the cabinet-side slide rail in said direction transversely of the longitudinal axis of the angle rail and prevents movement of the cabinet-side slide rail relative to the angle rail in said direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the angle rail.

11. Drawer slide according to claim 10 further comprising a damping braking friction surface disposed on at least one of the cabinet-side slide rail and the angle rail that resists relative movement between the cabinet-side slide rail and the angle rail in said direction transverse of the longitudinal axis of the angle rail.

12. Drawer slide according to claim 11 wherein said damping braking friction surface further comprises corrugations formed on at least one of the cabinet-side slide rail and the angle rail that extend parallel to said longitudinal axis of the angle rail.

13. Drawer slide according to claim 8 further comprising a crosswise catch locking the cabinet-side slide rail and the angle rail to one another in the fully closed position of the drawer.

14. Drawer slide according to claim 13 wherein the crosswise catch further comprises at least one clamp lever.

15. Drawer slide according to claim 14 wherein the clamp lever is actuateable to urge the damping braking friction surface disposed on said at least one of the cabinet-side slide rail and the angle rail into contact with a corresponding damping braking friction surface disposed on the respective other of the cabinet-side slide rail and angle rail.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2005
From: GRASS GMBH
To: GRASS AMERICA INC.
Reel/Frame 015962/0104 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 4, 2005
From: GRASS AG
To: GRASS GMBH
Reel/Frame 015851/0594 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2003
From: EGGER, REMO
To: GRASS GMBH
Reel/Frame 014016/0545 →