Abstract: A filing cabinet has at least one drawer or file hangers associated with the drawer that can be selectively lifted from a first elevation to a second elevation when the drawer has been moved to an open position with respect to the frame of the filing cabinet. The filing cabinet includes the frame; drawers, including the drawer that can be lifted; and a drawer-opening assembly that movably connects the drawer to the frame. When the drawer is opened, it can be disengaged from the drawer-opening assembly and lifted to a position that is more accessible to users of the filing cabinet. The drawer can be lifted by force supplied by the user, by mechanical or electrical devices, or by a combination of the foregoing. Examples of the mechanical or electrical devices include pneumatic pistons, hydraulic pistons, spring-activated structures, and electric motors. The bottom drawer or a number of bottom drawers of the filing cabinet can experience the lifting motion.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 21, 2000
Date of Patent:
February 25, 2003
Assignee:
Switchboard
Inventors:
L. Dwight Israelsen, R. Burns Israelsen