Mechanism for adjustment

Abstract

A mechanism for adjusting one surface with respect to another is disclosed. The mechanism may be placed between a front face panel and a drawer box for adjustably connecting the front face panel to the drawer box in a cabinet so that when the drawer is closed, the front face panel is in a desired position with respect to the surface of the cabinet. The mechanism may permit the front face panel to be adjusted while the drawer is in a closed position thus providing the user with the ability to simultaneously see and align the front face panel with respect to the cabinet simultaneously. The mechanism for adjustment may include a washer having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one disk having an inner surface and an outer surface. The washer may be secured to the drawer box, while the disk may be secured to the front face panel. The disk and washer are adjustably connected to one another so that movement of the disk with respect to the washer permits the front face panel, which is connected to the disk, to be moveable and thus adjustable with respect to the drawer box, which is connected to the washer.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/607,217 filed Sep. 3, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a mechanism for adjusting a front face panel of a drawer used in cabinets or other enclosures. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mechanism for adjustably connecting a front face panel to a drawer box in a cabinet so that when the drawer is closed, the front face panel is in a desired position with respect to the surface of the cabinet. The present invention may however be used to adjust other surfaces as well including, but not limited to, panels, trim, fixtures, mirrors, towel bars, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, it is generally known in the art to manufacture a cabinet 10, for example, a kitchen or bathroom cabinet, with a drawer 20; the drawer 20 including a drawer box 22 that has a front panel 24, a rear panel 25, two interconnecting side panels 26, 27, and a bottom panel (not shown). The drawer 20 is mounted in the cabinet 10 so that it may slide in and out from a closed position to an open position and vice-versa. The drawer 20 may also include a front face panel 30 that is connected to the front panel 24 of the drawer box 22. Generally speaking, the front face panel 30 is larger than the front panel 24 of the drawer box 22 so that it remains outside the cabinet 10 at all times. Although the front face panel 30 has functional aspects, i.e., to keep dust out, etc., the main purpose of the front face panel 30 is to ensure that the cabinet 10 is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. To this end, it is aesthetically important that the reveals (i.e., the gaps between adjacent components) are uniform and parallel.

Typically, the front face panel 30 is connected to the front panel 24 of the drawer box 22 by screws, bolts, nails, glue, etc. However, upon installation, the front face panel 30 may or may not be aligned with the cabinet 10. That is, the reveals may or may not be uniform, thus creating a displeasing appearance. Furthermore, if the misalignment is severe a gap may also be created, thereby increasing the likelihood of dust and debris entering the drawer 20. Thus, for both aesthetic and functional reasons, it is desirable that the front face panel 30 of the drawer 20 be in proper alignment.

In the past, to prevent misalignments, manufacturers have relied on tight tolerances in order to yield proper alignment of the front face panel 30. For example, manufacturers generally use clamps and tight measurements to mount and align the front face panel 30 to the drawer box 22. Thereafter, once properly positioned, the front face panel 30 is affixed to the drawer box 22. However, this method yields unsatisfactory results, especially in older homes where the floors and walls may not be perfectly level. Furthermore, this method creates increased expenses due to the number of components and time involved to achieve such tight tolerances.

Thus, it is desirable to adjustably connect the front face panel 30 to the drawer box 22 to ensure proper alignment of the front face panel 30 with respect to the cabinet 10 thereby eliminating the need for precise initial alignment. Moreover, it is advantageous to provide a mechanism for adjustment that permits the front face panel 30 to be adjusted when the drawer is in a closed position thus providing the user with the ability to simultaneously see and align the front face panel 30 with respect to the cabinet 10 thereby eliminating the need for a time consuming trial and error method.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mechanism for adjustably connecting a front face panel to a drawer box in a cabinet so that when the drawer is closed, the front face panel is in a desired position with respect to the surface of the cabinet. That is, the present invention relates to a mechanism for adjustment which permits the front face panel to be adjusted with respect to the drawer box thus helping to ensure that the front face panel is in proper alignment with respect to the cabinet and with other associated parts, i.e., other front face panels, doors, counter-top, etc. Although the present invention is described herein as being utilized to adjust a front face panel of a drawer in a cabinet, it should be understood that the concept and device of the present invention applies equally well to other surfaces that require adjustment with respect to one another, for example, panels, trim, fixtures, mirrors, towel bars, etc.

The present invention also relates to a mechanism for adjustment that may permit the front face panel to be adjusted while the drawer is in a closed position thus providing the user with the ability to simultaneously see and align the front face panel with respect to the cabinet.

The present invention may include a washer having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one disk having an inner surface and an outer surface. The washer may be connected to the drawer box, while the disk may be connected to the front face panel. The disk and washer are adjustably connected with respect to one another so that movement of the disk allows the front face panel, which is connected to the disk, to be moveable and thus adjustable with respect to the drawer box, which is connected to the washer.

The mechanism for adjustment may alternatively include a washer having a first surface, a second surface, and a thru-bore extending from the first surface to the second surface; and at least one disk having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a stem affixed to the inner surface of the disk; wherein the stem is sized and configured to fit in the thru-bore. The mechanism for adjustment may alternatively include two disks, each disk having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a stem affixed to the inner surface of the disks; wherein the stems are joined together within the thru-bore and are sized and configured to move in the thru-bore. The thru-bore may have a first thickness and the stems may have a second thickness, such that the thickness of the thru-bore is greater than the combined thickness of the stems.

The present invention further relates to a method of adjusting a front face panel with respect to a drawer box while the drawer is in a closed position. The method may include: installing a mechanism for adjustment between a front face panel and a drawer box; closing the drawer box; and aligning the front face panel with respect to the cabinet.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the description which will follow, given by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the various figures, the same reference numbers are used to designate identical or similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drawer.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the mechanism for adjustment;

FIG. 4a is a top view of the mechanism for adjustment, shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4b is a sectional view taken along line 4b-4b in FIG. 4a;

FIG. 5a is a top view of an embodiment of the washer used in the embodiment of the mechanism for adjustment shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5b is a sectional view of the washer taken along line 5b-5b in FIG. 5a;

FIG. 6a is a top view of an embodiment of the disk used in the embodiment of the mechanism for adjustment shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6b is a sectional view of the disk taken along line 6b-6b in FIG. 6a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is hereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Initially, in the present document the term “drawer” is used to refer to any structure that is received in a sliding fashion in a cabinet 10 or other similar structure, regardless of its relative vertical and horizontal dimensions. Furthermore, for convenience, although the present invention is described as being utilized to adjust a front face panel 30 of a drawer 20 in a cabinet 10, it should be understood that the current invention may be used to adjust other surfaces as well including, but not limited to, panels, trims, fixtures, mirrors, towel bars, etc.

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 6, the mechanism for adjustment 50 may include a washer 60 and at least one disk 70. The washer 60 has a first surface 62 and a second surface 64, while the at least one disk 70 has an inner surface 72 and an outer surface 74. The washer 60 may be secured to the drawer box 22, while the disk 70 may be secured to the front face panel 30. The washer 60 and the disk 70 are adjustably connected to one another such that movement of the disk 70 with respect to the washer 60 allows the front face panel 30, which is connected to the disk 70, to be moveable and thus adjustable with respect to the drawer box 22, which is connected to the washer 60.

The disk 70 may be secured to the front face panel 30 by any means known in the art including, but not limited to, two-face tape 80 (as shown in FIG. 3), bonding, screwing, nailing, etc. Preferably, the outer circumference of the disk 70 includes ridge-like outer spikes (not shown) for engaging the front face panel 30. That is, the outer circumference of the disk 70 preferably includes ridge-like outer spikes for engaging the inner surface of a partial bore formed in the front face panel 30, as will be described in greater detail later. The inner surface 72 of the disk 70 may be adjustably connected to the washer 60 by any means known in the art such that the disk 70 is free to move with respect to the washer 60. For example, the washer 60 and the disk 70 may be adjustably connected to one another by way of a friction fit type connection, a tongue and groove type connection, etc.

The outer circumference of the washer 60 preferably also includes ridge-like outer spikes 66 for facilitating engagement of the washer 60 with the drawer box 22. That is, the outer circumference of the washer 60 preferably also includes ridge-like outer spikes 66 for engaging the inner surface of a bore formed in the front panel 24 of the drawer box 22, as will be described in greater detail later. The mechanism for adjustment 50 may be manufactured from any material known in the art including, but not limited to plastic, metal, wood, etc.

As shown, the mechanism for adjustment 50 may comprise a washer 60 and at least one disk 70, the washer 60 has a first surface 62, a second surface 64, and a thru-bore 68 extending therethrough. As shown, the thru-bore 68 may be centrally located.

The at least one disk 70 has an inner surface 72, an outer surface 74, and a stem 76 attached to the inner surface 72 of the disk 70. The stem 76 is sized and configured to fit in the thru-bore 68 of the washer 60 so that the stem 76 can move in the thru-bore 68, thus allowing the disk 70 to move with respect to the washer 60. As shown, the stem 76 may also be centrally located on the disk 70. The stem 76 may be attached to the disk 70 by any method known in the art including but not limited to bonding, screwing, nailing, etc. Alternatively, the stem 76 and the disk 70 may be integrally formed.

Alternatively, as shown, the mechanism for adjustment 50 may include one washer 60 and two disks 70, the two disks 70 may be placed on either side of the washer 60 so that the stems 76, which are connected to the disks 70, may be joined together in the thru-bore 68. The stems 76 may be connected to one another by any means known in the art including, but not limited to, bonding, screwing, nailing, etc.

It should be noted that although the washer 60 and the disk 70 are herein described and shown as having a generally circular shape. It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that other shapes may also be used including, but not limited to, oval, elliptical, square, rectangular, etc. Furthermore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the type of adjustment permitted may be controlled by the shape of the device, especially the shape of the thru-bore 68 and the stem 76, as the type of adjustment permitted is directly proportional to the shape of the thru-bore 68 and the stem 76. For example, if it is desirable to permit adjustment in all directions then a circular shaped thru-bore 68 and stem 76 should be used. However, if it is desirable to permit adjustment in one direction more than in another, an oval, elliptical, or rectangular shaped stem 76 and thru-bore 68 should be used.

As shown, the washer 60 has a diameter of 1.4 inches, while the thru-bore 68 has a diameter of 0.76 inches and a thickness of 0.125 inches. The disk 70 has a diameter of 0.88 inches, while the stem 76 has a diameter of 0.26 inches and a thickness of 0.057 inches. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, the size of the washer 60, thru-bore 68, disk 70, and stem 76 may be varied, and thus is not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the amount of adjustment permitted is proportional to the amount of movement allowed between the washer 60 and the disk 70, and thus is directly proportional to the relative dimensions of the stem 68 and the thru-bore 76. That is, if the size of the thru-bore 76 is increased then the amount of relative adjustment permitted is increased, and vice-versa.

The thickness of the stem 68 is preferably less than one-half the thickness of the thru-bore 76. Thus, where two disks 70 are utilized, the combined thickness of the stems 76 is less than the thickness of the thru-bore 68. This results in increased frictional contact between the inner surfaces 62 of the disks 60 and the contacting surfaces of the washer 60 thus permitting the mechanism for adjustment 50 to be relatively stiff. Thereby allowing the mechanism 50 to maintain the front face panel 30 in proper alignment with the drawer box 22 without the need for any additional fixation means. Alternatively, if desired, additional fixation means such as bonding, nailing, screwing, etc. may be used to affix the front face panel 30 to the drawer box 22 once proper alignment has been determined.

In use, the mechanism for adjustment is installed 50 between the front panel 24 of the drawer box 22 and the front face panel 30. Although any number of mechanisms for adjustment 50 may be used, preferably at least two mechanisms for adjustment 50 are used. To facilitate installation, a bore may be drilled through the front panel 24 of the drawer box 22, the bore is sized and configured to substantially correspond with the size and configuration of the washer 60. Thereafter, the mechanism for adjustment 50 is placed within the bore. The front face panel 30 is then secured to the outer disk 70 of the mechanism 50. As previously described, preferably, a partial bore is drilled in the front face panel 30, the bore is sized and configured to substantially correspond with the size, depth and configuration of the outer disk 70. Alternatively, the outer disk 70 may be connected to the front face panel 30 by any other means known in the art, including but not limited to, two-sided tape 80. The movement of the disk 70 with respect to the washer 60 permits the front face panel 30, which is connected to the disk 70, to be moveable and thus adjustable with respect to the drawer box 22, which is connected to the washer 60. Once the front face panel 30 is properly aligned in its desired location, the user may, if so desired, more permanently affix the front face panel 30 to the drawer box 22 by any method known in the art including but not limited to screwing, nailing, bonding, etc.

The mechanism for adjustment 50 permits the front face panel 30 to be attached to the front panel 24 of the drawer box 22 without the need for the tight tolerances previously associated with the prior art. This permits for quicker and cheaper manufacturing, and a better looking finished product as the front face panel 30 may be adjusted on-site after all the cabinets 10 have been installed. Furthermore, using a mechanism for adjustment 50 permits the front face panel 30 to be adjusted while the drawer box 22 is in a closed position thereby allowing one to see the present alignment of the front face panel 30 with respect to the cabinet 10 while simultaneously performing the adjustment.

The present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments. These embodiments, however, are merely for example and the invention is not restricted thereto. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that other variations and modifications can easily be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims, thus it is only intended that the present invention be limited by the following claims

Claims

1. A mechanism for adjustment comprising:

a washer having a first surface and a second surface; and

at least one disk having an inner surface and an outer surface; the inner surface of the disk being sized and configured to be adjustably connected to one of the first and second surfaces of the washer;

wherein the washer is secured to a drawer box and the outer surface of the disk is secured to a front face panel.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the washer and the disk are adjustably connected to one another by a tongue and groove system.

3. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the washer and the disk are adjustably connected to one another by a friction type connection.

4. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the washer further includes a thru-bore extending from the first surface to the second surface; and the at least one disk further includes a stem affixed to the inner surface of the disk; the stem being sized and configured to fit in the thru-bore.

5. A mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the at least one disk includes two disks, wherein the inner surface of the two disks each have a stem, the stems being affixed to one another in the thru-bore of the washer.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the thru-bore has a first thickness and the two stems have a combined second thickness, the combined second thickness being less than the first thickness.

7. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the washer and the at least one disk have a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, rectangular and square.

8. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the washer further comprises a ridge-like outer circumference for engaging a bore formed in the drawer box.

9. A mechanism according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the disks further comprises a ridge-like outer circumference for engaging a partial bore formed in the front face panel.

10. A mechanism for adjustment comprising:

a washer having a first surface, a second surface and a thru-bore extending from said first surface to said second surface;

at least one disk having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a stem affixed to said inner surface of said at least one disk;

wherein said stem is sized and configured to adjustably fit in said thru-bore.

11. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the at least one disk includes two disks, wherein the inner surface of the two disks each have a stem, the stems being affixed to one another in the thru-bore of the washer.

12. A mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said thru-bore has a first thickness and the two stems have a combined second thickness, said combined second thickness is less than said first thickness.

13. A mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said mechanism is placed between a front face panel and a drawer box.

14. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said mechanism is placed between a front face panel and a drawer box.

15. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said washer and said at least one disk have a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, oval, elliptical, rectangular and square.

16. A mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said washer further comprises a ridge-like outer circumference.

17. A mechanism according to claim 16, wherein said at least one disk further comprises a ridge-like outer circumference.

18. A mechanism for adjusting a front face panel on a drawer box comprising:

a washer having a first surface, a second surface and a thru-bore extending from said first surface to said second surface;

two disks, each disk having an inner surface and an outer surface; and a stem affixed to said inner surface of said disks;

wherein said stems are joined together in said thru-bore, said stems being sized and configured to move in said thru-bore.

19. A mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said thru-bore has a first thickness and said two stems have a combined second thickness, the combined second thickness is less than the first thickness.

20. A mechanism according to claim 18, wherein said washer further comprises a ridge-like outer circumference for engaging a bore formed in the drawer box and at least one of said disks further comprises a ridge-like outer circumference for engaging a partial bore formed in the front face panel.