LEVER LATCH FOR DRAWER

Abstract

A latch mechanism for a sliding drawer supported by telescopic slides and mounted in a cabinet with two strikes on side walls, the drawer including two holes proximate both sides of a front side wall, and two lateral side walls, the latch mechanism comprising in combination a handle mounted on the front side wall of the drawer; two lever catches including a bottom recess pivotably seated upon the bottom of the hole, a top shoulder adjacent the top of the hole for retaining the lever catch, and a top rear tang stopped by the strike in a drawer retention position; and a transverse member secured to the front ends of the lever catches. Clockwise pivoting the transverse member will unlock the tangs. Pulling the handle will open the drawer by passing the tangs under the strikes. Pushing the handle will pass the tangs under the strikes to close the drawer.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to a latch mechanism for retracting a drawer mounted on telescopic slides in a cabinet and more particularly to a lever latch for such purpose.

2. Description of Related Art

Typically, in order to provide security for the contents in drawers of a cabinet or for other reasons, a locking system is provided. It is typical to actuate a member of the locking system to unlock the drawer. For example, a conventional type of drawer latch is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,235. Thus, continuing improvements in the exploitation of drawer latch are constantly being sought.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a lever latch mechanism for retracting a drawer mounted on telescopic slides in a cabinet.

To achieve the above and other objects, the invention provides a latch mechanism for a sliding drawer supported by telescopic slides and mounted in a cabinet with two lateral side walls, a front opening, and two strikes mounted on the lateral side walls of the cabinet proximate the front opening thereof, the drawer including a front side wall with two side holes, two lateral side walls, and a bottom, the telescopic slides attached to the lateral side walls of the drawer for support and movement of the drawer into and out of the cabinet, the latch mechanism comprising in combination drawer handle mounted on the front side wall of the drawer; two lever catches including a bottom recess pivotably seated upon the bottom of the side hole, a top shoulder above the recess, the shoulder opposing the inner surface of the front side wall adjacent the top of the hole so as to prevent the lever catch from disengaging from the side hole, a rear cam surface, and an upward extending tang adjacent the cam surface, the tang being stopped by the strike in a first drawer retention position; and a transverse member having two ends secured to the front ends of the lever catches; wherein the total weight of portions of the lever catches in front of the recesses and the transverse member is greater than that of portions of the lever catches behind the recesses such that clockwise pivoting the transverse member about the recesses will unlock the tangs and pulling the drawer handle will dispose the drawer in a second drawer release position by passing the tangs under the strikes, and in the second drawer release position pushing the drawer handle forward will pass the tangs under the strikes until the tangs pass the strikes to dispose the drawer in the first drawer retention position.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a typical cabinet having a construction which incorporates a preferred embodiment of lever latch mechanism according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of a portion of the components in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the secured engagement of the handle and the front side wall;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the catch member;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the transverse member;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the mounting of the lever latch mechanism of the invention in a cabinet drawer;

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the lever latch mechanism, mounted in a drawer, being in a locked position;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 where the lever latch mechanism is in an unlocked position by clockwise turning the catch member so that the drawer can be opened by pulling; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 where the drawer is being pushed to close by moving the catch member to pass under the strike member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, a lever latch mechanism in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention for opening or closing a drawer 20 of a cabinet 10 is shown. Note that the cabinet 10 typically has one or more drawers 20 but only one drawer 20 is shown for discussion purpose.

A telescopic slide (not numbered) is mounted on either inner side wall of the cabinet 10. Note that the number of the slides can be more than one if the number of the drawers 20 is more than one. That is, the number of the slides on either side of the cabinet 10 is equal to that of the drawers 20. One section 12 of the slide is fixedly secured to either inner side wall of the cabinet 10 and the other section 24 is fixedly secured to either lateral side wall of the drawer 20. The other section 24 of the slide is adapted to slide relative to one section 12 thereof. Moreover, two L-shaped strike members 11 are provided and each is mounted above one section of the slide proximate the opening of the cabinet 10.

The drawer 20 comprises a back wall (not numbered), a front side wall 21, two lateral side walls (not numbered), and a bottom (not numbered). The front side wall 21 has a bent bottom depending downward, a bent top depending upward, and two slit-shaped holes 22 each disposed between the side edge of the front side wall 21 and the lateral side wall of the drawer 20. A front handle 40 with a front plate (not numbered) depending downward from the top thereof is mounted on the top of the front side wall 21.

An actuation assembly 30 is of U and comprises a transverse member 39 of L-section, a threaded hole 31 at either side of the transverse member 39, two lever catch members 33 as its short section, the lever catch member 33 including a front hole 37, and two fasteners (e.g., screws) 32 adapted to drive through the holes 37 into the threaded holes 31 for securing the lever catch members 33 to the transverse member 39.

As shown in FIG. 4 specifically, the lever catch member 33 further comprises a bottom recess 38 proximate the hole 37, a top shoulder 36 above the recess 38, a rear cam surface 35, and an upward extending tang 34 adjacent the cam surface 35.

As shown in FIG. 7 specifically, in a locked position the lever catch member 33 is pivotably seated on the bottom of the hole 22 and retained thereby, i.e., the recess 38 being seated on the bottom of the hole 22 and the shoulder 36 being engaged with the inner surface of the front side wall 21 adjacent the top of the hole 22 so as to prevent the lever catch member 33 from disengaging from the hole 22. Also, the tang 34 is disposed proximate the strike member 11 and is stopped by same. Further, the transverse member 39 and the front portions of the lever catch members 33 (i.e., the portions in front of the recesses 38) are disposed in the hollow of the front handle 40 behind the front plate of the front handle 40 so as to prevent the transverse member 39 from being touched by the finger inadvertently.

As shown in FIG. 8 specifically, an individual may use a finger to clockwise pivot the transverse member 39 about the recesses 38 as indicated by a first arrow. Hence, the rear portion of the lever catch member 33 (i.e., the portion behind the recess 38) clockwise pivots as indicated by a second arrow. As a result, the tang 34 is not locked by the strike member 11 and an individual may pull the handle 40 to open the drawer 20 as indicated by a third arrow. It is understood that the tang 34 may pass under the strike member 11 during the pulling.

As shown in FIG. 9 specifically, an individual may push the handle 40 forward to cause the tang 34 to pass under the strike member 11 as indicated by arrow. The pushing will be stopped when the tang 34 passes the rear end of the strike member 11. Also, the total weight of the front portions of the lever catch members 33 and the transverse member 39 is greater than that of the rear portions of the lever catch member 33. Hence, the tang 34 will move upward automatically after passing the strike member 11 to return to the position of FIG. 7.

Advantageously, the locking of the drawer 20 in its closed position is reliable. Hence, it is impossible of opening the drawer 20 due to accident. Moreover, the opening of the drawer 20 can be easily done by a finger.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A latch mechanism for a sliding drawer supported by telescopic slides and mounted in a cabinet with two lateral side walls, a front opening, and two strikes mounted on the lateral side walls of the cabinet proximate the front opening thereof, the drawer including a front side wall with two side holes, two lateral side walls, and a bottom, the telescopic slides attached to the lateral side walls of the drawer for support and movement of the drawer into and out of the cabinet, the latch mechanism comprising in combination:

a drawer handle mounted on the front side wall of the drawer;

two lever catches including a bottom recess pivotably seated upon the bottom of the side hole, a top shoulder above the recess, the shoulder opposing the inner surface of the front side wall adjacent the top of the hole so as to prevent the lever catch from disengaging from the side hole, a rear cam surface, and an upward extending tang adjacent the cam surface, the tang being stopped by the strike in a first drawer retention position; and

a transverse member having two ends secured to the front ends of the lever catches;

wherein the total weight of portions of the lever catches in front of the recesses and the transverse member is greater than that of portions of the lever catches behind the recesses such that clockwise pivoting the transverse member about the recesses will unlock the tangs and pulling the drawer handle will dispose the drawer in a second drawer release position by passing the tangs under the strikes, and in the second drawer release position pushing the drawer handle forward will pass the tangs under the strikes until the tangs pass the strikes to dispose the drawer in the first drawer retention position.

2. The latch mechanism of claim 1, wherein the strikes are of L.

3. The latch mechanism of claim 1, wherein the transverse member and the lever catches together shape as a U.

4. The latch mechanism of claim 1, wherein the side hole is disposed between the lateral edge of the front side wall and the lateral side wall of the drawer.

5. The latch mechanism of claim 1, wherein the drawer handle has a front plate depending downward from its top so as to dispose the transverse member and portions of the lever catches in front of the recesses behind the front plate.