Safety storage unit
A safety storage unit including a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position, first guide means attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit and means for linking the guide means such that the linking means is moveable through the first guide means when one of the storage compartments is opened and wherein only one storage compartment is fully open at any one time.
This application claims the right of foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to Application Serial Number 2009100488 filed in Australia on May 25, 2009 by the same inventor, and to Application Serial Number 2009202679 filed in Australia on Jul. 1, 2009 by the same inventor, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a safety storage unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPresent storage systems, such as filing cabinets and chests of drawers, enable a number of drawers to be open at any one time. This redistributes the weight of the whole storage system and presents a danger, particularly to children, of the storage system accidentally tipping over and injuring a person due to the increased moment that is created by the weight of the open drawers. In some instances fatal injuries have been caused. Furthermore, where a number of drawers are open, this can create a step ladder that children can use to climb upon in order to reach the top of the storage system. This presents a similar danger in that as the child's weight is placed on the open drawers, the whole storage system is susceptible to tipping. Furthermore, once the child has reached the top panel of the storage system, another danger is presented in that the child can inadvertently fall or deliberately jump off the top of the storage system with a possible injury to the child resulting.
There are existing systems for locking drawers, particularly filing cabinets or desk drawers that use a lock bolt and key arrangement. A series of vertically stacked drawers may be linked by a rod whereby all of the drawers can be locked at one time through the turn of a key in a single key lock. Such arrangements are generally complex and costly to manufacture and still present the option of having more than one drawer open at a time.
The present invention provides an alternative to the above arrangements and provides an improvement to the safety of users of storage systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:
a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;
a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit;
means for linking the first guide assembly such that the means for linking is moveable through the first guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened and wherein only one storage compartment is fully open at any one time.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:
a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another and moveable between an open position and a closed position;
a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit, and
means for linking the first guide assembly such that upon opening a storage compartment the means for linking moves through the first guide assembly and is of a predetermined length to ensure that only one storage compartment is fully open at a time.
The storage unit may further include a second guide assembly located at a distance from the first guide assembly; wherein the means for linking links the second guide assembly to the first guide assembly and is moveable through the second guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened.
The second guide assembly can be housed within or attached to a support structure and the first guide assembly may be attached to the storage compartments. The support structure may be a rear panel of the safety storage unit or a projection attached to or forming part of the rear panel of the safety storage unit. Alternatively, the support structure is a post extending between a top panel and a bottom panel of the safety storage unit.
Each storage compartment preferably has a front panel, a rear panel, side panels and a bottom panel. The first guide assembly can include a guide attached to the rear panel of each storage compartment.
Alternatively, the first guide assembly can include a guide attached to a rear side of the front panel of each storage compartment. Preferably the first guide assembly includes a first set of guides and a second set of guides, such that the first set of guides and second set of guides are attached to the rear side of the front panel of the storage compartments adjacent respective side edges of each front panel, the means for linking is arranged as first means for linking and second means for linking, the first means for linking each guide in the first set of guides and the second means for linking each guide in the second set of guides, such that upon opening a storage compartment the first means for linking moves through the first set of guides and the second means for linking moves through the second sets of guides.
The safety storage unit may further include a second guide assembly attached to or forming part of a frame of the safety storage unit, the second guide assembly including a first set of guides through which the first means for linking passes and a second set of guides through which the second means for linking passes.
The means for linking may be a loop of material and each end of the loop of material is secured at a location removed from any one of the storage compartments.
The means for linking may have a portion substantially the same length as the full outward extension of one of the storage compartments that has no tension when all storage compartments are in the closed position.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a safety storage unit including:
a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;
means for linking the storage compartments together whereby:
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- when one of the storage compartments is in a fully open position, the or each of the other storage compartments is retained by the means for linking against being moveable a substantial extent away from a closed position towards an open position of the or each of the other storage compartments; and
- when one of the storage compartments is in the fully open position and upon movement of the or one of the other storage compartments away from a closed position towards the open position of the or each of the other storage compartments the means for linking causes the fully open storage compartment to move from the fully open position towards the closed position.
- when one of the storage compartments is in a fully open position, the or each of the other storage compartments is retained by the means for linking against being moveable a substantial extent away from a closed position towards an open position of the or each of the other storage compartments; and
Preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which:
Shown in
In
With each of the arrangements shown in
An alternative arrangement is shown in
Each of the guides 18 to 30 may suitably be in the form of any one of an eyelet, eye bolt, pulley or hook or any material having an aperture through it through which the material 36 can freely pass. Each of the anchors 32 and 34 can be, for example, an eye bolt where a knot is tied in the material 36 against the eye in the anchors 32 and 34. Alternatively it can be in the form of a cleat attached to the outside of the rear panel 14 with material length 36 secured in any one of a number of grooves of the cleat.
With reference to
The advantage of the post 38 is that it can have anchors 32 and 34 attached thereto without the need to apply the fittings to the back panel 14. This can be used for newly built storage units, whereas the embodiments as shown in
Shown in
In
With all of the embodiments, a smooth fixture can be attached to edges of the drawers that come into contact with the means for linking, so as to prevent unnecessary wear on the means for linking.
It is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be made to the features of the preferred embodiments of the invention as herein described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A safety storage unit including:
- a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;
- first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit;
- means for linking the first guide assembly such that the means for linking is moveable through the first guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened and wherein only one storage compartment is fully open at any one time.
2. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the means for linking is of a predetermined length to ensure that only one storage compartment is fully open at a time.
3. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 further including a second guide assembly located at a distance from the first guide assembly; wherein the means for linking links the second guide assembly to the first guide assembly and is moveable through the second guide assembly when one of the storage compartments is opened.
4. A safety storage unit according to claim 3 wherein the second guide assembly is housed within or attached to a support structure and the first guide assembly is attached to the storage compartments.
5. A safety storage unit according to claim 4 wherein the support structure is a rear panel of the safety storage unit or a projection attached to or forming part of the rear panel of the safety storage unit.
6. A safety storage unit according to claim 4 wherein the support structure is a post extending between a top panel and a bottom panel of the safety storage unit.
7. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein each storage compartment has a front panel, a rear panel, side panels and a bottom panel.
8. A safety storage unit according to claim 7 wherein the first guide assembly includes a guide attached to the rear panel of each storage compartment.
9. A safety storage unit according to claim 7 wherein the first guide assembly includes a guide attached to a rear side of the front panel of each storage compartment.
10. A safety storage unit according to claim 7 wherein the first guide assembly includes a first set of guides and a second set of guides, such that the first set of guides and second set of guides are attached to the rear side of the front panel of the storage compartments adjacent respective side edges of each front panel, the means for linking is arranged as first means for linking and second means for linking, the first means for linking each guide in the first set of guides and the second means for linking each guide in the second set of guides, such that upon opening a storage compartment the first means for linking moves through the first set of guides and the second means for linking moves through the second set of guides.
11. A safety storage unit according to claim 10 further including a second guide assembly attached to or forming part of a frame of the safety storage unit, the second guide assembly including a first set of guides through which the first means for linking passes and a second set of guides through which the second means for linking passes.
12. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the means for linking is a loop of material and each end of the loop of material is secured at a location removed from any one of the storage compartments.
13. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the means for linking has a portion substantially the same length as the full outward extension of one of the storage compartments that has no tension when all storage compartments are in the closed position.
14. A safety storage unit according to claim 11 wherein the guides of the first guide assembly and the second guide assembly are any one of a pulley, a hook, an eyelet, an eye bolt.
15. A safety storage unit according to claim 1 wherein the set of storage compartments is a set of drawers.
16. A safety storage unit including:
- a set of two or more storage compartments arranged adjacent one another, each storage compartment moveable between an open position and a closed position;
- means for linking the storage compartments together whereby: when one of the storage compartments is in a fully open position, the or each of the other storage compartments is retained by the means for linking against being moveable a substantial extent away from a closed position towards an open position of the or each of the other storage compartments; and when one of the storage compartments is in the fully open position and upon movement of the or one of the other storage compartments away from a closed position towards the open position of the or each of the other storage compartments the means for linking causes the fully open storage compartment to move from the fully open position towards the closed position.
17. A safety storage unit according to claim 16 further comprising a first guide assembly attached to either the storage compartments or the storage unit.
18. A safety storage unit according to claim 16 wherein the means for linking has a predetermined length to ensure that only one storage compartment is fully open at a time.
19. A safety storage unit according to claim 17 further including a second guide assembly correspondingly attached to either the storage unit or to the storage compartments, wherein the means for linking links the second guide assembly to the first guide assembly.
Type: Application
Filed: May 19, 2010
Publication Date: Nov 25, 2010
Inventor: Matthew Peter Randall (Altona Meadows)
Application Number: 12/800,629
International Classification: A47B 88/04 (20060101);