DRAWER ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A drawer assembly is provided and includes a drawer and a sliding guide rail system for opening and closing the drawer within an article of furniture. A support bracket for supporting the drawer is provided at each side of the drawer. The system includes a fixed rail disposed within each of the support brackets. Each side of the drawer assembly has a first member located at a rear corner of the drawer assembly between the support bracket and the fixed rail, and a second member located at a forward corner of the drawer assembly between the support bracket and the fixed rail, when the drawer is fully closed. The drawer is guided against skewing by engagement at two diagonally opposing corners, of the support bracket and fixed rail through the first member on one side of the drawer and through the second member on the other side of the drawer.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a drawer assembly having a drawer and a sliding guide rail system for slidably opening and closing the drawer within an article of furniture. More particularly, this invention relates to a drawer assembly having an arrangement for minimizing skewing of the drawer within the article of furniture.

BACKGROUND

Typical drawer assemblies generally comprise a drawer with a sliding guide rail system as well as a support means to support the drawer during its sliding movement. Either “full-extension” or “single-extension” type sliding guide rail systems are normally provided for drawers to be either fully or partially slid open or closed. The “full-extension” type guide rail system typically consist of a mounting bracket for fixing the assembly to the article of furniture, a fixed rail mounted on the bracket, a pull out rail attached to the side of the drawer, and preferably an intermediate rail in between the fixed and pull out rails. In the “single-extension” rail system, no intermediate rail is provided and the pull-out rail is directly slidable on a running surface (fixed rail) of the mounting bracket.

Drawer closing devices are also typically provided to aid in the drawer-closing motion. Without closing devices, a drawer that has been moved to a closed position will sometimes not be fully closed and the front panel of the drawer projects from the article of furniture. Also, when the drawer has been pushed into the article of furniture with excessive force, the drawer may rebound. Generally, closing devices are provided in pairs for a drawer assembly, i.e. one closing device provided for each sliding guide rail system, on each side of the drawer, and include resilient means (oftentimes, springs) to bias the drawer in a closed condition. Closing devices may be attached to various parts of the sliding guide rail system e.g. at the rear of the fixed rail (or directly on the mounting bracket) and operatively engagable with pull out rail so as to aid in the sliding motion of the pull out rail in a drawer-closing direction.

Drawers for use with the above drawer assemblies tend to tilt or skew sideways for a variety of reasons.

When drawers are pulled out of the article of furniture from one side rather than from the middle, the biasing spring force of the pair of closing devices provided on each side of the drawer acts unevenly on the drawer, thereby causing it to skew within the article of furniture. This problem is exacerbated in wider bodied drawers.

Roller housings (or carriages) are typically provided to enable the rail components of sliding guide rail systems to be slidable relative to each other. Due to the space constraints within the rail system, these roller housings are generally fitted over (or within) each rail component. When the drawer is not loaded, minimal force is exerted onto the rail components (and the rollers). Hence, only a very minor clearance exists between some of the rollers and surfaces (including running surfaces) of the rail components. However, when the drawer is fully loaded, substantial force, which is often unevenly distributed, will be exerted onto the rollers, causing either no clearance and/or excessive clearance to occur between the rollers and running surfaces of the rail components. This will cause either the intermediate and/or pull out rail components to tilt either inwards or outwards as the rails are in sliding motion, and hence, lead to skewing of the drawer within the article of furniture. This problem is more apparent for drawer assemblies having “full-extension” type sliding guide rail systems.

Any tilting or skewing of the drawer will affect the smoothness and stability of its sliding movements. As such, it would be desirable for drawer assemblies to have a device to minimize the effect of such skewing on the smooth and stable sliding motion of the drawer.

This invention thus aims to alleviate some or all of the problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a drawer assembly comprising a drawer and a sliding guide rail system for slidably opening and closing the drawer within an article of furniture. A support bracket for supporting the drawer is provided at each side of the drawer. The sliding guide rail system includes a fixed rail, disposed within each of the support brackets. An arrangement is provided at each side of the drawer, for minimizing skewing of the drawer within the article of furniture. The arrangement includes a bumper plate and a roller. The bumper plate is provided on one of the support bracket and fixed rail. The roller is provided on the other of the support bracket and fixed rail. The bumper plate and the roller are located at opposing longitudinal ends of one and the other of the support bracket or fixed rail. The bumper plate is engageable with a vertical flange of the support bracket or a vertical flange of the fixed rail. The roller is engageable with a vertical flange of the support bracket or a vertical flange of the fixed rail. The drawer is guided at two diagonally opposing corners against skewing, by engagement of the bumper plate at one drawer side and by engagement of the roller at the other drawer side.

In an embodiment, the bumper plate may be made of a resilient material.

In another embodiment, the roller may be made of a resilient material.

In a further embodiment, the arrangement may further comprise a protective housing for the roller.

In yet another embodiment, the arrangement may further comprise a bracket for removably locking the roller to one of the support bracket or the fixed rail.

According to an embodiment, the bumper plate may be provided adjacent the front longitudinal end of the fixed rail. The bumper plate may be removably clipped onto the front longitudinal end of the fixed rail. The roller may be provided adjacent the rear longitudinal end of the support bracket. The support bracket may comprise a suitably shaped opening on its vertical flange for removably receiving the roller.

According to another embodiment, the bumper plate may be provided adjacent the rear longitudinal end of the support bracket. The bumper plate may be removably clipped onto the rear longitudinal end of the support bracket. The roller may be provided adjacent the front longitudinal end of the fixed rail. The fixed rail may comprise a suitably shaped opening on its vertical flange for removably receiving the roller.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a drawer assembly comprising a drawer and a sliding guide rail system for slidably opening and closing the drawer within an article of furniture. A support bracket for supporting the drawer is provided at each side of the drawer. The sliding guide rail system includes a fixed rail, disposed within each of the support brackets. Each side of the drawer assembly has a first member located at a rear corner of the drawer assembly between the support bracket and the fixed rail, and a second member located at a forward corner of the drawer assembly between the support bracket and the fixed rail, when the drawer is in the closed state. The drawer is guided against skewing by engagement at two diagonally opposing corners, of the support bracket and fixed rail through the first member on one side of the drawer and through the second member on the other side of the drawer.

The objective of this invention is to provide a drawer assembly where skewing of the drawer within an article of furniture is minimized so as to allow for smooth and stable drawer-opening and drawer-closing motion.

The design of this drawer assembly advantageously provides for the drawer to be guided against skewing at two diagonally opposing corners. This allows for effective minimizing of skewing even for wide-bodied drawers.

Also, no design modification is needed to the anti-skewing arrangement regardless of the size of drawer used with the assembly of this invention e.g. short drawers, long drawers, wide bodied drawers etc. Hence, substantial usage flexibility is accorded.

Further, providing members of the anti-skewing arrangement that comprise resilient material decreases friction between the rail components (fixed rail) and the drawer side (support bracket). Not only would this lead to an improved efficiency in the drawer-opening and drawer-closing motions but would also advantageously decrease the likelihood of damage to elements of the sliding guide rail system.

The above-described advantages of the drawer assembly of the present invention therefore, provide for a drawer assembly having an arrangement that minimizes skewing of the drawer within an article of furniture, thereby, allowing for smooth and stable drawer sliding movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated, although not limited, by the following description of embodiments made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a drawer assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a drawer side member of the drawer assembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show the roller of the anti-skewing arrangement in an assembled and unassembled state, respectively.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C shows how the assembled roller (encased within its housing) is fitted into the support bracket opening of the drawer side member of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sliding guide rail system of the drawer assembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are sectional front views showing assembly of the sliding guide rail system within the drawer side member (cover portion over support bracket).

FIG. 7A is a top view of the drawer assembly in a neutral position.

FIG. 7B is a top view of the drawer assembly of FIG. 7A, when the drawer is skewed inward within an article of furniture.

FIG. 8A is a top view of a wide bodied drawer assembly in a neutral position.

FIG. 8B is a top view of the drawer assembly of FIG. 8A, when the drawer is skewed inward within an article of furniture.

FIG. 9A is a sectional front view of the sliding guide rail system (sliding housings not shown) of the drawer assembly in a neutral position.

FIG. 9B is a sectional front view of the sliding guide rail system (sliding housings not shown) of FIG. 9A, when the rail system is tilted inward.

FIG. 9C is a sectional front view of the sliding guide rail system (sliding housings not shown) of FIG. 9A, when the rail system is tilted outward.

FIG. 10 is a top view of the sliding guide rail system of FIG. 9B.

FIG. 11 shows a drawer closing device for use with the drawer assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 10 show an embodiment of a drawer assembly according to the present invention. This drawer assembly comprises a drawer, a sliding guide rail system for slidably opening and closing the drawer, and an arrangement to minimize skewing of the drawer within the article of furniture. The anti-skewing arrangement comprises a bumper plate 80 and a roller 90 separately provided at opposing longitudinal ends of one or the other of a drawer side component and a rail component.

As seen in FIG. 1, the drawer comprises a front panel 1, rear panel (not shown), bottom panel 3 and a drawer side member 4 provided at each side of the drawer.

The front, rear and bottom panels may be of normal construction as is generally known in the art. The drawer side member 4, as seen in FIGS. 2, 6A and 6B, is of a “double-walled” construction and typically, comprises a cover piece 10 and a support bracket 20. The cover piece 10 is preferably made of metal and fits over the support bracket 20.

At its rear longitudinal end, the support bracket 20 is provided with an opening 21 through which a screw may be inserted for connecting the bracket 20 (drawer side member 4) to the drawer rear panel (not shown) via a corner fitting 5, on its top surface. The support bracket 20 is preferably formed from sheet metal into an open C-section having an L-shaped flange 22 disposed lengthwise along its inner side (side of the bracket 20 facing the inside of the drawer). The drawer bottom panel 3 is mountable onto the horizontal portion 23 of the L-shaped flange 22 such that its side abuts against the vertical portion 24 of the L-shaped flange. The top surface of the support bracket 20 is provided with apertures, towards its front longitudinal end. The apertures are suitably shaped for receiving a catch (not shown) for removably engaging the support bracket 20 to the guide rail system (pull out rail 60).

In an embodiment of this invention as seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 to 10, the roller 90 of the anti-skewing arrangement is provided adjacent the rear longitudinal end of the support bracket 20. A cross-shaped opening 25 having set-in portions 26, for pivotally receiving the roller 90 is provided on the vertical portion 24 of the L-shaped flange 22, adjacent the rear longitudinal end of the bracket 20.

The guide rail system for use with a drawer assembly of this invention may be of the “full-extension” type or the “single-extension” type. In the “full-extension” type (FIGS. 5, 6, 9 and 10), the rail system comprises a mounting bracket 30 for fixing the drawer to the article of furniture, a fixed rail 40 mounted on the mounting bracket 30, an intermediate rail 50 and a pull out rail 60 secured to the drawer side member 4. The “single-extension” rail system generally comprises a mounting bracket for fixing the system to an article of furniture with a pull-out rail capable of sliding back and forth on a running surface (fixed rail) of the mounting bracket. Sliding housings (not shown) having a plurality of rollers are provided to enable the intermediate rail 50 to be slidable on the fixed rail 40 (only in a “full-extension”system) and the pull out rail 60 to be slidable on the intermediate rail 50 or directly on the fixed rail 40.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 9 shows a mounting bracket 30 of the sliding guide rail system formed from sheet metal into a substantially L-section comprising of a vertical flange 31 and a horizontal flange 32. The vertical flange 31 has a multitude of holes 33 for fixing to the side of an article of furniture such as a cabinet or chassis into which the drawer is to be installed. Stepped edges are also formed on this vertical flange 31 in order to increase its rigidity. Similarly, notches are formed at the bent edge of the L-section for increasing the rigidity and load capacity of the bracket 30. The fixed rail 40 of the guide rail system is attached (for example, by welding) onto the horizontal flange 32 of the mounting bracket 30.

The fixed rail 40, seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, is formed from sheet metal into an open C-section. Stops consisting of punched-out tabs that are bent inwardly are formed at either or opposite sides towards the longitudinal ends of the rail 40. Slidably fitted inside this fixed rail 40 is a sliding housing (not shown) having rollers which allows it to run smoothly inside the rail between the stops. The bottom surface of the fixed rail 40 is welded onto the horizontal flange 32 of the mounting bracket 30.

In the embodiment seen in FIGS. 5 to 10, the bumper plate 80 of the anti-skewing arrangement is provided adjacent or at the front longitudinal end of the fixed rail 40. In this instance, the bumper plate 80 is removably fixed onto the front end of the fixed rail 40, prior to welding of the rail onto the mounting bracket 30. After assembly, the horizontal flange 32 of the mounting bracket 30 will function as a “holder” to firmly support and hold the bumper plate 80 onto the fixed rail 40.

A drawer closing device 70 is provided as shown in FIG. 11. This closing device 70 is attached at a rear end of the fixed rail 40 and is operatively engagable with a guiding pin (not shown) provided on the bottom surface of the pull out rail 60 so as to aid in the drawer-closing motion i.e. sliding motion of the pull out rail 60 in a drawer-closing direction.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, show the intermediate rail 50 formed from sheet metal into a substantially I-section or alternatively a composite of two Ts with upper and lower horizontal flanges and vertical web. The bent edges of the upper and lower flanges are either on the same side as each other or at opposite sides. Two pairs of stops are formed spaced apart on the upper and lower surfaces of the lower and upper flanges respectively that may again consist of inwardly bent punched-out tabs. This intermediate rail 50 may be installed with no distinction as to which end is forward. Also, this rail 50 may be provided with the punched-out tabs of stops not yet bent so that these tabs may be bent in the required direction during assembly or installation. This would allow for flexibility during assembly of this system and also advantageously reduces the number of parts required for stocking.

Also seen in FIGS. 5, 6 and 9 is the pull-out rail 60 formed from a sheet metal into an open C-section. On either side of this pull out rail 60 are two stops disposed such that each stop is located towards a longitudinal end of the rail. These stops consist of punched-out tabs that bend inwardly. An L-shaped extension 61 is cut or formed on the upper surface of this pull out rail 60. This extension 61 engages with an attachment (not shown) on the drawer side member 4 for fixing the pull out rail 60 to the drawer. An aperture 62 is also punched on the upper surface of this pull out rail 60 at the front end (relative to drawer orientation) to allow for engagement with a catch (not shown) mounted at the front of the drawer side member 4. This allows for the drawer to be easily and removably attached with the pull out rail 60. Slidably fitted inside this pull out rail 60 is a sliding housing (not shown) having rollers which allows it to run smoothly inside the pull out rail 60 between the stops. A guiding pin (not shown) for engagement with the drawer closing device 70 at the rear end of the fixed rail 40 is provided on the bottom surface of the pull out rail 60.

The sliding housings (not illustrated herein) may comprise a long member having a substantially rectangular cross-section with a hollow central recess in the form of an open T. Rollers may be provided at the upper part and both sides of the T. The side rollers are vertically displaced by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the vertical web of the intermediate rail. The number, type (whether upper or side rollers) and configuration of rollers depend on the load capacity for which the sliding housings are designed. Further side rollers (not shown) that provide lateral guidance for the drawer/equipment may also be provided, wherein when these side rollers are spaced as far apart as possible, greater lateral stability is provided. The open T-shaped recess of the sliding housing enables the intermediate rail to be slidable on the fixed rail 40 and the pull out rail 60 to be slidable on the intermediate rail 50.

Adequate clearances (minimal clearance) are provided between the rollers and the respective contact surfaces of both the upper and lower flanges of the intermediate rail 50 for ease of alignment and/or assembly. Similarly, adequate clearances (minimal clearance) are provided between side rollers and the contact surfaces of the vertical web of the intermediate rail 50. These minimal clearances between the rollers and the contact surfaces are necessary to enable a smooth sliding motion of the rail components (drawer). However, it is these clearances that would also contribute to the tendency of the intermediate rail 50 and pull out rail 60 to tilt (and hence, for the drawer to skew), when the rail system is in motion (FIGS. 9B, 9C and 10). This problem is particularly acute for “full-extension” type rail systems.

As mentioned above, the anti-skewing arrangement comprises a bumper plate 80 (FIG. 5) and a roller 90 (FIGS. 2 to 4) separately provided at opposing longitudinal ends of one or the other of the drawer side component (support bracket 20) or rail component (fixed rail 40). For example, the bumper plate 80 provided adjacent the front end of the fixed rail 40 and the roller 90 provided adjacent the rear end of the support bracket 20, on both sides of the drawer. Or, the roller 90 provided adjacent the front end of the fixed rail 40 and the bumper plate 80 provided adjacent the rear end of the support bracket 20, on both sides of the drawer.

The bumper plate 80, seen in FIG. 5, is preferably made of a resilient material, and more preferably, a resilient plastic material. The plate 80 may be provided in a single molded piece and be of a substantially C-shape. The C-shaped plate is adapted so as to allow the plate 80 to be easily clipped onto a longitudinal end of either the support bracket 20 or the fixed rail 40. Other manners of fixing the plate 80 onto the support bracket 20 or fixed rail 40 may also be used e.g. by suitable attachment means such as screws or the like, or by gluing etc. The plate 80 is oriented such that one half 82 of the C-shaped plate extends along the length, on the outer surface of a vertical flange of the component 20, 40 on which it is fixed, with the other half 81, extending along the length, on the inner surface of the component. As described above, the bumper plate 80 may be clipped onto the front longitudinal end of the fixed rail 40.

The roller 90 of the anti-skewing arrangement is also preferably made of a resilient material, and more preferably, a resilient plastic material. As seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the roller 90 is preferably in the form of a disc with a central opening 91 through which a pivot pin 92 is passed. A protective housing 93 that encases the roller 90, (in an assembled state) is also provided. The housing 93 is provided with a central opening 94 that corresponds to the roller opening 91. In assembly, the roller 90 is fitted within its protective housing 93 and the pivot pin 92 is then passed through both the housing and roller openings 91, 94. Subsequently, the housing 93 with roller 90 is fitted into the cross-shaped opening 25 provided on the vertical portion 24 of the support bracket L-shaped flange 22 (in the embodiment seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6 to 10). The two ends of the pivot pin 92 are fixed into the set-in portions 26 of the cross-shaped opening 25, hence allowing the roller 90 to be pivotally held thereat. A locking bracket 95 is also provided for removably locking the protective housing 93 (roller 90) to the vertical portion 24 of the support bracket L-shaped flange 22.

Although not illustrated herein, the bumper plate 80 may also be readily provided on the rear longitudinal end of the support bracket 20. In such an embodiment, the vertical portion 24 of the support bracket L-shaped flange 22 need not be provided with an opening for receiving a roller 90. The roller 90 may be provided on the front longitudinal end of the fixed rail 40. The outer face of the inner vertical flange of the fixed rail 40 (on the side facing the drawer bottom panel 3) is provided with the cross-shaped opening for receiving the roller 90. Minor adjustments as to the placement of rail components will need to be made for this embodiment.

In use, when the drawer assembly is in a neutral position, the drawer is not skewed or tilted and is substantially centered within the article of furniture. The force exerted by both closing devices 70 on either side of the drawer is evenly distributed to bias the drawer in a closed position. As seen in FIGS. 7A, 8A and 9A, none of the bumper plates 80 or rollers 90 of the anti-skewing arrangement on either side of the drawer is in contact with the inner face of the support bracket L-shaped flange vertical portion 24 or the outer face of the fixed rail 40 vertical flange, in this position.

When the drawer is pulled out of the article of furniture from one side only, force is exerted by the closing devices 70 unevenly. The closing device 70 on the drawer side opposite from that on which pulling force is exerted is biasing the drawer closed. Whereas, at the drawer side on which pulling force is exerted, biasing force of the closing device has been overcome and the drawer is urged to slide in an opening direction. Hence, the drawer is caused to be skewed, sideways, within the article of furniture.

FIGS. 7B and 8B show the guiding action of the anti-skewing arrangement against two diagonally opposing corners of the drawer, to minimize the effect of inward skewing of the drawer within the article of furniture, on its outward sliding motion. In these Figures, pulling force is exerted on the front of the right side of the drawer assembly. The bumper plate 80 adjacent the front end of the left fixed rail 40 engages the inner face of the left support bracket L-shaped flange vertical portion 24 (left front corner of the drawer assembly). At the same time, the roller 90 adjacent the rear end of the right support bracket 20 engages and travels along the length of the outer face of the right fixed rail 40 inner vertical flange (right rear corner of the drawer assembly). Due to the resilient nature of the bumper plate 80 and roller 90, the left and right side of the drawer is urged toward the center (away from the support bracket 20) by guidance exerted at two diagonally opposing corners of the drawer. Thus, inward skewing of the drawer is minimized as it is slid out of the article of furniture.

When pulling force is exerted on the left side of the drawer causing it to skew within the article of furniture, the bumper plate 80 adjacent the front end of the right fixed rail 40 engages the inner face of the right support bracket L-shaped flange vertical portion 24 (right front corner of the drawer assembly). At the same time, the roller 90 adjacent the rear end of the left support bracket 20 engages and travels along the length of the outer face of the left fixed rail 40 inner vertical flange (left rear corner of the drawer assembly). Due to the resilient nature of the bumper plate 80 and roller 90, the left and right side of the drawer is urged toward the center (away from the support bracket 20) by guidance exerted at diagonally opposing corners of the drawer. Thus, skewing of the drawer is minimized as it is slid out of the article of furniture.

As seen in FIGS. 8A and 8B, this skewing-correction effect is even more apparent when the anti-skewing arrangement of this invention is used in drawer assemblies having wide-bodied drawers.

All directional statements such as front/forward, back/rear, top, bottom, lateral, vertical, inward, outward, made herein are relative to the orientation of the drawer assembly, in use.

As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention may easily be produced in other specific forms without departing from its scope or essential characteristics. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered as merely illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A drawer assembly comprising:

a drawer, having right and left sides, and a sliding guide rail system for slidably opening and closing the drawer within an article of furniture;

a support bracket (20) for supporting said drawer, provided at each side of said drawer;

the sliding guide rail system including a fixed rail (40), disposed within each said support bracket (20); and

an arrangement, provided at each side of said drawer, for minimizing skewing of the drawer within the article of furniture, said arrangement including a bumper plate (80) and a roller (90);

said bumper plate (80) provided on one of the support bracket (20) and fixed rail (40);

said roller (90) provided on the other of the support bracket (20) and fixed rail (40);

said bumper plate (80) and said roller (90) located at opposing longitudinal ends of one and the other of the support bracket (20) or fixed rail (40);

the bumper plate (80) being engageable with a vertical flange (24) of the support bracket (20) or vertical flange of the fixed rail (40), and

the roller (90) being engageable with a vertical flange (24) of the support bracket (20) or vertical flange of the fixed rail (40),

said drawer being guided at two diagonally opposing corners against skewing, by engagement of the bumper plate (80) at one drawer side and by engagement of the roller (90) at the other drawer side.

2. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bumper plate (80) is made of a resilient material.

3. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roller (90) is made of a resilient material.

4. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arrangement further comprises a protective housing (93) for said roller (90).

5. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said arrangement further comprises a bracket (95) for removably locking said roller (90) to one of the support bracket (20) or the fixed rail (40).

6. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bumper plate (80) is provided adjacent a front longitudinal end of said fixed rail (40).

7. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein said bumper plate (80) is removably clipped onto the front longitudinal end of said fixed rail (40).

8. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said roller (90) is provided adjacent a rear longitudinal end of said support bracket (20).

9. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein said support bracket (20) comprises a suitably shaped opening (25) on the vertical flange (24) for removably receiving said roller (90).

10. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bumper plate (80) is provided adjacent a rear longitudinal end of said support bracket (20).

11. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said bumper plate (80) is removably clipped onto the rear longitudinal end of said support bracket (20).

12. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein said roller (90) is provided adjacent a front longitudinal end of said fixed rail (40).

13. A drawer assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein said fixed rail (40) comprises a suitably shaped opening on the vertical flange for removably receiving said roller (90).

14. A drawer assembly comprising:

a drawer, having left and right sides, and a sliding guide rail system for slidably opening and closing the drawer within an article of furniture;

a support bracket (20) for supporting said drawer, provided at each side of said drawer;

the sliding guide rail system including a fixed rail (40), disposed within each said support bracket (20); and

each side of the drawer assembly having

a first member (80, 90) located at a rear corner of the drawer assembly between the support bracket (20) and the fixed rail (40), and

a second member (90, 80) located at a forward corner of the drawer assembly between the support bracket (20) and the fixed rail (40);

the drawer being guided against skewing by engagement at two diagonally opposing corners, of the support bracket (20) and fixed rail (40) through the first member (80, 90) on one side of the drawer and through the second member (90, 80) on the other side of the drawer.