Drawer side wall

Abstract

A drawer side wall has an outer wall which has an exterior viewing surface and a rear side facing away from the exterior viewing surface, and has a cover which has a fastener, by which the cover can be fastened to the rear side of the outer wall. A rear side of a viewing section of the cover is configured to bear against the outer wall, and two separate recesses are spaced apart from each other on the rear side of the outer wall. The fastener includes two separate elastic clamping lugs, each of which is configured to engage in an associated recess in order to fasten the cover in position to the drawer side wall.

Claims

1. A drawer side wall, comprising: an outer wall which has an exterior viewing surface and a rear side facing away from the exterior viewing surface; and a cover having a fastener by which the cover can be fixed to the rear side of the outer wall, wherein: a rear side of a viewing section of the cover is configured to bear against the outer wall; two recesses are provided at the rear side of the outer wall, the two recesses being separate and spaced apart from each other; the fastener includes two elastically resilient clamping lugs for fixing the cover in position to the drawer side wall, the two elastically resilient clamping lugs being separate and spaced apart from each other; a first of the two elastically resilient clamping lugs is configured to engage from the rear side of the outer wall into a first of the two recesses; a second of the two elastically resilient clamping lugs is configured to engage from the rear side of the outer wall into a second of the two recesses; a lower longitudinal edge of the outer wall is flanged over in a substantially U-shaped configuration so as to define a flanged-over portion; the flanged-over portion is configured to bear against the rear side of the outer wall and the two recesses are provided on the flanged-over portion; the two recesses are openings which pass through the flanged-over portion and are covered by the rear side of the outer wall; and the openings extend to the lower longitudinal edge of the outer wall and are open towards the lower longitudinal edge of the outer wall.

2. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the two recesses are of substantially a same shape.

3. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein: the cover further includes a connecting portion which, viewed in cross-section, is of a substantially U-shaped profile and can be fitted onto the lower longitudinal edge of the outer wall, and the two elastically resilient clamping lugs are connected to the connecting portion.

4. The drawer side wall according to claim 3, wherein the viewing section is flat.

5. The drawer side wall according to claim 3, wherein the two elastically resilient clamping lugs extend substantially parallel to the rear side of the viewing section.

6. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the cover is in one piece.

7. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the two elastically resilient clamping lugs are arranged at a side edge of the cover.

8. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein side edges of the cover and side edges of the two elastically resilient clamping lugs are parallel.

9. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the two elastically resilient clamping lugs are of substantially a same configuration or of a same mirror image-reversed configuration.

10. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein each of the two elastically resilient clamping lugs has a clamping nose at a free end thereof which projects towards the viewing section.

11. The drawer side wall according to claim 10, wherein the clamping nose has at least one inclined surface.

12. The drawer side wall according to claim 11, wherein the at least one inclined surface extends inclinedly relative to a side edge of the cover.

13. The drawer side wall according to claim 12, wherein the at least one inclined surface extends inclinedly relative to the side edge of the cover at an angle of 20° to 90°.

14. The drawer side wall according to claim 11, wherein the at least one inclined surface extends inclinedly relative to a longitudinal direction of the cover.

15. The drawer side wall according to claim 14, wherein the at least one inclined surface extends inclinedly relative to the longitudinal direction of the cover at an angle of 5° to 20°.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and details of the invention are described more fully by means of the specific description hereinafter:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drawer side wall on a drawer,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a portion of a drawer side wall placed upside down with the cover as yet not fitted,

(4) FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 2 with the cover already fitted on to the outer wall but not yet correctly positioned,

(5) FIG. 4 similarly to FIG. 2 shows the cover which has not yet been fitted in place at a location which is still further away from the correct position,

(6) FIG. 5 similarly to FIG. 3 shows the cover already fitted as shown in FIG. 4,

(7) FIG. 6 shows the end position which can be achieved by displacement from the position in FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 of the correctly positioned cover,

(8) FIG. 6a is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 6,

(9) FIGS. 7a to 7d are various perspective views of an embodiment of a cover according to the invention,

(10) FIG. 8 is a front view of the cover of FIGS. 7a to 7d,

(11) FIG. 9 is a perspective view with partly broken-way viewing portion to better show the clamping lugs with clamping nose and the inclined surface thereof, and

(12) FIG. 10 is another perspective view of a part of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) The drawer 1 shown in FIG. 1 has two oppositely disposed drawer side walls 2 in the form of double-walled drawer side walls 2. The outer wall is denoted by 3 and has an outwardly disposed viewing surface 3a. The rear side of the outer wall 3 is on the opposite side of that viewing surface 3a. A cover 4 having a viewing portion 4a which for example can carry a corporate logo or another item of information can be releasably connected to the outer wall 3 of the drawer side wall 2, as is described in greater detail hereinafter.

(14) The drawer 1 shown in FIG. 1 also has a rear wall 5 and a drawer bottom 6. The front panel which can be releasably connected and which is necessary to make up a complete drawer 1 is not shown for the sake of clarity of the drawing. It is parallel to the rear wall 5 on the drawer 1 at the front.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a part of a drawer 1 which is placed upside down to be able to better see the underside. It will be appreciated that in practice the cover 4 can be pushed from below upwardly or in the longitudinal direction of the drawer, when the drawer 1 is in the normal position.

(16) FIG. 2 shows how the cover 4 can be pushed in the direction of the arrows 7 on to the lower longitudinal edge 3c of the outer wall 3, more specifically in a position in which the separate resilient clamping lugs 8a and 8b according to the invention do not align with the two mutually spaced separate recesses 9a, 9b at the rear side 3b of the outer wall 3.

(17) Nonetheless, as shown in FIG. 3, the cover 4 can be pushed on to the longitudinal edge 3c in order then to be displaced in the direction of the longitudinal displacement arrow 10 until finally the desired, precisely defined end position is reached as shown in FIG. 6, which will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

(18) Pushing the cover 4 on and moving it longitudinally is possible even if, as shown in FIG. 4, it is pushed on to the longitudinal edge 3c still further at the rear, to firstly reach the position shown in FIG. 5. Upon being advanced into the FIG. 3 position the resilient clamping lug 8a firstly has to move beyond the ‘wrong’ recess 9b, which is achieved by virtue of the inclined surfaces 17 described hereinafter. Starting from the position shown in FIG. 3 it can then now be further pushed in the longitudinal direction as indicated by the longitudinal displacement arrow 10 until finally the front clamping lug 8a latches into the front recess 9a and the rear clamping lug 8b latches into the rear recess 9b and is held there in clamping and/or positively locking relationship. Exact longitudinal positioning of the cover 4 on the drawer side wall 2 is thus precisely ensured.

(19) FIGS. 6 and 6a show the exactly positioned cover 4. At the rear side of the outer wall 3, that is generally indicated by reference 3b, the two clamping lugs 8a and 8b engage into the respective associated recesses 9a and 9b which are larger in the longitudinal direction with a small amount of play than the width of the clamping lugs 8a, 8b. By virtue of the material elasticity of the cover 4 which is preferably made in one piece from plastic the separate resilient clamping lugs 8a and 8b automatically snap into the recesses 9a and 9b and hold there securely in position.

(20) As FIG. 6a in particular shows the outer wall 3 is flanged over at its longitudinal edge 3c to form a generally substantially U-shaped configuration.

(21) The flanged-over portion 3d of the outer wall 3 preferably bears against the rearward side of the outer wall 3 provided with the viewing surface 3a, and thus forms the rear side 3b of the outer wall 3. The flanged-over configuration enables a stable structure for the longitudinal edge 3c without sharp-edged regions. In addition in an embodiment of the invention the flanged-over portion 3d makes it possible for the recesses 9a and 9b to be appropriately provided, more specifically in the form of through openings which for example can be stamped out. Those stamped-out openings are only provided in the flanged-over portion 3d and do not extend through the entire side wall for the rest of the outer wall 3 with the viewing surface 3a covers that opening and thereby in practice forms the bottom of those openings which then overall become the recesses 9a and 9b. Those recesses 9a, 9b are of a well-defined depth substantially corresponding to the thickness of the flanged-over material. As FIG. 6a shows those openings are of such a configuration that they extend to the edge of the flanged-over portion 3d, and therefore are open towards same.

(22) The openings are desirably of the same shape and are rectangular, with the edges extending parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal edge 3c.

(23) An embodiment of a cover 4 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 7a to 7d and in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

(24) This embodiment has a viewing portion 11 which is preferably flat (disposed outwardly in the fitted state). That viewing portion 11 is adjoined by a connecting portion 12 of substantially U-shaped profile and which can be fitted on to the longitudinal edge 3c of the outer wall 3. In addition according to the invention there are two resilient clamping lugs 8a and 8b which are connected to the connecting portion 12 and extend substantially parallel to the rearward side 13 of the viewing portion 11. The clamping lugs 8a and 8b can preferably be produced in one piece with the other components of the cover 4 and acquire their elastic resilient action by virtue of elasticity of the material.

(25) The two resilient clamping lugs 8a and 8b are respectively arranged in the region of the side edges 14 of the cover 4, giving an interposed free region. In regard to resistance to twisting of the fitted cover 4 such an arrangement of the resilient clamping lugs 8a, 8b which are spaced far apart is advantageous. They extend generally as far as the lateral edge of the cover 4, the side edges 14 of the cover 4 and the side edges 15 of the clamping lugs 8a, 8b preferably extending parallel to each other.

(26) In the region of its free end each clamping lug 8a, 8b has a clamping nose 16 projecting towards the viewing portion 11 (see in particular FIGS. 8, 9 and 10).

(27) The clamping nose 16 has an inclined surface 17 which on the one hand extends inclinedly relative to the side edge 14—preferably at an angle of 20° to 60°—as FIG. 8 shows. That makes it easier to push the cover 4 on, for example as shown in FIG. 2, in the direction of the arrows 7. In that case the clamping lugs 8a and 8b which are resiliently elastic are firstly bent open until finally in the end position shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 6a respectively they can latchingly engage into the recesses 9a and 9b.

(28) On the other hand the inclined surface 17 which can also be formed by a plurality of surface portions also extends inclinedly in another sense, more specifically inclinedly relative to the longitudinal direction 18 of the cover 4. That longitudinal direction 18 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the drawer and the direction of the longitudinal edge 3c of the outer wall 3, in terms of the direction involved. That inclined positioning makes it possible to go from FIG. 5 into FIG. 6, in which case the clamping lug 8a which latches firstly (incorrectly) into the recess 9b can disengage again upon being further pushed in the direction of the longitudinal displacement arrow 10 because the inclined surface 17 permits that disengagement. In that way it is possible for cover 4 which are even firstly completely wrongly fitted on to the longitudinal edge 3c always to be displaced in the longitudinal direction until the correct clamping lugs 8a, 8b latchingly engage into the correct recesses 9a, 9b and thus a defined position is achieved. That occurs in principle not just by displacement of the cover 4 from the rear forwardly (that is to say in the extension direction of the drawer 1) but also from the front rearwardly, that is to say in the opposite direction, for the inclined positioning of the inclined surface 17 with respect to the longitudinal direction 18 of the cover 4 is of a mirror-symmetrical configuration at both clamping lugs 8a and 8b with respect to a notional central plane between the two clamping lugs 8a, 8b.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(29) 1 drawer 2 drawer side wall 3 outer wall 3a viewing surface (of the outer wall 3) 3b rear side (of the outer wall 3) 3c longitudinal edge (of the outer wall 3) 3d flanged-over portion (of the outer wall 3) 4 cover 4a viewing portion (of the cover 4) 5 rear wall 6 drawer bottom 7 pushing-on arrow 8a, 8b clamping lugs (fixing means) 9a, 9b recesses 10 longitudinal displacement arrow 11 viewing portion 12 connecting portion 13 rearward side 14 side edges (of the cover 4) 15 side edges (of the clamping lugs 8a, 8b) 16 clamping nose 17 inclined surface 18 longitudinal direction (of the cover 4)