DRAWER SIDE WALL

Abstract

A drawer side wall, in particular a double-walled drawer side wall, has an outer wall which has an exterior visible surface and a rear side facing away from the visible surface, and has a cover which has a fastening means, by which the cover can be fastened to the rear side of the outer wall. The rear side of a viewing section of the cover contacts the outer wall, and there are two separate recesses spaced apart from each other on the rear side of the outer wall. The fastening means of the cover comprise two separate elastic clamping lugs, each of which engages in an associated recess in order to fasten the cover cap in position to the drawer side wall.

Claims

1. A drawer side wall, in particular a double-walled drawer side wall, comprising an outer wall which has an outwardly disposed viewing surface and a rear side facing away from the viewing surface, and a cover having fixing means, by means of which it can be fixed to the rear side of the outer wall, wherein a viewing portion of the cover bears with its rearward side against the outer wall, wherein two spaced separate recesses are provided at the rear side of the outer wall and the fixing means of the cover include two elastically resilient separate clamping lugs, each of which engages into an associated recess for fixing the cover cap reliably in position to the drawer side wall.

2. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein at its lower longitudinal edge the outer wall is flanged over in a substantially U-shaped configuration, wherein the flanged-over portion bears preferably against the rearward side of the outer wall provided with the viewing surface and the recesses are provided on the flanged-over portion.

3. The drawer side wall according to claim 2, wherein the recesses are in the form of openings which pass through the flanged-over portion and which are covered by the rearward side of the outer wall which is provided with the viewing surface and which is closed in that region.

4. The drawer side wall according to claim 2, wherein the openings extend to the longitudinal edge of the flanged-over portion of the outer wall and are open towards said longitudinal edge.

5. The drawer side wall according to claim 1, wherein the two recesses are of substantially the same shape and are preferably rectangular.

6. A cover for the drawer side wall according to claim 1.

7. The cover according to claim 6 comprising: a preferably flat viewing portion, a connecting portion which viewed in cross-section is of a substantially U-shaped profile and which can be fitted on to the longitudinal edge of the outer wall, and two resilient clamping lugs which are connected to the connecting portion and which preferably extend substantially parallel to the rearward side of the viewing portion.

8. The cover according to claim 6, wherein it is in one piece and preferably comprises metal or plastic.

9. The cover according to claim 6, wherein the two resilient clamping lugs are respectively arranged in the region of a side edge of the cover.

10. The cover according to claim 6, wherein the side edges of the cover and the side edges of the clamping lugspreferably of a rectangular shape in a rear viewextend parallel.

11. The cover according to claim 6, wherein both clamping lugs are of substantially the same configuration or of the same mirror image-reversed configuration.

12. The cover according to claim 6, wherein in the region of its free end each clamping lug has a clamping nose projecting towards the viewing portion.

13. The cover according to claim 12, wherein each clamping nose has at least one inclined surface.

14. The cover according to claim 13, wherein the inclined surface extends inclinedly relative to the side edge of the cover, preferably at an angle of 20 to 90.

15. The cover according to claim 13, wherein the inclined surface extends inclinedly relative to the longitudinal direction of the cover, preferably at an angle of 5 to 20.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Further advantages and details of the invention are described more fully by means of the specific description hereinafter:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drawer side wall on a drawer,

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a portion of a drawer side wall placed upside down with the cover as yet not fitted,

[0017] FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 2 with the cover already fitted on to the outer wall but not yet correctly positioned,

[0018] 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,

[0019] FIG. 5 similarly to FIG. 3 shows the cover already fitted as shown in FIG. 4,

[0020] 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,

[0021] FIG. 6a is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 6,

[0022] FIGS. 7a to 7d are various perspective views of an embodiment of a cover according to the invention,

[0023] FIG. 8 is a front view of the cover of FIGS. 7a to 7d,

[0024] 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

[0025] FIG. 10 is another perspective view of a part of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] The openings are desirably of the same shape and are rectangular, with the edges extending parallel and perpendicular to the longitudinal edge 3c.

[0036] An embodiment of a cover 4 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 7a to 7d and in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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).

[0040] The clamping nose 16 has an inclined surface 17 which on the one hand extends inclinedly relative to the side edge 14preferably at an angle of 20 to 60as 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.

[0041] 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

[0042] 1 drawer [0043] 2 drawer side wall [0044] 3 outer wall [0045] 3a viewing surface (of the outer wall 3) [0046] 3b rear side (of the outer wall 3) [0047] 3c longitudinal edge (of the outer wall 3) [0048] 3d flanged-over portion (of the outer wall 3) [0049] 4 cover [0050] 4a viewing portion (of the cover 4) [0051] 5 rear wall [0052] 6 drawer bottom [0053] 7 pushing-on arrow [0054] 8a, 8b clamping lugs (fixing means) [0055] 9a, 9b recesses [0056] 10 longitudinal displacement arrow [0057] 11 viewing portion [0058] 12 connecting portion [0059] 13 rearward side [0060] 14 side edges (of the cover 4) [0061] 15 side edges (of the clamping lugs 8a, 8b) [0062] 16 clamping nose [0063] 17 inclined surface [0064] 18 longitudinal direction (of the cover 4)