Quick release latch mechanism

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/166,075, filed Nov. 17, 1999.

[0003] (Not applicable.)

[0004] Drawers, such as those used in tool chests, are well-known to have latching mechanisms to protect against theft or unexpected opening in the event the chest is moved or tipped upright. Common latch mechanisms include key or combination locks and sliding levers restraining movement of the drawers. Such latch mechanisms typically require the user to apply both hands to the latch in order to open the drawer. Moreover, typical latch mechanisms often include small components that are difficult to operate while wearing hand coverings.

[0005] The present invention provides an improved drawer latch mechanism, particularly suited for attaching to the front side of a cabinet drawer. The latch mechanism of the present invention allows a drawer to be unlatched with one hand in the single motion needed to open the drawer.

[0006] Specifically, a support is mounted at the front face of the drawer which provides a pivotal connection to which a handle is attached so that it can pivot with respect to the front of the drawer. A latch is also attached at the pivotal connection. The latch is operated by the handle to pivot between a closed position in which the latch engages the cabinet (or drawer mount) and an open position in which the latch is free from the cabinet. In this way, the latch can be pivoted to open when the drawer is pulled by the handle.

[0007] In one preferred form, the latching mechanism includes a spring biasing the latch closed. Additionally, the latch preferably has a leading end that includes a downwardly extending catch surface that engages a cabinet wall when the latch is in the closed position. The leading end is tapered to define an angled surface that travels up and into a latch opening so that the catch surface engages the cabinet wall.

[0008] In another preferred form, the support member is wider than the drawer front and the latching mechanism has two latches, one at each end of the support member with the drawer front disposed therebetween. The support member also has a downwardly extending lip which engages a top edge of the drawer front to mount the latch mechanism to the drawer.

[0009] The support member and the handle can be extruded components with the pivotal connection extending the length of the support member. The handle has a grip, preferably extending its length, sized so that it may be grasped while wearing gloves, mittens, etc.

[0010] The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In this description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the drawer front latching mechanism of the present invention, shown connected to a front of a drawer;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a back perspective view of the drawer front latching mechanism of FIG. 1, shown detached from the drawer;

[0013] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the latching mechanism with an end cap shown in phantom;

[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross-section view taken along line 4—4 of FIG. 1, showing the drawer closed and the latches locked;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a side cross-section view taken along line 5—5 of FIG. 3, showing the drawer closed and the latches unlocked;

[0016] FIG. 6 is a side cross-section view similar to FIG. 5, showing the drawer opened;

[0017] FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing one end of an alternate, inverted embodiment of the latching mechanism; and

[0018] FIG. 8 is a back perspective view of the drawer front latching mechanism of FIG. 7, shown detached from the drawer.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, the drawer front latching mechanism 10 can be attached at a front surface of a drawer 12 slidable within a drawer mounting frame 14 of a cabinet 15. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the latching mechanism 10 includes a support member 16 that has a generally hook-shaped cross-section. The support member 16 is preferably extruded aluminum or plastic extending a length greater than that of the front surface of the drawer 12 to which it is being attached. The support member 16 includes a back plate portion 18 preferably having an angled upper lip 19 forming an inverted channel 20 extending along a rear top edge 22 for attaching the drawer front latching mechanism 10 to the drawer 12. It should be noted that the latching mechanism 10 of the present invention could be attached to the drawer with suitable adhesives or fasteners, such as threaded fasteners, instead of, or in addition to, the inverted channel 20. The support member 16 has a lower extremity defining a front wall or face portion 24 having an inwardly extending lip 26 at its top edge 28. The face portion 24 includes a lengthwise channel 30 along a middle portion and an arcuate pivot groove 32 along a bottom of the inside surface of the face portion 24. The support member 16 also includes two threaded grooves 34, suitably located along the support member 16, for receiving threaded fasteners for securing an end cap 35 at each end of the support member 16.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, an elongated handle 36, also preferably extruded aluminum or plastic, has an arcuate bottom edge (not shown) sized to fit within the pivot groove 32 of the support member 16. The pivotal handle 36 also includes a generally L-shaped grip 38 extending from a top end 40 of the handle 36 outwardly from the drawer 12 and downward. The grip 38 terminates in a lengthwise bead 42 and forms a hand grip for grasping the handle 36 when opening the drawer. The grip 38 and the lip 26 of the support member face portion 24 define a cavity 44 sized large enough to grasp the lip 38 while wearing hand coverings, such as gloves and mittens. The lip 26 of the support member face portion 24 acts to retain the handle 36 within the support member 16 and restrict its rotation. The handle 36 has notched bottom comers sized to accommodate spring biased latches 46.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, each latch 46, preferably made of metal or a suitable rigid plastic, has a trailing end 48 defining an arcuate projection 50 sized to fit within the pivot groove 32 of the support member 16. Referring specifically to FIG. 4, the trailing end 48 of each latch 46 has a bore 52 sized to receive a compression spring 54 extending from the middle channel 30 of the support member face portion 24. The trailing end 48 of the latches 46 also includes a ledge 56 that is engaged by the handle 36 as it is pivoted. The latches 46 extend inwardly from this end 48 through openings 58 in the back plate portion 18 of the support member 16 to a tapered leading end 60. Each tapered leading end 48 defines a lateral catch surface 62 and an angled bottom surface 64 extending downward from a leading edge 63 to the catch surface 62.

[0022] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the latch mechanism 10 is affixed to the drawer 12 by placing the inverted channel 20 over the top edge of the drawer front with the lip 19 within the drawer 12. A suitable adhesive or threaded fastener may be used to secure the latch mechanism 10 in place. With the handle 36 released and the drawer 12 shut as shown in FIG. 4, a user can grasp the grip 38 of the handle 36 by inserting his or her fingers into the cavity 44 defined by the handle 36 and support member 16. By pulling outwardly, the handle 36 pivots within the pivot groove 32 in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the support member 16 about a pivot axis 53. As the handle 36 is rotated, the ledges 56 of the latches 46 are engaged by the handle 36, which pivots the latches 46 within the pivot groove 32 about the pivot axis 53 toward an open position, as shown in FIG. 5. This action disengages the leading end catch surface 62 of each latch 46 from a corresponding fixed stop portion 66 of the drawer mounting frame suitably located at the sides of the drawer 12. The drawer 12 can then be opened by continuing to pull outward, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, using the latching mechanism 10 of the present invention, the drawer 12 can be easily unlatched and opened with one hand by pulling outward on the handle in a single motion.

[0023] Furthermore, due to the forces exerted by the compression spring 54, the handle 36 and latches 46 return to a locked position automatically when the handle is released. Consequently, as the drawer 12 is closed, by pushing inwardly on any part of the latching mechanism 10, the angled surfaces 64 of the leading ends 60 of the latches 46 travel up and over the stop portions 66 so that the catch surfaces 62 engage the stop portions 66 and lock the drawer 12 shut, as in FIG. 4. The movement of the latches 46 to lock the drawer 12 occurs independent from, and without movement of, the handle 10.

[0024] The drawer front latching mechanism 10 can be used with drawers of any length and depth. The length of the latching mechanism 10 can be varied as needed according to the length of the drawer front. The height of the latching mechanism 10 can also be varied, however, preferably the height remains constant and a suitable facing 70 is disposed at the front of the drawer 12. Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the latching mechanism 10 is attached proximate the top of the drawer front and a top portion of the facing 70 fits within a gap 72 defined by the drawer front and an offset in the back plate 18. The facing 70 may be affixed to the back plate 18 and/or the front of the drawer 12 using suitable adhesives or fasteners and is sized as needed to cover the front of the drawer not covered by the latch mechanism 10.

[0025] An alternate, inverted embodiment of the latch mechanism is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in which the handle extends downwardly toward the bottom of the drawer. Similar reference numerals are used to reference elements similar to those in the above described embodiment albeit with the suffix A. The latch mechanism 10A of this embodiment is constructed similar to the first embodiment, however, an inverted channel 20A for attaching the drawer front latching mechanism 10A to the drawer (not shown) is mounted to an edge 22A of a support plate back plate portion 18A that is generally adjacent an extremity defining a face portion 24A and an inwardly extending lip 26A. The face portion 24A includes a lengthwise channel 30A along a middle portion and an arcuate pivot groove 32A along a top inside surface of the face portion 24A.

[0026] An elongated handle 36A has a beaded top edge (not shown) sized to fit within the pivot groove 32A of the support member 16A. The pivotal handle 36A also includes a generally L-shaped grip 38A extending from a bottom end 40A of the handle 36A outwardly from the drawer and upward to define an upwardly opening cavity 44A. The grip 38A terminates in a lengthwise bead 42 and forms a hand grip for grasping the handle 36A when opening the drawer.

[0027] The handle 36A has notched upper comers sized to accommodate a spring biased latches 46A as described above but in an inverted orientation. As before, the latches 46A extend inwardly through openings 58A in the back plate portion 18A of the support member 16A to a tapered leading end 60A. Each tapered leading end 48A defines a lateral catch surface 62A and an angled top surface 64A extending upwardly from a leading edge 63A to the catch surface 62A.

[0028] As in the first described embodiment, the latch mechanism 10A is affixed to the drawer by placing the inverted channel 20A over the top edge of the drawer front with the lip within the drawer. A suitable adhesive or threaded fastener is preferably used to secure the latch mechanism 10A in place near a bottom edge of the support 16A. With the handle 36A released and the drawer, a user can grasp the grip 38A of the handle 36A by laying his or her fingers into the cavity 44A. By pulling outwardly, the handle 36A pivots within the pivot groove 32A in a clockwise direction with respect to the support member 16A about a pivot axis 53A. As the handle 36A is rotated, ledges 56A of the latches 46A are engaged by the handle 36A, which pivots the latches 46A within the pivot groove 32A about the pivot axis 53A toward an open position, as shown in FIG. 7. This action disengages the leading end catch surface 62A of each latch 46A from a corresponding fixed stop portion 66A of the drawer mounting frame suitably located at the sides of the drawer. The drawer can then be opened by continuing to pull outward.

[0029] The above description describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the invention may include other aspects not specifically delineated above. For example, the handle may include a pull knob suitably fastened to the support member which may be attached to the drawer front via suitable fasteners or hangers, rather than a lengthwise inverted channel.

[0030] Therefore, the above in no way is intended to limit the scope of the invention. Accordingly, in order to apprise the public of the full scope of the present invention, reference must be made to the following claims.