Push to open drawer slide

Abstract

A push to open drawer slide and drawer having drawer slides thereon can be closed by manually pushing on the drawer slide or the drawer, removing the manual force and subsequently pushing the drawer slide or drawer inward and releasing it, thereby allowing the drawer to be moved to the open position. The drawer slides each have interlocks thereon between an outer channel and an inner channel. The interlocks engage when the drawer slides are closed and disengage when the inner channel is pushed inward and released relative to the outer channel.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A push to open drawer slide comprising at least two channels, being an outer channel and an inner channel slidably mounted relative to one another, said at least two channels each having an interior end and an exterior end, there being a first interlock on said interior end of said outer channel and a second interlock on said interior end of the said inner channel, said interlocks corresponding to one another and being constructed to engage when said channels are moved to a closed position and to disengage when said inner channel is forced inward from said closed position relative to said outer channel and released, thereby allowing said drawer slide to move to an open position. 
     
     
         2 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 1  wherein one of said interlocks has an element to guide another of said interlocks into engagement with said one interlock. 
     
     
         3 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 2  wherein one of said interlocks is a catch and another of said interlocks is a latch, said element being located with said interlock that is a catch. 
     
     
         4 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said first interlock is a catch and said second interlock is a latch. 
     
     
         5 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said latch is movable relative to said channel in which said interlock is located. 
     
     
         6 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said element is movable relative to said channel in which said element is located. 
     
     
         7 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said inner channel is forced inward only slightly from said closed position relative to said outer channel and released to allow said drawer slide to move to an open position. 
     
     
         8 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 4  wherein said first interlock is contained in a housing affixed to said interior end of said outer channel. 
     
     
         9 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said catch has a generally triangular shape with an inwardly curved surface facing an interior end of said outer channel. 
     
     
         10 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said latch has an elongated member extending toward said inner end of said inner channel with a protrusion at a free end of said elongated member to engage said catch. 
     
     
         11 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said first interlock is contained on a housing affixed to said inner channel near said interior end of said inner channel. 
     
     
         12 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said catch has a U-shaped cradle facing said interior end. 
     
     
         13 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said slide is a side-mounted slide and said element is pivotally mounted to provide a guiding surface that extends across a longitudinal center line of said outer channel whether said slide is mounted on a left hand side or a right hand side. 
     
     
         14 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said element is pivotally mounted at an interior end of said channel, said element being located immediately adjacent to said first interlock toward an exterior end of said channel. 
     
     
         15 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said element tapers toward an exterior end of said element. 
     
     
         16 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said inner channel backs off slightly when engaged, from a position of said inner channel immediately prior to engagement. 
     
     
         17 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first interlock is mounted on a housing located at an interior end of said outer channel and there is at least one spring located in said housing, said spring being biased to move said drawer slide to said open position when said interlocks are disengaged after being engaged. 
     
     
         18 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said catch has a nodule at an apex of said generally triangular shape opposite to said interior end, said nodule lengthening a first surface of said generally triangular shape, said first surface being located to be contacted by said longitudinal member of said latch when said drawer slide moves toward said closed position. 
     
     
         19 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said generally triangular shape has a first surface, a second surface that is said concave surface and a third surface, said protrusion of said elongated member contacting said first, second and third surfaces chronologically when moving toward said closed position and from said closed position to said open position, said drawer slide being in said closed position with said latch being engaged with said catch when said protrusion is in contact with said second surface. 
     
     
         20 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 18  wherein there is a second nodule at or near an end of said concave surface where said concave surface meets the third surface. 
     
     
         21 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said elongated member is biased to disengage said interlocks when said elongated member is not subject to any external force. 
     
     
         22 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 18  wherein there is a guide located opposite said inwardly curved surface, said guide being shaped to move said elongated member to an open position. 
     
     
         23 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said second interlock has an inner end and an outer end, said second interlock being pivotally mounted in said inner channel at said inner end, said inner channel being side-mounted and said second interlock having a protrusion at said inner end extending toward said first interlock, said protrusion engaging said first interlock when said interlocks are engaged and disengaging from said first interlock when said interlocks are disengaged. 
     
     
         24 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 23  wherein said protrusion is located to contact said element as said inner channel approaches said outer channel, said protrusion being guided into engagement with said first interlock. 
     
     
         25 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 24  wherein said second interlock is pivotally mounted to allow said slide to be mounted on a left hand side or a right hand side of a drawer. 
     
     
         26 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said elongated member is made from a flexible and resilient material, said elongated member being flexible enough to swing sideways when subjected an external force and sufficiently resilient to return to an initial position when said external force is removed. 
     
     
         27 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 10  wherein said elongated member is flexible enough to move sideways and is made from a material that has a memory so that said elongated member will return to its initial position when external forces are removed. 
     
     
         28 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said catch has an element located to guide said latch into said catch as said inner channel moves to a closed position relative to said outer channel. 
     
     
         29 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said interlock on said outer channel has an element located on an outer end of said interlock, said element being shaped to guide said interlock on said inner channel into a releasable locking engagement with said interlock on said outer channel when said inner channel is moved from said open position into said closed position relative to said outer channel. 
     
     
         30 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 8  wherein there is an element shaped and located to guide said latch into said catch from a top of said catch when said inner channel is moving to said closed position, said latch being released from a bottom of said catch when said inner channel is forced inward from said closed position. 
     
     
         31 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said channels are telescopingly mounted within one another, said first interlock having an element that is asymmetrical about a longitudinal center line of said first interlock in said outer channel. 
     
     
         32 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 31  wherein said there are two drawer slides, each drawer slide being mounted along a side of a drawer, said drawer slides being identical to one another, said element being pivotally mounted so that an inner end of said element can pivot downward to guide said second interlock into said first interlock when said slides are moved from an open position to a closed position. 
     
     
         33 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 8  wherein said channels are telescopingly mounted within one another, said first interlock having a element that extends at an angle across a longitudinal center line of said first interlock in said outer channel to guide said latch into said catch when said inner channel moves to a closed position relative to said outer channel. 
     
     
         34 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said slide is oriented in a vertical plane and said first interlock and second interlock are constructed to cause said second interlock to enter said first interlock from a top thereof when said slide is being closed and to exit through a bottom of said first interlock when said slide is being opened. 
     
     
         35 . A push to open drawer slide comprising at least two channels, being an outer channel and an inner channel slidably mounted relative to one another, said at least two channels each having an interior and an exterior end, there being a first interlock on said interior end of said outer channel and a second interlock on said interior end of said inner channel, said interlocks corresponding to one another and being shaped and constructed to releasably interlock with one another in an engaged position when said inner channel is moved to a closed position from an open position relative to said outer channel, said interlocks being shaped and constructed to disengage from one another when said inner channel is pushed inward from said interlocked position and released, thereby allowing said drawer slide to move to an open position. 
     
     
         36 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 35  wherein one of said interlocks has a latch that is movable relative to the channel on which said latch is mounted and another of said interlocks has an element to guide said latch into said engaged position with the other interlock, said element being movable relative to said channel in which said element is mounted. 
     
     
         37 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 36  wherein said latch has an outer end that is pivotally mounted in said inner channel and said element has a inner end that is pivotally mounted in said outer channel. 
     
     
         38 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 37  wherein said drawer slide can be mounted on a left hand side or a right hand side of a drawer without making any changes in structure to said slide. 
     
     
         39 . A drawer slide as claimed in  claim 35  wherein there is at least one spring to move said channels to said open position when said interlocks initially become disengaged. 
     
     
         40 . A push to open drawer located in a cabinet, said drawer comprising a front, bottom and two sides, said drawer having a drawer slide along each side, there being two drawer slides, each drawer slide having at least two channels that are slidably mounted relative to one another, said channels having an interior end and an exterior end, said at least two channels being an outer channel and an inner channel, there being a first interlock on said interior end of said outer channel and a second interlock on said interior end of said inner channel, said interlocks corresponding to one another and being constructed to engage when said channels are moved to a closed position and to disengage when said inner channel is forced inward from said closed position relative to said outer channel and released, thereby allowing said drawer slide to move to an open position. 
     
     
         41 . A method of closing and opening a drawer having drawer slides thereon, said method comprising, commencing with the drawer in an open position, manually pushing the drawer to a closed position and removing all manual force from said drawer, thereby locking said drawer, subsequently pushing said drawer inward and releasing said drawer to unlock said drawer, thereby allowing said drawer to be moved to the open position. 
     
     
         42 . A method of closing and opening a drawer having drawer slides thereon, said drawer slides being mounted on each side of said drawer, said slides each having at least two channels that are telescopingly mounted relative to one another, there being one inner channel and one outer channel, each channel having an inner end and an outer end with a first interlock being mounted at said inner end of said outer channel and a second interlock being mounted at an inner end of said inner channel, an element being constructed and located on one of said channels to guide said interlocks into an interlocked position when said inner channel moves to a closed position relative to said outer channel, said interlocks moving out of said interlock position to a released position when said drawer is forced inward from said interlocked position and released, said method comprising commencing with the drawer in an open position, pushing the drawer inward to a closed position and removing all manual force from said drawer to lock said drawer in said interlocked position, subsequently pushing said drawer inward to release said drawer from said interlocked position, thereby allowing said drawer to be moved to said open position.