No-tools interchangeable drawer front system

Abstract

A drawer front system including an interchangeable front panel adapted to be detachably connected to the face of a drawer without requiring special skill or the use of tools. The interchangeable front panel is ideally selected from a variety of front panels having different aesthetics so that the ornamental appearance of the drawer front can be easily changed to correspond with a change in mood, home or office relocation, or living/working arrangement of a user. A pair of panel mounts (e.g., rails) project outwardly from the face of the drawer. A corresponding pair of mounting recesses (e.g., channels) are formed in the interchangeable front panel to slidably receive respective ones of the panel mounts, whereby the detachable front panel and the drawer face are disposed in face-to-face alignment with the front panel visible to passersby. A handle to which a pulling or pushing force is applied to open or close the drawer has a pair of hollow threaded posts that are mated to removable screw-threaded fasteners through the opposing detachable front panel and the face of the drawer so that the front panel and the drawer face are detachably connected together.

1 . An interchangeable drawer front system comprising:
 a drawer having an interior at which articles are to be placed, said drawer having a pair of sides and a face extending between said pair of sides;   a front panel to be detachably connected to the face of said drawer so as to be visible to passersby; and   a first connector carried by said drawer face and a second connector carried by said front panel,   said front panel and said drawer face lying in opposing face-to-face alignment with one another such that said first and second connectors are moved into removable mating engagement with one another, whereby said front panel is detachably connected to said drawer face.   
   
   
       2 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first connector projects outwardly from one of said drawer face and said front panel and said second connector is a recess formed in the other one of said drawer face and said front panel, said first connector being removably received within said second connector, whereby said front panel is detachably connected to said drawer face. 
   
   
       3 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 1 , wherein said first connector includes a rail projecting outwardly from one of said drawer face and said front panel, and said second connector includes a channel formed in the other one of said drawer face and said front panel, said rail being slidably and removably received within said channel, whereby said front panel is detachably connected to said drawer face. 
   
   
       4 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a removable third connector extending through each of said front panel and said drawer face in said opposing face-to-face alignment with one another. 
   
   
       5 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 4 , wherein said removable third connector includes a handle and at least one fastener, said handle positioned at said front panel at which to receive a pulling or pushing force to control access to the interior of said drawer, and said one fastener being removably attached to said handle by way of said drawer face and said front panel. 
   
   
       6 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 5 , wherein the handle of said third connector includes at least one hollow threaded post extending through said front panel and said drawer face in said opposing face-to-face alignment, and the one fastener of said third connector having a threaded portion removably received within and mated to the hollow threaded post of said handle, whereby said one fastener is removably attached to said handle. 
   
   
       7 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 6 , wherein said third connector also includes a handle support insert having at least one opening formed therein and said front panel has a hole formed therein, said handle support insert being located within the hole in said front panel and the one hollow threaded post of said handle being positioned through the one opening in said handle support insert at which to removably receive the threaded portion of said one fastener. 
   
   
       8 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 7 , wherein said one fastener is a screw having a screw head to which a rotational force is applied for causing said screw to move into removable receipt by the one hollow threaded post of said handle positioned through the one opening of said handle support insert located within the hole in said front panel. 
   
   
       9 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 8 , wherein the head of said screw is located at the interior of said drawer so as to lie out of sight to passersby. 
   
   
       10 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the face of said drawer is fixedly connected between the pair of sides thereof. 
   
   
       11 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 1 , wherein the face of said drawer is pivotally connected to one of said pair of sides thereof, whereby said face is rotatable relative to said pair of sides. 
   
   
       12 . An interchangeable drawer front system comprising:
 a drawer having an interior at which articles are to be placed, said drawer having a pair of sides and a face extending between said pair of sides;   a front panel to be detachably connected to and lie in opposing face-to-face alignment with the face of said drawer so as to be visible to passersby; and   a connector extending through each of said front panel and said drawer face in said opposing face-to-face alignment, said connector including a handle and at least one fastener, said handle positioned at said front panel at which to receive a pulling or pushing force to control access to the interior of said drawer, and said one fastener removably attached to said handle by way of said drawer face and said front panel, whereby said front panel is detachably connected to said drawer face.   
   
   
       13 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 12 , wherein the handle of said connector includes at least one hollow threaded post extending through said front panel and said drawer face in said opposing face-to-face alignment, said one fastener having a threaded portion removably received in and mated to the hollow threaded post of said handle, whereby said one fastener is removably attached to said handle. 
   
   
       14 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 13 , wherein said connector also includes a handle support insert having at least one opening formed therein and said front panel had a hole formed therein, said handle support insert being located within the hole in said front panel and the one hollow threaded post of said handle being positioned through the one opening in said handle support insert at which to removably receive the threaded portion of said one fastener. 
   
   
       15 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 14 , wherein said one fastener is a screw having a screw head to which a rotational force is applied for causing said screw to move into removable receipt by the one hollow threaded post of said handle positioned through the one opening of said handle support insert located within the hole in said front panel, the head of said screw being located at the interior of said drawer so as to lie out of sight to passersby. 
   
   
       16 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 12 , further comprising a second connector carried by said drawer face and a third connector carried by said front panel, said front panel and said drawer face lying in said opposing face-to-face alignment such that said second and third connectors are moved into removable mating engagement with one another. 
   
   
       17 . The interchangeable drawer front system recited in  claim 16 , wherein said second connector is a rail projecting outwardly from one of said drawer face and said front panel and said third connector is a channel formed in the other one of said drawer face and said front panel, said rail being slidably and removably received within said channel, whereby said second and third connectors are moved into said mating engagement with one another.