Lateral File Drawer And Anti-Tip Device

Abstract

An anti-tip device for a furniture piece having two drawers within a cabinet, and two keys that move with the drawers along a drawer axis. The keys have primary and secondary top surfaces with a valley therebetween, the valley defining a ledge wall. A lock bar is slidably secured to the cabinet and movable in a direction generally perpendicular to the drawer axis, and biased in a direction from the primary top surface to the bottom surface of each key. The lock bar has slots to receive the keys, and capture surfaces proximate to the slots on the side of the lock bar opposite the drawer. When one drawer is open the other drawer is moved toward the open position, the lock bar moves into the valley of the key so that the ledge wall abuts with the capture surface, thereby preventing further opening of the drawer.

1 . An anti-tip device for a piece of furniture having a first drawer and a second drawer within a cabinet, comprising:
 a first key attached to the first drawer and a second key attached to the second drawer, wherein each key moves with the respective drawer along a drawer axis, each key having a bottom surface, each key having a primary top surface and a secondary top surface with a valley therebetween, the valley defining a ledge wall adjacent to the secondary top surface; and   a lock bar slidably secured to the cabinet and movable in a direction generally perpendicular to the drawer axis and biased in a direction from the primary top surface to the bottom surface of each key, the lock bar having a first slot and a second slot extending therethrough, the first slot being adapted to receive the first key, the second slot being adapted to receive the second key, wherein the interior of each slot has an engaging surface, the engaging surface being proximate to a capture surface on the side of the side of the lock bar opposite the drawer;   wherein, in a first arrangement, each drawer is in a closed position and the keys extend through the slots of the lock bar, the engaging surface of each lock bar slot being supported by the primary top surface of each of the keys; and   wherein, in a second arrangement, one drawer is open so that the key no longer contacts the lock bar and the other drawer, from a closed position, is moved toward the open position such that the primary top surface moves past the slot and the bias causes the lock bar to move into the valley of the key so that the ledge wall of the key abuts with the capture surface of the lock bar, thereby preventing further opening of the drawer.   
     
     
         2 . The anti-tip device of  claim 1 , wherein the ledge wall extends into a lock surface at the bottom of the valley, wherein in the second arrangement of the anti-tip device, the engaging surface of the slot associated with the unopened drawer abuts with the lock surface of the key associated with the unopened drawer. 
     
     
         3 . The anti-tip device of  claim 2 , wherein the keys each have an overall height at the primary top surface, a locking height at the lock surface, and a ledge height at the secondary top surface, the overall height being greater than or equal to the ledge height, and the ledge height being greater than the locking height. 
     
     
         4 . The anti-tip device of  claim 1 , the keys each further comprising a primary ramp extending from the primary top surface into the valley, such that when the anti-tip device is in the second arrangement and the key associated with the unopened drawer is inserted further into the associated slot, the lock bar is displaced by the primary ramp in the direction opposite of the bias, thereby permitting the key to be inserted into the slot so that the anti-tip device is in the first arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . The anti-tip device of  claim 4 , wherein when the lock bar is being displaced by the primary ramp of a key, the engaging surface of the slot abuts with the primary ramp. 
     
     
         6 . The anti-tip device of  claim 1 , wherein the keys each further comprise a secondary ramp adjacent to the secondary top surface and opposite the ledge wall, such that when the anti-tip device is in the second arrangement and the open drawer is pushed toward the closed position, the secondary ramp engages the engaging surface of the slot and displaces the lock bar in the direction opposite of the bias, thereby permitting the key of the open drawer to be inserted through the associated slot. 
     
     
         7 . The anti-tip device of  claim 4 , wherein the keys each further comprise a secondary ramp adjacent to the secondary top surface and opposite the ledge wall, such that when the anti-tip device is in the second arrangement and the open drawer is pushed toward the closed position, the secondary ramp displaces the lock bar in the direction opposite of the bias, thereby permitting the key of the open drawer to be inserted through the associated slot. 
     
     
         8 . The anti-tip device of  claim 1 , further comprising a lock housing attached to the cabinet and having a conduit, the lock bar being received within the conduit, the lock housing permitting movement of the lock bar in the direction generally perpendicular to the drawer axis while preventing movement of the lock bar in a direction generally parallel to the drawer axis. 
     
     
         9 . The anti-tip device of  claim 8 , wherein the lock bar further comprises a laterally extending dowel and the lock housing further comprises an elongated hole through which the laterally extending dowel extends, the elongated hole defining the limits of displacement of the lock bar in the direction of and opposite of the bias. 
     
     
         10 . The anti-tip device of  claim 9 , wherein the bias is provided by a spring attached at one end to the lock bar and at the other end to the cabinet. 
     
     
         11 . The anti-tip device of  claim 1 , wherein the bias is provided by gravity.