Drawer systems

Abstract

A drawer system includes a drawer and at least one drawer support, the drawer and the at least one drawer support are configured to function cooperatively in the movement of the drawer along paths of travel inwardly and outwardly of the at least one drawer support. The drawer includes at least one of a drawer guide unit and a drawer slide mounted to the drawer. The at least one drawer support includes at least one of a drawer guide unit and a drawer slide. A least one of a drawer slide and one of a drawer guide unit are in continuous engagement with one another at a drawer slide channel at an uninterrupted series of at least four discrete engagement locations during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the at least one drawer support.

1 . A drawer system including a drawer and at least one drawer support, the drawer and the at least one drawer support being configured to function cooperatively in the movement of the drawer along paths of travel at the at least one drawer support inwardly and outwardly of the at least one drawer support wherein, the drawer includes:
 a drawer first side and a drawer second side arranged longitudinally to the paths of travel of the drawer at the at least one drawer support; and   at least one of a drawer guide unit and a drawer slide located at least one of the drawer first side and the drawer second side and arranged longitudinally to the paths of travel of the drawer, and   the at least one drawer support includes at least one of a drawer guide unit and a drawer slide, there being at least one drawer slide that includes a drawer slide channel at which a drawer guide unit is located, the drawer slide and the drawer guide unit being in continuous engagement with one another at the drawer slide channel at an uninterrupted series of at least four discrete engagement locations during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel.   
     
     
         2 . The drawer system of  claim 1  wherein, the drawer includes:
 a first drawer guide unit and a second drawer guide unit, the first drawer guide unit being mounted to the drawer first side and the second drawer guide unit being mounted to the drawer second side, and 
 the at least one drawer support includes a first drawer support and a second drawer support, the first drawer support including a first drawer slide, and the second drawer support including a second drawer slide, the first drawer slide including a first drawer slide channel at which the first drawer guide unit is located, the first drawer slide and the first drawer guide unit being in continuous engagement with one another at the first drawer slide channel at an uninterrupted series of at least four discrete engagement locations during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the first drawer support, and the second drawer slide including a second drawer slide channel at which the second drawer guide unit is located, the second drawer slide and the second drawer guide unit being in continuous engagement with one another at the second drawer slide channel at an uninterrupted series of at least four discrete engagement locations during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the second drawer support. 
 
     
     
         3 . A refrigeration appliance including the drawer system of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         4 . The drawer system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 at least one of the first drawer slide and the first drawer guide unit includes a relative movement aid that is present at each discrete engagement location between the first drawer slide and the first drawer guide unit and eases the relative movement between the first drawer slide and the first drawer guide unit at the uninterrupted series of at least four discrete engagement locations between the first drawer slide and the first drawer guide unit during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the first drawer support; and   at least one of the second drawer slide and the second drawer guide unit includes a relative movement aid that is present at each discrete engagement location between the second drawer slide and the second drawer guide unit and eases the relative movement between the second drawer slide and the second drawer guide unit at the uninterrupted series of at least four discrete engagement locations between the second drawer slide and the second drawer guide unit during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the second drawer support.   
     
     
         5 . The drawer system of  claim 4 , wherein each relative movement aid comprises a rotatable wheel. 
     
     
         6 . A refrigeration appliance including the drawer system of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . The drawer system of  claim 2  wherein,
 the first drawer slide channel includes a first drawer slide channel upper surface and a first drawer slide channel lower surface; 
 the second drawer slide channel includes a second drawer slide channel upper surface and a second drawer slide channel lower surface; 
 the first drawer guide unit includes a first guide unit rotatable wheel that continuously engages the first drawer slide channel upper surface and the first drawer slide channel lower surface during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the first drawer slide; and 
 the second drawer guide unit includes a second guide unit rotatable wheel that continuously engages the second drawer slide channel upper surface and the second drawer slide channel lower surface during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the second drawer slide. 
 
     
     
         8 . The drawer system of  claim 7  wherein,
 the first drawer slide includes a first drawer slide upper rotatable wheel and a first drawer slide lower rotatable wheel; 
 the second drawer slide includes a second drawer slide upper rotatable wheel and a second drawer slide lower rotatable wheel; 
 the first drawer guide unit includes a first rail that includes a first rail upper surface and a first rail lower surface, the first rail extending outwardly from the drawer first side into the first drawer slide channel, the first drawer slide upper rotatable wheel continuously engaging the first rail upper surface during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the first drawer slide and the first drawer slide lower rotatable wheel continuously engaging the first rail lower surface during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the first drawer slide; and 
 the second drawer guide unit includes a second rail that includes a second rail upper surface and a second rail lower surface, the second rail extending outwardly from the drawer second side into the second drawer slide channel, the second drawer slide upper rotatable wheel continuously engaging the second rail upper surface during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the second drawer slide and the second drawer slide lower rotatable wheel continuously engaging the second rail lower surface during the movement of the drawer along the paths of travel at the first drawer slide. 
 
     
     
         9 . The drawer system of  claim 8  wherein at least one of the first guide unit rotatable wheel and the second guide unit rotatable wheel includes a shock-absorbing outer surface and at least one of the first drawer slide lower rotatable wheel and the second drawer slide lower rotatable wheel includes a shock-absorbing outer surface. 
     
     
         10 . A refrigeration appliance including the drawer system of  claim 9 . 
     
     
         11 . The drawer system of  claim 8  wherein the first rail, the second rail, the first drawer slide channel and the second drawer slide channel are each arranged at a same degree of inclination downwardly from the horizontal in a direction from a drawer front face to a drawer rear face. 
     
     
         12 . The drawer system of  claim 8  wherein the first guide unit rotatable wheel is spaced away from the drawer first side a greater distance than the first drawer slide upper rotatable wheel and the first drawer slide lower rotatable wheel and the second guide unit rotatable wheel is spaced away from the drawer second side a greater distance than the second drawer slide upper rotatable wheel and the second drawer slide lower rotatable wheel. 
     
     
         13 . The drawer system of  claim 12  including at least one of a first stopping element mounted at the drawer first side and a second stopping element mounted at the drawer second side wherein the first stopping element is located the same distance from the drawer first side as the first drawer slide lower rotatable wheel whereby the first stopping element engages the first drawer slide lower rotatable wheel when the drawer is moved along a path of travel outwardly of the first drawer support and the second stopping element is located the same distance from the drawer second side as the second drawer slide lower rotatable wheel whereby the second stopping element engages the second drawer slide lower rotatable wheel when the drawer is moved along a path of travel outwardly of the second drawer support. 
     
     
         14 . A refrigeration appliance including the drawer system of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         15 . A drawer system assembly including a plurality of drawer systems as set forth in  claim 1  arranged in an upper plurality of drawer systems and a lower plurality of drawer systems. 
     
     
         16 . A drawer system assembly including a plurality of drawer systems as set forth in  claim 8  arranged in an upper plurality of drawer systems and a lower plurality of drawer systems. 
     
     
         17 . The drawer system assembly of  claim 16  wherein the drawer supports of the upper plurality of drawer systems and lower plurality of drawer systems comprise a unitary molded plastic unit. 
     
     
         18 . A drawer system assembly installed at a refrigeration appliance, the drawer system assembly including:
 a multi-drawer support structure including a multi-drawer support structure upper section and a multi-drawer support structure lower section;   a plurality of upper drawer supports including upper drawer slides mounted at the multi-drawer support structure upper section and supporting an upper plurality of drawers for movement inwardly and outwardly of the multi-drawer support structure upper section; and   a plurality of lower drawer supports including lower drawer slides mounted at the multi-drawer support structure lower section and supporting a lower plurality of drawers for movement inwardly and outwardly of the multi-drawer support structure lower section.   
     
     
         19 . The drawer system assembly of  claim 18  wherein the multi-drawer support structure including the upper plurality of drawer supports and the lower plurality of drawer supports comprises a unitary molded plastic unit. 
     
     
         20 . The drawer system assembly of  claim 19  wherein:
 the upper plurality of drawers comprises a first upper drawer and a second upper drawer arranged side by side; 
 the lower plurality of drawers comprises a first lower drawer and a second lower drawer arranged side by side; 
 the plurality of upper drawer supports includes a first upper outside drawer support, a second upper outside drawer support and an intermediate upper drawer support located between the first upper outside drawer support and the second upper outside drawer support, the intermediate upper drawer support including an intermediate upper drawer support first side facing the first upper drawer support and an intermediate upper drawer support second side facing the second upper outside drawer support; 
 the first upper drawer is slidably received at a first upper outside drawer support drawer slide at the first upper outside drawer support and at an intermediate upper drawer support first side drawer slide at the intermediate upper drawer support first side and the second upper drawer is slidably received at a second upper outside drawer support drawer slide at the second upper outside drawer support and at an intermediate upper drawer support second side drawer slide at the intermediate upper drawer support second side; 
 the plurality of lower drawer supports includes a first lower outside drawer support, a second lower outside drawer support and an intermediate lower drawer support located between the first lower outside drawer support and the second lower outside drawer support, the intermediate lower drawer support including an intermediate lower drawer support first side facing the first lower drawer support and an intermediate lower drawer support second side facing the second lower outside drawer support; and 
 the first lower drawer is slidably received at a first lower outside drawer support drawer slide at the first lower outside drawer support and at an intermediate lower drawer support first side drawer slide at the intermediate lower drawer support first side and the second lower drawer is slidably received at a second lower outside drawer support drawer slide at the second lower outside drawer support and at an intermediate lower drawer support second side drawer slide at the intermediate lower drawer support second side.