Drawer guide rail assembly

Abstract

A guide rail assembly is used with a drawer to guide the movement of the drawer into and out of an article of furniture. The assembly has a supporting rail attached to a supporting surface and a pull-out rail attached to the drawer. At least one carriage is positioned between the supporting rail and the pull-out rail, and the supporting rail and the pull-out rail have stops for limiting movement of the pull-out rail and the carriage with respect to the supporting rail. A spring is loaded as the drawer is moved to the drawer-open position and actuated when the drawer is moved toward the drawer-close position. The noise associated with closing the drawer as it is pulled by the spring is controlled and suppressed by a shock absorbing device formed by a plunger and plunger-receiving cylinder. When the pull-out rail engages the plunger as it is moved toward the drawer-close position by the spring, the air within the cylinder is compressed by the plunger so that the pull-out rail and carried drawer and slowly and silently move to the full drawer-close position as the air in the cylinder is discharged.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A guide rail assembly for use with a drawer having a front, two sides, a back and bottom to guide movement of the drawer into and out of an article of furniture comprising: a supporting rail mounted to a furniture side wall; a pull-out rail attached to the drawer; at least one carriage positioned between the supporting rail and the pull-out rail, the supporting rail and the pull-out rail having at least one stop for limiting movement of the pull-out rail and carriage with respect to the supporting rail; spring means loading when the drawer moves in the drawer-open direction and activating when the drawer is moved in the drawer-close direction; and a shock absorbing device armed when the drawer is moved toward the drawer-open position and activated when the drawer is moved in a drawer-close direction to cause the drawer to slowly and silently move to the drawer-close position.  
     
     
         2 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the shock absorbing device includes a plunger and a plunger-receiving cylinder.  
     
     
         3 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the plunger and plunger-receiving cylinder are secured to the supporting rail.  
     
     
         4 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the plunger is extended to a substantially withdrawn location within the cylinder when the pull-out rail is moved in a drawer-open direction, released from the pull-out rail when the pull-out rail passes the plunger partially-withdrawn location, remains in the partially withdrawn location until the pull-out rail is moved in a drawer-close direction and re-engages the pull-out rail and moves back into the cylinder to seat the drawer carried by the pull-out rail in a full drawer-close position.  
     
     
         5 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the plunger is extended to a substantially withdrawn location within the cylinder when the pull-out rail is moved in a drawer-open direction, released from the pull-out rail when the pull-out rail passes the substantially withdrawn plunger location, remains in the substantially withdrawn location until the pull-out rail is moved in a drawer-close direction and re-engages the pull-out rail and moves back into the cylinder to position the drawer carried by the pull-out rail in a complete drawer-close position.  
     
     
         6 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising: an intermediate rail positioned between the supporting rail and the pull-out rail and having at least one stop; and a second carriage positioned between the intermediate rail and the pull-out rail.  
     
     
         7 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the shock absorbing device includes a plunger and a plunger-receiving cylinder.  
     
     
         8 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 7  wherein the plunger and plunger-receiving cylinder are secured to the supporting rail.  
     
     
         9 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the plunger is extended to a substantially withdrawn location within the cylinder when the pull-out rail is moved in a drawer-open direction, released from the pull-out rail when the pull-out rail passes the substantially withdrawn plunger location, remains in the substantially withdrawn location until the pull-out rail is moved in a drawer-close direction and re-engages the pull-out rail and moves back within the cylinder to seat the drawer carried by the pull-out rail in a fully closed condition.  
     
     
         10 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the spring means is engaged and activated by the drawer moving in a drawer-close direction and urges the drawer to move to the drawer-close position.  
     
     
         11 . The assembly as claimed by  claim 9  wherein the spring means is engaged and activated by the drawer moving in a drawer-close direction and urges the drawer to move to the drawer-close position.  
     
     
         12 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein one assembly is positioned on each side of the drawer.  
     
     
         12 . The assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein one assembly is positioned on each side of the drawer.  
     
     
         13 . A guide rail assembly for use with a drawer having a front, two sides, a back and bottom to guide of the drawer into and out of an article of furniture comprising: a supporting rail mounted to a furniture side wall; a pull-out rail attached to the drawer; at least one carriage positioned between the supporting rail and the pull-out rail, the supporting rail and the pull-out rail having at least one stop for limiting movement of the pull-out rail and carriage with respect to the supporting rail; a spring mounted on the supporting rail loading when engaged by the pull-out rail when the pull-out rail and carried drawer move in the drawer-open direction and activating when the pull-out rail and drawer are moved in the door-close direction to urge the drawer to move to the door-close position; and a shock absorbing device including a plunger and a plunger-receiving cylinder, the plunger being engaged by the pull-out rail and substantially withdrawn from the cylinder when the drawer and pull-out rail are moved in a drawer-open direction, released from the pull-out rail when the pull-out rail passes the substantially withdrawn location, remains in the substantially withdrawn location until the pull-out rail and drawer are moved in a drawer-close direction, and re-engages the pull-out rail and is urged back into the air-filled cylinder when the pull-out rail and drawer are moved in the drawer-close direction by the activated spring, the movement of the plunger and the responsive pull-out rail and drawer being yieldably resisted by the air filled cylinder causing the pull-out rail and drawer to move slowly and silently to the full drawer-close position.