Drawer cabinet storage kit

Abstract

The present invention provides an assembly, or kit, of injection molded panels having integrated connectors which combine to form a drawer cabinet. The panels are formed of injection molded plastic to interlock with one another without the need for separate fasteners or connectors. The interior of the cabinet is constructed and arranged to accept a plurality of cooperating drawer guides and drawers which snap into place to fill the cabinets interior.

1 . A plastic drawer cabinet kit having a base panel, a top panel, a left side panel, a right side panel and a back panel in combination with a plurality of drawer guides and drawers comprising: 
 a base panel for enclosing the bottom of said drawer cabinet, said base panel having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left end, a right end, a front portion and a back portion, said left end including a means for attaching said base panel to a left side panel in a perpendicular relationship, said right end including a means for attaching said base panel to a right side panel in a perpendicular relationship, said rear portion including a means for attaching said base panel to a back panel in a perpendicular relationship;    a top panel for enclosing the top of said drawer cabinet, said top panel having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left end, a right end, a front portion and a back portion, said left end including a means for attaching said top panel to a left side panel in a perpendicular relationship, said right end including a means for attaching said top panel to a right side panel in a perpendicular relationship, said back portion including a means for attaching said top panel to a back panel in a perpendicular relationship;    a back panel for enclosing the back of said wall cabinet, said back panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge, said top edge including a means for attaching said back panel to said top panel in a perpendicular relationship, said bottom edge including a means for attaching said back panel to said base panel in a perpendicular relationship;    a left side panel for enclosing the left side of said drawer cabinet, said left side panel including a top edge, a bottom edge, a front edge, a back edge, an inner surface and an outer surface, said top edge including a means for attaching said left side panel to said top panel in a perpendicular relationship, said bottom edge including a means for attaching said left side panel to said base panel in a perpendicular relationship, said inner surface including a means for removably securing a plurality of drawer guides in a vertically spaced generally parallel relationship;    a right side panel for enclosing the right side of said drawer cabinet, said right side panel including a top edge, a bottom edge, a front edge, a back edge, an inner surface and an outer surface, said top edge including a means for attaching said right side panel to said top panel in a perpendicular relationship, said bottom edge including a means for attaching said right side panel to said base panel in a perpendicular relationship, said inner surface including a means for removably securing a plurality of drawer guides in a vertically spaced generally parallel relationship;    a plurality of drawer guides, said drawer guides including a means of removably securing said drawer guides to said inner surfaces of said left and said right side panels, said drawer guides constructed and arranged to cooperate with at least one drawer to provide support and prevent tipping and canting of said at least one drawer while said at least one drawer is moved inwardly and outwardly of said cabinet assembly;    at least one drawer for enclosing the front of said drawer cabinet and providing a storage area within said drawer cabinet, said at least one drawer including a front portion, a rear portion, a left side and a right side, said left side and said right side each including at least one upper roller and at least one lower roller rotatably mounted thereto, wherein said upper and said lower rollers are constructed and arranged to cooperate with said drawer guides to allow said at least one drawer to be moved inwardly and outwardly of said drawer cabinet to provide access to said storage area within said at least one drawer;    wherein said drawer cabinet can be shipped fully assembled or in a disassembled state and assembled on a desired site without separate fasteners.    
   
   
       2 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 1 , wherein said means for removably securing a plurality of drawer guides includes a pair of vertical rails integrally molded on each of said inner surfaces of said left and said right side panels, wherein one of said vertical rails is positioned generally adjacent to said front edge of each said panel and one of said vertical rails is positioned generally adjacent to said rear edge of each said panel, said vertical rails extending from about said bottom edges of said panels to about said top edges of said panels, said vertical rails including a plurality of vertically spaced apertures, wherein said apertures are constructed and arranged to cooperate with said drawer guides for removable attachment thereof, wherein said drawer guides are positionable in a generally parallel relationship to accommodate a combination of various sized drawers to fill said cabinet.  
   
   
       3 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 1 , wherein said drawer guides are generally L-shaped, said L-shaped drawer guides including a vertical leg and a horizontal leg, a front portion, and a back portion, wherein said vertical leg is constructed and arranged to prevent canting of said drawers while said drawers are moved inwardly and outwardly of said drawer cabinet, wherein said horizontal leg is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said at least one drawer to prevent tipping of said drawer while said drawer is moved inwardly and outwardly of said drawer cabinet, wherein said vertical leg includes a means for removably securing said drawer guides to said inner surfaces of said left and said right side panels, wherein said means for removably securing said drawer guides to said inner surfaces of said left and said right side panels are constructed and arranged to cooperate with said inner surfaces of said side panels to removably secure said drawer guide members in a vertically spaced generally parallel relationship.  
   
   
       4 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 3 , wherein said means for removably securing said drawer guides to said inner surfaces of said left and said right side panels includes a pair of outwardly extending locking posts, wherein one of said locking posts is integrally formed into said front portion of said vertical leg of said drawer guide and one of said locking posts is integrally formed into said back portion of said vertical leg of said drawer guide, wherein said locking posts are constructed and arranged to have a conjugate shape to said left and said right side panel vertical rail apertures, wherein said locking posts enter said apertures for coupling engagement between said drawer guides and said side panels, wherein said drawer guides may be positioned to accommodate a combination of various sized drawers to fill said drawer cabinet.  
   
   
       5 . The drawer cabinet assembly as described in  claim 4 , wherein each said locking post includes at least one integrally formed spring tab, wherein said spring tab is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said vertical rail apertures for a mechanically and releasably secure connection between said drawer guides and said side panels.  
   
   
       6 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 3 , wherein said drawer guides each include at least one roller, wherein said at least one roller is rotatably mounted in said front portion of said horizontal leg of said drawer guide for supporting said at least one drawer, wherein said horizontal leg includes an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein said roller is sized and positioned between said upper surface and said lower surface so that a portion of said roller protrudes above said top surface.  
   
   
       7 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 6 , wherein said upper surface of said horizontal leg of said drawer guide includes an outwardly protruding detent, wherein said detent is integrally formed into said rear portion of said drawer guide, wherein said rollers rotatably mounted on said left and said right lower portions of said at least one drawer cooperate with said detent for releasably securing said drawer member within said drawer cabinet, wherein pulling outward on said at least one drawer allows said rollers to release from said detent.  
   
   
       8 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 6 , wherein said lower surface of said horizontal leg of said drawer guides include an integrally formed and outwardly protruding stop tab, wherein said stop tab is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said rear portion of at least one drawer to prevent said drawer from being extended completely out of said drawer cabinet.  
   
   
       9 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 6 , wherein said left and said right sides of said at least one drawer each include an integrally formed upper roller pocket and an integrally formed lower roller pocket, wherein said upper roller pockets are positioned generally at an upper rear portion of said left side and said right side of said drawer, wherein said lower roller pockets are positioned generally at a lower rear portion of said left side and said right side of said drawer, wherein said upper rollers are rotatably mounted within said upper roller pockets to extend partially outward therefrom to cooperate with said lower surface of an adjacent drawer guide, and wherein said lower rollers are rotatably mounted within said lower roller pockets to extend partially outward therefrom to cooperate with said upper surface of an adjacent drawer guide, wherein said rollers and said drawer guides prevent said drawer from tipping as said drawer is extended outwardly from said drawer cabinet.  
   
   
       10 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 6 , wherein said at least one drawer member includes a lower surface, said lower surface including a pair of detents integrally formed therein, wherein said pair of detents are constructed and arranged to cooperate with said rollers rotatably mounted in said front portion of said drawer guides for releasably securing said at least one drawer within said drawer cabinet.  
   
   
       11 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 1 , wherein said means of attaching said base panel to said left side panel, said right side panel, and said back panel includes a plurality of outwardly extending locking posts, wherein said locking posts are constructed and arranged to cooperate with a plurality of locking sockets, wherein said locking posts are brought into an coupling engagement with corresponding locking sockets in said left side panel, said right side panel and said back panel resulting in a mechanically secure connection between said base panel and said left, right, and back panels.  
   
   
       12 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 11  wherein said base panel locking posts include at least one integrally formed spring-tab, wherein said at least one spring-tab is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said locking sockets for positively maintaining secure coupling engagement between said base panel and said left, right and back panels.  
   
   
       13 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 1 , wherein said means of attaching said top panel to said left side panel, said right side panel, and said back panel includes a plurality of outwardly extending locking posts, wherein said locking posts are constructed and arranged to cooperate with a plurality of locking sockets, wherein said locking posts are brought into an coupling engagement with corresponding locking sockets in said left side panel, said right side panel and said back panel resulting in a mechanically secure connection between said base, left, right, and back panels.  
   
   
       14 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 13  wherein said top panel locking posts include at least one integrally formed spring-tab, wherein said at least one spring-tab is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said locking sockets for positively maintaining secure coupling engagement between said top panel and said left, right and back panels.  
   
   
       15 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 1  wherein said left side panel, said right side panel, and said back panel include a plurality of locking sockets arranged in a linear fashion along said top and said bottom edges, said locking sockets extending inwardly between said outer surface and said inner surface, wherein said locking cavities are constructed and arranged to cooperate with said top and said base panels, wherein said top and said base panels are secured to said left, right and back panels via said locking sockets.  
   
   
       16 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 15 , wherein at least one of said locking sockets include an aperture therethrough, wherein said aperture is constructed and arranged for mating engagement with at least one spring-tab integrally formed into locking posts in said top and said base panels.  
   
   
       17 . The drawer cabinet kit as described in  claim 1 , wherein said bottom surface of said base panel includes integrally formed cross-bracing, wherein said cross-bracing provides increased weight capacity and stability to said drawer cabinet kit.