Drawer

Claim 2

A one-piece molded plastic drawer element adapted to be fabricated and shipped in a substantially flat and thin condition to minimize shipping volume, comprising: a drawer bottom panel, a drawer back panel and two drawer side panels, each of said panels being rectangular in shape, said panels being fabricated as an integral molded element of a rigid plastic material having substantial fatigue resistance in thin sections; said back panel being joined along a first transversely extending edge to the rear edge of said bottom panel by a thin section capable of functioning as a hinge, said back panel having a rigid flange projecting upwardly from the inner face thereof along each of its two longitudinally extending edges and lying perpendicular to the plane of said back panel, each of said flanges having a transversely outwardly projecting tongue projecting therefrom, said back panel having further tongue means projecting downwardly from the rear face thereof adjacent each of said two longitudinally extending edges; each of said side panels having first grooves means in the inner face thereof adjacent the rear lateral edge thereof, and further having a locking tab flexibly joined to said rear lateral edge by a thin section capable of functioning as a hinge, said locking tab having second groove means in the inner face thereof; said tongues and grooves being dimensioned and arranged so that when said back panel is swung upward and inward to a position perpendicular with said bottom panel, said first groove means on each of said side panels will snugly engage one of said back panel flange tongues when said side panels are swung upward and inward to a position perpendicular to said bottom panel, and said locking tab grooves will snugly engage said further tongue means when said locking tab is swung forwardly against said rear face of said back panel.

Claim 3

The drawer element of claim 1 wherein said back panel, when in its upstanding assembled position, has a pair of vertically spaced rearwardly projecting ribs between which said locking tab is snugly received when in its assembled position.

Claim 4

In a one-piece molded plastic drawer element including rear, bottom and two opposite side panels initially formed as a single flat coplanar panel of rigid molded plastic having substantial fatigue resistance in thin sections, said rear panel being integrally joined with said bottom panel by a thin-walled flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the rear transverse edge of said bottom panel with the lower transverse edge of said rear panel, and said side panels being integrally joined with the respective sides of said Bottom panel by a thin-wall flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the respective longitudinal side edges of said bottom panel with the longitudinal lower edges of said side panels, the improved means for interlocking said panels to each other in their mutually perpendicular functional position comprising: a locking tab integrally formed with each of the side panels and joined to the rear edge thereof by a thin-wall flexible hinge line extending transversely of the side panels when the side panels are in their initial flat coplanar position; each of said locking tabs having first connector means integrally formed on the inside face thereof; each of the side panels having second connector means integrally formed in the inside face thereof and adjacent the rear edge thereof; the rear panel having third connector means integrally formed on each lateral edge thereof, and fourth connector means integrally formed on the underside thereof adjacent each lateral edge thereof; said second and third connector means being dimensioned and positioned so that, when the side and rear panels are pivoted upwardly relative to the bottom panel about their respective hinge lines to their mutually perpendicular functional positions, said second and third connector means will engage and interlock with each other to form a first connection to retain the panels in their functional position; said first and fourth connector means being dimensioned and positioned so that, following the making of said first connection, said locking tabs may be pivoted about their respective hinge lines to a position against and behind the rear panel at which point said first and fourth connector means will engage and interlock with each other to form a second connection to retain the panels in their functional positions.

Claim 5

In a one-piece molded plastic drawer element including rear, bottom and two opposite side panels initially formed as a single flat coplanar panel of rigid molded plastic having substantial fatigue resistance in thin sections, said rear panel being integrally joined with said bottom panel by a thin-walled flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the rear transverse edge of said bottom panel with the lower transverse edge of said rear panel, and said side panels being integrally joined with the respective sides of said Bottom panel by a thin-wall flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the respective longitudinal side edges of said bottom panel with the longitudinal lower edges of said side panels, the improved means for interlocking said panels to each other in their mutually perpendicular functional position comprising: a locking tab integrally formed with each of the side panels and joined to the rear edge thereof by a thin-wall flexible hinge line extending transversely of the side panels when the side panels are in their initial flat coplanar position; each of said locking tabs having first connector means integrally formed on the inside face thereof; each of the side panels having second connector means integrally formed in the inside face thereof and adjacent the rear edge thereof; the rear panel having third connector means integrally formed on each lateral edge thereof, and fourth connector means integrally formed on the underside thereof adjacent each lateral edge thereof; said second and third connector means being dimensioned and positioned so that, when the side and rear panels are pivoted upwardly relative to the bottom panel about their respective hinge lines to their mutually perpendicular functional positions, said second and third connector means will engage and interlock with each other to form a first connection to retain the panels in their functional position; said first and fourth connector means being dimensioned and positioned so that, following the making of said first connection, said locking tabs may be pivoted about their respective hinge lines to a position against and behind the rear panel at which point said first and fourth connector means will engage and interlock with each other to form a second connection to retain the panels in their functional positions.

Claim 6

The drawer element of claim 3 wherein said first, second, third and fourth connector means comprise tongue and groove type connectors.

Claim 7

The drawer element of claim 3 wherein the rear panel is provided with vertically spaced projections between which said locking tabs snugly fit when fully connected to the rear panel, said projections preventing pivotal movement of the side panel relative to the bottom panel until said locking tab is first removed from therebetween.

Claim 8

The drawer element of claim 3 wherein the rear panel has reinforcing flanges integrally formed therewith along the lower and side edges of the inside face thereof, said flanges being perpendicular to the plane of the rear panel and rigidly non-pivotable with respect thereto, said flanges being positioned to engage the inner faces of the bottom and side panels in their functional position to act as bearing surfaces and stops for such panels.

Claim 9

In a one-piece molded plastic drawer element including rear, bottom and two opposite side panels initially formed of a single flat coplanar panel of rigid molded plastic having substantial fatigue resistance in thin sections, said rear panel being integrally joined with said bottom panel by a thin-walled flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the rear transverse edge of said bottom panel with the lower transverse edge of said rear panel, and said side panels being integrally joined with the respective sides of said bottom panel by a thin-wall flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the respective longitudinal side edges of said bottom panel with the longitudinal lower edges of said side panels, the improved means for interlocking said panels to each other in their mutually perpendicular functional position comprising: a locking tab integrally formed with each of the side panels and joined to the rear edge thereof by a thin-wall flexible hinge line extending transversely of the side panels when the side panels are in their initial flat coplanar position; the rear panel being provided with reinforcing flanges integrally formed therewith along the lower and side edges of the inside face thereOf, said flanges being perpendicular to the plane of the rear panel and rigidly non-pivotable with respect thereto; each of said locking tabs having first connector means integrally formed on the inside face thereof; each of the side panels having second connector means integrally formed on the inside face thereof and adjacent the rear edge thereof; the rear panel having third connector means integrally formed on the outer face of each of said side reinforcing flanges, and further having fourth connector means integrally formed on the underside thereof adjacent each lateral edge thereof; said second and third connector means being dimensioned and positioned so that, when the side and rear panels are pivoted upwardly relative to the bottom panel about their respective hinge lines to their mutually prependicular functional positions, said second and third connector means will engage and interlock with each other to form a first connection to retain the panels in their functional positions; said reinforcing flanges being positioned to engage the inner faces of the bottom and side panels in their functional position to act as bearing surfaces and stops for such panels; and the rear panel being further provided with vertically spaced projections between which said locking tab snugly fits when fully connected to the rear panel, said projections preventing pivotal movement of the side panel relative to the bottom panel until said locking tab is first removed from therebetween.

Claim 10

In a one-piece molded plastic drawer element including rear, bottom and two opposite side panels initially formed of a single flat coplanar panel of rigid molded plastic having substantial fatigue resistance in thin sections, said rear panel being integrally joined with said bottom panel by a thin-walled flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the rear transverse edge of said bottom panel with the lower transverse edge of said rear panel, and said side panels being integrally joined with the respective sides of said bottom panel by a thin-wall flexible hinge line interconnecting at least a portion of the respective longitudinal side edges of said bottom panel with the longitudinal lower edges of said side panels, the improved means for interlocking said panels to each other in their mutually perpendicular functional position comprising: a locking tab integrally formed with each of the side panels and joined to the rear edge thereof by a thin-wall flexible hinge line extending transversely of the side panels when the side panels are in their initial flat coplanar position; the rear panel being provided with reinforcing flanges integrally formed therewith along the lower and side edges of the inside face thereOf, said flanges being perpendicular to the plane of the rear panel and rigidly non-pivotable with respect thereto; each of said locking tabs having first connector means integrally formed on the inside face thereof; each of the side panels having second connector means integrally formed on the inside face thereof and adjacent the rear edge thereof; the rear panel having third connector means integrally formed on the outer face of each of said side reinforcing flanges, and further having fourth connector means integrally formed on the underside thereof adjacent each lateral edge thereof; said second and third connector means being dimensioned and positioned so that, when the side and rear panels are pivoted upwardly relative to the bottom panel about their respective hinge lines to their mutually prependicular functional positions, said second and third connector means will engage and interlock with each other to form a first connection to retain the panels in their functional positions; said reinforcing flanges being positioned to engage the inner faces of the bottom and side panels in their functional position to act as bearing surfaces and stops for such panels; and the rear panel being further provided with vertically spaced projections between which said locking tab snugly fits when fully connected to the rear panel, said projections preventing pivotal movement of the side panel relative to the bottom panel until said locking tab is first removed from therebetween.

Claim 11

The drawer element of claim 7 wherein said first, second, third and fourth connector means comprise tongue and groove type connectors.