Front plate adjusting joint and drawer including the same

Abstract

To provide a front plate adjusting joint capable of easily and reliably adjusting an inclination of a front plate relative to a drawer body, and drawer including the front plate adjusting joint.SOLUTION: A front plate adjusting joint 1 is provided between the front plate 2 and a drawer body 5 having a bottom plate 51, side plates 53, and the front face plate 57 facing a back face 2a of the front plate, is configured to adjust the inclination of the front plate 2, and includes a movable plate 10 fixed to the back face 2a of the front plate 2 and a fixed plate 20 fixed to the front plate 57 of the drawer body 5, where one end of the movable plate 10 is rotationally connected to the fixed plate 20, and the other end of the fixed plate 20 is engaged therewith so as to adjust the distance toward the movable plate 10, thereby making it possible to adjust the tilt of the front plate 2 in the elevation angle direction relative to the drawer body 5. The drawer 6 is configured by connecting the front plate 2 and the drawer body 5 by the front plate adjusting joint 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a front panel adjustment joint and a drawer equipped with the same, and more particularly to a front panel adjustment joint that allows easy and reliable adjustment of the tilt of the front panel in the elevation angle direction relative to the drawer body, and a drawer equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] The front panels of drawers in bathroom vanities, kitchen cabinets, etc. usually require position adjustment, so they are attached to the front panel of the drawer body at the installation site. The front panel of the drawer can be adjusted left and right and up and down relative to the drawer body by sliding it with bolts or the like into elongated holes or the like provided in the drawer body. In addition, if the front panel or the drawer body is installed in a tilted position in the front-to-back direction (elevation angle direction), it may not form a uniform surface with the front panels of other drawers. To resolve this situation, it is also necessary to adjust the tilt in the front-to-back direction of the drawer so that the entire surface is flat. Here, a technique for adjusting the inclination of the front panel relative to the drawer body has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The front panel adjuster described in Patent Document 1 includes a fixed part that is fixed to the back surface of the front panel, a movable part that is approximately parallel to the fixed part, and a screw that threads into a screw hole formed in the movable part and extends toward the fixed part, so that when the screw is turned and the tip of the screw is pressed against the fixed part, the movable part pushes the front end of the side panel of the drawer body backward. In other words, the tilt angle can be adjusted by turning the screw as needed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-153502 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the front panel adjuster described in Patent Document 1 must be made of an elastically deformable material because it deforms when the movable part pushes the front end of the side panel of the drawer body backward. Also, the screw head is largely exposed, which is not aesthetically pleasing.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a front panel adjustment joint that can easily and reliably adjust the inclination of the front panel relative to the drawer body, and a drawer equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is as follows. 1. A front panel adjustment joint that is provided between a front panel and a drawer body having a bottom panel, side panels, and a front panel that faces the back surface of the front panel, and that can adjust the inclination of the front panel; The front panel adjustment joint has a movable plate fixed to the back surface of the front panel and a fixed plate fixed to the front panel of the drawer body, one end of the movable plate is rotatably connected to one end of the fixed plate, and the rotation changes the distance between the other end of the fixed plate and the movable plate and engages with it, thereby adjusting the elevation angle of the front panel relative to the drawer body. 2. A front plate adjustment joint as described in 1. above, in which the movable plate has a bearing portion on one end side, and the bearing portion is rotatably connected to a fixed shaft provided on one end side of the fixed plate. 3. A front plate adjustment joint as described in 2., in which a front plate adjustment bolt rotatably provided on the other end side of the movable plate is screwed into a front plate adjustment screw hole formed on the other end side of the fixed plate, thereby making it possible to adjust the distance between the other end side of the fixed plate and the movable plate. 4. The other end side of the movable plate is provided with a long hole whose major diameter direction is positioned in the longitudinal direction of the movable plate and whose other end side is open, The front panel adjustment joint according to 3., wherein the front panel adjustment bolt is rotatably inserted into the elongated hole. 5. A drawer comprising a front panel and a drawer body, wherein the front panel and the drawer body are connected by a front panel adjustment joint described in any one of 1. to 4. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The front panel adjustment joint of the present invention comprises a movable plate fixed to the back surface of the front panel and a fixed plate fixed to the front panel of the drawer body, one end of the movable plate is rotatably connected to one end of the fixed plate, and the rotation changes the distance between the other end of the fixed plate and the movable plate when engaged, thereby adjusting the tilt of the front panel in the elevation angle direction relative to the drawer body, thereby making it possible to easily and reliably adjust the tilt of the front panel in the elevation angle direction relative to the drawer body. Furthermore, because the distance between the other end of the fixed plate and the movable plate can be changed by rotation, there is no need to deform the fixed plate or the movable plate, and therefore the front panel adjustment joint can be made from materials that deteriorate significantly when deformed, such as resin. If the movable plate has a bearing portion on one end side and the bearing portion is rotatably connected to a fixed shaft provided on the one end side of the fixed plate, the fixed shaft can serve as a fulcrum to rotate the movable plate, making it possible to adjust the inclination of the front plate more reliably. In the case where the distance between the other end of the fixed plate and the movable plate can be adjusted by threading a front plate adjustment bolt rotatably provided on the other end of the movable plate into a front plate adjustment screw hole formed on the other end of the fixed plate, the tilt of the front plate can be easily and reliably adjusted with a simple structure using threading. Furthermore, by locating the head of the front plate adjustment bolt on the movable plate, it does not protrude from the fixed plate, resulting in an excellent aesthetic appearance with few protrusions. When the front plate adjustment bolt is rotatably inserted into the long hole of the movable plate, any shift in the orientation of the front plate adjustment bolt due to rotation of the movable plate can be eliminated by shifting the position of the long hole, and the front plate adjustment bolt can be easily replaced without removing the front plate adjustment joint from the front plate. According to a drawer in which the front panel and the drawer body are connected by the front panel adjustment joint of the present invention, the position of the front panel, including the inclination of the front panel relative to the drawer body, can be easily and reliably adjusted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] The present invention will be further described in the following detailed description, which provides non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments according to the present invention, and with reference to the mentioned drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a front panel adjustment joint according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the configuration of a front panel adjustment joint according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic side view of the front panel adjustment joint according to the embodiment, showing a state in which a front panel adjustment bolt is threaded into a front panel adjustment screw hole. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which a front panel adjustment joint according to an embodiment is connected to a front panel and a drawer main body. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the front plate adjustment bolt is rotated from the state of FIG. 4 to increase the tilt of the front plate in the elevation angle direction. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration in which the front panel adjustment joint according to the embodiment is connected to the front panel and the drawer main body. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic rear view of the front panel adjustment joint as seen from the drawer main body side in a configuration in which the front panel adjustment joint according to the embodiment is connected to the front panel and the drawer main body. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing the drawer body and front panel to which the front panel adjustment joint is attached in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The matters set forth herein are for illustrative purposes only and are intended to provide an illustrative description of the embodiments of the present invention, with the aim of providing what is believed to be the most effective and easily understandable explanation of the principles and conceptual features of the present invention. In this respect, it is not intended to show structural details of the present invention beyond the extent necessary for a fundamental understanding of the present invention, and the description, taken together with the drawings, will make clear to those skilled in the art how some aspects of the present invention may be actually embodied.

[0010] The front panel adjustment joint and the drawer of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 8, the drawer 6 includes a front panel 2, a drawer body 5, and a front panel adjustment joint 1 provided between the front panel 2 and the drawer body 5. 1 to 4, the front panel adjustment joint 1 has a movable plate 10 fixed to the back surface 2a of the front panel 2, and a fixed plate 20 fixed to the front panel 57 of the drawer main body 5, with one end of the movable plate 10 rotatably connected to one end of the fixed plate 20. The other end of the fixed plate 20 is engaged with the movable plate 10 so that the distance between it and the movable plate 10 can be adjusted, thereby making it possible to adjust the tilt of the front panel 2 in the elevation angle direction (see direction 81 shown in FIGS. 4 and 8) relative to the drawer main body 5.

[0011] The movable plate 10 has a rectangular plate shape and includes a flat plate portion 11 and a stepped plate portion 12 located on the other end side of the movable plate 10. In addition, at the boundary between the flat plate portion 11 and the stepped plate portion 12, a bent portion 10s is formed, which is slightly bent toward the fixed plate 20 side. The flat plate portion 11 has a bearing portion 18 formed at one end thereof that can rotate around the fixed shaft 26 of the fixed plate 20. Two front plate fixing holes 10h are also formed therethrough, into which wood screws 50 are inserted to fix the movable plate 10 to the front plate 2. Furthermore, the stepped plate portion 12 has an elongated hole 10c formed therein, the other end of which is open so that a front plate adjustment bolt 15 can be inserted. The front plate adjustment bolt 15 is rotatably inserted into the elongated hole 10c of the stepped plate portion 12 so that the stepped plate portion 12 is sandwiched between the upper and lower washer portions 15w. Therefore, when the front plate adjustment bolt 15 rotates to change the distance between the front plate adjustment bolt 15 and the fixed plate 20, it becomes misaligned with the movable plate 10, but sliding within the elongated hole does not cause loads such as bending on the movable plate 10 and the fixed plate 20. The material of the movable plate 10 is not particularly limited, and may be made of resin, wood, metal, or other materials.

[0012] The fixed plate 20 is in the form of a rectangular plate and comprises a thick plate portion 21 which is formed thick at one end and becomes slightly thinner towards the other end, and a stepped plate portion 22 which is restricted by a stepped portion 20s cut out on the inner side. The thick plate portion 21 has a fixing shaft 26 for the fixing plate 20 formed on one end side. The fixing plate 20 has a pair of through holes 22h for inserting wood screws 50. Furthermore, a connecting screw hole 25sh is formed to receive a connecting screw 30 for connecting the drawer main body 5 and the fixing plate 20. The stepped plate portion 22 has a front panel adjustment screw hole 20sh formed to receive a front panel adjustment bolt 15. The surface of the fixing plate 20 that comes into contact with the front plate 57 of the drawer body 5 (the rear plate 42 extending from the front plate 57 in FIG. 4) is knurled to prevent slipping. The material of the fixing plate 20 is not particularly limited, and may be made of resin, wood, metal, or other materials.

[0013] The structure for attaching the front panel adjustment joint 1 to the drawer body 5 will be described below. As shown in Figure 8, the drawer body 5 has a bottom plate 51, side plates 53, and a front plate 57 that faces the back surface 2a of the front plate 2. Furthermore, rails 54 are provided on both outer sides of the side plates 53. An upper front plate 55 is provided at the upper end of the front plate 57, and a lower front plate 56 is provided parallel to the upper front plate 55. Although the bottom plate 51, side plates 53, and front plate 57 are flat in Figure 8, they are not limited to this and may be plate-like objects with many openings, such as a lattice net. The mounting portions 4 formed on the left and right ends of the upper front plate 55 and the lower front plate 56 extending from the front plate 57 toward the front plate 2 are formed on the upper part of the front plate 57 of the drawer body 5. 5, the side surfaces of the mounting portion 4 are composed of an outer surface plate 41, a back surface plate 42, and an inner surface plate 43. The back surface plate 42 is formed at a position where the left and right ends of the front surface plate 57 are extended. A restricting portion 3 for determining the mounting position of the front panel adjustment joint 1 in the vertical direction is formed inside the mounting portion 4 , and the front panel adjustment joint 1 is provided below the restricting portion 3 . The front panel adjustment joint 1 is fixed to the back panel 42 with connecting screws 30. As shown in Figure 4, the back panel 42 is formed with a pair of through holes 42h for inserting wood screws 50 that will be screwed into the front panel 2, and a through hole 42ah for turning the front panel adjustment bolt 15. The front plate 2 is fixed to the movable plate 10 by inserting a pair of wood screws 50 into front plate fixing holes 10h formed in the movable plate 10 and screwing them in.

[0014] An example of a method for attaching the front panel adjustment joint 1 to the drawer body 5 will be described below. First, the front plate adjustment bolt 15 is rotatably inserted into the elongated hole 10c of the stepped plate portion 12 of the movable plate 10 so that the washer portion 15w sandwiches the stepped plate portion 12 of the movable plate 10 in the front plate adjustment joint 1 shown in Fig. 2. Then, as shown in Fig. 3, the front plate adjustment bolt 15 is screwed into the front plate adjustment screw hole 20sh. 4 and 6, from the front side of the drawer body 5, the front plate adjustment joint 1 is inserted into the mounting part 4 with the fixed shaft 26 side facing up, with the movable plate 10 facing the front side, and the fixed plate 20 is fixed to the back plate 42. To fix the fixed plate 20 to the back plate 42, a connecting screw 30 is inserted through the through hole 42fh in the back plate 42 on the back side of the mounting part 4, and the connecting screw 30 is screwed into the connecting screw hole 25sh provided in the fixed plate 20, thereby fixing the front plate adjustment joint 1 to the back plate 42. Then, the front panel 2 is prepared, and a pair of wood screws 50 are inserted through a pair of through holes 42h in the back panel 42, and the wood screws 50 are screwed into the front panel 2 through the front panel fixing holes 10h in the movable plate 10, thereby fixing the front panel 2 and the front panel adjustment joint 1. In this manner, a drawer is produced in which the front panel 2 and the drawer body 5 are connected by the front panel adjustment joint 1.

[0015] (Front panel adjustment operation) The adjustment operation of the front panel 2 will be described below. As shown in Fig. 4, by rotating the front panel adjustment screw hole 20sh formed in the fixed plate 20 and the front panel adjustment bolt 15, the distance between the stepped plate portion 22 at the other end of the fixed plate 20 and the stepped plate portion 12 at the other end of the movable plate 10 changes, and the movable plate 10 rotates around the fixed shaft 26, so that the tilt of the front panel 2 in the elevation angle direction 81 changes (see Fig. 5, for example). This rotation aligns the angle of the front panel with the surface of the front panel of another drawer or the surface of the furniture, allowing the tilt of the front panel to be adjusted. More specifically, a screwdriver is inserted through the through-hole 42ah in the back plate 42 of the mounting portion 4 to turn the front plate adjustment bolt 15. When the front plate adjustment bolt 15 is turned in the pushing direction, the front plate 2 to which the movable plate 10 is fixed rotates upward around the fixed shaft 26 of the fixed plate 20 as a fulcrum, as shown in Fig. 5. On the other hand, when the front plate adjustment bolt 15 is turned in the pulling direction, the front plate 2 to which the movable plate 10 is fixed rotates downward around the fixed shaft 26 as a fulcrum. By performing the above rotation, the inclination of the elevation angle direction 81 of the front panel 2 relative to the drawer body 5 can be changed, as shown in Figure 8, and even if the front panel 57 (rear panel 42) is not vertical as illustrated in Figure 4, the front panel 2 can be adjusted to be vertical.

[0016] The front panel 2 is adjusted to be parallel to the front panel 57 of the drawer body 5 in the left direction 71, right direction 72, upward direction 73, or downward direction 74 shown in FIG. 8 as follows. As shown in Figure 7, this can be done by loosening the connecting screw 30 that is fixed to the back panel 42 from the back side of the mounting part 4, moving the front panel 2 together with the fixed front panel adjustment joint 1 in either direction, and then re-screwing it. Alternatively, this can be done by loosening the wood screws 50 from the rear side of the mounting portion 4, moving the front panel 2 in either direction, and then re-screwing it. As described above, the front panel adjustment joint 1 can be used to adjust the tilt of the front panel 2 relative to the drawer body 5 in the elevation angle direction and in the up / down and left / right directions. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the head of the front plate adjustment bolt 15 can be made long enough to fit within the front plate adjustment screw hole 20sh of the fixed plate 20 or not protrude from the through hole 42ah of the back plate 42 of the mounting part 4, thereby preventing the head from detracting from the aesthetic appearance.

[0017] The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention depending on the purpose and application. [Industrial Applicability]

[0018] The front panel adjustment joint of the present invention is useful in the field of cabinet drawers for bathroom vanities, kitchens, etc., because it allows the inclination of the front panel relative to the drawer body to be easily and reliably adjusted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0019] 1; front plate adjustment joint, 10; movable plate, 10c; long hole, 15; front plate adjustment bolt, 18; bearing part, 2; front plate, 2a; back, 20; fixed plate, 20sh; front plate adjustment screw hole, 26; fixed axis, 5; drawer body, 51; bottom plate, 53; side plate, 6; drawer, 71; left direction, 72; right direction, 73; up direction, 74; down direction, 81;Elevation direction.

Claims

1. A front panel adjustment joint is provided between a front panel and a drawer body having a bottom panel, a side panel, and a front panel facing the back surface of the front panel, and is capable of adjusting the inclination of the front panel, The front panel adjustment joint has a movable plate fixed to the back surface of the front panel and a fixed plate fixed to the front panel of the drawer body, one end of the movable plate is rotatably connected to one end of the fixed plate, and the rotation changes the distance between the other end of the fixed plate and the movable plate and engages with it, thereby adjusting the elevation angle of the front panel relative to the drawer body.

2. 2. The front panel adjustment joint according to claim 1, wherein the movable plate has a bearing portion on the one end side thereof, the bearing portion being rotatably connected to a fixed shaft provided on the one end side of the fixed plate.

3. A front plate adjustment joint as described in claim 2, wherein a front plate adjustment bolt rotatably provided on the other end side of the movable plate is screwed into a front plate adjustment screw hole formed on the other end side of the fixed plate, thereby making it possible to adjust the distance between the other end side of the fixed plate and the movable plate.

4. the other end side of the movable plate is provided with a long hole whose major axis direction is positioned in the longitudinal direction of the movable plate, and the other end side is open, 4. The front panel adjustment joint according to claim 3, wherein the front panel adjustment bolt is rotatably inserted into the elongated hole.

5. A drawer comprising a front panel and a drawer body, the front panel and the drawer body being connected by a front panel adjustment joint according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images