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US 4,494,806 AGranted
Spring loaded drawer assembly with mechanical damping
AssigneeLeslie Metal Arts Company
InventorsV. Harold Williams, David L. Tomsu
Life of this patent
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AssigneeLeslie Metal Arts Company
InventorsV. Harold Williams, David L. Tomsu
Estimating the term…
A spring loaded drawer, such as an ashtray assembly (100) for use in automobiles or other vehicles includes a stationary frame (102) and a movable drawer (120) slidably mounted therein. A catch mechanism (164, 166, 168) releasably maintains the drawer (120) in a closed position. A damping assembly (180) mounted to the frame (102) includes an outer barrel (182), a rotatable inner barrel (190) interconnected to a gear (194) which engages a rack (160) mounted to the drawer (120), and a fluid-filled annular chamber (206) formed between the barrels (182, 190). When the catch mechanism (164, 166, 168) is released, a torsion spring (200) coupled to the inner barrel (190) is unloaded, causing the inner barrel (190) to rotate and the drawer (120) to move forward to an open position. The fluid within the annular chamber (206) produces a shear damping effect on the drawer movement. A lock bar (150) releasably maintains the drawer (120) in a fully open position and prevents inward drawer movement until the lock bar (150) is released by operator action.
In a drawer assembly comprising a stationary retainer frame, a drawer, means for slidably mounting the drawer to the retainer frame so as to allow the drawer to move between a closed, retracted position and an open, extended position, means for releasably maintaining the drawer in the closed position, and mechanical force means mounted to the frame for exerting mechanical forces on the drawer relative to the frame so as to extend the drawer from the closed position, the improvement which comprises:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.