File drawer interlock mechanism

A drawer interlock for a cabinet, comprising:

• a cabinet having two or more drawers, each drawer being movable between an open position and a closed position;
• a plurality of control members mounted to the cabinet and arranged in an abutting end-to-end relationship to define a joint between adjacent control members;
• a plurality of pivotable members mounted to the cabinet, with each pivotable member being located adjacent a joint between two of the control members, each pivotable member being movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the pivotable member in its first position engages the two control members at the joint therebetween to move the control members apart, and wherein the pivotable member in its second position allows the two control members to remain in abutting end-to-end relationship;
• wherein movement of two of the control members apart by movement of one of the pivotable members to its first position causes movement of the joints between the remainder of the control members to prevent movement of each of the remaining pivotable members from its second position to its first position;
• and
• an actuator member mounted to each drawer, each actuator member being engageable with one of the pivotable members, wherein movement of a first one of the drawers to its open position causes engagement of the actuator member mounted to the first drawer with a first one of the pivotable members, to move the pivotable member from its second position to its first position to move two of the control members apart, and thereby prevent movement of any other drawer to its open position due to engagement of the pivotable members with the control members;
• wherein each pivotable member comprises a lever defining a first arm and a second arm, the arms being at an angle to each other, wherein the first arm is located adjacent the joint between two control members and is engageable by the actuator member upon movement of the drawer to its open position to move the lever toward its first position, and wherein the second arm is engageable by the actuator member upon movement of the drawer to its closed position to move the lever toward its second position.

A drawer interlock for a cabinet, comprising:

• a cabinet having two or more drawers, each drawer being movable between an open position and a closed position;
• a plurality of elongated control members mounted to the cabinet and arranged in an abutting end-to-end relationship to define a joint between adjacent control members;
• a one-piece lever mounted to the cabinet adjacent each joint, each lever being movable between a first position in which the lever engages the control members forming the joint for moving the control members apart, and a second position in which the lever is retracted out of engagement with the control members;
• and
• an actuator member mounted to each drawer and engageable with one of the levers, for moving the lever from its second position toward its first position upon movement of the drawer from its closed position to its open position, wherein movement of a first drawer to its open position results in movement of the lever from its second position to its first position to move the control members apart resulting in displacement of the joints between the remaining control members, and wherein movement of a second drawer toward its open position while the first drawer is in its open position results in engagement of the actuator member mounted to the second drawer with a second one of the levers and engagement of the second lever with one of the control members, to prevent movement of the second lever from its second position to its first position and to thereby prevent opening of the second drawer while the first drawer remains open.

A method of preventing movement of more than one drawer at a time to its open position in a cabinet having two or more drawers, each drawer being movable between an open position and a closed position, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a plurality of elongated control members to the cabinet in an abutting end-to-end relationship relative to each other, wherein a joint is formed between each pair of adjacent control members;
• mounting a plurality of pivotable members to the cabinet, each pivotable member being located adjacent a joint between two of the control members, wherein each pivotable member is pivotable about a pivot axis substantially parallel to longitudinal axes of the control members between a first position and a second position, and wherein the pivotable member in its first position engages the two control members at the joint therebetween to move the control members apart, and in its second position allows the two control members to remain in abutting end-to-end relationship;
• wherein movement of two of the control members apart by movement of one of the pivotable members to tis first position causes movement of the joints between the remainder of the control members, so that the control members prevent movement of each of the remaining pivotable members to its first position;
• and
• moving a first one of the pivotable members to its first position by moving one of the drawers to its open position, to thereby prevent movement of any other drawers to its open position by engagement of the remaining pivotable members with the control members.