Cabinet drawer interlocking system

A storage cabinet comprising:

• a plurality of drawers each of which is movable between an open position and a closed position;
• a plurality of camplates each attached to one of the drawers and each having a camming surface and one or more integral side supports;
• and
• a locking bar which is engaged by a camming surface of each of the camplates such that the locking bar moves from an unlocked to a locked position when one of the drawers is moved to an open position and which, in the locked position, provides an obstruction which prevents drawers in the closed position from being moved to an open position;
• wherein each of said one or more integral side supports is located adjacent to the locking bar when the drawer to which the side support is attached is in the closed position, each side support adjacent to the locking bar limiting any substantial deflection of the locking bar caused by any lateral forces on the locking bar.

A storage cabinet comprising:

• a plurality of drawers, each of which is movable between an open position and a closed position;
• a plurality of camplates, each attached to one of the drawers such that the camplates are parallel to one another when the drawers are in a closed position, each camplate having a first camming surface and a second camming surface;
• a first locking bar which is engaged by the first camming surface of the camplate of a particular drawer when that drawer is moved from a closed position to an open position, said engagement of the first locking bar resulting in an angular displacement of the first locking bar from a first angular position to a second angular position;
• a second locking bar which is engaged by the second camming surface of said camplate of said particular drawer when that drawer is moved from said open position to said closed position, said engagement of the second locking bar resulting in an angular displacement of the second locking bar from a second angular position to a first angular position;
• a linkage which links the angular motion of the first locking bar to the angular motion of the second locking bar such that both locking bars move between their respective first angular positions and second angular positions in unison;
• a plurality of locking surfaces each integral with a camplate, each locking surface of a camplate of a drawer in the closed position being obstructed by the second locking bar when the second locking bar is in its second angular orientation such as to prevent movement of said drawer in the closed position to the open position;
• and
• a plurality of support surfaces each rigidly affixed to a drawer and each residing adjacent to one of said locking bars when the drawer to which the plurality of support surfaces is affixed is in the closed position such as to provide a side support which prevents any substantial deflection of the adjacent locking bar.

A storage cabinet comprising:

• a plurality of drawers each of which is movable between an open position and a closed position;
• a plurality of camplates each attached to one of the drawers and each having a camming surface;
• a locking bar which is engaged by a camming surface of each of the camplates such that the locking bar pivots about a pivot axis from an unlocked to a locked position when one of the drawers is moved to an open position and which, in the locked position, provides an obstruction which prevents drawers in the closed position from being moved to an open position;
• a support rail which contacts and supports the locking bar, the support rail restricting lateral movement of the locking bar, but allowing pivoting movement thereof;
• and
• a ramping surface on the camplate which contacts and displaces a surface of the support rail as the drawer is moved between the closed position and the open position such as to provide resistance to the movement of the drawer from the closed position to the open position.