Snap-in bearing rack and pinion system

A cabinet including a drawer having a rack and pinion stabilizing system comprising:

• first and second slide assemblies mounted in the cabinet;
• a rack gear connected to each of the first and second slide assemblies;
• spaced mounting brackets connected to the first and second slide assemblies and connected to the drawer and having opposite sides and a bottom edge, each mounting bracket comprising:
• a recess in the bottom edge;
• a slot extending from the recess generally perpendicular to the bottom edge;
• and
• two strike surface openings in the mounting brackets adjacent the slot;
• a snap-on pinion gear assembly comprising:
• a shaft;
• first and second pinion gears mounted on opposite ends of the shaft;
• and
• first and second bearing brackets comprising:
• a journal arranged to rotatably support the shaft;
• a first member extending generally perpendicular to the journal;
• a second member extending generally perpendicular to the journal and generally parallel to the first member, with the first and second members being arranged to engage the opposite sides of the mounting bracket;
• the first members having two latch surfaces each comprising a ramp extending upwardly from the surface of the first member toward the second member and a lock surface arranged to engage the two strike surface openings in the mounting bracket;
• and
• the second members having a rib extending generally perpendicular to the journal and arranged to engage the slot to locate the bearing bracket with the latch surfaces aligned with the strike surface openings.

A method for assembling a drawer and a rack and pinion stabilizing system in a cabinet comprising:

• providing a cabinet having first and second slide assemblies including first and second rack gears and first and second spaced drawer mounting brackets each including at least one strike surface;
• attaching at least a drawer element to the first and second drawer mounting brackets;
• providing a snap-on pinion gear assembly comprising:
• a shaft;
• first and second bearing brackets rotatably supporting the shaft including at least one latch surface and a journal to rotatably support the shaft, a first member extending generally perpendicular to the journal and a second member extending generally perpendicular to the journal and generally parallel to the first member, and further wherein the first member and the second member are arranged to receive the mounting bracket between said first and second members;
• and first and second pinion gears at the opposite ends of the shaft;
• and
• assembling the pinion gear assembly to the slide assembly by connecting the first and second bearing brackets to the first and second mounting brackets with the first and second members receiving a respective drawer mounting bracket with the at least one latch surface engaging the at least one strike surface, and the first and second pinion gears engaging the first and second rack gears.

A method of assembling a freezer drawer having a rack and pinion stabilizing system in a refrigerator freezer cabinet drawer cavity comprising:

• mounting rack gears to first and second slide assemblies;
• attaching mounting brackets each including at least one strike surface to the first and second slide assemblies;
• mounting the first and second slide assemblies including the rack gears and mounting brackets to opposite side walls of the drawer cavity;
• attaching an insulated drawer front to the mounting brackets;
• providing a snap-on pinion gear assembly comprising:
• a shaft;
• first and second bearing brackets rotatably supporting the shaft including at least one latch surface and a journal to rotatably support the shaft, a first member extending generally perpendicular to the journal and a second member extending generally perpendicular to the journal and generally parallel to the first member, and further wherein the first member and the second member are arranged to receive the mounting bracket between said first and second members;
• and first and second pinion gears at the opposite ends of the shaft;
• extending the insulated drawer front to a fully extended position;
• and
• assembling the pinion gear assembly to the mounting brackets by connecting the first and second bearing brackets to respective mounting brackets with the first and second members receiving a respective drawer mounting bracket with the at least one latch surface engaging the at least one strike surface, and the first and second pinion gears engaging the rack gears.