Biased mechanism for guided insertion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687075-B2
Application number	US-201514853899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2015
Priority date	Jan 24, 2011
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

A drawer assembly is disclosed that includes a removable container ad a receiving tray. The container has a housing having at least one shaped surface and at least one horizontal alignment element coupled to and projecting from the housing. The receiving tray has a base having a redirection feature and at least one horizontal alignment hole in the base that is configured to accept the horizontal alignment element. The container and receiving tray are configured such that downward motion of the container with the shaped surface of the housing in contact with the redirection feature of the base induces a lateral motion of the container according to the engagement of the shaped surface and the redirection feature that causes the horizontal alignment element to slide into the horizontal alignment hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drawer assembly comprising:
a removable container comprising a pocket having a sloped surface angled toward a first direction askew from a direction of a bottom surface of the removable container; and
a receiving tray comprising a base, a first wall, a second wall, and a lifter rotatably coupled to the base at a pivot attached to the base, the first wall having a greater height than the second wall, the lifter having a lifter arm extending from the pivot and having a surface angled toward a second direction, opposite the first direction,
wherein the lifter has a first position with the lifter arm extending upward from the base at a first angle to the base and a second position with the lifter arm extending at a second angle to the base that is less than the first angle, the lifter arm (a) being biased to move from the second position toward the first position, and (b) being in the second position, and the surface of the lifter arm engaging the sloped surface, when the removable container is in a fully inserted position in the receiving tray.

2. The drawer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the receiving tray further comprises a biasing element coupled to the lifter, the biasing element configured to urge the lifter to rotate away from the second position and toward the first position.

3. The drawer assembly of claim 2 , wherein:
the removable container further comprises a hook coupled to and projecting from the removable container, the hook comprising a retention feature and a shaped surface;
the receiving tray further comprises a redirection feature, a hook alignment aperture in the base, and a latching element protruding into the hook alignment aperture;
interaction of the shaped surface of the hook with the redirection feature of the receiving tray causes the removable container to move laterally as the housing is inserted into the receiving tray;
the hook alignment aperture is configured such that the hook enters the hook alignment aperture as the horizontal alignment element enters the horizontal alignment hole; and
the latching element is configured to engage the retention feature when the housing is in the fully inserted position.

4. The drawer assembly of claim 2 , wherein the biasing element comprises a torsion spring.

5. The drawer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the removable container comprises a first connector half, the base comprises a second connector half, and the first connector half contacts the second connector half when the removable container is in the fully inserted position.

6. The drawer assembly of claim 5 , wherein:
the first connector half and the second connector half are in electrical contact when the housing is in the fully inserted position.

7. The drawer assembly of claim 1 , wherein as the lifter arm rotatably moves from the second position to the first position, the lifter arm applies an upward force and a horizontal force on the removable housing.

8. The drawer assembly of claim 7 , wherein as the lifter arm rotatably moves from the second position to the first position, the removable housing is drawn in the second direction.

9. The drawer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lifter arm is positioned within a recess of the base.

10. The drawer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lifter arm is configured to rotate about forty-five degrees from the second position to the first position.

11. The drawer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pivot is positioned beneath a top surface of the base.

12. A drawer assembly comprising:
a removable housing comprising (a) a pocket having a sloped surface that extends askew from a forward direction, and (b) a bottom surface; and
a receiving tray comprising:
a base comprising a top surface, wherein the bottom surface of the removable housing contacts the top surface when the housing is in a fully inserted position on the receiving tray;
a forward facing wall at a first edge of the base and a second wall at a second edge of the base, the forward facing wall having a greater height than the second wall, the second edge opposite the first edge; and
a lifter arm rotatably coupled to the base at a pivot attached to the base and beneath the top surface, the lifter arm having a surface extending askew from a backward direction, opposite the forward direction, and the lifter arm having a first position extending upward from the top surface at a first angle to the top surface and a second position with the lifter arm extending parallel to the top surface and within a recess of the base;

wherein when the removable housing is locked in the fully inserted position on the receiving tray, the lifter arm is in the second position and the lifter arm surface facing askew from the backward direction engages a portion of the sloped surface that extends askew from the forward direction and imparts a rearward and upward force against the sloped surface.

13. The drawer assembly of claim 12 , wherein when the removable housing is locked in the fully inserted position on the receiving tray the removable housing is moved rearward against the forward-facing wall of the base, thereby limiting motion of the removable housing in the forward and rearward directions relative to the base.

14. The drawer assembly of claim 12 , wherein the removable housing further comprises a horizontal alignment element projecting in the forward direction from the housing, the base further comprises a horizontal alignment hole configured to receive the horizontal alignment element, and
wherein when the lifter arm rotates from the second position to the first position, the lifter arm moves the removable housing rearward and upward such that the horizontal alignment element is released from the horizontal alignment hole.

15. The drawer assembly of claim 12 , wherein the receiving tray further comprises a biasing element coupled to the lifter arm, the biasing element configured to urge the lifter arm to rotate away from the second position and toward the first position.

16. The drawer assembly of claim 15 , wherein the biasing element comprises a torsion spring.

17. The drawer assembly of claim 12 , wherein:
the removable housing further comprises a hook projecting from the bottom surface, the hook comprising a retention feature and a shaped surface;
the receiving tray further comprises a redirection feature, a hook alignment aperture in the base that comprises the forward-facing wall, and a latching element protruding into the hook alignment aperture;
interaction of the shaped surface of the hook with the redirection feature of the receiving tray causes the housing to move forward as the housing is inserted into the receiving tray;
the hook alignment aperture is configured such that the hook enters the hook alignment aperture as the horizontal alignment element enters the horizontal alignment hole; and
the latching element is configured to engage the retention feature when the housing is in the fully inserted position.

18. The drawer assembly of claim 12 , wherein the removable housing comprises a first connector and the receiving tray comprises a second connector, the first and second connectors being configured to be in electrical contact when the removable housing is in the fully inserted position.

19. A method comprising the steps of:
positioning a container, comprising (i) a horizontal alignment element projecting from the container in a first direction, and (ii) a pocket with a sloped surface extending upward and askew from the first direction, above a receiving tray having a horizo

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Weber Frank Dean

Classifications

• A47B81/00

  Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis · CPC title

• A61J1/00

  Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes (capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00) · CPC title

• A47B77/18

  by special arrangements for accommodating removable containers · CPC title

• A61J1/16

  Holders for containers · CPC title

• A47B67/02

  Cabinets for shaving tackle, medicines, or the like · CPC title