The present invention relates to an arrangement in tray, shelf or like storage structures of the kind in which the trays or shelves can be moved between an inwardly inserted position and an outwardly withdrawn position on bracket arrangements which are mounted on two sides of the trays, shelves or the like and which are ovably or detachably mounted on a frame or stand structure.

When storing bottles, cans (tins) and other packaging units, e.g. packaged medicines, drugs, etc., in chemist shops, drug stores and like places, the packages are normally placed on withdrawable, sloping shelving sys¬ tems, or in cassettes, drawers or like storage devices. These storage devices are filled from the rear of an extended or withdrawn storage device, whereas the stored packaging units are removed from the front part of the device with said device in its inwardly displaced or inserted position. Continuously adjustable partitions form elongated compartments along the whole length of the storage device, in its withdrawal direction, thereby ensuring that the packages will be removed in their correct order of use. One such arrangement is described, for instance, in Swedish Patent Specification No. 16278/68.

The aforesaid cassette storage system is best suited for frequently purchased drugs, where each drug is stored in large quantities and where it is necessary to store the drugs in long rows in the withdrawal direction of the cassette or drawer. Drugs which are purchased less frequently and which are consequently stored in smaller num _b ers are _k ept in standard, horizontal drawers which

are extended to their full extent, both when p _l acing packaged units into the drawers and when removing said units therefrom. Such drawers will also preferably include smaller compartments, located one behind the other.

The drug storage methods applied hitherto require the provision of two mutually different storage systems, since the sloping withdrawal cassettes or drawers need to be fitted with catches in order to prevent the dra¬ wers from sliding out under their own weight. The hori¬ zontal drawers, on the other hand, are always drawn out to their full extent, and do not need to be fitted with such catches, but shall instead be capable of moving smoothly in and out.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of the kind described in the introduction which will enable one and the same storage structure to be used as a horizontally withdrawable drawer structure with no active catch facility or as an inclined cassette or drawer storage structure operating with an active catch facility.

This object is achieved with the inventive arrangement having the characterizing features set forth in the following claims.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof illu¬ strated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a schematic side view of a cassette or drawer storage arrangement which is adapted for use in a horizontal _d rawer mode in which the catch facility is passive; Figure ₂ is a side view of the arrangement, similar to

Figure 1, with the arrangement adjusted to a sloping cassette or drawer mode in which the catch facility is active; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III in Figure 1; and Figure 2 is an enlarged per- speσtive view of the front part of the cassette or drawer illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The storage arrangement illustrated in Figure 1 includes a drawer or tray 10 for storing packages, e.g. packaged drugs or medicines, in tin or bottle form. The drawer 10 is withdrawably mounted in brackets 12 located on res¬ pective opposite sides of the drawer, via an inter¬ mediate rail 14, and the bracket structures 12 and the drawer 10 are each fitted with respective wheels 16, 18 which run in U-shaped profiles on the rail 14. The drawer 10 has an upper flange 20 which covers the rail 14 and the bracket structures 12 when the drawer is fitted into a frame structure 22. The brackets 12 are mounted on the frame structure 22 in a conventional manner, with the aid of hook elements 24, 26 which engage in slots in the frame 22. The end of the drawer 10 remote from the frame 22, i.e. the outer end of the drawer, is fitted with a grip 28, which is pivotally mounted on journals 30 provided on mutually opposing side faces of the drawer 10. The grip has an upstanding flange 32 which is gripped by the user when wishing to pull out the drawer 10. The grip 28, which may be made of a plastics material, is also provided with a resi¬ lient tongue 34, which when the drawer 10 is fully inserted functions to lock a drawer catch arrangement hereinafter described. Located at the bottom of the grip 28 is a leg 36 which extends along the outside of res¬ pective brackets 12 in the insertion direction of the drawer. The leg 36 includes a part (Figure 4) which exten _d s transversely to said drawer insertion direction

and which, when the drawer is fully inserted in accor¬ dance with Figure 2, is intended to engage in a recess 38 provided in a respective bracket 12, such as to prevent the drawer from sliding along the brackets 12 5 under its own weight. The aforesaid resilient tongue 34 on the grip 28 will abut an inclined surface on the bracket 12, when the drawer is pushed to its fully closed position, and therewith prevent the leg 36 from swinging out of engagement with the recess 38. Con- 0 sequently, in order to open the drawer, it is necessary to press the upper part of the grip 28 inwards, against the spring force of the resilient tongue 34.

In accordance with the present invention, the drawer 10 5 and the brackets 12 are configured so that the drawer 10 can be used in a horizontal storage mode in which the catch is passsive, or in an inclined storage mode in which the drawer or cassette 10 coact with a drawer catch. In the case of the present invention this is 0 achieved by providing the drawer with stop means which, when the arrangement is in its horizontal draw mode, are operative to prevent the drawer from being fully inserted, i.e. from being pushed fully home, as illu¬ strated in Figure 1. In the case of the illustrated 5 embodiment, the stop means is provided by configuring the 10 with an inclined rear wall surface 40, such that wheb the arrangement is in its horizontal drawer mode, the upper part of said rear wall surface 40 will come into abutment with the frame 22 before the leg or catch

30 36 reaches the recess 38. λs shown in Figure l, in this horizontal mode of the storage arrangement the catch legs 36 are unable to reach and engage the recesses 38 in the brackets 12, therewith enabling the drawer to be withdrawn easily and smoothly, in the absence of an

' _: ■ - _a ctive drawer latching effect. The hook elements 24, 26

on the brackets 12 and the intermediate bracket part 42 are configured to enable the brackets 12 to be inclined to the vertical, as shown in Figure 2, so as to enable the drawer to slope and to be used for sloping storage purposes in the aforedescribed manner. The storage arrangement is brought to its sloping storage mode, by rotating respective hook elements 26 in their slots in the frame 22, so that the intermediate bracket part 42 located between said hook elements 24, 26 is ^' brought into abutment with the vertical face of the frame 22. The drawer 10 can then be pushed fully home, along the brackets 12, therewith enabling the catch legs 36 to snap into the recesses 38 provided in the brackets 12, in the aforesaid manner, said legs being locked in the recesses through the action of the locking tongues 34, such as to prevent the drawer from sliding open under its own weight.

It will be evident from the above description that the inventive arrangement enables one and the same storage device, e.g. tray or drawer 10, and one and the same bracket structure 12 to be used as a horizontally move- able drawer arrangement in which the catch facility remains inactive, or as an inclined drawer or cassette arrangement in which the catch facility is brought to an active state. This storage arrangement affords two important advantages: The manufacturer can produce the dual-purpose storage arrangement in large numbers, instead of manufacturing each separate aspect of the arrangement separately, whereas the user obtains a product which can be readily adapted between a storage arrangement for the storage of frequently purchased packaged goods and a storage arrangement for packaged goo _d s which are bought less frequently, e.g. for the storage of drugs and medicines in drug stores and

chemist shops. Both advantages have favourable economic consequences, since the invention solves the problem of latching or not latching the drawer, depending on whe¬ ther the user selects a sloping or horizontal drawer position when mounting .the brackets in the wall-carried rails or frame structure normally used to support storage module systems.

It will be understood that the invention is not restric- ted to the described and illustrated embodiment, and that modifications can be made within the scope of the following claims. Although the invention has been described in relation to drawers for the storage of packaged units, it will be understood that the invention can be applied to other storage systems utilizing alter¬ nate horizontal and sloping storage facilities employing different kinds of storage devices, such as shelves, trays, baskets etc. Furthermore, the arrangement may include drawer and bracket configurations different to those described and illustrated for terminating horizon¬ tal inward movement of the drawer before the catch arrangement is able to come into operation, or include separate devices which function to the same end. The illustrated embodiment, however, can be manufactured readily and cheaply and will encroach on the available drawer space to the least possible extent.