Drawer
Encyclopedia
Box
Box describes a variety of containers and receptacles for permanent use as storage, or for temporary use often for transporting contents. The word derives from the Greek πύξος , "box, boxwood"....
-shaped container that fits into a piece of furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
in such a way that it can be drawn out horizontally to access its contents.
Construction
Drawers can be built in a variety of manners using a variety of materials. WoodWood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
and various wood composites
Engineered wood
Engineered wood, also called composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board; includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form composite materials...
, sheet metal
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
, and plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
are common materials used for drawers and the furniture the drawers are part of.
Wooden drawers are often designed so that the front face is complete and the end grain from the side pieces does not show. The corners may be dovetail
Dovetail
Dovetail may refer to:* The dovetail joint used in woodworking* The dovetail or "riffle" method of shuffling playing cards* German equatorial mount, or dovetail plate, used to fix a telescope to its mount...
ed for additional strength or of aesthetics, and a half-blind dovetail joint may be used for the front corners to hide the joint. To attach the bottom piece of the drawer, a groove may be cut in the four vertical pieces to insert the bottom of the drawer.
Handles
Most commonly, either one or two knobs, handleHandle (grip)
A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that can be moved or used by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tradition...
s, or drawer pull
Drawer pull
A drawer pull or simply pull is a handle to pull a drawer out of a chest or other furniture piece.A drawer pull often consists of a plate to which a handle is fastened. The handle may swing from one or two points , making a drop drawer pull. The handle may also be fastened to the plate with...
s are attached to the front face of the drawer to facilitate pulling it out from its enclosure. In some cases, drawers may have another mechanism by which to pull it, including holes cut in the front face or a hollowed-out area to insert the fingers on the bottom side of the front face of the drawer.
Movement
Most older or inexpensive pieces of furniture and cabinets use wooden sliders, upon which the drawer slides as it is opened or closed. Wood slides can be lubricated with paraffin wax. Newer furniture and cabinets may use plasticPlastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
friction slides, or more elaborate bearings
Ball bearing
A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this by using at least two races to contain the balls and transmit...
slide, which will provide smoother operation with less binding. There are different types of bearing slides, such as linear ball-bearing slides, roller bearing slides, progressive action slides. Modern drawer slides are usually categorized in how they are mounted, including center mount, side mount, bottom mount and European mount drawer slides. Drawer slides are intended for use varying from light to heavy drawers and thus contain load ratings ranging from 75–450 lb (34–204.1 ). A load rating of 100 pounds (45.4 kg) is considered typical.
Drawer slides often have a mechanism to keep the drawer from accidentally being pulled fully from its enclosure.
Security
Some drawers incorporate a locking mechanism to secure the drawer. This is most commonly found in file cabinet and deskDesk
A desk is a furniture form and a class of table often used in a work or office setting for reading or writing on or using a computer. Desks often have one or more drawers to store office supplies and papers. Unlike a regular table, usually only one side of a desk is suitable to sit on . Not all...
drawers.
Furniture
Drawers are often incorporated in other pieces of furniture. The following pieces of furniture are made up entirely of drawers or incorporate drawers.- Chest of drawersChest of drawersA chest of drawers, also called a dresser or a bureau, is a piece of furniture that has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above another...
(also dresser or bureau), used to store clothing. - Standalone tool chest, used to store tools.
- Drawers are often incorporated into the kitchen cabinets under a counterCountertopCountertop usually refers to a horizontal worksurface in kitchens or other food preparation areas, bathrooms or lavatories, and workrooms in general. It is frequently installed upon and supported by cabinets...
. - DeskDeskA desk is a furniture form and a class of table often used in a work or office setting for reading or writing on or using a computer. Desks often have one or more drawers to store office supplies and papers. Unlike a regular table, usually only one side of a desk is suitable to sit on . Not all...
s often include drawers for storage. - File cabinet