View source for Drawer

{{short description|Box-shaped container that fits into a piece of furniture}}
{{other uses}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2017}}
[[Image:Drawer.agr.jpg|thumb|A white wooden drawer]]
[[File:Schlagwortkatalog.jpg|thumb|Filing card drawer]]

A '''drawer''' ({{IPAc-en|d|r|ɔr|audio=En-us-drawer.ogg}} {{respell|DROR}}) is a [[box]]-shaped container inside a piece of [[furniture]] that can be pulled out horizontally to access its contents. Drawers are built into numerous types of furniture, including [[cabinetry|cabinet]]s, [[Chest of drawers|chests of drawers]] (bureaus), [[desks]], and the like.

==Construction==
Drawers can be built in various ways using a variety of materials, including [[wood]], [[engineered wood|various wood composites]], [[sheet metal]], and [[plastic]].

Wooden drawers are often crafted with a seamless front face, concealing the end grain from the side panels. The corners may feature dovetail joints for added strength or aesthetic appeal,<ref> Jerzy Smardzewski {{google books|IeDyCQAAQBAJ|Furniture Design|page=67}}</ref> with half-blind dovetail joints commonly used at the front corners to conceal the joint. To secure the bottom piece, a groove is typically cut into the four vertical sides to hold the drawer bottom in place.

==Handles and locks==
{{See also|Drawer pull}}
One or two [[handle]]s or [[drawer pull]]s are commonly attached to the front face of the drawer to facilitate pulling it out from its enclosure.  In some cases, drawers may have another means 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 its front.

Some drawers can be locked, notably in [[filing cabinet]] and [[desk]] drawers.

==Movement==
Drawer slides often have a mechanism to keep the drawer from accidentally being pulled fully from its enclosure.

With the simplest kinds of mounting, the drawer cannot be pulled out sufficiently to see the full interior, without pulling the drawer completely out of the cabinet, often leading to the contents being dumped on the floor.<ref name="AAA">Alvan C. Nye. "Notes on Furniture Draughting". [https://books.google.com/books?id=WwxFAAAAYAAJ ''American Architect and Architecture'', Volume 46]. 1894. p. 58.</ref><ref name="nye">Alvan Crocker Nye. [https://books.google.com/books?id=j79LAAAAMAAJ ''Furniture Designing and Draughting'']. 1907. p. 85. </ref> There are at least two ways to make the full interior of a drawer visible, while still being completely supported by the cabinet. One way places the back of the drawer such that it is fully visible when the drawer hits the stop—the interior of such a drawer is much shorter than the sides of the drawer.<ref name="AAA"/> That visible back of the drawer may be a false back that conceals a secret hiding place behind it.<ref>Carol Beronich. [https://www.woodsmith.com/article/built-in-secret-spaces/ "Built-In Secret Spaces"]. 2019.</ref> Another way uses full extension drawers, which have full-extension drawer slides, also called telescoping slides, a kind of {{section link|linear-motion bearing#Compound slides}} that support the drawer even when the drawer is pulled entirely out of the cabinet.<ref name="nye"/><ref> Carol Schaake et al. [https://books.google.com/books?id=BDhkxMey-_cC ''Residential Remodeling and Universal Design'']. 1996. p. 38.</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=isJuubnobwgC ''The Accessible Housing Design File''].
1991. p. 207.</ref><ref>Jeanne Huber. [https://books.google.com/books?id=E8dTYnMpKzEC ''Complete Home Storage'']. 2007. p. 65.</ref>

== Drawer slides ==
[[File:P1000133 Teleskopschienenführung.JPG|thumb|right|Closeup photo of drawer slides mounted in a drawer.]]
A [[drawer slide]] or drawer runner is the part of a drawer that allows it to move. There are various types of slide mechanisms with different features, for different uses, at different price points.

=== Uses ===
Examples of uses are in home [[furniture]] hardware, office appliances, and industrial equipment, including [[kitchen cabinets]], [[Kitchen stove|oven slides]], rails for [[sliding door]]s, and fridge slides (for [[cooler]]s).

=== Performance metrics ===
A good slide rail is defined by smoothness, tight tolerance and load capacity.<ref>{{cite web|title=Drawer slide Roll Forming machine|url=https://www.chinminn.com/en/product/drawer-slides-roll-forming-machine|website=Chin Minn|accessdate=6 January 2020}}</ref>

=== Types by slide mechanism ===
;Wooden slides: The drawer rests directly on the cabinet.
;Wheel drawer slide: A wheel drawer or roller runner slide (sometimes called a European-style slide) is a simple mechanism that can handle heavy loads. However, the drawer cannot be fully extended, except when removing it.
;Ball bearing slides: Ball bearing or steel ball slides have ball bearings to make drawers slide more smoothly.
;Telescoping ball bearing drawer slides: Telescopic channel slides allow for full extension of the drawer during normal use, and therefore better access to the space inside it. They are manufactured using a [[drawer slides roll forming machine]], and consist of outer, middle and inner rails. They can be made with a soft-close mechanism. They are also called 3-section slides, as opposed to 2-section ball bearing slides which cannot be fully opened.

=== Types by mounting or placement ===
;Side-mounted slide: Most drawer slides are side-mounted, leaving them visible when the drawer is opened. Concealed slides are generally mounted on the underside of the drawer:
;Under-mounted slide:<ref name="Heilyn">{{Citation |first=Heilyn | last=Cabrera |title = Drawer slide types | publisher = Hunker  |year = 2017 | url = https://www.hunker.com/13404023/drawer-slide-types }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title =  Slide Rail | publisher = Shelves that Slide  |year = 2017 | url = https://www.shelvesthatslide.com/pull_out_shelf_slides.htm }}</ref> Also called bottom-mounted slides, they are mounted out by the sides on the bottom of the drawer, leaving them concealed when the drawer is opened. Under-mounted slides of the ball bearing type can include a soft-close mechanism. Due to its more complex form factor, under-mounted slides usually cost more than side-mounted slides.
;Center-mounted slide: Center-mounted slides are mounted near the bottom center of the drawer, and are therefore also usually concealed when the drawer is opened. They are often limited to lighter loads than other types of slides.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

=== Soft close ===
A soft-close mechanism is a special feature that slows the drawer's velocity in the last part of closing, then closes it automatically. The user gives the drawer a gentle push to engage the mechanism, and the drawer closes smoothly and quietly without the possibility of slamming.

=== Gallery ===
<gallery>
Bottom mounting wheel drawer slide rails - 50 cm - B.jpg|Simple drawer slide with wheels instead of ball bearings

Light Rail.jpg|Telescopic drawer slides with ball bearings
Easy Rail.jpg|Roller bearing slides
Compact Rail.jpg|Industrial profile rail guides
</gallery>

{{See also|Guide rail|Linear-motion bearing}}

==See also==
* [[Cash drawer]]
* [[Drawer slides roll forming machine]]
* [[False bottom]]
* [[Junk drawer]]
* [[Roll-out shelf]]

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Containers]]
[[Category:Furniture]]
[[Category:Clothing containers]]
[[Category:Cabinets (furniture)]]