Improved drawer child lock

thingiverse

Simple drawer lock engineered to thwart curious little minds. Crafted specifically for an IKEA MALM chest of drawers, but likely adaptable to other wood-based drawers with side walls (though attempting it on metal might just make my day). Despite installing IKEA Patrull locks in clothes drawers and a custom clone, my 2-year-old still manages to wreak havoc by yanking out clothes through the small gap required for Patrull-type locks. The old lock had its fixed part attached to the drawer's front, with the flexible arm nestled deeper inside. This necessitated users to reach further into the drawer to unlock it, meaning the drawer had to extend significantly before being unlocked. This design reimagines the lock, focusing on minimizing drawer extension when locked. The fixed attachment point was moved deeper into the drawer, while the flexible arm extends towards the front. When attached correctly, the locked drawer extends by approximately 15mm – just enough for a finger to operate the lock. The downside of this solution is that the lock requires less force to operate. Don't mention it to my daughter, though. This lock is designed for installation on the left side of the drawer. A mirrored version will fit the right side.