Patent Application
20120146470
Not applicable.
The present application relates to cabinets. More particularly it relates to improvements in how doors (or other access members) are coupled to such cabinets (e.g., medicine cabinets).
In one exemplary embodiment, a cabinet has a cabinet body, a door with at least one support member on a rear side of the door, and at least one hinge pivotally coupling the support member or members to cabinet body. The cabinet body includes framing walls at least partially defining a storage space of the cabinet and a flange disposed laterally outward of an adjacent framing wall. A forwardly-facing surface of the flange is rearwardly offset relative to a front face of the adjacent framing wall. When the door is in a closed position, the support member(s) and the hinge(s) establish a distance between the forwardly-facing surface of the flange and the rear side of the door.
When the door is in a closed position, the support member or members may be at least partially received in an area defined generally between the forwardly-facing surface of the flange and the front face of the adjacent framing wall. Likewise, when the door is in the closed position, the rear side of the door may be substantially parallel to the front face of the adjacent framing wall. Each hinge may be coupled to a surface of the support member that is rearwardly-facing.
Each hinge may include at least a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be at least partially disposed into a recessed portion of the support member and the second portion may be disposed substantially laterally outward relative to the cabinet body. The hinge or hinges may be exterior to the storage space of the cabinet body.
The flange may include a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be substantially parallel to and spaced a distance from the adjacent side wall. The second portion may be generally parallel to the front face and spaced a distance rearward thereof.
The cabinet may also include another door or doors. If there are two doors, the pair of doors may open away from one another. Regardless of the number of doors, each door may include a forwardly-facing mirror or two mirrors mounted back-to-back.
In another exemplary embodiment, a cabinet has a cabinet body defining a storage space, at least one frameless door coupled to the cabinet body, and at least one hinge. The hinge or hinges include at least a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is at least partially disposed into a recessed portion of the support member or members coupled to a rear surface of the frameless door. The second portion is disposed substantially laterally outward relative to the cabinet body.
In some forms, the frameless door may be a frameless, mirrored door, a frameless, glass door, or a panel of any other rigid material.
The frameless door or doors may be movable relative to the cabinet body between a closed position and an open position. The hinge or hinges may be hidden when the frameless door is in the closed position. The hinge or hinges may be disposed entirely exterior to the storage space when the frameless door is in the open position and when the frameless door is in the closed position. The support member may be disposed generally adjacent to the cabinet body and substantially rearward of a front surface of the cabinet body when the frameless door or doors is/are in the closed position.
The second portion of the hinge(s) may be coupled or positioned relative to a projection, such as a flange, that extends generally laterally outward from the cabinet body. The projection may include a surface offset a distance rearward of a front surface of the cabinet body. The second portion of the hinge(s) may be fixed relative to the surface of the projection.
In still another exemplary embodiment, a cabinet includes a cabinet body defining a storage space, a frameless door pivotally coupled to the cabinet body and movable relative to the cabinet body between a closed position and an open position, at least one support member coupled to a rear side of the frameless door, and at least one hinge. A receiving space is disposed exterior to the storage space and generally rearward of a front surface of the cabinet body. This receiving space at least partially receives the support member or members when the frameless door is in the closed position.
The hinge or hinges may include at least a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be at least partially disposed into a recessed portion of the support member or members coupled to a rear surface of the frameless door. The second portion may be disposed generally in the receiving space.
A surface may extend generally laterally outward from the cabinet body. The surface may at least partially define the receiving space and help to conceal the hinge or hinges when the frameless door is in the closed position.
Accordingly, the disclosed cabinet has a door attachment structure with a number of possible benefits. As the door can be hinged to the cabinet structure outside of the cabinet box in some embodiments, there is in these embodiments no hinge attachment on the walls of interior of the cabinet box. This provides additional space in the interior volume and does not create an arrangement in which the hinge interferes with items stored on the shelf or in which the hinge interferes with shelf location.
Moreover, in some embodiments, the rear support or “hinge bar” can be mounted to only a single side of the door and nest in a volume or receiving space outside of the cabinet box. In contrast to a door having a frame that extends all the way around the perimeter of the door, this frameless door may have a support only on a single side thereof and, therefore, the door is more lightweight.
This mounting configuration also permits the cabinet to be more compact or to have a low profile as the back side of the door may be flush or nearly flush with the front edge of the cabinet box when the door is closed. By nesting the hinge bar on the side of the cabinet box, the hinges may also be offset from their standard position (i.e., a position on a side wall of the cabinet box). As will be shown in more detail below, this permits the hinges to be substantially concealed when the door is closed, which creates a more pleasing aesthetic appearance.
Referring first to
The cabinet 10 includes a cabinet body 14 and an access element shown as a door 16. The door 16 is coupled to a lateral side of the cabinet body 14 and may be moved relative to the cabinet body 14 between an open position as shown in
The cabinet body 14 is shown including a rear wall 18 with framing walls including a top wall 20, a bottom wall 22, and two side or lateral walls 24 and 26 extending generally forward from the rear wall 18 to a front surface or front face 28. These framing walls generally define an inner volume or storage space 30 of the cabinet body 14. The storage space 30 is intended to store and/or conceal items (e.g., goods, etc.) disposed therein. One or more shelves or other storage elements (e.g., hooks, etc.) may be disposed (e.g., mounted, secured, removably coupled, etc.) in the storage space 30 to facilitate storage of items therein (see e.g.,
The cabinet 10 further includes a pair of projections shown as flanges 32 and 34 according to an exemplary embodiment. The flanges 32 and 34 are shown extending generally laterally outward from the two side walls 24 and 26, respectively, of the cabinet body 14 and are generally exterior to the storage space 30 of the cabinet body 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the flange 32 is integral with the side wall 24, whereas the other flange 34 is a separate piece (as depicted in the partially exploded view of
As best shown in
In the exemplary embodiment shown, the first portion 36 of the flange 34 is coupled to the cabinet body 14 using a plurality of fasteners. The fasteners, shown as screws 44 in
The second portion 38 of the flange is generally parallel to the front face 28 of the cabinet body 14 and includes a forwardly-facing surface 50 that is substantially parallel to and spaced a distance rearward from the front face 28 of the cabinet body 14 (i.e., is rearwardly offset relative to the front face 28 of the side wall 26). The forwardly-facing surface 50 is disposed adjacent to the side wall 26 and laterally outward thereto (on the right side of the cabinet 10, as viewed from the front).
The cabinet 10 further includes projections shown as flanges 52 and 54 extending outward from the top wall 20 and the bottom wall 22, respectively, and integrally formed therewith. Flanges 52 and 54 along with flanges 32 and 34 are configured to help locate the cabinet 10 relative to the wall 12 and to help hide the edges of the cutout in the wall 12. Referring, for example, to
Turning now to the structure of the door 16, the door 16 is frameless and generally flat according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to
Referring generally to
In the exemplary embodiment shown, a number of bores 62 or recessed portions are disposed in a rear surface 63 of the support member 60. As shown, the bores 62 extend generally into the support member 60, which is in the forward direction when the door 16 in the closed position. As will be described in more detail below, the bores 62 are configured to receive a portion of the hinges 42 during assembly of the cabinet 10. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the recessed portions are bores; however, in other exemplary embodiments, the recessed portions may be any kind of pocket, cup, cavity, or so forth and, in some forms, may be sunken and/or concave.
Referring generally to
As best illustrated in
The cabinet body side part 68 is coupled to the flange 34 of the cabinet body 14. The cabinet body side part 68 of the face frame hinge 42 is generally L-shaped having a first leg 76 and second leg 78 according to the shown exemplary embodiment. According to this exemplary embodiment, the first leg 76 of the cabinet body side part 68 is shown disposed substantially within the side wall cavity 40 between the side wall 26 and the first portion 36 of the flange 34. This first leg 76 is secured relative to the side wall 26 via mechanical fasters (e.g., screws), though other suitable methods of securing this first leg 76 relative to the side wall 26 are contemplated. The second leg 78 is outside of the side wall cavity 40 and extends in front of the forwardly-facing surface 50 of the flange 34. It should be noted that the cabinet body side part 68 need not be L-shaped and the cabinet body side part 35 could be secured relative to the cabinet body 14 in another suitable manner (e.g., mounted directly to the forwardly-facing surface 50 of flange 34, etc.).
In the exemplary embodiment shown, fine positioning of the door 16 relative to the cabinet body 14 may be made by adjustment of the mounting of the cabinet body side parts 68 to the cabinet body 14. More specifically, screws or other fasteners (not shown) are accessible from the storage space 30 of the cabinet body 14 via apertures 80 on the interior side of side wall 26. When the screws are loosened, the cabinet body side part 68 may be repositioned (i.e., translated forward or backward, translated up or down, and/or angled up or down) within a predetermined range of motion established by a counterbored pocket 79 in the first leg 78 as best seen in
Referring now to
When the door 16 of the cabinet 10 is closed, the support member 60 is at least partially received in (e.g. nests, occupies, etc.) a receiving space or area 82. The receiving space or area 82 is shown generally exterior to the cabinet body 14 and at least partially defined by the forwardly-facing surface 50 of the flange 34 and the adjacent side wall 26. Meanwhile, the rest of the door 16, which is shown without any kind of supporting frame, can be substantially flush with or at least have a controlled thin gap with the front face 28 of the cabinet body 14, providing for the cabinet 10 to have a low profile (i.e., does not extend far from the wall 12).
The cabinet 10 may be configured such that there is a controlled gap between the rear surface 58 of the door 16 and the front face 28 of the cabinet body 14 and any such gap, if present, can be controlled by positional adjustment of the hinges 42 as described above. When the door 16 is in a closed position, the support member 60 and the at least one hinge 42 establish a distance between the forwardly-facing surface 50 of the flange 32 and the rear side or rear surface 58 of the door 16. To the extent that this distance exceeds the distance between the forwardly-facing surface 50 and the front face 28, a gap will be formed.
Referring to
Referring to
Thus, a cabinet is disclosed with a new hinge mounting structure. This structure is preferably located entirely outside of the cabinet body and does not occupy any space within the inner volume of the cabinet. This structure also allows the cabinet to have a thin door which reduces the total thickness of the cabinet, the distance the cabinet extends from the wall to which it is mounted, and the overall weight of the cabinet. The support member (e.g., “hinge bar”, block, etc.) is received (e.g., recessed or nested) at the side of the cabinet body and, thus, does not substantially increase the thickness of the cabinet. Using this rearwardly offset hinge structure additionally hides the hinge in a location in which the hinge is not readily visible by the end user. It is intended that, only upon swinging the door wide open will the hinge(s) be readily visible.
As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in the appended claims.
It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describe various embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).
The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two members or the two members and any additional intermediate members being attached to one another.
It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the cabinet as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present inventions have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present inventions.
