Patent Application
20240251944
This disclosure generally relates to countertop slabs that can be arranged in multiple configurations.
Countertops can come in a wide range of shapes and sizes based on the particular needs of a user and dimensions of the user's kitchen. As such, countertops are often made-to-order, or are amalgamations of slabs of various sizes.
Traditionally, when installing a countertop, particularly laminate countertops, a property owner, contractor, etc., is generally limited to a certain number of pre-fabricated sizes and shapes, or might be forced to acquire a customized countertop, resulting in complication and delay in assembling and installing the countertop. For a manufacturer, this wide range of countertop sizes and shapes can lead to wasted inventory, or require specialized machines to customize countertops on-demand. In contrast to other home goods that may come in a standardized size or set of sizes (e.g., sinks, ranges, microwaves), countertops are unique in that almost every request for a countertop presents different constraints or requests. As such, it is desirable for a universal countertop slab or assembly that may be configurable into multiple arrangements to satisfy a wide range of desired sizing and shapes. Such a universal countertop slab or assembly may simplify manufacturing and assembly processes relative to known countertops.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to the same or similar features in the various views,
The first body 105 may further include a first side 110, a second side 120, a third side 130, and a fourth side 140 (collectively “first sides”). The first side 110 and the third side 130 may have a first length, and the second side 120 and the fourth side may have a second length that is longer than the first length. The first side 110 may form a right angle with the second side 120 on one end and with the fourth side 140 on the other end. The third side 130 may form a right angle with the fourth side 140 on one end and with the second side 120 on the other end.
The first body 105 may further include a plurality of slots 150. Each of the sides 110, 120, 130, 140 may include a pair of two slots 150. A distance between the slots 150 in a pair is the same for each of the sides 110, 120, 130, 140 (e.g., the gap between the pair of two slots 150 is the same on all four sides 110, 120, 130, 140 of the first slab 100). In particular, the first side 110 may include a first slot 150a and a second slot 150b, the second side 120 may include a third slot 150c and a fourth slot 150d, the third side 130 may include a fifth slot 150e and a sixth slot 150f, and the fourth side 140 may include a seventh slot 150g and an eighth slot 150h. Each slot 150 may include a passage perpendicular to its nearest side 110, 120, 130, 140 that culminates in a substantially circular cavity, in some embodiments. Additionally or alternatively, other sizes, shapes, and orientations of the slots 150 may be used and should be considered within the scope of this disclosure.
Referring to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Because a pair of slots 150 may align with any pair of slots 250, may different configurations for the assembly 10 are possible with only the two slabs 100, 200, or further configurations with a third slab, a fourth slab, etc. In the example shown in
The slabs 100, 200 may advantageously be used to create many different countertop arrangements using one or more copies of an identical slab. For example, because the slots 150 of the slab 100 are covered, the slab 100 may be used alone as a finished countertop. In another example, two slabs 100, 200 may be used to form an L-shape countertop (as in
The method 700 may also include, at block 720, machining, in the body from the bottom surface, an inner cavity with a first width and a depth less than a lateral thickness of the body. The method 200 may further include, at block 725, machining a slot from the inner cavity radially outwards towards an exterior surface of the at least one side. The slot may have the depth of the inner cavity and a second width less than the first width, such that the slot may continue the depth of the inner cavity but be relatively narrower. Furthermore, the length of the machined slot is such that an amount of material is left between the end of the slot and the exterior of the outer portion. This amount of material (e.g., the cover 155) may laterally obscure the slot and prevent the slot from being seen or accessed from the outside of the slab until the cover 155 is removed.
The method 700 may further include, at block 730, repeating the machinings at blocks 720 and 725 until a desired number of slots are machined. For example, as shown in the example embodiment of
In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a countertop system may include a first slab having a first lateral slot that is laterally obscured by a first cover; and a second slab having a second lateral slot that is laterally obscured by a second cover. The first and second covers may be configured to be removed with an application of pressure, and the first slot may align with the second slot to receive a connector to couple the first slab to the second slab.
In some of these embodiments, the first slab may include a first body having a first exterior surface, the second slab may include a second body having a second exterior surface, the first cover may have a first cover exterior surface that is monolithic with the first exterior surface of the first body, and the second cover may have a second cover exterior surface that is monolithic with the second exterior surface of the first body. In some of these embodiments, the first exterior surface and the first cover exterior surface may include a first laminate layer, and the second exterior surface and the second cover exterior surface may include a second laminate layer.
In other of these embodiments, the first slab may be substantially rectangular and may further include a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a third lateral side, and a fourth lateral side. The first slot may include a plurality of slots, and each of the first, second, third, and fourth lateral sides may include at least one of the plurality of slots. In some of these embodiments, each of the first, second, third, and fourth lateral sides may include two of the plurality of slots. In some of these embodiments, a distance between the two of the plurality of slots may be equal for all of the first, second, third, and fourth lateral sides. In some of these embodiments, the second slab may be identical to the first slab, and two of the plurality of slots of the first side of the first slab may be configured to align with two of a second plurality of slots of any of the lateral sides of the second slab.
In other of these embodiments, the first and third lateral sides may be of a first length, the second and fourth lateral sides may be of a second length greater than the first length, and the at least one slot of each of the second and fourth sides may be closer to the first side than to the third side. In some of these embodiments, the at least one slot of each of the second and fourth lateral sides may be within 6 inches of the first side.
In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a slab for use in a multi-configuration countertop may include forming a slab with a body having a bottom surface and at least one side; machining an inner cavity in the body from the bottom surface, the inner cavity having a first width and a depth less than a lateral thickness of the body; machining a slot from the inner cavity radially outwards towards an exterior surface of the at least one side. The slot may have the depth of the inner cavity and a second width less than the first width. A lateral cover may remain between an end of the slot and the exterior surface of the at least one side.
In some embodiments, forming the slab may include applying a laminate layer over the exterior surface of the body. In some embodiments, the cover may be configured to be removed with an application of pressure.
In some embodiments, the at least one side may include a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a third lateral side, and a fourth lateral side, and machining the slot may further include machining at least one slot on each of the first lateral side, the second lateral side, the third lateral side, and the fourth lateral side. In some of these embodiments, machining the slot may further include machining two slots on each of the first lateral side, the second lateral side, the third lateral side, and the fourth lateral side, and a distance between the two slots may be the same for all of the lateral sides. In some of these embodiments, the slot may be laterally obscured by the cover until the cover is removed.
In some embodiments, a slab for a countertop system may include a body having an exterior surface, and a lateral slot that is laterally obscured by a cover. In some of these embodiments, the cover may be configured to be removed with an application of pressure, and may have a cover exterior surface that is monolithic with the exterior surface of the body.
In some of these embodiments, the slab may be substantially rectangular and further include a first lateral side, a second lateral side, a third lateral side, and a fourth lateral side. The slot may include a plurality of slots, and each of the first, second, third, and fourth sides may include at least one of the plurality of slots.
In some of these embodiments, each of the first, second, third, and fourth lateral sides may include two of the plurality of slots. In some of these embodiments, a distance between the two of the plurality of slots may be equal for all of the first, second, third, and fourth lateral sides. In some of these embodiments, the at least one slot of each of the second and fourth lateral sides is within 6 inches of the first side.
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments, it will be understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to these embodiments except as explicitly recited in the claims. On the contrary, the instant disclosure is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, in the detailed description of the present disclosure, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that systems and methods consistent with this disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure various aspects of the present disclosure.
