Patent Application
20170130433
A. Technical field
The present invention generally relates to the technical field of protective covering for cabinet structures and more specifically relates to disposable, water resistant covering sheets for protecting the surface of base sink cabinets from damage caused by water splashing and water dripping from the sink.
B. Description of related art
Water splashing and water dripping can be commonly found in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and the like. Wooden cabinets found in kitchen and bathroom are frequently exposed to water, especially the external surface, corners and edges of base sink cabinets are damaged due to water splashing and dripping from the sink. During use of the sink, water, food or cleaning liquid may splash from the sink and fall to the face of the cabinet below the sink. The splashes may discolor, swell, warp or otherwise damage the face of the cabinet under the sink.
Moisture can cause damage to surfaces and materials, especially those that are not designed to be moisture resistant, for example wooden cabinets and other similar furnishings in the vicinity of the sink or washing area. Moisture can also create health hazards such as mold, mildew, and bacterial growth. Over time, water can weaken and eventually destroy wooden cabinetry. Often, this damage can only be repaired by incurring a great expense or by replacing the entire cabinet.
The area under the sink is prone to increased damage and health hazard caused by water leaks from the sink above. Traditional solutions to this problem involve use of water resistant panels or flexible plastic structures attached to an outer surface of the sink to prevent water splashing and to redirect the splash water back into the sink. However, these structures are not efficient in preventing the cabinet structures below the sink from exposure to water and also fails to prevent water dripping from these structures onto the floor.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a protective covering to prevent cabinet structures from water splashing or dripping from the sink. There is also a need for the protective covering to comprise a means to hold and collect the water spilled from the sink and from the external surface area of the covering.
The present invention relates to a protective covering for a cabinet structure, the protective covering comprising a flexible sheet with dimensions substantially similar to a front face of the cabinet and at least one attachment means positioned on a rear surface of the flexible sheet, for removably attaching the flexible sheet to the cabinet surface. The flexible sheet further comprises at least one pocket horizontally positioned along a bottom margin of the flexible sheet.
The flexible sheet is removably attached to a front face of the cabinet in order to prevent the cabinet surface from water splashing, dripping or spilling from a sink above the cabinet. One or more pockets horizontally positioned along the bottom margin of the flexible sheet to collect water trickling down the front surface of the flexible sheet. The pockets at the bottom margin is configured to hold the collected water until disposal thereby preventing water draining onto the floor. The flexible sheet further comprises a scratch protector layer attached to the front surface, the scratch protector layer protects the cabinet drawer front surface under the sink from scratch damage caused by articles worn by the user such as belt buckles, pant buttons, zippers and the like.
In an embodiment, the flexible sheet is made of a water resistant, clear plastic material. A plurality of flexible sheets can be stored in form of a roll inside a box, the box containing flexible sheets can be attached to an inner face of a cabinet door, for ease of use. The attachment means may comprise adhesive tabs or Velcro attachments, positioned along a top margin and bottom margin of the flexible sheet. The protective covering comprising the flexible sheet is biodegradable and easily disposable after use.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
A description of embodiments of the present invention will now be given with reference to the Figures. It is expected that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Referring to
In an embodiment, the protective covering 100 comprises the flexible sheet 102 with a plurality of attachment means 114 on the rear surface 120, disposed preferably along the upper margin and lower margin. The attachment means 114 may comprise a plurality of adhesive tabs or self-adhering stickers for removably attaching the flexible sheet 102 to the cabinet face, in order to protect the cabinet from water splashing or dripping from a sink or a countertop with cleaning area positioned above the cabinet. In one embodiment, the rear surface 120 of the flexible sheet 102 comprises 3-6 adhesive tabs placed along the corners and/or margins.
The protective covering 100 of the present invention can be used for protecting base cabinets having a sink above and/or a countertop-cleaning surface. The protective covering 100 prevents damage to wooden cabinetry due to dripping or splashing of water from the sink. The protective covering 100 is made of biodegradable material, therefore safely disposable after use. In an embodiment, the flexible sheet 102 is made of a water resistant clear plastic material.
In an alternative embodiment, the flexible sheet 102 may comprise a plurality of pockets 104 horizontally positioned along the bottom margin of the front face 110 and the rear face 120. The plurality of pockets 104 may comprise a water absorbent material such as water absorbing gel. The plurality of pockets 104 may further comprise a drain hole attached with a removable closure means, for draining the accumulated water.
In an embodiment, the flexible sheets 102 are rolled and stored in a cardboard dispenser box, also known as a pro-guard box 134 configured to slide into a wire mesh 132, as shown in
The foregoing description comprise illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used only in generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein.
