Patent Application
20130009531
The present invention is directed to a universal rail used for multi-furniture construction, more specifically cabinet and cabinet like furniture construction.
The art of making cabinets is an old one that need not be described in this application. Carpenters have devised many types of skeletons to build cabinets and usually devise skeletons that will fit certain spaces for specific jobs.
The inventor of the present invention realized that it was time consuming having to reinvent the wheel every time that he had to install a new cabinet at a new location. He conceived that if he could have a universal rail that could be of a standard shape that could easily be attached to precut pieces of cabinet structures that he would eliminate the need of having to design new skeleton structures for every new installation of the precut pieces.
The rail of the present invention is a rail that can be used to support the exterior portions of a cabinet while also supporting the inner structures of the cabinet, by doing this it is intended that the rail define ledges that can support counter tops, bottoms, and drawers, while simultaneously providing the skeleton guides required to align a cabinet in a desired shape.
For the foregoing reason there is a need for a universal rail for multi-furniture construction that will lend itself to act as a support structure, a cabinet skeleton, and a drawer guide that is designed to be easily installable, cheap to manufacture, and easily transportable.
The present invention is directed to a universal rail for multi-furniture construction that will lend itself to act as a support structure, a cabinet skeleton, and a drawer guide that is designed to be easily installable, cheap to manufacture, and easily transportable.
The universal rail used for furniture construction. The rail is rectangular and has a top, middle and bottom section. Each section has a flange that can be used for various functions. The rail can be positioned either vertically or horizontally depending on the furniture that is to be assembled.
The rail is fabricated of an anodized metallic material that allows it to be used with many side paneling materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, wood, or melamine. The rails being anodized make them a green material, for they are reusable, they will not oxidize, they will have a long shelf life, they are easily washable, and are made of materials that are not allergenic.
The rail will be produced as a standardized piece that can be easily cut by a miter to fit prefabricated side paneling materials. In a preferred embodiment, the rail will attach to side paneling materials using pan head screws.
The rails being fabricated of a standard size will allow them to be stored in small places, this in turn will allow them to be easily transportable. In addition, the standardized measurements of the rails will minimize the cost to the ultimate purchaser of the rails, for the time it takes installing the rails shall be minimized because of their building block inherent nature. In the field, the inventor has determined that the time used to build cabinets has been minimized by at least sixty (60%) percent. The rails also have allowed him to deliver cabinets the same day as they are ordered, for he does not have to specifically manufacture a skeleton structure for each installation location. The standard rails can be cut at installation sites at the job sites using minimal effort.
The rails simplicity of construction and malleability allows it to be used as a support structure for the side paneling and also as a support structure for electrical fixtures; such as lights and other hardware devices.
The rails can be used to fabricate residential, institutional, and commercial furniture. Cabinets will now be able to be built entire structures rather than as individual modules, up to ninety-six by ninety-six inch structures.
An object of the present invention is to provide a rail that will reduce the time of installation by at least sixty percent.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rail that is standardized and easily workable.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rail that is green.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a rail that is easily storable and space efficient.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rail that can be used to fabricate unitary furniture structures.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and drawings where:
As seen in
The top of the rectangular body 100a defines a first flange 10 that runs along the length of the rectangular body 100, the first flange 10 has a top 100a and a bottom 10b, the top of the first flange 10a extends perpendicularly outward from the right side of the rectangular body 100d, then the first flange 10 extends perpendicularly upward toward the top of the rectangular body 100a to form a first u-shaped first flange cavity 10c, then the top of the first flange 10a extends perpendicularly outward forming a second u-shaped cavity 10d, the second u-shaped cavity 10d defines a higher depth than the first u-shaped flange 10c cavity and further defines a right ledge 10e that extends perpendicularly outward from the second u-shaped flange cavity 10d, the bottom of the first flange 10 then defines an L-shaped support 10f that extends downward from the right ledge 10e, then the bottom of the first flange 100b extends perpendicularly inward toward the top of the rectangular body 100a, the bottom side of the first flange defines a first round channel 10g that is positioned below the first u-shaped first flange cavity 10c, the first flange 10 being a certain distance from the top of the rectangular body 100a, the distance being at least a quarter of an inch from the top of the rectangular body 100a;
The middle of the rectangular body 100b defines a first middle L-shaped flange 20 that extends perpendicularly from the right side of the rectangular body 100d and that runs along the length of the rectangular body 100, thereby forming a first middle U-shaped cavity 20a that is directed toward the top side of the rectangular body 100a. The middle of the rectangular body 100b further defines a second middle L-shaped flange 22 that extends perpendicularly from the right side of the rectangular body 100d and that runs along the length of the rectangular body 100, thereby forming a second middle U-shaped cavity 22a that is directed toward the bottom side of the rectangular body 100c.
The bottom of the rectangular body 100c defines a right bottom flange 30 that extends perpendicularly from the right side of the rectangular body 100d and that runs along the length of the rectangular body 100, the right bottom flange 30 has a top 30a and a bottom 30b side, the top side 30a is substantially flat and the bottom side 30b defines a second round channel 32. The bottom of the rectangular body 100c further defines a left bottom flange 440 that extends perpendicularly from the left side of the rectangular body 100e and that runs along the length of the rectangular body 100, the left 40 and right 30 bottom flanges are on the same plane and are positioned a certain distance from the bottom of the rectangular body 100c, the distance being at least a quarter of an inch from the bottom of the rectangular body 100c.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the left side of the rectangular body defines at least one hinge 50.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the invention is made of an anodized metal.
An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a rail that reduces the time of installation by at least sixty percent.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a rail that is standardized and easily workable.
A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a rail that is green.
Still a further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a rail that is easily storable and space efficient.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a rail that can be used to fabricate unitary furniture structures.
