GB2507115A

GB2507115A - A carcase for storage furniture with struts connecting side panels

Info

Publication number: GB2507115A
Application number: GB201218887A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher J Fowler
Original assignee: FC Brown Steel Equipment Ltd
Current assignee: FC Brown Steel Equipment Ltd
Priority date: 2012-10-22
Filing date: 2012-10-22
Publication date: 2014-04-23
Also published as: GB201218887D0

Abstract

A carcase for storage furniture comprising a two side panels 8 and 9 and lateral struts 10-13 extending between the side panels 8 and 9 at upper and lower ends to define a cuboid structural frame with open faces at the front, rear, base and top. The side panels 8 and 9 and struts 10-13 may be made of steel and welded together. There may be further non structural base, rear, front, upper and side panels. The additional side panels may face the interior of the furniture and define a gap between them and the structural side panels for concealing lighting or other electronic apparatus and may have apertures for receiving fittings. There may be a plurality of carcases which have means to allow them to be attached to each other. The carcase may be used for cabinets, book cases, drawers, wardrobes or pedestals.

Description

Carcase for Storage Furniture

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a carcase for storage furniture, and storage furniture including such a carcase.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Storage furniture typically refers to any furniture article defining an open or dosed volume storing miscellaneous items. Examples of storage furniture include cabinets, book cases, drawer units, wardrobes, pedestals etc. Storage furniture typically comprises a structural box, or carcase, having a cuboid form with six faces;front, rear.

base, top and sides. Typica'ly, five faces of the carcase are closed leaving one open face. The open face is typically provided at the front of the carcase to allow user access to the interior storage volume. The carcase may be populated with shelves, drawers, doors or the like. The doors and drawers are typically provided through the open face of the carcase such that, when in a closed position, the doors and drawers provide a closed storage volume. If the carcase is populated with internal shelves then access to the storage volumes divided by the shelves is through the open face of the carcase regardless of whether the open face may be temporarily covered by a door, shutter, or the I ike.

Traditional storage furniture carcases have several disadvantages in that the front and back of the storage furniture are dictated by the carcase which significantly limits the flexibility with which the storage furniture may be employed within a space, such as an office. Furthermore, the height and width of the storage furniture is dictated by the carcase dimensions which restncts the freedom of designers to create innovative storage solutions within a given space.

SUMMARY OF THE TNVENTION

A first aspect of the invention provides a carcase for storage furniture comprising a rigid open cuboid structural frame including two side panels and lateral struts

I

extending between the side panels at the upper and lower end thereof, so as to define four open faces of the cuboid's structural frame at the front, rear, base and top.

The invention is advantageous in that the front and rear faces of the carcase are open.

The carcase does not require any structural front or rear panel to provide the necessary structural rigidity for the carcase. which is a complete departure from known storage furniture carcases. This affords enormous flexibility such that the "fiont" and "rear" of the carcase are undefined until the carcase is populated with various shelves. facia panels, doors or drawers so as to complete the storage furniture and the storage furniture is installed in a space. The "front" and "rear" of the storage furniture is therefore defined by the end user and not by the carcase itself.

By contrast with conventional carcases, the present invention has an open top face which allows a plurality of carcases to be assembled one on top of the other by joining the carcase frames together directly in a modubr construction. Conventional carcases having a closed top face have several drawbacks. Firsdy, if the panel defining the top face of the carcase is structural then the material and finish of the top panel cannot normally be altered, which limits the designer's freedom in creating an aesthetically appealing storage furniture layout. Secondly, if adjacent carcases each having a respective top panel are aligned next to each other then a surface discontinuity will be apparent between the adjacent top panels making it impossible to achieve the "clean lines" much sought after by designers of interior layouts. Thirdly. if a non-structural top panel is to be installed over the structural top panel of the carcase in an attempt to offset the shortcomings highlighted above then an excessively thick and heavy top for the storage furniture will result. These problems are overcome by the present invention which provides a open top face for the carcase such that the carcasees can be stacked vertically and finished with a non-structural top panel, thus providing great flexibility.

Preferably, the laterally extending struts are welded to the side panels. The welded frame consftuction has significantly greater torsional stiffness as compared with a conventional bolted or screwed carcase known in the art.

The side panels and the laterally extending struts are preferably made of steel.

Alternatively, the carcase structure may comprise another metallic material, such as aluminium. The carcase preferably includes four of the lateral strut, wherein a first strut extends between the lower ends of the side panels at the front, a second strut S extends between the lower ends of the side panels at the rear, a third strut extends between the upper ends of the side panels at the front, and a fourth strut extends between the upper ends of the side panels at the rear.

The first to fourth struts are preferably substantially flush with the front or rear faces of the frame, respectively.

Each of the lateral struts may have a substantially rectangular cross section comprising an open or closed channel. The substantially rectangular section preferably has opposing long sides and opposing short sides, The upper lateral struts may have their opposing short sides oriented in a substantially vertical plane such that the upper lateral struts have a low profile when viewed from the front or rear of the carcase.

The lower lateral struts may have their opposing long sides onented in the vertical plane so as to impart improved torsional structural rigidity to the carcase frame.

Particularly advantageously the carcase frame may be bi-axially symmetric such that the frame is symmetrical about a vertical plane through the centre of the lateral struts and is also symmetrical about a vertical plane through the centre of the side panels.

This provides left-right symmetry as well as front-back symmetry to the carcase frame.

The carcase may further comprise a non-structural base panel supported by the frame.

In particular. the base panel may be supported by the lower lateral struts. A void may be defined beneath the base panel and the base face of the frame. This void may be used for concealing services such as power and/or cabling e.g. for telephone and/or networks.

The side pands of the frame may include a doubler strip or reinforcing channel extending vertically along a centre thereof for imparting enhanced stiffness to the side panel and therefore to the frame as a whole. The reinforcing channel be foimed as an open or closed channel section having a longitudinal axis offset inwardly from the structural side panel to which it is connected.

The carcase may further comprise non-structural side panels supported by the frame and facing towards the interior of the carcase. The non-structural side panel may be used to conceal the reinforcing channel on the inside of the structural side panel. The non-structural side panel may also be used to define a void between each of the non-structural side panels and their respective structural side panels for concealing services. For example power. telephone and/or network sockets may be disposed against the non-structural side panel at a height above the base, with the power and data cabling running in the void between the non-structural side panels and the respective structural side panel down to a master power and/or data point concealed in the void beneath the base panel.

The non-structural base panel and/or the non-structural side panels may include a plurality of apertures for receiving fixings. For example, the apertures may receive fixings for locating internal dividers such as vertical partitions or horizontal shelves.

The structural side panels may include a plurality of apertures along inwardly facing front and/or rear edges thereof for receiving fixings. These apertures may be used for affixing drawers, doors, shutters or any other type of closure to either the front or rear face of the carcase.

Storage furniture comprising at least one carcase according to the invention may be fitted with one or more of the group comprising: a non-structural top panel; a non-structural front panel; a non-structural back panel; a hinged door; a sliding door; a drawer; a shelf; lighting; a cantilevered work surface mounting panel; a display screen; a pinboard; a whiteboard; power and/or data services; seating; feet or castors; a storage box; and a planter.

A plurality of the carcases may be joined together, either side by side, or vertically stacked one on top of the other, or bridging off/over one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be descnbed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a structural frame of a carcase in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates the structural frame fitted with a non-structural base panel; Figure 3 illustrates the structural frame fitted with a non-structural side panel; Figure 4 illustrates a storage furniture comprising a pair of the carcases joined side by side; Figure 5 illustrates a first anangement of storage furniture comprising a multitude of the carcases; Figure 6 illustrates a second configuration of the storage furniture comprising a multitude of the carcases; Figure 7 illustrates a third configuration of storage furniture including a pair of the carcases and an integrally supported work surface; and Figure 8 illustrates concealed power and cabling within the carcase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

Figure 1 illustrates a structural frame 1 of a carcase for storage furniture. The structural frame has a rigid open cuboid construction comprising six faces: a front face 2, a rear face 3, a left face 4, a right face 5, a base face 6 and a top face 7. The structural frame 1 comprises a left side panel 8 and a right side panel 9. The left and right side panels 8, 9 are identical. Lateral struts 10, 11, 12, 13 extend between the side panels 8, 9. All components of the structural frame are formed in steel and welded together to form a torsionally stiff open structural frame.

Only the side faces 4, 5 of the structural frame are closed whilst the remaining four faces -the front 2, rear 3, base 6 and top 7 -are open. The thwer front strut 10 extends between the lower ends 14, 15 of the side pands 8, 9 at the front, the thwer rear strut 11 extends between the lower ends 14, 15 of the side panels at the rear, the upper front strut 12 extends between the upper ends 16, 17 of the side panels 8, 9 at the front, and the upper rear strut 13 extends between the upper ends 16. 17 of the side pands 8. 9 at the rear. The struts 10 to 13 are substantially flush with the respective front and rear S faces 2, 3 of the frame 1.

The frame 1 is hi-axially symmetric, that is to say it is symmetrical about a vertical plane through the centre of the side panels 8, 9 and is also symmetric about a vertical plane through the centre of each of the lateral struts 10 to 13. The carcase structural frame 1 is therefore symmetrical left to right as well as front to back.

The side panel 9 will now be described in detail, and the other side panel 8 has an identical construction. The side panel 9 includes an outer face sheet 18, a central top-hat section channel 19, outer L-section channels 20a, 2Db which are oppositely handed, and U-section channds 21a, 21b disposed adjacent the edges of the pand 9 towards the front and rear faces 2,3. The various sections 19.20.21 are welded to the inside of the face sheet 18. Edges of the face sheet 18 are formed over to provide a flange I 8a around the peripheiy of the side panel 9.

The lower lateral struts 10. 11 fit within the U-shaped channels 21a, 21b of each side panel 8, 9. The lateral struts 10, II have a substantially rectangular box section construction and are identical. The lower rear strut 11 includes a recessed groove 22 and an inwardly projecting lower flange 23. The substantially rectangular box section of the thwer lateral struts 10, II indudes opposing long sides and opposing short sides. The long sides are oriented substantially verticaL The upper lateral struts 12. 13 have an identical section comprising a rectangular box section. The box section includes opposing long sides and opposing short sides. The opposing long sides are oriented substantially horizontally. As shown in Figure 2 the carcase further comprises a non-structural base panel 24 supported by the frame I. The base panel is disposed within the grooves 22 formed in each of the lower lateral struts 10, 11. The base panel 24 defines a void between the base panel 24 and the base face 6 of the frame 1 for concealing services such as power and cabling.

As shown in Figure 3, the carcase further comprises non-structural side panels 25 (only one of which is visible in Figure 3) supported by the frame I and facing towards the interior of the carcase. The non-structural side panels 25 have formed over edges which are seated against the U-section channels 21a, 21b of the structural side panels 8. 9. The non-structural side panels 25 define a void between each of the non-structural side panels and the respective structural side panels 8, 9 for concealing services. This void is actually two voids one on either side of the central top-hat section channel 19, the lower end of which is visible in Figure 3.

The non-structural base panel 24 includes a plurality of apertures foirned as elongate slots for receiving fixings, for example for fixing a vertical divider within the carcase.

Similarly, the non-structural side panels 25 include a plurality of apertures 27 formed as elongate slots for receiving fixings, such as for fixing horizontal dividers, e.g. shelves. The structural side panels 8, 9 include a plurality of apertures formed as holes or slots in the U-shaped channel members 21a and 21b adjacent the front andlor rear edges of the panels for receiving fixings. These fixings may be used to locate various closures, such as drawers, doors or shutters, to the front andlor rear faces 2, 3 of the carcase.

Figure 4 illustrates a pair of carcases joined together side by side each fitted with respective non-structural bases 24 and non-structural side panels 25. Together the carcases form storage furniture 100 populated with shelves 29, a closure 30 and a waist band 31. Although not shown for clarity, the storage furniture 100 would be completed with a non-structural top fixed to the open top face of the carcase frames 1, the top extending over the pair of carcase frames 1. Fixing apertures for the non-structural top are provided in the top face of the upper lateral struts 12, 13.

Figure 5 illustrates storage furniture comprising a multitude of the carcases of different dimensions. The storage furniture 200 includes three differently dimensioned carcases la, lb and ic. Each of the carcase frames la, lb. ic has the same basic construction as the carcase 1 described above and differ only by their exterior dimensions. As shown in Figure 5 the carcase frames Ia, lb can be joined end-to-end so as to bridge over the carcase frames Ic beneath. Three carcase frames lc are joined end-to-end and overlaid with a single continuous work surface 32 covenng the full span of the three carcase frames ic. The various carcase frames are populated with closures, including doors 33 and drawers 34.

Since the carcase frames have no structural top it is possible to provide substitution of the carcase frame material -in this instance, steel -for alternative materials such as wood. The single non-structural top 32 shown in Figure 5 spans three adjacent carcase frames. The non-structural top 32 includes special application apertures 35 suitable for power outlets, for example. The closure panels, such as the doors 33 or drawers 34 may occupy either or both of the front and rear open faces 2, 3 of each carcase frame I making it possible to serve more than one user andlor function. If the whole, or part of a front or rear open face requires to be covered by a non openable closure, such as a facia panel, this panel may span more than one carcase structural frame and may span over on'y a part of one or more carcase frames. This enaHes apertures to be split vertically to acconmiodate partial carcase frame cuboid-width closures and panels.

Figure 6 illustrates a further alternative configuration of a furniture storage unit comprising a multitude of the carcase frames. As can be seen, the storage furniture 300 includes five carcase frames including three different carcase frame sizes id, le, if. The carcase frames id are full height, the carcase frames le are half full height, and the frame If is one quarter full height spanning between the carcase frames Id and over the carcase frames Ic. Non-structural tops 32 extend over the top of respective carcase frame id and half of carcase frame lf. The carcase frames are populated with various closures on the front and rear faces.

The modular construction of the carcase frames enables the "clean" stacking of carcases to create alternative heights without untidy detailing. Since each carcase frame is symmetrical front to back the carcases may be ganged together and contra-faced. Each carcase frame may be shared by two users. Because both sides are put to good use, the storage furniture offers space division, replacing conventional screens, as well as storage for an array for office filing and personal effects, for example. The "backs" of one or more carcases within the storage furniture may be populated with either a steel panel, a fabric covered pinboard, a dry-wipe or magnetic board, accessory panels, decorative timber panels, or open pass through areas. More hard wearing or economical panels may be used to cover below desk height whilst more functional or decorative panels may be positioned above desk height. The carcase frame may also provide support for a seat back, with the seat base projecting from the frame.

Figure 7 illustrates a further alternative configuration of storage furniture including a pair of carcases in accordance with the invention in which one of the carcases is populated with a waist band 36 disposed between lower drawer units 37 and upper shelving units 38, whilst the adjacent carcase waist band is used to support a work surface 39. The work surface 39 is cantilevered off the waist band 36 so obviating the need for a desk end frame at one end of the work surface.

Figure 8 illustrates part of storage furniture 500 including the carcase 1 with the non-structural base panel 24 removed so as to reveal a master power and or data services connection 40 disposed in the void beneath the non-structural base panel 24. Power and or cabling runs 41 travd within this void and into the void between the structural side panel 8 and the non-structural side panel 25 to connect with raised power and or data connection sockets 42 fixed to the interior face of the non-structural side panel 25. The sockets 42 may be conveniently positioned just above the work surface.

Power distribution units can be joined through a senes of carcases forming the storage fumiture by connecting through the various voids described above. As shown in Figure 8, the carcase frame I is mounted upon adjustable feet 50 but alternatively castors or other floor support means may be provided.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to one or more preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A carcase for storage furniture comprising a rigid open cuboid structural frame including two side panels and lateral struts extending between the side panels at the upper and lower ends thereof, so as to define four open faces of the cuboid structural frame at the front, rear, base and top.
2. A carcase according to claim 1, wherein the laterally extending struts are welded to the side panels.
3. A carcase according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the side panels and the laterally extending struts are made of steel.
4. A carcase according to any preceding claim, including four of the lateral struts, wherein a first strut extends between the thwer ends of the side panels at the front, a second strut extends between the lower ends of the side panels at the rear, a third strut extends between the upper ends of the side panels at the front, and a fourth strut extends between the upper ends of the side panels at the rear.
5. A carcase according to claim 4. wherein the first to fourth struts are substantially flush with the front or rear faces of the frame, respectively.
6. A carcase according to any preceding claim, wherein the frame is symmetrical about a vertical plane through the centre of the side panels.
7. A carcase according to any preceding claim, further comprising a non-structural base panel supported by the frame.
8. A carcase according to claim 7, wherein a void is defined beneath the base panel and the base face of the frame for concealing services.
9. A carcase according to any preceding claim, further comprising non-structural side panels supported by the frame and facing towards the intenor of the carcase.
10. A carcase according to claim 9, wherein a void is defined between each of the non-structural side panels and their respective structural side panels for concealing services.
II. A carcase according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the non-structural side panels include a puraIity of apertures for receiving fixings.
12. A carcase according to any preceding claim, wherein the structural side panels include a plurality of apertures along inwardly facing front and/or rear edges thereof for receiving fixings.
13. Storage furniture comprising at least one carcase according to any preceding claim, each carcase being fitted with one or more of the group comprising: a non-structural top panel; a non-structural front panel; a non-structural back panel; a hinged door; a sliding door; a drawer; a shelf; lighting; a cantilevered worksurface mounting panel; a display screen; a pinboard; a whiteboard; power and/or data services; seating; feet or castors; a storage box; and a planter.
14. Storage furniture according to claim 13, comprising a plurality of the carcases joined together.
15. Storage furniture according to claim 14, wherein the carcases are arranged one above the other, and/or side by side, and/or bridging off/over one another.