AU2018101493A4

AU2018101493A4 - Storage unit and cabinet

Info

Publication number: AU2018101493A4
Application number: AU2018101493A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Giacomo Gollinucci
Original assignee: Gollinucci Srl
Current assignee: Gollinucci Srl
Priority date: 2017-10-09
Filing date: 2018-10-08
Publication date: 2018-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 2026-10-08
Also published as: DE202018105739U1; FR3072009B3; ES1225699U; ES1225699Y; FR3072009A3

Abstract

Storage unit having a metal sheet and one or more containers; wherein the metal sheet is delimited by a front 5 edge, a rear edge, an upper edge and a lower edge; wherein the metal sheet has fastening means for connecting, in use, said front edge to a door of a cabinet; wherein the metal sheet has one or more slots; wherein each container can be releasably connected to a respective slot of the metal 10 sheet. Main figure: Figure 1 10724352_1 (GHMaters) P109848.AU S2 2 724 25 2 -28 -39 Tr

Description

invention is to provide a storage unit that overcomes the drawbacks described above.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a storage unit that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide a storage unit that requires reduced installation times .

According to the present invention, a storage unit is provided according to what stated in the attached claims .

The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings showing an example of non-limiting embodiment, in which:

- Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a cabinet

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 is an overall perspective view of a detail of

Figure 1;

- Figure 3 is an exploded view of a detail of Figure 1;

- Figure 4 is a side view of a detail of Figure 3;

- Figure 5 is the section along the lines V-V of Figure 4.

In Figure 1, 1 indicates as a whole a cabinet comprising a storage unit 2.

In particular, in Figure 2, 3 indicates the overall frame of the cabinet 1. The frame 3 substantially has a parallelepiped shape with a longitudinal axis X perpendicular to a support plane n.

The frame 3 is internally hollow and has a side opening 4 giving access to an inner compartment a.

15	The cabinet	1 further	comprises a door 5 for closing	the
	opening 4,	and	a drawer 6,	slidably mounted inside	the
	compartment	a .	The	drawer	6 is of known type	and
	schematically shown.
	Hereinafter	the	terms	lower,	upper, high or low are	used
20	with reference	to the	support plane n. Furthermore,	the

terms front and back are used with reference to the front of the cabinet, i.e. to the position of the door 5.

Advantageously, the door 5 is fastened to the drawer 6 and is movable integrally with it. In particular, the drawer 6 is designed to move the door 5 with respect to the cabinet

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 .

In particular, the drawer 6 is movable from a closed position SI to an open position S2 (schematically shown with dashed lines in Figure 2), and vice versa. In the closed position SI, the drawer 6 is contained inside the compartment a and the door 5 closes the opening 4 . In the open position S2, the drawer 6 protrudes substantially outside the compartment a and the door 5 is spaced apart from the opening 4, giving free access to the compartment

a.

As shown in Figure 1, the frame 3 of the cabinet 1 comprises a left wall 7, a right wall 8, a back 9, an upper wall 10 and a base 11. The base 11 is in contact, in use, with the support plane n.

The left wall 7 and the right wall 8 are parallel and opposite each other. The upper wall 10 and the base 11 are parallel and opposite each other. The door 5 and the back 9 are parallel and opposite each other. The walls 7, 8, 10, the back 9 and the base 11 delimit the compartment a.

Without losing its general character and only for illustrative purpose, the drawer 6 shown in Figure 1 has a box-like body delimited by side walls hereinafter identified as: left wall 12, right wall 13, back 14.

Moreover, the drawer 6 comprises a bottom wall 15, which in use is substantially parallel to the support plane n.

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018

The door 5 is fastened to the free end of the drawer 6 so as to be parallel and opposite the back wall 14. In particular, the door 5 is fastened to the ends of the walls and 13 and of the bottom wall 15.

Advantageously, according to what shown in Figure 1, the cabinet 1 comprises a storage unit 2, which is fastened to the drawer 6, as will be better shown later. Therefore, the storage unit 2 can be moved with respect to the cabinet 1 from the closed position SI to the open position S2, integral with the drawer 6. In the closed position SI, the storage unit 2 is inserted inside the compartment a. In the open position S2, the storage unit 2 protrudes outside the compartment a.

According to what shown in more detail in Figures 3 to 5, the storage unit 2 comprises a support metal sheet 16 and one or more containers 17, which can be simply hooked to or unhooked from the metal sheet 16, as better shown hereinafter. The metal sheet 16 is a thin and substantially flat body. The metal sheet 16 has two parallel and opposite side surfaces, hereinafter referred to as the right surface and the left surface 40.

The metal sheet 16 has a longitudinal axis X' substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the cabinet 1. The metal sheet 16 has a front edge 18, a rear edge 19, an upper edge 20 and a lower edge 21. The front edge 18 and

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 the rear edge 19 are parallel and opposite each other. The upper edge 20 and the lower edge 21 are parallel and opposite each other. The front edge 18 and the rear edge 19 are longer than the upper edge 20 and the lower edge 21.

The metal sheet 16 has a substantially rectangular shape.

Advantageously, the metal sheet 16 comprises fastening elements for connecting, in use, the front edge 18 to the door 5. Without losing its general character and according to the shown example, the metal sheet 16 comprises one or more flaps 22 protruding from the front edge 18 and folded (about 90°) with respect to the metal sheet 16. The flaps are in contact with the door 5 and are fastened to the door 5, e.g. by screws or nails or rivets or similar elements. According to the shown example, the metal sheet

16 has three flaps 22 hereinafter identified by the Roman numbers I, II and III.

According to a variant not shown, the metal sheet 16 has equivalent fastening elements, which allow a connection,

e.g. by interlocking or interference or adhesion, with the door 5 .

The metal sheet 16 rests on the bottom wall 15 of the drawer 6. The metal sheet 16 is fastened to the door 5. The door 5 is supported by the drawer 6. Therefore, the metal sheet 16 is not load-bearing and is supported by the drawer

6 and by the door 5. The sheet 16 may therefore be thin,

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 since it must only support the weight of the containers 17 and of their contents .

According to a variant not shown, the metal sheet is suspended, i.e. it is not in contact with the bottom wall

15 of the drawer 6. In this case, the metal sheet is connected and supported by both the door 5 and the back 14 of the drawer 6. In this way, advantageously, the metal sheet can also be inserted into cabinets of the compartment a having different heights.

The metal sheet 16 has an opening 23 formed along the lower edge 21. The opening 23 allows a user access for the adjustments, of a known and not described type, of the front of the drawer 6. Furthermore, the opening 23 gives access to the flap 22 arranged near the bottom part 15 of the drawer 6 to facilitate the mobility of an operator during the assembly of the storage unit 2. In fact, the opening 23 gives access to the flap 22III from both sides of the metal sheet 16.

Preferably, the metal sheet 16 is arranged substantially in the middle of the drawer 6 and is parallel to the walls 12 and 13. In this way, the metal sheet 16 divides substantially in half the space of the compartment a and a user can arrange the objects on both sides of the metal sheet 16.

According to a variant not shown, the metal sheet 16 can be

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 arranged in a different position inside the drawer 6.

Advantageously, the cabinet 1 comprises a driving element

24, which protrudes from the upper wall 10 inside the compartment a and is aligned with the metal sheet 16. The driving element 24 keeps the upper part of the metal sheet aligned with the lower part and prevents the metal sheet from bending when opening or closing the drawer 6.

According to the example shown in Figure 1, the driving element 24 comprises two rollers 25 mounted idle and opposed to each other. The metal sheet 16 is inserted between the two rollers 25. Alternatively, the driving element 24 can be an equivalent system, such as, for example, a profile with a groove that allows the passage of the metal sheet.

According to the example shown in Figures 4 and 5, the metal sheet 16 has a plurality of slots 26. Each slot 26 has been made by folding a respective portion 27 of the metal sheet 16. According to the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the metal sheet 16 has four slots 26, hereinafter identified with the Roman numbers I to IV, obtained from four respective metal sheet portions 27, hereinafter identified with the Roman numbers I to IV. Each slot 26 has a rectangular shape and has a base b and a height h.

Substantially, each portion 27 has the same shape and size as the respective slot 26. In particular, each slot 26 has

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 been made by making in a known way a notch in the U-shaped metal sheet 16, whose concave side is facing upwards, and by folding the thus delimited portion 27. According to the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the portion 27 has been 5 folded at about 90° with respect to the remaining part of the metal sheet 16. Therefore, each portion 27 is substantially perpendicular to the metal sheet 16.

Preferably, the metal sheet 16 further has a rectangular groove 28 whose size is substantially similar to those of the slots 26. The groove 28 is obtained by completely removing a respective portion of the metal sheet 16. The groove 28 and the slots 26 are evenly distributed along the axis X' and are substantially parallel to each other. The groove 28 is arranged above the slots 26, i.e. it is in the uppermost position.

As shown, each slot 26 is delimited by a front edge 29, by a rear edge 30 and by a lower edge 31. The front edge 29 and the rear edge 30 are parallel and opposite each other.

According to the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the portion 16 is folded so as to form a fold 32 along a hinge line β, which is parallel and opposite the lower edge 31.

The slot 26 has a rectangular shape, in which the front edge 29 and the rear edge 30 are the small sides, while the lower edge 31 and the fold 32 are the large sides.

Therefore, the height h of each slot 26 substantially

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 corresponds to the depth of the portion 27. Advantageously, the depth of the portion 27 is such that it can be used as a support for a container 17.

As shown in Figure 4, the slots 26 have different heights or extension along the longitudinal axis X'. In particular, the central slot 26III has the greatest height, while the end slots 261 and 26IV have the lowest height.

Advantageously, the distance along the axis X' between two adjacent slots 26 is constant. In other words, the distance d between the hinge line β and the lower edge 31 is constant between two adjacent slots 26. Analogously, the distance between the groove 28 and the slot 261 is equal to the distance between two adjacent grooves 26.

Advantageously, the portions 27 of two adjacent slots 26 protrude from opposite sides of the metal sheet 16. In

other words,	the	portions 27 are folded so as to	protrude
alternately	from	the right surface 39 or from	the left
surface 40.
According to	the	example shown in Figure 5, the	portions

271 and 27III protrude from the right surface 39, while the portions 2711 and 27IV protrude from the left surface 40.

According to what shown in Figures 2 and 3, each container substantially has a cup-shaped body comprising a base 38 and one or more side walls 33, which laterally delimit a cavity 34. The cavity 34 is in communication with the

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 outside through an upper edge 35. Each container 17 further comprises a hook 36, which is configured to hook onto the metal sheet 16. According to the shown example, the hook 36 is formed by a flap of a side wall 33, which protrudes beyond the edge 35 and is folded back on itself.

According to the example shown in Figure 3, the containers are parallelepiped-shaped and may have different size.

According to a variant not shown, the containers 17 can have differently shaped bases 32.

Advantageously, the height of the containers 17 is substantially equal to the distance d between two adjacent slots 26.

In use, the frame 3 of the cabinet is assembled in a known manner with the drawer 6 and the door 5. Then the metal sheet 16 is vertically inserted inside the drawer 6, so that the lower edge 21 is in contact with the bottom wall of the drawer 6. The flaps 221, 2211 and 22III are in contact with the door 5 and fastened thereto by means of screws. On the other hand, if the metal sheet 16 is suspended inside the drawer 6, it is positioned and fastened to the door 5 and to the back 14 of the drawer 6.

Then, the containers 17 are hooked to the metal sheet 16.

When a container 17 is attached to the metal sheet 16, it is hooked to the lower edge 26 of a slot 26 and the base 38 of the container 17 rests above the portion 27 of the lower

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 slot 26. In this way, the position of the container 17 is ensured both by the interference of the hook 36 with respect to the lower edge 26 of a slot 26 and by the fact that it rests on the respective portion 27.

The storage unit 2 of the type described above has the advantage of being inexpensive and fast to manufacture.

Advantageously, the size of the storage unit 2 can be easily and quickly adapted to cabinets 1 of different size.

Advantageously, the fact that the portions 27 of the metal sheet 16 are used both to make the respective slots 26 and to make support bases for the containers 17 allows obtaining in a simple and fast way stable support systems for the containers 17.

Advantageously, the metal sheet 16 can support a plurality of containers 17 having different shape and size.

Advantageously, the metal sheet 16 allows making a plurality of different combinations or predispositions of the containers 17.

Advantageously, the fact that the portions 27 protrude from opposite sides of the metal sheet 16 allows balancing the weights and preventing the metal sheet 16 from bending or flexing. The presence of the driving element 24 also increases the stability of the metal sheet 16.

Advantageously, the simple coupling system between the container 17 and the metal sheet 16 allows fastening or

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 releasing a container 17 in a simple and fast way and using it outside the cabinet 1 too.

From the foregoing, it follows that the storage unit 2 of the type described above can be quickly and easily adapted to any cabinet 1 already provided with a drawer 6.

Furthermore, the storage unit 2 can be made by using containers 17, which can be released and used also for other applications outside the cabinet 1, for example the containers 17 can be applied to external supports, such as

e.g. support bars on a worktop of a kitchen. Finally, the metal sheet 16 of the type described above is simple and fast to install.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word comprise or variations such as comprises or comprising is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018

Claims

1. Storage unit comprising a metal sheet (16) and having a longitudinal axis (X') and one or more containers (17); wherein the metal sheet (16) is delimited by a front

5 edge (18), a rear edge (19), an upper edge (20) and a lower edge (21); wherein the metal sheet (16) comprises fastening means (22) for connecting, in use, the front edge (18) of the metal sheet (16) to an external body, in particular the door (5) of a cabinet (1); wherein the metal sheet (16) has

10 one or more slots (26); wherein each container (17) can be releasably connected to a respective slot (26) of the metal sheet (16).

2. A storage unit according to claim 1, wherein a container (17) has a cup-shaped body and a hook (36);

15 wherein the hook (36) is configured to engage a slot (26) of the metal sheet (16).

3. A storage unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fastening means comprise flaps (22; 221, 2211, 22III), protruding from the front edge (18) of the metal sheet (16) 20 and folded, in particular at about 90°, with respect to a side surface of the metal sheet (16).

4. A storage unit according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each slot (26) has been obtained by carving in the metal sheet (16) a respective portion (27),

25 so that the portion (27) remains at least partially

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 attached to the metal sheet (16); the portion (27) being folded about a hinge line (β) of the metal sheet (16).

5. A storage unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each portion (27) has a U-shaped profile

5 whose concave side faces the upper edge (20) of the metal sheet (16).

6. A storage unit according to any one of the preceding claims and having a plurality of slots (26) distributed along said longitudinal axis (X'); wherein the portions

10 (27) of two adjacent slots (26) protrude from opposite side surfaces (39, 40) of the metal sheet (16).

7. A storage unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a container (17) is hooked, in use, to a first slot (261) and rests, in use, on the portion (2711)

15 of a second slot (2611); wherein the first slot (261) is interposed between the second slot (2611) and the upper edge (20) of the metal sheet (16).

8. Cabinet (1) comprising a storage unit (2) according to any one of the preceding claims.

20 9. A cabinet (1) according to claim 8 and comprising a hollow frame (3) having a parallelepiped shape with a longitudinal axis (X) and a side opening (4) giving access to an inner space (a); wherein the cabinet (1) comprises a door (5) for closing the opening (4) and a drawer (6)

25 slidingly mounted inside the compartment (a); the door (5)

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018 is fastened to the drawer (6) and is movable (1) integrally with it; wherein said storage unit (2) is fastened inside the drawer (6) and is fastened to the door (5) of the cabinet (1).

5 10. A cabinet (1) according to claims 8 or 9, wherein the frame comprises a driving element (24) protruding inside the compartment (a); the metal sheet (16) of the storage unit (2) being slidingly mounted through said driving element (24).

10724352_1 (GHMatters) P109848.AU

2018101493 08 Oct 2018

FIG.1

2018101493 08 Oct 2018

FIG.2

2018101493 08 Oct 2018

FIG.3

2018101493 08 Oct 2018

FIG.4

2018101493 08 Oct 2018

FIG.5