AU677779B2 - A method of manufacturing a box, container or cabinet - Google Patents

Description

1-

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Ge *c Go G Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: BREMCA INDUSTRIES LIMITED Kenneth Swift *0 C 0* Address for Service: Invention Title: SHELSTON WATERS 55 Clarence Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 "A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A BOX, CONTAINER OR CABINET" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:- -2- The invention relates to a modular panel and a method of manufacturing a box, container or cabinet from the panels.

At present in the manufacture of cabinets for a wide variety of uses, such as in the electrical industry, it has been the common practice to fabricate the cabinet from panels and to spot weld the parts together to form the cabinet. Although existing methods are satisfactory, there has been a long felt need for a more flexible system "szs where unitary modular panels can be readily built by customers to form a wide variety of sizes and shape of cabinet.

An object of the invention is therefore provide a modular panel which can be used to form a multiplicity of cabinet configurations to users requirements.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

"i According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a modular metal panel comprising a planar face one end of which is stepped to form a notched end, the edges of the planar face each having a lip formed integrally therewith, each lip being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel, the lip adjacent the notched end being stepped to correspond to the notched end so that, in use, adjacent similar panels can be fitted together with the notched end engaged within a lip formed in another end of an adjacent similar panel.

The lip on one edge of the panel can have a return formed along part of its length, the return having fixing holes near to each end thereof.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a box, container or cabinet comprising four similar modular metal panels each modular panel including a 17004-00 DOC/lnja -3planar face one end of which is stepped to form a notched end, the edges of the planar face each having a lip formed integrally therewith, each lip being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel, the channels adjacent the notched end being stepped to correspond to the notched end so that, in use, adjacent similar panels can be fitted together with the notched end engaged within a lip formed in another end of an adjacent similar panel, the box, container or cabinet further having at least a back panel and at least one hinged door panel.

The hinged door panel can be fitted to the edge of one of the modular panels by the hinge the subject of New Zealand Design Registration No. 24331 (copy available in the Australian Patent Office) the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference.

The modular panels can include in their lips or front face sets of holes through which fixing means extend to locate the panels together.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of 15 manufacturing a box, container or cabinet including the steps of: forming a plurality of modular panels as hereinbefore defined;

B

interlocking four generally similar modular panels together to form the walls of a a a box, container or cabinet; joining adjacent modular panels together using fixing means at their corners; fitting a back panel to the walls; and fitting a hinged door to at least one modular panel if desired.

17004.00.Doc/dml The fixing means can be screws, bolts and other fixing devices which can be used in combination with a strengthening corner gusset. Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only.

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of four modular panels, a back panel and two fixing clips in their orientation immediately prior to assembly; 6 S 1700.oo0oooc/dml 5 Figure 2 shows a perspective view from the front of an assembled cabinet formed from two pairs of different sized panels in accordance with the present invention and in which a divider comprising an optional mullion and/or barrier plate, which are shown exploded from their installed position, are fitted; Figure 3 shows the cabinet shown in Figure 2 complete with hinged doors; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a hinge bracket utilised to mount the hinged doors to the cabinet as shown in Figure 3.

The examples of the present invention shown in the drawing are typical panels and a cabinet V. 15 designed for the installation of electrical equipment. It is however to be appreciated that with minor modifications the cabinet (shown in Figures 2 to 4) can be used for a wide variety of purposes to suit consumers requirements.

a S 20 In Figure 1 can be seen the shape of an individual modular panel of which there are four a similar panels shown and each is indicated by arrow 5 1 and these form the walls of a cabinet. Also shown in Figure 1 is a back plate 2 and corner gusset 3.

Each panel 1 has a planar face 4 at one end of which is a rebated region generally indicated by 6 arrow 5. The four edges of each panel 1 have a lip 6 formed integrally therewith. The lip 6 adjacent the rebate 5 is stepped as is shown to reduce the overall dimensions of each panel at this end 7 so that it can slidingly engage with the other end 8 of an adjacent panel.

The lip 6 of at least one of the edges of the panel 1 has formed along part of its length a return 9. The return 9 has a series of holes (not shown) which assist in engaging adjacent panels together utilising the gusset plate 3 or for attaching fittings (not shown) within a formed cabinet.

The panels 1 may be provided with a series of fixing holes 10, 11 for example in the front face 10 and the lips 11 to enable fixing means 12 to be used to join the panels 1 together.

As is shown in Figure 1 the parts are interlocked by inserting the rebated edges 5 into the other ends 8 of the adjacent panels and fixing means 12 are utilised to engage them together.

If required corner gusset plates 3 can be used for added strength.

The depth of the panel can, if desired, be altered by attaching adjacent sets of similar paniels together to vary both the depth and or height of an assembled cabinet.

7 An example of an assembled cabinet is shown in Figures 2 and 3. In this case the panels 13, 14 forming the top and side walls are of different lengths to suit a users requirements. The longer side panels 14 may be provided with fixing holes as shown for the attachment of other cabinets or flat steel panels used to gland cables to the cabinet. The unit 16 consists of the barrier plate 17 with lips 18 and return 19 so that the holes in the return 19 are for fixing barrier plate 17 onto mullion 20 and for fixing equipment within the cabinet.

The front face 18 of the plate 17 is covered by a mullion 20 as shown.

As is shown in Figure 3 a set of doors 21 and 22 may be attached to the cabinet by utilising the Shinge bracket 23 shown in Figure 4.

The bracket 23 is fixed to the return 9 by fixing screws bolts or rivets (not shown) so that its end 24 extends out from the face of the cabinet i for the insertion of pivot pins 25 (Figure 3) which extend through the holes 26 in the bracket 23 and o engage with lugs 27 fitted on the lip 28 sur- S" rounding the door panels 21 and 22. The bracket 23 is folded and has a part 32 which is attached to the cabinet wall. The other end of the bracket 23 acts as a second part 33 with holes 26 which 8 support the pivot pin 25. The part 32 is connected to the part 33 by a central part 34 which is angled so that the holes 26 for the pivot pin 25 are positioned so that the door can hinge back until the face of the door 21 is in the same plane as the front wall of the box. In this position the lip 28 lies in the angled region 35 formed in the hinge bracket 23.

The upper door panel 21 shown in Figure 3 is shown with fixing means 29 or semi-permanently closing this door to the cabinet. A tool being required in order to remove the fixing means 29 which are engaged with locking means (not shown) associated with holes 30 in gusset plates 3.

The other door 22 is provided with an "appropriate barrel lock 31 used in the usual manner.

Thus by this invention there is provided a i" modular panel which can be used to form a multiplicity of cabinet configurations to users S" requirements.

Particular examples of the invention have been described and it is envisaged that improvements and i modifications can take place without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims (3)

1. 3. A modular panel as claimed in claim 2 which further comprises the return having fixing holes. A modular panel as claimred in any one of the preceding claims further comprising S. sets of holes in one or more of the lips and front face. A modular panel as claimed in claim I and as substantially described with reference to any one of te modular panels in Figures I to 3.
2. 6. A box, container or cabinet comprising four similar modular metal panels each modular panel including a planar face one end of which is stepped to form a notched end, the edges of the planar face each having a lip formed integrally therewith, each lip being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel, the channels adjacent the notched end being stepped to correspond to the notched end so that, in use, adjacent similar panels can be fitted together with the notched end engaged within a lip formed in another end of an adjacent similar panel, the box, container or cabinet further having at least a back panel and at least one hinged door panel.
3. 17004-0a DOC111jia 7. A box, container or cabinet as claimed in claim 6 and further comprising the hinged door panel fitted to the return of one of the modular panels by a bracket the subject of New Zealand Design Registration No. 24331. 8. A box, container or cabinet as claimed in claim 6 and further comprising the hinged door panel fitted to a modular panel by a hinge. 9. A box, container or cabinet as claimed in claim 6 and as substantially described with reference to any one of the cabinets in Figures 2 to 4. A box, container and cabinet as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9 and further comprising a hinge bracket with at least one part adapted to be fixed to the cabinet, box, 10 container, or a wall, at least one second part adapted to be fixed to a door panel and a central part joining said part(s) and second part(s), the second part(s) supporting a pivot pin. *11. A box, container and cabinet as claimed in claim 10 wherein the hinge bracket is substantially as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings. 15 12. A method of manufacturing a box, container or cabinet wherein the manufacturing includes the steps of: forming a plurality of modular panels as claimed in any one of claims 1 to interlocking four of the modular panels together to form the walls of a box, container or cabinet; joining adjacent modular panels together using fixing means at their corners; fitting a back panel to the walls; and S700oo1-00 DOC/llija 11 fitting a hinged door to at least one modular panel if desired. 13. A method of manufacturing a box, container or cabinet as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a fixing means being screws, bolts or other fixing devices used in combination with a gusset. 14. A method of manufacturing a box, container or cabinet according to any one of claims 12 and 13 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. DATED this 4th Day of December, 1996 BREMCA INDUSTRIES LIMITED S 10 Attorney: JOHN B. REDFERN Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of SHELSTON WATERS *e .a 9 f i1(104.o0 nor/mnja ABSTRACT A modular panel which can be used to manufacture a multiplicity of box, container or cabinet configurations in conjunction with a back panel a hinged door panel (21, 22) and a hinge bracket The modular panel including a planar face one end of which is stepped to form a rebated end the edges of the planar face having a lip formed integrally therewith, the lips adjacent the rebated end also being rebated so that, in use, adjacent similar panels can be fitted together. The hinge bracket (23) including at least one part adapted to be fitted to the cabinet, box or container, at least one second part adapted to be fitted to the dooz panel (21, 23) and a central part joining the one part and the second part. The second part supporting a pivot pin Q