EP1617744A1

EP1617744A1 - Modular cupboard structure

Info

Publication number: EP1617744A1
Application number: EP03812614A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Konstantinos Vassiliou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-12-10
Filing date: 2003-12-10
Publication date: 2006-01-25
Also published as: AU2003302876A1; GR20020100533A; WO2004052150A1

Abstract

Modular cupboard structure comprising a plastic sheet cut in four sections each bearing grooves (11, 13, 15, 17, 19), which follow a predetermined layout, along the length of both its surfaces. Bars (25, 27, 29, 35), of a corresponding shape and cross section with the grooves, are inserted in the grooves. The four sections connectable to each other at an angle of 90o by gusset plates (23) inserted in the grooves (17, 19) of each section form a cupboard. Bars are used to bear the functioning mechanisms and to join the cupboards together. Outer coatings and a work surface can be affixed to the structure without the use of screws.

Description

MODULAR CUPBOARD STRUCTURE

This invention relates to an modular cupboard structure which can be used either as kitchen fixtures or as bedroom furniture (linen cupboards).

It is common practice to make cupboards, for kitchens or any other use, from sheets of chipboard or plywood covered with melamine or plastic. Through a specialized process, the sheets are cut to the desired dimensions and a tape of PVC or other material is affixed to the edge band in order to a) protect the wood from damp b) cover the sections it is composed of c) absorb the impact of movable layers d) harmonize the colors of the visible parts with the architectural requirements.

Based on the above, and depending on the manufacturer's engineering equipment, the pieces enter the production line and the necessary perforations are made so that the mechanisms, shelves, or drawers can be fitted. Then, the pieces are assembled into cupboards with the use of screws or by making a bevel cut of 45° and joining them at an angle of 90° with the use of doweling.

Then, the plastic or metal floor supports of the cupboards are fitted, the cupboards are placed next to one another and they are joined together with screws. The side surfaces are coated with sheets of MDF in different colors or imitations and, finally, the work surface, which is usually made of chipboard coated with formica in a variety of imitations, is fitted on top of the cupboards.

Apart from the advantages that the aforementioned method has over the older one of free-standing cupboards, which were standard parts of the structural composition of a house, there are disadvantages in both the production phase and when they are in use, such as: a) expensive engineering equipment is required b) specialized workers are needed to handle the cutting machines and to assemble the pieces c) there is material wastage when squaring the pieces accurately and d) extra labor hours are needed for the transfer of pieces to the production line until their final construction.

Additionally, the need for specialized workers to place the cupboards in their final position and the use of means which are of a different, and not directly controlled, level and technique from what is the industrial norm for a set of problems that are a hindrance both to the manufacturer and to the customer.

Moreover, the material's sensitivity to damp is a negative factor, on the grounds that kitchen cupboards are exposed to extensive use of water (sink, dishwasher, etc.). Thus, after a certain period of time, disintegration of the chipboard is observed, fungi develop, and problems concerning the function of the mechanisms emerge, due to the fact that the latter are supported by screws.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an modular cupboard structure that can be quickly and easily assembled and does not require expensive equipment or specialized workers to produce or assemble it.

According to the present inventions, the above objects are achieved by providing an modular cupboard structure comprising an extruded plastic sheet cut in four sections, each one having an outer and an inner surface, and placed in a way such as to form two identical cupboard lateral walls, a cupboard base and a cupboard top, said base being of the same dimensions as the top, each of said sections having all along their inner surface at least two identical trapezoid grooves, and further having all along the rear edge of said inner surface one rectangular groove for inserting a back sheet of the cupboard, and along their outer surface two identical trapezoid grooves, said structure further comprising functional mechanism support bars having the same shape, dimension and cross section with said two grooves of the section's inner surface connectable therein for supporting functional mechanisms such as a drawer sliding mechanism, filling bars having the same shape, dimension and cross section with said two grooves of the section's inner surface to be inserted therein to even out unfilled grooves in case functional mechanisms are not mounted, wherein said cupboard lateral walls, said cupboard base and said cupboard top are connectable to each other at an angle of 90° by a gusset plate inserted in the grooves of said inner surface of each section and wherein two cupboards placed one next to the other are fixable very firmly together by the insertion of a bar, having the shape of two inverted trapezoids, in the facing grooves of the outer surfaces of the lateral walls of said two cupboards, thus achieving the firm fixing of the cupboards in a row.

In the application of this method, a plastic sheet made of PVC or other composition is produced which has trapezoid or other shaped grooves along both its surfaces and along the edge band. The sheet is divided lengthwise into four pieces which, when assembled, form a cupboard of two vertical and two horizontal pieces around the outer edge of which are located the grooves of the inner and outer surfaces of the sheet.

Bars of a shape and cross section corresponding to that of the grooves so that the level of friction remains low are dovetailed into the grooves of the inner surfaces of the cupboard. The bars are used to hold the mechanisms (rollers) which support the moving sheets, the sliding mechanisms for the drawers and the components for supporting and mounting the cupboards, as well as to compensate for the unfilled grooves.

The gusset plates that join the pieces together to form the cupboard, a bar in a shape that fits the gap created by two facing grooves on the outer surface of the vertical sheets and a corresponding cross section so that an increased level of friction is produced when cupboards are adjoined, the plastic or metal supports that regulate the distance from the floor, the coatings of the side surfaces and the work bench are all dovetailed into the grooves of the outer surfaces. The features of this particular system are: a) the ability it offers to assemble the pieces into a cupboard without the need for specialized workers to make the perforations and fit the mechanisms, as the sheet - as an industrial product - already has the necessary grooves for the placement of mechanisms, thus preventing the possibility of errors. b) the ease with which the cupboards can be joined together without the use of screws or the need for time-consuming measurements. c) the system's resistance to mechanical stress, since the bars, which support the mechanisms and join pieces together, exert pressures over a wider area, rather than at the support point of the screws. d) the system's resistance to damp and the use of water, which give it an unlimited life. e) the relatively low weight of the material. f) the easy removal of the coatings and the workbench give the user the ability to replace them in line with decorative demands.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the extruded plastic sheet. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the work surface as well as a perspective view of the side coating

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of two adjoined cupboards, where the mounting of the mechanisms and the side coatings can be seen in schematic representation.

Figure 4 shows a standard arrangement of the pieces of a sheet including the cupboard base, the cupboard top and the cupboard lateral walls. Figure 5 shows a sidelong view of the cupboard, in which the application of gusset plates can be seen which allow pieces to be joined and form a cupboard, together with the mounting of the work surface and the floor supports.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the modular cupboard structure comprises an extruded plastic sheet (10) (Fig 1) cut in four sections: the cupboard base (6), a cupboard top (8) and two cupboard lateral walls (9) of a required length and at a bevel of 45° each (Fig 4). Each section has all along its inner surface two trapezoid grooves (11 , 13,) and all along the rear edge of said inner surface one rectangular groove (15). A back sheet of the cupboards (61 , Fig. 3) can be inserted into a rectangular groove (15) which is provided all along the rear edge of the inner surface of the sections. Each section also has a groove along its the outer edge (21) (Fig 1). A bar (29) (Fig 1), whose back part is a tongue of the same shape and cross section as the groove (21), is inserted into the groove (21) of the pieces. This serves to cover the outer edge of the lateral section's side with a color same as that of the cupboard's outer surface.

Then a bar (35), which is used to compensate for any unfilled grooves, is inserted in the grooves (11 , 13) of the cupboard base (6) and those of the cupboard top (8). A gusset plate (23) is inserted in the grooves (17, 19) of the outer surface of the cupboard base (6) and those of the cupboard lateral walls (9) and cupboard top (8) creating a distortion in the inner corners of the grooves due to the pressure exerted during the insertion, and producing strong pressure that holds the pieces together at an angle of 90° forming the cupboard. (Fig 4).

When several cupboards have been placed next to one another, as shown in Figure 3, a bar having the shape of two inverted trapezoids (25) is inserted in the facing grooves (17, 19) of two cupboards placed next to each other fixing them firmly together in a row.

As shown in Figure 2 a rectangular work surface (55), having a bottom side with protruding tongues (57, 59), which interlock with the trapezoid grooves (17, 19) in the outer side of the cupboard's top (8) is affixed firmly to the top of a structure of cupboards mounted in a row. Such a work surface is especially desirable in the case of kitchen cupboards and can have an external coating of any water resistant material. A functional mechanism support bar (27), in which holes can be made to support the functional mechanisms of the cupboards (Figure 4) along its length, is inserted into the grooves (11 , 13) of the facing cupboard's lateral walls (9). Figure 2 shows a side coating sheet (45) with protruding tongues (47, 49). Said tongues (47, 49) have the same shape and cross section with the trapezoid grooves (17, 19) in the outer surface of the cupboard lateral walls (9). The tongues (47, 49) of the side coatings (45) are inserted into said grooves (17, 19) of the lateral walls outer surface, of a structure comprising several cupboards mounted in a row, thus affixing the coating sheet. The outer side of the coating sheet has a desired color or a decorative theme and contributes to a pleasant appearance of the exterior of the whole structure. Figure 3 shows the application of a hinge (43) for the mounting of the moving sheets (42), where the screw of the hinge is inserted in a preselected hole of the bar (27) and, while turning, it causes tension on the bar (27), thus increasing the level of friction in the inner walls of the groove (11) so that mechanical stress is distributed over a wider area. The same figure shows the application of sliding mechanisms (51) for drawers, where the screws of the mechanisms are inserted into the holes of the bars (27) in the grooves (11 , 13) of the facing vertical pieces connecting the sliding mechanisms (51) in the desired position. As shown in Figure 1 a bar (33) of the same shape and cross section with the grooves (17, 19) of the cupboard's lateral walls' (9) outer surfaces is inserted therein. A desired coating surface, such as wood can thus be affixed to this bar (33) and therefore to the outer surface of the cupboards.

Another method of joining the pieces together to make a cupboard, on an industrial production level, is heat bonding. With the use of an appropriate cutting machine, part of the inner surface of the sheet is cut widthwise at a bevel and removed. The sheet is then folded and the edge bands are glued together with a heat bonding machine.

Then, the floor supports (31), whose head is of a corresponding shape to that of the grooves (17, 19) to regulate the level of friction and hold them in the desired position, are inserted into the grooves (17, 19) of the outer surface of the bottom piece (6), (Figure 4).

Claims

1. Modular cupboard structure comprising an extruded plastic sheet (10) cut in four sections (6, 8, 9) each one having an outer and an inner surface, and placed in a way such as to form two identical cupboard lateral walls (9), as well as a cupboard base (6) and a cupboard top (8), said base being of the same dimensions as the top, each of said sections having all along their inner surface at least two identical trapezoid grooves (11 , 13), and further having all along the rear edge of said inner surface one rectangular groove (15) for inserting a back sheet of the cupboard, and along their outer surface two identical trapezoid grooves (17, 19), said structure further comprising functional mechanism support bars (27) having the same shape, dimension and cross section with said two grooves (11 , 13) of the section's inner surface connectable therein for supporting functional mechanisms such as a drawer sliding mechanism, filling bars (35) having the same shape, dimension and cross section with said two grooves (11 , 13) of the section's inner surface to be inserted therein to even out unfilled grooves in case functional mechanisms are not mounted, wherein said cupboard lateral walls (9), said cupboard base (6) and said cupboard top (8) are connectable to each other at an angle of 90° by a gusset plate (23) inserted in the grooves (17, 19) of each section's inner surface and wherein two cupboards placed one next to the other are fixable very firmly together by the insertion of a bar (25), having the shape of two inverted trapezoids, in the facing grooves (17, 19) of the outer surfaces of the lateral walls (9) of said two cupboards, thus achieving the firm fixing of the cupboards in a row.

2. Modular cupboard structure according to claim 1 further comprising a rectangular work surface (55) to be affixed on top of the cupboard structure when mounted in a row, said work surface (55) having a bottom surface with protruding tongues (57, 59), which interlock with the trapezoid grooves (17, 19) in the outer side of the cupboard's top and affix the work surface firmly thereto.

3. Modular cupboard structure according to any of the preceding claims further comprising a side coating sheet (45) with protruding tongues (47,

49), which interlock with the trapezoid grooves (17, 19) in the outer side of the cupboard structure's lateral walls (9) when mounted in a row, the outer surface of said side coating sheet (45) being of a desired color or having a decorative theme.

4. Modular cupboard structure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each cupboard lateral section of the plastic sheet (10) bears a groove (21) all along its outer edge, within which groove is inserted a bar (29) whose back part has the same shape and cross section with said groove and which serves to cover the outer edge of the lateral section's side with a color same as that of the cupboards outer surface.

5. Modular cupboard structure according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a bar (33) of the same shape and cross section with the grooves (17, 19) of said lateral walls' (9) outer surfaces is inserted therein for affixing a particular coating surface such as wood or other to the cupboards outer surface.

6. Modular cupboard structure according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a floor support (31) of metal or plastic, having a top portion with a shape such that can be inserted in the grooves (17, 19) of the cupboard base's (6) outer surface and can regulate the level of friction and hold the floor support firmly in a desired position.

7. Modular cupboard structure according to claims 1 , 4 or 5 wherein said bar is made of aluminum or polyamide.

8. Modular cupboard structure according to claim 1 wherein the plastic sheet (10) is 300 mm wide and has a thickness of 17mm.

9. Modular cupboard structure according to claim 1 wherein the plastic sheet (10) is 560 mm wide and has a thickness of 17mm.

10. Modular cupboard structure according to claims 1 , 8 or 9 wherein the plastic sheet (10) is gapped along its thickness and has internal veins that connect and reinforce its surfaces.

11. Modular cupboard structure according to claim 2 wherein the work surface (55) is 600 mm wide and has a thickness of 30 mm.

12. Modular cupboard structure according to claim 3 wherein the side coating sheet (45) is 580mm wide and has a thickness of 20mm.

13. Modular cupboard structure according to claim 2 wherein the work surface (55) is gapped along its thickness and has internal veins that connect and reinforce its surface.

14. Modular cupboard structure according to claim 3 wherein the side coating sheet (45) is gapped along its thickness and has internal veins that connect and reinforce its surface.