GB2229913A - Cupboard unit - Google Patents

Description

CUPBOARD UNIT The invention concerns a cupboard unit, which can be 5

placed under a kitchen working surface, especially under a kitchen sink unit. The unit may have two slide carriages one upon the other, supported by slide rails. The front of-this unit can form a cupboard door.

Several kitchenware manufacturers have cupboard units but all have the disadvantage that any buckets inside the cupboard unit have been so designed that there is a lot of wasted space in the cupboard unit. Generally, the buckets' useful capacity is only 25-30% of the cupboard's total capacity. Furthermore, the slide rails in existing cupboard units are of a basic type in which a certain part of the slide carriage remains inside the cupboard, and therefore the whole depth of the cupboard unit cannot be used properly. The handles of the buckets in existing designs are placed outside the bucket and this also diminishes the useful capacity and makes it difficult to place a garbage bag inside the bucket. The cupboard units currently on the market are normally 400 mm wide and the sides are made of 15mm thick chipboard.

According to the present invention there is provided a cupboard unit, which can be placed under a kitchen working surface, especially under kitchen sinks, with a footing and a body inside of which, and one upon the other, are two slide carriages on slide rails, the front of this unit forming a door, and wherein there are two buckets in each of the carriages, the buckets being substantially rectangular and being dimensioned so that the useful capacity of the buckets is at least 55% of the whole capacity of a footless cupboard.

Thus, the aim of the invention is to improve the usage of a cupboard unit with buckets in a slide carriage, by increasing the proportion of the buckets' useful capacity towards the whole capacity of the cupboard unit compared to conventional designs. The structure of the bucket is also improved by placing the handles inside the bucket which increases the useful capacity and facilitates the placement of a garbage bag 1 so that the mouth of the bag will remain outside the bucket.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail below, by example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a partly cut-away perspective view of a cupboard unit; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a bucket; and Figure 3 is a similar view of a bucket, in which a plastic bag has been placed inside as a cover.

As shown in f igure 1, the cupboard unit consists of thin board body (2) on a footing (1). Inside the body (2) there are two slide carriages or drawers on top of each other and composed of slide rails (3) and front walls (4). Removable buckets (5) are supported on and between the slide rails (3).

The buckets (5) are designed to be substantially rectangular and all four in this example are the same. With this kind of design, the maximum ratio of useful capacity to the whole capacity, even in narrow cupboard units, can be gained.

Furthermore the slide rails (3) are telescopic so that the rearmost bucket also comes completely out of the cupboard when pulled.

In figure 2, the handle (6) of the bucket (5) is articulated inside the rim (7) of the bucket and is designed f lat and f itting to the space of the rim (7), so that the maximum benefit of space both inside and outside can be achieved. As the handle (6) is located, according to figure 2, in the middle of the bucket's oblong mouth on a longer side, it is also possible to carry the bucket with only one hand.

Furthermore this kind of handle (6) enables the easy placement of a garbage bag (8) or other plastic bag inside the bucket (5) as seen in figure 3.

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Claims (8)

1. A cupboard unit, which can be placed under a kitchen working surface, especially under kitchen sink, with a footing and body inside of which, and one upon the other, are two slide carriages on slide rails, the front of this unit forming a door, and wherein there are two buckets in each of the carriages, the buckets being substantially rectangular and being dimensioned so that the useful capacity of the buckets is at least 55% of the whole capacity of a footless cupboard.

2. A cupboard unit according to claim 1, wherein both buckets in each slide carriage can be drawn completely outside the body.

3. A cupboard unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bucket's mouth is substantially oblong and its handle is placed in a transverse direction in the middle of the oblong mouth and is designed flat and suitable to the space formed by the rim of the bucket, the handle thereby requiring very little of the bucket's useful capacity.

4. A cupboard unit according to any preceding claim, wherein both ordinary garbage bags and also plastic shopping bags can be used to protect the buckets' inside.

5. A cupboard according to any preceding claim, wherein the slide carriages formed by the slide rails and the doors are identical.

6. A cupboard unit according to any proceeding claim, wherein the body of the unit is made of thin board.

7. A cupboard unit according to any preceding claim, wherein there is an attachable ventilation pipe in the back of the unit.

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8. A cupboard unit which can be placed under a kitchen working surface, substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

4 PubUshed 1990atThe Patent Office. StAte HouseAC?1 High Holborn. London WC1R 4TP. Purther copies maybe obtainedfrom ThePatentoffice EAles Braw.h, St Mary Cray. Orpir4wn. Kent BR5 UX. Printed trj Multiplex tiechniques ltd. St Mary Cray. Kent, Con. 1187