GB2608635A

GB2608635A - Modular storage system

Info

Publication number: GB2608635A
Application number: GB2109878.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Richard
Original assignee: Workspace Design Global Ltd; Workspace Design Group; Workspace Scotland LLP
Current assignee: Workspace Design Global Ltd; Workspace Design Group; Workspace Scotland LLP
Priority date: 2021-07-08
Filing date: 2021-07-08
Publication date: 2023-01-11
Also published as: GB202109878D0; WO2023281267A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a wall mounted storage system for storing objects. The wall mounted storage system comprises: a wall-mounted support rail 4 for attachment to a wall 12; and a storage cabinet 2 for storing the objects, the storage cabinet comprising a cabinet mounted support rail 6; wherein the wall-mounted support rail comprises an upwardly extending lip 24 for, in use, engaging a corresponding downwardly extending lip 20 on the cabinet mounted support rail to suspend the storage cabinet from the wall-mounted support rail. The wall mounted support rail may comprise a spirit level to ensure the unit is level. A method of how to affix the storage cupboard to the wall mounted support rail is claimed, alongside an independent claim for a workstation comprising a planar upper surface, and a support frame where the work surface has an upwardly extending lip along the rear edge and a front edge comprising an upwardly extending ramp.

Description

MODULAR STORAGE SYSTEM

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a modular storage and work surface system, particularly, but not exclusively, to a modular storage and work surface system that is both reconfigurable and easy to assemble. Aspects of the invention relate to a wall mounted storage system that can be hung off a wall-mounted support rail, to a method of suspending a storage cabinet from a wall, to a workstation which is easily assembled and contains a single-piece solid work surface and to a method of thermoforming a work surface.

Background

Fitting out healthcare facilities, such as inpatient rooms, consultation rooms, clinical areas and office spaces with high quality and functional furnishings can be expensive and time consuming due to the high requirements of cleanliness and infection control. These facilities tend to have a range of storage units and worksurfaces for staff to use to allow staff to store and easily access items within the healthcare facility. The requirement for a hygienic setting means that both high-grade materials and high-quality hygienic finishes are required. Both of these requirements mean that fitting out such facilities can be expensive, time consuming and require a wide array of different trades coming on site.

In the current climate, social distancing due to Covid-19 has made it very difficult for trade workers such as joiners, electricians and plumbers to work collaboratively on fitting out healthcare facilities. Existing solutions require worksurfaces and storage units to be made on site and fitted onto the floor and up against the wall by joiners. This requirement means that these installations take several hours to build and also require a lot of co-ordination between trades. In addition to this, if the user wants to change the layout of the facilities, they require trade workers to come into the healthcare facility again and redo the flooring, ceilings and decoration.

Furthermore, there has been a push across the construction industry to adopt modern methods of construction, such as building modules in factories offsite and then bringing them on site. These methods have been adopted across the construction industry as they lead to improved efficiency and more predictable build quality.

There is therefore a requirement for a system that can be easily put together on-site with minimal input from trade workers, and for a system that can be easily reconfigured if the layout of the facility needs to be changed.

Summary of the Invention

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall mounted storage system for storing objects, the wall mounted storage system comprising: a wall-mounted support rail for attachment to a wall; and a storage cabinet for storing the objects, the storage cabinet comprising a cabinet mounted support rail; wherein the wall-mounted support rail comprises an upwardly extending lip for, in use, engaging a corresponding downwardly extending lip on the cabinet mounted support rail to suspend the storage cabinet from the wall-mounted support rail.

Advantageously, a person assembling the wall mounted storage system may assemble the whole system on their own without the need for any external help. This is beneficial as it speeds up the assembly process, removes the requirement for face-to-face contact between different trades, and reduces assembly costs. The person assembling the storage system may fix the support rail to the wall, before suspending or hanging the storage cabinet from the support rail using the cabinet mounting support rail.

In an embodiment the storage cabinet may comprise a base panel that forms the base of the storage cabinet. The base panel may comprise a rearwardly protruding ledge or shelf that extends rearwardly from the storage cabinet. The distal end of the ledge or shelf may abut the wall when the storage cabinet is suspended from the wall-mounted support rail providing the storage cabinet with a point of contact with the wall. This beneficially provides the storage cabinet with a support at its lower edge which helps to align the storage cabinet such that it extends substantially parallel to the wall. Alternatively, the rearwardly protruding ledge may take the form of one or more rubber stoppers that are connected the distal end of the base panel.

In an embodiment the rearwardly protruding ledge may extend from a rear panel of the storage cabinet by a length that is substantially equal to a thickness of the cabinet mounted support rail. This substantially equal length helps to maintain the rear panel orientated parallel to the wall to define a void or gap between the wall and the rear panel. Furthermore, the substantially equal length of the protruding ledge to the thickness of the cabinet mounted support rail keeps the base panel of the storage cabinet substantially parallel to the ground. Alternatively, the rearwardly protruding ledge may take the form of one or more rubber stoppers that are substantially equal in length to the thickness of the cabinet mounted support rail.

In an embodiment the storage cabinet may comprise a side panel that forms a first side of the storage cabinet, and wherein the side panel extends rearwardly from the storage cabinet by a distance that is equal to the length of the rearwardly protruding ledge. This beneficially provides a side panel with a distal end of the side panel that abuts the wall when the storage cabinet is suspended from the wall-mounted support rail. Furthermore, this rearward extension of the side panel provides an extension over the void or gap located between the rear panel of the storage cabinet and the wall.

In another embodiment the storage cabinet may comprise a further side panel that forms a second side of the storage cabinet, wherein a rear edge of the further side panel is co-planar 2 5 with the back panel. In a further embodiment the storage cabinet may comprise of two sides panels, wherein a rear edge of both panels if co-planar with the back panel. Alternatively, the storage cabinet may comprise of two side panels that extend rearwardly from the storage cabinet by a distance that is equal to the length of the rearwardly protruding ledge.

In an embodiment the base panel, side panel and rear panel may be connected to each other to form a flush external surface of the storage cabinet This is beneficial as it provides a flush finish between the panels making the storage cabinet more hygienic. The flush finish between the panels provides a storage cabinet with no gaps between any adjacent panels. Alternatively, the storage cabinet may be covered in a laminate to provide a storage cabinet with a flush finish and no gaps between panels.

In an embodiment the storage cabinet may comprise an internal cavity. The internal cavity may further comprise a plurality of shelves for storing objects. Furthermore, the shelves may be fixed relative to the internal cavity so as to provide shelves with anti-tilting properties. This beneficially provides a storage cabinet with fixed shelves capable of safely storing objects. Alternatively, the storage cabinet may comprise removable shelves.

In another embodiment, the wall-mounted support rail may comprise a spirit-level for determining an orientation of the wall-mounted support rail. Furthermore, the spirt-level may be embedded or integrated within a slot on the wall-mounted support rail. This beneficially provides a support rail that is easy to orientate and align before fixing it to the wall. Alternatively, the spirit-level may be embedded or integrated onto the side of the wall-mounted support rail. The spirit-level may also be embedded or integrated into the top or bottom surface of the wall-mounted support rail. Furthermore, the spirit-level may be replaced by a laser line level to help orientate the support rail.

In a further embodiment, the wall-mounted support rail may comprise a plurality of pre-drilled holes. Furthermore, each of the pre-drilled holes may comprise a screw for fixing the support rail to the wall. This beneficially provides a support rail that is easy to fix to the wall after it has been orientated using the spirit-level. The screws may be partially drilled into the pre-drilled holes helping the user fix the support rail to the wall.

In a further embodiment, the wall-mounted support rail and the cabinet mounted support rail may be between 10mm and 50mm thick. This beneficially provides a system where the storage cabinet is easily mounted onto the wall-mounted support rail. By having a wall-mounted support rail and cabinet mounted support rail with a thickness of between 10mm and 50mm, the user is able to easily align the two support rails when assembling the storage cabinet onto the wall-mounted support rail. This is particularly beneficial when hanging large cabinets from the rail where the large body of the cabinet obscures the user's view.

In a further embodiment, the upwardly extending lip may comprise a ramped upper surface extending upwardly from a wall facing side to a cabinet facing side of the wall mounted support rail. Additionally, in another embodiment the downwardly extending lip may comprise a ramped downward surface extending downwardly from a cabinet facing side to a wall facing side of the wall mounted support rail. The ramped upper surface on the upwardly extending lip on the wall mounted support rail may form an acute angle with the cabinet facing side of the wall mounted support rail. Likewise, the ramped downward surface on the downwardly extending lip on the cabinet mounted support rail may form an acute angle with the wall facing side of the cabinet mounted support rail. This beneficially provides two corresponding extending lips with matching shapes. Alternatively, the shape of the upwardly extending lip and the downwardly extending lip are not limited to the shape described above. The upwardly extending lip and the downwardly extending lip may be U-shaped, curved, or L-shaped.

In a further embodiment, the ramped upper surface and ramped downward surface may engage each other to suspend the storage cabinet from the wall mounted support rail. Furthermore, in an additional embodiment, the ramped upper surface and ramped lower surface may be co-planar when in use. The ramped upper surface and downward surface beneficially provide a system where the corresponding upwardly extending lip and downwardly extending lip can engage with each other and provide support for hanging the storage cabinet from the wall-mounted support rail.

In another embodiment, the ramped upper surface and ramped downward surface may be of substantially equal length between the respective cabinet facing and wall facing sides.

This beneficially provides two corresponding surfaces that can engage with each other when the storage cabinet is assembled onto the wall-mounted support rail.

In an embodiment, two or more storage cabinets may be suspended from the wall-mounted support rail. This is beneficial as it provides a modular system that can accommodate two or more storage cabinets, giving the user more space to store objects.

In one embodiment a work surface may be supported by the storage cabinet. The work surface may be secured to a top surface of the storage cabinet. The worksurface comprise an upwardly extending lip extending along a rear edge of the work surface and wherein a front edge of the work surface may comprise an upwardly extending ramp.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of suspending or hanging a storage cabinet from a wall, the method comprising fixing a support rail to the wall; and hanging the storage cabinet from the support rail; wherein hanging the storage cabinet comprises bringing a downwardly extending lip on the storage cabinet into engagement with an upwardly extending lip on the support rail to suspend the storage cabinet from the support rail.

In an embodiment, bringing the downwardly extending lip into engagement with the upwardly extending lip may comprise lowering the downwardly extending lip towards the upwardly extending lip such that the downwardly extending lip engages the upwardly extending lip. Alternatively, the engaging of the downwardly extending lip with the upwardly extending lip may comprise bringing the downwardly extending lip into engagement with the upwardly extending lip from a substantially horizontal direction. For example, the downwardly extending lip and upwardly extending lip may be engaged by laterally sliding the upwardly extending lip into engagement with the downwardly extending lip.

In an embodiment, lowering the downwardly extending lip into engagement with the upwardly extending lip may comprise pulling the storage cabinet towards the wall. This beneficially provides a method where the shape of the two corresponding lips brings the storage cabinet into contact or abutment with the wall and provides a solid support for the storage cabinet. Furthermore, in another embodiment pulling the storage cabinet towards the wall may comprise bringing a rear surface of the storage cabinet into contact with a cabinet facing side of the support rail. This beneficially provides a method where the storage cabinet has a contact point with the wall-mounted support rail helping stabilise the storage cabinet when it is suspended from the wall-mounted support rail.

In a further embodiment, the method may comprise bringing a rear surface of the rearwardly extending ledge into contact with the wall. This is beneficial as it provides the storage cabinet with a solid contact point against the wall helping to keep the storage cabinet stable and also helps keep the base panel parallel with the floor. Keeping the base panel parallel with the floor helps keep the objects within the storage cabinet upright and reduces the chances of any spillage within the storage cabinet.

In an embodiment, positioning the storage cabinet on the support rail may comprise sliding the storage cabinet along the rail. This may comprise moving the storage cabinet laterally along the support rail until it is positioned in its final position. This beneficially provides an adaptable system where the storage cabinets can easily be moved into their final positions.

In a further embodiment, fixing the support rail to the wall may comprise orientating the support rail using an integrated spirit level and subsequently fixing the support rail to the wall using one or more screws located within respective pre-drilled holes on the rail. This beneficially provides an ergonomic system that allows the user to easily orientate the support rail before fixing it to the wall. Furthermore, it provides a system that only requires one individual to put up the support rail and then suspend the storage cabinet.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a workstation for use in a medical or laboratory environment, the workstation comprising: a work surface comprising a planar upper surface; and a support frame for supporting the work surface; wherein the work surface further comprises an upwardly extending lip extending along a rear edge of the work surface and wherein a front edge of the work surface comprises an upwardly extending ramp.

The upwardly extending lip may abut or rest against a wall within the medical or laboratory environment thereby preventing any spillages or cracks that are difficult to clean between the worksurface and wall. Furthermore, the ramped front edge of the worksurface beneficially prevents spillage of any liquids off the table. The ramped edge may further extend along peripheral sides of the worksurface.

In an embodiment the rear edge of the work surface may be curved such that the upwardly extending lip comprises a curved portion. The curved portion may be positioned between a rear edge of the planar surface and an upper edge of the lip. The curved portion may initially extend tangentially rearwardly from the planar surface of the work surface. The curved portion beneficially provides a smooth surface between the lip and the planar surface of the work surface that may be easily wiped clean. The curved portion may comprise a radius equal to or greater than 50mm.

In one embodiment the upwardly extending lip may overhang a rear leg of the support frame. The upwardly extending lip may abut a wall, in use, thereby spacing the support frame from the wall. A tangent of an upper end of the upwardly extending lip may be orthogonal to the planar upper surface of the work surface.

In another embodiment a longitudinal sealing element or sealing strip may be located within a gap between a rear face of the upwardly extending lip and a wall, in use. The sealing element may be resiliently deformable. The sealing element may be a compression fit when located within the gap such that the sealing element both forms a seal between the wall and the lip and is also retained in position within the gap. The sealing element may be made from a non-silicone material.

In one embodiment the upwardly extending ramp may overhang a front leg of the support frame.

In another embodiment the work surface may be secured to the support frame by a hook and loop tape. Alternatively, the work surface may be secured to the support frame by a fastener formation, for example a hook, clip or the like. Furthermore, an adhesive or adhesive tape may be used to secure the work surface to the support frame.

In one embodiment the work surface may be formed from a single piece of solid surface material. The solid surface material may be any one of: a solid grade laminate material, a high-pressure laminate material and a combination of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate.

In another embodiment the support frame may comprise a plurality of separate segments that can be fixed together to form the support frame, the plurality of segments may comprise: one or more vertical support legs; one or more horizontal joists; and one or more horizontal beams; wherein the vertical support legs, horizontal joists and horizontal beams are fixed together to form the support frame.

In one embodiment the support frame may comprise a plurality of adjustable feet. The adjustable feet may be free-standing on the floor. In another embodiment the support 10 frame may comprise a downwardly extending lip on the back edge of the support frame.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a storage system for furnishing or fabricating a medical environment or laboratory wherein the storage system comprises a wall mounted storage system in accordance with any one of the aforementioned aspects or embodiments and a workstation in accordance with any one of the aforementioned aspects or embodiments.

According to a yet further aspect of the present invention there is further provided a method of thermoforming a work surface for use in a workstation in accordance with any one of the aforementioned aspects or embodiments, the method comprising: heating a planar solid surface material to a temperature between 130°C and 180°C for a duration of time between 15 minutes and 105 minutes, preferably between 45 minutes and 105 minutes; and shaping the heated piece of solid surface material to form a work surface comprising a planar upper surface, a curved upwardly extending lip and a ramped front edge; and cooling the shaped work surface to a temperature between 60°C and 100°C, preferably between 60°C and 80°C, to cure the work surface.

Brief Description of Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams, in which:-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a modular workstation and storage cabinet set up in a healthcare facility according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the storage cabinet of Figure 1 suspended from a wall-mounted support rail; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the storage cabinet in the process of being hung from the wall-mounted support rail of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the wall-mounted support rail and storage cabinet of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pair of storage cabinets mounted on the support rail of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the wall-mounted support rail fixed to a wall; Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the wall-mounted support rail before being affixed to the backing wall; Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a sloped roof sitting atop the storage cabinet of Figure 2; Figure 9 is a perspective view of the modular workstation of Figure 1; and Figure 10 is a schematic side view of a wall-mounted support rail and storage cabinet supporting a work surface.

Detailed Description

20 25 30 In general terms embodiments of the invention relate to a modular storage system, such as a wall cupboard or cabinet for storing items. The modular storage system comprises a wall-mounted support rail and a prefabricated storage cabinet for storing items within the cabinet. The storage cabinet comprises a cabinet mounted support rail extending across a back panel of the cabinet which is configured to engage the wall-mounted supported rail such that the cabinet may be hung from the wall by the wall-mounted support rail.

The modular storage system beneficially allows a healthcare facility to be quickly fitted out with the modular storage system and subsequently reconfigured easily if required. The cabinet mounted support rail and wall-mounted support rail beneficially allow the cabinet to be quickly and easily hung from the wall. Furthermore, when the cabinet is hung from the wall-mounted support rail the cabinet obscures the wall-mounted rail.

Embodiments of the invention also relate to a modular work surface or work top system. The modular workstation may be used in a general medical setting or healthcare facility. The workstation comprises a planar work surface or work top and a support frame for supporting the work surface. The support frame may be formed from a plurality of components that may be clipped together to form the support frame for the work surface. The modular work surface may further comprise a prefabricated non-silicone sealing strip for sealing any gaps between one or more edges of the planar work surface and an adjacent wall.

The modular storage and work surface system beneficially provides a system that can be easily assembled and reconfigured by the end user. The system is designed so that it can be assembled by one individual without requiring the input of any trade workers or any skilled joinery method. The system is also easily reconfigurable so that the end user can rearrange the layout of the modular storage and work surface system. The system is provided with a set of features that allow it to be moved to a new position without requiring trades to come in. The system is further designed to be hygienic and easy to clean so it can be used within a healthcare facility.

To place embodiments of the invention in a suitable context, reference will now be made to Figure 1 which shows a perspective view of a modular workstation 50 and storage cabinet 2 assembled in their working configuration within a healthcare facility. A plurality of storage cabinet(s) 2 may be hung from the backing wall 12 above the modular workstation 50. The plurality of storage cabinet(s) 2 may provide a hygienic storage space that clinicians may store equipment or the like within the healthcare facility.

As shown in Figure 1 the storage cabinets 2 may be wall mounted storage cabinets that are secured to a wall 12 within the healthcare facility. The modular workstation 50 may be a work surface or work top supported by a support frame to form a work bench or workstation 50 that is positioned against a backing wall 12 below the plurality of storage cabinet(s) 2. The modular workstations 50 may provide a work surface 54 for the user to perform a range of activities typical within a healthcare facility such as a laboratory. The modular workstation 50 may further provide a space for a plurality of rolling floor cabinet(s) 71 that can be positioned beneath the workstation 50.

Now moving on to Figure 2, a perspective view of a storage cabinet 2 suspended from a wall-mounted support rail 4 is shown. The wall-mounted support rail 4 may be screwed into a surface, for example a backing wall 12, to secure the support rail 4 to the wall 12. The wall-mounted support rail 4 may be screwed in using a plurality of screws spaced along the support rail 4 such that the wall mounted-support rail 4 is securely affixed to the backing wall 12 in a manner whereby it can support the load of the cabinet 2. The wall-mounted support rail 4 may be affixed to the backing wall 12 using a plurality of screws, as screws are designed to stay firmly within the backing wall 12, ensuring the load on the wall-mounted support rail 4 does not pull the wall-mounted support rail 4 off of the backing wall 12.

As shown in Figure 2, the storage cabinet 2 comprises a pair of side panels 10 located on each side of the storage cabinet 2 and a rear or back panel (not shown). The side panels 10 and back panel forms the storage cabinet 2 to define a cavity within the cabinet 2 for storing contents within the cabinet 2. The side panels 10 runs the entire height of the storage cabinet 2 ensuring there are no gaps on the side of the storage cabinet 2 so the contents within the cavity stay inside the storage cabinet 2. The storage cabinet 2 further comprises a base panel 18 that forms the base of the storge cabinet 2. The base panel 18 is connected to the side panels 10 and back panel to form the cabinet 2. The side panels 10, base panel 18 and back panel are connected to each other in a manner that provides a flush external finish with no gaps or recesses between the adjoining panels. This is beneficial as the flush external finish is more hygienic and easier to clean in the setting of a healthcare facility. In addition, the storage cabinet may be constructed from polymer, for example Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is beneficial as Polyvinyl chloride is easily sterilized and is therefore a suitable hygienic material for constructing storage cabinets for use in medical settings.

The storage cabinet 2 comprises a top panel 23 on its upwardly facing side which forms the top of the cabinet 2. The storage cabinet 2 further comprises a door 21 on the front surface for allowing access to the contents of the storage cabinet 2. The door 21 encloses the cavity within the storage cabinet 2 between the two side panels 10, the base 18 and the top panel 23. The storage cabinet 2 further comprises a plurality of anti-tilt shelves within its internal cavity so that contents can be stored within the storage cabinet 2. The anti-tilt shelving is fixed to the inside of the storage cabinet 2 in a manner that ensures the shelves are fixed in position and thus do not move relative to the cabinet 2. This is beneficial as it provides a safe environment to store contents within the storage cabinet 2 and also ensures the shelves are not dislodged during transport of the pre-fabricated cabinet 2.

Now moving on to Figure 3, a perspective view of the storage cabinet 2 in the process of being hung from the wall-mounted support rail 4 is shown. As shown in Figure 3, the storage cabinet 2 comprises a cabinet mounted support rail 6 extending laterally across a rear surface of the back panel of the cabinet 2. The cabinet mounted support rail 6 comprises a downwardly extending lip 20 configured to cooperate and engage with the wall-mounted support rail 4 to mount the cabinet 2 to the wall 12. The cabinet mounted support rail 6 may be integrated into the storage cabinet 2. The cabinet mounted support rail 6 is fixed to the top edge of the back panel of the storage cabinet 2, whereby its upper surface is in line with the upper surface of the storage cabinet 2.

Turning now to Figure 4, a schematic side view of the wall-mounted support rail 4 and storage cabinet 2 is shown. The cabinet mounted support rail 6 is attached to the back panel 31 of the storage cabinet 2 using, for example, a plurality of screws 35. The screws 35 are screwed through the entire thickness of the cabinet mounted support rail 6 into the back panel 31 of the storage cabinet 2. The cabinet mounted support rail 6 comprises an array of pre-drilled holes 37 to allow the screws 35 to be easily drilled through the cabinet mounted support rail 6 into the back panel 31 of the storage cabinet 2. The cabinet mounted support rail 6 is typically delivered to a healthcare facility pre-attached to the back panel 31 of the storage cabinet 2 so that the storage cabinet 2 can be easily suspended from the wall-mounted support rail 4.

The cabinet mounted support rail 6 comprises a downwardly extending lip 20 configured to engage a corresponding upwardly extending lip 24 located on the wall-mounted rail 4.

The downwardly extending lip 20 of the cabinet mounted support rail 6 is formed from a ramped lower surface that ramps upwardly from a wall-facing side of the cabinet mounted support rail 6 towards the back panel 31 of the cabinet 2. The triangular or ramped lower surface of the cabinet mounted support rail 6 beneficially forms a prominent lip that locates and engages a corresponding upwardly extending lip 24 on the wall-mounted rail 4 as shown in Figure 4.

The cabinet mounted support rail 6 and the wall-mounted support rail 4 are both the same thickness and between 10mm and 40mm thick.

As shown in Figure 4, the upwardly extending lip 24 of the wall-mounted rail 4 is shaped to engage and cooperate with the downwardly extending lip 20 when the cabinet 2 is suspended from the wall-mounted rail 4. The upwardly extending lip 24 comprises a ramped upper surface that ramps downwardly from a cabinet facing side of the wall-mounted rail 4 towards the wall 12. The ramped upper surface of the upwardly extending lip 24 forms an acute angle with the cabinet facing side of the wall-mounted rail 4. The triangular or ramped shape of the upwardly extending lip 24 is configured to engage the downwardly extending lip 20 of the cabinet mounted support rail 6 that is attached to the back panel 31 of the storage cabinet 2.

The downwardly extending lip 20 of the cabinet mounted support rail 6 on the storage cabinet 2 is shaped to engage the corresponding upwardly extending lip 24 of the wall-mounted rail 4. This is beneficial as the cabinet may be hung or suspended from the wall-mounted rail 4 by the cabinet mounted support rail 6 thereby allowing the cabinet to be quickly fitted within a healthcare facility without the need for tools or a tradesman. Furthermore, as the cabinet 2 is lowered into the groove defined by the upwardly extending lip 24, the ramped shape of the wall-mounted support rail 4 and cabinet mounted support rail 6 pulls the cabinet 2 towards the wall 12 such that when the cabinet 2 is seated in the rail 4 the cabinet 2 lies generally flush with the wall-mounted rail 4.

When the cabinet 2 is suspended from the wall-mounted rail 4 the upwardly extending lip 24 and downwardly extending lip 20 engage each other to form a split batten connection 14 between the storage cabinet 2 and the wall-mounted support rail 4. The ramped upwardly and downwardly extending lips 24, 20 ensure that when the storage cabinet 2 is hung from the wall-mounted support rail 4 the cabinet 2 remains in place through gravitational force allowing for easy reconfigurability.

As best viewed in Figure 4, the base 18 of the cabinet 2 comprises a rearwardly protruding ledge 16. The rearwardly protruding ledge 16 extends in a rearward direction from the rear panel 31 towards the wall 12 such that the distal end of the ledge 16 abuts the wall 12 when the cabinet 2 is suspended on the wall-mounted support rail 4. The ledge 16 extends in a rearward direction from the rear panel 31 by the same distance as the thickness of the cabinet mounted support rail 6. This is beneficial as the ledge 16 may abut the backing wall 12 to space the base 18 of the cabinet 2 from the wall to create a void 8 between the rear panel and the wall 12 such that the rear panel 31 of the cabinet 2 extends in a vertical direction, generally parallel to the wall 12.

The cabinet facing side of the wall-mounted support rail 4 beneficially supports and stabilises the cabinet 2 relative to the wall 2. As shown in Figure 4, when the cabinet 2 is suspended from the wall-mounted rail 4 the back panel 31 lies flush with the cabinet facing side of the wall-mounted support rail 4. As such, the wall-mounted support rail 4 serves to support the cabinet 2 and maintains the back panel 31 of the cabinet 2 in an orientation substantially parallel with the wall 12. This is beneficial as it ensures the downwardly extending lip 20 maintains engagement with the corresponding upwardly extending lip 24 by virtue of the wall-mounted support rail 4 and shelf 16 maintaining the cabinet 2 in a generally vertical orientation.

The storage cabinet 2 may be further fixed in position to the wall-mounted rail 4 using, for example, a plurality of screws 33 to prevent the cabinet 2 from moving or sliding laterally on the wall mounted rail 4. The storage cabinet 2 comprises an array of pre-drilled holes 41 in its back panel 31 to accommodate the plurality of screws 33. Attaching the storage cabinet 2 to the wall-mounted support rail 4 ensures the storage cabinet 2 is firmly affixed to the backing wall 12. Using screws 33 means the storage cabinet 2 can be easily removed from the wall-mounted support rail 4 by simply unscrewing the screws 33 and lifting the storage cabinet 2 off the wall-mounted support rail 4 thereby disengaging the cabinet mounted support rail 6 from the wall mounted support rail 4.

Turning now to Figure 5, a perspective view of a plurality of storage cabinets 2 mounted to the backing wall 12 is shown. The side panel 10 on the outwardly facing side of the outer most storage cabinet 2 extends beyond the backwardly facing side of the storage cabinets 2, the same distance as the ledge 16 on the base 18 of the storage cabinet 2. This is beneficial as the side panel 10 forms a flush finish between the cabinet 2 and the wall 12 thereby covering the void 8 to provide a flush finish that may be easily cleaned.

As best viewed in Figure 5, each storage cabinet 2 comprises a door 21 hingedly connected to the cabinet 2 on its forward facing side. The door 21 is connected to the side panel 10 of the storage cabinet 2 using a set of hinges 75. The hinges 75 are connected to the door 21 and side panel 10 of the storage cabinet 2 in a manner that allows the door 21 to be swung open or closed when the user wants to gain access to the cavity within the storage cabinet 2. The hinges 75 may be made of a material that is hygienic and easy to clean, for example stainless steel. The storage cabinet 2 further comprises of a door handle 77. The door handle 77 may be affixed to the outwardly facing side of door 21. The door handle 77 allows the user to swing open the door 21 when they want access to the contents within the cavity of the storage cabinet 2. The door handle 77 may be made of a material that is hygienic and easy to clean, for example stainless steel or a copper-based alloy.

As best viewed in Figure 6, the wall-mounted support rail 4 may be affixed to the backing wall 12 using a plurality of screws 30 to secure the wall-mounted support rail 4 to the wall 12 in a substantially horizontal orientation. The screws 30 may be positioned at equal intervals along the length of the wall-mounted support rail 4 to ensure that the load being carried by the wall-mounted support rail 4 is spread out evenly among each screw 30 and thus over the length of the wall 12. The screws 30 are positioned approximately halfway up the height of the wall-mounted support rail 4 to ensure it is firmly fixed to the backing wall 12.

The wall-mounted support rail 4 may span a width ranging from about 400mm to 3000mm depending on the quantity and size of the storage cabinets 2 the user needs to fix to the backing wall 12. The wall-mounted support rail 4 may come in set sizes depending on the number of storage cabinets 2 that are going to be hung from it to ensure a clean finish with no excess length of wall-mounted support rail 4 extending beyond the side panel 10 of the storage cabinet 2.

The wall-mounted support rail 4 further comprises an in-built spirit-level 32 to help the user horizontally align the wall-mounted support rail 4 before fixing it onto the backing wall 12. Incorporating a spirit-level 32 into the wall-mounted support rail 4 means that one person working alone can easily fix the wall-mounted support rail 4 to the backing wall 12 by screwing the screws 30 into the wall 12 whilst simultaneously ensuring the wall-mounted support rail 4 is horizontal. The spirt-level 32 may be embedded or integrated within a slot on the wall-mounted support rail 4.

The wall-mounted support rail 4 further comprises a set of cabinet height markings to help the user vertically align the wall-mounted support rail 4 before fixing it onto the backing wall 12. Incorporating cabinet height markings onto the wall-mounted support rail 4 removes the need for a tape-measure.

Turing now to Figure 7, a perspective view of the wall-mounted support rail 4 before being affixed to the backing wall 12 is shown. The wall-mounted support rail 4 comprises a plurality of pre-drilled holes 40 that may contain the plurality of screws 30 to assist the user fix the wall-mounted support rail 4 to the backing wall 12. By having the plurality of screws 30 already contained within the pre-drilled holes 40 within the wall-mounted support rail 4, the user can hold up and align the wall-mounted support rail 4 using the spirit-level 32 at the same time as drilling the screws 30 into the backing wall 12. This beneficially reduces the number of people required to fit the wall-mounted rail 4 and cabinet 2 which in turn reduces the number of people visiting the healthcare facility.

Figure 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a sloped roof 7 sitting atop the storage cabinet 2 after the cabinet 2 has been mounted on the wall mounted support rail 4 on the wall 12. The sloped roof 7 is a substantially wedge shaped roof that may sit on top of the cabinet 2. The roof 7 advantageously provides a smooth surface that is more easily cleaned thereby providing a more hygienic environment within the healthcare facility. The roof 7 additionally prevents persons putting boxes or equipment on top of the storage cabinet 2, preventing the formation of a dirt trap on top of the storage cabinet 2 or the overloading of the storage cabinet 2.

The sloped roof 7 comprises a sloped surface 9, a backing tab 13 and a base tab 11. The sloped surface 9 is supported by the backing tab 13 and the sloped surface 9 sits at an angle towards the floor as it moves away from the backing wall 12 towards the front of the storage cabinet 2. The sloped surface 9 is a smooth surface that is easily cleaned and which stops any objects from being placed on top of the storage cabinet 2 that may end up being forgotten about and gathering dust.

The back portion of the sloped roof 7 comprises of a backing tab 13. The backing tab 13 rests up against the backing wall 12, supporting the sloped surface 9 sitting at an angle from the backing wall 12. The internal angle between the backing tab 13 and the sloped surface 9 may be between 45 degrees and 75 degrees. The sloped roof 7 further comprises of a base tab 11 which sits on the front edge of the top panel 23 of the storage cabinet 2. The base tab 11 ensures the sloped roof 7 remains atop the storage cabinet 2. The internal angle between the base tab 11 and the sloped surface 9 may be between 15 degrees and 45 degrees. The sloped roof 7 may stay atop the storage cabinet 2 via frictional forces between the backing tab 13 and the backing wall 12, and between the base tab 11 and the storage cabinet 2.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of the modular workstation 50 for use in a general medical setting. The modular workstation 50 may be used in conjunction with the cabinet 2 or in isolation. The modular workstation 50 comprises a work surface 54 for performing a range of different medical activities, experiments or the like. As shown in Figure 7, the work surface 54 is supported by support frame 51 as discussed in further detail below.

The work surface 54 is a planar surface made from a solid surface material which beneficially allows the work surface 54 to be suitable for a broad range of medical activities, such as experiments, laboratory tests or any other activities carried out in a medical setting requiring a clean work surface. The work surface 54 is formed from a single piece of material as to avoid any seams being present in the work surface which may harbour dirt and bacteria and also be difficult to clean. The work surface 54 comprises a flat horizontal working surface 56 supported by the support frame 51 and extending generally parallel to the floor 68. The working surface 56 comprises a vertical backing upstand 60 formed from the same piece of material as the planar surface of the work surface 54. This is beneficial as the work surface 54 seamlessly transitions into the vertical backing upstand 60. The working surface 56 further comprises a raised front edge 61 on its forward facing side. The raised front edge 61 beneficially provides a lip that stops any liquids from flowing off the work surface 54.

The seamless transition from the horizontal working surface 56 to the vertical backing upstand 60 occurs gradually using a fillet with a radius ranging from 30mm to 100mm. The vertical backing upstand 60 sits up against the backing wall 12. The work surface 54 may range in length from 2000mm to 4000mm. The work surface 54 may range in depth from 400mm to 1000mm.

The work surface 56 and the support frame 51 are configured such that the work surface 56 rearwardly extends beyond the back of the support frame 51, creating a void between the support frame 51 and the backing wall 12, allowing for the passing of electrical cables.

The single piece solid surface material work surface 54 may be fabricated using a thermoforming procedure. The work surface 54 may be fabricated from solid surface materials such as solid grade laminate, high-pressure laminate, and a combination of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate. The thermoforming procedure comprises heating a sheet of solid surface material to a temperature ranging from about 130°C to 180°C. The sheet of solid surface material may be heated for a time ranging from 15mins to 105mins. The thermoforming procedure further comprises of shaping the sheet of solid surface material once it has been heated up for an adequate amount of time. The sheet of solid surface material may be shaped using a form or mould. The sheet of solid surface material is shaped to create a smooth transition between the working surface 56 and backing upstand 60 of the work surface 54. The shaped sheet of solid surface material is then cooled down to a temperature ranging from 60°C to 100°C before the solid surface material is removed from its form or mould.

The vertical backing upstand 60 is placed up against the backing wall 12 leaving a small gap of 1mm to 5mm between the wall 12 and the upstand 60. A non-silicone sealing strip 58 may be used to seal the gap between the vertical backing upstand 60 of the work surface 54 and the backing wall 12. The non-silicone sealing strip 58 spans the entire length of the work surface 54. The non-silicone sealing strip 58 may fit into the gap between the work surface 54 and backing wall 12 using a compression fit so that it remains within the gap and forms a seal between the wall 12 and upstand 60. The non-silicone sealing strip 58 may be easily removed by the user if they wish to reconfigure the layout of the modular workstation 50 to change the layout of the healthcare facility.

The modular workstation 50 further comprises a support frame 51 for supporting the work surface 54. The support frame 51 may comprise of a plurality of separate segments that can be quickly fixed together to create the support frame 51. The separate segments may comprise of vertical support legs 52 and horizontal support members 62,63 that can be fixed together to create the support frame 51. The horizontal support members 62,63 may provide a surface for supporting the work surface 54.

The horizontal support members 62,63 may comprise a plurality of horizontal beams 62 that run the length of the support frame 51, parallel to the backing wall 12 which the modular workstation 50 is placed against. The horizontal support members 62,63 may further comprise a plurality of horizontal joists 63 that connect the horizontal beams 62 to each other. The horizontal joists 63 run the entire depth of the support frame 51 and are at right angles to the backing wall 12 which the modular workstation 50 is placed against.

The vertical support legs 52 run vertically down from the top of the support frame 51 to the floor 68. The vertical support legs 52 may run down from the plurality of intersections between the horizontal beams 62 and horizontal joists 63. The vertical support legs 52 support the horizontal support members 62,63 above the floor 68 so the work surface 54 is at a suitable height above the floor 68 for a person to work at.

The support frame 51 may be attached to the work surface 54 using for example a double-sided adhesive tape or pad such as Velcro (RTM) Hook and Loop tape. The adhesive tape or pad may be attached to the downwardly facing surface on the underside of the work surface 54 and the upwardly facing sides of the horizontal support members 62,63 of the support frame 51. The work surface 54 is then fixed to the support frame 51 by connecting the Velcro Hook and Loop tape on the underside of the work surface 54 and the top of the support frame 51. Using a double sided adhesive tape connection between the work surface 54 and support frame 51 allows it to be easily disassembled if the user wishes to change the layout of the modular workstation 50 within the room.

The vertical support legs 52 of the support frame 51 comprise supporting adjustable feet 66 at their base. The adjustable feet 66 comprise a base that sits on the floor 68. The adjustable feet 66 further comprise of a screw fitting that screws into the base of the vertical support legs 52. The screw fittings in the feet 66 allow each individual foot 66 to be raised or lowered so that the work surface 54 of the modular workstation 50 can sit parallel to the floor 68. The screw fittings in the feet 66 further allow each vertical support leg 52 to be extended so that all vertical support legs 52 are in contact with the floor 68 and taking the weight of the modular workstation 50. Using adjustable feet 66 that are not built into the floor 68 allows the modular workstation to be moved if the user wishes to change the layout of the modular workstation 50 within the room.

The work surface 54 may extend beyond the edges of the support frame 51 in all directions.

The extension of the work surface 54 beyond the back of the support frame 51 allows the support frame 51 to sit away from backing wall 12, providing a free space 70 between the vertical support legs 52 of the support frame 51 and the backing wall 12. The free space 70 allows for the free running of services between the vertical support legs 52 of the support frame 51 and the backing wall 12. Furthermore, having the vertical support legs 52 away from the backing wall 12 ensures the feet 66 of the vertical support legs 52 do not interfere with the coved edging 72 that is often found in medical environments when the floor 68 meets the backing wall 12. Likewise, the extension of the work surface 54 beyond the side of the support frame 51 means the support frame 51 may sit away from a side wall 13. Having the support frame 51 sitting away from the side wall 13 allows the vertical support legs 52 to not interfered with the coved edging 72 that occurs when the floor 68 meets the side wall 13.

The modular workstation 50 comprises a plurality of open spaces 74. The open spaces 74 are formed between four adjacent vertical support legs 52 and two adjacent horizontal beams 62 and two adjacent horizontal joists 63. The open spaces 74 may provide a free space to accommodate a user of the workstation 50 or a plurality of rolling floor cabinets 71. The support frame 51 of the modular workstation 50 further comprises of a downwardly extending lip 69 on the back edge of the support frame 51. The downwardly extending lip 69 stops the rolling floor cabinets within the open spaces 74 from making contact with the backing wall 12.

Now turning back to Figure 1 which shows a perspective view of the modular workstation 50 and storage cabinet 2 set up in their working configuration. A plurality of rolling floor cabinets 71 may be positioned in the open spaces 74 found within the support frame 51.

The backwardly facing side of the rolling floor cabinets 71 abuts the downwardly extending lip 69 on the back edge of the support frame 51. The downwardly extending lip 69 stops the rolling floor cabinets 71 from making contact with the backing wall 12. The rolling floor cabinets 71 are supported by a plurality of swivel castors 73. The rolling floor cabinets 71 may be locked in place using a set of brakes located on the two swivel castors 73 at the front of the rolling floor cabinet 71.

The rolling floor cabinet(s) 71 comprises of a door 79 on its forward facing side. The door 79 is connected to the side panel 81 of the rolling floor cabinet 71 using a set of hinges 83. The hinges 83 are connected to the door 79 and side panel 81 of the rolling floor cabinet 71 in a manner that allows the door 79 to be swung open or closed when the user wants to gain access to the cavity within the rolling floor cabinet 71. The hinges 83 may be made of a material that is hygienic and easy to clean, for example stainless steel. The rolling floor cabinet 71 further comprises of a door handle 85. The door handle 85 may be affixed to the outwardly facing side of door 79. The door handle 85 allows the user to swing open the door 79 when they want access to the contents within the cavity of the storage cabinet 71. The door handle 85 may be made of a material that is hygienic and easy to clean, for example stainless steel.

Turning now to Figure 10, there is shown a schematic cross-sectional side view of a storage cabinet 2 suspended or hanging from a wall-mounted support rail 4. The cabinet 2 may be located close to the floor 92 such that the wall-mounted storage cabinet 2 may support the work surface 54 such that the work surface 54 is supported around 0.8m to 1.2m off the ground. This allows a user to use the work surface 54 to perform general medical related activities. The downwardly extending lip 20 on the cabinet mounted support rail 6 may cooperate and engage with the upwardly extending lip 24 on the wall-mounted support rail 4 forming a split batten connection 14 to suspend the cabinet 2 and work surface 54 from the wall mounted support rail 4.

The work surface 54 may be supported by a plurality of wall-mounted storage cabinets 2 creating a gap 94 between the base 18 of the storage cabinets 2 and the floor 92. The work surface 54 may be fixedly attached to the top surface of the top panel 23 of the storage cabinet 2. The work surface 54 may be attached to the storage cabinets 2 using for example a double-sided adhesive tape 90 such as Velcro (RTM) Hook and Loop tape. The adhesive tape 90 may be attached to the downwardly facing surface on the underside of the work surface 54 and the upwardly facing surface of the top panel 23 of the storage cabinet(s) 2. The work surface 54 is then fixed to the storage cabinet(s) 2 by connecting the double-sided adhesive tape 90 on the underside of the work surface 54 and the top of the storage cabinet(s) 2. Using a double-sided adhesive tape 90 connection between the work surface 54 and storage cabinet(s) 2 allows it to be easily disassembled if the user wishes to change the layout of the modular workstation 50 within the room.

Although particular embodiments of the disclosure have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done by way of example and for the purposes of illustration only. The aforementioned embodiments are not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appended claims.

It is contemplated by the inventors that various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A wall mounted storage system for storing objects, the wall mounted storage system comprising: a wall-mounted support rail for attachment to a wall; and a storage cabinet for storing the objects, the storage cabinet comprising a cabinet mounted support rail; wherein the wall-mounted support rail comprises an upwardly extending lip for, in use, engaging a corresponding downwardly extending lip on the cabinet mounted support rail to suspend the storage cabinet from the wall-mounted support rail.
2. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the storage cabinet comprises a base panel that forms the base of the storage cabinet, and wherein the base panel comprises a rearwardly protruding ledge that extends rearwardly from the storage cabinet such that a distal end of the ledge abuts the wall when the storage cabinet is suspended from the wall-mounted support rail.
3. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the rearwardly protruding ledge extends from a rear panel of the storage cabinet by a length that is substantially equal to a thickness of the cabinet mounted support rail such that the rear panel is orientated parallel to the wall to define a void between the wall and the rear panel.
4. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the storage cabinet comprises a side panel that forms a first side of the storage cabinet, and wherein the side panel extends rearwardly from the storage cabinet by a distance that is equal to the length of the rearwardly protruding ledge such that a distal end of the side panel abuts the wall when the storage cabinet is suspended from the wall-mounted support rail such that the side panel extends over the void.
5. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the storage cabinet comprises a further side panel that forms a second side of the storage cabinet, wherein a rear edge of the further side panel is co-planar with the back panel.
6. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the base panel, side panel and rear panel are connected to each other to form a flush external surface of the storage cabinet.
7. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the storage cabinet comprises an internal cavity, and wherein the internal cavity further comprises a plurality of shelves and wherein the shelves are fixed relative to the internal cavity.
8. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wall-mounted support rail comprises a spirit-level for determining an orientation of the wall-mounted support rail.
9. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the spirt-level is embedded within a slot on the wall-mounted support rail.
10. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wall- 2 S mounted support rail comprises a plurality of pre-drilled holes and wherein each of the pre-drilled holes comprises a screw for fixing the wall-mounted support rail to the wall.
11. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the wall-mounted support rail and the cabinet mounted support rail are each between 10mm and 50mm thick.
12. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upwardly extending lip comprises a ramped upper surface extending upwardly from a wall facing side to a cabinet facing side of the wall mounted support rail.
13. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any Claim 12, wherein the downwardly extending lip comprises a ramped downward surface extending downwardly from a cabinet facing side to a wall facing side of the wall mounted support rail.
14. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the ramped upper surface and ramped downward surface engage each other to suspend the storage cabinet from the wall mounted support rail.
15. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein the ramped upper surface and ramped lower surface are co-planar, in use.
16. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 15, wherein the ramped upper surface and ramped downward surface are of substantially equal length between the respective cabinet facing and wall facing sides.
17. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising two or more storage cabinets suspended from the wall-mounted support rail.
18. A wall mounted storage system as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a work surface supported by the storage cabinet.
19. A method of suspending a storage cabinet from a wall, the method comprising: fixing a support rail to the wall; and hanging the storage cabinet from the support rail; wherein hanging the storage cabinet comprises bringing a downwardly extending lip on the storage cabinet into engagement with an upwardly extending lip on the support rail to suspend the storage cabinet from the support rail.
20. A method as claimed in Claim 19, wherein bringing the downwardly extending lip into engagement with the upwardly extending lip comprises lowering the downwardly extending lip towards the upwardly extending lip such that the downwardly extending lip engages the upwardly extending lip. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
A method as claimed in Claim 20, wherein lowering the downwardly extending lip into engagement with the upwardly extending lip comprises pulling the storage cabinet towards the wall.
A method as claimed in Claim 21, wherein pulling the storage cabinet towards the wall comprises bringing a rear surface of the storage cabinet into contact with a cabinet facing side of the support rail.
A method as claimed in any one of Claims 19 to 22, wherein the storage cabinet comprises a rearwardly extending ledge and wherein the method comprises bringing a rear surface of the rearwardly extending ledge into contact with the wall.
A method as claimed in any one of Claims 19 to 23, comprising positioning the storage cabinet on the support rail by sliding the storage cabinet along the rail.
A method as claimed in any one of Claims 19 to 24, wherein fixing the support rail to the wall comprises orientating the support rail using an integrated spirit level and subsequently fixing the support rail to the wall using one or more screws located within respective pre-drilled holes on the rail.
26. A workstation for use in a medical environment, the workstation comprising: a work surface comprising a planar upper surface; and a support frame for supporting the work surface; wherein the work surface further comprises an upwardly extending lip extending along a rear edge of the work surface and wherein a front edge of the work surface comprises an upwardly extending ramp.
27. A workstation as claimed in Claim 26, wherein the rear edge of the work surface is curved such that the upwardly extending lip comprises a curved portion.
28. A workstation as claimed in Claim 27, wherein the curved portion comprises a radius equal to or greater than 50mm.
29. A workstation as claimed in Claim 27 or Claim 28, wherein the upwardly extending lip overhangs a rear leg of the support frame.
30. A workstation as claimed in any one of Claims 26 to 29, wherein a tangent of an upper end of the upwardly extending lip is orthogonal to the planar upper surface of the work surface.
31. A workstation as claimed in any one of Claims 26 to 30, further comprising a longitudinal sealing element configured to be located within a gap between a rear face of the upwardly extending lip and a wall, in use.
32. A workstation as claimed in Claim 31, wherein the sealing element is resiliently deformable.
33. A workstation as claimed in Claim 31 or Claim 32, wherein the sealing element is a non-silicone material.
34.
35.
36. 37. 38. 39.A workstation as claimed in any one of Claims 26 to 33, wherein the upwardly extending ramp overhangs a front leg of the support frame.A workstation as claimed in any one of Claims 26 to 34, wherein the work surface is secured to the support frame by a hook and loop tape.A workstation as claimed in any one of Claims 26 to 35, wherein the work surface is formed from a single piece of solid surface material.A workstation as claimed in Claim 36, wherein the solid surface material is any one of: a solid grade laminate material, a high-pressure laminate material and a combination of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate.A storage system for fabricating a medical environment, the storage system comprising a wall mounted storage system according to any one of Claims 1 to 18 and a workstation according to any one of Claims 26 to
37.A method of thermoforming a work surface for use in a workstation in accordance with any one of Claim 18 or Claims 26 to 37, the method comprising: heating a planar solid surface material to a temperature between 130°C and 180°C for a duration of time between 15 minutes and 105 minutes; and shaping the heated piece of solid surface material to form a work surface comprising a planar upper surface, a curved upwardly extending lip and a ramped front edge; and cooling the shaped work surface to a temperature between 60°C and 100°C to cure the work surface.