US20120319546A1

US20120319546A1 - Bench cabinet assembly which can be assembled and disassembled without tools

Info

Publication number: US20120319546A1
Application number: US13/160,505
Authority: US
Inventors: Jack Liu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-06-14
Filing date: 2011-06-14
Publication date: 2012-12-20

Abstract

A bench cabinet which can be assembled and disassembled without tools is provided. The bench cabinet includes a front door panel, a top panel, a bottom panel, and a rear panel. Two sideboards pivotly connected to two sides of the front frame respectively and are foldable to flatly contact to the front frame to save transport costs. Also, the front door panel is connected to the rear panel by the fixing pillar and the slot with the clamping edge to slid laterally for connecting. The top panel and the bottom panel are connected to the front door panel by the notch and the stud. Therefore, the bench cabinet can be assembled and disassembled easily without tools by users.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bench cabinet which is adapted for users to sit or to place a television thereon, especially to a bench cabinet assembly which can be assembled and disassembled without tools.
2. Related Art
Do it yourself (DIY) modular furniture is currently popular because DIY furniture can be transported easily after being disassembled into component pieces and also can be changed into different forms depending on different requirements. Additionally, people enjoy a sense of achievement when the furniture is completed.
However, DIY modular furniture still has some disadvantages because tools are needed when the furniture is assembled or disassembled. For example, a conventional DIY cabinet is composed of multiple boards or sheets of materials to fabricate a frame in which objects are held. Fastening devices detachably used to connect adjacent boards or sheets of materials to construct a frame are mostly flat-head or oval-head countersunk screws that require a suitable screwdriver to fasten or release the countersunk screws. Therefore, assembling or disassembling the DIY cabinet is inconvenient or impossible when suitable tools are not available.
Moreover, for the bench cabinet, it can be utilized as a bench for users to sit or be utilized as a TV cabinet to place a television thereon. Regardless users or the TV, the loads are heavy. It is difficult for the conventional DIY furniture to support such heavy loads.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a bench cabinet assembly which can be assembled and disassembled without tools. The bench cabinet is easy to assemble for users. Also, the structural strength is enough to support users or televisions.
The bench cabinet according to the present invention includes a front door panel, a bottom panel, a top panel, and a rear panel. The front door panel includes a front frame, two doors, and two sideboards. The doors are connected to the front frame, and the sideboards are pivotly connected to two sides of the front frame respectively. The sideboards are foldable to flatly contact to the front frame to save transport costs. Each of the sideboards includes studs at a top side and a bottom side of an inner surface. The sideboards further includes a slot and a clamping edge extended from the slot at a rear end. The diameter of the slot is greater than a width of the clamping edge.
The bottom panel includes at least one notch at two opposite sides of a bottom surface. The bottom panel is connected to the front frame between the sideboards near the bottom sides of the sideboard by the studs fixing to the notch. The top panel includes at least one notch at two opposite sides of a bottom surface. The top panel is also connected to the front frame between the sideboards near the top sides of the sideboard by the studs fixing to the notch. The rear panel includes at least one fixing pillar at two ends to slid laterally to the clamping edge for connecting between the sideboards.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a explosive view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the front frame to be unfolded.

FIG. 4 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the rear panel connecting to the front frame.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are a sectional views of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the rear panel connecting to the front frame.

FIG. 6 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the bottom panel to be connected.

FIG. 7 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the stubs connecting to the notches.

FIG. 8 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the divider panel to be connected.

FIG. 9 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the top panel to be connected.

FIG. 10 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which utilized as a TV cabinet.

FIG. 11 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which utilized as a bench.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description refers to the same or the like parts.
FIG. 1 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a explosive view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present invention.
The bench cabinet 10 according to the present invention includes a front door panel 11, a bottom panel 13, a top panel 14, and a rear panel 12. Please also refer to FIG. 3, the front door panel 11 includes a front frame 111, two doors 112, 113, and two sideboards 114, 115. The doors 112, 113 are connected to the front frame 111, and the sideboards 114, 115 are pivotly connected to two sides of the front frame 111 respectively. The sideboards 114, 115 are foldable to flatly contact to the front frame to save transport costs or save the storage spaces.
When assembling, please also refer to FIG. 4, the sideboards 114, 115 are rotated outside relative to the front frame 111, until the sideboards 114, 115 are perpendicular to the front frame 111. Then the rear panel 12 is placed perpendicularly from the rear end. The sideboards 114, 115 further includes a slot 20, and the rear panel 12 includes two fixing pillar 30 for connecting to the slot 20. Please see FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, each fixing pillar 30 has a neck section 32 and a head section 31, and the neck section 32 has a proximal end connected to the two opposite sides of the rear panel 12 and a distal end connected to the head section 31. Additionally, an outer diameter of the head section 31 is greater than a diameter of the neck section 32.
Further, each slot 20 has an internal diameter which reduces progressively from a inserting edge 21 to a clamping edge 22, i.e. a diameter of the slot 22 (the inserting edge 21) is greater than a width of the clamping edge 22. Therefore, the slot 20 may be similar to the shape of a teardrop. Additionally, the inserting edge 21 of each slot 20 has an internal diameter large enough for the head section 31 of each fixing pillar 20 to go through. However, the clamping edge 22 of each slot 20 has an internal diameter which is too small to allow the head section 31 of each fixing pillar 20 to go through.
Further, the two fixing pillars 30 are moveable in the two slots 20, from the inserting edge 21 to the clamping edges 22. Additionally, the neck sections 32 of the two fixing pillars 30 have substantial peripheral edges which can mutually contact with and tight-fit in the clamping edges 22 of the two slots 20, respectively; while the head sections 14 of the two fixing pillars 12 have substantial peripheral edges which can mutually contact with and tight-fit inside the slots 20.
In order to connect the rear panel 12 to the front door panel 11, the two fixing pillars 30 of the rear panel 12 are inserted through the inserting edges 21 of the two slots 20 of the sideboards 114, 115, respectively. The head sections 31 of the two fixing pillars 30 are then inserted into the slots 20, respectively. The rear panel 12 and front door panel 11 are then moved relative to each other to cause the neck sections 32 of the two fixing pillars 30 to move to tight-fit in the clamping edges 22 of the two slots 20. Therefore, the rear panel 12 and the front door panel 11 only can be disassembled by reverse sliding.
Then the bottom panel 13 is placed between the front frame 111 and the rear panel 12 perpendicularly, as refer to FIG. 6. The bottom panel 13 includes two notches 40 at two opposite sides of a bottom surface. The sideboards 114, 115 includes studs 50 at corresponding locations, i.e. near bottom. The studs 50 has a neck section 52 and a head section 51, and the neck section 52 has a proximal end connected to the sideboards 114, 115 and a distal end connected to the head section 51. Additionally, an outer diameter of the head section 51 is greater than a diameter of the neck section 52. For example, the studs 50 may be a bolts. The notch 40 is a single opening trough with a small dimension clamping portion 41. Please refer to FIG. 7, the head section 51 of the studs 50 is put into the notches 40, and the neck section 52 is tight-fit by the neck section 52 to firmly connection. The bottom panel 13 can only be disassembled upward perpendicularly.
Moreover, the bench cabinet 10 further includes a divider panel 15 connected on the bottom panel 13. The fixing pin 151 on the bottom surface of the divider panel 50 are inserted into the fixing hole 131 of the bottom panel 13. Then, the top panel 14 is placed on the top surface of the divider panel 15, please see FIGS. 8 and 9. The divider panel 15 also has fixing pin 151 on the top surface to fix to the top panel 14. Also, the top panel 14 includes two notches 40 at two opposite sides of a bottom surface. The sideboards 114, 115 includes studs 50 at corresponding locations, i.e. near top. The connection method and structure are the same as above described, and the repeat description thereof will be omitted.
Most cabinets are made of woods. Therefore, the bottom panel 13 and the top panel 14 are made of wood, and the fixing pin 151 is made of plastic to make tight-insert easier. The divider panel 15 is used to divided the space inside the cabinet into to portion to corresponding the two doors 112, 113. Also, the doors 111, 112 have handles 60 to easy to open and close. By the divider panel 15 and the connection relationship between the bottom panel 13, the top panel 14 and the sideboards 114, the structural strength are high enough to support the loading, such as users or television.
When utilized, please see FIG. 10, the television 71 is placed thereon as a TV cabinet. On the other hand, please see FIG. 11, the seat cushions 72 are put on the top surface of the bench cabinet 10 for users to seat as a bench.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those proficient in the relevant fields. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A bench cabinet comprising:

a front door panel, including a front frame, two doors connected to the front frame, and two sideboards pivotly connected to two sides of the front frame respectively, the sideboards being foldable to flatly contact to the front frame and each of the sideboards including studs at a top side and a bottom side of an inner surface, the sideboards further including a slot and a clamping edge extended from the slot at a rear end, a diameter of the slot being greater than a width of the clamping edge;

a bottom panel, including at least one notch at two opposite sides of a bottom surface, the bottom panel being connected to the front frame between the sideboards near the bottom sides of the sideboard by the studs fixing to the notch;

a top panel, including at least one notch at two opposite sides of a bottom surface, the top panel being connected to the front frame between the sideboards near the top sides of the sideboard by the studs fixing to the notch; and

a rear panel, including at least one fixing pillar at two ends to slid laterally to the clamping edge for connecting between the sideboards.

2. The bench cabinet of claim 1, wherein the fixing pillar including a neck section and a connected head section with an outer diameter of the head section greater than a diameter of the neck section.

3. The bench cabinet of claim 2, wherein the diameter of the slot being large enough for the head section of the fixing pillar to go through, the clamping edge having a second internal diameter which is too small to allow the head section of the fixing pillar to go through, so that the fixing pillar is inserted into the slot and slid laterally to the clamping edge for connecting.

4. The bench cabinet of claim 2, wherein the slot has a depth marginally smaller than a longitudinal length of the neck section.

5. The bench cabinet of claim 1, wherein stud including a neck section and a connected head section with an outer diameter of the head section greater than a diameter of the neck section.

6. The bench cabinet of claim 5, wherein the notch includes a clamping portion to fix the neck section of the stud.

7. The bench cabinet of claim 1, further comprises a divider panel connected between the bottom panel and the top panel.

8. The bench cabinet of claim 7, wherein the divider panel includes at least one fixing pin to insert into fixing holes of the bottom panel and the top panel.

9. The bench cabinet of claim 8, wherein the bottom panel and the top panel are made of wood, and the fixing pin is made of plastic.

10. The bench cabinet of claim 9, wherein the fixing pin tight-fit in the fixing holes of the bottom panel and the top panel.