WO2012013576A1 - Cabinet door comprising an illuminated glazing by means of a led strip - Google Patents

Cabinet door comprising an illuminated glazing by means of a led strip Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2012013576A1
WO2012013576A1 PCT/EP2011/062576 EP2011062576W WO2012013576A1 WO 2012013576 A1 WO2012013576 A1 WO 2012013576A1 EP 2011062576 W EP2011062576 W EP 2011062576W WO 2012013576 A1 WO2012013576 A1 WO 2012013576A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cabinet
sheet
door
frame
led strip
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2011/062576
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Fabrizio Rapaccini
Original Assignee
Fapam S.R.L.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Fapam S.R.L. filed Critical Fapam S.R.L.
Publication of WO2012013576A1 publication Critical patent/WO2012013576A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
    • A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
    • A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
    • A47F3/0404—Cases or cabinets of the closed type
    • A47F3/0426—Details
    • A47F3/0434—Glass or transparent panels
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
    • A47F11/00—Arrangements in shop windows, shop floors or show cases
    • A47F11/06—Means for bringing about special optical effects
    • A47F11/10—Arrangements of light sources
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E06—DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; LADDERS
    • E06B—FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES, FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS, BLINDS, GATES
    • E06B5/00—Doors, windows, or like closures for special purposes; Border constructions therefor
    • E06B5/006—Doors, windows, or like closures for special purposes; Border constructions therefor for furniture

Definitions

  • the present patent application for industrial invention relates to a cabinet with door provided with LED light source.
  • the present invention has been expressly devised to be used in modular units of modern modular kitchens. Therefore, for the sake of simplicity, reference will be made onward to a kitchen cabinet, although the same invention can be evidently used with the same advantages in any other type of cabinet, provided that it is closed with a door, such for example a wardrobe or bookcase.
  • the present invention is developed from a totally different concept and perspective, according to which the cabinet door, and not its compartment, is meant to be illuminated, so that the door can act as light source in the room where the cabinet is situated.
  • the invention provides for positioning the light source inside the door, according to design and construction solutions that are unprecedented in the prior art.
  • the first purpose of the invention is to achieve the desired purposes without completely changing the ordinary construction technique of doors for kitchen cabinets, and without changing the door thickness, in spite of the provision of a light source in the door.
  • the second purpose of the invention is to investigate construction solutions that allow for production with limited costs without impairing the designer's freedom with respect to a standard traditional door for kitchen cabinets.
  • the cabinet of the invention is provided with at least one door that comprises a sheet of transparent material supported by a perimeter frame, composed of a metal frame provided with housing where the border of said sheet is housed.
  • Said housing contains a light source composed of a LED strip that runs all around and in front of the border of said sheet, so that the light emitted by said LED strip hits and passes through said border according to a direction parallel to the plane where the sheet lies.
  • a LED strip is a close aligned series of LEDs, all supported by the same flexible strip, which incorporates the printed circuit to power the LEDs and the electrical contacts to be interfaced with the ones of the terminal block used for connection to the mains installation.
  • said terminal block is applied on the body of the cabinet and it contains switches and electrical contacts adapted to be interfaced with the ones provided on the door, in such a way to automatically determine switching on of the LED strip every time the door is closed and switching off every time it is opened.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic axonometric view of the cabinet of the invention with door partially removed in order to show the LED strip provided in the perimeter frame that is sectioned with a vertical plane;
  • - fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the metal section used to make the perimeter frame of the door of the invention
  • - fig. 3 is an exploded view of fig. 2.
  • the cabinet of the invention comprises a body (A) closed by a door (B).
  • the door (B) comprises a perimeter frame (1 ) that supports a cover panel (2) that is provided with multi-layer structure, being formed of one internal sheet (2a) made of transparent material, preferably transparent methacrylate with 5 mm thickness, and one external sheet (2b) made of translucent-matt material, preferably opal polycarbonate with 3 mm thickness.
  • This internal sheet (2a) can be made, for example, using a product of the German company Evonik Industries and sold with the trademark "Plexiglass ® EndLighten T”.
  • Said perimeter frame (1 ) is provided with a housing (1 a) adapted to exactly house the border (3) of said panel (2).
  • Said frame (1 ) is preferably made of an aluminum section (10), of the type normally used to make traditional doors for kitchen cabinets.
  • Said section (10) is characterized in that it is provided with a transversal wing (1 1 ) that basically forms the bottom of said housing (1 a), as shown in fig. 2.
  • Said wing (1 1 ) acts as fixing surface for a LED strip (4) that is glued on the internal side (1 1 a) of said wing (1 1 ), that is on the side facing the center of the door (B), so that said LED strip (4) surrounds the border (3) of said panel (2).
  • the light emitted by the LED strip (4) hits said border (3) orthogonally and penetrates it according to a direction parallel to the plane where the panel (2) lies.
  • said light penetrates inside the sheet of transparent material (2a) that is provided with a mesh of rectilinear notches (5) on the side facing the sheet (2b).
  • Said notches (5) which extend from one side to the other side of the sheet (2a), favor light propagation on a plane immediately behind the sheet (2b).
  • the light emitted by the LED strip (4) is diffused uniformly from one side to the other side of the sheet of transparent material (2a), illuminating the sheet (2b) of opaline material from behind.
  • the housing (1 a) is formed by coupling said section (10) with a front strip (12).
  • Said strip (12) is provided with an opposite pair of elastically flexible wings (12a) adapted to be elastically snap-fitted inside a corresponding pair of transversal rigid wings (1 1 and 13) that protrude on the front of the section (10).
  • said LED strip comprises a close aligned series of LEDs, all supported by the same flexible strip, which incorporates the printed circuit to power the LEDs and the electrical contacts to be interfaced with the ones of the terminal block used for connection to the mains installation.
  • Said terminal block is applied on the body of the cabinet in such a way that switches and contacts face the door (B) and are adapted to interfere with the internal side (1 b) of said frame (1 ) when the door (B) is closed.
  • said terminal block is contained in a box (6) suitably dimensioned to be exactly recessed into a suitable niche obtained on the bottom (F) of the body of the cabinet (A).
  • a switch (7) and a first pair of electrical contacts (8) remain uncovered, the latter being adapted to adhere - when the door (B) is in closed position - against a correspondent interfaced second pair of electrical contacts, which is an integral part of said LED strip (4) and is situated on the internal side (1 b) of said frame (1 ).
  • said switch (7) can be used to automatically switch on the internal light source every time the door (B) is opened.
  • a fourth manual switch can be provided on said box (6), allowing the user to exclude power supply towards the LED strip (4) situated in the door (B).

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cabinet comprising a body (A) closed by a door (B), which is composed of a perimeter frame (1) that supports a cover panel (2), the perimeter border (3) of which being housed inside a housing (1a) obtained on the frame (1); said panel (2) is formed of at least one internal sheet made of transparent material (2a) and one external sheet (2b) of opaline material; said housing (1a) is internally provided with a transversal wing (11) that is basically the bottom and acts as support surface for an LED strip (4).

Description

Description
CABINET DOOR COMPRISING AN ILLUMINATED GLAZING BY MEANS OF A LED STRIP
The present patent application for industrial invention relates to a cabinet with door provided with LED light source.
The present invention has been expressly devised to be used in modular units of modern modular kitchens. Therefore, for the sake of simplicity, reference will be made onward to a kitchen cabinet, although the same invention can be evidently used with the same advantages in any other type of cabinet, provided that it is closed with a door, such for example a wardrobe or bookcase.
There are currently cabinets closed by doors and provided with internal lighting system, meaning that the compartment is illuminated by one or more light sources that are housed in the same compartment and are automatically turned on and off when the door is opened and closed.
The present invention is developed from a totally different concept and perspective, according to which the cabinet door, and not its compartment, is meant to be illuminated, so that the door can act as light source in the room where the cabinet is situated.
According to the above, the invention provides for positioning the light source inside the door, according to design and construction solutions that are unprecedented in the prior art.
The first purpose of the invention is to achieve the desired purposes without completely changing the ordinary construction technique of doors for kitchen cabinets, and without changing the door thickness, in spite of the provision of a light source in the door.
The second purpose of the invention is to investigate construction solutions that allow for production with limited costs without impairing the designer's freedom with respect to a standard traditional door for kitchen cabinets. These and other purposes, which will become evident in the description, have been achieved by the present invention, the main and secondary characteristics of which are illustrated in the enclosed claims.
The cabinet of the invention is provided with at least one door that comprises a sheet of transparent material supported by a perimeter frame, composed of a metal frame provided with housing where the border of said sheet is housed.
Said housing contains a light source composed of a LED strip that runs all around and in front of the border of said sheet, so that the light emitted by said LED strip hits and passes through said border according to a direction parallel to the plane where the sheet lies.
A LED strip is a close aligned series of LEDs, all supported by the same flexible strip, which incorporates the printed circuit to power the LEDs and the electrical contacts to be interfaced with the ones of the terminal block used for connection to the mains installation.
It must be noted that, according to the invention, said terminal block is applied on the body of the cabinet and it contains switches and electrical contacts adapted to be interfaced with the ones provided on the door, in such a way to automatically determine switching on of the LED strip every time the door is closed and switching off every time it is opened.
For purposes of clarity, the description of the cabinet of the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings, which are intended for purposes of illustration only and not in a limiting sense, wherein:
- fig. 1 is a diagrammatic axonometric view of the cabinet of the invention with door partially removed in order to show the LED strip provided in the perimeter frame that is sectioned with a vertical plane;
- fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the metal section used to make the perimeter frame of the door of the invention;
- fig. 3 is an exploded view of fig. 2.
Referring to the aforementioned figures, the cabinet of the invention comprises a body (A) closed by a door (B). The door (B) comprises a perimeter frame (1 ) that supports a cover panel (2) that is provided with multi-layer structure, being formed of one internal sheet (2a) made of transparent material, preferably transparent methacrylate with 5 mm thickness, and one external sheet (2b) made of translucent-matt material, preferably opal polycarbonate with 3 mm thickness.
This internal sheet (2a) can be made, for example, using a product of the German company Evonik Industries and sold with the trademark "Plexiglass ® EndLighten T".
Said perimeter frame (1 ) is provided with a housing (1 a) adapted to exactly house the border (3) of said panel (2).
Said frame (1 ) is preferably made of an aluminum section (10), of the type normally used to make traditional doors for kitchen cabinets. Said section (10) is characterized in that it is provided with a transversal wing (1 1 ) that basically forms the bottom of said housing (1 a), as shown in fig. 2.
Said wing (1 1 ) acts as fixing surface for a LED strip (4) that is glued on the internal side (1 1 a) of said wing (1 1 ), that is on the side facing the center of the door (B), so that said LED strip (4) surrounds the border (3) of said panel (2).
The light emitted by the LED strip (4) hits said border (3) orthogonally and penetrates it according to a direction parallel to the plane where the panel (2) lies.
In particular, said light penetrates inside the sheet of transparent material (2a) that is provided with a mesh of rectilinear notches (5) on the side facing the sheet (2b).
Said notches (5), which extend from one side to the other side of the sheet (2a), favor light propagation on a plane immediately behind the sheet (2b). In other words, the light emitted by the LED strip (4) is diffused uniformly from one side to the other side of the sheet of transparent material (2a), illuminating the sheet (2b) of opaline material from behind.
As shown in figs. 2 and 3, according to the preferred embodiment of the door (B), the housing (1 a) is formed by coupling said section (10) with a front strip (12). Said strip (12) is provided with an opposite pair of elastically flexible wings (12a) adapted to be elastically snap-fitted inside a corresponding pair of transversal rigid wings (1 1 and 13) that protrude on the front of the section (10).
Because of the simple replacement of a strip (12) with another strip of different aesthetics, such a constructive solution allows for personalizing the door (B) according to the customer's requirements.
As regards the electrical power supply of said LED strip, said LED strip comprises a close aligned series of LEDs, all supported by the same flexible strip, which incorporates the printed circuit to power the LEDs and the electrical contacts to be interfaced with the ones of the terminal block used for connection to the mains installation.
Said terminal block is applied on the body of the cabinet in such a way that switches and contacts face the door (B) and are adapted to interfere with the internal side (1 b) of said frame (1 ) when the door (B) is closed.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in fig. 1 , said terminal block is contained in a box (6) suitably dimensioned to be exactly recessed into a suitable niche obtained on the bottom (F) of the body of the cabinet (A).
On the front of said box a switch (7) and a first pair of electrical contacts (8) remain uncovered, the latter being adapted to adhere - when the door (B) is in closed position - against a correspondent interfaced second pair of electrical contacts, which is an integral part of said LED strip (4) and is situated on the internal side (1 b) of said frame (1 ).
It is exactly through this first and second pair of electrical contacts that the LED strip (4) contained in the door (B) is electrically powered.
If the body of the cabinet (A) is provided with internal light source, then said switch (7) can be used to automatically switch on the internal light source every time the door (B) is opened.
In such a perspective, it will be sufficient to provide, as switch (7), a compressible micro-switch connected to said terminal block in such a way to switch on the internal light of the body of the cabinet (A) as soon as said compression pressure by the frame (1 ) is eliminated, causing instead the light to switch off when it is subject to compression pressure.
Moreover, a fourth manual switch can be provided on said box (6), allowing the user to exclude power supply towards the LED strip (4) situated in the door (B).

Claims

Claims
1 ) Cabinet comprising a body (A) closed by a door (B), which is composed of a perimeter frame (1 ) that supports a cover panel (2), the perimeter border of which (3) is housed inside a housing (1 a) obtained on the frame (1 ), characterized in that:
- said panel (2) is formed of at least one internal sheet made of transparent material (2a) and one external sheet (2b) made of opal material;
- said housing (1 a) is internally provided with a transversal wing (1 1 ) that is basically its bottom wall and acts as support surface for an LED strip (4) fixed on the internal side (1 1 a) of said wing (1 1 ), that is to say on the side facing towards the center of the door (B) so that the LED strip (4) circumscribes the border (3) of said panel (2).
2) Cabinet as claimed in the above claim, characterized in that it comprises a terminal block for connection to the electrical power supply mains, which is contained inside a box (6) fixed to the body of the cabinet (A) and in front of which a first pair of electrical contacts (8) remains uncovered, which is adapted to adhere - when the door (B) is in closed position - against a correspondent interfaced second pair of electrical contacts, which is an integral part of said LED strip (4) and is situated on the internal side (1 b) of said frame (1 ).
3) Cabinet as claimed in one or more of the above claims characterized in that said frame (1 ) is made of an aluminium section (10) internally provided with a transversal wing (1 1 ).
4) Cabinet as claimed in one or more of the above claims, characterized in that said housing (1 a) is bordered by said section (10) and a removable front strip (12), which is provided with an opposite pair of elastically flexible wings (12a), which are adapted to be elastically snap-fitted inside a corresponding pair of transversal rigid wings (1 1 and 13) that protrude on the front of the section (10).
5) Cabinet as claimed in one or more of the above claims characterized in that: - said body (A) of the cabinet is provided with its own internal light source;
- said box (6) comprises a press switch (7) connected to said terminal block in such a way to switch on the light inside the body of the cabinet (A) as soon as the compression pressure exerted by the frame (1 ) ceases, causing instead the switching-off of the light when it is subjected again to said compression pressure.
6) Cabinet as claimed in one or more of the above claims, characterized in that said sheet (2a) is made of a transparent material is made of transparent methacrylate, whereas said external sheet (2b) is made of opal polycarbonate or transparent glass.
7) Cabinet as claimed in one or more of the above claims, characterized in that said sheet (2a) is provided with a grid of rectilinear notches (5) on the side facing the sheet (2b), where each notch (5) extends from one side to the other side of the sheet (2a).
PCT/EP2011/062576 2010-07-28 2011-07-21 Cabinet door comprising an illuminated glazing by means of a led strip WO2012013576A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITMC2010A000080 2010-07-28
ITMC2010A000080A IT1401088B1 (en) 2010-07-28 2010-07-28 MOBILE EQUIPPED WITH A DOOR INCORPORATING A LED LIGHT SOURCE.

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2012013576A1 true WO2012013576A1 (en) 2012-02-02

Family

ID=43629386

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2011/062576 WO2012013576A1 (en) 2010-07-28 2011-07-21 Cabinet door comprising an illuminated glazing by means of a led strip

Country Status (2)

Country Link
IT (1) IT1401088B1 (en)
WO (1) WO2012013576A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITTV20120187A1 (en) * 2012-09-28 2014-03-29 Opes S R L ELEMENT OF FURNISHING
EP3292790A1 (en) * 2016-09-09 2018-03-14 REHAU AG + Co Closure device

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3063524A (en) * 1959-08-10 1962-11-13 Kessler Milton Panel fastening clip
US3411247A (en) * 1966-10-10 1968-11-19 Amerace Corp Refrigerator door frame
WO2003067014A1 (en) * 2002-02-09 2003-08-14 Thomas Emde Window element
WO2004007887A1 (en) * 2002-07-12 2004-01-22 Thomas Emde Window element
FR2891608A1 (en) * 2005-10-03 2007-04-06 Salm Sa Sa Article of furniture with electrically-controlled closure system for drawer has pairs of contacts on drawer and fixed component for smooth operation
FR2891446A1 (en) * 2005-10-03 2007-04-06 Salm Sa Sa Article of furniture with electrically-controlled closure system for drawer has pairs of contacts on drawer and fixed component for smooth operation
DE202006000755U1 (en) * 2006-01-11 2007-05-24 Pöllet, Wilfried Power supply device for lamp, has anti contact unit interacting with another contact in closed position, and arranged at movable article in form of door leaf or drawer front panel, where telescope pin is provided in screw clamp
DE202007003819U1 (en) * 2007-03-08 2008-07-10 Pöllet, Wilfried Luminous plate-shaped furnishing element
DE202009001138U1 (en) * 2009-01-30 2009-05-28 Rösler, Werner Hans Rudolf Integrated lighting in cupboard doors, cabinet doors and cabinet drawers

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3063524A (en) * 1959-08-10 1962-11-13 Kessler Milton Panel fastening clip
US3411247A (en) * 1966-10-10 1968-11-19 Amerace Corp Refrigerator door frame
WO2003067014A1 (en) * 2002-02-09 2003-08-14 Thomas Emde Window element
WO2004007887A1 (en) * 2002-07-12 2004-01-22 Thomas Emde Window element
FR2891608A1 (en) * 2005-10-03 2007-04-06 Salm Sa Sa Article of furniture with electrically-controlled closure system for drawer has pairs of contacts on drawer and fixed component for smooth operation
FR2891446A1 (en) * 2005-10-03 2007-04-06 Salm Sa Sa Article of furniture with electrically-controlled closure system for drawer has pairs of contacts on drawer and fixed component for smooth operation
DE202006000755U1 (en) * 2006-01-11 2007-05-24 Pöllet, Wilfried Power supply device for lamp, has anti contact unit interacting with another contact in closed position, and arranged at movable article in form of door leaf or drawer front panel, where telescope pin is provided in screw clamp
DE202007003819U1 (en) * 2007-03-08 2008-07-10 Pöllet, Wilfried Luminous plate-shaped furnishing element
DE202009001138U1 (en) * 2009-01-30 2009-05-28 Rösler, Werner Hans Rudolf Integrated lighting in cupboard doors, cabinet doors and cabinet drawers

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITTV20120187A1 (en) * 2012-09-28 2014-03-29 Opes S R L ELEMENT OF FURNISHING
EP2713103A1 (en) 2012-09-28 2014-04-02 Opes S.r.l. Luminous interior decoration element
EP3292790A1 (en) * 2016-09-09 2018-03-14 REHAU AG + Co Closure device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITMC20100080A1 (en) 2012-01-29
IT1401088B1 (en) 2013-07-12

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