WO2016132306A2

WO2016132306A2 - Modular cabinet structure

Info

Publication number: WO2016132306A2
Application number: PCT/IB2016/050855
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luigi Salvatore PARISI
Original assignee: Parisi Luigi Salvatore
Priority date: 2015-02-17
Filing date: 2016-02-17
Publication date: 2016-08-25
Also published as: WO2016132306A3

Abstract

A modular cabinet structure comprises a planar shoulder (2) adapted to define the rear wall of the cabinet in the assembled condition and having a pair of longitudinal sides (3) and a pair of transverse sides (4), a pair of side walls (5, 6) with a first longitudinal edge (7) fastened to a corresponding longitudinal side (3) of the shoulder (2) and an opposite second longitudinal edge (8) adapted to delimit laterally the opening (9) of the cabinet, a bottom wall (10) and a top wall (11) longitudinally opposed to each other and fastened to the shoulder (2), one or more shelves (16) and/or one more drawers (17) adapted to be removably inserted between the side walls (5, 6). The side walls (5, 6) comprise a fixed portion (5', 6') fastened to the shoulder (2) and a movable portion (5", 6") fastened to the respective fixed portion (5', 6') by first hinge means (18) to rotate between a first position parallel to the respective fixed portion (5', 6') and a second position substantially orthogonal thereto. Each side walls (5, 6) comprises one or more transverse slats (28) parallel and opposite to corresponding transverse slats (28) of the other side wall (5, 6), each slat (28) comprising two sections (28', 28") transversely staggered with each other and respectively associated to the fixed portion (5', 6') and to the movable portion (5", 6") of the corresponding side wall (5, 6). The shoulder (2) further comprises one or more transverse support elements (37) coplanar with corresponding pairs of transversally opposite slats (28) to define respective supporting planes for one or more shelves (16) and/or one or more drawers (17).

Description

MODULAR CABINET STRUCTURE

Description

Technical Field

The present invention finds its application in the field of furniture and in particular it relates with a modular cabinet structure.

State of the art

As is known, there is an increasing trend of manufacturers of furniture in providing cabinet or other furniture structures to the customer in a non-assembled condition so that the same customer has to provide for its assembly directly in the room wherein the cabinet has to be placed.

In this manner, the manufacturer could save both on the manufacturing and on the transporting, also offering a more competitive price to the customers.

The known solutions ask that the furniture is supplied with all its components completely separate from each other, providing the customer also with all nuts, bolts and screws and other accessories needed for assembly.

However, these solutions require a minimum of skill and confidence with this kind of operations from the person carrying out the installation, while not being suitable for people with poor handle skills.

These difficulties are even greater in the case of furniture made of a high number of components.

Moreover, in case of error during assembly, or in all those cases wherein it is necessary to disassemble the cabinet to transfer it, it is not always possible to proceed to the total or partial disassembly without damaging one or more of the movable parts thereof.

Not least, the presence of screws, bolts and other fastening bodies of the components requires the use of specific tools, such as screwdrivers, nails, alien wrenches and the like, not always available.

JPS5669034, JPS5669034, WO2007/110111, US6039418 and CN202179290 disclose foldable cabinet wherein the cabinet structure has side walls able to move from an extended condition adapted to the use to a folded condition wherein the cabinet has reduced encumbrance to facilitate the transport and storage thereof.

The upper and lower walls can also be removed or at least folded to be inserted within the structure in the folded condition.

Such furniture structures also require the presence of shelves and/or drawers removably housed inside of the assembled furniture and which can be subsequently removed and repositioned within the folded structure.

However, the above cited solutions have shelves and drawers positioned on supports such as pegs, pins or similar, i.e. on supports providing a localized bearing in a few points of the side walls and therefore not sufficient to ensure the stability of the shelf or the drawer, in particular with relatively heavy loads and after a prolonged use.

Scope of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, providing a modular cabinet structure which is particularly effective, economical and easy to assemble. A particular object is to provide a modular cabinet structure that can be assembled without the need of tools.

A further object is to provide a modular cabinet structure that can be folded on itself during transport and storage but which ensures at the same time an adequate support for any shelves and/or drawers placed thereinto when assembled in the condition of use.

Still another object is to provide a modular cabinet structure that can be easily disassembled without compromising the integrity of its parts and the possibility of reassembly.

Not least object is to provide a modular cabinet of structure which has reduced encumbrance and is easy to be transported in non-assembled condition.

These objects, as well as others which will appear more clearly hereinafter, are achieved by a modular cabinet structure according to claim 1.

Thanks to this combination of features, the cabinet structure will have a foldable structure to be supplied in preassembled manner but already with the various parts arranged for mutual assembly.

At the same time the cabinet structure will provide adequate support for shelves and/or drawers in the normal use configuration as the slats provide a distributed and not localized support, increasing the maximum load for shelves and/or drawers, and making the assembled cabinet entirely equivalent in its structural stability to the common already assembled cabinets.

In addition, the cabinet structure will define in its non-assembled condition, i.e. in the said second position, a container for the various parts to be assembled, so as to facilitate its transport and to reduce the overall dimensions in disassembled condition.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are obtained in accordance with the dependent claims.

Brief disclosure of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a modular cabinet structure according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting examples with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a front view of the structure in a non-assembled first condition without some elements; FIG. 2 is a sectioned view of the structure of Fig. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the structure in a non-assembled second condition without some elements;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the structure in a non-assembled third condition with all the elements; FIG. 5 is a sectioned view of the structure of Fig. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the structure in a non-assembled fourth condition without some elements;

FIG. 7 shows top and bottom perspective views of a first detail of the structure;

FIG. 8 shows top and bottom perspective views of a second detail of the structure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the structure in a semiassembled condition;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a detail of the structure;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the assembled structure.

Best mode of carrying out the invention

A preferred but not limiting configuration of a modular cabinet structure according to the invention, suitable for realizing a wardrobe or the like, is shown with reference to the accompanying figures.

Without any particular theoretical limitations, the modular structure may be configured to allow the making of other types of furniture, such as chests of drawers, kitchen furniture or the like. The modular cabinet structure, generally indicated by 1, essentially comprises a plane shoulder 2 designed to define the rear vertical wall of the assembled cabinet and having a pair of longitudinal sides 3 and a pair of transverse sides 4.

As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the structure 1 also comprises a pair of side walls 5, 6 each having a first longitudinal edge 7 bound, in a fixed or removable manner, to a corresponding longitudinal side 3 of the shoulder 2 and second longitudinal edges 8 opposite to the respective first edges 7 and adapted to laterally delimit the opening 9 of the assembled cabinet.

The two side walls 5, 6 may be connected to the shoulder 2 at the respective first longitudinal edges 7 by any means usually employed in the field, for example by gluing, by joint means or even by fixing members such as screws, nails and the like, according to methods known to the skilled person.

The structure 1 also comprises a bottom wall 10 and a top wall 11 longitudinally opposed to each other, which will generally be designed to be arranged in a horizontal position during use. The bottom wall 10 and the top wall 11 each have a first transverse edge 12, 13 bound, in a fixed or removable manner, to a corresponding transverse side 4 of the shoulder 2 and second transverse edges 14, 15 opposed to the respective first transverse edges 12, 13 and adapted to delimit at the bottom and at the top the opening 9 of the cabinet. Furthermore, the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 11 are sized to define with the side walls 5, 6 and the shoulder 2, the maximum internal useful volume of the assembled cabinet, i.e. the maximum volume that in use will be available for storing objects.

One or more shelves 16 and one or more drawers 17 are also provided and adapted to be removably inserted between the side walls 5, 6 for dividing the internal volume into a plurality of spaces.

In obvious manner the number of drawers 17 and shelves 16 may vary depending on the needs and the measures of the structure 1, without particular limitations.

The bottom wall 10 and the top wall 11 each comprise a fixed portion 10', 11' provided with the first transverse edge 12, 13 and fixed to the shoulder 2 and a removable portion 10", 11" provided with the second transverse edge 14, 15 and movable with respect to the corresponding fixed portion 10', 11'.

Preferably, the removable portions 10", 11" of the bottom wall 10 and of the top wall 11 will be connected in removable manner to the respective fixed portions 10', 11' to be furnished disassembled and to be connected only during assembly so as to further simplifying the transport and positioning of the structure.

According to a further peculiar feature of the invention, each of the side walls 5, 6 comprises a fixed portion 5', 6' provided with the first longitudinal edge 7 and fixed to the shoulder 2 and a movable portion 5", 6" provided the second longitudinal edge 8 and movably bound to the respective fixed portion 5', 6' by means of first hinge means 18.

In this way the movable portions 5", 6" of the side walls 5, 6 can rotate, after removal of the removable portions 10", 11" of the bottom wall 10 and of the top wall 11, about a respective first longitudinal hinging axis X substantially parallel to the first longitudinal edges 7.

Following the rotation, the movable portions 5", 6" of the side walls 5, 6 may move between a first position, shown in Fig. 2, wherein they are parallel and coplanar to the respective fixed portion 5', 6', and a second position, shown in Fig. 3, and even more clearly in Fig. 5, in which they are substantially orthogonal to the respective fixed portions 5', 6' and in which the two movable portions 5", 6" are mutually coplanar.

In the first position the side walls 5, 6 delimit an internal volume of maximum value, while in the second position the side walls 5, 6 delimit an internal volume of minimum value but however sufficient to contain within the semiassembled structure all the shelves 16 and/or drawers 17 provided.

As visible from Fig. 6, the first hinge means 18 are essentially constituted by one or more first barrel hinges of commonly commercially available type each having pairs of wings fixed to the portions 5', 5"; 6', 6" of the mutually movable side walls 5, 6.

Figs. 7 and 8 respectively show, instead, the removable portions 11", 10" of the top wall 11, also commonly defined cap, and of the bottom wall 10. In particular, from Fig. 7 it could be observed that the removable portion 11" of the top wall 11 comprises a clothes hanger rod 19, which may be provided pre-assembled, and a magnetic retention element 20 fixed at the second transverse edge 15 to interact with one or more metallic elements, not shown, of possible closing leaves.

The dimensional ratio between the two portions 11', 11" of the top wall or cap 11 may be defined according to the requirements and in particular the removable portion 11" may have a double extension with respect to the fixed portion 11'.

Fig. 8 shows that the removable portion 10" of the bottom wall 10 may also be provided with a respective magnetic retention element 21 adapted to interact with corresponding metal elements of the closing leaves.

In the preferred but not exclusive embodiment shown in the figures, the structure 1 will also comprise one or more leaves 22 adapted to be movably anchored to the opening 9 for the at least partial closing thereof.

In particular, for a cabinet used as wardrobe two leaves 22 may be provided hinged by second hinge means 23 to respective second longitudinal edges 8 of the side walls 5, 6.

As shown in Fig. 9, the second hinge means 23 comprise for each leaf 22, one or more second hinges 24 of the sliding type, i.e. each consisting of a first hinge element 25 applied to the second longitudinal edge 8 of one of the side walls 5, 6 and a second hinge element 26 applied to the longitudinal edge 27 of a door 22 to mate removably with the first hinge element 25 upon a reciprocal sliding movement, so as to define a second axis of rotation Y of the leaf 22 with respect to the corresponding side wall 5, 6.

Also in this case the elements 25, 26 of the second hinges 24 may be provided pre-assembled on the respective parts.

The positioning of the removable portions 10", 11" of the bottom wall 10 and of the top wall 11, other than of the shelves 16, will be facilitated by the provision of male and female joint means associated to the side walls 5, 6 and to the same bottom and top walls 10, 11.

From Fig. 6 it is observed that the side walls 5, 6 comprise a plurality of transverse slats 28 parallel to each other and longitudinally offset with a distance that will not necessarily be constant but which can be selected in function of the preferred arrangement for the drawers 17 and/or shelves 16 within the volume.

In particular, each slat 28 of one of the side walls 5 will be opposite to and coplanar with a corresponding transverse slat 28 of the other side wall 6 to define a substantially horizontal support plane for the shelves 16 and/or drawers 17, for the sliding insertion thereof.

Suitably, each slat 28 will be formed by two sections 28', 28" mutually separated and transversely staggered, one of which 28' fixed to the fixed portion 5', 6' of a side wall 5, 6 and the other to the movable portion 5", 6", so as not to prevent their reciprocal rotation.

Furthermore, the movable portions 5", 6" of the side walls 5, 6 each comprise a pair of slats 29 arranged at the respective lower transverse edges 30 and top transverse edges 31 and provided with respective recesses 32 adapted to receive corresponding interlocking elements 33, 34 associated with the removable portions 10", 11" of the bottom wall 10 and of the top wall 11, visible in Figs. 7 and 8, when the side walls 5, 6 are in the first position.

Suitably, all the sections 28" of the slats 28 applied to the movable portions 5", 6" of the side walls 5, 6 will be provided with recesses 35 or similar female joint means adapted to receive corresponding elements of the male joint type of the shelves 16, not visible in the figures, so as to ensure the stable positioning.

Even the shoulder 2 may comprise one or more transverse supporting elements 37 coplanar with corresponding pairs of slats 28 to define respective supporting planes for the shelves 16 and/or the drawers 17.

One or more of longitudinal reinforcing boards 38 may also be applied to the shoulder 2, for example three boards in the shown embodiment, that may also be used for coupling the shoulder 2 with the side walls 5, 6.

The predisposition of the hinge means and the joint means will allow the cabinet to be mounted in a simple way and without using tools such as screwdrivers, hammers or similar, making the whole operation also adapted for persons with poor manual skills without risk of incurring mounting errors.

Even the disassembly will be easier and will eliminate the risk of damage of the parts.

The structure according to the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations all falling within the inventive concept expressed in the accompanying claims. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different according to requirements, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular cabinet structure, comprising:

a planar shoulder (2) adapted to define the rear wall of the cabinet in the assembled condition and having a pair of longitudinal sides (3) and a pair of transverse sides (4);

- a pair of side walls (5, 6) each having a first longitudinal edge (7) fastened to a corresponding longitudinal side (3) of said shoulder (2) and an opposite second longitudinal edge (8) adapted to delimit laterally the opening (9) of the cabinet;

a bottom wall (10) and a top wall (11) longitudinally opposed to each other and each having a first transverse edge (12, 13) fastened to a corresponding transverse side (4) of said shoulder (2) and second transverse edges (14, 15) opposite to respective first transverse edges (12, 13) and adapted to delimit the lower and upper side of said opening (9) of the cabinet;

one or more shelves (16) and/or one more drawers (17) adapted to be removably inserted between said side walls (5, 6);

wherein each of said side walls (5, 6) comprises a fixed portion (5', 6') fastened in a fixed manner to said shoulder (2) and a movable portion (5", 6") provided with said second longitudinal edge (8) and fastened to the respective fixed portion (5', 6') by first hinge means (18) to rotate about a first longitudinal hinge axis (X) between a first position parallel to the respective fixed portion (5', 6') and a second position substantially orthogonal thereto;

characterized in that each of said side walls (5, 6) comprises one or more transverse slats (28) parallel and opposite to corresponding transverse slats (28) associated to the other of said side walls (5, 6), each of said slats (28) comprising at least two sections (28', 28") transversely staggered with each other and respectively associated to the fixed portion (5', 6') and to the movable portion (5", 6") of the corresponding side wall (5, 6), said shoulder (2) further comprising one or more transverse support elements (37) coplanar with corresponding pairs of transversally opposite slats (28) to define respective supporting planes for said one or more shelves (16) and/or said one or more drawers (17).

2. Structure as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each of said one or more shelves (16) comprises a pair of joint elements (36) arranged in such position to be inserted into corresponding recesses (35) made into the sections (28") of said slats (28) associated with said movable portions (5", 6") of said side walls (5, 6).

3. Structure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said bottom wall (10) and said top wall (11) each comprise a fixed portion (10', 11') fastened in a fixed manner to said shoulder (2) and a removable portion (10", 11") fastened to said fixed portion (10', 11') and provided with said second transverse edge (14, 15) and adapted to be removed to allow said side walls (5, 6) to rotate between said first position and said second position.

4. Structure as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that said movable portions (5", 6") of said side walls (5, 6) each comprise a pair of slats (29) arranged at the respective lower and upper transverse edges (30, 31).

5. Structure as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that slats (29) of said movable portions (5", 6") of said side walls (5, 6) are provided with respective recesses (32) adapted to receive corresponding joint elements (33, 34) associated with the removable portions (10", 11") of said bottom wall (10) and said top wall (11) when said side walls (5, 6) are in said first position.

6. Structure as claimed in any preceding claim, characterized by comprising at least one leaf (22) adapted to be anchored in a movable manner to said opening (9) for the at least partial closure thereof.

7. Structure as claimed in claim 6, characterized by comprising second hinge means (23) for coupling said at least one leaf (22) with at least one of said side walls (5, 6).

8. Structure as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said second hinge means (23) comprise at least one hinge (24) having a first hinge element (25) associated with the second longitudinal edge (8) of one of said side walls (5, 6) and a second hinge element (26) associated with the longitudinal edge (27) of said at least one leaf (22) for its removable coupling by mutual sliding with said first hinge element (25) and to define a second hinge axis (Y) of said at least one leaf (22) with respect to said side wall (5, 6).

9. Structure as claimed in any claim from 3 to 8, characterized in that said removable portion (11") of said top wall (11) comprises a clothes hanger rod (19) and a magnetic holding element (20) fixed at said second transverse edge (15) for engage a metallic element of said at least one leaf (22) at the closure thereof on said opening (9).