Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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"FOLDABLE CABINET"
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to storage devices and, more
particularly, to folding cabinets adapted to fold into substantially flat
configurations
for storage against a wall, and to be readily opened and assembled with a
minimum
of effort.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When staying overnight at a hotel, motel, inn or the like, a collapsible
luggage rack is often provided as part of the room accessories. Typically such
a
collapsible luggage rack is constructed of two U-shaped pieces of tubular
steel, one
of which is of such width so as to fit or nest inside the other. These two U-
shaped
pieces are then pivotally joined, along both legs of the U, at a centrally
located pivot
point. The two pivotally connected U-shaped pieced are then turned up-side-
down
and a plurality of fabric straps are used to connect the bases of the two U's.
The
use of the two pivotal connections and the fabric straps allows the rack to be
folded
flat when not in use, while the straps support suitcases, towels or other
supplies
when in use. Non-slip plastic feet are often added to the tips of the U's.
While these traditional collapsible luggage racks provide guests a
convenient place to put their suitcase or duffle, they are limited by the fact
that they
typically can only support one average sized suitcase. A traveler or guest
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multiple pieces of luggage then is forced to pick which piece will be
supported by
the rack, utilize additional such racks or unpack all the luggage and place
the
various items in the drawers and cabinets that are also generally provided in
a
room. Moreover, using a plurality of such collapsible luggage racks, is not an
efficient use of a room's often limited square footage space.
Cabinets, drawers and wardrobes are typically a better use of a hotel
room's limited square footage space (because items can be stacked in drawers
or
on shelves), but these also suffer from a number of disadvantages, including
that
these pieces of furniture are often not able to accommodate entire suitcases
and
thus suitcase contents must be unpacked and placed inside them on a piece by
piece basis, and likewise requiring repacking of the suitcases upon check-out.
Providers of hospitality services may also be reluctant to provide large
cabinets,
drawers and wardrobes, because these items also generally take up valuable
room
square footage space.
Foldable cabinets are also known in the art, but these typically
incorporate hinged folding sides and hinged shelves, with said shelves then
attaching to, or being supported by, the hinged folding sides when in
assembled.
One disadvantage of such design is that the hinged folding sides could
dislodge,
with the sides then pivoting about the hinge axis and causing the shelves
(that were
being supported by said sides) to fall or dislodge. Such an unstable design is
not
suitable to support the heavy weight, and the on-and-off movement, of
suitcases
and other baggage that commonly occurs in hotel rooms. Another disadvantage of
these prior art foldable cabinets, is that shelf space (including the total
depth of the
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shelves) is limited by the height of the foldable cabinet, typically resulting
in narrow
shelves.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a luggage storage apparatus
that allows for highly compact and efficient forms when not in use, while
providing
efficient and stable support and access to multiple pieces of luggage when in
use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improvements to foldable cabinets. In
one embodiment, the present invention provides a foldable cabinet comprising a
structural frame comprising a top wall and two integral side walls. The
structural
frame has a depth, a plurality of shelves. Each of the shelves comprise a
bottom
surface which accommodates the shelf underneath it when the shelves are placed
in a substantially vertical position. The cabinet further comprises pivot
means to
pivotally mount the plurality of shelves within said frame and to enable said
plurality
of shelves to pivot between a substantially horizontal position and said
substantially
vertical position. The cabinet further comprises stop means to support the
shelves
when they are in the substantially horizontal position. Each of the shelves is
pivotally mounted to the inside of the integral side walls, along said depth,
at a
relative offset position so as to provide a nestable configuration of the
shelves when
the cabinet is folded.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a foldable cabinet
comprising a structural frame having a depth, a plurality of shelves, pivot
means to
pivotally mount the plurality of shelves within said structural frame, and to
enable
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said plurality of shelves to pivot between a substantially horizontal position
and a
substantially vertical position, and stop means to support the shelves when
they are
in the substantially horizontal position. Each of the shelves is pivotally
mounted
within said frame, along said depth, at a relative offset position so as to
overlap the
shelves when the shelves are in the substantially vertical position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of
example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention from the front with the doors open and the shelves
in
an extended, and substantially horizontal, support position;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cabinet of Figure 1 with the doors
open and the shelves in a storage position;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cabinet of Figure 1 with the doors
closed and the shelves in a storage position;
Figure 4 is a front view of the cabinet of Figure 1 (doors not shown);
Figure 5 is a side sectional view of the cabinet of Figure 1 with the
shelves in a substantially horizontal, support position;
Figure 6 is a side sectional view of the cabinet of Figure 1 with the.
doors closed and the shelves in a storage position;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a pivot
means and stop means of the cabinet of Figure 1;
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Figures 8a and 8b are perspective views of the pivot means and stop
means of Figure 7, mounted between a shelf and a sidewall of the cabinet of
Figure
1, with Figure 8a showing the shelf in a substantially horizontal support
position and
with Figure 8b showing the shelf in a substantially vertical storage position;
Figure 9a is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the pivot
means and stop means of Figure 7 taken along line 5-5 in Figure 8a;
Figure 9b is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the pivot
means and stop means of Figure 7 taken along line 6-6 in Figure 8b;
Figure 10 is a front view of another embodiment of the cabinet
wherein the pivot means and the stop means are separate from each other (doors
not shown); and
Figure 11 is a side sectional view of the cabinet of Figure 10 with the
shelves in a substantially horizontal, support position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description are of a preferred embodiment by way of
example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary
for
carrying the invention into effect. Reference is to be had to the Figures in
which
identical reference numbers identify similar components. The drawing figures
are
not necessarily to scale and certain features are shown in schematic form in
the
interest of clarity and conciseness.
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FIGS. 1-9b illustrate the configuration of one embodiment of the
present invention. In this embodiment, foldable cabinet 10 is generally
oriented
about a structural frame 12 having a height H and comprising a pair of doors
14
along its front face. Preferably, a mirror 14m is mounted to the inside of one
of the
doors 14 and a bulletin board 14b is mounted to the inside of the other door
14.
Frame 12 further comprises top wall 16, bottom wall 18 and two side
walls 20. Side walls 20 of frame 12 extend back a sufficient depth D to
provide
space to mount and store one or more pivoting shelves 22. In this embodiment
the
depth D approximates 9 % inches. Advantageously, the cabinet 10 takes up very
little square footage space when in the storage position. Preferably, the
frame 12
further comprises a back wall 19. More preferably, the cabinet 10 is
positioned
against, and fastened to, an interior wall W of a room in which the cabinet 10
is
placed. Even more preferably, the side walls 20 are integral with the frame 12
(i.e.
not hinged to the frame 12 or back wall 19). Advantageously, by being integral
with
the frame 12, the side walls 20 (and any elements of the cabinet 10 that they
support, such as shelves) will have increased stability.
Shelves 22, are pivotally connected at their rear to the inward facing
surfaces of the side walls 20 using pivot means 30. Shelves 22 pivot from a
substantially horizontal position when the cabinet 10 is in the opened
position (see
FIGS. 1 and 5) to a substantially vertical position when in the closed
position (see
FIGS. 2 and 6).
Pivot means 30 may be a conventional means, such as a pair of bolts
and nuts extending through the rear side corners of the shelf 22 and the side
wall
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20 at the appropriate position (not shown) or by means of a piano hinge
pivotally
joining the rear end of the shelf 22 to the back wall 19 (also not shown). In
the
embodiment of FIGS 1- 9b, the pivot means 30 comprises two pairs of pivot
disks
where each of the pair of pivot disks comprises a first pivot disk 31
connected or
mounted to the shelf 22 and a second pivot disk 32 connected or mounted to the
side wall 20 of the cabinet 10 (as more clearly shown in FIGS. 7- 8b).
In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS 1- 9b, the first pivot disk
31 has a first surface 31 a, a second opposing surface 31 b and a generally
axial ring
33 extending perpendicularly from surface 31a. Likewise, in the preferred
embodiment of FIGS 1 - 9b, the second pivot disk 32 has a first surface 32a, a
second opposing surface 32b and a generally axial ring 34 extending
perpendicularly from surface 32a. The second surface 31 b of the first pivot
disk 31
mounts against the shelf 22. The second surface 32b of the second pivot disk
32
mounts against the side wall 20, either directly (see FIG. 4 at position P3)
or via a
spacer 50 (see FIG. 4 at positions P1 and P2).
The axial rings 33, 34 mate with each other to allow for axial / pivotal
movement of each disk 31, 32, while preventing or restricting planar movement
of
the disks 31, 32 relative to each other. Axial ring 33 has a height and shape
keyed
to engage a corresponding axial ring 34 on the second pivot disk 32. In this
embodiment, axial ring 33 on the first pivot disk 31 has an outside diameter
smaller
than the inside diameter of axial ring 34 on the second pivot disk 32 and,
hence,
engages axial ring 34 from within and rests against first surface 32a of said
second
disk 32, thereby allowing axial ring 34 to rest against the first surface 31a
of the first
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disk 31. In the preferred embodiment shown, disks 31, 32 are constructed of a
material such as T-1 steel plate and each further comprises an axial orifice
31 o,
32o. A fastener (not shown), such as a bolt and nut, extends through orifices
31o,
32o of the disks 31, 32 and holds or mounts the pivot disks 31, 32 to the
shelf 22
and inside surface of the side wall 20 respectively. Alternatively, and if the
sides of
the shelves 22 (or at least the portion of the sides where the disks mount)
and the
inside of the side walls 20 (or the spacers 50) are made of steel or metal,
the disks
31, 32 are fastened by welding.
In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS 1- 9b, pivot means 30
further comprises stop means 40 to prevent over-rotation of the shelves 22,
beyond
their desired horizontal position, and support the shelves 22 in their
horizontal
positions. In alternate embodiments (such as those shown in FIGS. 10 - 11),
stop
means 40 is provided separate from the pivot means 30 and comprises a ledge,
tab, shoulder or protruding member that extends from the inside surface of the
side
walls 20 and provide a surface upon which the shelves 22 rest when in the
substantially horizontal position, thereby supporting the shelves 22 and any
items
(such as luggage and suitcases) placed on them.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS 1- 9b, the stop means 40
comprises two lobes 41, 42, with lobe 41 projecting from the first surface 31a
of disk
31 and lobe 42 projecting from the first surface 32a of disk 32. Preferably,
disks 31
and 32 and their respective lobes 41, 42 are fully machined from a single
piece of T-
1 steel plate. More preferably, the lobes 41, 42 project from their respective
disks to
substantially the same height as the axial rings 33, 34. In the preferred
embodiment
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of FIGS. 1- 9b, the diameter of disks 31 and 32 is 2 3/$ inches, the thickness
of the
disks 31 and 32 is 1/8th of an inch, and the height of axial rings 33, 34 and
the lobes
41, 42 is 1/8th of an inch from their respective surface 31a, 32a. Yet even
more
preferably, lobes 41, 42 each further comprise an engagement shoulder 41 s,
42s to
facilitated secure engagement of the two lobes 41, 42 against each other (see
FIGS. 8a and 9a) and to allow the stop means 40 to securely support the
shelves
22 and the weight of any luggage, suitcases or other travel items that might
be
placed on the shelves 22. The inventor has observed that a shelf 22,
comprising
the pivot means 30 and the stop means 40 of the preferred embodiment, was able
to support a weight of at least 400 lbs (181.4 kilograms).
Preferably, lobes 41, 42 each comprise no more than approximately a
90 degree arc of their respective disk's first surfaces 31a, 32a (as more
clearly
illustrated in FIGS. 9a and 9b) so as to allow the shelves 22 to be slightly
over-
rotated when in the vertical position and lean back against the back wall 19
or
another upright shelf 22 (see FIGS. 6 and 8b). Advantageously, by allowing the
shelves 22 to over-rotate slightly beyond the vertical position, and lean back
against
the back wall 19 or an intervening shelf 22, gravity alone will usually be
sufficient to
keep the shelves 22 in a substantially vertical position. More preferably,
stop
means 40 further comprises a coil or torsion spring (not shown) used in a
conventional manner to raise the shelves 22 to the substantially vertical
position
when all items (such as luggage) are removed from the shelves 22.
The positioning of the lobes 41, 42 on their respective disk 31, 32, and
mating of the respective axial rings 33, 34, is such that rotation of the
disks 31, 32
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relative to each other, and hence pivoting of the shelves 22, is stopped by
lobes 41
and 42 (see FIGS. 8a and 9a) to allow the shelves 22 to rotate from a
substantially
vertical position (see FIGS. 2, 6, 8b and 9b), which allows the cabinet 10 to
be
stored in a highly compact and efficient form when not in use (see FIG. 3), to
a
substantially horizontal position (see FIGS. 1, 4, 5, 8a and 9a), where the
shelves
22 provide efficient and stable support and access for multiple pieces of
luggage.
Preferably, and so as to facilitate efficient use depth D to hold multiple
shelves 22, the shelves 22 are in a nestable configuration when the cabinet 10
is in
the closed or storage position and when the shelves 22 are oriented in a
substantial
vertical position (see FIGS. 2 and 6). In this embodiment, there are three
shelves
22a, 22b, 22c, with the lower shelf 22a being nestable in the shelf directly
above it
22b, and with shelf 22b being nestable in the upper shelf 22c (see FIGS. 4 and
6).
The shelves 22a, 22b, 22c then overlap with each other, rather than being
positioned one underneath the other all in a straight line, as is the case in
prior art
foldable cabinets.
The nestable configuration of this embodiment comprises two
elements: (i) a bottom opening or surface 0 in each shelf 22 that will
accommodate
the shelf 22 underneath it when the shelves 22 are in the vertical position
and (ii)
relative and offset positioning of each shelf's pivot point on the side wall
20, along
and within depth D, compared to the other shelves 22. More particularly, in
this
embodiment lower shelf 22a has width C which is narrower than the bottom
opening
0 of middle shelf 22b. Middle shelf 22b, in turn, has width B which is
narrower than
bottom opening 0 of upper shelf 22c (see FIG. 4).
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Additionally, in this embodiment lower shelf 22a is pivotally mounted
on side wall 20 at a position P1 that is more forward relative to the pivot
position P2
of the middle shelf 22b above it (see FIG. 5 and compare distance Y to
distance Z).
In turn, pivot position P2 of the middle shelf 22b is more forward relative
the pivot
position P3 of the upper shelf 22c (see FIG. 5 and compare distance X to
distance
Y).
In another embodiment (not shown), where the shelves 22 are simple
wooden planks not having a bottom opening, the nestable configuration
comprises
only the relative and offset positioning of each shelf's pivot point, along
depth D,
compared to the other shelves 22. For example, the shelves 22 may be connected
to the back wall 19 by means of a continuous piano hinge, with the top shelf
22c
being directly connect to the back wall 19 and with each lower shelf being
offset a
sufficient distance from the back wall 19 (by means of a spacer), so as to
allow a
similar overlap of the shelves 22 as that shown in FIG. 6.
Advantageously, the dimensions of the bottom openings 0, along with
the relative positioning of each shelf's pivot mount or pivot point, allows
for a cabinet
10 that, when folded, is thinner in profile than prior art foldable cabinets.
More
advantageously, the offset hinged positioning of the shelves 22, and their
ability to
overlap when in their substantially vertical storage position, also enables
the cabinet
10 to have a plurality of shelves 22, wherein the total shelf depth, i.e. the
sum of
each shelf's depth SDa, SDb, SDc, is greater than the height H of the cabinet
10.
Preferably, and still referring to FIGS. 1- 9b, each shelf 22 further
comprises a pair of telescoping shelf or drawer slides 60. The Illinois Lock
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Company, of Wheeling, Illinois, U.S.A. distributes a variety of such drawer
slides 60,
including an ultra-duty slide which has a load rating of up to 500 pounds
(226.8
kilograms). Advantageously, the cabinet's shelves 22 can telescope to provide
ease of access to any luggage or items that may be placed thereon.
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the configuration of another embodiment of
the present invention. This embodiment is identical to that of FIGS. 1- 9b
with the
exception that stop means 40 is separate from the pivot means 30 and comprises
a
ledge, tab, shoulder or protruding member that extends from the inside surface
of
the side walls 20 and provide a surface upon which the shelves 22 rest when in
the
substantially horizontal position.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various
modifications to the invention as described herein will be possible without
falling
outside the scope of the invention.
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