Abstract:
The multiple access chest provides a user with flexibility to access contents of the chest using various access points. The chest allows opening to the fullest extend allowing the user to easily find the desired contents without effort. The multiple access chest also permits modular attachment to other chests such as chest draws and accessories such as mats. The multiple access chest may be used as a furniture chest, toy chest, or baby changing table depending on the attachments used. The multiple access chest also allows various design configuration and frontal designs on the face of the draws and knobs.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/107,284 filed Jan. 23, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A multiple access furniture chest is disclosed having multiple access openings to allow a user to store and remove items more easily and effectively without the need of removing all the contents in the chest. The multiple access chest further contains rotating front, back and top parts to allow full access to the floor of the chest. The chest also allows flexibility in building modular additional chest parts and accessories. 
         [0003]    Furniture chest and in particular toy chests are well known in the art. The prior chests typically allow access from the top of the chest to allow a user to store and remove contents. Some chests, in particular toy chest have novelty features such as looking like a particular sporting good or character. These chests although entertaining for the child user, still have drawbacks of allowing a child to access the contents of the chest. Similarly, elderly that have limited mobility to bend over and reach into a chest have limited ability to pull an article out of a furniture chest or other such store bin. 
         [0004]    Thus young and old users both have a need for a furniture or toy chest with better access to the chest&#39;s contents. Further there remains a need in the art for a chest to allow modular access so that multiple pieces of a chest may be put together and designed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide improvements in chests to allow better access to its contents. It is therefore a further object of the present disclosure to provide improvements in the modular mobility of the chest so that a chest may be designed to better suit the need of the user. 
         [0006]    These and other objects are attained by providing a chest having multiple access openings. The disclosed chest allows full access to the floor of the chest without comprising structural integrity of the chest to hold contents. The Chest further allows multiple pieces to be combined with it allowing a user to design a chest to suit the user&#39;s individual functional, and in some cases only a user&#39;s aesthetic and non-functional needs. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Further objects and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a multiple access chest illustrating the present disclosure, with elements allowing modular addition of other components. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of an additional chest component that may be combined with the chest shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of an additional component that may be combined with the chest in either  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2A  or combined with both chests in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2A . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the chest shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a front view of the chest shown in  FIG. 1  and the chest shown in  FIG. 2A  assembled together. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the assembled chests shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the chest shown in  FIG. 1  being fully opened. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the chest shown in  FIG. 5  with the addition of a mat component on the top chest. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the chest shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, one sees that  FIG. 1  is a perspective chest  10 . Chest  10  is formed from natural or man-made material such as but not limited to polymeric material or similar material as would be known to those skilled in the art. The chest  10  includes a floor portion  11  and a front  12  connected rotatably thereto. Depending on the embodiment, the chest  10  may utilize brackets  19  to connect portions of the chest or other rotable hinges pins  23  or the like. Variations of this hinge design is possible, for example, and may include locking mechanisms such as shown in male and female locking mechanism  18  and  22  respectively. 
         [0018]    The chest  10  further has a back  13  that is also rotably connected to floor  11 . Back  13  is further connected rotably to top  16 . Further attached to floor  11  is left side  14  and right side  15 . The right and left sides are fixable connected to floor  11  but depending on the embodiment may also be rotably connected to the floor  11 . Depending on the embodiment a dashpot  17  may be connected to one or more front top, back or sides to allow opening in a controlled manner. There may be one or more connection ports  21  on legs  44  to allow the chest to be combined with other components as the user desires. 
         [0019]    Further shown in  FIG. 1  are pols  42  attached to the ends of front  12 . Pols  42  define an open area  41  to allow air to flow in and out of the chest when all the multiple accesses are closed, such as front back and top, and in some cases sides. Further top legs  44  creates side open area  43  to also allow air to pass in and out of the chest. This allows aeration in the chest and decreases chances of mold or mildew to form in the chest  10 . 
         [0020]    Adverting to  FIG. 2A , shown is an additional component or draw chest  20 . Draw chest  20  contains one or more draws  27  having knobs  28 . Knobs  28  may be decorated by various indicia or designs (not shown) to accent the draw chest for fashion or aesthetic purposes. In addition absent the accent portions of the knob, the draw chest also provides additional aesthetic features such as front base  32  side, base  29 , and legs  33  as well as front of draw  27 . Also on the chest  20  is base  31 . Base  31  may be connected to the bottom of floor  11 . Attachment may be done through the use of one or more posts  24  that attached to connection port  21 . Strap connectors may or may not be attached to base  31 . The chest  20  may be utilized as itself and combined with cushion  30 . Cushion  30  may also be attached to chest  10  and place on top  16 . Further all pieces cushion  30 , chest  10 , and draw chest  30  may be assembled together respectively to form assembly  40 . 
         [0021]    Cushion  30  in  FIG. 2B  includes a cushion  34 , and recess portion  35 . The recess portion is to prevent items from falling off the cushion. The cushion may be made of a machine washable material and/or include a removable sleeve (not shown) that may be wrapped over the cushion and removed for washing. Preferably the cushion is made of a water resistant material to allow use as a changing table. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the chest  10 . Shown in this embodiment is dashpot  17 . The function of dashpot  17  is to slow down and control the opening and closing of any access opening on the multiple opening chest. Dashpot  17  has an arm  46  that is attached to a connector  45 . Connector  45  may be mounted to the right or left side wall or both depending on the embodiment. Further, the dash pot may be connected to any of the opening access portions. For example the dash pot may be connected to back  13  and top  16  to control the opening of those access portions. In addition, dashpot  17  may be connected to floor  11  and back  13  to control that access opening. Also shown is locking mechanism  18  on the top portion  16  and front portion  12 . Depending on the embodiment both portions may be commonly secured to the same locking mechanism  22 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a front view of chest  10  and chest  20  combined. Shown is front portion  12  in the opened position. In the closed position locking mechanism  18  and  22  may be utilized to secure the related portions. Also shown in this figure is top  16  in the open position. Front  12  is held in position by dashpot  17 . However as seed from top  16 , a dashpot may not be utilized and a portion of access may still be held open. For the top portion brackets  19  hold the top portion in position. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  illustrates chest  10  connected with draw chest  20 . Both the front portion  12  and top portion  16  are in the open position. Any of the access portions may be opened individually or all together, or in any combination. Shown in  FIG. 6  is top  12 , back  13  and top  16  all in the open position. This allows full access to floor  11  and the contents of chest  10  that allows a user ease of access to the chest&#39;s contents. Sides  14  and  15  may also be deployed to open giving an even more fuller access to the contents in the chest  10 . 
         [0025]    Shown in  FIG. 7  is a typical example of assembly  40  with mat assembly  30  connected by straps  26  to strap connectors  25  disposed on top  167 . Chest  10  is connected to draw chest  20 . The top  16  and from  12  are in the open position for access to floor  11 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 8  illustrates an example of the side view of the assembly  40  shown in  FIG. 7 . In the closed position for top  16 , cushion  34  of mat assembly  30  may be utilized as a changing table or other means. 
         [0027]    There are several advantages to the disclosed multiple access chest. The modular nature of the chest allows a user to mix and match components to suit the user&#39;s needs and/or design preferences. Further the ability to have multiple access points to a chest  10 , allows the user ease of access and a unique ability to quickly obtain items from the chest without undue physical exertions or searching time. 
         [0028]    Thus the several aforementioned objects and advantages are most effectively attained. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims. Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. 
         [0029]    It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.