Abstract:
Cabinets ( 10 ) are formed by a frame ( 60 ) enclosing shelves. The frame ( 60 ) has a plurality of openings in the front face ( 70, 71 ) of the cabinetry to allow access to the contents of the cabinets ( 10 ). The openings are covered by doors ( 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52 ) connected to the frame by hinges. Art work covers the doors ( 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52 ) and frames ( 60 ) of the cabinets ( 10 ) and is arranged so that the art work is not distorted or interrupted by the division of the cabinetry front between the doors ( 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52 ) and frame ( 60 ). The artwork extends across the door ( 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52 ) onto the frame ( 60 ) in such a manner as to give the impression that it is a single piece of art. When viewed from a distance, the viewer sees the complete work of art even though the doors ( 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52 ) are operable.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application relates to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/022,583 filed Dec. 24, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to cabinetry and, more particularly, to cabinetry having an uninterrupted work of art thereon. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Cabinetry, particularly those used in kitchens, is often the centerpiece of a house. The cabinets, counter tops and flooring for a kitchen represent the largest expenditure for any room in the house. These features are permanently attached and are chosen based as much on their esthetic appeal as their functional qualities. 
         [0004]    Cabinets are designed to last for many years. Given their expense, homeowners wish to choose cabinets that add to the visual attractiveness of a room, particularly a kitchen, for a long time. Cabinets are usually made from natural or simulated wood and are available in many different colors. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is an object of the invention to provide cabinets that are functional and esthetically appealing. 
         [0006]    It is another object of the invention to provide cabinets having an appearance of an uninterrupted work of art. 
         [0007]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide cabinets having a work of art that extends across the cabinet doors and frame. 
         [0008]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide cabinets that are a work of art without reducing their functionality. 
         [0009]    These and other objects of the invention become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the disclosure of the invention. 
         [0010]    A cabinet has a frame defining an enclosure. Openings are formed in the frame for accessing the contents of the enclosure. Doors are connected to the frame and cover the openings. A design on the doors and frame maintains continuity across the doors and frame to give the appearance of a single picture. 
         [0011]    The cabinets are formed by a frame enclosing shelves. The frame has a plurality of openings in the front face of the cabinetry to allow access to the contents of the cabinet. The openings are covered by doors connected to the frame by hinges. Art work covers the doors and frames of the cabinet and is arranged so that the art work is not distorted or interrupted by the division of the cabinetry front between doors and frame. The artwork extends across the doors onto a frame in such a manner as to give the impression that it is a single piece of art. When viewed from a distance, the viewer sees the complete work of art even though the doors are operable. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a cabinet assembly constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, the cabinet assembly having a work of art extending across its doors and cabinet frame; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of a cabinet assembly constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2B  is a view similar to  FIG. 2A , except that some cabinet doors are shown in their partially open positions; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , except that cabinet doors are shown in their partially open positions; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , except that drawers are shown in their partially open positions; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 , except that cabinet doors are shown in their partially open positions; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 , except that drawers are shown in their partially open positions; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 9 , except that cabinet doors are shown in their partially open positions; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    Cabinetry constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The invention applies to a single cabinet or a plurality of joined cabinets  10  which make up a single unit. The cabinets  10  may be, for example, floor cabinets supporting a counter top and/or wall cabinets (as shown) that are mounted on a wall above the counter tops. The cabinets  10  of the invention may be made out of any material normally used. This includes, but is not limited to, natural and synthetic wood, composite wood, plastic, and the like. The cabinets  10  have a front frame  60  with a plurality of vertically extending frame segments  61 - 67 . In the embodiment of the cabinetry shown in  FIG. 1 , the cabinets  10  are provided with a plurality of pairs of doors  21 - 22 ,  31 - 32 ,  41 - 42 ,  51 - 52 , as well as pantry doors  53  and the like. The cabinets  10  may also have drawers (not shown). Although the cabinets  10  are conventionally provided with doors provided in pairs, the invention may be applied to any type of cabinet. In  FIG. 1 , the frame  60  and the cabinet doors  21 - 22 ;  31 - 32 ;  41 - 42 ;  51 - 52  combine to create the total surface area of the cabinet&#39;s front face  70 ,  71 . 
         [0024]    The front face  70 ,  71  of the cabinets  10  is provided with continuous art work. The art work may be original art work or reproduction of existing art work or any continuous other designs. It may be of any type such as abstract or representational. In  FIG. 1 , the design is, shown applied to the cabinets&#39; front face  70 ,  71  for clarity purposes. In use, the design, as shown, extends across the exposed vertical frame members  61 - 67  for extent of the cabinetry including exposed frames and may include such other features as drawers and the like. The design is applied to the front face  70 ,  71  of the cabinetry  10  as, for example, by a painting, base relief, molded, sculpted, or any other means and is uninterrupted across the viewable portion of the front face  70 ,  71  of the cabinetry  10  despite the fact that the front face  70 ,  71  is formed, for example, as shown, by a plurality of doors  21 ,  22 ,  31 ,  32 ,  41 ,  42 ,  51 ,  52  and the frame  60 . It is an essential aspect of this invention that the design not only cover, be disposed across a door but that it extends across a door and part of the visible frame between the doors so as to present a continuous design. The design may also continue from the front to the exposed sides (not shown) of the cabinets  10 . Thus, this uninterrupted design, as illustrated in the example of  FIG. 1  as a continuous balloon design, extends across the pairs of doors  21 - 22 ,  31 - 32 ,  41 - 42 ,  51 - 52 . The design extends across the exposed frames  60 - 67 . In this way, the design is continuous across the exposed frame members and doors and, if visible, cabinet drawers (not shown). It may also extend across to other exposed surfaces, even though those surfaces present, for example, cabinet doors and frame members so that the design draws together the front face of the cabinet. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a “frameless” cabinet  80  constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. In a “frameless” cabinet  80 , hinges are concealed and doors cover the entire frame. The doors juxtapose one another including adjacent pairs of doors so that no frame is visible. Even though such doors hide the frame, they are clearly visible and defined by their marginal edges. 
         [0026]    In  FIG. 2 , the door construction of the “frameless” cabinet  80  provides pairs of doors  121 - 122 ,  123 - 124 ,  125 - 126 , hiding the frame (partially shown in phantom  128 ). Thus, the frame  128  is not visible when the doors are closed. Adjacent pairs of doors  121 - 122 ,  123 - 124 ,  125 - 126  abut or juxtapose one another with minimal gaps to permit the doors to be hingedly opened and closed. Thus, to the observer, with the doors closed, what is clearly visible in the front surface is the adjacent doors. 
         [0027]    One purpose of this invention is to minimize or make virtually invisible any interruption in the cabinet visible surface, thereby reducing or making almost invisible the existence of doors, drawers, or the like. The cabinets  80  becomes, instead, a hanging design first and a cabinet second. The design may be a work of art or abstract design or the like and may be formed on or in or adhered to a sheet of material of the type described. As previously described, the design may be formed on or attached to the visible front surface by, for example, a base relief carved into the doors (and, where visible, the frame), molded onto or in the surface or adhered to the surface. A very small space is between any pair of doors so that the doors may pivot open. The same is true for any other exposed surface, such as drawers. Additionally, the artwork may extend from the front continuously to an exposed frame or exposed sides  130  (one side is shown) of the cabinet box  80 . 
         [0028]    Another purpose of this invention is to dispose the design so that it is continuous and extends across various doors and, if visible, the cabinet frame, drawers, and the like and may be extended to any exposed side of the cabinets box so as to make the combined appearance of the edges of closed doors and draws be diminished or practically invisible when viewed as an overall presentation of the design. Thus, the viewer sees this single design despite the fact that the viewed front surface is made of many different components such as the doors and draws which remain operable. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 3-5  depict a third embodiment of the present invention. Elements illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5 , which correspond, either identically or substantially, to the elements described above with respect to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , have been designated by corresponding reference numerals increased by two hundred. Unless otherwise stated, the embodiment of  FIGS. 6-8  is constructed and assembled in the same basic manner as the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0030]    With reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , there is shown a china cabinet  210  defining a storage enclosure  211  and including a pair of outer or exposed sides  230 ,  231 . The cabinet  210  is also provided with a plurality of doors  221 ,  222 , each of which has a front surface  227 . Each of the doors  221 ,  222  is mounted to the cabinet  210  such that it is movable between a closed position (see  FIG. 3 ) and a closed position (see  FIG. 4 ) so as to provide access to the enclosure  211 . Moreover, the cabinet  210  includes a plurality of drawers  212 , each of which is movable between a closed position (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and an open position (see  FIG. 5 ) and each of which is provided with a front surface  213 . 
         [0031]    Still referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , the cabinet  210  includes a base  214  located below the drawers  212  and having a front surface  215 . The front surface  215  of the base  214  cooperates with the front surfaces  227  of the doors  221 ,  222  and the front surfaces  213  of the drawers  212  to define at least a portion of a front face  270  of the cabinet  210 . 
         [0032]    The cabinet  210  includes a graphical or pictorial design  280  extending across and between the front face  270  and at least one of the sides  230 ,  231 . More particularly, the design  280  includes a block  281 , which projects laterally outwardly from the side  230  of the cabinet  210 , and plates  282 ,  283 , which are attached to the front surface  213  of the lowermost one of the drawers  212  and to the base  214  and the block  281 , respectively. The block  281  and the plates  282 ,  283  cooperate to form an illustration  284  which illustrates an article, object, theme or the like (e.g., a flowerpot). As a result, the base  214  defines at least a portion of the illustration  284 . 
         [0033]    The design  280  also includes an illustration  285  and an illustration  286  which illustrate articles, objects, themes or the like relating to the one illustrated by the illustration  284 . For instance, the illustration  285  can include a painting illustrating a plurality of stems projecting from the flowerpot of the illustration  284  and leaves at ends thereof. Similarly, the illustration  286  can include a painting illustrating a stem projecting from the block  281  and a leaf at an end thereof. The illustration  285  is provided in a conventional manner (e.g., painting, base relief, molding, sculpting or any other suitable means) on the front surfaces  227  of the doors  221 ,  222  and at least one of the front surfaces  213  of the drawers  212  such that it appears to extend substantially continuously across the front surfaces  227 ,  213 . Likewise, the illustration  286  is provided on the side  230  of the cabinet  210  in a conventional manner. At least a portion of the illustration  286  corresponds to at least a portion of the illustration  285  (see portions of the illustrations cooperating to illustrate a leaf extending across an edge between the front face  270  and the side  230 ) so as to make the design  280  appear to extend substantially continuously from the front face  270  to the side  230 . 
         [0034]      FIGS. 6-8  depict a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Elements illustrated in  FIGS. 6-8 , which correspond, either identically or substantially, to the elements described above with respect to the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 , have been designated by corresponding reference numerals increased by one hundred. Unless otherwise stated, the embodiment of  FIGS. 6-8  is constructed and assembled in the same basic manner as the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 . 
         [0035]    With reference to  FIGS. 6-8 , there is shown a china cabinet  310  having a base  314 . The entire base  314  defines an illustration  384  which illustrates an article, object, theme or the like (e.g., a flowerpot). The cabinet  310  includes an illustration  385  which extends from the base  314  and across a front face  370  of the cabinet  310  (e.g., across front surfaces  313  of drawers  312  and front surfaces  327  of doors  321 ,  322 ). An illustration  386  is also provided on a side  330  of the cabinet  310 . The illustrations  385 ,  386  illustrate objects, articles, themes or the like which relate and/or correspond to the one illustrated by the illustration  384 . 
         [0036]      FIGS. 9 and 10  depict a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Elements illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , which correspond, either identically or substantially, to the elements described above with respect to the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 , have been designated by corresponding reference numerals increased by two hundred. Unless otherwise stated, the embodiment of  FIGS. 9 and 10  is constructed and assembled in the same basic manner as the embodiment of  FIGS. 3-5 . 
         [0037]    With reference to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , there is shown a china cabinet  410  having a base  414 . The base  414  includes a portion  416  defining an illustration  484  which illustrates an article, object, theme or the like (e.g., a flowerpot). The cabinet  410  includes an illustration  485  which extends from the base  414  and across a front face  470  of the cabinet  410 . An illustration  486  is also provided on a side  430  of the cabinet  410 . The illustrations  485 ,  486  illustrate objects, articles, themes or the like (e.g., plants including stems, flowers and leaves) which relate and/or correspond to the one illustrated by the illustration  484 . 
         [0038]    It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications above are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.