SPILL STATION

Abstract: A cabinet (10) for storage of items to clean up spills comprising a rear cabinet portion (12), a front cabinet portion (16) which is openable away from the rear cabinet portion (12), the rear cabinet portion (12) having at least one shelf (20) for the storage of spill cleanup items, the front openable cabinet portion (16) having storage space for the storage of cleanup items, and further comprising a mounting bracket (50) for mounting the rear cabinet portion (12) to a structural member (18).

Description: SPILL STATION CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application 60/234,117 filed September 21, 2000 entitled SPILL STATION, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for providing retail establishments a place to store items that are necessary in the cleanup of spills. Currently, retail stores have no location in and around the stores to place cleaning supplies in an aesthetic and sanitary manner. Items used to clean up spills typically include brooms, liquid waste pellet absorbers, dust pans, bags, solvents, etc. The present invention relates to a spill station cabinet, with and without such ancillary products used in the cleanup of spills. The invention addresses two major issues relating to the cleanup of spills. First, it is very important that retail stores clean up spills immediately. Customers walking through a spill may trip and fall and become injured leading to injury and/or liability. However, without cleaning supplies immediately at hand or within a reasonable distance from the spill, a certain amount of time must elapse while employees seek out cleaning supplies and return them to the site to clean up the spill. Most cleaning supplies are stored in back rooms or the warehouse section of a store because there is no appropriate place to store them in and around the retail store area. This is time consuming and burdensome. The spill station of the invention is unique in that any number of spill stations may be installed in and around the store, making the retrieval of cleaning supplies fast and readily accessible. The spill station is designed so that it can be wall mounted or mounted on a structural vertical beam in and around a store. The second issue the invention addresses as it relates to the cleanup of spills is the need to keep cleaning supplies on hand in an attractive, sanitary and concise location. Some stores currently hang brooms on the exposed structural vertical beams found in and around the store. This practice is unsightly and unsanitary as the broom usually accumulates dirt and grime from cleaning up spills. The exposed broom may have occasion to come into contact with a customer or product and contaminate the customer or product. The spill station is a self contained unit which keeps all cleaning supplies out of view of customers and protects them from coming in contact with any contamination. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet where cleaning supplies can be stored. Yet still a further object of the present invention is to provide such a cabinet where cleaning supplies can be stored which can be easily and conveniently mounted in a retail establishment. It is furthermore an object of the present invention to provide such a cabinet which has fasteners provided thereon for allowing convenient and easy fastening to structural members of stores such as columns or walls. According to one aspect, the invention comprises a cabinet for storage of items to clean up spills comprising a rear cabinet portion, a front cabinet portion which is openable away from the rear cabinet portion, the rear cabinet portion having at least one shelf for the storage of spill cleanup items, the front openable cabinet portion having storage space for the storage of cleanup items, and further comprising a mounting bracket for mounting the rear cabinet portion to a structural member. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWLNG(S The invention will now be described in detail in the following detailed description with reference to the drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention with the cabinet having its cover in the closed position; Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the cover in the open position; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 shows a universal back plate which can be used with the invention and shown attached to a square structural member such as a square post; Fig. 5 show the universal back plate fastened to a curved or round structural member such as a round cross-section post; and Fig. 6 shows the universal back plate mounting the spill station on a wall. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION With reference now to the drawings, the invention provides a spill station or cabinet for storing the tools and supplies necessary for cleaning spills in retail or other establishments. The invention comprises a cabinet generally indicated at 10, for example, as shown in Fig. 1. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , the cabinet includes a back portion 12, a lower front portion 14 and a front cover 16. The device 10 is mounted, for example, to a post 18 of the retail establishment as will be described in greater detail below. As shown in Fig. 2, the front cover 16 may be formed so that it opens only approximately the top half of the cabinet 10. The lower bottom cover 14 may be fixed or may also be hinged to the rear cover 12, as in "Dutch door" style. As shown, the interior of the spill station 10 includes shelving 20, 22 for storage of cleanup implements, solvents, rolls of cloth, paper, etc. The bottom cover 14 may be fixed or may be also hinged and include storage location for cleanup items therein. Preferably, the bottom front cover includes a channel 24 which receives the handle 26 of a broom 28, which may be stored in the top front cover as shown. Fig. 3 shows another embodiment 10' of the spill station. This embodiment has a rear portion 12', a front top cover 16' and a lower portion 13 for storage of cleanup items therein which is accessible once the front cover 16' is opened. A broom whose handle 26 is shown may be stored in similar fashion in the top cover as in the first embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a universal back plate for mounting the spill station, shown mounting it on a square post. As shown, the back plate may be formed of a metal or plastic plate 50 having cutouts 52 for strapping 54. Strapping 54 has suitable ties or connectors for tightening the plate 50 against the post 18. In addition, cutouts 56 are provided having arc shaped portions 58 adapted to abut against a rounded post. When the post is square, the arc shaped sections are maintained within the plane of the plate 50. As shown in Fig. 5, when the back plate is fitted to a round post 18', the arc shaped portions 58 are folded along lines 59 so that the rounded edges thereof abut against the round post 18'. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the plate 50 includes elongated pots or projections 60 which are adapted to be received in elongated holes in the back of the back portion 12, 12' so that the spill station 10 can be inserted onto the posts 60 and dropped slightly whereby the elongated portions of the posts 60 overlap the back plate of the portion 12, 12' to maintain the spill station in position. Fig. 6 shows the universal back plate mounted to a wall. The back plate may be mounted to the wall with screws 70, for example, mounted through the post 60. The invention has thus provided a spill station cabinet which provides a convenient location in and around a retail store or other environment to store items that are necessary in the cleanup of spills. The invention saves time and provides an aesthetic and attractive way to store such items in a manner such that they do not come into contact with consumers and are readily available in the case of spills. Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention should be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A cabinet for storage of items to clean up spills comprising: a rear cabinet portion; a front cabinet portion which is openable away from the rear cabinet portion, the rear cabinet portion having at least one shelf for the storage of spill cleanup items, the front openable cabinet portion having storage space for the storage of cleanup items, and further comprising a mounting bracket for mounting the rear cabinet portion to a structural member. 2. The storage cabinet of claim 1 wherein the front openable portion comprises a cover covering approximately half the rear cabinet portion. 3. The cabinet of claim 1, further comprising a lower front cabinet portion. 4. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the lower cabinet portion is fixed. 5. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the lower cabinet portion is openable. 6. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the front cabinet portion is hinged to the rear cabinet portion. 7. The cabinet of claim 3, wherein a broom is stored in an inside portion of the front cabinet portion in a position such that the handle of the broom faces downwardly. 8. The cabinet of claim 7, wherein the handle of the broom is received in a channel of a lower front cabinet portion. 9. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket comprises a separate piece from the rear cabinet portion, one of the mounting bracket and the rear cabinet portion having a plurality of elongated projections for receiving elongated openings in the other of the rear cabinet portion and the mounting bracket. 10. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket includes at least one cutout having a bendable member adapted to abut against a curved structural member. 11. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein the portion adapted to abut against the curved structural member is foldable along a crease line so as to abut against the structural member. 12. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket includes cutouts for receiving a strapping band to hold the mounting bracket tightly against the structural member. 13. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein the mounting bracket has openings for receiving fastening members for fastening the mounting bracket to a structural member. 14. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein the fastening members comprise screws.

Inventors: GIAMPAVOLO CHRISTINE, GIAMPAVOLO PAUL, SHELTON ROBERT, GIAMPAVOLO, CHRISTINE, GIAMPAVOLO, PAUL, SHELTON, ROBERT
Applicants: GIAMPAVOLO CHRISTINE, GIAMPAVOLO PAUL, GIAMPAVOLO, CHRISTINE, GIAMPAVOLO, PAUL
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A47G
IPC codes: A47B81, A47L13