Abstract:
A rotary filing cabinet with a wardrobe has a cabinet housing with at least a front opening. A rotor is mounted for rotational movement within the housing about a vertical axis. A vertical dividing panel of the rotor has at one side a plurality of filing shelves and at an opposite side a plurality of compartments forming the wardrobe. By rotating the rotor, either the filing shelves or the wardrobe can be positioned at the front opening of the cabinet housing

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    A rotary filing cabinet is known, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,157 incorporated herein by reference, which is operable from either of two sides. In the filing cabinet, a rotor is provided in a cabinet having a plurality of shelves. These shelves are located on opposite sides of a central divider panel. The rotor is movable to expose the shelves to either of two open sides of the housing. The rotor has two opposing closed flat sides and can be rotated into a position that closes the open sides of the cabinet housing.  
           [0002]    In office, educational, and other environments, file cabinets may occupy a substantial portion of space. Additionally, substantial portions of space may be occupied by a closet utilized as a wardrobe allowing those present in the office to have a convenient place to store their coats, umbrellas, and other personal items such as running shoes, handbags, bags containing meals, purses, athletic bags, etc.  
           [0003]    Substantial space can be occupied in the office by both the wardrobe closet and the file cabinets.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is an object of the invention to minimize the cost and space required in an office or similar environment for a wardrobe.  
           [0005]    According to the present invention, a rotary filing cabinet is provided having shelving at one side of a divider panel and compartments at an opposite side of the divider panel functioning as a wardrobe. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a front view of the rotary filing cabinet with the wardrobe facing the front side;  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a front view of the rotary filing cabinet but with the rotor turned  90 ° such that one of the closed flat sides is exposed at a front opening of a housing of the cabinet;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a front view of the filing cabinet of FIG. 1, but with the rotor rotated such that the filing shelves face the front opening;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a top view of the rotary filing cabinet with wardrobe of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a front view of vertical panels together with one of the shelves and a hook used in the wardrobe portion of the rotary filing cabinet;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a side view of one of the vertical panels of FIG. 5;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7A is a top view of one of the shelves received in louvers of the vertical panels of FIG. 5;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7B is an end view of the shelf of FIG. 7A;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8A is a front view of a hook used in the wardrobe; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8B is an end view of the hook of FIG. 8A. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and/or method, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur now or in the future to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 illustrates at  10  the rotary filing cabinet with wardrobe having a rotor  11  turned to face a front opening  12  of a housing  9  of the filing cabinet. A foot pedal  13  and a lock  14  are provided in the filing cabinet. The lock  14  prevents rotation of the rotor  11 , even if the foot pedal  13  is activated. If the lock  14  is unlocked, then the rotor  11  can be rotated when the operator places a foot on the pedal  13  depressing it downwardly to unlock the rotor for rotation.  
         [0018]    The mechanical structure of the rotary filing cabinet, and its rotational system with shelves only, is described in prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,157 incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0019]    In FIG. 1 showing the wardrobe facing the front, a central vertical dividing panel  15  is provided together with a series of shelves  16 A through  16 D. A continuous shelf  17  is also provided at the lower end of the vertical panel  15 . Another shelf  18  is provided beneath shelf  17 .  
         [0020]    The aforementioned shelves  16 A-D and  17  form the wardrobe portion of the filing cabinet. A left compartment  18  is formed of the central vertical dividing panel  15 , a central divider panel  19  forming a back of the compartment, and an additional vertical panel  20  at the left side.  
         [0021]    Additional compartments  21 A,  21 B,  21 C,  21 D and  21 E are provided to the right side of the vertical dividing panel  15  in the wardrobe.  
         [0022]    The left hand compartment  18  has at least one hook assembly  22  on which clothing items such as a coat  23  may be hung. Also shown in compartment  18  is an umbrella  24 .  
         [0023]    On the right side of the divider  15  in the wardrobe, another vertical panel  24  is provided. The shelves  16 A-D are thus supported between the vertical panels  15  and  24 .  
         [0024]    The compartments  21 A,  21 B and  21 C may hold odd sized books or files  6 ,  7  and  8 , for example. Compartments  21 D and  21 E may hold personal items such as purses, camera cases, briefcases, shoes or the like indicated by reference numerals  25  and  26 .  
         [0025]    Below shelf  17  hanging files  5 , for example, may be provided.  
         [0026]    Beneath a shelf  18 , a security compartment  27  may be provided having a closed security drawer  28  with its own lock  29  and a handle  30 .  
         [0027]    With reference to FIG. 2, the rotor of the cabinet has been rotated  900  so that the closed flat side  4  (see FIG. 4) faces the front opening  12 .  
         [0028]    In FIG. 3, the shelving on the opposite side of the central divider panel  19  (see FIG. 4) can be seen. Thus, shelves  31 A-G are shown. These shelves form respective compartments within which files  32  may be stored.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 4 shows as a top view, the overall layout from the top of the rotary filing cabinet with wardrobe. The central divider panel  19  segregates the shelves in the back from the wardrobe at the front. Also shown are closed flat sides  4  and  5 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 5 shows the left vertical panel  20 , right vertical panel  24 , and central vertical panel  15  of the wardrobe. One of the shelves  16 A, for example, is shown. Louvers  33  are also shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 shows the front view of the louvers  33  on panel  20 .  
         [0031]    The central vertical panel  5  is formed from first and second back-to-back louvered vertical panels with the first panel nested with the second panel.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 7A illustrates shelf  16 A, for example, in a top view having mounting tabs  16 AA- 16 AD which are received in respective louvers of the vertical panels.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7B shows an end view of the shelf  16 A.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIGS. 8A,B show front and end views respectively of the clothing hook assembly  22  of FIG. 1. The hook assembly locks to the same louvers  33  utilized for retaining the shelves. Hook assembly  22  has hook portions  36 A, B, C, and retaining portions  37 A, B for engaging in the louvers.  
         [0035]    With the system disclosed, space in an office can be conserved, the personal items stored in the wardrobe can be concealed from view, and overall expense is reduced, since the wardrobe is provided with the use of a closet.  
         [0036]    By a simple spin of the rotor, the wardrobe is exposed at the front opening to expose a series of personal storage compartments from one or more employees or guests in the office, educational, or other environment.  
         [0037]    The disclosed system provides personal storage and security as well as a file and supply storage. For example in a classroom, a teacher can store personal belongings, lesson plans, student files, worksheets, and teacher manuals.  
         [0038]    In an existing rotary file, installation of the wardrobe is simple by addition of the central vertical panel  15 . For example, two flanges  15 B,  15 C are provided at the top of the vertical panel  15  which are attached to the rotor  11  by screws  38 ,  39 . Two tabs  15 A shown by the dashed line reference number are also provided at the bottom of the vertical panel  15  which are inserted into slots  17 A in the continuous shelf  17  as shown in FIG. 1. Simply by mounting the continuous shelf  17 , the half-shelves  16 A-D and coat hook assembly  22  into the louvers and the wardrobe is functional. Alternatively, instead of continuous shelf  17  with a filing compartment  5  and security drawer  27 , these structures can be dispensed with and the central divider panel  15  can be extended all the way to the bottom of the rotor with corresponding slots being provided at the bottom of the rotor to receive the tabs  15 A of the vertical panel  15 .  
         [0039]    While a preferred embodiment has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described, and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention both now or in the future are desired to be protected.