Abstract:
A cabinet comprises a plurality of selected cabinet-defining components wherein components defining said cabinet integrally define at least one respective cooperating part of at least one coupling element, said components all secured respectively together exclusively by said respective cooperating parts and the coupling elements formed by said respective cooperating parts.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to cabinets and more particularly to storage cabinets made primarily of sheet metal components. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Storage cabinets have been made for years of sheet metal components including backs, sides, tops, bottoms, doors, kick plates and shelves. These cabinets are frequently shipped in collapsed or unassembled condition, and later erected by the buyer. Assembly of these components has typically been facilitated through the use of fasteners such as bolts, screws, rivets and clips, to name a few, packaged with the cabinets. And while such cabinets are desirably light in weight for shipping, transport and assembly considerations, it is also desirable that in erected form, they provide a substantial, tight, strong and rigid appearance and feel. While newly erected cabinets may be sturdy, over time and through use or stress, they are subject to loosening of fasteners. When that happens, the cabinets may feel flimsy when used or opened. 
     Moreover, when unassembled cabinets are erected through the use of fasteners, the correct fasteners in size and count must be provided along with the cabinet components. This need is accompanied by supply, inventory, packing and package quality control issues as will be appreciated in the industry. Moreover, tools are typically required to install to manipulate or to operate the fasteners 
     As a result, the industry has recently witnessed a reduction in the design number of fasteners necessary to erect a cabinet, but even smaller numbers of required fasteners have the foregoing inherent disadvantages. 
     Accordingly, it has been one objective of this invention to provide a storage cabinet which can be erected and used without the use or application of separate fasteners. 
     Another objective of the invention has been to provide an improved storage cabinet. 
     Another objective has been to provide improved methods for erecting a cabinet without the use of separate fasteners. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To these ends, a cabinet according to the invention is comprised of a number of cabinet components operatively and tightly engagable with other respective components without the use of separate fasteners and to define an assembled cabinet. No bolts, screws, rivets, clips or threaded fasteners of any type are necessary to assembly of the cabinet according to the invention, yet the erected cabinet is consistently sturdy, tight, rigid and substantial in appearance and use. Juxtaposed cabinet components are interconnected or inter-engaged through the use of respective cooperating parts defined integrally in the cabinet components themselves and cooperating, when engaged with respective cooperating parts, to form a coupling element securing the juxtaposed components together. When components are manipulated into interconnecting engagement, they are rigidly secured in place defining in combination a rigid cabinet structure without the need for, and in the absence of any threaded fastener, rivet or other separate fastener. 
     Accordingly, it is not necessary to secure, to inventory, to package, to dispense or to use any separate fasteners or group thereof with any such cabinet. The disassembled components can be shipped, transported and erected without separate fasteners and without the tools such fasteners typically require. 
     With more particularity, the cabinet components are respectively provided with integral and cooperating interlocking features or cooperating parts which rigidly secure the components together in a way to define an assembled cabinet without separate fasteners. The cabinet components preferably include a back comprising two back panels, two respective side panels, a bottom, a front kick plate, a top and several other internal cabinet frame members. These are respectively provided with a plurality of cooperating parts, which may comprise slots, tabs, apertures, bridge forms and projections or other parts or features as will be described, for operatively interlocking the cabinet components together. 
     In this manner, the individual cabinet components can be combined together in a relatively flat package for shipping and transport. A user opens the package and assembles the cabinet from the components in the flat package without fasteners and without the tools previously required with such fasteners. This is accomplished by juxtaposing respective components adjacent one another and moving them relative to one another to couple the cooperating parts, thus defining coupling elements securing the components together to define the cabinet. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated from the following detailed description and from the drawings in which: 
    
    
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boltless storage cabinet according to one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cabinet of  FIG. 1  in disassembled form and showing components thereof but omitting the doors for clarity; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional broken view taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1  with the doors omitted for clarity; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional broken view taken along lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1  with the doors omitted for clarity; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional broken view taken along lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1  with the doors omitted for clarity; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view in expanded scale of the encircled area  6  of  FIG. 3  showing features of the inter-engagement of the cabinet back panels; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view in expanded scale detail of the encircled area  7  of  FIG. 4  showing features of the inter-engagement of back and side panels and top brackets; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view in expanded scale of the encircled area  8  of  FIG. 4  showing features of the inter-engagement of the side panels and bottom structures of the cabinet; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view in expanded scale of the encircled area  9  of  FIG. 5  showing features of the inter-engagement of the side panel and bottom post; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view in expanded scale of the encircled area of  FIG. 5  showing features of the inter-engagement of the side panel and kick plate; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  11 - 11  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  12 - 12  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  13 - 13  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view in expanded detail of the encircled area of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view in expanded detail of the encircled area of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view in expanded detail of the encircled area of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a diagrammatic or graphical illustration of both parts of the detent latch structure according to the invention; and 
         FIG. 18  is a diagrammatic or graphical illustration of both parts of the detent latch structure of  FIG. 17  and illustrates the cooperation of the two detent parts, in latched, engaged or locked condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to the drawings, while  FIG. 1  shows an assembled cabinet  10  according to the invention, one embodiment of the invention is perhaps better understood from  FIG. 2  where the cabinet  10  of  FIG. 1  is illustrated in exploded or expanded view. In  FIG. 2 , components defining the cabinet  10  of one embodiment of the invention include but are not limited to the following members: top member  13 ; side members  14 ,  15 ; back member  16  comprising back panels  17 ,  18 ; bottom member  19 ; and front kick plate member  20 . In addition, the components may include a plurality of frame members or brackets as will be described. Also, side members  14 ,  15 , back member  18  and back panels  17 ,  18  are sometimes referred to herein as “wall members”, singly or jointly. 
     According to the invention, the components of cabinet  10  are interconnected or coupled together without fasteners such as bolts, screws, rivets and the like. This is accomplished by coupling elements, certain of which include a set or pair of cooperating parts as will be described. One such cooperation part is defined in one respective component while a respective cooperating part is defined in an adjacent respective component. When the cooperating parts are aligned and the two respective components moved relative to each other, the cooperating parts form a coupling element which secures the two respective components together. Multiple coupling elements are preferably used for securing certain of the components together, while fewer or only one coupling element are used in other positions to secure components together. These coupling elements may be of the same form and structure or a variety of forms, as desired. 
     Details of a variety of coupling elements are shown in the larger scale  FIGS. 6-10  respectively, showing enlargements of areas  6 - 10  in  FIGS. 3-5 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , back member  16  preferably includes two back panels  17 ,  18 . One back panel  17  has defined therein a plurality of protruding tabs such as those at  25 , while back panel  18  has defined therein a corresponding plurality of tab receiving apertures, such as those at  26  ( FIG. 2 ). Such tabs and apertures are preferably similar to those described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/262,856, Publication No. 2006/0144809, published Jul. 6, 2006; and in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/263,484, published Jul. 6, 2006 as Publication No. 2006/0144607. 
     To assemble the back member  16 , panels  17 ,  18  are juxtaposed adjacent one another and are manipulated so the tabs  25  of panel  17  are inserted into the apertures  26  of panel  18 . The tabs  25  and apertures  26  respectively define coupling elements securing panels  17 ,  18  into a back member  16 . 
     Back panels  17 ,  18  at their outer edges are folded or bent to form integral columns  28 ,  29  as shown in  FIG. 2 , of any desired cross-sectional shapes, these structures enhancing wall member and cabinet rigidity. Just inside these columns  28 ,  29  are formed a plurality of cooperating parts or apertures  30 . These will cooperate with cooperating parts of respective side members  14 ,  15  as will be described. 
     Side members  14 ,  15  each have inwardly extending flanges  31 ,  32 . Each flange  31 ,  32  has defined therein a plurality of tabs  33 , protruding on the inward side of flanges  31 ,  32 . 
     Side members  14 ,  15  are interconnected to respective back panels  17 ,  18  in the following manner. A side panel  14 ,  15  is juxtaposed adjacent a respective back panel  17 ,  18  such that tabs  33  are operatively aligned with respective apertures  30 . Movement of the side panel  14 ,  15  with respect to the respective back panel  17 ,  18  inserts respective tabs  33  into respective apertures  30 . These cooperating parts  33 ,  30  thus define coupling elements such as coupling element  35  shown in enlarged scale in  FIG. 6 . It will be appreciated that the flanges  31 ,  32  lie alongside back panels  17 ,  18  respectively, and the flanges  31 ,  32 , together with the engagement of tabs  33  and apertures  30  and the friction exerted by the tabs on the back panels  17 ,  18  secure these respective components rigidly together. 
     Apertures  30  and  26  are formed of a size to frictionally engage the tabs  33 ,  25  respectively. Secure coupling is thus provided between the coupled components. 
     Once the side members  14 ,  15  are respectively engaged with and coupled to the back panels  17 ,  18 , the kick plate  20  is assembled to the cabinet  10 . In this regard, the forward edges of side members  14 ,  15  are each provided with turned-in forward side flanges, such as those shown at  38 ,  39  ( FIG. 2 ). These flanges define columns  38 A,  39 A, respectively, of rectangular or other cross-section, as shown, such as the four sided columns  38 ,  39  having an elongated opening in one side, also as shown. In addition, side members  14 ,  15  at their lower edges, include inwardly turned bottom flanges  41 ,  42 . Each flange  41 ,  42  has near its forward end a recess  43 ,  44  and a bendable or moveable tab extending therein from the flange, such as tab  45  extending in recess  43 . 
     The flanges  38 ,  39  of side members  14 ,  15  also include recesses, such as recess  47  in flange  38 , having a tab  48  extending therein. 
     Kick plate  20  has an inwardly directed elongated return  21  terminating in a vertical flange  22  ( FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3 ). Return  21  and flange  22  terminate short of the ends  23 ,  24  of kick plate  20  ( FIG. 2 ). Kick plate  20  also includes a bottom flange  27  which extends all the way to the slightly rebated ( FIG. 2 ) ends  23 ,  24  of the kick plate  20 . 
     Corner frame members  50 ,  51  formed in a channel or U-shape are provided with recesses  52 ,  53  respectively in each rearwardly extending flange  54 - 57  respectively. The corner members  50 ,  51  are spot-welded or otherwise fixed to the ends  23 ,  24  of kick plate  20  at the manufacturer prior to shipping of the disassembled cabinet. The members  50 ,  51  respectively extend upwardly, vertically, within the columns  38 A,  39 A formed by respective flanges  38 ,  39 . 
     The kick plate  20 , side members  14 ,  15  and corner members  50 ,  51  are combined and assembled in the following manner. The kick plate  20  and corner member  50  on rebated end  23 , is oriented just behind flange  38  of side member  14 . Rebated end  24 , having corner member  51  attached, is positioned just behind flange  39  and column  39 A. Kick plate  20 , ends  23 ,  24  and corner members  50 ,  51  are pushed forwardly so the corner members  50 ,  51  are positioned within columns  38 A,  39 A, respectively. Both corner members  50 ,  51  are thus disposed just behind kick plate ends  23 ,  24  respectively, within the columns  38 A,  39 A defined by respective flanges  38 ,  39  and “sandwich” the kick plate ends  23 ,  24  between the corner members  50 ,  51  and the flanges  38 ,  39 . At this time, tabs  45  in recesses  43 ,  44  are bent upwardly to capture the ends of the kick plate bottom flange  27  and secure it from moving rearwardly (see  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 10 ). Tabs  48  in flanges  38 ,  39  of side members  14 ,  15  are then bent in an outward direction into and behind recesses  47  and into recess  52  (flange  55 ) of corner frame member  50  and similar recess  53  in flange  56  of corner frame member  51  to secure the corner frame members  50 ,  51  respectively, in columns  38 A,  39 A. Tabs  48  retain corner members  50 ,  51  vertically and laterally while tabs  45  retain column members  50 ,  51  laterally. The upper return  21  and vertical flange  22  terminate at the inside of flanges  55 ,  56  of corner frame members  50 ,  51  respectively. 
     It will be appreciated that tabs  48  with recesses  47  and  52 , and tabs  45  with recesses  43  cooperating with kick plate  20  comprise coupling elements securing respective components together as described. 
     A bottom member  19  is now assembled to cabinet  10 . in this regard, back panels  17 ,  18  define inwardly projecting and elongated tabs  61 ,  62 . Side members  14 ,  15  each define an inwardly extending tab  67 ,  68 . Bottom member  19  has a downwardly projecting rear flange  63 , downwardly projecting forward flange  64  and two downwardly projecting side flanges  65 ,  66 . 
     The bottom member is placed into the now-partially assembled cabinet  10  by inserting its rear flange  63  behind tabs  61 ,  62 , its side flanges  65 ,  66  behind respective louvers or extended tabs  67 ,  68  in side members  14 ,  15  and flange  64  over the vertical flange  22  of kick plate  20 . The bottom member is pushed downwardly (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) so its flanges  63 ,  65 ,  66  are frictionally held between these noted tabs and the components from which the tabs are defined, thereby securing the bottom member  19  to components  14 ,  15 ,  17  and  18 .  FIG. 8  illustrates the engagement of bottom member  19  to back panel  17  while  FIGS. 3-5  illustrate the engagement of bottom member  19  to side member  14  (with its engagement to side  15  being similar). 
     The top structure of cabinet  10  is now assembled as follows. Top member  13  has a plurality of flanges extending downwardly from its respective edges and including rear flange  70 , front flange  71 , and side flanges  72 ,  73 . Downwardly extending top brackets preferably including a rear bracket  75 , and two side brackets  76 ,  77  are preferably spot welded to top member  13  just inside the respective rear flange  70  and side flanges  72 ,  73 . These brackets  75 - 77  extend downwardly and are preferably provided with tab or bridge receiving apertures such as at  78  (see  FIG. 7 ). The brackets are disposed parallel to and adjacent to the respective flanges  70 ,  72 ,  73  extending from the top, preferably with just enough space therebetween to sandwich therebetween upper portions of corresponding respective wall members. 
     Top member  13  also has an integral forward edge from which downwardly extending flange  83  depends, having a return  84  and a terminating downwardly extending flange  85 . 
     Side members  14 ,  15  further define, proximate their top edges, projections or “bridges”  80  as shown ( FIG. 7 ). Back panels  17 ,  18  also further define projections or bridges  81 . 
     Further components at the top member  13  of cabinet  10  include upper corner frame members  86 ,  87  affixed, such as by spot welding or other suitable fixture expedient to top  13 . These preferably extend only a predetermined distance downwardly from the top portion of cabinet  10 , their extension preferably being relatively short so the top member  13  with corner members  86 ,  87  does not add significantly to the thickness of the packaged, disassembled cabinet  10  when shipped. 
     Preferably, the front return  84  and terminating flange  85  of top member  13  terminate short of the ends of side flanges  72 ,  73  to accommodate the flanges  38 ,  39  or side members  14 ,  15  respectively. On assembly, corner members  86 ,  87  are disposed within the columns defined by flanges  38 ,  39  at the top of cabinet  10 . Corner members  86 ,  87  include upper rearwardly extending flanges  88 ,  89  which are spot-welded to top  13 . 
     It will be appreciated that corner members  50 ,  51  and  86 ,  87  can be spot welded in place by the manufacturer where desired and shipped within the cabinet to facilitate later assembly. Brackets  75 - 77  may also be pre-spot welded by the manufacturer to top member  13 . 
     The top member  13  is assembled by pressing the top over the back panels  17 ,  18  and side members  14 ,  15 . 
     The top side brackets  76 ,  77  capture the upper ends of the side panels  14 ,  15  between the brackets  76 ,  77  and the side flanges  72 ,  73  of the top. Likewise, the rear bracket  75  captures the upper ends of the back panels  17 ,  18  between the bracket  75  and rear flange  70  of the top  13 . 
     On assembly, the bridges  80 ,  81  are urged into the respective apertures  78  of the brackets  75 - 77 , securing the top member  13  to side members  14 ,  15  and back panels  17 ,  18 . Top flanges  70 ,  72 ,  73  cover and obscure the respective bridges  81  and apertures  78 , providing a clean, unobstructed and substantial top structure to cabinet  10 . 
     In this regard, the upper edges or margins of side members  14 ,  15  and back panels  17 ,  18  are “swaged” or clamped by the top, between the respective brackets and flanges. The brackets “give” or flex only enough to accommodate the extensions of the bridge parts  31 , then flex back to secure the bridges  81  within the apertures as provided. 
     The corner members  86 ,  87  are pushed down and received in the columns  38 A,  39 A formed by flanges  38 ,  39  in the side members. 
     Thereafter, and if desired, doors  94 ,  95  may be mounted to the cabinet by means of integral hinge parts (not shown) attached or defined in flange structures  38 ,  39  by the manufacturer. 
     Finally, and in order to facilitate assembly and performance of the cabinet  10 , detent latches are punched and formed into selected cabinet members for cooperation with adjacent components. For example, detent projections can be formed by upsetting metal in a flange  38 ,  39 . These extend into an aperture or cooperating detent depression, formed by cutting out or by upsetting metal in corner posts  50 ,  51  and  86 ,  87  to facilitate the interconnection of the corner posts to respective cabinet members as will be appreciated. 
     Such detents are of similar construction and are preferably used in four locations in the completed cabinet  10 . The construction and operation of the detents are illustrated graphically, for clarity, in  FIGS. 17 and 18  with the detent structures being similar except for their orientation noted below. One detent  90  is located in each of the flanges  38 ,  39  and in lower corner posts  50 ,  51 . 
     A second detent  91  is located near each upper ends of flanges  38 ,  39  and in upper corner posts  86 ,  87 . Detents  90  and  91  comprise or may be considered to define “coupling elements” as that phrase is used herein. 
     The structure of detents  90 ,  91  is the same as follows. Detents  90  and  91  each include a projection  92  formed by upsetting metal in a flange  38 ,  39 . These projections extend outwardly from a surface of flanges  38 ,  39  in a “half moon” shape, having a tapered end  93  and a flat edge  94  when the detent is upset from the metal of the flanges. 
     Projection receiving apertures  95  in the corner members  50 ,  51  have a flat edge  96  and are located in an adjacent component such as the corner posts  50 ,  51 . Upon assembly, the tapered edge  93  of projection  92  and the aperture  95  in the adjacent component are moved respectively to each other. Once the aperture  95  slips over the projection  92 , the edge  94  engages edge  96 , preventing withdrawal of the component in an opposite direction. The components are thus locked or latched together. 
     Accordingly, the corner posts  50 ,  51  can be pushed laterally into columns  38 A,  39 A with flange  55  and  56  respectively, passing over tapered ends  93  of projection  92 , until the projection  92  falls into apertures  95 , which latches the posts  50 ,  51  into columns  38 A,  39 A. 
     It will be appreciated the tapered end  93  points or extends laterally and rearwardly and in an opposite direction to the movement (arrow A,  FIG. 14 ) of the cooperating elements  50 ,  51  when they are pushed over the projection  93 . Thereafter, the apertures  95  fall over the front edges  96  of the detents and the two parts  92 ,  95  cooperate to latch the cooperating components together. 
     At the upper end of the cabinet, the tapered ends  93  of the detents  91  are directed upwardly. As the upper corner posts  86 ,  87  are pushed downwardly into columns  38 A,  38 B, the apertures  95  in posts  86 ,  87  ride over, then receive projections  92 , latching the components together. The flanges of the posts  86 ,  87 , bearing the upset detent or apertures  95 , slide over the projections  92  until the apertures in the posts fall over the detent edges  94 , locking posts  86 ,  87  into columns  38 A,  39 A respectively. 
     From the foregoing and the drawings, the following additional aspects of the invention will be appreciated. For example, it will be appreciated that the components of the cabinet  10  are not merely connected together, but are interlocked in a way such that they form rigid junctures, one with the other and thus provide a very rigid cabinet structure. in this regard, it should be noted that the tabs and slots such as at  25  and  26  and at  33  and  30  hold the respective components in which they are formed in place laterally; the top  13  of cabinet  10  is “swaged” (flanges  70 ,  73 ,  73  and brackets  75 ,  76 ,  77 ) over the sides  14 ,  15 , and back panels  17 ,  18 , adding strength and rigidity; the top corner posts  86 ,  87  are locked in on three surfaces, thus preventing further tightening and also further stabilizing the cabinet  10  and preventing “rocking”; the bottom kick plate is secured via corner members  50 ,  51 , locked in on three surfaces, preventing further tightening, and further stabilizing cabinet  10  and preventing rocking; and the kick plate and posts  50 ,  51  are locked in with additional tabs  45 ,  48  bent over and abutting the posts  50 ,  51  further securing parts from disengagement. All these features contribute to a strong, rigid cabinet  10 . 
     In addition, the interconnection of the bottom member  19  in and to cabinet  10  adds to the rigidity of the cabinet, the bottom  19  being supported by four louvers  61 ,  62 ,  67  and  68  respectively, in back panels  17 ,  18  and side members  14 ,  15  and the bottom  19  securing those components together along a flange  64  engaging flange  22  of kick plate  20 . The interconnection of these features adds to the rigidity of the cabinet  10 . Moreover, the forward edge of bottom  19  rests on kick plate  20 , adding to the load capacity of bottom  19 . 
     It will also be appreciated that the detents  90 ,  91  lock together the components in which they are formed, preventing loosening of those components one from the other during normal use of cabinet  10  due to the unidirectional orientation and locking of abutting surfaces provided by the detents. 
     Moreover, it will be appreciated that shelves can be added within cabinet  10  when desired, either by convention en desired, either by convention shelf brackets or by tabs such as tabs  25  or elongated tabs or louvers formed in the side members  14 ,  15  and in back panels  17 ,  18 . 
     Accordingly, the varied combination of components and the coupling elements as described, produce a rigid, tight cabinet, easily shipped, in flat disassembled configuration and easily erected, all without tools and separate fasteners, yet into a rigid cabinet structure. The invention can be provided in a variety of configurations and application such as in cabinets, shelving, bookcases, lockers and a variety of structures as will be appreciated. The term “cabinet” as used herein is considered to cover all such and other similar structures. 
     The finished, assembled cabinet  10  is sturdy, rigid and presents a strong aesthetic look of a more substantial cabinet than anticipated from the raw materials of construction, all without use of any separate fasteners interconnecting or securing the parts, and all without tools being necessary for assembly. 
     These and other modifications and advantages will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill without departing from the scope of this invention and applicant intends to be bound only by the claims appended hereto.