Patent Publication Number: US-4258964-A

Title: Modular cabinet with mirror

Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a modular cabinet with mirror which can be used adjacent the beautician&#39;s chair in a beauty parlor to provide a convenient work area for the beautician, and which modular cabinet is so constructed and arranged that it can be used either singly or combined in different arrays with other similar units to provide a plurality of beautician work areas. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a modular cabinet having a generally chevron shape counter top providing first and second counter top portions interconnected at one end and extending at an obtuse angle to each other with a mirror mounted on one counter top portion and extending upwardly from adjacent its rear edge at an angle of 120° to the rear edge of the other counter top portion. 
     The invention further provides storage drawers below the other counter top portion and mounted for movement along a path paralleling the rear edge of the other counter top portion between a closed position and an end-out position in which part of the drawers extend outwardly of the end of the counter top. 
    
    
     These, together with other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular cabinet with mirror embodying the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an end elevational view taken on the plane 2--2 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view taken on the plane 3--3 of FIG. 1 and with the drawers in an end-out position; 
     FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the modular cabinet with mirror in position adjacent a beautician&#39;s chair; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating several modular cabinets arranged in a row along a wall; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating two like modular cabinet units in a back-to-back arrangement; 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view showing two reversely symmetrical modular cabinet units in a back-to-back arrangement; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating three modular cabinet units arranged in a triangular array; and 
     FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating four modular cabinet units arranged in a rectangular array. 
    
    
     Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 1--4 of the drawings, each modular cabinet 9 includes a generally chevron shaped counter top 10 which defines first and second counter top portions 11 and 12 that are interconnected at one end and extend at an obtuse angle to each other. The first counter top portion 11 has a rear edge 13, a front edge 14, and an end edge 15 that extends between the rear and front edges 13 and 14 at one end of the counter top. The second counter top portion 12 has a rear edge 16, a front edge 17 and an end edge 18 that extends between the rear and front edges 16 and 17, at the other end of the counter top 10. The rear edges 13 and 16 intersect at a rear exterior corner 19, and define an included angle of 120°. In the preferred embodiment, the rear edges 13 and 16 of the counter top portions 11 and 12, are of the same length, to facilitate interfitting of similar units in different arrays. The end edges 15 and 18 extend perpendicular to the respective rear edge 13 and 16. The front edges 14 and 17 intersect at a forward interior corner 20. The front edge 17 of the counter top portion 12 preferably extends parallel to the rear edge 16, and the front edge 14 of the counter top portion 11 preferably converges relative to its rear edge 13, in a direction away from the front corner 20. The front edge 14 joins the end edge 15 at exterior corner 14a and preferably, corner 14a is rounded as best shown in FIG. 4 to avoid a sharp exterior corner. Similarly, the front edge 17 joins the side edge 18 at a corner 17a and the corner 22 is also preferably rounded as shown in FIG. 4. The chevron shape counter top is adapted to be positioned so that one counter top portion 11 is located adjacent the front of a beautician&#39;s chair indicated at BC in FIGS. 4--8, while the other counter top portion 12 is located adjacent one side of the beautician&#39;s chair to provide a convenient work surface for the beautician. The beautician&#39;s chair BC is preferably of the swivel type which can be turned relative to its base about an upright axis designated X in FIG. 4, and the cabinet is positioned relative to the chair so as to provide clearance for the chair and occupant during turning of the chair and a work area for the beautician between the chair and the counter top portion 12. 
     The cabinet also supports a mirror at a position for use by the patron in the beauty chair. For this purpose, an upright panel 22 is mounted on the counter top portion 11 adjacent and parallel to its rear edge. The panel has a lower portion that extends downwardly from the counter top portion 11 to provide a support leg for the counter top and an upper portion that extends above the counter top 11 to support a mirror 24. In the embodiment shown the panel 22 is formed from separate front and rear panel members 22a and 22b that are joined together to form the panel 22. The front panel member is formed with an opening 22c for the mirror and the mirror 24 is mounted between the front and rear panels. Thus, the front panel is arranged to form a frame for the mirror. In the embodiment shown, the mirror has a generally oval shape, it being understood that other mirror shapes such as rectangular could be used and that other arrangements could be provided for mounting the mirror on the panel 22 and framing the mirror. 
     The mirror is preferably dimensioned and positioned so that a patron in the beauty chair BC will be generally horizontally centered with respect to the mirror, when the beauty chair is positioned with its front generally parallel to the plane of the mirror, as shown in FIG. 4. Accordingly, it is preferable to form the mirror and mounting panel 22 with a width substantially less than the length of the rear edge 13 of the counter top portion 11 and to position the mirror mounting panel 22 with one upright edge 22d adjacent the end edge 15 of the counter top portion 11, and with the other upright edge 22e spaced a substantial distance from the rear corner 19. In order to facilitate arrangement of four similar units in a generally rectangular pattern as shown in FIG. 8, the width of the rear mounting panel designated B in FIG. 4 is made less than the length of the rear edge 13, designated C in FIG. 4, by an amount approximately equal to the straight or effective length of the end edge 15, designated A in FIG. 4. For example, the length of the rear edge 13 of the counter top portion 11 designated by the letter C in FIG. 4, can be 32 inches; the width of the panel 22 designated B in FIG. 4 237/8 inches; and the effective length of the end edge 15 designated A in FIG. 4, 81/8 inches. When the upright panel and counter top are proportioned in this manner, four similar modular cabinets can be arranged in a generally rectangular pattern as shown in FIG. 9 with the upright panels 22 in edge-to-edge relation to form a square, and with the end face 15 of one unit disposed contiguous to that portion of the rear edge 13 of an adjacent unit that extends beyond the panel 22. The cabinets can also be arranged in a triangular array as shown in FIG. 8 or in paired arrays as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In the preferred embodiment, the counter top portion 11 is recessed along its rear edge to receive the upright panel 22, with the back side of the panel 22 generally coplanar with the portion of the rear edge that extends beyond the panel. Although the mirror mounting panel and mirror are horizontally offset toward one end of the rear edge 13 of the counter top portion 11, it will be seen from FIG. 4 that the mirror mounting panel and hence the mirror are positioned such that a plane through the vertical center line CL of the mirror and perpendicular to the mirror, will approximately bisect the forward edge 14 of the counter top portion 11. 
     The counter top portion 12 extends along one side of the beautician&#39;s chair to provide a convenient work surface. Storage drawers for beautician&#39;s accessories and supplies are advantageously provided below the counter top portion 12. For this purpose, a housing is provided below the counter top portion 12 and includes a front wall 31 that extends downwardly from the counter top 12 adjacent and generally parallel to the front edge 17 and a rear wall 32 that extends downwardly adjacent and generally parallel to the rear edge of the counter top portion 12. One or more drawers such as indicated at 33 are mounted as by conventional extensible drawer slides 35 on the front and rear walls 31 and 32 for movement between a closed position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an end-out position as shown in FIG. 3 in which a part of the drawer extends outwardly from the end edge 18 of the counter top portion 12. The housing including the front and rear walls 32 is supported on a pedestal 36, conveniently located intermediate the ends of the housing and preferably offset toward the rear wall as best shown in FIG. 2. This provides clearance for the patron in the beautician&#39;s chair BC when the beautician&#39;s chair is turned about its axis. An electrical power outlet receptacle 37 can conveniently be provided in the pedestal 36 at the side adjacent the end edge 18 of the counter top, to enable operation of beautician&#39;s electrical accessories. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the modular cabinets are of so-called right hand type in which the counter top portion 12 having drawers 33 is located at the right of the beautician&#39;s chair BC when the mirror is positioned in front of the beautician&#39;s chair. It is contemplated that left hand units can be provided in which the counter top portion 12 is disposed at the left of the beautician&#39;s chair when the mirror is positioned in front of the chair, for example as shown at 10&#39; in FIG. 7. 
     From the foregoing it will be seen that the modular cabinet units with mirrors can be used singly; for example, at spaced locations along a wall. The single modular cabinet units can be arranged with either the rear edge 16 of the second counter top portion 12 against the wall, as shown in FIG. 5, or they can be arranged with the upright panel 22 against the wall. The modular cabinet units can also be combined with other similar units in a wide variety of arrays to provide multiple beautician work areas. Some different multiple unit arrangements are illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. In FIG. 6, a pair of right hand cabinet units are arranged with the rear edges 16 in back-to-back relation, it being apparent that they could also be arranged with the panels 22 in back-to-back relation. In FIG. 7, similar left and right modular cabinet units are shown arranged in pairs with mirror mounted panels 22 in back-to-back relation, it being apparent that the left and right modular cabinet units could also be in pairs with the counter top portions 12 in back-to-back relation. In FIG. 8, three similar right hand units are mounted in triangular array with the counter top portion 11 of each unit in back-to-back relation to the counter top portion 12 of an adjacent unit. As will be seen, forming the rear edges 13 and 16 of equal length and recessing of the upright panels 22, facilitates arranging the modular cabinet units in a triangular configuration as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 9 illustrates four similar right hand units arranged in a rectangular pattern, with the upright panels 22 of the units forming a square enclosure. With this arrangement it is advantageous to have the length designated C of the rear edge 13 of the counter top portion 11 made equal to the sum of the width B of the right panel 22 and the effective when designated A of the end edge 15 of the counter top portion 11. 
     The mirror 24 is disposed in a plane at an angle of substantially 120° to the rear edge 16 of the counter top portion 12 and the width and position of the mirror is made such that the mirror is substantially centered with respect to the occupant in the beautician&#39;s chair when the beautician&#39;s chair is positioned to have the occupant face the mirror. Further, the drawers 33 are movable to an end-out position beyond the end of the counter top 12, where the contents of the drawer are accessible to the beautician but the drawers do not themselves interfere with the movement of the beautician in the area between the chair and the counter top portion 12 or turning of the chair and its occupant.