Patent Publication Number: US-9427082-B2

Title: Rotating storage cabinet for corner installation

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     N/A 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of corner cabinets, and more particularly to devices and designs for rotating corner cabinets with enhanced storage space. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many different designs are used for storage cabinets in order to provide efficient space utilization to store clothing and household items. 
     Rotating corner cabinets, particularly for use in kitchens, are well known. However, such cabinets are usually small and feature spaces centered around a central spindle. Such rotating corner cabinets are well adapted to storing kitchen related household items, but do not provide space adequate for storing larger items, and particularly do not provide any useful space for hanging clothing, drawers, and other longer and/or larger items. 
     As such, considering the foregoing, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for novel and improved devices and methods for rotating storage cabinets that provide storage space for clothing, drawers and other larger items. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in aspects of this invention, enhancements are provided to the existing designs for rotating storage cabinets, to provide improved space utilization. 
     In an aspect, a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation can include two main cabinet parts: a fixed cabinet enclosure, and an inner cabinet, which rotates inside the fixed cabinet enclosure. The inside unit can use side-mounted vertical support columns in a double-t design, which creates an interior elongated storage space, suitable for hanging clothes or storing other larger items, with shelves mounted on the other sides of the vertical support columns. 
     In a related aspect, the inner cabinet rotates  360  degrees with the inner cabinet rotationally attached to the fixed cabinet enclosure using top and bottom mounted swivels. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a front isometric view of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a right side isometric view of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a rear isometric view of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a front isometric view of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a front isometric view of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows a front isometric view of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows a top view of opposing first and second t-frames, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  shows a side view of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  shows a top view of a base enclosure board, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  shows a top view of an inner mounting plate, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  shows a top view of shelves for installation in a rotating storage cabinet, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before describing the invention in detail, it should be observed that the present invention resides primarily in a novel and non-obvious combination of elements and process steps. So as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art, certain conventional elements and steps have been presented with lesser detail, while the drawings and specification describe in greater detail other elements and steps pertinent to understanding the invention. 
     The following embodiments are not intended to define limits as to the structure or method of the invention, but only to provide exemplary constructions. The embodiments are permissive rather than mandatory and illustrative rather than exhaustive. 
     In the following, we describe the structure of an embodiment of a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation  100  with reference to  FIG. 1 , in such manner that like reference numerals refer to like components throughout; a convention that we shall employ for the remainder of this specification. 
     In an embodiment, a rotating storage cabinet for corner installation  100  can include:
         a) An inner cabinet  110 ; further including:
           i. A bottom inner mounting plate  126 ;   ii. A first t-frame  120 ; which is connected on top of a first side of the bottom inner mounting plate  126 , such that the first t-frame  120  forms a vertical support column, and the first t-frame  120  further comprises:
               1. an inward-facing first t-plate  122 , connected with   2. an outward-facing first t-leg  124 ;   
               iii. A second t-frame  130 , which is connected on second side of the top of the bottom inner mounting plate  126 , such that it forms a vertical support column, and the first t-frame  120  further includes:
               1. an inward-facing second t-plate  132 , connected with   2. an outward-facing second t-leg  134 ;   
               such that the first and second t-frames are opposing with the outer surfaces of the respective t-plates parallel and facing each other, with a predetermined width, such that a vertical and elongated central cavity  150  is created between the opposing t-plates  122   132 ;   iv. A top inner mounting plate  127 ; which is connected to the top of the first and second t-frames  120   130 , such that first and second t-frames are stabilized in position between the bottom inner mounting plate  126  and the top inner mounting plate  127 ; and   
           b) A cabinet enclosure  160 ; further including:
           i. A base enclosure board  162 ,   ii. A support structure, which can further include:
               1. A right side column  164 , which can be a vertically elongated I-shaped plate;   2. A left side column  165 , which can be a vertically elongated rectangular plate;   3. A rear column  166 , which can be a vertically elongated rectangular plate;   
               iii. A top enclosure board  168  (In  FIG. 1 , shown transparent, in dotted lines);   wherein:   the right side column  164 , is vertically mounted between a right side of the base enclosure board  162  and a right side of the top enclosure board  168 ;   the left side column  165 , is vertically mounted between a left side of the base enclosure board  162  and a left side of the top enclosure board  168 ; and   the rear column  166  is vertically mounted between a rear side of the base enclosure board  162  and a rear side of the top enclosure board  168 ;   
           such that:   The inner cabinet  110  is rotationally mounted inside the cabinet enclosure, via   the upper swivel  137 , mounted between the top enclosure board and the top inner mounting plate  127 , and   a lower swivel  802 , shown on  FIG. 8 , mounted between the bottom inner mounting plate  126  and the base enclosure board  162 .       

     In a related embodiment, shelves  140  can be mounted on the first and second t-frames  120   130 , such that the shelves  140  are mounted on outer sides of the t-frame  120   130 , in outward facing spaces between the t-plates  122   132  and the t-legs  124   134 . 
     In related embodiments, a rotating storage cabinet  100  can be installed in a cabinet enclosure, wherein the cabinet enclosure can be configured according to a plurality of designs, which can include designs without a top enclosure board and/or a base enclosure board, and with support structure configured according to a plurality of different designs. 
     In a related embodiment, a rotating storage cabinet  100  can be installed without a cabinet enclosure, directly between a ceiling and a floor, such that the upper swivel  137  is mounted between the ceiling and the top inner mounting plate  127 , and the lower swivel  802  is mounted between the floor and the base enclosure board  162 . 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 2  shows a right side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein some shelves  140  have been removed. 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 3  shows a rear side view of the rotating storage cabinet  100 , with an alternative design of the top inner mounting plate  327 , such that it has the same shape and size as the bottom inner mounting plate  126  such that it fully covers the top of the inner cabinet  110 . Optionally, a fitting piece  302  can be mounted between the top inner mounting plate  327  and the upper swivel  137 , in order to adjust the height of the upper swivel  137 . 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 4  shows a front perspective view of the rotating storage cabinet  100  with the top enclosure board  168  mounted. 
     In a related embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the inner cabinet  110  can further include:
         a. A clothing bar  502 , which can be mounted inside an upper end of the elongated central cavity  150 , such that the clothing bar  502  is connected between the first and second t-plates  132   134 , whereby coat hangers carrying clothing can hang from the clothing bar  502 ; and/or   b. At least one drawer  504 , such that the drawer is mounted in the central cavity  150 , between the first and second t-plates  132   134 .       

     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 6  shows a front perspective view of the rotating storage cabinet  100  in a configuration without shelves  140 , clothing bar  502 , and drawers  504 . 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 7  shows a top view of opposing first and second t-frames  120   130 . 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 8  shows a side view of the rotating storage cabinet for corner installation  100 , showing the upper swivel  137  and the lower swivel  802 . 
     In related embodiments, the lower swivel  802  can be manufactured with a rating in a 600-1800 pound load capacity range. Normally, the upper swivel  137  can be of a lighter construction, for example with a rating in a 200-600 pound capacity range. In some cases, though, the upper swivel  137  can have a similar or higher load capacity than the lower swivel. 
     In a related embodiment, the lower swivel  802  can be a heavy-duty 1,200 pound capacity turntable base. 
     In a related embodiment, the lower swivel  802  can have a higher load capacity than the upper swivel  137 . 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 9  shows a base enclosure board  162 . 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 10  shows an inner mounting plate  1002 , which can function as either a bottom inner mounting plate  126  or a top inner mounting plate  327 . 
     In a related embodiment,  FIG. 11  shows shelves  140  for mounting on outer sides of the t-frame  120   130 , in outward facing spaces between the t-plates  122   132  and the t-legs  124   134 . 
     In related embodiments, the right and left side column can be in a plurality of different shapes, including an I-shape, or a u-shape, or a flat elongated board. 
     In related embodiments, the rotating storage cabinet  100  can be built from board materials commonly used for fabrication of cabinets, including melamine, wood, plywood or medium density fiberboard material, which can be connected with cam fittings or other commonly known fasteners, connectors, fitters, or adhesives. 
     Here has thus been described a multitude of embodiments of the rotating storage cabinet  100 , which can be employed in numerous modes of usage. 
     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention, which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 
     Many such alternative configurations are readily apparent, and should be considered fully included in this specification and the claims appended hereto. Accordingly, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and thus, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.