Patent Publication Number: US-2007108878-A1

Title: Sectional cabinet

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a sectional cabinet, and more particularly to a sectional cabinet that includes a rack assembled from a plurality of tubular metal posts and a plurality of shelves, as well as a plurality of back and side panels that not only close the rear and the lateral sides of the rack, but also divide an internal space of the rack into many subspaces for storing things.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Most items of furniture for holding or storing things may be divided into two types according to the materials used, namely, wooden cabinet and metal rack. A wooden cabinet typically includes a back wall, two lateral sidewalls, and at least one front door to define a closed internal space. In contrast with the wooden cabinet, a metal rack typically has four open sides. Therefore, the wooden cabinet presents a secure and high-quality appearance that is not found from the metal rack, and is therefore welcome by most consumers. Moreover, the wooden cabinet usually internally includes a plurality of closed and dustproof subspaces to provide higher protection to articles kept in the wooden cabinet. The metal rack is unmatchable with the wooden cabinet from this point of view. However, the wooden cabinet has fixed shape and dimensions once it is produced, and therefore could not be sideward and/or upward extended as desired.  
      The metal rack is a sectional rack using metal pipes as its vertical posts and metal wire nets as its shelves. Currently, there are metal sectional racks that could be assembled or disassembled without using any hand tool, enabling consumers to easily assemble the rack by themselves. Moreover, the posts of the metal rack are designed to allow sideward and upward extension of the rack as desired, so that the assembled rack is able to meet the shape and size of a space in which the rack is erected for use. However, the metal rack provides only an open space for holding things. Things held on the metal rack are subjected to dust and not well protected. The metal rack does not present a secure and quality appearance, particularly when things are disorderly piled thereon.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A primary object of the present invention is to provide a sectional cabinet that includes a rack assembled from metal posts and board-type shelves, allowing the cabinet to be sideward and upward extendable.  
      Another object of the present invention is to provide a sectional cabinet that includes a rack assembled from metal posts and board-type shelves allowing back panels and side panels to assemble to the rack and thereby close a space defined by the rack.  
      A further object of the present invention is to provide a sectional cabinet that includes a rack assembled from metal posts and board-type shelves, as well as back and side panels allowing drawers and doors to assemble to the rack, so that a space defined by the rack may be divided into many open and/or closed subspaces.  
      To achieve the above and other objects, the sectional cabinet according to the present invention includes a rack assembled from a plurality of tubular metal posts and a plurality of board-type shelves to function like a skeleton of the sectional cabinet, and a plurality of back panels and side panels removably connected to the rack. The tubular metal posts are divided into front posts used at a front side of the rack and rear posts used at a rear side of the rack. The rear post is provided at two lateral sides near a rear end thereof with two corresponding open-side channels, and has a front end formed into a stepped surface with a raised laterally outer portion and a lowered laterally inner portion. The front post has a rear end formed into a stepped surface corresponding to that at the front end of the rear post, and therefore has a raised laterally outer portion and a lowered laterally inner portion. Each of the back panels has two lateral edges adapted to insert into two opposite open-side channels on two adjacent rear posts to thereby assemble to and close the rear side of the rack. Each of the side panels is disposed between a set of front and rear posts at the same side of the rack to abut on the raised outer portions at the rear end of the front post and the front end of the rear post, so as to assemble to and close a lateral side of the rack. With the shelves, the back panels, and the side panels, the space defined by the rack can be closed and divided into many subspaces to form the sectional cabinet. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sectional cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing a basic structure of the sectional cabinet of the present invention assembled from two sets of front and rear posts, two side panels, a back panel, and at least one board-type shelf;  
       FIG. 2-1  is an enlarged view of the circled area A of  FIG. 2  showing the structure of the rear post;  
       FIG. 2-2  is an enlarged view of the circled area B of  FIG. 2  showing the structure of the front post;  
       FIG. 2-3  is an enlarged view of the circled area C of  FIG. 2  showing the structure of a packing strip used in the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a sectional cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 4-1  is an enlarged view of the circled area D of  FIG. 4  showing the connection of the packing strip to the back panel;  
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary sectional view showing another embodiment of the side panel; and  
       FIG. 6  is a fragmentary sectional view showing a further embodiment of the side panel. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Please refer to  FIG. 1  that is a perspective view of a sectional cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention, and to  FIG. 2  that is an exploded perspective view showing a basic structure of the sectional cabinet of the present invention. As shown, the sectional cabinet of the present invention includes a rack assembled from a plurality of tubular metal posts and at least one board-type shelf  30  to function like a skeleton of the sectional cabinet, and a plurality of back panels  40  and side panels  50  removably connected to the rack. The tubular metal posts are divided into front posts  10  and rear posts  20 ; and the board-type shelf  30  is removably connected to the front and the rear posts  10 ,  20 . Each of the front and rear posts  10 ,  20  is provided at two lateral sides with a vertical line of hanger holes  11 ,  21  each. The hanger holes  11 ,  21  are designed for various kinds of hangers to hook thereto. The shelf  30  is connected to the posts  10 ,  20  via hangers  60 , which are associated with the shelf  30  via predetermined coupling mechanism (not shown).  
       FIG. 2-1  is an enlarged view of the circled area A of  FIG. 2  showing the structure of the rear post  20 ,  FIG. 2-2  is an enlarged view of the circled area B of  FIG. 2  showing the structure of the front post  10 .  
      Please refer to FIGS.  2 ,  2 - 1 ,  2 - 2 , and  3  at the same time. The rear post  20  is provided at two lateral sides near a rear end thereof with two corresponding open-side channels  22 , and has a front end  23  formed into a stepped surface with a raised laterally outer portion and a lowered laterally inner portion. The front post  10  has a rear end  12  formed into a stepped surface corresponding to the stepped surface at the front end  23  of the rear post  20 . That is, the stepped surface at the rear end  12  of the front post  10  has a raised laterally outer portion and a lowered laterally inner portion. The back panel  40  has two lateral edges adapted to insert into two opposite open-side channels  22  on two adjacent rear posts  20  to thereby close a rear side of the rack. The side panel  50  is disposed between a set of front and rear posts  10 ,  20  at the same side of the rack to abut on the raised outer portions at the rear end  12  and the front end  23  of the front and the rear post  10 ,  20 , respectively, so as to close a lateral side of the rack. With the shelves  30 , the back panels  40 , and the side panels  50  connected to the rack, a cabinet is formed.  
      Please refer to  FIG. 4  that is a sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . Each of the side panels  50  is provided near a lower edge with two inward projected pins  51  located at the same height. When the side panel  50  is assembled to the rack, the two pins  51  are pressed against an upper surface of a lower shelf  30  adjacent to the lower edge of the side panel  50  to thereby locate the side panel  50  in place, preventing the side panel  50  from moving downward. Meanwhile, the shelf  30  having two side panels  50  supported thereon has two lateral edges fitly abutted against inner surfaces of the two side panels  50  to thereby prevent the side panels  50  from skidding inward. Similarly, an upper shelf  30  adjacent to upper edges of two side panels  50  also has two lateral edges abutted against the inner surfaces of the two side panels  50 . In this manner, the side panels  50  are fixed between two sets of front and rear posts  10 ,  20 .  
      Since each of the back panels  40  has two lateral edges adapted to insert into two opposite open-side channels  22  on two adjacent rear posts  20 , the back panel  40  is prevented from tipping forward or rearward. A packing strip  70  is fitted on a lower edge of the back panel  40 , as can be clearly seen from  FIGS. 2-3  and  4 - 1 . The packing strip  70  integrally includes a forward protruded front flange  71  extending across a full length of the packing strip  70 , and a downward extended rear stopper  72 . The front flange  71  has a lower surface fitly bearing against the upper surface of a lower shelf  30  adjacent to the lower edge of the back panel  40  to locate the back panel  40  in place while blocking out light at the joint of the back panel  40  and the lower shelf  30 . Similarly, the packing strip  70  may also be fitted on an upper edge of the back panel  40 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . The front flange  71  of the upper packing strip  70  bears an upper surface against a lower surface of an upper shelf  30  adjacent to the upper edge of the back panel  40  to block out light at the joint of the back panel  40  and the upper shelf  30 . The rear stopper  72  of the packing strip  70  is abutted on the rear edge of the shelf  30  to prevent the packing strip  70  from moving into the rack, so that the back panel  40  is more stably located in place.  
      In practical forming of the sectional cabinet of the present invention, it is possible to use front and rear posts  10 ,  20  having the same configuration to reduce the manufacturing cost thereof and make the sectional cabinet more competitive in the market.  
      Please refer to  FIG. 5 . The front post  10  may be longitudinally provided at the rear end  12  with a rearward groove  13 , and the rear post  20  may be longitudinally provided at the front end  23  with a forward groove  24 . To correspond to the front and the rear post  10 ,  20  having the rearward groove  13  and the forward groove  24 , respectively, the side panel  50  is provided at front and rear edges with a longitudinal rib  52  each. The two ribs  52  are adapted to insert into the grooves  13 ,  24  on the front and rear posts  10 ,  20 , respectively, to thereby assemble the side panel  50  to the rack.  
      It is also possible to mount a retractable latching member  53  at both the front and the rear edge of the side panel  50 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , so that the side panel  50  is assembled to the rack by engaging the two latching members  53  with the two grooves  13 ,  24  on the front and the rear post  10 ,  20 .  
      The rack of the sectional cabinet of the present invention may be sideward extended by increasing the posts  10 ,  20  and the shelves  30 . When increasing the front and rear posts  10 ,  20 , it is always necessary for the raised portions at the rear and the front end of the front and the rear post  10 ,  20 , respectively, to locate at a laterally outer side of the posts  10 ,  20 , so that the side panel  50  disposed between the front and rear posts  10 ,  20  is prevented from tipping outward.  
      The shelf  30  is assembled to the posts  10 ,  20  of the rack via hangers  60  that are hooked to hanger holes  11 ,  21  provided on two opposite lateral sides of the posts  10 ,  20 , respectively. Since the structure for assembling the shelf  30  to the posts  10 ,  20  is not a subject matter of the present invention to be claimed, it is not described in details herein. One example of the structure for assembling the shelf  30  to the posts  10 ,  20  is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/663,501.  
      As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the sectional cabinet of the present invention may include one or more doors  61  to close the space defined by the sectional cabinet. Since the structure for assembling the door  61  to the cabinet is not a subject matter of the present invention to be claimed, it is not described in details herein. One example of the structure for assembling the door  61  to the sectional cabinet is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,901,633.  
      The sectional cabinet of the present invention may also include one or more drawers  62 . The drawers  62  are mounted on rails (not shown), which are preferably hooked to the hanger holes  11 ,  21  on the posts  10 ,  20 . Since the structure for hooking the drawer rails to the posts  10 ,  20  is not a subject matter of the present invention to be claimed, it is not described in details herein. One example of the structure for hooking the drawer rails to the posts  10 ,  20  is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/738,392.  
      The doors  61 , shelves  30 , side panels  50 , and back panels  40  together enable the whole sectional cabinet to have a closed storage space. Every drawer  62  and the shelf  30  above it or a bottom of an upper drawer  62  also define a closed subspace for storing things. The drawers  62  and the doors  61  may be installed on the sectional cabinet at positions completely decided by the user to meet different users&#39; requirements.  
      The sectional cabinet of the present invention can be easily assembled and disassembled to facilitate storage and transport thereof, and can be sideward and/or upward extended at any time with suitably selected additional components to create desired form or dimensions. The back panels  40  and the side panels  50  give the fully assembled sectional cabinet amore complete appearance, and the shelves  30  and the drawers  62  divide the internal space of the sectional cabinet into different subspaces for storage to largely enhance the function and quality of the sectional cabinet. Moreover, the doors  61  create completely closed subspaces in the sectional cabinet to protect the user&#39;s privacy.