Patent Publication Number: US-6336692-B1

Title: Cabinet with downward extendable/retractable shelves

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to cabinets and in particular to a cabinet mountable to a ceiling or wall having shelving assembly that are downwardly extendable and retractable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Conventional cabinets of the type that are usually found mounted to walls have a front panel with doors that open to permit access to the interior of the cabinet. Disposed in the interior are usually a plurality of shelves starting from the lowest shelf to the highest. A disadvantage to these types of cabinets is that the accessibility to the top shelves and in particular the rear portion of the top shelves, can be difficult. Oftentimes, stools or ladders must be used to reach these shelves. Using stools and ladders not only creates the risk of falling, but may not be practical where space is limited. For a physically challenged person, such as a person confined to a wheelchair, access to the top shelves is even more difficult. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for a wall or ceiling mountable cabinet where all the shelves are easily accessible without the need for a ladder or stool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a wall or ceiling mountable cabinet where all the shelves are easily accessible. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a wall or ceiling mountable cabinet having shelves easily accessible to a person who is physically challenged. 
     The present invention accomplishes these objects by providing a cabinet having a shelving assembly that can be extended downward when access is required and then retracted upward when access is no longer required. The cabinet includes a housing having an open bottom. Disposed within the housing is a shelving assembly having a plurality of shelves. A novel combination of a tension gas spring and telescoping drawer glides are used for mounting the shelving assembly to the housing. When items are needed from the cabinet, the shelving is pulled down until all the shelves are exposed. When access is no longer needed, a light tap to the bottom of the shelving assembly causes the tension gas spring to smoothly retract the shelving assembly back into the housing. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are specifically set forth in or will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall or ceiling mountable cabinet contemplated by the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the cabinet of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of the shelving assembly of the cabinet of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 a side view of the shelving assembly of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a wall or ceiling mountable cabinet with downward extendable/retractable shelving assembly contemplated by the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment shelving assembly of the cabinet of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 is a front view of the cabinet of FIG. 1 mounted to a ceiling and showing the internal structure with dashed lines. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1,  2  and  5  show a cabinet generally denoted by reference numeral  10 . The cabinet  10  has a housing  11  comprising a back panel  12 , side panels  14  and  16 , a top panel  18  and a front border referred to as a face frame  20  that defines an opening into the interior of the housing  11  This opening is covered by a door  22  that is hinged to the border  20 . Alternatively, the door  22  can be replaced with a front panel. The bottom edges of the back panel  12 , side panels  14  and  16  and the face frame  20  define a bottom opening  24 . 
     Disposed in the interior of the housing  11  is a shelving assembly generally denoted by reference numeral  30 . With reference to FIGS. 3,  4  and  5  the shelving assembly  30  comprises a top and bottom wall  32  and  34 , side walls  36  and  38  and shelves  40 . A handle  33  extends downward from the bottom wall  34 .The position of the shelves  40  can be adjusted in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art. Optionally, the shelving assembly  30  may also have a back panel. Also, some of the shelves may have an upwardly extending lip  42  to keep items stored on the shelves from sliding off. 
     Conventional telescoping drawer glides  44  are used to couple the shelving assembly  30  to the housing  11 . Each of the glides  44  has a first portion  46  that is mounted to one of the walls  14 , 16  and a second portion  48  that is mounted to one of the side walls  36 ,  38  respectively. In the preferred embodiment, a commercially available tension gas spring  50  has a cylinder  52  and a rod portion  54  that is mounted within the cylinder  52  and is extendable therefrom. The cylinder  52  is mounted to the back panel  12  by a pin and U-bracket  56  and the rod portion  54  is attached to the rear edge of the bottom wall  34  or the back panel by a pin and U-bracket  58  or other type of bracket such as a post style bracket or an eye rod end. A U-shaped guide  60 , (see FIG.  7 ), is also mounted to the back panel  12  and is positioned to receive the cylinder  52  at an end opposite the end having the U-bracket  56 . This U-shaped guide  60  provides lateral stability to the gas spring  50 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, shelving assembly  30  employs two gas springs  110 ,  120  instead of one. In this embodiment, rod portion  130  of spring  110  is attached to side wall  36  or a side edge of bottom wall  34  proximal side wall  36  and the cylinder  150  of spring  110  is mounted to side panel  16 , each in a manner similar to that described above. In similar fashion, rod portion (not shown) of spring  120  is attached to side wall  38  or a side edge of bottom wall  34  proximal side wall  38  and the cylinder  170  of spring  120  is mounted to side panel  14 . First portions  46  of glides  44  are mounted to back panel  12  and second portions  48  are mounted to the rear edge of bottom wall  34  or the back panel, each in a manner similar to that described above. Such an arrangement prevents the shelving assembly  100  from twisting. In either embodiment, the point of attachment of the cylinder and rod portion of springs  50 ,  110 ,  120  can be reversed. That is, the cylinder can be attached to the bottom wall  34  and the rod portion to the top back panel  12  or side panels  14 ,  16 . 
     Referring to FIG. 7, the cabinet  10  is mounted to studs  64  in a wall just below a ceiling  66 . A french cleat fastener  68  is the preferred method of mounting the cabinet to the wall. Alternatively, the cabinet can be screwed into the studs. For aesthetic purposes, a cornice or molding, not shown, is disposed between the cabinet and the ceiling. When items are needed from the cabinet, the handle  33  is grasped and the shelves  40  are pulled down until the telescoping portions  48  of the glides  44  are fully extended. In this extended position, the shelves  40  are easily accessible. The shelves will stay fully extended, until by applying a light tap to the bottom wall  34  the tension spring  50  will cause the rod portion  54  to retract until all the shelves  40  are fully retracted back into the cabinet housing  11 . To avoid accidental retraction caused by an inadvertent tap, a variety of latching devices can be used to hold the shelves  40  in their extended position. In the preferred embodiment, a magnet  62  (see FIG. 3) is mounted on the front edge of the top wall  32  and is positioned equidistant from walls  36  and  38 . A corresponding magnet, (not shown), is mounted on the inside of the upper edge of the front border  20  and is positioned so that when the shelves  40  are fully extended downward, this magnet and magnet  62  form a magnetic latch. Thus, the shelves will not retract until a sufficient force is applied to break this magnetic latch. 
     Though the cabinet contemplated by the present invention has been described with respect to a rectangular shaped cabinet, it should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the invention is equally applicable to other shapes such as triangular or square. 
     Various modifications and alterations to the above-described preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, these descriptions of the invention should be considered exemplary and not as limiting the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.