Abstract:
A cabinet which is demountable. Walls ( 11 ) of the cabinet ( 10 ) are joined edge to edge by join elements ( 12 ). At the apex ( 15 ) of each intersection of the walls there is a retainer ( 14 ). The retainers ( 14 ) prevent the joiner elements from being removed. One of the retainers which is the last to be installed when the cabinet is assembled is lockable. The retainer ( 16 ) needs to be unlocked and removed before any of the joiner elements ( 12 ) and retainer elements ( 14 ) can be removed to disassemble the cabinet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cabinet but more. particularly a display cabinet. 
     Display cabinets used commonly in museums, art galleries, trade fairs and the like are generally bulky and difficult to assemble. Ease of assembly and transportation issues are especially important when the display cabinet is required to be constantly moved around to different locations within the museum or ‘on the road’ in the case of travelling exhibits. 
     Prior-cabinets have been heavy and often do not have features which make them accessible while maintaining the exhibit safely and securely within the cabinet. For example it has been known for screws to mysteriously disappear one by one over time until a panel can be removed and an item from within likewise mysteriously disappears. Aesthetics/style are also important when designing furniture to be in use in a museum or art gallery environment. Cabinets which meet the desired aesthetic appeal are expensive while those which can offer cost and functional assembly benefits are not suitable for the stylised environment or can inhibit clear viewing of articles within the cabinet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet which is relatively lightweight, can be easily assembled, transports conveniently and will have an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     In one broad aspect of the invention there is provided a cabinet including a plurality of wall (or panel) members, each wall member including at least one grooved or slotted edge adapted to be conjoined to an edge of an adjacent wall member by a joining element. 
     According to a further broad aspect of the invention there is provided a cabinet including a plurality of wall elements, each wall element having an inner surface and an outer surface, an edge of a first wall element being conjoined with the edge of a second and adjacent wall element by a joining element, said joining element having spaced apart engagement means slidingly engaged in a groove or slot in respect of the edges of the first and second wall elements to a retention position thereby preventing the edges from being drawn apart. 
     According to yet a further broad aspect of the invention there is provided a demountable cabinet including wall elements forming side walls, a base or floor and a top wall, said wall elements having side edges, adjacent side edges of adjacent wall elements being coupled by a joining element, said joining element having a pair of spaced apart engagement means slidingly engaged in respect of grooves formed in the adjacent wall elements, said joining elements being prevented, once in a joining position, from removal by a retaining element located at an apex formed by adjacent ends of the joining elements. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a general view of the cabinet according to the invention showing one corner detail, 
     FIG. 2 is a general view of a corner of the assembled cabinet but with a retaining insert removed, 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the connecting method for joining the cabinet wall or panel elements, 
     FIG. 4 is a general view of a retaining insert for corner insertion, 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-section elevation view of a retaining insert, 
     FIG. 6 is a general view of a corner retaining insert with lock function, 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-section elevation view of a lockable retaining insert, 
     FIG. 8 is a similar view to FIG. 3 but showing an alternative embodiment of the joining element and profile of the abutting peripheral edges of the panels, 
     FIG. 9 is a plan view of an alternative version of the retaining insert, 
     FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the retaining insert of FIG. 9, 
     FIG. 11 is an underside plan view of the retaining insert of FIGS. 9 and 10, 
     FIG. 12 is a face view of a cabinet according to the present invention incorporating a door, 
     FIG. 13 is a sectioned view through a part of the cabinet showing the door construction, and 
     FIGS. 14-16 are further plan elevation and underside plan views of a further form of the retaining insert. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following describes and the drawings illustrate particular embodiments of the present invention. It should be appreciated that other variations and combinations in shape and configuration may be possible without straying from the scope of the invention. 
     In the preferred form of the invention as illustrated the cabinet  10  is comprised of a plurality (in this case six) forming side walls, a bottom or base wall and a top wall. The panel members  11  are joined edge to edge at their peripheral edges by elongate joiner elements  12  (there are twelve such elements, one at each edge—see FIG.  1 ). The detail of the interconnection of the adjacent side edges of panel members  11  by a joiner element  12  is best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     The periphery or side edge of each panel member  11  features a sloping edge portion  11   a  (best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3) where the preferred angle of slope is 45° to the inner face surface of the panel member. Between sloping edge  11   a  and what forms in the final cabinet construction the external face surface of panel  11  is located a groove or slotted channel  11   b  extending substantially perpendicularly to the external face surface of panel  11 . This slotted channel  11   b , allows a joining element  12  to join two adjacent panel members  11  as will be hereinafter described. 
     As can be seen in FIG. 2, the joiner element is of generally channel shape with opposing side edges  12   a.    
     The joining method is best illustrated by FIG. 3 where the inwardly angled edges  12   a  of the joining element  12  ‘capture’ two panel members  11  by sliding an edge  12   a  into a corresponding slotted channel  11   b , of the adjacent side edges of the panels  11 . To make this possible an inner slope  11   c , on each panel  11  allows the adjoining panels to contact but not interfere with one another in forming a 90° corner (like that shown in FIG.  3 ). The actual corner is effectively smoothed off by the joining element  12  which provides both a safety and desirable aesthetic feature of the cabinet  10  when assembled. 
     Further embodiments which require other shapes may have corresponding changes in the angles of slopes  11   a ,  11   c , and edges  12   a.    
     The corner  15  construction is best illustrated by FIG.  2 . There will be eight such corners on a box-shaped cabinet  10  with substantially the same appearance. 
     A bore or aperture  15   a  is provided within the recess of each corner construction  15  (the congregation point or apex of three panel members  11  and three joining elements  12 ) to provide an anchoring site for a retaining plug or corner insert  14  (best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5,  6  and  7  or  9  to  10 ). 
     Bore  15   a  is, according to the form illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, preferably circular so a matching shaft  14   d  formed by the body of the insert  14  can locate within the bore. Bore  15   a  is formed by recesses  15   b  provided in the corners of each of the three adjacent panel members  11  at the corner. 
     The detail of one form of corner insert  14  is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. An insert  14  includes a face  14   a  and a body or shaft  14   d  adapted to be inserted in bore  15   a . Face  14   a  is triangular and is sized to cover the recess of corner  15  by an overhang  14   b  at its edges. One side of the insert  14  is provided with a ‘bottom lip’  14   c  which is received by a corresponding recess or clearance  18  in panel members  11 . 
     The function of lip  14   c /recess  18  is to secure an insert  14  in position when a joining element  12  slides over it (engaging the back wall of the lip groove  14   e ). The insert  14  cannot be pulled out of corner construction  15  due to it held in a locked-in position by the lip  14   c  being held in recess  18  by the overlapping end of joining element  12 . 
     Seven of the eight corners  15  will have an insert  14  in position. The eighth corner features a lock insert  16  (shown in FIGS.  6  and  7 ). Lock insert  16  is substantially similar in appearance to an insert  14  with the addition of a lock cylinder  16   a  and lug  16   b  which prevents withdrawal of the lock insert  16  from bore  15   a . The lip  14   c  is not present on lock insert  16 . 
     The sequence of applying inserts  14  and the lock insert  16  is important for the assembly of a secure cabinet  10 . The sequence will be apparent during assembly to ensure lips  14   c /recess  18  secure each of the seven inserts  14  in place. The lock insert  16  is inserted into the final remaining bore  15   a  (preferably, but not necessarily, on the upper side of cabinet  10 ) and the key removed to allow the lug  16   b  to protrude and locate behind an inner edge of a panel  11  to maintain the lock insert  16  in recess  15   a.    
     Lock insert  16  and inserts  14  prevent sliding of joining elements  12  to demount or disassemble the cabinet and hence unauthorised entry into the display cabinet  10 . Once a key is located in the key lock  16   a  of lock insert  16  the lug  16   b  retracts and the lock insert  16  can be removed. This then enables joining elements  12  terminating at the cavity (corner  15 ) from which the lock insert  16  has been removed to be slid out of the grooves  11   b . This in turn frees the lip  14   c  of the inserts at the ends of the grooves  11   b , from which joining elements  12  have been removed so that the inserts  14  can be extracted. As a result further joining elements  12  are freed for sliding removal. This procedure is continued until the cabinet is broken down into its component parts of panels  11 , inserts  14 , lock insert  16  and joining elements  12 . 
     The reverse procedure is followed to assemble the cabinet from its broken down (ie storage, transportation) state. 
     Other embodiments may utilise some form of non-return clip to secure a corner insert  14  but this requires access from within the cabinet for disassembly to take place. 
     In another embodiment access may be gained by having a door  19  hinged by hinges  20  in an opening  21  in a wall element  11  and which is secured with an appropriate lock  22  (see FIGS.  12  and  13 ). The hinge can be in the form of studs, pins or the like  23  and  24  which are joined together to pivot about a pivot axis  25 . The studs  23  and  24  are engaged in respective openings formed in the wall element  11  and door  19  as shown in FIG.  13 . It will also be noted that the adjacent edges of the opening  21  and door  19  are profiled as shown in FIG.  13 . 
     Alternative embodiments may include provision for integral shelving affixed to the panel walls or corner constructions. 
     An alternative cross-section of joiner element  12  and configuration of the profiled edges of the panels is shown in FIG. 8 while FIGS. 9,  10  and  11  show a modified form of the insert which is able to be used with the arrangement shown in FIG.  8 . 
     In the arrangement shown in FIG. 8 the elongate joining element  12  is essentially the same as that shown in FIG. 3 except in cross-sectional profile the joiner element is of curved shape. This provides a clearance  25  between the inside surface  26  of the joining element  12  and the end surfaces  27  of the panel members  11  to accommodate a lip or projection  14   c  of the insert  14 . This projection  14   c  can be of circular cross-section as shown in FIG. 8 or it can preferably be of a more angular construction as shown in FIGS. 9-11. 
     Also, in the arrangement shown in FIG. 8 the side edges  12   a  include inwardly projecting bulbous portions  28 . Projections  29  also extend from the inner surface of the joining element  12  to engage on the surface of edge portions  11   a.    
     In FIGS. 9-11 there is shown an alternative insert  14  where like elements of construction carry the same reference numerals as those used for the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5. In this embodiment the face  14   a  is slightly different by having three separate overhangs  14   b  rather than a continuous overhang as with the previous embodiment. Each of the overhangs  14   b  corresponds with and mates against the end surface of an adjacent joining element  12  (this preferably being of the cross-sectional profile as shown in FIG.  8 ). 
     The insert of FIGS. 9-11 is intended to provide greater security to prevent unauthorised dismantling of a cabinet. To achieve unauthorised dismantling it is possible with the earlier described embodiment to lever up an insert  14  at one is corner sufficient to enable the adjacent end of a joining element  12  to be moved underneath the overhang  14   b . This longitudinal sliding movement of the joining element  12  can be sufficient to cause the opposite end of the joining element to move away from its overlap with lip  14   c  thereby enabling the insert at the opposite end of the joining element to simply be removed. With the removal of this insert it is then possible to sequentially remove joining elements  12  and hence other inserts  14  followed by further joining elements so as to breach or dismantle the cabinet. 
     With the arrangement shown in FIGS. 9-11, however, the overhangs  14   b  are made as short as possible ie. to terminate as close as possible to the shaft  14   d . As a consequence even if an insert  14  is levered or prised sufficiently to enable a joining element to be slid longitudinally, the end of the joining element will immediately come into contact with the insert, more particularly shaft  14   d , such contact taking place before the opposite end of the sliding element can clear the lip or projection  14   c . Consequently it is not possible to remove the insert at the opposite end of the moved joining element. As a result the security of the cabinet is improved. 
     To further prevent an insert  14  from being removed the inner end of body  14   d  is provided with a radial projection  14   e  and a cutaway portion  14   f . When assembling the cabinet the body  14   d  is inserted into aperture  15   a  on an angle (permitted by the clearance provided by cutaway portion  14   f ) to enable radial projection  14   e  to locate behind the inner surface of the wall members at the corner or apex  15 . Once projection  14   e  is in place the body is straightened into the aperture  15   a  so that projection or tongue  14   c  locates in recess  18 . Thus, if a leverage force is applied to the outer end of insert  14  the radial projection engages against the wall member to prevent the body  14   d  from moving axially within the aperture  15   a  sufficient for insert  14  to be removed. 
     FIGS. 14-16 show yet a further form of the insert which is similar to that shown in FIGS. 9-11. However, longer overhangs  14   b  are provided. To prevent the action referred to in connection with the insert of FIGS. 9-11 the two overhangs not incorporating projection  14   c  are provided on their undersides with a ridge  14   g . Thus, if an insert is levered or prised outwardly the presence of the rib  14   g  nevertheless prevents sliding action of the joining element from taking place. 
     In use the cabinet system may be transported in ‘flat pack’ form and then constructed on site. The construction will be apparent from the components provided. 
     Joiner elements  12  are slotted into wall panels  11  at their peripheral edges to form a box. Seven corner inserts  14  are added during this procedure. Finally insertion of the lock  16  completes and secures the cabinet. The final construction of the cabinet will maintain the display item securely within its walls. A considerable effort would be needed for a thief to break into the cabinet and in a public viewing area such a thief would have little or no opportunity to break in. 
     The basic invention (of interlocking panel members) provides the opportunity for constructing shapes other than boxes for display purposes. For example, a hexagon or octagon shape may be desirable for a ‘walk-around’ display cabinet where an item or collection of items can be viewed from all angles. 
     Preferably the panels, and shelves (if any), are constructed from a transparent plastic material such as acrylic to enable an unobscured view of a display item from any position outside the cabinet. It must be appreciated however, that small additions of colour may be used to match the surrounding colour scheme. For example one or more of the panels can be coloured and opaque. 
     Joiner elements  12  are preferably constructed from polished stainless steel strips and units can then be cut to length. Stainless steel has an appropriately ‘high-grade’ appearance. Alternatively, the joiner elements can be of extruded metal form, eg aluminium. In a further form the joiner elements could be of extruded plastic material such as polycarbonate which may be clear. 
     Corner inserts may be constructed of coloured plastics material or in a transparent manner in conformance with the panel members. 
     The lock will be similarly of plastic construction with an appropriately sized lock. 
     Stands or tables for a cabinet may be constructed using the same inventive principal or be of conventional design. The purpose of a stand or table is merely to raise the height of the cabinet to a comfortable viewing level. 
     For secure fixing of the table to the cabinet the ‘floor’ panel member  11  may be provided with holes for screwing/bolting it to a table top. The construction material of the ‘floor’ panel need not be the same as the other panels because the transparency is not required. 
     The cabinet according to the present invention is thus (by virtue of its materials) lightweight, can be transported and assembled easily and has an attractive appearance equal to or surpassing other available display cabinets which are much more expensive. The cabinet is readily demountable for storage and/or transportation purposes.