Patent ID: 7703711

Claim:
A combination shredder and storage unit comprising: a cabinet having a lower end, an upper end, oppositely-disposed front and rear faces between and interconnecting the upper and lower ends, and oppositely disposed side faces between and interconnecting the upper and lower ends and between and interconnecting the front and rear faces; a front access door that defines greater than half of the front face of the cabinet, the front access door being configured for opening and closing to enable and obstruct, respectively, access to an interior volume of the cabinet defined and enclosed by the front, rear, and side faces of the cabinet; means located beneath the upper end of the cabinet for shredding sheet material and depositing shredded material into the interior volume; a shredder opening located in the upper end of the cabinet and adapted for feeding the sheet material therethrough to the shredding means; a shredder door adapted to have open and closed positions, the shredder door exposing the shredder opening thereby allowing feeding of the sheet material through the shredder opening and to the shredding means when in the open position, the shredder door covering substantially all of the upper end of the cabinet, defining a substantially horizontal support surface, and closing the shredder opening thereby preventing feeding of the sheet material through the shredder opening and to the shredding means in the closed position; a receptacle sized for receiving and storing the shredded material from the shredding means, the receptacle being located below the shredding means and within the interior volume of the cabinet, the receptacle being accessible by opening the front access door of the cabinet so as to permit removal of the shredded materials therein; at least one exterior storage compartment on the front access door and accessible from the front face of the cabinet; and at least one closable drawer accessible at the front face of the cabinet and located within the cabinet beneath the receptacle and beneath the front access door.