FOLDABLE CABINET

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to articles of furniture and, more particu- larly, to folding cabinets which comprise two side panels, a back panel, a bottom panel, a top panel and a plurality of shelves, whereby the cabinets are adapted to fold into substantially flat configurations for saving space for the purposes of shipping and / or storage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many people and organizations have the need of cabinets upon which to store clothes or several other objects. In addition, several businesses such as exhibiting companies need cabinets which have to be transported to a number of locations for use during short periods of time before transported to the next location. The cabinets require high requirements of space while they are being transported or stored. Furthermore, transportation costs depend in many cases on the volume of the articles to be transported. In the majority of cases, the cabinets to be trans- ported are disassembled in their single parts before transported or packed. This approach however takes additional time for disassembling and assembling the cabinets. Further, additional tool is required for disassembling and assembling the cabinets.

The prior art does not disclose a foldable cabinet which can be simply collapsed or folded for storage and transport and yet has a standard, cabinet-like configuration when in use, i.e. when the cabinet is assembled or reassembled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention, provides a foldable cabinet comprising two side panels, a back panel, a bottom panel, a top panel and a number of shelves, where the shelves, the bottom panel and the top panel are horizontally arranged between the two side panels and where at least the side panels, the bottom panel and the top panel are formed foldable and hinged to the back panel and where the shelves are formed foldable also and are connected to the back panel or to at least one of the side panels.

Since the side panels, the bottom panel, the top panel and the shelves are formed foldable and hinged to the back panel, the cabinet may be collapsed in order to save volume, in particular transportation- volume, and transportation costs.

As the shelves are connected to the back panel or to at least one of the side panels, all major parts of the furniture are connected to each other, therefore ensuring that none of the major parts can be lost during transportation.

In a further embodiment of the invention the foldable cabinet further comprises an intermediate panel, where the shelves are horizontally arranged between the left side panel and the intermediate panel and / or between the right side panel and the intermediate panel, respectively, and where the shelves are hinged to the back panel or to the intermediate panel.

The shelves, hinged to the back panel or to the intermediate panel, may be not removed if the cabinet has to be folded.

Further, the side panels, the bottom panel, the top panel and the intermediate panel, each may be in a two-part form, where each two corresponding parts are connected by hinge means. Thus, the rear parts of side panels, bottom panel and top panel provide a well-defined space for placing the shelves, the intermediate panel and further objects such as drawer and shoe shelf when the cabinet is folded

In a further embodiment, the cabinet may comprise at least one cabinet door hinged to one of the two side panels, where the cabinet door may be in a two-part form. The two parts of the cabinet door may be connected by hinge means.

In yet a further embodiment, at least two shelves, horizontally arranged between the left side panel and the intermediate panel or between the right side panel and the intermediate panel, respectively, in combination with at least one cubicle door and a part of the back panel may provide at least one cubicle for valuables, where the at least one cubicle door may be hinged to the left side panel or to the right side panel or to the intermediate panel, and where at least one cubicle door may comprise a locking device.

The cabinet may be foldable as follows:

- the shelves are foldable from a horizontal position when the cabinet is assembled to a vertical position laying flat against back panel and / or against intermediate panel when the cabinet is folded,

- the at least one cubicle door is foldable inward to lie flat against the intermediate panel and / or the side panels when the cabinet is folded,

- the intermediate panel is foldable 90 degrees sideward to lie flat against the folded shelves when the cabinet is folded, - the bottom panel and the top panel are foldable inward laying flat against the folded intermediate panel when cabinet is folded,

- A -

- the at least one cabinet door is foldable outward to lie flat against the outside of one of the side panels, and

- the side panels in combination with the folded cabinet door are foldable inward to lie flat against folded bottom panel and top panel when the cabinet is folded.

Furthermore, at the upper end and the lower end of intermediate panel, at the right end and the left end of the bottom panel and the top panel, respectively, may be mounted rubber seals for the purpose of dust prevention.

The at least one cabinet door may comprise at least two slats mounted inside thereof and adapted for stacking a number of cabinets when the cabinets are folded. Thus, a number of cabinets may be stacked securely and space-saving

The cabinet door may comprise locking means.

In a further embodiment, the cabinet may comprise means for locating the shelves in horizontal position when the cabinet is assembled and for locating the shelves in vertical position when the cabinet is folded. The means for locating the shelves in horizontal or vertical position may consists of grooves and pins, preferably eccentric pins, where the grooves may be arranged on side panels and intermediate panel, the pins may be arranged on the left and right outer edge of the shelves, and where the pins may be manually adjustable between a locked position and an unlocked position.

Further, the cabinet may comprise at least four adjustable cabinet-legs.

The cabinet is made of lightweight panels, preferably of medium density fiber- boards (MDF). The lightweight panels may also comprise fuma as inner material and gaboon mahogany as outer material.

A specific embodiment of the invention is described on the basis of the following figures.

Fig. Ia and b show a perspective view and a front view of the inventive cabi- net when assembled;

Fig. 2a, b and c show a perspective view, a front view and a side view of the inventive cabinet when folded; Fig. 3a and b show a perspective view and a front view of a number of folded cabinets when stacked; and Fig. 4a and b show two perspective views - unfolded and folded - of the inventive cabinet without intermediate panel and cubicle doors when assembled.

In Fig. Ia and b the main elements of a foldable cabinet 1 (assembled, e.g. not folded) can be seen, that is a left side panel 10, a right side panel 11, a back panel 20, a bottom panel 30 and a top panel 40. Left side panel 10, right side panel 11, bottom panel 30 and top panel 40 are connected to the back panel 20 and formed foldable.

Top and bottom panels 30, 40 as well side panels 10, 11 are in a two-part form. The front parts are hinged to the corresponding back part by hinge means, indicated by reference number 15 in Fig. Ia. Hinge means may be one of a piano hinge and a butt hinge. Other types of hinges may be used. As shown in Fig. Ia, the back parts of bottom panel 30 and top panel 40 are smaller than back parts of the side panels 10, 11. Otherwise, the cabinet 1 cannot be folded optimally. The side panels 10, 11 provide at least four fasteners 16 for fixing the front side of the bottom and top panel 30, 40 in a horizontally position between the side panels 10, 11 when the cabinet is assembled. The two fasteners at the lower edge of the side panels 10, 11 are not shown in the drawing. The bottom and top panel 30, 40 may preferably be fastened and unfastened without use of any tool. The invention also allows for fastening/unfastening means, using simple tools like alien keys, which

may complicate the fastening process somewhat, but at the same time lower the risk of unfastening parts of the furniture by accident.

Furthermore, the cabinet 1 may comprise an intermediate panel 70. Preferably, depth of the intermediate panel 70 is lesser than depth of the side panels 10, 11. As the bottom panels 30, 40 and the side panels 10, 11, the intermediate panel 70 is attached securely to the back panel 20. In this embodiment, the intermediate panel 70 is also formed in a two part form (not shown in the drawing) whereby the front part of the intermediate panel 70 is connected by hinge means to the back part of the intermediate panel 70. Thus, the front part of the intermediate panel 70 may be fold 90 degrees sideward (left or right). At the upper and lower edge of the intermediate panel are mounted rubber seals. The rubber seals provide additional stability of the intermediate panel when the cabinet is folded.

The cabinet 1 provides a plurality of shelves 50. The shelves 50 are arranged horizontally between the left side panel 10 and the intermediate panel 70 or between the intermediate panel 70 and the right side panel 11, when the cabinet 1 is assembled. The cabinet 1 and / or the shelves 50 show means for locating 140 the shelves 50 in a horizontal position when the cabinet is assembled. Additionally, these means 140 may be also used for locating the shelves 50 in a vertical position when the cabinet 1 is folded. The locating means 140 preferably consists of grooves and eccentric pins. The grooves are arranged on the side panels 10, 11 and / or on the intermediate panel 70 depending on whether the shelves are fold- able sideward or backward. The eccentric pins are arranged on the left and right outer edge of the shelves 50.

If a shelf 50 may be folded backward so that the shelf is laying flat against back panel 20, then a side panel 10 or 11 and the intermediate panel 70 shows the grooves within their front range. The pins also are mounted within the front range of the left and right outer edge of the shelf. The shelf is hinged to the back panel 20 by hinge means, e.g. piano hinges or butt hinges.

Otherwise, if a shelf 50 may be folded sideward so that the shelf is laying flat against the side panel 10 or 11 or the intermediate panel 70, then the intermediate panel 70 or the side panel 10 or 11 shows one groove within their front range and the second groove within their back range. In this case, both pins are mounted on the left or right edge of the shelf 50. The shelf is hinged to a side panel 10, 11 or to the intermediate panel 70 by hinge means, e.g. piano hinges or butt hinges.

The pins are manually adjustable between a locked position and an unlocked posi- tion. Thus, the shelves 50 may be folded without use of any tool. According to another embodiment of the invention, the adjustment is done by using tools - preferably simple easy to use tools like an alien key or even a coin, used as a simple screwdriver.

In the drawings, the cabinet 1 shows two cabinet doors 60, a left side cabinet door and a right side cabinet door. According to the inventive cabinet it is possible to provide a cabinet 1 having only one cabinet door 60. The cabinet doors 60 are hinged to the side panels 10, 11, preferably by institutional hinges, 80. The cabinet doors 60 may be fold outward to lie flat against the outside of the respective side panels. Therefore, institutional hinges 80 are the appropriate type of hinges. It is self-evident that other appropriate hinges may be used. The cabinet doors 60 also may be in a two-part form. This is advisable if the doors 60 are wider than the respective side panels. In a two-part form the corresponding parts are connected together by hinge means, e.g. piano hinges.

In one embodiment, the cabinet doors 60 have a locking device 130 for closing and locking the cabinet 1. Furthermore, each door 60 shows at least one slat 120, mounted inside the door and adapted for stacking a number of cabinets when the cabinets are collapsed, as shown in Fig. 3a and 3b. The slats 120 may extend sub- stantially over the whole length of the cabinet doors 60, as shown in Fig. 3a. and

3b.. Nevertheless, the slats 120 may also be used with reduced length, extending over smaller parts of the cabinet doors 60 only, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2.

Further, the cabinet 1 may show at least one cubicle for valuables. The cubicle is also formed foldable. The cubicle is composed of two shelves 50, arranged between the intermediate panel 70 and the left side panel 10 or between the intermediate panel 70 and the right side panel 11, and the back panel 20 in combination with an cubicle door 90. The cubicle door 90 is hinged to the intermediate panel 70 or to one of the side panels 10, 11 by hinge means, e.g. butt hinges or piano hinges. The cubicle door may comprise a locking device 100.

The cabinet 1 may show at least four adjustable leveler legs 180. Adjustable lev- eler legs 180 shows the advantage that the cabinet may be securely arranged even if the ground is not planar.

It is especially advantageous, when the leveler legs 180 are mounted in alternating positions as can be seen from Fig. 2a to c. When the cabinet is folded, the leveler legs 180, mounted at the side panels 110, 111, are close to the centre of the cabinet in the front view of Fig. 2b. At the same time, those two leveler legs 180 are not in line with the two leveler legs 180, mounted to the back parts 170 of the side panels 110, 111, as can be seen from Fig. 2c and Fig. 2a. Such a staggering of the leveler legs 180 allows for more options when stacking and storing the cabinets.

Further, the cabinet may show one ore more drawers and / or a shoe shelf and / or a clothes rail or further helpfully fixtures and fittings such as power sockets or suchlike.

Especially when the use of more cabinets is an option, the side panels 110, 111, preferably the back parts 170 of the side panels 110, 111, may comprise means (not shown) to allow for an interlinking of at least two cabinets with each other. When interlinking a number of cabinets, their stability is improved.

Referring now to Fig. 2a, 2b and 2c, the cabinet 1 is shown in a folded state. The back parts 170 of the side panels 110, 111 and the top panel 40 are well visible in these figures. When folded, the cabinet doors 60 lie flat against the front part of the side panels 110, 111, whereby the inside of the doors 60 form now the front outside of the collapsed cabinet, so that the slats 120 are lying outside. In the interior of the folded cabinet are placed the folded shelves and intermediate panel, the cubicle door, the front parts of the top panel and bottom panel, as well as non foldable objects such as drawers and / or shoe shelves.

It has turned out that the cabinet should be folded as follows:

1. folding shelves 50 from the horizontal position to the vertical position, so that the shelves are laying flat against back panel and / or against intermediate panel or side panels; 2. folding the cubicle door 90 inward so that the cubicle door is laying flat against intermediate panel or against one of the side panel;

3. folding intermediate panel 70 sideward, so that the intermediate panel is laying flat against back panel or against folded shelves;

4. folding both, bottom panel 30 and top panel 40, inward so that both are laying flat against folded intermediate panel;

5. folding the cabinet doors 60 outward, so that the cabinet doors are laying flat against their respective side panels 10, 11; and

6. folding, together with the cabinet doors, inward the side panels 10, 11 so that the side panels are laying flat against the top and bottom panel.

Before folding the side panels 10, 11, additional objects, such as drawers or shoe shelves may be put within the remaining space of the yet folded cabinet. The cabinet may provide additional means, preferably inside the cabinet, for fastening these additional objects.

Thus, the folded cabinet requires less than 30 percent of the volume of the non- folded cabinet. As many logistics enterprises charge transportation costs depending on the volume to be transported, the transportation costs can be optimized by minimizing the volume.

Fig. 3a and 3b show a number of stacked cabinets. The slats 120 are used together with the back panel of the cabinet for stacking the cabinets in a safe manner. Thus, a specific number of cabinets may be packed safe within a container, whereby the number of cabinets to be packed in a single container can be maximized.

The main parts of the cabinet, e.g. side panels, back panel, top and bottom panel, intermediate panel and cabinet doors preferably are made of lightweight material, such as medium density fiberboards (MDF). It is a big advantage of the present invention, that the cabinet can be assembled and folded within minutes without use of any tool or, as described above, with the use of simple tools only. Further, a folded cabinet saves a lot of space, so that transportation costs can be minimized.

Fig. 4 and b show another embodiment of the invention, where the foldable cabinet 300 comprises a left side panel 310, a right side panel 311, a back panel 320, a bottom panel 330 and a top panel 340. Left side panel 310, right side panel 311, bottom panel 330 and top panel 340 are connected to the back panel 320 and formed foldable.

Other than in the first embodiment, the top panel 340 is not serving as a top cover like the top panel 40 of Fig. Ia. Instead, it is mounted at a lower position, so that it does not, at least not substantially, exceed the back panel 311 when folded upwards as shown in Fig. 4b.

Again, top and bottom panels 330, 340 are preferably in one part form, whereas side panels 310, 311 are in a two-part form. The front parts of the two side panels 310, 311 are hinged to the corresponding back part by hinge means, indicated by reference number 315 in Fig. 4a and 4b. Hinge means may again be one of a piano hinge and a butt hinge. Other types of hinges may be used.

The cabinet 300 provides a plurality of shelves 350. The shelves 350 are arranged horizontally between the left side panel 310 and the right side panel 311, when the cabinet 300 is assembled. The cabinet 300 and / or the shelves 350 show means for locating the shelves 350 in a horizontal position when the cabinet is assembled. Additionally, these means may be also used for locating the shelves 350 in a vertical position when the cabinet 300 is folded as shown in Fig. 4b.

The shelves 350 may be folded upward so that they are laying flat against back panel 320. The side panels 310 and 311 may then be folded inwards, thus lying flat against the shelves 350 and the top and bottom panels 340 and 330. The cabinet 350 may be fixed in both, folded and unfolded position by suitable means, not shown in Fig. 4a and 4b.

It has to be noted that the top and bottom shelves 340 and 330 in this embodiment serve as shelves at the same time.

Like the first embodiment, the cabinet 300 may also show at least four adjustable leveler legs 380. Adjustable leveler legs 380 have the advantage that the cabinet may be securely arranged even if the ground is not planar.