Kickboards are generally in the form of long members comprising wood, veneered fibreboard, chipboard or like materials which are mounted towards the base of kitchen cabinets or similar articles of furniture. These cabinets are usually mounted on legs so that the base of the cabinet is raised above the floor. The kickboard is mounted generally vertically, substantially parallel to the front surface of the cabinet, between the base of the cabinet and the floor. The kickboard is usually set back a small distance with respect to the front of the cabinet so that a person using the work surface on top of the cabinet may stand comfortably with a front part of his or her feet lying under the front edge of the cabinet. In addition to providing an aesthetically pleasing finish to the kitchen cabinet, the kickboard serves to prevent dust, dirt, small pieces of food and other objects which may fall from the work surface or be on the floor from passing beneath the cabinet. Also, for safety reasons, small children and animals are prevented from accessing the space beneath the cabinets.

Kickboards are often permanently attached to the cabinets by suitable means (such as screws), but this is inconvenient when access is required beneath the cabinets for cleaning or maintenance. It is known to provide removable kickboards, which may be attached by means, for example, of magnetic fasteners. A particular problem of such rigid wooden or fibreboard kickboards is that it is difficult to accommodate floors which are uneven or not level (and therefore not parallel to the base of the cabinets) and the seal provided between the kickboard and the floor is inadequate. For example, particles of food or such like may become lodged in the small gap between the base of the kickboard and the floor, which is unhygienic.

The present invention seeks to overcome at least some of the abovementioned problems.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a kickboard mountable between the base of a cabinet and a floor comprising a generally vertical wall portion and a curved foot portion comprising a resilient material wherein in use the foot portion is deflected by and resiliently urged against the floor.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the wall portion is integral with the foot portion and also comprises a resilient material.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the kickboard includes mounting means for attaching the kickboard to the cabinet incorporating a hinge whereby the kickboard may operably be moved to a position whereat access to the underneath of the cabinet is possible.

Preferably, the mounting means comprises a longitudinal member attached to the base of the cabinet and substantially coextensive with the kickboard. In a preferred form of this embodiment of the invention, the kickboard includes a substantially cylindrical portion extending along the length of the upper edge of the kickboard and which cooperates with a socket of corresponding shape in the mounting means. The kickboard is thereby hingedly attached to the mounting means.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section through a kickboard according to the invention, mounted on a kitchen cabinet, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a kickboard (without the mounting means) in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, a kickboard 1 comprises a wall portion 2 and a foot portion 3. The kickboard 1 is mounted on a cabinet 4 (shown schematically) which cabinet has an underneath surface 5, a supporting leg 6 and a foot 7. The foot 7 stands on floor 8. The kickboard is attached to the cabinet 4 by mounting means 9 which may be secured to the cabinet in any suitable manner, such as by adhesive or by fixing screws.

The kickboard 1 is made from a resilient material which has a degree of flexibility. In use, the wall portion 2 lies generally vertically, although some variation from the vertical is acceptable, provided only that the foot portion 3 lies against the floor 8. When the kickboard 1 is placed in position, the foot 3, and possibly the wall portion 2, are deflected or deformed to some extent as the foot portion 3 contacts the floor 8.

Because of the resilient nature of the foot portion 3 (and possibly of the wall portion 2), the foot portion 3 is urged against the floor 8 and thereby provides an effective seal between the foot portion 3 and the floor 8. Dust, dirt, small pieces of food and other objects are thereby prevented from passing beneath the cabinet 4.

The mounting means 9 comprises a longitudinally extending member which is preferably substantially coextensive with the kickboard 1. The mounting means is attached to the underneath surface 5 of the cabinet 4 by suitable means such as fixing screws or adhesive. The mounting means may alternatively be provided at any other suitable location, such as, for example, on the legs 6.

The kickboard 1 is attached to the mounting means by means of a hinge joint. In the example illustrated, the hinge joint comprises a generally cylindrical hollow socket 10 in the mounting means which cooperates with a generally

cylindrical extension 11 of the kickboard 1. Other suitable hinges may also be used and as an alternative, the socket may be provided on the kickboard and the mounting means may carry a suitable extension which cooperates with the socket. The hinge joint allows the kickboard to be moved from its normal use position to a raised position, indicated in ghost lines on Figure 1, so that access may be gained to the space underneath the cabinets for cleaning or maintenance.

The kickboard may be made from any suitably resilient material, and plastics materials such as rubber/polyethylene mixes are generally preferred.