U.S. patent application number 13/160505 was filed with the patent office on 2012-12-20 for bench cabinet assembly which can be assembled and disassembled without tools.
Invention is credited to Jack Liu.
Application Number | 20120319546 13/160505 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47353135 |
Filed Date | 2012-12-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120319546 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liu; Jack |
December 20, 2012 |
BENCH CABINET ASSEMBLY WHICH CAN BE ASSEMBLED AND DISASSEMBLED
WITHOUT TOOLS
Abstract
A bench cabinet which can be assembled and disassembled without
tools is provided. The bench cabinet includes a front door panel, a
top panel, a bottom panel, and a rear panel. Two sideboards pivotly
connected to two sides of the front frame respectively and are
foldable to flatly contact to the front frame to save transport
costs. Also, the front door panel is connected to the rear panel by
the fixing pillar and the slot with the clamping edge to slid
laterally for connecting. The top panel and the bottom panel are
connected to the front door panel by the notch and the stud.
Therefore, the bench cabinet can be assembled and disassembled
easily without tools by users.
Inventors: |
Liu; Jack; (Taichung City,
TW) |
Family ID: |
47353135 |
Appl. No.: |
13/160505 |
Filed: |
June 14, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/237 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 43/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
312/237 |
International
Class: |
A47B 83/00 20060101
A47B083/00; A47B 47/00 20060101 A47B047/00 |
Claims
1. A bench cabinet comprising: a front door panel, including a
front frame, two doors connected to the front frame, and two
sideboards pivotly connected to two sides of the front frame
respectively, the sideboards being foldable to flatly contact to
the front frame and each of the sideboards including studs at a top
side and a bottom side of an inner surface, the sideboards further
including a slot and a clamping edge extended from the slot at a
rear end, a diameter of the slot being greater than a width of the
clamping edge; a bottom panel, including at least one notch at two
opposite sides of a bottom surface, the bottom panel being
connected to the front frame between the sideboards near the bottom
sides of the sideboard by the studs fixing to the notch; a top
panel, including at least one notch at two opposite sides of a
bottom surface, the top panel being connected to the front frame
between the sideboards near the top sides of the sideboard by the
studs fixing to the notch; and a rear panel, including at least one
fixing pillar at two ends to slid laterally to the clamping edge
for connecting between the sideboards.
2. The bench cabinet of claim 1, wherein the fixing pillar
including a neck section and a connected head section with an outer
diameter of the head section greater than a diameter of the neck
section.
3. The bench cabinet of claim 2, wherein the diameter of the slot
being large enough for the head section of the fixing pillar to go
through, the clamping edge having a second internal diameter which
is too small to allow the head section of the fixing pillar to go
through, so that the fixing pillar is inserted into the slot and
slid laterally to the clamping edge for connecting.
4. The bench cabinet of claim 2, wherein the slot has a depth
marginally smaller than a longitudinal length of the neck
section.
5. The bench cabinet of claim 1, wherein stud including a neck
section and a connected head section with an outer diameter of the
head section greater than a diameter of the neck section.
6. The bench cabinet of claim 5, wherein the notch includes a
clamping portion to fix the neck section of the stud.
7. The bench cabinet of claim 1, further comprises a divider panel
connected between the bottom panel and the top panel.
8. The bench cabinet of claim 7, wherein the divider panel includes
at least one fixing pin to insert into fixing holes of the bottom
panel and the top panel.
9. The bench cabinet of claim 8, wherein the bottom panel and the
top panel are made of wood, and the fixing pin is made of
plastic.
10. The bench cabinet of claim 9, wherein the fixing pin tight-fit
in the fixing holes of the bottom panel and the top panel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a bench cabinet which is
adapted for users to sit or to place a television thereon,
especially to a bench cabinet assembly which can be assembled and
disassembled without tools.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] Do it yourself (DIY) modular furniture is currently popular
because DIY furniture can be transported easily after being
disassembled into component pieces and also can be changed into
different forms depending on different requirements. Additionally,
people enjoy a sense of achievement when the furniture is
completed.
[0005] However, DIY modular furniture still has some disadvantages
because tools are needed when the furniture is assembled or
disassembled. For example, a conventional DIY cabinet is composed
of multiple boards or sheets of materials to fabricate a frame in
which objects are held. Fastening devices detachably used to
connect adjacent boards or sheets of materials to construct a frame
are mostly flat-head or oval-head countersunk screws that require a
suitable screwdriver to fasten or release the countersunk screws.
Therefore, assembling or disassembling the DIY cabinet is
inconvenient or impossible when suitable tools are not
available.
[0006] Moreover, for the bench cabinet, it can be utilized as a
bench for users to sit or be utilized as a TV cabinet to place a
television thereon. Regardless users or the TV, the loads are
heavy. It is difficult for the conventional DIY furniture to
support such heavy loads.
[0007] The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or
at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is an objective of the present invention to provide a
bench cabinet assembly which can be assembled and disassembled
without tools. The bench cabinet is easy to assemble for users.
Also, the structural strength is enough to support users or
televisions.
[0009] The bench cabinet according to the present invention
includes a front door panel, a bottom panel, a top panel, and a
rear panel. The front door panel includes a front frame, two doors,
and two sideboards. The doors are connected to the front frame, and
the sideboards are pivotly connected to two sides of the front
frame respectively. The sideboards are foldable to flatly contact
to the front frame to save transport costs. Each of the sideboards
includes studs at a top side and a bottom side of an inner surface.
The sideboards further includes a slot and a clamping edge extended
from the slot at a rear end. The diameter of the slot is greater
than a width of the clamping edge.
[0010] The bottom panel includes at least one notch at two opposite
sides of a bottom surface. The bottom panel is connected to the
front frame between the sideboards near the bottom sides of the
sideboard by the studs fixing to the notch. The top panel includes
at least one notch at two opposite sides of a bottom surface. The
top panel is also connected to the front frame between the
sideboards near the top sides of the sideboard by the studs fixing
to the notch. The rear panel includes at least one fixing pillar at
two ends to slid laterally to the clamping edge for connecting
between the sideboards.
[0011] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the following description and appended claims. It is to be
understood that both the foregoing general description and the
following detailed description are examples, and are intended to
provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description given herein below for illustration only,
and thus is not limitative of the present invention, and
wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a explosive view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which shows the front frame
to be unfolded.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which shows the rear panel
connecting to the front frame.
[0017] FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are a sectional views of the bench
cabinet in accordance with the present invention, which shows the
rear panel connecting to the front frame.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which shows the bottom panel
to be connected.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which shows the stubs
connecting to the notches.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which shows the divider
panel to be connected.
[0021] FIG. 9 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which shows the top panel to
be connected.
[0022] FIG. 10 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which utilized as a TV
cabinet.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, which utilized as a
bench.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to the present
preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the
same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description
refers to the same or the like parts.
[0025] FIG. 1 is a respective view of the bench cabinet in
accordance with the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a explosive
view of the bench cabinet in accordance with the present
invention.
[0026] The bench cabinet 10 according to the present invention
includes a front door panel 11, a bottom panel 13, a top panel 14,
and a rear panel 12. Please also refer to FIG. 3, the front door
panel 11 includes a front frame 111, two doors 112, 113, and two
sideboards 114, 115. The doors 112, 113 are connected to the front
frame 111, and the sideboards 114, 115 are pivotly connected to two
sides of the front frame 111 respectively. The sideboards 114, 115
are foldable to flatly contact to the front frame to save transport
costs or save the storage spaces.
[0027] When assembling, please also refer to FIG. 4, the sideboards
114, 115 are rotated outside relative to the front frame 111, until
the sideboards 114, 115 are perpendicular to the front frame 111.
Then the rear panel 12 is placed perpendicularly from the rear end.
The sideboards 114, 115 further includes a slot 20, and the rear
panel 12 includes two fixing pillar 30 for connecting to the slot
20. Please see FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C, each fixing pillar 30 has a
neck section 32 and a head section 31, and the neck section 32 has
a proximal end connected to the two opposite sides of the rear
panel 12 and a distal end connected to the head section 31.
Additionally, an outer diameter of the head section 31 is greater
than a diameter of the neck section 32.
[0028] Further, each slot 20 has an internal diameter which reduces
progressively from a inserting edge 21 to a clamping edge 22, i.e.
a diameter of the slot 22 (the inserting edge 21) is greater than a
width of the clamping edge 22. Therefore, the slot 20 may be
similar to the shape of a teardrop. Additionally, the inserting
edge 21 of each slot 20 has an internal diameter large enough for
the head section 31 of each fixing pillar 20 to go through.
However, the clamping edge 22 of each slot 20 has an internal
diameter which is too small to allow the head section 31 of each
fixing pillar 20 to go through.
[0029] Further, the two fixing pillars 30 are moveable in the two
slots 20, from the inserting edge 21 to the clamping edges 22.
Additionally, the neck sections 32 of the two fixing pillars 30
have substantial peripheral edges which can mutually contact with
and tight-fit in the clamping edges 22 of the two slots 20,
respectively; while the head sections 14 of the two fixing pillars
12 have substantial peripheral edges which can mutually contact
with and tight-fit inside the slots 20.
[0030] In order to connect the rear panel 12 to the front door
panel 11, the two fixing pillars 30 of the rear panel 12 are
inserted through the inserting edges 21 of the two slots 20 of the
sideboards 114, 115, respectively. The head sections 31 of the two
fixing pillars 30 are then inserted into the slots 20,
respectively. The rear panel 12 and front door panel 11 are then
moved relative to each other to cause the neck sections 32 of the
two fixing pillars 30 to move to tight-fit in the clamping edges 22
of the two slots 20. Therefore, the rear panel 12 and the front
door panel 11 only can be disassembled by reverse sliding.
[0031] Then the bottom panel 13 is placed between the front frame
111 and the rear panel 12 perpendicularly, as refer to FIG. 6. The
bottom panel 13 includes two notches 40 at two opposite sides of a
bottom surface. The sideboards 114, 115 includes studs 50 at
corresponding locations, i.e. near bottom. The studs 50 has a neck
section 52 and a head section 51, and the neck section 52 has a
proximal end connected to the sideboards 114, 115 and a distal end
connected to the head section 51. Additionally, an outer diameter
of the head section 51 is greater than a diameter of the neck
section 52. For example, the studs 50 may be a bolts. The notch 40
is a single opening trough with a small dimension clamping portion
41. Please refer to FIG. 7, the head section 51 of the studs 50 is
put into the notches 40, and the neck section 52 is tight-fit by
the neck section 52 to firmly connection. The bottom panel 13 can
only be disassembled upward perpendicularly.
[0032] Moreover, the bench cabinet 10 further includes a divider
panel 15 connected on the bottom panel 13. The fixing pin 151 on
the bottom surface of the divider panel 50 are inserted into the
fixing hole 131 of the bottom panel 13. Then, the top panel 14 is
placed on the top surface of the divider panel 15, please see FIGS.
8 and 9. The divider panel 15 also has fixing pin 151 on the top
surface to fix to the top panel 14. Also, the top panel 14 includes
two notches 40 at two opposite sides of a bottom surface. The
sideboards 114, 115 includes studs 50 at corresponding locations,
i.e. near top. The connection method and structure are the same as
above described, and the repeat description thereof will be
omitted.
[0033] Most cabinets are made of woods. Therefore, the bottom panel
13 and the top panel 14 are made of wood, and the fixing pin 151 is
made of plastic to make tight-insert easier. The divider panel 15
is used to divided the space inside the cabinet into to portion to
corresponding the two doors 112, 113. Also, the doors 111, 112 have
handles 60 to easy to open and close. By the divider panel 15 and
the connection relationship between the bottom panel 13, the top
panel 14 and the sideboards 114, the structural strength are high
enough to support the loading, such as users or television.
[0034] When utilized, please see FIG. 10, the television 71 is
placed thereon as a TV cabinet. On the other hand, please see FIG.
11, the seat cushions 72 are put on the top surface of the bench
cabinet 10 for users to seat as a bench.
[0035] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur
to those proficient in the relevant fields. The invention in its
broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details
and representative embodiments shown and described herein.
Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing
from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as
defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
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