U.S. patent number 3,580,650 [Application Number 04/786,199] was granted by the patent office on 1971-05-25 for cabinet structure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Philco-Ford Corporation. Invention is credited to William J. Morris.
United States Patent |
3,580,650 |
Morris |
May 25, 1971 |
CABINET STRUCTURE
Abstract
A molded, unitary, multisection plastic cabinet structure for a
small portable device such as a radio receiver. The sections are
joined by integral hinges comprising reduced cross-sectional areas
of the plastic material from which the cabinet structure is molded.
The sections are so foldable about their respective hinges as to
provide a case for the device, selectively foldable to a stored
position within an outer case, and movable to a propped up position
for use of the device, or to an extended position for
servicing.
Inventors: |
Morris; William J. (Woodbury,
NJ) |
Assignee: |
Philco-Ford Corporation
(Philadelphia, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
25137875 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/786,199 |
Filed: |
December 23, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
312/7.1;
229/406 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04B
1/086 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04B
1/08 (20060101); A47b 081/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;312/7 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,144,356 |
|
Feb 1963 |
|
DT |
|
808,820 |
|
Feb 1959 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Lawson; Patrick D.
Claims
I claim:
1. A molded cabinet of flexible plastic material having relatively
high resistance to fatigue failure under repeated flexing, said
cabinet, as molded, comprising: a pair of adjacent, open-sided,
unidirectionally presented casing members; a first integral hinging
strip interconnecting adjacent lateral portions of said members; a
third, open sided casing member including a lateral portion
adjacent a free lateral portion of one of said first recited pair
of casing members; a second integral hinging strip interconnecting
the last recited adjacent lateral portions; a panel member having a
lateral portion adjacent a lateral portion of said third casing
member; and a third integral hinging strip interconnecting the last
recited adjacent lateral portions of said panel member and said
third casing member, said hinging strips, casing members, and panel
member being so cooperatively disposed that said panel member is
foldable about said third hinging strip to a position closing said
third casing member, the latter member thereupon being foldable
about said second hinging strip into the casing member adjacent
thereto, the other casing member being thereupon foldable about
said first hinging strip to a position closing the other casing
member of the recited pair.
2. A molded cabinet according to claim 1, and characterized in that
said third casing member is constructed and arranged for
installation therein of a radio receiver having a frontally facing
portion and a rearwardly facing portion and in such position that
the rearwardly facing portion is covered by said panel member in
its folded position and the frontally facing portion is presented
at the opposite, open side of the third casing member.
3. A molded cabinet according to claim 2 and characterized in that
said casing members are generally box-shaped.
4. A molded cabinet according to claim 2, and further characterized
in that said panel member includes an opening, a closure panel for
said opening, and a hinging strip molded integrally therewith and
providing for pivotal movements of said closure panel over said
opening.
5. A molded cabinet according to claim 2, and further characterized
by the inclusion of integrally molded projecting bead means on a
free lateral portion of one of said pair of casing members, and
integrally molded tab means on a free lateral portion of the other
of said pair of casing members, said tab means including a detent
portion for releasably receiving said bead means when said pair of
casing members are in their recited closed positions.
6. An integrally molded, multisection cabinet structure for a small
portable radio receiver, said cabinet structure, as molded,
comprising: a pair of adjacent, open-sided unidirectionally
presented casings; a hinging strip joining said casings in the
region of their adjacency; a third casing for housing and
supporting said radio receiver; a second hinging strip affixing
said third casing to a free edge of one of said pair of casings;
and a panel on said third casing and adapted to cover said radio
receiver, said third casing being foldable to a stored position in
which it is enclosed by said pair of casings in a folded position
of the latter.
7. Cabinet structure according to claim 6 and characterized by the
inclusion of integrally molded cooperative latch structure on said
pair of casings for releasably retaining the latter in folded
closed position in which said third casing is enclosed thereby.
8. Cabinet structure according to claim 6, and further
characterized in that said panel includes an opening affording
access to a radio receiver housed in said cabinet and having a door
molded integrally with said panel and providing for hinged closure
of said opening.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to cabinet structure, and especially to
integrally molded cabinet structure for small radio receivers or
like apparatus.
Portable electrical apparatus, for example travel clock-radios of
relatively small size, have attained a considerable degree of
popularity. Such clock-radios usually are housed within boxlike
enclosures having hinged lid structures, and latches therefor, as
well as some means for hingedly mounting the clock-radios so that
they can be moved to a propped position within the opened
enclosures for clock-viewing and radio-listening. Also, removable
battery compartment and service closures are provided that include
releasable fasteners. Apparatus of this type is rather complicated
and costly since it requires separate cabinet parts and separately
handleable hinging and latching hardware.
It is a general objective of this invention to provide improved
portable cabinet structure of molded plastic material for housing
electronic equipment.
It is a further and more specific objective of this invention to
provide improved, unitary clock-radio support and enclosure
structure, along with hinging and latching means therefor, that
lends itself to fabrication from molded plastic material.
It is still another objective of the invention to provide a
portable radio including a cabinet of integrally molded plastic
construction facilitating both assembly and use of the radio.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention contemplates unitary cabinet, hinging, and
latching means of integrally molded plastic construction, that
lends itself to formation by simple molding techniques. The
composite structure, as molded, comprises: a pair of adjacent,
open-sided, unidirectionally presented casing members of plastic
material interconnected by a hinging strip; a third casing member
connected to one of the members of said pair by a similar hinging
strip; and a wall member connected to said third casing member by
an integral hinging strip. The construction and arrangement is such
that the third casing member receives apparatus, for example a
radio chassis and clock assembly, that is thereupon covered by
folding and fastening the hinged wall member thereover. The third
casing member, thus assembled, is foldable into stored position
into one casing member of the adjacent pair, for subsequent
enclosure by folding thereover the other casing member of the pair.
Alternatively, the pair of adjacent casing members may be partially
opened about their common, integrally molded hinging strip, and the
third casing member pivoted about its hinged edge into a propped
position within the adjacent pair of members for clock-viewing and
radio-listening.
The foregoing as well as other objectives of the invention will be
more fully understood from a consideration of the following
description taken in light of the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective showing of molded-plastic cabinet structure
embodying the present invention, and in its form as molded;
FIG. 2 is a showing similar to FIG. 1, and following assembly of
clock-radio apparatus into the molded cabinet;
FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are views illustrating operational features of
apparatus assembled according to the preceding FIGS. and
FIGS. 1A to 5A are somewhat diagrammatic elevational end views, on
a reduced scale, of apparatus seen in FIGS. 1 to 5,
respectively.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With more particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 1A of the drawing,
cabinet structure 10 is integrally molded in four basic sections
comprising casing members 11 and 12, preferably of box-shaped
configuration, joined by an integral hinging strip 13 of reduced
cross-sectional area. A third casing or box-shaped member 14 is
joined by a similar hinging strip 15 to an adjacently disposed edge
of member 12, and a panel 16 is joined along an edge thereof by
integral hinging strip 17 to an adjacent edge of member 14. A door
18 is molded onto panel 16 with a hinging strip 19 along the edge
of an opening 20 formed in the panel. Conveniently, the cabinet
structure may be molded from a synthetic organic thermoplastic
material such as polypropylene which has been found to exhibit
sufficient flexibility for the hinging sections and rigidity for
the box-shaped sections.
With reference further to FIG. 1A, and to FIGS. 2 and 2A, a
combination clock and radio chassis 21 of generally rectangular
construction is inserted and mounted within box-shaped member 14,
with knobs 22 and clock 23 (visible in FIGS. 3 and 4) presented
downwardly. Panel 16 is then folded about its hinging strip 17 onto
the rear of the member 14 and is fastened in such position, for
example by a captive screw or the like, (not shown). The rim of
member 14 opposite panel 16 defines a generally rectangular opening
for receiving a front wall of the clock-radio chassis. The same rim
includes a flange or bead 24 FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) against which the
face of the chassis is seated. Thus, panel 16 and flange 24
cooperate to hold the clock-radio chassis in place within member
14. Opening 20 in combination with door 18 provides for access to
the radio and clock battery compartment (not shown).
The apparatus thus assembled is then foldable into the operational
configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 3A. That is, member 14 and its
associated clock-radio are foldable into member 12. From this
position members 12 and 14 may be folded to the further operational
position shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A, or into the stored position shown
in FIGS. 5 and 5A, in which member 14 is enclosed by members 11 and
12.
To aid in maintaining the folded stored position shown in FIGS. 5
and 5A, selectively releasable friction latching structure is
provided that includes a projecting, integrally molded flange 25
(FIG. 5) positioned resiliently and frictionally to engage a bead
26 provided, also by molding, on member 12 (FIG. 4).
From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the
invention provides a portable clock-radio cabinet of integrally
molded plastic construction facilitating both assembly of the
clock-radio into the cabinet, and subsequent use of the
clock-radio.
While generally rectangular box-shaped cabinet structure has been
disclosed as the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be
understood that the cabinet structure may take other forms such as
round, oval, square, or the like. Also, instrumentalities housed
therein may comprise radios only, clocks only, or the like. These
and other modifications are contemplated by the scope of the
claims.
* * * * *