Cabinet

Abstract

A cabinet suitable for hospital room use including a pivotally connected support bracket adapted to support the cabinet in spaced relation to the floor and allow pivotal movement between a plurality of positions of use.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an article of furniture Most particularly, it relates to a cabinet particularly suitable for use in a hospital room as a patient care facility.

Hospital room patient furniture typically includes a cabinet adjacent the hospital bed which received the patient's personal articles, and other articles required for patient care and hygiene. These cabinets are often referred to as bedside cabinets.

In more sophisticated applications, these cabinets include electrical, electronic communications and other equipment and controls. They form an integral part of the total patient service facility.

A recent development in hospital room service facilities is disclosed in application for United States Letters Patent No. 83,762, filed Oct. 26, 1970 entitled HOSPITAL IN-PATIENT SERVICE UNIT. The modular unit there disclosed is a unitary package of essential patient care facilities. It is designed to reduce construction costs and yet provide all needed services. This new concept has completely revolutionized design concepts for hospital construction and rennovation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bedside cabinet compatible with the unitized service facilities disclosed in the aforementioned application for patent.

Another major consideration in the development of the present invention is sanitation. Furniture is normally supported upon the floor on legs which interfere with the cleaning process and renders areas difficult to clean. It is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved form of bedside cabinet which is supported in position for use above the floor and which allows easy cleaning of the floor area.

In addition, it is another object to provide such a cabinet which is movable between a plurality of positions of use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Very generally, the present invention includes a cabinet suitable for use in hospital room patient care service which includes a pivotally connected support bracket adapted to support the cabinet in spaced relation to the floor and which allows limited pivotal movement thereof between a plurality of positions of use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet embodying the features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial front elevational view of a portion of a hospital service unit associated with the cabinet of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side elevational view partially in section illustrating the connection between the cabinet shown in FIG. 1 and the hospital service unit shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the cabinet of FIG. 1 taken in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary bottom view of the cabinet of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a cabinet generally designated 10 which is illustrative of the features of the present invention.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cabinet 10 is supported by a bracket 12 upon a side section 13 of a hospital room service unit 14 of the type described in the previously mentioned application for patent.

The unit 14 is associated with a patient bed 11 and the cabinet is disposed adjacent the side of the bed for access.

The bracket 12 supports the cabinet above the floor and allows easy cleaning of the area. The cabinet 10 and bracket 12 are pivotally connected to allow the cabinet to be moved between a plurality of positions.

The cabinet may be associated with other forms of support structures. For example, the bracket 12 may be connected directly to a wall of a room, or to a specially constructed post. The arrangement described herein is merely for illustrative purposes.

The cabinet 10 includes a top 15, bottom 17, side walls 19 and back 21, and a frame 23 extending about the front and back peripheries. These components are secured together to form a cabinet structure. This particular cabinet illustrated is disclosed in an application for United States Letters Patent of even date filed in the names of FRANCIS J. BURST and DONALD W. TURNER, entitled CABINET CONSTRUCTION. Of course, any suitable cabinet construction may be used with the support brackets of the present invention.

The cabinet 10 of the illustrated embodiment also includes a drawer 25, a plastic tray 27 and an electric and electronic component 29. Suitable electronic and electric and communication conductors are connected to the cabinet through connector cable 31. This cable in the illustrated embodiment is connected to the service unit through a suitable plug shown in FIG. 3.

The outer edges of the side section of the hospital service unit 13 best seen in FIG. 2 is provided with a trim strip in the form of an extruded channel 33 with an inlaid decorative veneer 34 disposed between the channel webs. This strip overlies a vertical structure member 35 which is part of the framework of the unit.

In order to accept the bracket 12, the side section structural member 35 is provided with a pair of spaced apart apertures 36 disposed above the lower end of the side section a distance approximately equal to the vertical length of the bracket. It is further provided with an aperture 39 adjacent the lower end of the side section. The trim is provided with appropriate apertures to allow access to the vertical structural member at these locations, and the veneer 34 is terminated above the apertures 36.

The bracket 12 includes a hanger portion 41 and a cabinet portion 43. The hanger portion includes a generally vertical structural tube 46 providing a control surface engaging the trim of the side section 13. A pair of spaced apart hooks 47 extend generally outwardly and slightly above the surface 46. The hooks define contact surfaces 49 which are generally parallel to the channel portion surface 46 and spaced outwardly approximately the thickness of the trim and vertical structural member 35.

With the hanger portion in position upon the side section 13, the surface 46 is in abutting contact with the trim of the side section intermediate the webs and the hooks 47 extend through the apertures 36 with the contact surface 49 in contact with the inner surface of the vertical structural member 35.

The hanger portion 41 is attached by first inserting the hooks 47 into the apertures 36 and then swinging the channel into abutting contact with the trim channel 33.

A bolt 50 extends through an appropriate aperture into the aperture 39 of the structural member 35 to retain the hanger portion in position. A high pressure laminate strip 51 is provided to match the high pressure laminate of the side section trim.

The hanger portion further includes a pair of spaced apart supports 52 extending outwardly of the channel 45 away from the side section 13 of the service unit 14. They are spaced apart approximately the vertical height of the cabinet 10. Each defines a bushing aperture 53 adapted for pivotal connection to the cabinet portion 43 of the bracket.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the outer edge of the lowermost support 52 includes a generally semi-circular end provided with a plurality of cam notches 55. These notches include a notch 57 near the edge of the support facing the bed, and a stop notch near the opposite edge.

The cabinet portion of the bracket 12 includes a vertical strip 61 and a vertical bottom channel 63. The vertical strip 61 is secured to the cabinet side wall 19 and extends generally normally outwardly to define an upper flange 65 adjacent the top of the cabinet 10. The lower end of the vertical strip 61 is secured to the bottom channel 63 as by welding or the like.

The bottom channel 63 includes a central web 67 secured to the bottom wall 17 of the cabinet 10 and to the vertical strip 61. It extends outwardly of the cabinet adjacent the bottom to define a lower flange 69. Both flanges 65 and 69 include hinge pins 71 adapted to be pivotally secured in the backing apertures 53 of the hanger portion 41 to pivotally support the cabinet.

The bottom channel 63 includes two peripheral depending webs 73 along the longitudinal edges of the channel. Intermediate these webs there is provide a spring loaded pivotally mounted cam roller assembly 75.

The cam roller assembly 75 includes a lever 77 including a long arm 79 and a curved arm 81 substantially shorter than the arm 79. The arms are at approximately a 110.degree. angle although this angle could vary substantially.

The lever 77 is pivoted to the channel 63 by a pivot screw 83 located at the junction of the arms 81 and 79. This screw is located adjacent the depending web along the edge opposite the web facing the bed. A tension spring 85 is connected between the end of the long arm 79 opposite the pivotal connection to the channel 67 and the front web 63 facing the bed. The spring retains the long arm 79 generally parallel to the webs 63. A plurality of apertures 87 are provided in the arm 79 to allow adjustment of the spring effectiveness.

The free end of the curved arm 81 is provided with a cam roller 89 rotatably supported on screw 90. The roller, best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, is disposed in rolling engagement with the edge of the support 52 of the hanger portion which define cam notches 55.

The lever includes a link 91 which extends between the pivot screw 83 and the screw 90 to provide structural support for the cam roller 89. The lever 77 is positioned such that the tension spring releasably urges the cam roller into engaging contact with the edge of the support 52 defining the cam notches 55. The pivotal connection of the lever and the spring 85 allows the lever to pivot as the roller 89 moves from notch to notch under external applied force. However, the spring is sufficiently strong to hold the roller in a given notch to steady the cabinet in a given pivotal position.

The normal operative position of the cabinet 10 is with the frontal surface facing toward the bed. In this position, the cabinet interior and the electric, electronic and communication contacts are most easily accessible to the patient. In this position, the cam roller 89 is in notch 57. The notch is elongated to allow slight rocking movement of the cabinet as it reaches this position. This absorbs momentum and minimizes possible distrubing movement of articles upon or in the cabinet.

The notch 57 includes a stop surface 57a and also defines a ramp surface which urges the roller away from the stop notch 57a.

The step notch notch 59 is sized to present a strong restraining force against further movement of the cam roller 89. This is necessary since at this position, the cabinet has swung to a position where the side wall 19 is adjacent the side section 13 of the service unit 14. Further movement could damage either or both surfaces through inadvertent contact.

In the illustrated embodiment a leg 93 is provided to assist in supporting the load present at the hinged connection between the hanger portion and cabinet portion of the bracket 12. However, the leg is not considered essential as the components possess sufficient strength to support the cabinet weight independently of the leg. The illustrated leg is only to show a possible variation.

As can be appreciated, a free standing cabinet has been provided which is pivotal between a plurality of positions of use.

Various features of the present invention have been particularly shown and described. However, it must be appreciated that numerous modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A pivotally supported cabinet adapted for limited pivotal movement between a plurality of positions of use comprising; a cabinet structure, a bracket adapted to pivotally support said cabinet structure, said bracket including a cabinet portion secured to said cabinet structure and a hanger portion adapted to be secured to a wall, a cam formed on said hanger portion defining a plurality of notches, and a resiliently mounted follower means secured to said cabinet portion in resilient contact with said cam notches to releasably retain said cabinet in said plurality of positions of use, opposite end notches of said cam including a stop to prevent the movement of said follower means out of each said end notch in one direction to define the limits of pivotal movement of said cabinet, one of said end notches further including a ramp releasably retaining said follower means at a position in said one end notch spaced from said stop to allow slight movement of said follower means toward said stop while said cabinet is in said position of use defined by said one end notch.

2. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hanger portion includes a vertical channel defining a contact surface at least one hook extends outwardly and upwardly of said surface at the upper end of said channel and defining a surface disposed in spaced relation to the said contact surface.

3. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hanger portion includes a pair of generally horizontal supports extending outwardly in parallel spaced relation, said supports defining generally upwardly opening bearing apertures, one of said supports including an edge defining said cam notches, and wherein said cabinet portion includes generally downwardly directed pivot pins pivotally supported in said bearing apertures.

4. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cabinet portion includes a webbed channel which extends along the bottom of said cabinet and which pivotally supports a lever, said lever includes a long arm generally parallel to said webs and a curved arm, said roller is pivotally supported by said curved arm in rolling engagement with said cam notches, said long arm being spring loaded to urge said roller into said rolling engagement and movement of said cabinet between said positions of use causing pivotal action of said lever to allow said roller to move between said notches.