Lighted toe kick for cabinets

• US 10,330,270 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sympateco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sympateco, Inc.
• Inventors: Brannon, Curt
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Evan P
• Application Number:
  US15/682,144
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2095/004 Base plinths
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 95/002 Plinths, e.g. between furniture and ceiling or wall
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/00 Details of cabinets, racks or shelf units not covered by a single one of groups A47B43/00 - A47B95/00; General details of furniture doors E06B
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/03 of surface-mounted type F21S8/02, F21S8/04 take precedence; details of wall or floor bases F21V21/02
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0012 Furniture hospital beds F21V33/0072
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/301 for furniture
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements

Abstract

A lighted toe kick system includes at least one toe kick panel configured to abut against a front surface of a cabinet. The toe kick panel includes a first surface, the first surface including one or more openings, the one or more openings receiving at least one lighting component, and a generally planar second surface configured for mounting to the front surface of the cabinet. The toe kick panel also includes an upper panel cover section coupled to the toe kick panel. The upper panel cover section is configured to at least partially cover the lighting component, and further configured to direct at least a portion of the light generated via the lighting component substantially parallel to the first surface of the toe kick panel.

Claims

1. A lighted toe kick system comprising:

at least one toe kick panel configured to abut against a front surface of a cabinet, the toe kick panel including;

a first surface, the first surface including one or more openings, the one or more openings receiving at least one lighting component, the one or more openings comprising a slot formed by a first protrusion and an opposing second protrusion disposed on the first surface;

a generally planar second surface configured for mounting to the front surface of the cabinet; and

an upper panel cover section coupled to the at least one toe kick panel, the upper panel cover section configured to at least partially cover the at least one lighting component, the upper panel cover section further configured to direct at least a portion of the light generated via the at least one lighting component substantially parallel to the first surface of the toe kick panel.

2. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting component comprises at least one of an LED or an incandescent bulb.

3. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one corner piece, the at least one corner piece configured to cover at least one of a corner portion of the cabinet, an exposed edge portion of the at least one toe kick panel, or an exposed edge portion of the at least one upper panel cover section.

4. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one lower panel cover section coupled to the first surface, a respective lower panel cover section located below a corresponding upper panel cover section.

5. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 4, wherein the first surface includes one or more slots configured to receive one or more corresponding protrusions disposed on the at least one lower panel cover section.

6. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 4, further comprising a padding layer disposed between the at least one toe kick panel and the at least one lower panel cover section.

7. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 4, wherein the upper panel cover section is configured to be stiffer than the lower panel cover section.

8. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the lower panel cover section is configured to elastically deflect at least one millimeter under a force of 15 newtons or less.

9. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 1, wherein the upper panel cover section comprises a downwardly curved lip.

10. A toe kick panel comprising:

a first surface, the first surface including one or more openings configured to receive at least one lighting component, the one or more openings generally being positioned proximate to an upper portion of the first surface, the one or more openings comprising a slot formed by a first protrusion and an opposing second protrusion disposed on the first surface;

a generally planar second surface configured for mounting to an object surface; and

at least a first panel cover section and a second panel cover section each coupled to the first surface, the first panel cover section configured to cover at least a portion of the first surface located below the one or more openings configured to receive the at least one lighting component, the second panel cover section configured to at least partially cover the at least one lighting component to be received in the one or more openings, the second panel section further configured to direct at least a portion of any light generated via a given lighting component onto the first panel cover section.

11. The toe kick panel as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one lighting component is received in the one or more openings, the at least one lighting component comprising at least one of an LED or an incandescent bulb.

12. The toe kick panel as recited in claim 10, wherein the second panel cover section defines a lip configured to cover at least a portion of the one or more openings.

13. The toe kick panel as recited in claim 10, wherein the object surface comprises a front surface of a cabinet.

14. The toe kick panel as recited in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the first panel cover section is configured to elastically deflect at least one millimeter under a force of 15 newtons or less.

15. A lighted toe kick system comprising:

a plurality of toe kick panels configured to abut against a surface of a cabinetry, each of the plurality of toe kick panels including;

a first surface, the first surface including one or more openings configured to receive one or more lighting components, the one or more openings comprising a slot formed by a first protrusion and an opposing second protrusion disposed on the first surface; and

a generally planar second surface configured for mounting to the surface of the cabinetry; and

at least a first panel cover section and a second panel cover section each coupled to at least one toe kick panel of the plurality of toe kick panels, the first panel cover section configured to cover at least a portion of the first surface located away from the one or more openings receiving the at least one lighting component, the second panel cover section configured to at least partially cover the at least one lighting component, the second panel section further configured to direct at least a portion of any light generated via a given lighting component onto the first panel cover section; and

at least one lighting component disposed within the one or more openings.

16. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of toe kick panels are configured to align horizontally along a lowermost front surface of the cabinetry.

17. The lighted toe kick system as recited in claim 15, further comprising at least one corner piece, the at least one corner piece configured to cover at least one of a corner portion of the cabinetry or an exposed edge portion of at least one toe kick panel of said plurality of toe kick panels.

18. A lighted toe kick system comprising:

at least one toe kick panel configured to abut against a front surface of a cabinet, the toe kick panel including;

a first surface, the first surface including one or more openings, the one or more openings receiving at least one lighting component;

a generally planar second surface configured for mounting to the front surface of the cabinet;

an upper panel cover section coupled to the at least one toe kick panel, the upper panel cover section configured to at least partially cover the at least one lighting component, the upper panel cover section further configured to direct at least a portion of the light generated via the at least one lighting component substantially parallel to the first surface of the toe kick panel; and

at least one lower panel cover section coupled to the first surface, a respective lower panel cover section located below a corresponding upper panel cover section, the first surface including one or more slots configured to receive one or more corresponding protrusions disposed on the at least one lower panel cover section.

19. A lighted toe kick system comprising:

at least one toe kick panel configured to abut against a front surface of a cabinet, the toe kick panel including;

a first surface, the first surface including one or more openings, the one or more openings receiving at least one lighting component;

a generally planar second surface configured for mounting to the front surface of the cabinet;

an upper panel cover section coupled to the at least one toe kick panel, the upper panel cover section configured to at least partially cover the at least one lighting component, the upper panel cover section further configured to direct at least a portion of the light generated via the at least one lighting component substantially parallel to the first surface of the toe kick panel;

at least one lower panel cover section coupled to the first surface, a respective lower panel cover section located below a corresponding upper panel cover section; and

a padding layer disposed between the at least one toe kick panel and the at least one lower panel cover section.