Flush-front cabinet door and hinge therefor

• US 5,108,165 A
• Filed: 06/04/1991
• Issued: 04/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Knoll Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Bullwinkle, Wallace C., Rorke, A. Brooks
• Primary Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/711,274
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 312/322, 312/323
• US Class Current: 312/322
• 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: E05D 15/58 with both swinging and sliding movements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furniture, e.g. cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/212 Doors disappearing in pockets in the furniture body
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/5045 specially adapted for furniture E06B3/52 takes precedence

Abstract

A combined slider and hinge structure for a vertical cabinet door is disclosed, which permits the cabinet door to be constructed with its hinged edge arranged flush with the side of the cabinet to which it is hinged. The inventive structure includes front and back columnar interior frame members, upper and lower slides secured to the frame members, an elongated anti-rack plate secured to the sliding members of the upper and lower slides, upper and lower flush-mount hinges secured to the anti-rack plate inwardly of and adjacent to the slides, and a door secured to the hinges. A false exterior panel can be placed over the frame members, slides, and anti-rack plate to conceal them. In operation, the door is rotated on the hinges to an open position, and thereafter the slides are operated by pushing the door directly toward the rear of the cabinet structure, retracting the door and concealing it behind the false exterior panel.

Claims

1. An article of furniture comprising:

an inner wall having an interior surface facing the interior of said article of furniture and an exterior surface facing the exterior of said article of furniture;

an outer wall parallel to and spaced apart from said inner wall;

front and back, parallel, spaced-apart columnar frame members attached to said outer surface of said inner wall, each of said front and back frame members having a first end and a second end;

first and second parallel, spaced-apart slides, each of said slides comprising a standard and a sliding member slidably engaged in said standard, said standards of said first and second slides being secured respectively adjacent said first and second ends of said front and back frame members and being perpendicular to said front and back frame members;

an elongated anti-rack plate having first and second ends secured respectively to said sliding members of said first and second slides, an interior face facing the interior of said article of furniture, and an exterior face facing the exterior of said article of furniture, said anti-rack plate extending parallel to said frame members and perpendicular to said standards;

first and second parallel, spaced-apart hinges mounted on said inner face of said anti-rack plate, adjacent to and inwardly of said first and second standards, respectively; and

a door mounted to said anti-rack plate by said first and second hinges for pivotal movement between an open and a closed position.

2. An article of furniture comprising:

first and second outer walls parallel to each other and each having an interior surface facing the interior of said article of furniture, an exterior surface facing the exterior of said article of furniture, and a front edge joining said interior and exterior surfaces;

an inner wall parallel to and intermediate said first and second outer walls, said inner wall being proximate said first outer wall and having an interior surface facing the interior of said article of furniture, an exterior surface facing the exterior of said article of furniture, and a front edge joining said interior and exterior surfaces;

a door having an interior surface facing the interior of said article of furniture, an exterior surface facing the exterior of said article of furniture, and first and second side edges joining said interior and exterior surfaces, said door being movable between a closed position in which said exterior surface overlies said front edges of said inner, outer, and intermediate walls and said first and second side edges are substantially flush with said exterior surfaces of said outer walls, an open position perpendicular to said closed position in which said door extends forwardly of said front edges of said inner, outer, and intermediate walls, and a retracted position in which said door is retracted between said inner wall and said first outer wall;

slide means for sliding said door between said open position and said retracted position;

hinge means for pivoting said door between said closed and open positions about an axis adjacent said second edge of said door, said hinge means having an outer end attached to said interior surface of said door adjacent said second edge and an inner end attached to said slide means; and

frame means for attaching said slide means to said exterior surface of said inner wall in spaced relation from said exterior surface of said inner wall.

3. The article of furniture of claim 2, wherein said frame means comprises front and back, parallel, spaced-apart columnar frame members attached to said outer surface of said inner wall.

4. The article of furniture of claim 2, wherein said slide means comprises first and second parallel, spaced-apart slides, each of said slides comprising a standard and a sliding member slidable engaged in said standard, said standards of said first and second slides being secured to said frame means and being perpendicular to said front edge of said inner wall.

5. The article of furniture of claim 4, wherein said slide means further comprises an elongated anti-rack plate having first and second ends secured respectively to said sliding members of said first and second slides, an interior face facing the interior of said article of furniture, and an exterior face facing the exterior of said article of furniture, said anti-rack plate extending perpendicular to said standards.