Cheval mirror with concealed storage compartment

• US 5,681,100 A
• Filed: 12/09/1996
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L. Powell Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: L. Powell Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Powell, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HANH VAN
• Application Number:
  US08/762,610
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 312/227, 312/204, 312/224, 312/226, 312/249.1, 312/249.7, 312/351.1, 248/474, 248/469, 248/447, 359/872, 359/854, 359/855
• US Class Current: 312/227
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 67/005 Mirror cabinets; Dressing-tables

Abstract

A cheval mirror with concealed storage compartment. The device has a cabinet portion with a rear wall and perimeter side walls to define a space there within and an open front. A mirror door is attached to the cabinet portion with concealed hinges to movably cover the open front of the cabinet portion, thereby defining a mirrored storage compartment. The mirror door seats flush with the cabinet portion when closed, so that it appears integral therewith. The mirrored storage compartment is carried between two upright members extending from a stand portion. The mirrored storage compartment is pivotally attached to the upright members to permit the storage compartment to be tilted. A tilt adjustment control, separate from the pivoting points, is provided to permit the mirrored storage compartment to be adjustably tilted and retained in a plurality of different degrees of tilt relative to the upright members of the stand portion.

Claims

1. A cheval mirror with concealed storage compartment, comprising:

a cabinet portion with a space therewithin and an open front;

a mirror door portion movably covering the open from of the cabinet portion, the cabinet portion and mirror door portion forming a mirrored storage compartment;

a stand portion with a base and upright members; and

pivoting means pivotally attaching the mirrored storage compartment to the upright members to permit the mirrored storage compartment to be tilted;

wherein the mirror door portion is adapted to cover the open front of the cabinet portion when in a closed position, and to allow access to the cabinet portion when in an open position.

2. The cheval mirror of claim 1, wherein the cabinet portion comprises a rear wall with perimeter side walls.

3. The cheval mirror of claim 2, wherein the mirror door portion is attached with concealed hinge means to a portion of the perimeter side walls of the cabinet portion and rests adjacent the perimeter side walls when the mirror door portion is in a closed position, so that the mirror door portion appears integral with the cabinet portion.

4. The cheval mirror of claim 1, wherein the pivoting means pivotally attaching the mirrored storage compartment to the upright members to permit the mirrored storage compartment to be tilted comprises pins pivotally attaching upper ends of the upright portions to the side walls the cabinet members.

5. The cheval mirror of claim 4, wherein the pins pivotally attaching upper ends of the upright members to the side walls attach to side edges of the cabinet portion between a top edge and a bottom edge of the cabinet portion at a point above the center of gravity between the top edge and the bottom edge of the cabinet portion of the storage compartment.

6. The cheval mirror of claim 1, further comprising tilt adjustment means to permit the mirrored storage compartment to be adjustably tilted and retained in a plurality of different degrees of tilt relative to the upright members of the stand portion.

7. The cheval mirror of claim 6, wherein the tilt adjustment means is distinct from the pivoting means and is located substantially below the pivoting means.

8. The cheval mirror of claim 6, wherein the tilt adjustment means comprises:

a swing arm with a first end and a second end, an elongate slot formed in the swing arm between the first and second ends, a plurality of spaced apart slot extensions extending from the elongate slot at an angle generally directed upwardly and toward the first end, the slot extensions having terminating capture ends, the first end of the swing arm being pivotally attached to the rear wall of the cabinet portion; and

a bar extending from at least one of the upright members of the stand, the bar being adapted to extend through the elongate slot in the swing arm and to be captured in one of the capture ends of the slot extensions when the second end of the swing arm pivots downwardly, wherein the mirrored storage compartment can be tilted from a most upright position to a most tilted position until the bar is captured in the slot extension nearest the second end of the swing arm by moving a top of the mirrored storage compartment rearward, and to decrease the degree of tilt, the second end of the swing can be lifted upwardly, to permit the bar to slid in the elongate slot portion toward the first end of the swing arm, until the bar is captured in another slot extension or the end of the elongate slot closest the first end of the swing arm.

9. The cheval mirror of claim 8, wherein a pair of the swing arms are provided and the bar extends between the upright members which straddle the storage cabinet.

10. The cheval mirror of claim 8, wherein the bar extends between and spans the stand portion.

11. The cheval mirror of claim 6, wherein the tilt adjustment means comprises:

a turnbuckle body threaded at opposite ends, one end being threaded clockwise, and one end being threaded counter-clockwise;

a pair of eye screw with ring ends, one being threaded clockwise and one being threaded counter-clockwise;

a bracket affixed to a rear wall of the mirrored storage compartment and pivotally attached to the ring end of one eye screw; and

a bar spanning the upright members and pivotally passing through the ring end of the other eye screw, and wherein the eye screws are threaded into the threaded ends of the turnbuckle body, so that when the turnbuckle body is rotated, both eye screws will either be drawn into, or screw out of the turnbuckle body, changing the effective overall length of the turnbuckle, and affecting changes in the tilt of the mirrored storage compartment relative to the upright members.

12. The cheval mirror of claim 1, wherein the base of the stand portion has a pair of leg supports, with a drawer positioned between the leg supports.

13. The cheval mirror of claim 1, further comprising means within the mirrored storage compartment to hold a variety of items therein including at least one of shelves, hooks, bars, straps, and pouches.

14. A cheval mirror with concealed storage compartment, comprising:

a cabinet portion with a rear wall and perimeter side walls defining a space therewithin and with an open front;

a mirror door portion movably covering the open front of the cabinet portion, the open cabinet portion and mirror door portion forming a mirrored storage compartment;

a stand portion with a base and upright members; and

pivoting means pivotally attaching the mirrored storage compartment to the upright members to permit the storage compartment to be tilted; and

tilt adjustment means to permit the mirrored storage compartment to be adjustably tilted and retained in a plurality of different degrees of tilt relative to the upright members of the stand portion, said tilt adjustment means being distinct from the pivoting means and being located substantially below the pivoting means.

15. The cheval mirror of claim 14, wherein the tilt adjustment means comprises;

a swing arm with a first end and a second end, an elongate slot formed in the swing arm between the first and second ends, a plurality of spaced apart slot extensions extending from the elongate slot at an angle generally directed upwardly and toward the first end, the slot extensions having terminating capture ends, the first end of the swing arm being pivotally attached to the rear of the cabinet portion; and

a bar extending from at least one of the upright members of the stand, the bar being adapted to extend through the elongate slot in the swing arm and to be captured in one of the capture ends of the slot extensions when the second end of the swing arm pivots downwardly, wherein the storage compartment can be tilted from a most upright position to a most tilted position until the bar is captured in the slot extension nearest the second end of the swing arm by moving a top of the mirrored storage compartment rearward, and to decrease the degree of tilt, the second end of the swing can be lifted upwardly, to permit the bar to slid in the elongate slot portion toward the first end of the swing arm, until the bar is captured in another slot extension or the end of the elongate slot closest the first end of the swing arm.

16. The cheval mirror of claim 15, wherein the bar extends between and spans the stand portion.

17. The cheval mirror of claim 14, wherein the tilt adjustment means comprises:

a turnbuckle body threaded at opposite ends, one end being threaded clockwise, and one end being threaded counter-clockwise;

a pair of eye screw with ring ends, one being threaded clockwise and one being threaded counter-clockwise;

a bracket affixed to a rear wall of the mirrored storage compartment and pivotally attached to the ring end of one eye screw; and

a bar spanning the upright members and pivotally passing through the ring end of the other eye screw, and wherein the eye screws are threaded into the threaded ends of the turnbuckle body, so that when the turnbuckle body is rotated, both eye screws will either be drawn into, or screw out of the turnbuckle body, changing the effective overall length of the turnbuckle, and affecting changes in the tilt of the mirrored storage compartment relative to the upright members.

18. The cheval mirror of claim 14, wherein the mirror door portion is attached with concealed hinges to a portion of the perimeter side walls of the cabinet portion and rests adjacent the perimeter side walls when the mirror door portion is in a closed position, so that the mirror door portion appears integral with the cabinet portion.

19. The cheval mirror of claim 14, wherein the pivoting means attach upper ends of the upright portions to side walls of the attach to side edges of the cabinet portion between a top edge and a bottom edge of the cabinet portion at a point above a center of gravity of the mirrored storage compartment between the top edge and the bottom edge of the cabinet portion.

20. The cheval mirror of claim 14, wherein the base of the stand portion has a pair of leg supports, with a drawer positioned between the leg supports.

21. The cheval mirror of claim 14, further comprising means within the mirrored storage compartment to hold a variety of items therein including at least one of shelves, hooks, bars, straps, and pouches.