Corrosion-resistant storage cabinet

• US 5,795,043 A
• Filed: 11/01/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Protectoseal Company
• Original Assignee: The Protectoseal Company
• Inventors: Johnson, David, Johnson, Daryl, Johnson, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANSEN, JAMES ORVILLE
• Application Number:
  US08/741,787
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 312/228, 312/229, 312/209, 312/400, 312/409, 312/236, 312/326, 312/324
• US Class Current: 312/229
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 1/50 for storing hazardous materials in the laboratory, e.g. cupboards, waste containers sample containers B01L3/50

Abstract

A lightweight, structurally strong, corrosion resistant cabinet comprised of plastic and including a bottom sump for storing corrosive materials is provided. The cabinet has a removable bottom shelf beneath which the sump is located for receiving and holding corrosive materials released in the cabinet chamber. Top, bottom, back and side walls, cabinet door(s), and cabinet shelves each have a honeycomb core that is bonded on each opposed face to at least one overlying layer of fiberglass and resin. The cabinet is preferably comprised entirely of corrosion-resistant plastic.

Claims

1. A plastic cabinet for storing corrosive materials comprising in combination:

(a) wall means comprising opposed top and bottom walls, a pair of opposite side walls and opposed front and back walls that define therewithin an interior chamber and that are connected together at all adjoining edge regions;

(b) said front wall comprising a perimetrically extending frame, a central aperture within said frame, and door means for said aperture, said door means including hinge means comprised of plastic and associated with respective portions of said frame and said door means for opening and closing said door means over said aperture;

(c) bottom shelf positionable in said chamber in upwardly spaced, adjacent relationship to said bottom wall, said bottom shelf being insertable into, and removable from, said chamber through said central aperture, said bottom shelf including support means comprised of plastic for supporting said bottom shelf relative to said wall means when said bottom shelf is positioned in said chamber, said bottom shelf when so positioned in said chamber defining therebeneath in combination with adjacent portions of said wall means a sump for receiving and holding corrosive material released in said chamber above said bottom shelf, said bottom shelf including at least one opening through which said released corrosive material can pass from said chamber into said sump;

(d) said wall means, said door means, and said bottom shelf each incorporating honeycomb core means comprised of plastic, each said honeycomb core means having opposed faces, each said face being bonded to at least one layer comprised of glass fiber-reinforced plastic; and

(e) said plastic being corrosion resistant.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said plastic comprises a cured curable resin.

3. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said door means comprises a single door.

4. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said door means comprises two doors.

5. The cabinet of claim 4 wherein, each said door pivots on said attachment means about a different generally vertical axis located adjacent one vertical opposite side portion of said frame, and, when both said doors are closed, they meet centrally generally along respective adjacent door side edge portions, each of said doors when closed is nestably received in said aperture, and one of said doors has a laterally projecting and vertically extending flange extending along a side edge portion thereof whereby an opposing adjacent side edge portion of the other of said doors rests adjacent said flange when both said doors are closed.

6. The cabinet of claim 1 which further includes a second shelf that is positioned in said chamber in medially and vertically spaced relationship between said bottom shelf and said top wall, said second shelf including second angle bracket means associated with second shelf adjacent portions of said wall means for supporting said second shelf when positioned in said chamber, said second shelf being insertable into, and removable from, said chamber through said central aperture, said second shelf being comprised of honeycomb core means having opposed faces that are each bonded to at least one overlying layer comprised of fiberglass and resin, said resin and said fiberglass being resistant to corrosive material.

7. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein a toe cavity is defined therein.

8. The cabinet of claim 7 wherein said frame has a lower laterally extending bottom portion and each of said side walls has a lower front corner region, said toe cavity is located below said lower laterally extending bottom portion of said frame, the depth and height of said top cavity are each defined by a notch formed in said lower front corner region of each of said side walls, and a rear vertical wall and an upper horizontal wall of said toe cavity are each provided by a different longated panel, whereby one side wall of said sump is defined by said rear vertical wall.

9. A cabinet for storing corrosive materials comprising in combination:

(a) wall means comprising opposed top and bottom walls, a pair of opposite side walls and opposed front and back walls that define therewithin an interior chamber, said wall means each having edge regions;

(b) connection means for connecting together all adjoining said edge regions;

(c) said front wall comprising a perimetrically extending frame, and a central aperture defined within said frame;

(d) door means for said aperture;

(e) hinge means including joining means for joining said hinge means with adjacent respective portions of said frame and said door means for pivotably opening and closing said door means relative to said frame over said aperture;

(f) bottom shelf positionable in said chamber in upwardly spaced, adjacent relationship to said bottom wall, said bottom shelf being insertable into, and removable from, said chamber through said central aperture;

(g) support means for supporting said bottom shelf relative to adjacent portions of said wall means when said bottom shelf is positioned in said chamber;

(h) said bottom shelf, when so positioned in said chamber, defining therebeneath in combination with adjacent portions of said wall means a sump for receiving and holding corrosive material released in said chamber above said bottom shelf;

(i) said bottom shelf including therein at least one opening through which said released corrosive material can pass from said chamber into said sump;

(j) said wall means, said door means, and said bottom shelf each incorporating honeycomb core means, each said honeycomb core means having opposed faces;

(k) each said opposed face being bonded to at least one facing layer means comprised of glass fiber-reinforced plastic; and

(l) said connection means, said hinge means, said support means, said honeycomb core means, and said facing layer means each being comprised of corrosion resistant plastic, and said facing layer means being glass fiber reinforced.