Knock-down vertical file

• US 6,007,170 A
• Filed: 10/02/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Powell, Mark A., Liebertz, Frederick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkens, Janet M.
• Application Number:
  US08/946,104
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 312/195, 312/257.1, 312/263, 312/264, 312/265.5, 312/351, 403/329
• US Class Current: 312/263
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 63/00 Cabinets, racks or shelf units, specially adapted for storing books, documents, forms, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 67/04 Chests of drawers; Cabinets characterised by the arrangement of drawers A47B67/02 takes precedence; drawers, guides for drawers, per se A47B88/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/941 Drawers being constructed from two or more parts

Abstract

A knock-down file cabinet and in particular, a vertical file cabinet wherein both the cabinet housing and each of the drawers have a knock-down construction. The drawers use either separate components that are slidably fitted together, or a single sheet of material that defines the bottom, side and back walls. Each drawer construction is usable within the cabinet housing so as to define a complete knock-down vertical file cabinet which can be readily shipped in a relatively compact container or package and thereafter assembled together.

Claims

1. In a file cabinet including a box-like enclosure having a hollow interior which is open on a front thereof, said enclosure being defined by vertically enlarged first and second side walls which ex tend upwardly and are laterally spaced apart, a vertically enlarged back wall extending laterally between said first and second side walls and a front support frame which joins front edges of said first and second side walls together and defines a plurality of vertically stacked openings for receiving drawers therein, comprising the improvement wherein said back wall is defined by opposite first and second vertical side edges and opposite top and bottom edges which extend between said first and second side edges to define the periphery of said back wall, each of said first and second side edges including a plurality of vertically spaced apart clips which project outwardly away from said side edges and vertically to define an L-shape;

each of said first and second side walls being formed substantially identical to each other and having interior surfaces disposed in opposing relation, each of said interior surfaces of said side walls including a plurality of vertically spaced apertures which are disposed along a rear edge of said side walls so as to receive said clips of said back wall therein, each of said rear side wall edges being removably engaged with a respective one of said side edges of said back wall in response to sideward and vertical shifting of said back wall relative to said respective rear side wall edge, each of said clips being adapted to be inserted sidewardly into a corresponding one of said apertures and slid vertically into engagement with said respective side wall to join said first and second opposite side edges of said back wall with said first and second side walls respectively, each of said side walls further including a rearward opening channel on a front edge thereof; and

said support frame including a pair of laterally spaced apart vertical rails and a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal cross members which are joined at the opposite ends thereof to the vertical rails to define a ladder-like support frame which defines said openings for receiving drawers therein, the front edges of said vertical rails adapted to be received in said channels of said side walls to rigidly join said front edges of said side walls together.

2. A file cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said back wall includes locking means engaged between said back wall and said side walls for preventing relative vertical movement thereof.

3. A file cabinet according to claim 1, including a top wall extending laterally between said side walls which includes a plurality of clips on opposite side edges thereof which project downwardly and horizontally to define an L-shape, said top clips adapted to be received in corresponding top apertures on top edges of said side walls so as to engage said top wall thereon upon downward and horizontal shifting of the clips into the top apertures.

4. A file cabinet according to claim 3, wherein said top wall includes top locking means engaged between said top wall and said enclosure for preventing relative horizontal movement thereof.

5. A file cabinet according to claim 3, wherein said clips on said top wall project downwardly and rearwardly so as to engage said side walls by shifting of said clips downwardly into said top apertures and rearwardly into engagement therewith.

6. A file cabinet according to claim 5, wherein a back edge of said top wall includes L-shaped back clips thereon which project downwardly and rearwardly, said back wall including back apertures along said top edge thereof which are aligned with said back clips and open forwardly to receive said back clips therein by said shifting of said top wall.

7. A file cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said clips on said first side edge project outwardly and downwardly such that said clips engage said apertures of said first side wall by shifting of said clips sidewardly into said apertures and downwardly into secure engagement therewith, said clips on said second side edge of said back wall projecting outwardly and upwardly such that said clips engage said apertures of said second side wall by shifting said second side wall so that said clips are shifted sidewardly into said apertures and upwardly into engagement therewith.

8. In a file cabinet including an enclosure having a hollow interior, said enclosure being defined by upstanding first and second side walls which each have front and rear edges, an upstanding back wall which extends laterally between said rear edges of said first and second side walls and a front support frame which joins said front edges of said first and second side walls together and permits access to said hollow interior, comprising the improvement wherein said back wall is defined by opposite first and second vertical side edges which each include a plurality of vertically spaced apart back wall connector parts, each of said rear edges of said first and second side walls including a plurality of vertically spaced apart side wall connector parts wherein each of said side wall connector parts is engagable with a respective one of said back wall connector parts, said side wall connector parts being engaged with said back wall connector parts by relative vertical movement therebetween such that each of said rear edges is removably engaged with a corresponding one of said first and second side edges of said back wall, one of said back wall and side wall connector parts being apertures and the other of said back wall and side wall connector parts being projections which are insertable into said apertures and engagable therewith by relative movement between said back wall and said rear edges of said side walls, said back wall and said first side wall being connected together by movement of said back wall horizontally and then downwardly relative to said first side wall, and said back wall and said second side wall being connected together by movement of said second side wall horizontally and then downwardly relative to said back wall, said file cabinet further including lock members which are removably engaged between said side edges of said back wall and said rear edges of said first and second side walls to prevent relative vertical movement therebetween;

and

said support frame including a pair of laterally spaced apart vertical rails, each of said front edges of said first and second side walls opening rearwardly to receive a respective one of said vertical rails therein to rigidly join said front edges of said side walls together in laterally spaced relation.

9. The file cabinet according to claim 8, which includes lock members removably engaged between said vertical rails of said support frame and said front edges of said side walls to prevent removal of said vertical rails from said front edges.

10. In a file cabinet including an enclosure having a hollow interior, said enclosure being defined by upstanding first and second side walls which each have front and rear edges, and an upstanding back wall which extends laterally between said rear edges of said first and second side walls, comprising the improvement wherein said back wall is defined by opposite first and second vertical side edges which each include a plurality of vertically spaced apart back wall connector parts, each of said rear edges of said first and second side walls including a plurality of vertically spaced apart side wall connector parts wherein each of said side wall connector parts is engagable with a respective one of said back wall connector parts, said side wall connector parts being engaged with said back wall connector parts by relative vertical movement therebetween such that each of said rear edges is removably engaged with a corresponding one of said first and second side edges of said back wall, one of said back wall and side wall connector parts being apertures and the other of said back wall and side wall connector parts being projections which are insertable into said apertures and engagable therewith by relative movement between said back wall and said rear edges of said side walls, each of said back wall connector parts and said side wall connector part corresponding thereto permitting horizontal shifting and then vertical shifting of said back wall relative to said side walls to engage said back wall connector parts and said side wall connector parts together.

11. The file cabinet according to claim 10, wherein said back wall and said first side wall are connected together by movement of said back wall horizontally and then downwardly relative to said first side wall, and said back wall and said second side wall are connected together by movement of said second side wall horizontally and then downwardly relative to said back wall.

12. The file cabinet according to claim 11, which includes a top wall overlying said hollow interior, said top wall including a plurality of top wall connector parts on side edges thereof which are removably engaged with said side walls and said back wall by horizontal shifting of said top wall.

13. The file cabinet according to claim 11, wherein said side wall connector parts on said first side wall extend horizontally and upwardly to define an L-shape, and said side wall connector parts on said second side wall extend horizontally and downwardly to define an L-shape.

14. The file cabinet according to claim 10, which includes lock members which are removably engaged between said side edges of said back wall and said rear edges of said first and second side walls to prevent relative vertical movement therebetween.

15. In a file cabinet including an enclosure having a hollow interior, said enclosure being defined by upstanding first and second side walls which each have front and rear edges, and an upstanding back wall which extends laterally between said rear edges of said first and second side walls, comprising the improvement wherein said back wall is defined by opposite first and second vertical side edges which each include a plurality of vertically spaced apart back wall connector parts, each of said rear edges of said first and second side walls including a plurality of vertically spaced apart side wall connector parts wherein each of said side wall connector parts is engagable with a respective one of said back wall connector parts, said side wall connector parts being engaged with said back wall connector parts by relative vertical movement therebetween such that each of said rear edges is removably engaged with a corresponding one of said first and second side edges of said back wall, one of said back wall and side wall connector parts being apertures and the other of said back wall and side wall connector parts being projections which are insertable into said apertures and engagable therewith by relative movement between said back wall and said rear edges of said side walls, said side wall connector parts on said first side wall being engaged upwardly with said back wall connector parts corresponding thereto, and said side wall connector parts on said second side wall being engaged downwardly with said back wall connector parts corresponding thereto.

16. The file cabinet according to claim 15, which includes lock members which are removably engaged between said side edges of said back wall and said rear edges of said first and second side walls to prevent relative vertical movement therebetween.

17. The file cabinet according to claim 15, wherein said side wall connector parts on said first side wall extend horizontally and upwardly to define an L-shape, and said side wall connector parts on said second side wall extend horizontally and downwardly to define an L-shape.

18. In a file cabinet including an enclosure having a hollow interior, said enclosure comprising upstanding laterally spaced apart side walls which each have front and rear edges and an upstanding back wall which extends laterally between said rear edges of said side walls, comprising the improvement wherein said back wall includes opposite first and second vertical edges which are laterally spaced apart and horizontal edges which are vertically spaced apart to define the top and bottom of said back wall, each of said vertical edges including a plurality of back wall connector parts which are spaced vertically apart from each other at substantially equidistant intervals, said back wall connector parts on said first vertical edge being vertically offset from said back wall connector parts on said second vertical edge, each of said rear edges of said side walls including a plurality of side wall connector parts wherein each of said side wall connector parts is engagable with a respective one of said back wall connector parts to join said back wall to said first and second side walls, said plurality of side wall connector parts being vertically spaced apart such that each of said side walls is engagable with either said first vertical edge of said back wall when said side wall is in a first position or said second vertical edge when said side wall is in a second position.

19. The file cabinet according to claim 18, wherein one of said horizontal edges of said back wall defines an upper edge and the other of said horizontal edges defines a lower edge, upper and lower ones of said back wall connector parts on said first vertical edge being spaced first and second distances respectively from said upper and lower edges, and upper and lower ones of said back wall connector parts on said second vertical edge being spaced said second and first distances respectively from said upper and lower edges.

20. The file cabinet according to claim 19, wherein said back wall connector parts comprise projections and said side wall connector parts comprise edges of apertures which removably engage said projections to secure said back wall to said side walls.

21. The file cabinet according to claim 20, wherein said projections project outwardly and vertically to define an L-shape.

22. The file cabinet according to claim 21, wherein said projections on said first vertical edge of said back wall project downwardly and said projections on said second vertical edge project upwardly.

23. The file cabinet according to claim 22, wherein said file cabinet includes lock members engaged between said back wall and said side walls to prevent disengagement of said back wall connector parts from said side wall connector parts.

24. The file cabinet according to claim 18, wherein said side wall connector parts on one of said rear edges are vertically offset relative to said side wall connector parts on the other of said rear edges.

25. The file cabinet according to claim 24, wherein one of said side wall connector parts and said back wall connector parts are defined by generally L-shaped projections and the other of said side wall connector parts and said back wall connector parts are defined by edges of apertures.