Wall-mounted appliance cabinet with appliance supports, an electrical outlet and a cord management system

• US 7,959,240 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Randell E. Smith
• Original Assignee: Randell E. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Randell E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne; Darnell M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ing; Matthew W
• Application Number:
  US12/014,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20080169251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.4, 312/223.6, 312/245, 312/326, 312/351.1, 312/351.3, 312/242, 312/319.4, 439/501, 174/50, 174/53, 174/58, 248/51, 242/388.9, 242/388.91
• US Class Current: 312/242
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 67/00 Chests; Dressing-tables; Medicine cabinets or the like; Cabinets characterised by the arrangement of drawers
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/42 Mounting of devices therein
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/10 for surface mounting on a wall

Abstract

A wall mounted cabinet includes a plurality of removable supports configurable for holding a variety of objects, including an electrical appliance, one or more shelves and cups. The cabinet also includes one or more apertures for electrical outlets for supplying electrical power to the appliance. An electrical cord management device is provided for controllably extending and retracting the cord to facilitate use of the appliance and storage of the cord.

Claims

1. A wall mounted cabinet comprising

a housing defining an interior compartment with a top, bottom, left side and right side;

said housing being recess mounted in a corresponding hole formed in the wall; and

a door hingedly mounted to said housing; and

a plurality of supports attached to the housing and configured to support a plurality of objects within the interior compartment, said plurality of objects including at least one electrical appliance; and

an outlet aperture in said housing, said outlet aperture configured for receiving an electrical outlet for supplying electrical power to the electrical appliance; and

an electrical cord management device for controllably extending and retracting an electrical cord of an electrical appliance to facilitate use of the appliance and storage of the cord, said at least one electrical cord management device being attached to the bottom of said housing; and

a tube aperture in the bottom of the housing; and

said electrical cord management device comprising a tube containing a cord weight, said cord weight including a mass and a means for movable attachment to the electrical cord, said cord weight being disposed within and movable along a longitudinal axis of the tube from a top position of the tube to bottom position of the tube, said tube having an open proximal end and a closed distal end, the proximal end being attached to the bottom of the housing at the tube aperture and the distal end being outside of the housing, the tube defining a passageway, behind the wall, from the bottom of the housing to the distal end of the tube.

2. A wall mountable cabinet according to claim 1, said means for movable attachment to the electrical cord comprising a slider coupling configured for sliding engagement of the electrical cord, said cord weight being movable from a top position of the tube to bottom position of the tube.

3. A wall mountable cabinet according to claim 1, said cord weight including an adjustable mass assembly and a slider coupling configured for sliding engagement of the electrical cord, said cord weight being movable from a top position of the tube to bottom position of the tube, said adjustable mass assembly being selectively adjustable from a first mass to a second mass by defining a number of mass units to constitute the adjustable mass assembly.

4. A wall mountable cabinet according to claim 1, said tube comprising a plurality of attached tubular sections.

5. A wall mountable cabinet according to claim 1, said tube comprising a plurality of telescopically coupled tubular sections.

6. A wall mountable cabinet according to claim 1 further comprising a top cap over the proximal end of the tube, said top cap having at least one aperture for passage of the electrical cord.

7. A wall mounted cabinet comprising

a housing defining an interior compartment with a top, bottom, left side and right side and a back wall, said back wall including a plurality of engagement tab slots, said housing being recess mounted in a corresponding hole formed in the wall;

a door hingedly mounted to said housing;

a plurality of supports releasably attachable to the housing and configured to support a plurality of objects within the interior compartment, said plurality of objects including at least one electrical appliance, each of said plurality of supports including at least one engagement tab configured for sliding releasable engagement of any one of the plurality of engagement tab slots;

an outlet aperture in said housing, said outlet aperture receiving an electrical outlet for supplying electrical power to the electrical appliance; and

at least one electrical cord management device for controllably extending and retracting an electrical cord of an electrical appliance to facilitate use of the appliance and storage of the cord, said at least one electrical cord management device being attached to the bottom of said housing; and

a tube aperture in the bottom of the housing; and

said electrical cord management device comprising a tube containing a cord weight, said cord weight including a mass and a slider coupling configured for sliding engagement of the electrical cord, said cord weight being disposed within and movable along a longitudinal axis of the tube from a top position of the tube to bottom position of the tube, said tube having an open proximal end and a closed distal end, the proximal end being attached to the bottom of the housing at the tube aperture and the distal end being outside of the housing, the tube defining a passageway, behind the wall, from the bottom of the housing to the distal end of the tube.

8. A wall mounted cabinet according to claim 7, said plurality of supports including at least one support from the group consisting of a support bracket, a cup, a clamp and a shelf.

9. A wall mounted cabinet according to claim 7, said cord weight including an adjustable mass assembly, said adjustable mass assembly being selectively adjustable from a first mass to a second mass by defining a number of mass units to constitute the adjustable mass assembly.

10. A wall mounted cabinet according to claim 7, said tube comprising a plurality of attached tubular sections.

11. A wall mounted cabinet according to claim 7, said tube comprising a plurality of telescopically coupled tubular sections.

12. A wall mountable cabinet according to claim 7, said at least one electrical cord management device comprising a tube containing a cord weight, said cord weight including a mass assembly and a slider coupling configured for sliding engagement of the electrical cord, said cord weight being movable from a top position of the tube to bottom position of the tube, further comprising a top cap over the proximal end of the tube, said top cap having at least one aperture for passage of the electrical cord.