GB2406261A

GB2406261A - Cabinet for storage and dispensing of articles

Info

Publication number: GB2406261A
Application number: GB0322713A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Leonard Cook
Original assignee: FISCHEN Ltd
Current assignee: FISCHEN Ltd
Priority date: 2003-09-27
Filing date: 2003-09-27
Publication date: 2005-03-30
Also published as: US20050067924A1; GB0322713D0

Abstract

A cabinet comprises a casing 10 made up from a rear wall 11, side walls 14,15 and a lower supporting wall 16. A front closure member 27 is hinged to one side wall 15 and can be locked to the other side wall and provides access to the main interior of the cabinet. A cover member 25 is hinged to both side walls and provides access to the top of the cabinet. Containers 31 comprise a plurality of boxes with a lower set (30, fig 4) resting on the supporting wall 16 and an upper set being received between ribs 22 and held in place by container lid portions engaging with protrusions (43, fig 9) on a holding plate 21 with additional support provided by a flange extending from closure member 27. The cabinet can be mounted to a wall. Items can be removed from the containers accessed by the cover member while preventing casual access to a lower set of containers.

Description

240626 1 Title: Cabinet for Storage and Dispensing of Articles

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a cabinet for storage of articles and from which the articles can be dispensed.

The invention has been devised, and is herein described, in relation to a first aid cabinet, i.e. one in which the articles which are to be stored and dispensed are of a medical nature for use in carrying out first aid procedures.

By way of example, such articles include adhesive plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes, adhesive tape, safety pins, and so forth.

Depending on the place where a first aid cabinet is installed, relatively large quantities of such consumable items may be required to be stored in the IS cabinet, and such items need to be accessible to be removed from the cabinet for use when first aid needs to be administered. On the other hand, some security needs to be provided in the sense that unauthorized persons should not be able to remove unduly large quantities thereof. Further considerations applying to a first aid cabinet include the protection of the articles therein so that the sterility thereof is not compromised: to this end individual consumable items are usually contained in individual sterile packages but they still need to be protected to some extent from the external environment and preferably also handled as little as possible when the stocks thereof in the cabinet are replenished.

It is broadly the object of the present invention to provide a cabinet which, when used as a first aid cabinet, facilitates the meeting of these requirements. In achieving this, it will be apparent that the invention may be advantageous in cabinets for other purposes where other, possibly similar or analogous, requirements arise. r

According to one aspect of the invention, we provide a cabinet comprlsmg: a casing for receiving a number of containers for articles; and means for holding at least one of the containers in relation to the casing so that access to the at least one container can be achieved for removal of articles therefrom.

There may be provided closure means for preventing removal of the at least one container from the casing and openable to provide access to the interior of the casing to enable removal and replacement of the at least one container in relation to the casing.

There may be cover means which at least partially covers the container(s) in the casing and which is openable in relation to the casing to enable the removal of articles therefrom.

The cover means when open may cooperate with the at least one container to assist its support in relation to the casing.

The casing may further provide for storage of at least one or more further containers, but not provide access thereto in such a way as to enable articles to be removed therefrom when the closure means is closed.

The container or containers which are accessible for removal of articles therefrom when the cover means is open may intermit with the casing in such a way as to be held captive relative thereto and cannot be released therefrom unless the closure means is opened.

The containers may be in the form of boxes, e.g. of cardboard, and each box may be of generally rectangular configuration in front and side elevation and plan view. For removal of articles from such a box when received in the cabinet, the box may have an open top which is accessible (when the cover means is opened). Such a box will normally be closed when supplied prior to its installation in the cabinet for dispensing of articles therefrom, the open top being afforded by the opening of a top flap of the box. Such top flap may engage with a retaining formation of the cabinet to hold the box in a position within the cabinet enabling articles to be removed therefrom.

The top flap of the box may extend upwardly from the box to engage the retaining formation of the cabinet.

The upwardly extending top flap of the box may be engaged with a holding member provided adjacent a back wall of the casing, the flap being received between the holding member and the back wall. The holding member may have a projecting formation or formations engageable with complementary receiving formations in the flap, to hold the flap.

The flap may include a portion bent so that it is of double thickness, and arranged to provide a resilient engagement with the holding member.

The or each container may accommodate a plurality of articles which are all the same as one another of which at least some are different from one another in respect of what they are and/or their size. For example a container may accommodate adhesive plasters of a range of different sizes. A container may accommodate articles of different types which are removable from the container through different openings in the container, e.g. through the open top of the container as above described and through an opening provided in a front part of the container and accessible through an aperture in the closure means.

The invention also provides, according to another aspect, a container adapted to be used with a cabinet according to the first aspect of the invention and having one or more of the features above set forth in relation to the container.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of cabinet in accordance with the invention; Figures 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views of the cabinet of Figure 1, respectively fully closed, with a cover means thereof open, and with a closure means thereof open; Figures 5 to 8 show successive stages in the fitting of a container within the cabinet; Figure 9 is an enlarged detail of part of the cabinet and container; Figures 10 and 11 are perspective views of a further embodiment of cabinet in accordance with the invention, respectively open and closed, and showing containers in relation thereto.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, this shows a cabinet in accordance with the invention, intended for use as a first aid cabinet. It comprises a casing indicated generally at 10, which may be of a plastics material, e.g. vacuum formed from sheet plastics material, and in this embodiment is adapted to be mounted on a vertically extending surface such as that of a wall. It comprises a generally flat rear wall 11, having apertures 12 through which fasteners such as screws 13 may extend for fixing it to a wall.

Forwardly from the rear wall 11 there extend side wall structures 14, 15 and a supporting wall 16 for the purpose described hereafter. The structures affording the walls 14, 15, 16 may be of plastics material, secured to the rear wall 11 in any appropriate manner and the wall structures 14, 15 may afford formations for the reception of articles commonly provided in a first aid cabinet, namely scissors 17, first aid manual 18, and adhesive tape dispenser 19. The scissors and first aid manual are accommodated in recesses in the wall structure 14, while the tape dispenser 19 is able to rest on a ledge 20 afforded by the wall structure 15. A holding member 21 which preferably is of metal, e.g. stainless steel, is secured in the upper part of the casing in spaced relation to the rear wall 11 thereof, overlying rib formations 22 which protrude forwardly from the rear wall l 1. The configuration and use of the holding member 21 will be described in greater detail hereafter.

A cover member 25, preferably of plastics material, e.g. vacuum formed from sheet plastics material which may be transparent, is pivotably secured to the upper part of the casing 10. It is held thereto by fasteners 26 extending through lugs 25_, to be pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis and being openable from its closed position by a forwards and downwards movement.

Below the cover member 25 there is a closure member 27 which is a metal pressing, e.g. of stainless steel and is pivotally connected to the side wall structure 15 for pivotal movement about a substantially vertical axis. The member 27 has lugs as indicated at 27a for engagement by fasteners (not shown) providing for the pivotal movement of the closure member. The closure member 27 has upper and lower slots 28, 29 therein, and along the bottom edge of the upper slot 28 there is a rearwardly extending flange 30.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4 of the drawings, these show the cabinet of Figure 1 when it is in use. As seen most clearly in Figure 4, the casing 10 is able to receive a number of containers such as square or rectangular (in plan and/or elevation) cardboard boxes containing articles such as first aid requisites, e.g. adhesive plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes, and so forth. In the illustrated embodiment, five of such containers as indicated at 30 are able to be placed on the support wall 16, while a further five of such containers as indicated at 31 are able to be retained in the upper part of the casing in the manner to be described in more detail hereafter. Access to the containers 30, 31, enabling them to be removed from the cabinet and further such containers to be placed therein, is possible when the closure member in the form of door 27 is open as it is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 2 shows the cabinet when both the cover member 25 and closure member 27 are closed, and it will be noted that the slots 28, 29 in the closure member 27 enable a part of each of the containers 30, 31 to be seen so that product descriptions, expiry dates, and so forth, printed on the front face of the containers can be read, and the stocks of articles in the cabinet to be assessed without the cabinet's needing to be opened.

The closure member 27 presents, on both its rear face (32) and its front face (33) a large surface area to which labels may be applied giving any required information in relation to use of the cabinet. At its end opposite to that at which it is pivotally mounted, the closure member 27 is provided with a lock 34 or other fastening device for holding it in its closed position.

Figure 3 shows that the containers in the upper part of the cabinet are held therein with their tops open so that they are accessible and articles can be removed therefrom when the cover member 25 is opened by its forwards and downwards pivoting movement. Such access does not require the closure member 27 to be opened. Thus the cabinet may accommodate containers 31 from which articles may be removed and dispensed for first aid purposes, and further stocks of such articles can be securely stored in the containers 30.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 9 of the drawings, these show in more detail how the containers 31 are held in the upper part of the cabinet. Figures 5 to 8 show the pressed metal holding member 21 overlying the ribs 22 and thus secured spaced from the rear wall 11 of the casing 10 and at an inclination thereto, defining a gap which decreases in thickness in the upwards direction.

Centrally between each adjacent pair of ribs 22 the holding member 21 has a pressed-out opening 40 in the shape of a cross with, adjacent it, a small vertically and laterally offset square: in the illustrated embodiment the holding member 21 has five such formations. The formation 40 is shown in greater detail in Figure 9, with the cross-shaped opening indicated at 41 and the square shaped opening indicated at 42 and it will be noted that the respective upper horizontally-extending surfaces of the cross 41 and square 42 are provided with tags or flanges as indicated at 43, extending rearwardly towards the wall 11 of the casing.

Figure 5 shows a container 31 in the form of a cardboard (or other material) box having an open top defined by the upwards folding of a flap part which had covered the top of the box. A further flap part 46, which had lain against the front wall (47) of the box when closed, is bent downwardly about a fold line 48 to overlie the flap part 45. The top flap comprising the two flap parts 45, 46 is able to be moved upwardly between the adjacent ribs 22 to enter the space defined between the holding member 21 and the rear wall 11. The flap 46 is cut out at 49 in the shape of a cross and adjacent square, to match the shape of the formation 40 in the holding member 21.

When a container 31 is to be inserted into its position in the cabinet, after having been opened and the flap parts 45, 46 folded as illustrated in Figure 5, the flap can be moved upwardly into the space between the holding member 21 and rear wall 11 as shown in Figure 6. By virtue of the resilience of the material of the container, the flap part 46 tends to spring away from the flap part 45 and when the cut-out 49 in the flap part 46 aligns with the formation 40 in the holding member the rearwardly-extending tags or flanges 43 engage within the corresponding cut-out formations 49 to hold the flap assembly in engagement behind the holding member-21, as shown in Figure 7. A small portion of the flap part 46, indicated at 50, remains visible and can be depressed as shown in Figure 8 to disengage the flap part 46 from the formations 40, when it is required to remove the container 31 by a downwards movement in reverse of that in which it has been fitted in position.

When the closure member 27 is closed, the flange 30 thereof fits beneath the bottom of the containers 31, to ensure they are firmly held in position in the cabinet.

Possibly one or more of the containers 31 may be provided in their front walls 47, at the lower region thereof, with an opening providing another means of access to the interior of the containers. A container may thus be accessed through the slot 28 in the closure member 27; possibly a container may accommodate different kinds of articles which are accessible respectively through the open top and the opening in the front wall of the container.

The cabinet above described and illustrated provides for the reception of five containers 31 such that articles can be removed therefrom, and a further five containers stored securely for future use. A cabinet in accordance with the invention may provide for the accommodation of greater or lesser numbers of such containers.

Referring now to Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings, they show a further embodiment of cabinet in accordance with the invention. Parts of this embodiment of cabinet corresponding to parts of the first embodiment of cabinet described herein, in respect of their construction and/or function, are identified by the same reference numerals used above but with the addition of 100. Thus the cabinet comprising a casing 110 with a generally flat rear wall 111 and side wall structures 114, 115. The rear wall 111 of the casing is provided with rib formations 122 and with a holding member 121. However in this embodiment the holding member and ribs are arranged to receive only three of the containers as indicated at 131. It will be appreciated that a greater or lesser number of containers may be accommodated by the cabinet.

The embodiment of Figures 10 and 11 differs from the embodiment of Figures 1 to 9 in that although there is a cover member 125 in Figures 10 and 11 this cover member is pivotally mounted to the casing of the cabinet at a position much further down the front part of the side wall structures 114, 115 than the cover member 25 is mounted in the first embodiment, and there is no closure member 27. The lower edge of the cover member 125, adjacent the axis where it is pivotally mounted to the casing, is formed at 125a with a support surface which abuts the front wall of containers 131 in the cabinet, to help hold the containers steady therein and thus facilitate the removal of articles from the containers.

The containers 131 are of the construction above described in relation to the containers 31, and are held in the cabinet by engagement with the holding member 121 in the same manner as aforesaid. They can be placed in the cabinet and removed therefrom in the same manner as above described, when the cover member 125 is open.

When the cover member 125 is closed, as shown in Figure 11, it extends over the open tops of the containers 131 to protect their contents. However, in this embodiment the lower regions of the containers 131 are exposed whilst no storage facility is provided for unopened such containers.

In the present specification "comprises" means "includes or consists of" and "comprising" means "including or consisting of".

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof

Claims

1. A cabinet comprising: a casing for receiving a number of containers for articles; and means for holding at least one of the containers in relation to the casing so that access to the at least one container can be achieved for removal of articles therefrom.

2. A cabinet according to Claim l further comprising cover means which at l O least partially covers the at least one container and which is openable in relation to the casing to enable the removal of articles therefrom.

3. A cabinet according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 further comprising closure means for preventing removal of the at least one container from the casing and openable to provide access to the interior of the casing to enable removal and replacement of the at least one container in relation to the casing.

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4. A cabinet according to Claim 3 wherein the casing further provides for storage of at least one or more further containers, but does not provide access thereto to enable articles to be removed therefrom when the closure means is closed.

5. A cabinet according to Claim 3 or 4 wherein the at least one container accessible for removal of articles therefrom interfits with the casing in such a way as to be held captive relative thereto and be unable to be released therefrom unless the closure means is opened.

6. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one container to be received therein is a box.

7. A cabinet according to Claim 6 wherein the at least one box is of cardboard.

8. A cabinet according to Claim 6 or 7 wherein the at least one box is generally rectangular in part and/or side elevation and/or in plan view.

9. A cabinet according to Claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein each of the at least one boxes has an open top which is accessible in the casing.

10. A cabinet according to Claim 9 wherein the open top of the box is afforded by the opening of a top flap of the box.

11. A cabinet according to Claim 10 comprising a retaining formation engageable with the top flap of the box to hold the box in a position within the cabinet enabling articles to be removed therefrom.

12. A cabinet according to Claim 11 wherein the top flap of the box extends upwardly from the box to engage the retaining formation of the cabinet.

13. A cabinet according to Claim 12 wherein the upwardly extending top flap of the box is engaged between a holding member and a back wall of the casing.

14. A cabinet according to Claim 13 wherein the holding member has at least one projecting formation engageable with at least one complementary receiving formation in the flap, to hold the flap.

15. A cabinet according to Claim 13 or Claim 14 wherein the flap is bent to include a double thickness portion, resiliently engaging with the holding member.

16. A cabinet according to Claim 9 or any claim appendant thereto wherein access is provided to a further part of at least one of the boxes therein, to enable removal of articles from the container through an opening therein other than said open top thereof.

17. A cabinet according to Claim 16 wherein said other opening is provided in a front part of the box, and is accessible through an opening in the cabinet.

18. A cabinet according to Claim 17 and Claim 3 wherein said opening in the cabinet is in the closure means thereof.

19. A cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims having one or more of said containers received therein.

20. A container adapted to be used in conjunction with a cabinet according to any one of the preceding claims, the container having the features set forth in any one of Claims 6 to 17.

21. A cabinet, or a container for use therewith, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.

22. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.