GB2567182A

GB2567182A - Cabinet with multi-part back panel

Info

Publication number: GB2567182A
Application number: GB1716245.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kelvin Conroy Andrew; Snow Adam; Joseph Hibben Anthony
Original assignee: Howden Joinery Ltd
Current assignee: Howden Joinery Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-05
Filing date: 2017-10-05
Publication date: 2019-04-10
Also published as: GB201716245D0; WO2019069099A1; EP3691492A1

Abstract

The cabinet has a base 30, a back panel and a side panel 31, where the back panel is formed of a lower and upper part 32a, 32b. The cabinet can be attached to a supporting structure 40, e.g. a wall, via a fixing 41. The fixing 41 is relatively accessible when the upper part 32b is not in place and relatively inaccessible when the upper part 32b is in place. The lower and upper parts 32a, 32b may be separable and not fixedly connected when assembled. A worktop 50 may be installed over the top of the cabinet to fix the upper part 32b in place. The fixing 41 may connect either of the side panel 31 or the lower part 32a to a wall 40. Also disclosed is a method of assembling a cabinet of assembling a base, lower part of back panel and side panel together to form a carcass, fixing the carcass to a support structure and then mating an upper part of back panel to the lower part.

Description

CABINET WITH MULTI-PART BACK PANEL

This invention relates to cabinets, for example kitchen cabinets, which can be fixed to a wall or support structure.

One example of a cabinet is the conventional kitchen cabinet. Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-section through such a cabinet. The cabinet comprises a base 1, top I top rails 2, and back panel 4. A shelf 5 can be suspended from fixings in end walls of the cabinet. A door 3 can be hinged off one of the side/end walls. A worktop can be fitted to the top of the cabinet from fixings through or adjacent to the top rails. The base 1 is raised above the floor 6 of the room where the cabinet is installed, leaving a void 7 between the base and the floor. The front of the void is closed by a kickboard or plinth 8. The base is supported off the floor on legs 9, 10. The cabinet can be attached to a wall 11 at the rear of the cabinet by fixings, for example brackets as shown at 12. The fixings may allow the cabinet to be screwed to the wall securely. Cabinets may also be wall mounted above a kitchen worktop or appliance. In this case, the legs are not required.

This arrangement has a number of problems. When the installer fixes the cabinet to the wall, they may have difficultly accessing the fixings behind the back panel. Particularly, driving screws into the wall, through the fixings, is very difficult if the back panel of the cabinet is in place. The installer may have to reach behind the cabinet with a tool and drive screws into the fixings at a difficult angle. This is inconvenient and increases the time taken to install the cabinets, as well as possibly resulting in damage to the tool, the cabinet and fixings and injury to the person installing the cabinet. The cabinet may also be unsafely mounted if the fixings are not tightened correctly.

There is a need for an improved form of kitchen cabinet which can be installed easily.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a cabinet comprising a base, a back panel and a side panel, the back panel comprising an upper part and a lower part, the cabinet being configured for attachment to a supporting structure via at least one fixing; wherein the fixing is relatively accessible when the upper part of the back panel is not in place and is relatively inaccessible when the upper part of the back panel is in place.

When the upper part of the back panel is in place, the upper part may be in contact with but not fixedly attached to the lower part of the back panel.

The lower part of the back panel may be fixedly attached to the side panel.

The upper part of the back panel, when in place, may be in contact with but not fixedly attached to the side panel.

A worktop can be installed over the top of the cabinet and the upper part of the back panel may be held captive by the worktop.

The fixing may connect the side panel to a wall.

The fixing may connect the lower part of the back panel to a wall.

The fixing may be positioned at a level within the depth of the upper part of the back panel from the top of the side panel.

The top of the upper part of the back panel, when in place, may be flush with the top of the side panel.

The cabinet may be a kitchen cabinet.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of assembling a cabinet for fixing to a support structure, the cabinet comprising a base, a side panel and a back panel, the back panel comprising an upper part and a lower part; the method comprising: assembling a partial carcass comprising the base, side panel and back panel lower part; fixing the partial carcass to the support structure; and subsequently placing the upper part of the back panel to mate with the lower part.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross-section through a conventional kitchen cabinet.

Figure 2 shows a cross-section of cabinet comprising a two-part back panel.

Figure 3 shows a front view of a cabinet comprising a two-part back panel.

Figure 4 shows the fixings of the cabinet when the upper part of the back panel is not in place.

Figure 5 shows the fixings of the cabinet when the upper part of the back panel is in place.

Figure 6 shows an alternative configuration of the fixings.

Figures 2 and 3 show a cross-section and a front view of a cabinet respectively. The cabinet comprises a base 30, at least one side wall 31 and a back panel 32. The side panel has fixing holes 33 to help in attaching hinges to the side panel to support a cabinet door 34. The base 30 and the side wall 31 are formed as rigid panel elements. The back panel 32 is formed as a rigid or semi-rigid panel element comprising a lower part 32a and an upper part 32b. The back panel may further comprise a third part 32c which may be semi-rigid. The cabinet may also optionally comprise a top panel 35. A worktop 50 may also be installed over the top panel. Alternatively, the worktop may be mounted to the cabinet flush with the top of the side walls.

The base, side wall(s) and back panel could, for example, be formed of one or more lignocellulosic materials such as chip board, fibre board or hardboard. They could be coated on one or more of their major surfaces with a protective or decorative covering such as a laminate, melamine paper, wood veneer or polymer sheet.

The third part of the back panel 32c may be formed of a material that is less rigid than the upper and lower parts of the back panel. For example, the part 32c may be made from a flexible hardboard.

The cabinet is supported on a floor 36 by a front leg 37 and a rear leg 38. In practice, the cabinet could have more legs, for example four legs (two front legs and two back legs), so that it can rest stably on the floor. A void 39 is defined between the base 30 of the cabinet and the floor 36. A kickboard or plinth (not shown) can close the front of the void. The kickboard can be clipped to the front leg 37 by clips, for instance by the clips making a resilient snap fitting around the leg.

The cabinet is also fixed to a wall 40, or other support structure, behind the cabinet. Fixings 41 allow the cabinet to be removably but rigidly attached to a wall or supporting element. The fixings may, for example, comprise a bracket which allows the cabinet to be attached to the wall via screws. The fixings exemplified in Figures 2-5 comprise an L-shaped bracket which has one branch for attachment to the wall and the other branch for attachment to the side panel of the cabinet.

The cabinet may also be wall mounted above a kitchen worktop or appliance. In this case, the cabinet does not have legs or a worktop positioned above it.

A complete cabinet carcass would typically comprise the base 30, two side walls of type 31, the back panel 32, comprising the upper and lower parts 32a and 32b and optionally additional part 32c, and a top panel 33. Optionally the cabinet may have a front panel or one or more doors, which could be attached to the side walls by hinges, one or more shelves and/or other accessories.

Prior to fixing the cabinet to the wall or support structure, the base, side wall(s), lower back panel part 32a and additional back panel part 32c are assembled to form a partial carcass.

Preferably, there is provision for fixedly attaching the lower part of the back panel to the side panel. The side panel may have a formation which allows the lower part to mate with the side panel such that it is retained by the side panel. For example, one of the lower back panel and side panel may comprise a tongue formation and the other part may comprise a groove formation. Preferably, the lower part of the back panel comprises a tongue and the side panel comprises a groove, as shown in Figure 4. Mating of the tongue and groove on the respective parts may hold the parts in place relative to each other.

The lower part of the back panel may additionally be fixedly attached to the side panel by adhesive or fixings such as screws or nails.

The sides of the lower part of the back panel preferably butt up against the side panel of the cabinet over the whole interface between the side panel and the lower back panel.

The base and the side wall(s) of the cabinet may be fixed to each other by means of glued wooden dowels, screws, nails or other fixings, adhesive or by means of mechanical interlockings such as tongue and groove joints.

The additional part of the back panel 32c may also be fixed to the lower part of the back panel and the side panel(s) of the cabinet. The lower part 32a may mate with the additional part 32c. As shown in Figure 4, the additional part 32c may have a smaller thickness than the lower part 32a. The additional part may slot into a groove formed in the lower part 32a and/or the side panel 31 such that the additional part is retained by the lower part and /or the side panel.

When the base, side panel(s) and lower and additional back panel parts are assembled to form the partial carcass of the cabinet, the additional part 32c extends from the point where it meets the base of the cabinet to a vertical position part way up the side panel where it meets the lower part 32a. The lower part 32a extends from the point where it meets the additional part 32c to a vertical position part way up the side panel such that the fixings are relatively accessible to an installer positioned in front of the cabinet.

As shown in Figure 4, the partial cabinet carcass can then be securely attached to the wall via the fixings.

The fixings may be attached to the side panel (or other panels) of the cabinet before the cabinet is moved into the position in which it is to be installed.

When the carcass is partially assembled, with the lower part of the back panel in place but the upper part of the back panel not in place, the fixings connecting the cabinet to the wall can be relatively easily accessed by the installer from the front of the cabinet when it is in place against the wall or support element.

When the lower part of the back panel is in place but the upper part of the back panel is not in place, one, some or all of the following may be true:

- The fixings 41 may be accessed by the installer such that a tool, such as a screwdriver 42, may be used to drive mounting screws 43 through the fixings and into a wall, support structure or cabinet panel.

- The installer may be able to drive screws into the fixings to attach the cabinet to the wall without having to hold their screwdriver at an awkward angle.

- A tool may be used to drive the screws through the fixings and into the wall, support structure or cabinet panel at an angle that is orthogonal to the wall, support structure, or cabinet side panel.

- The fixings may be visible to the installer.

Once the fixings are in place and the partial cabinet carcass is securely attached to the wall, the cabinet carcass can be completed by installing the upper back part 32b, the top of the cabinet 33 and optionally a cabinet door/front panel.

When the upper part of the back panel is in place, one, some or all of the following may be true:

- The fixings may be relatively inaccessible to the installer.

- The installer may not be able to easily access the fixings with a tool.

- The installer may not be able to use a tool to drive the screws into the wall at an angle that is orthogonal to the wall.

- The fixings may not be visible to the installer.

The upper and lower parts of the back panel may fit together such that the upper part is held in place by the lower part. As shown in Figure 5, the upper part of the back panel 32b may be slotted into place such that it mates with the lower part 32a. The upper and lower parts may have mating formations, such as a respective tongue and groove, as shown in Figure 5. Alternatively, the upper and lower parts may have corresponding L-shaped slots which fit together. The slots may overlap, or one part may sit in a channel in the other part. The formations may allow the upper part to be retained by the lower part without being fixed in place with adhesive or fastening elements, such as screws, bolts or nails. Therefore, the upper part does not require permanent fixings to hold it in place.

The upper part may also mate with the side panel of the cabinet once installed, as shown in Figure 5. The side panel may have a formation which allows the upper part to mate with the side panel such that it is retained by the side panel but is not permanently attached. For example, one of the upper back panel and side panel may comprise a tongue formation and the other part may comprise a groove formation. Preferably, the upper part of the back panel comprises a tongue and the side panel comprises a groove, as shown in Figure 5. Mating of the tongue and groove on the respective parts may hold the parts in place relative to each other. Therefore, the upper back panel and side panel may fit together such that the upper part is at least partially held in place by the side panel. In contrast to the lower part ofthe back panel, which is fixedly attached to the side panel, the upper part is not fixedly attached to the side panel.

There may be an absence of fixings for attaching the upper part of the back panel to the other parts of the cabinet, such as the lower part of the back panel and/or the side panel. The upper part may be held captive by the lower part of the back panel and the side panel, rather than being fixedly attached to the other parts of the cabinet.

The top panel (or top rail) 35 of the cabinet can then be installed by placing it and/or fixing it on top of the partially assembled carcass. The upper part 32b can be further held in place by the top panel of the cabinet. Optionally, a worktop 50 can then be fitted over the top panel. The top panel and worktop can therefore be installed over the upper part of the back panel to further secure the upper part of the back panel in place. The upper part of the back panel may be held captive by the worktop when the upper part is in place.

Therefore, the lower part of the back panel may be fixedly attached to the side panel with a gap left above the lower part. The partial cabinet carcass is then screwed to the wall. The upper part of the back panel is put into position to fill the gap. The upper part is then held captive by the worktop.

The upper part of the back panel may have a minimum depth, for example at least 5 to 10cm. The lower part of the back panel may have a minimum depth, for example at least 5 to 10cm.

By supplying a back panel having a removable upper part, the partial carcass can be fixed to the wall without the installer having to drive the screws into the fixings at an inconvenient angle. This may ensure that the cabinet is fixed to the wall securely, reduce the time taken to install the cabinet and reduce damage to tools and equipment. It may also reduce the chance of injury as a result of the installer reaching around the back of the cabinet to drive in screws or other fixings at a difficult angle. Once the partial carcass is fixed to the wall, the upper part of the back panel can be quickly and easily installed without requiring tools or fixings and the cabinet assembly can be completed.

The fixing(s) are preferably positioned at a level within the depth of the upper part from the top of the cabinet. Alternately, the fixing(s) could be lower than the depth of the upper part. The fixing(s) may connect the wall to the side panel, as shown in Figures 2-5. Alternatively, the fixing(s) may connect the wall to the lower part of the back panel, as shown in Figure 6.

When flat packed, the fixing(s) may not be attached to the panels. The panels may have one or more pre-drilled holes through the decorative covering for receiving screws for the fixing(s). The hole in the covering may allow a self-tapping screw to be driven into the inner material of the panel, which may be softer than the surface laminate. The panels may have one or more visible markers to allow the installer to locate the fixing(s) in the appropriate positions. The hole(s) or marker(s) may be located in the zone where the upper part of the back panel is to be positioned.

When the upper part of the back panel is in place, the top of the upper part of the back panel is preferably flush with the top of the side panel(s). The front surfaces of the upper and lower parts of the back panel are preferably flush with each other.

The upper and lower parts of the back panel may be spaced from the back of the cabinet.

Thus, in one example of the cabinet the cabinet may comprise a pair of side walls, a base attached to and extending between the side walls and a lower rear wall attached to and extending between generally rearward locations on the side walls. The lower rear wall may close the rear of the cabinet void defined between the side walls and above the base, up to the top of the lower rear wall. One or both of the side walls and/or the lower rear wall may be adapted to mate with one or more wall fixings. Such adaptation may take the form of fixing holes, indented location points for the attachment of wall fixings or markings for indicating where fixings are to be attached.

The cabinet or a kit comprising it, e.g. as a single vendible product, may comprise wall fixings sized and configured to interface with such adaptations and configured to hold the cabinet fast to a building wall when attached to the cabinet at and/or by such adaptations. The adaptations may be located below the level of the top of the lower rear wall, or may be on the side walls above the level of the top of the rear wall. The top of the lower rear wall terminates lower than the top of the side walls. An upper rear wall is provided. The upper rear wall has a height equal to the distance between the top of the rear wall and the top of the side walls. The upper rear wall can be fixed in place after the cabinet has been fixed to a wall. Preferably, the upper rear wall mates with the side walls by a slide-fit mechanism. For example, the side walls may be provided with grooves, and the upper rear wall may be dimensioned so that it can fit snugly into those grooves. The grooves may be open to the top of the side walls. The grooves may be aligned with the lower rear wall, so that he upper rear wall lies flush with the upper rear wall when fitted in the grooves. The grooves may extend vertically. This allows the upper rear wall to be readily slid into place after the cabinet has been fixed to the wall. The upper rear wall may be held captive in the grooves between (a) at its lower end either the top of the lower rear wall or the lower ends of the grooves and (b) a worktop that can be mounted to the cabinet flush with the top of the side walls.

The cabinet could be closed with a door, with drawers, could be intended to be left open or could be intended to house an appliance. In the examples given above the cabinet is a kitchen cabinet. The back panel could alternatively be used on other furniture, including bedroom, bathroom and workshop cabinets. One or more parts of the cabinet (e.g. the base) may be supplied together with the two-part back panel as a kit.

The cabinet may have a front. The front may be distinguished from the rear in the manners known to cabinet assemblers: for example by being fitted on its face with a cosmetic coating such as melamine paper, or by being at the opposite end of the base from an end of the base that is adapted to receive a rear face of the cabinet.

The cabinet may be provided in a kit comprising the base and one or more of a first side face, a second side face and a two-part back panel. In kit form the base may be unassembled from one or more of the said faces. The faces may all be of generally planar form. They may be packaged positioned adjacent each other, in a so-called flat pack.

The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A cabinet comprising a base, a back panel and a side panel, the back panel comprising an upper part and a lower part, the cabinet being configured for attachment to a supporting structure via at least one fixing;

wherein the fixing is relatively accessible when the upper part of the back panel is not in place and is relatively inaccessible when the upper part of the back panel is in place.

2. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the upper part of the back panel is in place, the upper part is in contact with but not fixedly attached to the lower part of the back panel.

3. A cabinet as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lower part of the back panel is fixedly attached to the side panel.

4. A cabinet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the upper part of the back panel, when in place, is in contact with but not fixedly attached to the side panel.

5. A cabinet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a worktop can be installed over the top of the cabinet and the upper part of the back panel is held captive by the worktop.

6. A cabinet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fixing connects the side panel to a wall.

7. A cabinet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fixing connects the lower part of the back panel to a wall.

8. A cabinet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fixing is positioned at a level within the depth of the upper part of the back panel from the top of the side panel.

9. A cabinet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the top of the upper part of the back panel, when in place, is flush with the top of the side panel.

10. A cabinet as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cabinet is a kitchen cabinet.

11. A method of assembling a cabinet for fixing to a support structure, the cabinet comprising a base, a side panel and a back panel, the back panel comprising an upper part and a lower part; the method comprising:

assembling a partial carcass comprising the base, side panel and back panel lower part;

fixing the partial carcass to the support structure; and subsequently placing the upper part of the back panel to mate with the lower part.