초록

A storage cabinet employing a door formed in one monolithic piece from a thin sheet of light-weight but relatively rigid material, such as compressed resin-bonded plastic fibers. The door has a pair of panels, such as upper and lower door panels, integrally joined through a living hinge.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A storage cabinet, comprising:a storage housing defining a storage compartment therein and including a pair of laterally spaced upright side walls rigidly joined by a bottom wall and defining an access opening associated with at least a front side of the housing for accessing said interior storag

1. A storage cabinet, comprising:a storage housing defining a storage compartment therein and including a pair of laterally spaced upright side walls rigidly joined by a bottom wall and defining an access opening associated with at least a front side of the housing for accessing said interior storage compartment; a door configured to cover the access opening and removably attached to the storage housing for movement between open and closed positions; said door comprising a one-piece monolithic door member formed from a relatively rigid but light weight sheet of resin-bonded plastic fibers, and having substantially rigid upper and lower door panels which extend across a width of the housing, said upper and lower door panels being monolithically joined at adjacent widthwise-extending first edges by a generally horizontally and widthwise-extending first living hinge which permits the upper and lower door panels to be relatively hingedly moved through a significant angular extent about said first living hinge; said lower door panel, when the door is in said closed position, being disposed in a generally upright position to at least partially close off said access opening whereby a lower free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent a lower edge of said access opening and said first living hinge is disposed more closely adjacent an upper extremity of said access opening; said monolithic one-piece door member also including a mounting part which is monolithically joined to said upper door panel at a widthwise edge thereof which is remote from said first living hinge, said mounting part being joined to said housing adjacent a top thereof to define a second hinge which is transversely spaced from but substantially parallel to said first living hinge; whereby said door can be hingedly moved about said first and second hinges from said closed position into said open position wherein said upper and lower door panels are positioned generally in overlapping relationship to one another adjacent a top side of said housing. 2. A storage cabinet, comprising:a storage housing defining a storage compartment therein and including a pair of laterally spaced upright side walls rigidly joined by a bottom wall and defining an access opening associated with at least a front side of the housing for accessing said interior storage compartment; a door configured to cover the access opening and removably attached to the storage housing for movement between open and closed positions; said door comprising a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having substantially rigid upper and lower door panels which extend across a width of the housing, said upper and lower door panels being monolithically joined at adjacent widthwise-extending first edges by a generally horizontally and widthwise-extending first living hinge which permits the upper and lower door panels to be relatively hingedly moved through a significant angular extent about said first living hinge; said lower door panel when the door is in the closed position having a depth as defined between the widthwise-extending edges thereof which is significantly greater than the depth of the upper door panel as defined between the widthwise-extending edges thereof, and being disposed in a generally upright position to at least partially close off said access opening whereby a lower free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent a lower edge of said access opening and said first living hinge is disposed more closely adjacent an upper extremity of said access opening; said monolithic one-piece door member also including a mounting part which is monolithically joined to said upper door panel at a widthwise edge thereof which is remote from said first living hinge, said mounting part being joined to said housing adjacent a top thereof to define a second hinge which is transversely spaced from but substantially parallel to said first living hinge; whereby said door can be hingedly moved about said first and second hinges from said closed position into said open Position wherein said upper and lower door panels are positioned generally in overlapping relationship to one another adjacent a top side of said housing, and wherein said door member when in said open position is disposed with said upper door panel in a generally horizontal orientation and projecting rearwardly from said second hinge and said lower door panel also being disposed in a generally horizontal orientation disposed above said upper door panel and projecting forwardly from said second hinge such that a free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent a front upper corner of the housing so as to be readily manually accessible. 3. A storage cabinet according to claim 2, wherein said access opening includes a main front opening portion which extends vertically along the front side of the housing and which joins to a top opening portion which projects inwardly from the front upper corner of the cabinet housing and projects rearwardly over a part of the width of the top of the cabinet housing, said second hinge being disposed adjacent a rearward edge of said top opening portion so that said upper door panel closes said top opening portion when the door is in said closed position.4. A storage cabinet according to claim 3, wherein said second hinge is disposed generally at the top of said housing approximately midway between front and rear upper edges thereof, and said upper door panel having a transverse width which generally corresponds to the transverse width of the top opening portion so that said first hinge is disposed generally at the front upper edge of the cabinet housing when the door is in said closed position, said first hinge being disposed closely adjacent a rear upper edge of the housing when the door is in the opened storage position.5. A storage cabinet according to claim 4, wherein said upper door panel includes a horizontally extending large center panel part having a first thickness, said center panel part being provided with edge parts associated with opposite ends thereof and disposed for supportive engagement with upper edges of the side walls when the door is in the closed position, and said lower door panel having a main center panel part which covers most of the vertical and horizontal extent of the front opening portion and which has a thickness which is significantly less than the thickness of said main center panel part of said upper door panel.6. A storage cabinet according to claim 4, wherein said cabinet housing includes a top wall which extends between and is rigidly joined to said side walls and is disposed in generally upwardly spaced and parallel relationship with said bottom wall, said top wall having a transverse width which is substantially smaller than said bottom wall so that said top wall closes off only a rearward portion of the top of said housing, a front portion of the top of said housing being open and effectively defining an upper expansion of said access opening, and the mounting part of said door member including a main covering panel which overlies and covers said top wall, said covering panel at a front widthwise-extending edge thereof being monolithically joined to a rear widthwise-extending edge of said upper door panel by a monolithic second living hinge which defines said second hinge.7. A storage cabinet, comprising:a storage housing defining a storage compartment therein and including a pair of laterally spaced upright side walls rigidly joined by a bottom wall and defining an access opening associated with at least a front side of the housing for accessing said interior storage compartment; a door configured to cover the access opening and removably attached to the storage housing for movement between open and closed positions; said door comprising a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having substantially rigid upper and lower door panels which extend across a width of the housing, said upper and lower door panels being monolithically joined at adjacent widthwise-extending first edges by a generally horizontally and widthwise-extending first living hinge which permits the upper and lower door panels to be relatively hingedly moved through a significant angular extent about said first living hinge, the door member including a flange which is monolithically joined to the lower edge of said lower door panel and which is cantilevered inwardly through a small extent for closing off a lower edge of said access opening; said lower door panel, when the door is in said closed position, being disposed in a generally upright position to at least partially close off said access opening whereby a lower free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent a lower edge of said access opening and said first living hinge is disposed more closely adjacent an upper extremity of said access opening; said monolithic one-piece door member also including a mounting part which is monolithically joined to said upper door panel at a widthwise edge thereof which is remote from said first living hinge, said mounting part being joined to said housing adjacent a top thereof to define a second hinge which is transversely spaced from but substantially parallel to said first living hinge; whereby said door can be hingedly moved about said first and second hinges from said closed position into said open position wherein said upper and lower door panels are positioned generally in overlapping relationship to one another adjacent a top side of said housing. 8. A storage cabinet according to claim 7, wherein said flange extends along the entire length of the lower free edge of the lower door panel and adjacent opposite ends thereof, is provided with tapered edge surfaces which cooperate with opposed surfaces defined on the cabinet housing adjacent lower front corners thereof for effecting recentering of the door member when in the closed position.9. A storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said door member is formed from a mat defined by said mixture, said fibers comprise PET fibers, and said mat is heated and compressed in a mold to define said molded door member.10. A storage cabinet, comprising:a storage housing defining a storage compartment therein and including a pair of laterally spaced upright side walls rigidly joined by a bottom wall and defining an access opening associated with at least a front side of the housing for accessing said interior storage compartment; a door configured to cover the access opening and removably attached to the storage housing for movement between open and closed positions; said door comprising a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having substantially rigid upper and lower door panels which extend across a width of the housing, said upper and lower door panels being monolithically joined at adjacent widthwise-extending first edges by a generally horizontally and widthwise-extending first living hinge which permits the upper and lower door panels to be relatively hingedly moved through a significant angular extent about said first living hinge, -said lower door panel having cantilevered edge flanges monolithically joined thereto and projecting inwardly from at least the vertically extending edges thereof; said lower door panel, when the door is in said closed position, being disposed in a generally upright position to at least partially close off said access opening whereby a lower free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent a lower edge of said access opening and said first living hinge is disposed more closely adjacent an upper extremity of said access opening, and said edge flanges of said lower door panel being positioned for abutting engagement with front edge surfaces defined on said side walls when the door is in the closed position; said monolithic one-piece door member also including a mounting part which is monolithically joined to said upper door panel at a widthwise edge thereof which is remote from said first living hinge, said mounting part being joined to said housing adjacent a top thereof to define a second hinge which is transversely spaced from but substantially parallel to said first living hinge; whereby said door can be hingedly moved about said first and second hinges from said closed position into said open position wherein said upper and lower door panels are positioned generally in overlapping relationship to one another adjacent a top side of said housing. 11. A storage, comprising:a storage housing defining a storage compartment therein and including a pair of laterally spaced upright side walls rigidly joined by a bottom wall and defining an access opening associated with at least a front side of the housing for accessing said interior storage compartment; a door configured to cover the access opening and removably attached to the storage housing for movement between open and closed positions; said door comprising a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having substantially rigid upper and lower door panels which extend across a width of the housing, said upper and lower door panels being monolithically joined at adjacent widthwise-extending first edges by a generally horizontally and widthwise-extending first living hinge which permits the upper and lower door panels to be relatively hingedly moved through a significant angular extent about said first living hinge, the transverse width of the lower door panel being approximately twice the transverse width of the upper door panel; said lower door panel, when the door is in said closed position, being disposed in a generally upright position to at least partially close off said access opening whereby a lower free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent a lower edge of said access opening and said first living hinge is disposed more closely adjacent an upper extremity of said access opening; said monolithic one-piece door member also including a mounting part which is monolithically joined to said upper door panel at a widthwise edge thereof which is remote from said first living hinge, said mounting part being joined to said housing adjacent a top thereof to define a second hinge which is transversely spaced from but substantially parallel to said first living hinge; whereby said door can be hingedly moved about said first and second hinges from said closed position into said open position wherein said upper and lower door panels are positioned generally in overlapping relationship to one another adjacent a top side of said housing. 12. A storage cabinet, comprising:a storage housing defining a storage compartment therein and including a pair of laterally spaced upright side walls rigidly joined by a bottom wall and defining an access opening associated with at least a front side of the housing for accessing said interior storage compartment, said storage housing having securing structure associated with a rear side thereof for permitting the cabinet to be fixedly attached to a front vertical surface of an upright wall so that the cabinet is fixedly supported on but cantilevered horizontally outwardly from the wall; a door configured to cover the access opening and removably attached to the storage housing for movement between open and closed positions; said door comprising a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having substantially rigid upper and lower door panels which extend across a width of the housing, said upper and lower door panels being monolithically joined at adjacent widthwise-extending first edges by a generally horizontally and widthwise-extending first living hinge which permits the upper and lower door panels to be relatively hingedly moved through a significant angular extent about said first living hinge; said lower door panel, when the door is in said closed position, being disposed in a generally upright position to at least partially close off said access opening whereby a lower free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent a lower edge of said access opening and said first living hinge is disposed more closely adjacent an upper extremity of said access opening; said monolithic one-piece door member also including a mounting part which is monolithically joined to said upper door panel at a widthwise edge thereof which is remote from said first living hinge, said mounting part being joined to said housing adjacent a top thereof to define a second hinge which is transversely spaced from but substantially parallel to said first living hinge; whereby said door can be hingedly moved about said first and second hinges from said closed position into said open position wherein said upper and lower door panels are positioned generally in overlapping relationship to one another adjacent a top side of said housing. 13. A storage cabinet for securement adjacent a side surface of an upright wall so that the storage cabinet is supported on and cantilevered outwardly from the wall, said storage cabinet comprising:a housing defining an interior storage compartment, said housing including a pair of laterally spaced and generally parallel upright side walls and a generally horizontally-oriented bottom wall which extends between and is rigidly joined to said side walls adjacent lower edges thereof, whereby said side walls project upwardly a significant extent above said bottom wall; said storage housing defining a front access opening which extends generally horizontally between said end panels and which projects upwardly from said bottom wall throughout substantially the height of the end panels for providing access to said interior storage compartment; a door configured to cover the front access opening and removably attached to the housing for pivoting movement between a closed position wherein the door closes off said front access opening and an opened position wherein the door is stored generally horizontally overhead of said compartment; said door including upper and lower door panels which both extend generally lengthwise of the housing and which have adjacent lengthwise edges which are joined by a first hinge structure which defines a first generally horizontally elongated hinge axis which extend generally parallel with said horizontal bottom wall, said lower door panel being positioned generally vertically within said front access opening when the door is in said closed position so that a lower lengthwise-extending free edge of said lower door panel is positioned adjacent the lower edge of said front access opening, and said upper door panel having its other lengthwise-extending edge joined to a second hinge structure which connects to said housing and defines a second generally horizontally extending hinge axis which is generally parallel with said first hinge axis and is disposed adjacent the upper edges of said end panels and is approximately midway between front and back sides of said housing; and said lower door panel having a transverse width as defined between the horizontally-elongated lengthwise edges thereof which is significantly greater than the width of the upper door panel as defined between the horizontally-elongated lengthwise edges thereof; said door when in said closed position being disposed so that said lower door panel is positioned generally vertically so as to close off said front access opening and said upper door panel is positioned to extend generally horizontally so as to overlie the top of said housing adjacent a front side thereof, whereby hinging movement of said door into said opened position causes said upper door panel to hinge upwardly and rearwardly about said second axis so as to substantially horizontally overlie the top of said housing adjacent a rear side thereof while simultaneously causing said lower door panel to swing upwardly and generally horizontally overlie said upper door panel so that the free edge of said lower door panel is disposed adjacent an upper front edge of said housing. 14. A storage cabinet according to claim 13, wherein said upper and lower door panels are integrally and monolithically joined by a living hinge which defines said first hinge structure.15. A storage cabinet according to claim 14, wherein said door is formed as a monolithic one-piece member constructed of a lightweight but relatively rigid fibrous material.16. A storage cabinet according to claim 13, wherein said housing includes a top wall which is disposed in generally parallel and upwardly spaced relationship from said bottom wall and which extends generally horizontally between and is rigidly joined to said side panels adjacent upper edges thereof, and said second hinge structure being joined between said top wall and said upper door panel.17. A storage cabinet according to claim 16, wherein said top wall extends across approximately only a rearward half of the top of said housing, and the approximately forward half of the top of said housing being a continuous opening extension with said front access opening and being closed by said upper door panel when said door is in said closed position.18. A storage cabinet according to claim 17, wherein said top wall includes a stationary top panel which is integrally and monolithically joined to said upper door panel by a living hinge which defines said second hinge structure.19. A storage cabinet according to claim 18, wherein said upper and lower door panels are integrally and monolithically joined by a living hinge which defines said first hinge structure.20. A storage cabinet according to claim 19, wherein said door is formed as a monolithic one-piece member constructed of a lightweight but relatively rigid fibrous material.21. A storage cabinet including a housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening associated with a front side of the housing for providing access into said storage compartment, a securing structure associated with a rear side of said housing for permitting the cabinet to be fixedly attached to a front vertical surface of an upright wall, and a door swingably mounted relative to the housing and cooperating with the access opening for movement between a closed position wherein the door covers the access opening and an open position wherein the access opening is not covered by the door, said door comprising:a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having a plurality of substantially rigid door panels including first and second panels which are monolithically joined at adjacent edges by an elongate living hinge which permits the first panel to be relatively hingedly moved through an angular extent about said living hinge, one of said door panels being fixedly mounted with respect to said storage housing, and said first door panel being positioned for swinging movement between said open and closed positions relative to said access opening. 22. A storage cabinet according to claim 21, wherein said door member is formed from a mat defined by a mixture of plastic fibers and resin, said mat being heated and compressed in a mold to define said door member.23. A storage cabinet including a housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening associated with a side of the housing for providing access into said storage compartment, and a door swingably mounted relative to the housing and cooperating with the access opening for movement between a closed position wherein the door covers the access opening and an open position wherein the access opening is not covered by the door, said door comprising:a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having a plurality of substantially rigid door panels including first and second panels which are monolithically joined at adjacent edges by an elongate living hinge which permits the first panel to be relatively hingedly moved through an angular extent about said living hinge, and a thin flexible fabric sheet positioned coextensively over and bonded to the exterior surface of said door member so that said sheet extends exteriorly over said first and second panels and also extends coextensively across said living hinge, one of said door panels being fixedly mounted with respect to said storage housing, and said first door panel being positioned for swinging movement between said open and closed positions relative to said access opening. 24. A storage cabinet according to claim 22, wherein said living hinge is disposed so as to be approximately flush with either adjacent exterior surfaces or adjacent interior surfaces of said first and second door panels.25. A storage cabinet according to claim 24, wherein said living hinge has a thickness in the range of between about 0.020 inch and about 0.035 inch.26. A storage cabinet including a housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening associated with a side of the housing for providing access into said storage compartment, and a door swingably mounted relative to the housing and cooperating with the access opening for movement between a closed position wherein the door covers the access opening and an open position wherein the access opening is not covered by the door, said door comprising:a one-piece monolithic door member constructed of compressed light-weight fibrous material and having a plurality of substantially rigid door panels including first and second panels which are monolithically joined at adjacent edges by an elongate living hinge which permits the first panel to be relatively hingedly moved through an angular extent about said living hinge, one of said door panels being fixedly mounted with respect to said storage housing, and said other door panel having tool mounting structures integrally and rigidly molded therein and protruding transversely relative to the door panel so as to permit tools or accessories to be removably attached thereto, and said first door panel being positioned for swinging movement between said open and closed positions relative to said access opening. 27. A storage cabinet according to claim 26, wherein the tool mounting structures define a pair of generally horizontally elongated and vertically spaced grooves which are formed in said other door panel and which open inwardly from an exterior surface thereof, and a tool accessory having a rearwardly projecting flange structure engaged within said grooves.28. A process for forming a door which is swingably mountable on a storage cabinet, comprising the steps of:providing a mold having opposed first and second mold parts defining therebetween a mold cavity which defines the shape of the door when the mold parts are in a closed position; providing one of the mold parts with an elongate groovelike recess which has a mouth portion which communicates with the mold cavity; providing the other mold part with a thin forming blade which projects from the other mold part into the mold cavity so that a tip portion of the forming blade is positioned generally at or within the mouth of the groovelike recess but is spaced from defining walls thereof; positioning a mat of fibrous material containing a resin binder therein in the mold cavity associated with one of the mold parts; thereafter relatively moving the mold parts into a closed position to close the mold cavity and effect compression of the fibrous mat and reshaping thereof into the door; causing the forming blade, during closing of the mold, to effect localized compression of the mat so that the thickness of the mat is significantly reduced and defines a reduced-thickness arcuate hinge portion which wraps around the tip of the blade and is pushed into the recess but is spaced from an end wall thereof so as to control compression of the arcuate hinge portion and thereby define a living hinge; removing the formed door from the mold; and connecting the formed door to a cabinet housing having an access opening for communication with an interior storage compartment so that the door couples to the cabinet and one panel of the door as joined to said living hinge is swingable about said living hinge between open and closed positions relative to said access opening. 29. A process according to claim 28, wherein said tip portion of said blade has opposed side walls which are tapered so as to converge as they project toward a rounded free end of the blade, and wherein a mouth of the groovelike recess has sloped walls which flare outwardly as they merge with the mold cavity, whereby compression of the mat by the tip of the blade and its cooperation with the recess results in formation of thin compressed hinge parts which join to the curved hinge portion and project outwardly in diverging relationship through small clearance cavities defined between the sloped side walls of the blade and the opposed sloped side walls defined by the mouth of the recess.30. A storage cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said side walls are made from a different material than said door member.