초록

A self-fastening wall cabinet including a plurality of panels having integrated connectors, and a flipper door. The plurality of panels are formed of injection molded plastic and interlock with one another to assemble the wall cabinet without the need for separate fasteners or connectors.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A self-fastening wall cabinet comprising: a bottom panel for enclosing a bottom portion of said wall cabinet, said bottom panel having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left end, and a right end, said left end including a first means of attaching said bottom panel to a lef

What is claimed is: 1. A self-fastening wall cabinet comprising: a bottom panel for enclosing a bottom portion of said wall cabinet, said bottom panel having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left end, and a right end, said left end including a first means of attaching said bottom panel to a left side panel in a perpendicular relationship, said right end including a first means of attaching said bottom panel to a right side panel in a perpendicular relationship; a top panel for enclosing a top portion of said wall cabinet, said top panel having an upper surface, a lower surface, a left end, and a right end, said left end including a first means of attaching said top panel to a left side panel in a perpendicular relationship, said right end including a first means of attaching said top panel to a right side panel in a perpendicular relationship; a back panel for enclosing a back portion of said wall cabinet, said back panel including a left end and a right end; a left side panel for enclosing a left side portion of said wall cabinet, said left side panel including an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface including an integrally molded track extending from a front portion of said left side panel to a rear portion of said left side panel along an upper portion thereof, said inner surface including a second attachment means constructed and arranged to cooperate with said first attachment means for attaching said left side panel to said left end of said top panel and said bottom panel in a perpendicular relationship, and a third attachment means for attaching said left side panel to said left end of said back panel in a perpendicular relationship; a right side panel for enclosing a right side portion of said wall cabinet, said right side panel including an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface including an integrally molded track extending from a front portion of said right side panel to a rear portion of said right side panel along an upper portion thereof, said inner surface including said second attachment means for attaching said right side panel to said right end of said top panel and said bottom panel in a perpendicular relationship, and said third attachment means for attaching said right side panel to said right end of said back panel in a perpendicular relationship; a flipper door panel constructed and arranged for enclosing a front portion of said wall cabinet, said flipper door panel including an outer surface, an inner surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge, and a right edge, said left edge and said right edge each including a pivot means defining an axis of rotation therebetween and extending outwardly from an upper portion thereof, wherein said left edge pivot means is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said track of said left side panel and said right edge pivot means is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said track of said right side panel, wherein said left and said right side panel tracks and said pivot means cooperate to allow a lower portion of said flipper door panel to rotate about said axis to an essentially horizontal position when in a forward most position and thereafter slide inwardly in a generally parallel and adjacent manner to said lower surface of said top panel along said left and said right side panel tracks to an essentially juxtaposed position beneath said top panel thereby providing ingress into said wall cabinet; wherein said wall cabinet can be shipped in a disassembled state and assembled on a desired site without a need for separate fasteners. 2. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1, wherein said flipper door panel pivot means includes a pair of axially aligned D-shaped outwardly extending pin members, said D-shaped pin members including a flat side and a radiused side, wherein one of said D-shaped pin members is integrally formed onto an upper portion of said left edge of said flipper door panel and one of said D-shaped pin members is integrally formed onto an upper portion of said right edge of said flipper door panel, wherein said D-shaped members cooperate with said left and said right tracks of said left side panel and said right side panel to allow said flipper door panel to rotate only while said flipper door panel is in a forward most position and said D-shaped members operably engage said left and said right track respectively to prevent rotation of said flipper door panel while said flipper door panel is slid rearwardly into said wall cabinet. 3. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1 wherein said tracks integrally molded into the inner surfaces of said left and said right side panels are constructed and arranged to accept D-shaped pin members which extend outwardly from each side of the left and right edges of the flipper door, wherein said left and said right tracks are constructed and arranged to cooperate with said D-shaped pin members to allow said flipper door panel to rotate only while said flipper door panel is in a forward most position with respect to said left and said right side panels and said left and said right tracks are constructed and arranged to prevent rotation of said flipper door panel while said flipper door panel is slid rearward with respect to said forward most position into said wall cabinet. 4. The wall cabinet as described in claim 3, wherein at least one of said tracks integrally formed into the inner surface of said left and said right side panels is constructed as an inwardly depending track, wherein said inwardly depending track has a generally circular front portion and two generally parallel rearwardly extending track portions terminating in a rear stop portion, wherein one of said rearwardly extending track portions is a lower track portion and one of said rearwardly extending track portions is an upper track portion, wherein said lower track portion extends rearwardly and tangentially from a lower quadrant of said circular portion. 5. The wall cabinet as described in claim 4, wherein said circular front portion of said track is constructed and arranged to allow rotation of said cooperating D-shaped pin member and said rearwardly extending track portions are constructed and arranged to allow linear translation of said cooperating D-shaped pin member after said rotation of said flipper door panel, wherein said flat side of said cooperating D-shaped pin member cooperates with said upper track portion and said radiused side of said D-shaped pin member cooperates with said lower track portion to prevent rotation of said flipper door panel during said linear translation of said flipper door panel. 6. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1, wherein said bottom panel and said top panel have a similar construction. 7. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1, wherein said first means for attaching said top and bottom panels to said left side panel and said right side panel includes a plurality of formed sockets arranged in a linear fashion along said left and right edges of said top and said bottom panels, and extending inwardly between said top surface and said bottom surface, said formed sockets being constructed and arranged to cooperate with said left and right side panels for interlocking engagement therebetween, wherein said top and said bottom panels are secured to said left and said right side panels via said formed sockets. 8. The wall cabinet as described in claim 7, wherein at least one of said formed sockets include an aperture therethrough, wherein said aperture is constructed and arranged to cooperate with at least one spring-tab, wherein said at least one spring tab is integrally formed onto the inner surface of said left and said right side panels, wherein said aperture and said at least one spring tab are constructed and arranged for mating engagement resulting in a mechanically secure connection between said left, top, and bottom panels. 9. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1, wherein said upper surface and said lower surface of said top and bottom panels include said third means for attaching, wherein said third means for attaching includes at least one groove extending between said left and said right ends and near a rear portion of said top and bottom panels, said at least one groove constructed and arranged to cooperate with said back panel for interlocking engagement therebetween; wherein said grooves increase structural integrity of said wall cabinet by inhibiting said back panel from bowing or bending inwardly or outwardly, and wherein said back panel is secured within said wall cabinet. 10. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1, wherein said lower surface of said bottom panel includes integrally formed cross-bracing, wherein said cross-bracing provides increased weight capacity and stability to said wall cabinet. 11. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1, wherein said second means for attaching said left side panel to said top panel and said bottom panel includes a plurality of locking posts, wherein said locking posts are brought into an coupling engagement with corresponding formed sockets in said top panel and said bottom panel resulting in a mechanically secure connection between said left, top, and bottom panels. 12. The wall cabinet as described in claim 11 wherein said left side panel locking posts include at least one integrally formed spring-tab, wherein said at least one spring-tab is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said formed sockets for positively maintaining secure coupling engagement between said left, top, and bottom panels. 13. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1, wherein said second means for attaching said right side panel to said top panel and said bottom panel includes a plurality of locking posts, wherein said locking posts are brought into an coupling engagement with corresponding formed sockets in said top panel and said bottom panel resulting in a mechanically secure connection between said right, top, and bottom panels. 14. The wall cabinet as described in claim 13 wherein said right side panel locking posts include at least one integrally formed spring-tab, wherein said at least one spring-tab is constructed and arranged to cooperate with said formed sockets for positively maintaining secure coupling engagement between said right, top, and bottom panels. 15. The wall cabinet as described in claim 1 wherein said flipper door panel includes a latch means constructed and arranged for releasably securing said flipper door panel to said left and said right side panels. 16. The wall cabinet as described in claim 15 wherein said latch means includes at least one spring-lock integrally formed into a lower portion of said left and said right edges of said flipper door panel, said at least one spring lock constructed and arranged to cooperate with a catch plate depending from a front portion of said left and said right side panels for releasably securing said flipper door panel.