Overhead storage cabinet

In a storage cabinet having a housing defined by generally horizontally-extending top and bottom walls rigidly joined together by generally parallel vertically-extending side walls, the housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening in a front side thereof for access to said storage compartment, and a door assembly including a door panel positionable adjacent the front side of the housing when the door assembly is in a closed position for closing off said access opening, said door assembly being vertically swingably supported on said housing for swinging movement between said closed position and an open position wherein said door panel is positioned generally over said top wall to permit access to said storage compartment through said access opening, the improvement comprising:

• said door assembly being of a generally U-shaped configuration and including right and left end panels which are fixed to opposite ends of said door panel and which project generally perpendicularly therefrom in cantilevered relationship relative thereto, said right and left end panels being disposed in substantially parallel relation;
• each of said end panels being positioned exteriorly but in closely adjacent and overlying relationship to a respective one of said side walls, whereby said side walls of said housing are positioned longitudinally between said right and left end panels;
• aligned horizontal hinge means connected between each of said end panels and a respectively adjacent side wall for vertically swingably supporting said door assembly for solely vertical swinging movement between said open and closed positions, said hinge means defining a horizontal hinge axis which extends longitudinally of said cabinet and which substantially centrally intersects said side walls;
• counterweight means attached to each of said end panels for at least partially counterbalancing the weight of the door panel acting about said hinge axis, said counterweight means including at least one counterweight member removably attached to the respective end panel and positioned so that the center of gravity of said counterweight member is spaced radially from said hinge axis in an opposite direction from said door panel;
• and
• each of said end panels and the respectively adjacent side wall cooperate to define therebetween a shallow cavity within which said counterweight member is disposed.

In a storage cabinet having a housing defined by generally horizontally-extending top and bottom walls rigidly joined together by generally parallel vertically-extending side walls, the housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening in a front side thereof for access to said storage compartment, and a door assembly including a door panel positionable adjacent the front side of the housing when the door assembly is in a closed position for closing off said access opening, said door assembly being vertically swingably supported on said housing for swinging movement between said closed position and an open position wherein said door panel is positioned generally over said top wall to permit access to said storage compartment through said access opening, the improvement comprising:

• said door assembly being of a generally U-shaped configuration and including right and left end panels which are fixed to opposite ends of said door panel and which project generally perpendicularly therefrom in cantilevered relationship relative thereto, said right and left end panels being disposed in substantially parallel relation;
• each of said end panels being positioned exteriorly but in closely adjacent and overlying relationship to a respective one of said side walls, whereby said side walls of said housing are positioned longitudinally between said right and left end panels;
• aligned horizontal hinge means connected between each of said end panels and a respectively adjacent side wall for vertically swingably supporting said door assembly for solely vertical swinging movement between said open and closed positions, said hinge means defining a horizontal hinge axis which extends longitudinally of said cabinet and which substantially centrally intersects said side walls;
• counterweight means attached to each of said end panels for at least partially counterbalancing the weight of the door panel acting about said hinge axis, said counterweight means including at least one counterweight member removably attached to the respective end panel and positioned so that the center of gravity of said counterweight member is spaced radially from said hinge axis in an opposite direction from said door panel;
• said counterweight means including a set of substantially identical said counterweight members with one or more said counterweight members being removably attached to each of said end panels in accordance with the longitudinal length of said cabinet;
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• each of said end panels define a shallow cavity which opens inwardly thereof, said cavity being disposed in directly opposed and adjacent relationship to the respectively adjacent side wall, and at least two said counterweight members being fixedly but removably disposed within said cavity in generally superimposed relationship to one another.

In a storage cabinet having a housing defined by generally horizontally-extending top and bottom walls rigidly joined together by generally parallel vertically-extending side walls, the housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening in a front side thereof for access to said storage compartment, and a door assembly including a door panel positionable adjacent the front side of the housing when the door assembly is in a closed position for closing off said access opening, said door assembly being vertically swingably supported on said housing for swinging movement between said closed position and an open position wherein said door panel is positioned generally over said top wall to permit access to said storage compartment through said access opening, the improvement comprising:

• said door assembly being of a generally U-shaped configuration and including right and left end panels which are fixed to opposite ends of said door panel and which project generally perpendicularly therefrom in cantilevered relationship relative thereto, said right and left end panels being disposed in substantially parallel relation;
• each of said end panels being positioned exteriorly but in closely adjacent and overlying relationship to a respective one of said side walls, whereby said side walls of said housing are positioned longitudinally between said right and left end panels;
• aligned horizontal hinge means connected between each of said end panels and a respectively adjacent side wall for vertically swingably supporting said door assembly for solely vertical swinging movement between said open and closed positions, said hinge means defining a horizontal hinge axis which extends longitudinally of said cabinet and which substantially centrally intersects said side walls;
• counterweight means attached to each of said end panels for at least partially counterbalancing the weight of the door panel acting about said hinge axis, said counterweight means including at least one counterweight member removably attached to the respective end panel and positioned so that the center of gravity of said counterweight member is spaced radially from said hinge axis in an opposite direction from said door panel;
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• each of said end panels having an outer periphery defined by upper and lower edges positioned closely adjacent the respective top and bottom walls of the housing when the door assembly is in the closed position, said outer periphery also including a generally curved convex rear edge which extends between the upper and lower edges, said rear edge being disposed at a position adjacent a rear side of said housing when said door assembly is in said closed position so that each of said end panels substantially exteriorly covers the respective side wall and defines the visible exterior end of the cabinet.

In a storage cabinet having a housing defined by generally horizontally-extending top and bottom walls rigidly joined together by generally parallel vertically-extending side walls, the housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening in a front side thereof for access to said storage compartment, and a door assembly including a door panel positionable adjacent the front side of the housing when the door assembly is in a closed position for closing off said access opening, said door assembly being vertically swingably supported on said housing for swinging movement between said closed position and an open position wherein said door panel is positioned generally over said top wall to permit access to said storage compartment through said access opening, the improvement comprising:

• said door assembly being of a generally U-shaped configuration and including right and left end panels which are fixed to opposite ends of said door panel and which project generally perpendicularly therefrom in cantilevered relationship relative thereto, said right and left end panels being disposed in substantially vertically parallel relation, each of said end panels being positioned in closely adjacent and overlying relationship to a respective one of said side walls;
• aligned horizontal hinge means connected between each of said end panels and a respectively adjacent side wall for movably supporting said door assembly for solely vertical swinging movement between said open and closed positions, said hinge means defining a horizontal hinge axis which extends longitudinally of said cabinet and which substantially centrally intersects said side walls;
• said door panel having longitudinally extending upper and lower edges in substantial vertical alignment with one another in said closed position of said door assembly;
• interlock means extending longitudinally along and coacting between said upper edge of said door panel and a front edge of said top wall when said door assembly is in said closed position for preventing outward separation of said door panel away from said top wall;
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• said interlock means including a flange fixed to and extending longitudinally along said upper edge of said door panel, said flange being cantilevered downwardly, and a channel part fixed to and extending longitudinally along said front edge of said top wall, said channel part projecting downwardly from said top wall and defining an upwardly-opening channel which projects downwardly from said top wall into which said flange projects when said door assembly is in said closed position, said flange moving out of said channel when said door assembly is moved to said open position.

In a storage cabinet having a housing defined by generally horizontally-extending top and bottom walls rigidly joined together by generally parallel vertically-extending side walls, the housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening in a front side thereof for access to said storage compartment, and a door assembly including a door panel positionable adjacent the front side of the housing when the door assembly is in a closed position for closing off said access opening, said door assembly being vertically swingably supported on said housing for swinging movement between said closed position and an open position wherein said door panel is positioned generally over said top wall to permit access to said storage compartment through said access opening, the improvement comprising:

• said door assembly being of a generally U-shaped configuration and including right and left end panels which are fixed to opposite ends of said door panel and which project generally perpendicularly therefrom in cantilevered relationship relative thereto, said right and left end panels being disposed in substantially vertically parallel relation;
• each of said end panels being positioned exteriorly but in closely adjacent and overlying relationship to a respective one of said side walls, whereby said side walls of said housing are positioned longitudinally between said right and left end panels;
• aligned horizontal hinge means connected between each of said end panels and a respectively adjacent side wall for movably supporting said door assembly for solely vertical swinging movement between said open and closed positions, said hinge means defining a horizontal hinge axis which extends longitudinally of said cabinet and which substantially centrally intersects said side walls;
• and
• each of said end panels having an outer periphery including upper and lower edges positioned closely adjacent the respective top and bottom walls of the housing when the door assembly is in the closed position, said outer periphery also including a generally curved convex rear edge which extends between the upper and lower edges, said rear edge being disposed at a position adjacent a rear side of said housing when said door assembly is in said closed position so that each of said end panels substantially exteriorly covers the respective side wall and defines the visible exterior end of the cabinet.

In a storage cabinet having a housing defined by generally horizontally-extending top and bottom walls rigidly joined together by generally parallel vertically-extending side walls, the housing defining therein an interior storage compartment and having an access opening in a front side thereof for access to said storage compartment, and a door assembly including a door panel positionable adjacent the front side of the housing when the door assembly is in a closed position for closing off said access opening, said door assembly being vertically swingably supported on said housing for swinging movement between said closed position and an open position wherein said door panel is positioned generally over said top wall to permit access to said storage compartment through said access opening, the improvement comprising:

• said door assembly being of a generally U-shaped configuration and including right and left end panels which are fixed to opposite ends of said door panel and which project generally perpendicularly therefrom in cantilevered relationship relative thereto, said right and left end panels being disposed in substantially parallel relation;
• each of said end panels being positioned exteriorly but in closely adjacent and overlying relationship to a respective one of said side walls, whereby said side walls of said housing are positioned longitudinally between said right and left end panels;
• aligned horizontal hinge means connected between each of said end panels and a respectively adjacent side wall for vertically swingably supporting said door assembly for solely vertical swinging movement between said open and closed positions, said hinge means defining a horizontal hinge axis which extends longitudinally of said cabinet and which substantially centrally intersects said side walls;
• and
• adjustable counterweight means for counterbalancing the weight of the door panel acting about the hinge axis, said counterweight means comprising a plurality of identical discrete and thin plate-like elements attached to each of said end panels, said elements being removably attached to the respective end panel in a generally superimposed relationship to one another and being positioned so that the center of gravity of said elements is spaced radially from said hinge axis in an opposite direction from said door panel, a selected number of said elements being mounted on each of said end panels generally in proportion to the longitudinal length of said door panel.