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US 6,550,879 B1Granted
Cabinet structure
AssigneeHerman Milles, Inc.
InventorsAndrew J. Kurrasch, Michele Bekins, Stephen R. Teays
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cabinet having a wall comprising an inner wall and an outer wall attached to the inner wall. A strengthening piece or material is positioned between the inner wall and the outer wall to provide strength and rigidity to the wall. Preferably, the strengthening piece or material has a honeycomb structure.
Claims69
A cabinet comprising:
- a top piece;
- a bottom piece;
- a wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece, wherein said wall comprises:
- an inner wall;
- an outer wall attached to said inner wall, wherein said inner wall and said outer wall define a cavity;
- a first unitary strengthening element which has a unitary structure independent of said inner wall and said outer wall, said first unitary strengthening element having a first pattern of apertures facing said inner and outer walls and positioned between said inner wall and said outer wall in said cavity having a thickness so as to contact said inner wall and said outer wall, wherein said first pattern of apertures comprises a plurality of interconnected columns having two or more vertically aligned apertures and no two abutting apertures of adjacent columns form a horizontal row;
- and
- a second unitary strengthening element which has a unitary structure independent of said inner wall and said outer wall, said second unitary strengthening element having a second pattern of apertures facing said inner and outer walls, said second strengthening element being separated from said first strengthening element by a volume of space, said second strengthening element substantially coplanar with said first strengthening element and positioned between said inner wall and said outer wall in said cavity having a thickness so as to contact said inner wall and said outer wall, wherein said second pattern of apertures comprises a plurality of interconnected columns having two or more vertically aligned apertures and no two abutting apertures of adjacent columns form a horizontal row;
- wherein said volume of space has a width that extends between said first and second strengthening elements and said volume of space is devoid of any materials that strengthen said wall.
6 more elements
A cabinet comprising:
- a top piece;
- a bottom piece;
- a wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece, wherein said wall comprises:
- a first wall;
- a second wall attached to said first wall, wherein said first wall and said second wall define a cavity;
- a first unitary strengthening element which has a unitary structure independent of said first wall and said second wall, said first unitary strengthening element having a first pattern of apertures facing said inner and outer walls and positioned between and attached to said first wall and said second wall in said cavity, wherein said first strengthening element is symmetrically positioned about a first plane of symmetry of said first wall, wherein said first pattern of apertures comprises a plurality of interconnected columns having two or more vertically aligned apertures and no two abutting apertures of adjacent columns form a horizontal row;
- and
- a second unitary strengthening element which has a unitary structure independent of said first wall and said second wall, said second unitary strengthening element having a second pattern of apertures facing said inner and outer walls, said second strengthening element being separated from said first strengthening element by a volume of space, said second strengthening element substantially coplanar with said first strengthening element and positioned between said first wall and said second wall in said cavity, wherein said second pattern of apertures comprises a plurality of interconnected columns having two or more vertically aligned apertures and no two abutting apertures of adjacent columns form a horizontal row;
- wherein said volume of space has a width that extends between said first and second strengthening elements and said volume of space is devoid of any materials that strengthen said wall.
6 more elements
A cabinet comprising:
- a top piece;
- a bottom piece;
- a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall, each having a plurality of edges and attached to said top piece and said bottom piece, wherein one of said first, second, and third walls comprises:
- an inner wall;
- an outer wall attached to said inner wall, wherein said inner wall and said outer wall define a cavity having a boundary defined by said plurality of edges of said one of said first, second and third walls;
- a strengthening element having a pattern of apertures facing said inner and outer walls and positioned between said inner wall and said outer wall in said cavity and having a thickness so as to contact said inner wall and said outer wall, wherein said pattern of apertures comprises a plurality of interconnected columns having two or more vertically aligned apertures and no two abutting apertures of adjacent columns form a horizontal row,
- wherein a volume of space, exclusive of said strengthening element and said apertures, is defined, where the cavity consists essentially of said volume of space, said strengthening element and said apertures;
- and
- wherein said volume of space is devoid of any materials that strengthen said one of said first, second and third walls and said volume of space is greater than the combined volume of said strengthening element and said apertures.
6 more elements
A cabinet comprising:
- a top piece;
- a bottom piece;
- a first wall and a second wall, wherein said first and second walls are each attached to said top piece and said bottom piece so as to define an interior of said cabinet;
- wherein said first wall comprises:
- an inner wall facing said second wall and having a pair of holes spaced apart from one another;
- an outer wall attached to said inner wall, wherein said inner wall and said outer wall define a cavity;
- and
- a strengthening element having a pattern of apertures facing said inner and outer walls, wherein said inner wall substantially covers all of said apertures so that said apertures are not exposed to said interior of said cabinet and wherein said strengthening element is positioned between said inner wall and said outer wall in said cavity and having a thickness so as to contact said inner wall and said outer wall, said strengthening element positioned between said pair of holes, wherein said pattern of apertures comprises a plurality of interconnected columns having two or more vertically aligned apertures and no two abutting apertures of adjacent columns form a horizontal row,
- a shelf attached to said first wall via said pair of holes, and said shelf is attached to said second wall;
- and
- wherein a volume of space, exclusive of said strengthening element and said apertures, is defined, where the cavity consists essentially of said volume of space, said strengthening element and said apertures, wherein said space is devoid of any materials that strengthen said first wall and said volume of space is greater than the combined volume of said strengthening element and said apertures.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.