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US 7,451,535 B2Granted
Semi-frameless cabinet and method for making the same
AssigneeMasterBrand Cabinets, Inc.
InventorsAndrew D. Wells, Wayne Andrew Brinkman, John Bennett Rose, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semi-frameless cabinet system including a top panel, bottom panel, two side panels, and a back panel. The cabinet may also include one or more middle shelves, drawers, or doors. Each of the forward facing sides of the cabinet include a grooved surface, wherein edging is secured to each panels such that the panels and edging form an interior space within the cabinet. The edging overlaps the outer edge of the cabinet panels, but not the inner edge, such that the edging and panels are flush within the interior space of the cabinet. As such, the cabinet employs the advantages of both framed and frameless cabinetry.
Claims9
A method for assembling a cabinet comprising the steps of:
- providing cabinet panels, each panel including a top surface that will define an outer surface of the assembled cabinet, a bottom surface that will define an interior surface of the assembled cabinet, and a front surface perpendicularly spanning between an edge of the top surface and an edge of the bottom surface, the front surface defining a forward facing surface of the assembled cabinet;
- grooving at least a portion of the front surface of at least one of said cabinet panels, wherein the grooving is performed by removing cabinet material at an intersection of the edge of the bottom surface and the front surface of the at least one of said cabinet panels while leaving the top surface of said at least one of said cabinet panels un-grooved;
- securing edging by frictionally engaging a first edging inner portion with the grooved front surface of said at least one of said panels and frictionally engaging a second edging inner portion with the un-grooved top surface of said at least one of said panels to form an overhang that projects beyond said edge of the top surface of said at least one of said panels along substantially an entire length of the grooved front surface such that an outer surface of the edging is substantially coplanar with the bottom surface of said at least one panel such that the interior cabinet surface defined by the bottom surface of said at least one panel and the outer surface of the edging is substantially planar about its entirety;
- and
- assembling said panels to form a cabinet.
2 more elements
A method for assembling a cabinet comprising the steps of:
- providing cabinet panels, each panel including a top surface that will define an outer surface of the assembled cabinet, a bottom surface that will define an interior surface of the assembled cabinet, and a front surface perpendicularly spanning between an edge of the top surface and an edge of the bottom surface, the front surface defining a forward facing surface of the assembled cabinet;
- grooving at least a portion of the front surface of at least one of said cabinet panels, wherein the grooving is performed by removing cabinet material at an intersection of the edge of the bottom surface and the front surface of the at least one of said cabinet panels to create a step on the front surface while leaving the top surface of said at least one of said cabinet panels un-grooved;
- providing edging that is substantially U shaped with two legs that join a middle portion to define an edging interior;
- securing the edging to said at least one of said cabinet panels by inserting a first leg into the step and pressing the edging interior onto the remaining front surface of the panel such that second leg confronts the un-grooved top of said at least one of said cabinet panels to form an overhang that projects beyond said edge of the top surface of said at least one of said panels along substantially an entire length of the grooved front surface such that an outer surface of the first leg is substantially coplanar with the bottom surface of said at least one panel such that the interior cabinet surface defined by the bottom surface of said at least one panel and the outer surface of the first leg is substantially planar about its entirety;
- and
- assembling said panels to form a cabinet.
3 more elements
A method for assembling a cabinet comprising the steps of:
- providing cabinet panels, each panel including a top surface that will define an outer surface of the assembled cabinet, a bottom surface that will define an interior surface of the assembled cabinet, and a front surface perpendicularly spanning between an edge of the top surface and an edge of the bottom surface, the front surface defining a forward facing surface of the assembled cabinet;
- grooving at least a portion of the front surface of at least one of said cabinet panels, wherein the grooving is performed by removing cabinet material at an intersection of the edge of the bottom surface and the front surface of the at least one of said cabinet panels to create a step on the front surface while leaving the top surface of said at least one of said cabinet panels un-grooved;
- providing edging that is substantially U shaped with two legs that join a middle portion to define an edging interior, the first of the two legs being configured to fit within the step such that an outer surface of the first leg is substantially coplanar with the top surface of the one of said panels when the first leg is inserted in the step;
- securing the edging to said at least one of said cabinet panels by inserting the first leg into the step and pressing the edging interior onto the remaining front surface of the panel such that the second leg confronts the un-grooved top of said at least one of said cabinet panels to form an overhang that projects beyond said edge of the top surface of said at least one of said panels along substantially an entire length of the grooved front surface and further wherein the outer surface of the first leg is substantially coplanar with the top surface of the one of said panels;
- and
- assembling said panels to form a cabinet.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.