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(11) | EP 0 722 679 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Corner cupboard |
| (57) Corner cupboard, made up of two independent vertical component bodies (1 and 2),
each one of which defined one of the wings of the corner cupboard. These two component
bodies are link articulated to each other as per a vertical turn axis (7) and incorporate,
as an extension of their bases (3 and 4), overlapping extensions (5 and 6). The turning
axis (7) is located outside both bodies, at a point on the bisecting line of the angle
defined by them. |
[0001] This invention refers to a corner cupboard and, more specifically, to a variable angle corner cupboard, which may be adapted or fitted to corners of different angular values.
[0002] Traditional corner cupboards are normally built in the form of rigid assemblies, being designed and made with the dimensions corresponding to the corner where they are going to be arranged.
[0003] Corner cupboards are generally made in 90° angles. It is nevertheless a frequent occurrence that, upon trying to fit a corner cupboard to an already existing corner of a room or hall, it is impossible to achieve a perfect fit due to the angular variances that normally take place during the construction of any building.
[0004] It is furthermore relatively frequent to find residential or commercial premises which walls form angles other than 90°.
[0005] In any of the above cases, if a corner cupboard is to be installed so as to achieve a perfect fit, it will then be necessary to measure first the angular value of the corner where the cupboard is to be installed and then proceed to manufacture the cupboard. Logically said cupboard may then be properly fitted only to the corner for which it has been specifically designed, thus preventing its later removal to a different corner.
[0006] The object of this invention is a corner cupboard made so that it may be adapted to different angles. This characteristic allows the achievement of a perfect coupling of the cupboard to the corner in which it is installed and, on the other hand, does away with the need to manufacture corner cupboards with specific angles when they are going to be installed at corners with angles other than 90°.
[0007] In accordance with this invention, the corner cupboard is made up of two independent vertical component bodies, each one of which is configured so as to define one of the wings of the corner cupboard. These two independent component bodies are link articulated to each other through a vertical turning pin, located outside both component bodies, at a point of the bisecting line of the angle defined by them.
[0008] Each one of the component bodies making up the corner cupboard have, as a longitudinal extension of their bases, protruding wings directed towards the other component body, being the wings of both component bodies arranged so that their overlap each other. Said wings then end on curved-convex edges approximately concentric to the turning axis of the component bodies.
[0009] The rear wall closing each component body extends, along the rear curved-convex edge of the fore mentioned wings, so as to define cylindrical closing surfaces.
[0010] The two component bodies making up the corner cupboard may be further fitted with shelves, garment support devices, internal dividers, etc.
[0011] The turning axis of the two component bodies may be defined by two independent and coaxial articulations, an upper and a lower one, respectively fixed to the upper and lower bases of the two component bodies. Said articulations shall be removable, so that they may be dispensed with once the angle to be formed by the two component bodies so as to achieve a perfect fit of the corner cupboard to the angle of the room or premises in which the corner cupboard is going to be installed has been duly selected and adjusted.
[0012] The corner cupboard may have any dimensions whatsoever, being designed as a cupboard with a height approximately equal to that of the room or premises where it is to be installed, as a kitchen cupboard, small height cupboard, etc., and may, or may not be fitted with common or individual section access doors.
[0013] The characteristics and advantages of the cupboard object of this invention may be more easily understood by way of the following description, made with reference to the attached drawings, which represent a non limitative example of practical execution.
[0014] In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a frontal perspective view of a doorless corner cupboard, built in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a view similar to that of figure 1, showing the cupboard with doors fitted.
Figure 3 is a perspective view that shows, split apart, the two component bodies that make up the cupboard shown in figure 1.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are a plan view of different angles formed by the cupboard shown in figure 1.
Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of the cupboard shown in figure 1, fitted with doors with different opening methods.
Figure 9 is a plan view of a tray system which may be incorporated into the cupboard object of the invention.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a garment support device that may be incorporated into the cupboard object of this invention.
Figures 11 and 12 are, respectively, a partial elevation view without doors and a horizontal section view of a cupboard built in accordance with the invention.
Figure 13 is a view similar to that shown in figure 12, with the door assembly partially open.
[0015] Figure 1 represents a corner cupboard made up, as shown in figure 3, of two independent component bodies with item reference numbers 1 and 2 that make up the wings of said component body. The upper 3 and lower 4 bases of these component bodies extend, on their adjacent side, so that they form the upper 5 and lower 6 portions or wings, being said upper 5 and lower 6 wings of both component bodies capable of overlapping each other. In the example shown in the drawings, for example, the extensions 5 of component body 1 fit upon the internal surface of the extensions 5 of component body 2 and extensions 6 of component body 1 upon the internal surface of the extensions 6 of component body 2.
[0016] Component bodies 1 and 2 are link articulated to each other as per turning axis 7, which is located outside the bases of both component bodies, in coincidence with a point of the bisecting line of the angle delimited by them, so that axis 7 then remains located inside the angle formed by the two component bodies.
[0017] Axis 7 may be embodied by two respectively coaxial independent articulations 8 and 9. The upper articulation is fixed to upper bases 3 of component bodies 1 and 2, whereas the lower articulation is attached to the lower bases 4 of the same component bodies.
[0018] These articulations may be arranged as removable compasses attached by the end of their arms, one to the upper bases 3 of the two component bodies and the remaining one to the lower bases 4 of the same component bodies.
[0019] Articulations 8 and 9 shall be removable, so that they may be removed once the angle to be formed by component bodies 1 and 2 has been selected and fixed, so as not to constitute an obstacle to the arrangement of the closing doors, as shown in figures 2, 7 and 8.
[0020] Extensions 5 and 6 of bases 3 and 4 of the two component bodies feature curved-convex rear edges 10 with a centre approximately coinciding with axis 7 that provides the articulation link between both component bodies.
[0021] To set up the corner cupboard with the described arrangement, component bodies 1 and 2 are fitted with the components corresponding to articulations 8 and 9. The two separate component bodies are then coupled together, for example as shown in figure 1, and the components 8 and 9 of the articulations are then linked together using coaxial rotating axis. In this situation the angle to be formed by component bodies 1 and 2 may now be selected, being then fixed to each other and then making it possible to disassemble articulations 8 and 9. By using the aforementioned arrangement, even if the angle formed by component bodies 1 and 2 corner cupboard varies, the dimensions of their access hollows shall remain constant and, therefore, the dimensions of the doors used to seal said hollows, should any doors be so fitted, shall remain equally constant.
[0022] As previously specified, component bodies 1 and 2 may be of any size whatsoever, depending upon the type of furnishing to be obtained. Cupboard component bodies 1 and 2 may furthermore be doorless, as shown in figure 1, or incorporate doors 11 and 12, which may be either independently operated, as shown in figure 2, or else attached and assembled so that they be jointly actuated, as shown in figure 8.
[0023] Figure 4 shows a corner cupboard in which component bodies 1 and 2 form a 90° angle to each other. In figure 5 the two component bodies form a blunt angle, whereas they are shown forming a sharp angle in figure 6. The amplitude of the maximum and minimum angles that may form component bodies 1 and 2 may be variable. Furthermore the bases or upper extensions of the bases of the component bodies may also be made in such a way that, once the angle to be formed by component bodies 1 and 2 has been selected, step 13 that may be formed by the external surfaces of extensions 5 and 6 of the upper bases 3 and 4 of the two component bodies, as shown in figure 1, may be reduced and even eliminated altogether.
[0024] As may be observed in figure 1, component bodies 1 and 2 may be fitted with internal shelves 14. Also inside component bodies 1 and 2 may be housed trays 15, similar to those shown in figures 8 and 9, which shall consist of two circular sections 16 and 17 assembled upon a column 18 that coincides with the rotational axis of both sections. It may be similarly fitted with a top 19 which purpose is to limit the maximum and minimum angular amplitude adopted by the tray.
[0025] Figure 10 represents a hanging support for clothes that may be assembled within the corner cupboard. This hanging support shall be joined to a column 21 that may be firmly attached between the bases of one of the component bodies making up the cupboard, specifically between the bases internally located in respect to the bases of the other component body.
[0026] In the execution shown in figures 11 to 13, the corner cupboard is fitted with doors 11 and 12 and trays 15a on one or more levels. Each tray 15a shall be made up of two circular sections 16a and 17a that overlap each other in a variable portion, so as to be able to adjusted the angular amplitude of the tray to that of the corner cupboard. Once said angular amplitude has been duly selected, it is then fixed using top 19a, all of that similarly to how it was previously set out in relation to figure 9. Each one of the sections 16a and 17a is joined to the adjacent door 11-12 using any fixing system.
1. Corner cupboard, characterized by its being made up of two independent vertical component
bodies (1 and 2), configured so as to define, each one of which is configured so as
to define one of the wings of the corner unit, which component bodies are link articulated
to each other as per a vertical rotating axis (7) and are further fitted, as a longitudinal
extension of their bases (3, 4), with overlapping wings (5, 6) ending at their rear
on curved-convex edges with centre approximately coinciding with the turning axis
(7) of the two component bodies (1 and 2), which axis (7) is located outside both
component bodies, at a point of the bisecting line of the angle defined by said component
bodies.
2. Cupboard as per claim 1, characterized because the rear wall of the two component
bodies making up the unit extend along the curve-convex edges, defining cylindrical
surfaces of axis approximately coinciding with the turning axis (7) of said component
bodies (1 and 2).
3. Cupboard as per claim 1, characterized because the turning axis (3) is defined by
two independent and coaxial linking articulations (8, 9), an upper (8) one and a lower
(9) one, respectively fixed to the upper (3) and lower (4) bases of the two component
bodies (1 and 2).
4. Cupboard as per claim 3, characterized because the two linking articulations (8, 9)
are removable.
5. Cupboard as per claim 3, characterized because the linking articulations (8, 9) are
made as removable compasses that are attached by the end of their arms, one of them
to the upper bases (3) of the two component bodies (1 and 2) and the other one to
the lower bases (4) of said component bodies (1 and 2).
6. Cupboard, as per the prior claims, characterized because it includes one or more trays
(15, 15a), each one of which is made up of two circular sections (16, 16a, 17, 17a)
partially overlapping and link-articulated to each other as per an axis (22) running
perpendicular to said sections, which are fitted with tops (19) that limit the maximum
and minimum angular amplitude that the tray (15) may achieve.
7. Cupboard as per claim 6, characterized because the articulation axis (22) of the two
sections (16, 16a, 17, 17a) runs parallel to the turning axis (7) of the two component
bodies (1 and 2).
8. Cupboard as per claim 6, characterized because the articulation axis (22) of the two
sections (16, 16a, 17, 17a) coincides with the turning axis (7) of the two component
bodies (1 and 2).
9. Cupboard as per claim 1, characterized because it includes two closing doors (11,
12), one for each component body (1 and 2), and at least one rotating internal tray
(16, 17), which doors form, in respect of each other, an angle equal to that of the
component bodies (1 and 2), are assembled so that they may rotate upon an axis coinciding
with the turning axis (7) of said component bodies (1 and 2) and are sized so that
they may be fitted inside the aforementioned component bodies (1 and 2); and which
tray (16, 17) is made up of two partially overlapping independent circular sections,
each of which is attached to the adjacent door and both of which may be joined to
each other.