Metallic cabinet assembled from planar elements

Description

[0001] The invention concerns a metallic cabinet or locker assembled together from planar or sheet elements and it also extends to all elements by means of which the planar elements can be securely assembled together to form the metallic cabinet or locker.

[0002] Both manufacturers and the transport or haulage firms require technical solutions to the assembly of products whereby the products can be stored between manufacture and actual use in such a manner as to occupy the least amount-of "dead" space.

[0003] Various technical solutions are known for the rapid assembly in situ of bodies having planar boundary elements, and their subsequent dismantling.

[0004] Known profiled supporting frames or connecting portions of such frames for supporting planar elements (plates, panels, laminated wood, metal or plastics sheets and their combinations) that have come into widespread use include solutions where the desired connections are brought about by fitting the various profiles into each other.

[0005] Although there is no disputing the fact that many of these prior proposals are ingenious, they have two main disadvantageous properties. On the one hand, the formation of the profiled elements themselves requires a high degree of technical expertise and high investment costs and on the other hand, if the frame is to be very stiff, then at the locations of interfitting the parts have to be manufactured to a fine tolerance which makes production difficult.

[0006] In another trend of development, the arrangement for connecting the elements together involves a recess formed in one side of a tube, at the depth of the thickness of the tube wall, which tube forms part of the frame bounded by planar sheets or plates and this recess is identical with the cross-section of the tube end of another tubular element to be connected to it. The latter has two oppositely facing guide pins which project to the wall of the adjacent tubular element. The arrangement also contains an arcuate leaf spring fitted with pins accommodated in the recesses.

[0007] This known apparatus enables finless tubes or tube sections to be rapidly connected together and disconnected from each other. The formation of the matching or engaging parts of the tubes is relatively simple but a disadvantage of this construction is that it can only be realised with tubes bounded by planar sheets. This characteristic significantly hinders the adoption on a wide scale of this solution because most of the bodies, bounded by planar sheets, are formed as rigid, indivisible bodies and consequently, the resulting high price will almost certainly prevent this solution from being adopted on a wide scale.

[0008] From GB-1 048 108 there is known a metallic cabinet assembled from planar sheet elements, means being provided for securing the sheet elements together, and columns being provided with longitudinal recesses adapted for receiving parts of those sheet elements which form the boundary surface of the cabinet. However, the manner of connecting the columns to, and disconnecting them from, the sheet elements is cumbersome.

[0009] An aim of the invention is to produce a metallic cabinet assembled, or assemblable, from planar elements with the use of fittings for fastening these elements together, in which the disadvantages of the known solutions are eliminated or substantially reduced, which can be made from cheap material (possibly largely from waste material), by means of simple technology, the transport and storage of which in the dismantled state enables the maximum exploitation of the available volume and which furthermore, enables the realisation in the course of their simple assembly, of cabinets or lockers based on a modular system and cabinet "families".

[0010] The above aim is sought to be achieved in accordance with the invention by means of a metallic cabinet which is characterised in that the columns have at least four edges and each recess of the columns is formed by an opening along one face thereof in the form of a longitudinal slit, the slit being adapted for receiving the rims of at least two of said sheets which form the boundary surfaces of the cabinet, and in that further ones of said sheet elements extend perpendicularly to the columns and are fixed to the ends of the columns by said fastening means which latter are releasable connection means.

[0011] The technical solutions according to our invention may very advantageously be used in cases where a relatively large number of cabinets or lockers have to be disposed in the stores of production plants or commercial stores or even on the carrier surfaces of transport devices. The transportation or storage in the assembled condition requires much space and very considerably increases the costs per cabinet.

[0012] The cabinets made according to our invention can be assembled together in situ by means of fixing fittings arranged at corners or edges of the cabinets or lockers.

[0013] The releasable connections are expediently formed as screw connections or as flanges.

[0014] Cabinets with doors may be formed also. Several cabinet compartments may be formed in one member so that each of these compartments has an individual door and the compartments are separated by partitioning walls.

[0015] It has been found that a body of sufficient rigidity can be produced from metallic sheets by forming and'bending the sheets several times to form a column to which then self-locking side, roof, and bottom sheets are fixed.

[0016] The invention is described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying purely schematic drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a column forming part of a cabinet according to the invention and made from multiply bent sheet material.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the end of the column shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section taken along the plane indicated by line A-A in Figure 2,

Figure 4 shows the column end in Figure 2 when bent into its position for assembly,

Figure 5 shows a plane sheet element in end elevation,

Figure 5a shows the element of Figure 5 in plan,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-section of a row of assembled-together cabinets containing a number of cubicles or compartments,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the row of cabinets in Figure 6,

Figure 8 shows a selected range or choice of cabinets or lockers that may be made according to the invention, and

Figure 9 shows the cabinet in its knockdown or dismantled form as a unitary package prepared for transport.

[0017] The frame or skeleton of the metallic cabinet according to the preferred embodiment of the invention is made up of columns or posts 1, as shown in Figures 1 to 4.

[0018] These columns or posts 1 are produced from sheet metal or planar plates by multiple bending. Each of the columns 1 has at least four longitudinal edges while one side thereof has a lon- gitudunal recess or slit 2 as a consequence of bending the sheets, the recess or slit 2 being parallel with the edges.

[0019] Planar sheets 3 forming the boundary surfaces of the cabinets fit either in the slits 2 or to the bent edges and to this end have suitably formed rims or edges 4 shown in Figures 5, 5a, 6 and 9.

[0020] Threaded nuts are secured, e.g. welded, to the ends of the posts 1. The bent sheet ends carry the threaded nuts, as may be seen in Figure 2, and are bounded by inclined, bent or subsequently welded sheet sides which are subsequently bent to a rectangular configuration, as shown in Figure 4.

[0021] Afurther sheet 5 is connected to the upper parts of the columns 1. This sheet 5 is connected to the ends of the columns 1 by screw connections 6 that include the threaded nuts secured to the ends of the columns. The screw connections 6 fix the positions of the sheets 3 and 5 which are oriented or located by the slits 2 in the columns 1 and the rims 4 of the above-mentioned sheets.

[0022] One side of the thus formed cabinets is formed as a door 8 connected to the frame by hinges 7. The lower part of the cabinets is provided with per se known feet 10.

[0023] By utilising the principle according to the invention the cabinets may be formed in various sizes.

[0024] The number of columns 1 may be appropriately multiplied and individual cabinet compartments or cubicles are separated from each other by partitioning walls 9.

[0025] Figure 9 shows a unitary package suitable for transportation and illustrating one member of a family of cabinets where the feet, doors, shelves and columns are located between mutually facing sheets 3. In this way, a maximum utilisation of the storage and transport capacity can be achieved since in their Figure 9 condition the cabinets only occupy a fraction of their original volume.

Claims

1. A metallic cabinet assembled from planar sheet elements (3, 5, 9) and columns (1), the columns (1) being provided with longitudinal recesses (2) adapted for receiving parts of those of said sheet elements (3) which form boundary surfaces of the cabinet, and fastening means (6) for fastening the sheet elements (3, 5, 9) together, characterised in that the columns (1) have at least four edges and each recess of the columps (1) is formed by an opening along one face thereof in the form of a longitudinal slit (2), the slit (2) being adapted for receiving the rims (4) of at least two of said sheets (3) which form the boundary surfaces of the cabinet, and in that further ones of said sheet elements (5) extend perpendicularly to the columns (1) and are fixed to the ends of the columns (1) by said fastening means (6) which latter are releasable connection means.

2. Cabinet according to claim 1, characterised in that the releasable fastening means (6) are formed as screw connections (6) and/or flanges, the connections (6) having axes parallel to the longitudinal axes of the columns (1).

3. Cabinet according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that one boundary surface is formed as a door (8) or doors.

4. Cabinet according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a plurality of compartments or cabinet sections is provided each of which has a separate door (8) and the compartments or sections are separated from each other by partitions (9).

5. Cabinet according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that each column (1) is formed from sheet material which has been multiply bent.

6. Cabinet according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that each slit (2) is formed by bending over the facing ends of the column (1).

Ansprüche

1. Metallschrank, zusammengestellt aus ebenen Blechteilen (3, 5, 9) und Stützen (1), die mit Längsnuten (2) zur Aufnahme von Teilen solcher Blechteile (3) versehen sind, welche Begrenzungsflächen des Schrankes bilden, und Befestigungsmitteln (6) zum gegenseitigen Befestigen der Blechteile (3, 5, 9), dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Stützen (1) wenigstens vier Kanten aufweisen und jede Nut der Stützen (1) aus einer Öffnung in Form eines Längsschlitzes (2) entlang einer Stützenseite zur Aufnahme der Ränder (4) wenigstens zweier eine Begrenzungsfläche des Schrankes bildenden Bleche (3) gebildet wird, und daß sich eines der Blechteile (5) senkrecht zu den Stützen (1) erstreckt und über die Befestigungsmittel (6), die als lösbare Verbindungsmittel ausgebildet sind, an den Enden der Stützen (1) festgelegt ist.

2. Schrank nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die lösbaren Befestigungsmittel (6) als Schraubenverbindung (6) und/oder Flansche ausgebildet sind, wobei die Schraubenverbindungen (6) mit ihren Achsen parallel zu der Längsachse der Stützen (1) verlaufen.

3. Schrank nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die eine Begrenzungsfläche als eine Tür (8) oder als Türen ausgebildet ist.

4. Schrank nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß eine Mehrzahl von Fächern oder Schrankabschnitten vorgesehen ist, von jedes bzw. jeder eine gesonderte Tür (8) aufweist und die durch Trennwände (9) voneinander getrennt sind.

5. Schrank nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jede Stütze (1) aus einem mehrfach gebogenen Blechmaterial besteht.

6. Schrank nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß jeder Schlitz (2) durch Abbiegen der einander gegenüberstehenden Enden der Stütze (1) gebildet wird.

Revendications

1. Une armoire métallique assemblée à partir d'éléments en forme de plaques planes (3, 5, 9) et de colonnes (1) qui sont munies d'évidements longitudinaux (2) destinés à recevoir des parties de ces éléments en forme de plaques (3) qui forment les surfaces périphériques de l'armoire et des moyens de fixation (6) pour assembler les éléments en forme de plaque (3, 5, 9) entre eux, caractérisée en ce que les colonnes (1) comportent au moins quatre arêtes et en ce que chaque évidement des colonnes (1) est formé par une ouverture s'étendant sur l'une de ses faces sous la forme d'une fente longitudinale (2) adaptée et destinée à recevoir les bords (4) d'au moins deux desdites plaques (3) qui forment les surfaces périphériques de l'armoire et en ce que d'autres desdits éléments en forme de plaque (5) sont disposés perpendiculairement aux colonnes (1) et sont fixés aux extrémités des colonnes (1) par lesdits moyens de fixation (6) qui sont des moyens de liaison amovibles.

2. Armoire selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que les moyens de fixation amovibles (6) sont constitués sous la forme de liaison à vis (6) et/ou de flasques, les liaisons (6) présentant des axes parallèles aux axes longitudinaux des colonnes (1).

3. Armoire selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisée en ce qu'une surface périphérique constitue une porte (8) ou des portes.

4. Armoire selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3, caractérisée en ce qu'il est prévu une pluralité de compartiments ou de sections d'armoire, chacun d'entre eux comportant une porte séparée (8) et les compartiments ou sections étant séparés les uns des autres par des cloisons (9).

5. Armoire selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4, caractérisé en ce que chaque colonne (1) est formée à partir d'un matériau en plaque replié plusieurs fois.

6. Armoire selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, caractérisée en ce que chaque fente (2) est formée par repliage des extrémités frontales de la colonne (1).

Drawing