Removable toe kick floor for cupboards vanities cabinets

Abstract

A removable toe kick floor, supported by rollers/slides and secured with mechanical fasteners, for ease of installation/repair of plumbing fixtures of the type normally found under sinks, regardless of the entry point. The customary toe kick area is preserved and attached to the cabinet floor, being removed at the same time. Larger cabinets are provided with a center post which is attached with mechanical fasteners and is also removable. Alternative embodiment would have removable toe kick floor double as a drawer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 60/506,846 filed Sep. 30, 2003 by the present inventors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to cabinets, specifically to removable floors and center posts in cabinets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—PRIOR ART

Cabinets are generally known in the art for providing a base for mounting a sink. A top surface is generally mounted on the cabinet and a cutout is provided such that a sink may be mounted over the base cabinet. Plumbing components are usually disposed within the interior space of the cabinets to provide connections to the sink. These include hot and cold water, drain lines for transporting water from the sink, and garbage disposals for grinding food wastes and transporting same through drain lines. Toe kicks are common in the art. The toe kick has a front panel portion with a recessed lower front panel portion with respect to the front panel portion of the cabinet. They are designed such that the toes and front part of a user's feet may fit inside the recess formed by the front panel portion and the lower front panel portion.

When working inside the cabinet the toe kick area becomes an obstacle to access the cabinet enclosure and causes discomfort to the user. The raised section of the toe kick area is 2 inches or more from the floor and presents a hard, sharp surface that hits the user in the back, ribs, stomach or other body parts when working or accessing the enclosure. Additionally, the center post that is common on longer sink bases, cabinets, vanities, and other enclosures, usually greater than 30 inches in length, limits access, movement, and workability inside the enclosure.

A variety of cabinet fixtures have been devised for bathroom vanity, kitchen cabinets, and other enclosures that contain a toe kick feature of one kind or another. A removable toe kick, floor, and/or center post or floor/drawer is lacking and not disclosed in the related art, as represented by the following patents.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,441 B1 issued to Arnold takes advantage of wasted space below the toe kick by providing a toe kick drawer. The main feature is that it is a drawer for taking advantage of wasted space in the toe kick area. The floor remains above the toe kick area and teaches away from the removable toe kick features and methods described herein.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,487 issued to Simon discloses a conventional toe kick drawer for accommodating a drawer above the toe kick panel or plate. Limited access and discomfort associated with working under the cabinet due to the toe kick configuration is not addressed, and teaches away from the removable toe kick features and methods described herein. Additionally, the art does not provide for through floor plumbing.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,498 issued to Cutler discloses a pullout compartment similar to that taught by Simon, except that the compartment is a sliding vanity step system for a bathroom vanity wherein a child or like person stands thereon as a height adjustment platform. The device is not removable and does not solve the problems addressed by the proposed art.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,787 issued to Robinson et al. discloses a toe kick end cap for cabinets. A pair of end cap connects serve to connect a vertical toe kick plate between the spaced vertical sidewalls of a kitchen base cabinet. Each end cap includes a connector. The teaching does not obviate obstructions caused by the toe kick or kick plate design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a removable toe kick and floor, and, center post, and, in particular embodiments, a vanity, or cabinet which obviates for practical purposes, the above mentioned limitations for traditional cabinets.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a toe kick and floor for use with a cabinet having an inset base, and an enclosure with a floor, which is supported in the base of the cabinet enclosure. The floor has a front panel portion with a recessed lower front panel portion with respect to the front panel portion of the floor. The recessed portion conforms to the inset base and area beneath the floor of the enclosure. The floor toe kick combination is designed such that the toes and front part of a user's feet may fit inside the recess formed by the front panel portion and the lower front panel portion.

In the illustrative embodiment, the toe floor is removable. The toe kick is removable. The front center support post is removable. An embodiment also illustrates a floor containing sides making it a drawer. Plumbing components could go through any of the walls or through the floor, or otherwise be suspended, unobstructed by the components of the invention.

The toe floor according the illustrated embodiment may be coupled to the cabinet by supporting side structures of wood, metal, plastic or other supporting material. The floor may also slide in and out on movable guides or channels. The floor and toe kick can be completely removed from the enclosure to aid in easy and comfortable access within the enclosure. For added strength, cabinets greater than 24 inches in width traditionally have a center-supporting member in the front of the cabinet. This member limits access when working under the sink. The removable center support member illustrated in the embodiment is attached with mechanical fasteners that allow the member to be easily removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and further object, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the cabinet and floor assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the cabinet and floor and center support post in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a first embodiment of the cabinet and floor and toe kick and center support;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment illustrating the floor guide and floor-locking device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment illustrating a cut out for plumbing components;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment illustrating a removable toe kick and/or center post.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to a toe kick floor and method for installing the toe kick floor within the toe kick area of a variety of cabinet systems. The preferred embodiment of the present invention are depicted in FIGS. 1-6

A perspective view of the removable toe kick floor 1 is shown in combination with a cabinet 8 in FIG. 1. The cabinet 8 includes at least one cabinet door 2, a toe kick 3, a slideable surface for the toe floor 4, and a removable center post 5. The door opens to expose a cabinet enclosure having a minimal base support gusset A, sidewalls B, backwall, C as best seen in FIG. 2. The toe kick floor 1, and center post 5, is illustrated in the removed position, and in the installed position in FIG. 2. The center posts 5, locking pin 7, and guides 6, as best seen in FIG. 2. The floor guides 8 are attached to the sidewalks B, the floor locking device 9 is conveniently installed near the front edge of the floor as best seen in FIG. 2. The toe kick area 3, in both FIG. 1, and FIG. 2, is conventionally defined as that area at the base, or bottom of the enclosure of a cabinet and the floor, or supporting surface. This area is normally closed off by a front toe kick plate and is generally regarded as an inconvenience when working within the enclosure. The toe kick area is generally a protrusion of approximately 2½ to 3½ inches in height and a comparable depth.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the toe kick 3 removable floor 1, removable center post 5 center post locking device 6, floor locking device 9. A sectional view FIG. 4 illustrates the enclosure sidewalks B, floor guides 8, and floor-locking device 9.

FIG. 5 also illustrates the removable floor toe drawer 1 center post 5 and toe kick 3 in the removed position. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 illustrates a removable toe kick 3 along with supporting members 4 which act to hold the toe kick coupled with the locking devices 9 in the open and closed position.

Claims

1. A cabinet comprising:

a) a cabinet structure including at least one front cabinet door openable to define an enclosure have a base, said cabinet structure including opposing lateral walls, each of the lateral walls extending downward from said base to define a toe kick area, said cabinet structure further including a rear wall extending downward from said base into the toe kick area, said lateral walls having a floor guide mechanism attached thereto; and

b) at least one toe kick floor mounted within said cabinet structure, said at least one toe kick floor including a toe kick comprised of at least a top panel and a front panel, wherein a mating floor guide is attached to the lateral walls of said at least one toe kick floor for selectively moving said at least one toe kick drawer between a closed position and the open position such that when in the closed position, the at least one toe kick floor is secured and occupies the toe kick area while the front panel is substantially coplanar with the front cabinet door when closed.

c) plumbing components disposed within the interior space of the cabinet for connection to the sink, wherein the floor includes a cutout section formed therein, the cutout section comprising an opening formed in the back surface of the drawer, opposing side cutout surfaces positioned at the boundaries of the opening and extending inboard towards the from surface of the floor assembly, and a front cutout surface connecting the opposing side cutout surface; and wherein the cutout sections accommodates the plumbing components such that the floor assembly fits within the interior space when in a closed position without interference with the plumbing components.

2. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein a front panel center support structure is removable

3. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein the removable floor is a drawer assembly Center Post comprising: a drawer having opposite side surfaces, a front surface, a back surface and a bottom surface, the drawer including a cutout section formed therein, the cutout section comprising an opening formed in the back surface of the drawer, opposing side cutout surfaces postioned at the boundaries of the opening and extending inboard towards the from surface of the floor assembly, and a front cutout surface connecting the opposing side cutout surface; and wherein the cutout sections accommodates the plumbing components such that the floor assembly fits within the interior space when in a closed position without interference with the plumbing components.

4. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein the front panel center support structure is removable; which is attached to the removable toe kick whereby the cabinet structure does not contain a floor