| Equipment support cabinet with slide-out top and sliding drawer -> Monitor Keywords |
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Equipment support cabinet with slide-out top and sliding drawerEquipment support cabinet with slide-out top and sliding drawer description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070210685, Equipment support cabinet with slide-out top and sliding drawer. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001]This application claims priority of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/780,960 filed on Mar. 10, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]The invention relates to a storage cabinet with a slide-out drawer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]It is sometimes necessary to access the inside of a cabinet from both the front and the top, or access the back of the cabinet, while relatively heavy or unwieldy items are located on the top. In such cases, it is often necessary to remove the items from the top. This can be difficult or even dangerous. In cases of scientific equipment that is operating both on the top and inside of the cabinet, it may be necessary to unhook the equipment and interrupt an ongoing process in order to provide such access. [0004]One example is the use of the equipment needed for High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Typically, the HPLC unit is placed on a lab bench, with the necessary liquid waste container (often times a five-gallon container that can weigh about 50 pounds when full) located underneath the bench. In order to empty the waste container, the user needs to bend and stoop; this can be physically dangerous. Also, in order to service or otherwise access the back side of the HPLC equipment, it can be necessary to move the equipment and/or disconnect portions of it, which can be difficult, time consuming, and interrupts equipment operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005]It is an object of this invention to provide a cabinet in which the top can be moved out from the base, to provide access to the inside of the cabinet from the top, and/or in which the inside can be accessed without moving the top by sliding out a front-accessible drawer. [0006]This invention features a cabinet for supporting items on its top and removably supporting other items underneath the top. The cabinet has an open-front base assembly having two generally vertical side panels and defining an interior volume between the side panels, and a top assembly coupled to and slidable relative to the base assembly. The top assembly has a top shelf member and a top shelf member support structure coupled to the top shelf member to support the top shelf member. The top assembly is adapted to be moved from a stowed position in which the top shelf member is over the two side panels of the base assembly, to an open position in which the top shelf member is at least partially removed from its position over the two side panels of the base assembly, to allow top access into the interior volume of the base assembly. The cabinet also has a drawer assembly slidably received within the base assembly and including a lower shelf. The drawer assembly is adapted to be located such that its support surface is within the base assembly interior volume in a stowed position, and such that the lower shelf is at least partially removable from the cabinet base assembly interior volume into an open position, to provide access to the lower shelf from the front of the cabinet. [0007]The cabinet is preferably free-standing, and may be mobile or not. The drawer assembly support member may comprise a generally horizontal lower shelf that is preferably located close to the bottom of the base assembly so that most of the interior volume is available to store items located on the shelf, such as the waste container of an HPLC system. The base assembly may define an open front between the side panels that receives the drawer assembly in its stowed position. The base assembly may further comprise two spaced horizontal slides, one proximate the top of each side panel. The top shelf member is preferably coupled to the slides, to allow the top assembly to be slid between its stowed and open positions. The base assembly may further comprise front and rear horizontal supports that are coupled to the side panels and that support the slides. [0008]The top shelf member has a front edge, and the top assembly support structure may be coupled to the top shelf member proximate its front edge. The top assembly support structure may comprise left and right essentially vertical support members, which may define a front open area that accepts the drawer assembly in its stowed position. The left and right essentially vertical support members may each carry a caster at their lower ends, to allow the top assembly to be rolled between its stowed and open positions. The top shelf member is preferably generally horizontal, and slidingly engaged with the base assembly. [0009]Featured in a more specific embodiment is a cabinet for supporting items on its top and removably supporting other items underneath the top, the cabinet comprising an open-front base assembly having two generally vertical side panels, and defining an interior volume between the side panels that communicates with an open front between the side panels, the base assembly further comprising two spaced horizontal slides, one proximate the top of each side panel, a rolling and sliding top assembly coupled to and slidable relative to the slides of the base assembly, the top assembly comprising left and right essentially vertical support members each carrying a caster at a lower end and supporting a generally horizontal top shelf member at an upper end, the top shelf member coupled to the slides of the base assembly, the top assembly adapted to be slid from a stowed position in which the top shelf member is over the two side panels of the base assembly, to an open position in which the top shelf member is at least partially removed from its position over the two side panels of the base assembly, to allow top access into the interior volume of the base assembly, and a drawer assembly slidably received within the base assembly and comprising a support surface, the drawer assembly adapted to be located such that its support surface is within the base assembly interior volume in a stowed position, and such that the support surface is at least partially removable from the cabinet base assembly interior volume into an open position, to provide access to the support surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010]Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and the accompanying drawings, in which: [0011]FIG. 1 is perspective view of an embodiment of the inventive cabinet with the drawer in the open position and the top assembly in the stowed position; [0012]FIG. 2 is a similar view, but with the drawer stowed and the top assembly slid forward to the open position; [0013]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the cabinet shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; [0014]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the cabinet is mobile through the provision of lower wheels; [0015]FIGS. 5-8 are more detailed views of several components of the cabinet shown in FIG. 4; [0016]FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention which is not mobile; and [0017]FIG. 9B is a more detailed view of a component of the cabinet shown in FIG. 9A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION [0018]This invention may be accomplished in a cabinet for supporting items on its top and removably supporting other items underneath the top. The cabinet has an open-front base assembly having two generally vertical side panels and defining an interior volume between the side panels, and a top assembly coupled to and slidable relative to the base assembly. The top assembly has a top shelf member and a top shelf member support structure coupled to the top shelf member to support the top shelf member. The top assembly is adapted to be moved from a stowed position in which the top shelf member is over the two side panels of the base assembly, to an open position in which the top shelf member is at least partially removed from its position over the two side panels of the base assembly, to allow top access into the interior volume of the base assembly. The cabinet also has a drawer assembly slidably received within the base assembly and including a lower shelf. The drawer assembly is adapted to be located such that its support surface is within the base assembly interior volume in a stowed position, and such that the lower shelf is at least partially removable from the cabinet base assembly interior volume into an open position, to provide access to the lower shelf from the front of the cabinet. Continue reading about Equipment support cabinet with slide-out top and sliding drawer... Full patent description for Equipment support cabinet with slide-out top and sliding drawer Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Equipment support cabinet with slide-out top and sliding drawer patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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