GB2239389A - Carcass construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A kit of parts for assembling a carcass, such as a kitchen cupboard, comprising a multiplicity of interconnectible panels (10-15), at least some of which (10, 11, 13-15) have two of their surfaces of different colours, those panels being symmetrically adapted for connection in two alternative ways to form the carcass, so that on assembly the respective carcasses are of the same form but display some differently coloured corresponding surfaces respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

CARCASS CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to a carcass construction, and particularly to a carcass construction intended for use as part of a built in kitchen cupboard or the like.

Such a cupboard and similar kitchen and/or bedroom furniture is supplied in unassembled flatpack form for D.I.Y. Assembly.

Presently such D.I.Y. furniture may be produced in more than one colour, but a purchaser must decide upon one particular colour and this may not be suitable some time later if the room containing the furniture is redecorated and the colour scheme changed.

An object of the invention is to provide a carcass construction which can be assembled in two alternative ways to provide respective units which although identically shaped have corresponding visible surfaces differently coloured respectively.

According to the invention there is provided a kit of parts for assembling a carcass, comprising a multiplicity of interconnectible panels, at least some of which have two of their surfaces of different colours, at least one of the panels being adapted for connection in two alternative ways to form the carcass, so that on assembly the respective carcasses are of the same form but display some differently coloured corresponding surfaces respectively.

As used herein 'panel' not only includes the usual major structural components of the carcass but also includes crosspieces, uprights and the like, and 'colour' includes surface finishes.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, exploded perspective view showing one method of assembly of a carcass for a kitchen cupboard, and Figure 2 shows the assembled carcass.

Figure 1 shows one of two alternative methods of assembly of a carcass in the form of a base unit, such as for a kitchen cupboard, having an open top, the carcass being shown assembled in Figure 2. To complete the cupboard, fittings such as the doors and shelves are secured in place.

The carcass comprises a pair of square or rectangular side panels 10, 11, a rectangular rear panel 12, a rectangular base panel 13, an elongated front crosspiece 14 of rectangular, cross-section and a shorter front upright 15, also of rectangular cross-section.

As is well known with this form of carcass assembly, various ones of the panels and other components are suitably adapted so that they can be correctly positioned and screwed together. For example, an internal cam and dowel fixing or any suitable concealed fixing can be used. Less desirably the side panels could have countersunk screw holes extending inwardly from their outer flat surfaces for alignment with screw holes in corresponding edge surfaces of the base and rear panels and the crosspiece. Similarly the upright is secured internally or externally to the base panel and crosspiece.

With the components forming the kit of parts for assembly of the carcass of the invention the fixing arrangements (not shown) are provided so that the same shape of carcass can be formed by two different assembly arrangements. In particular all the components, except the rear panel 12, are, in relation to fixing positions, symmetrical around their centre point as well as being rotational around the centre of the unit. The rear panel is symmetrical through its height.

Each component preferably uses a sheet material colour RAL 9001 which is slightly off white. All fittings and fixtures can also be of this colour. If combined with white edging, the sheet material appears white. However, if combined with brown edging, it appears cream or beige. Accordingly with the components of the invention, all except the back are edged brown on certain edges, all other exposed edges being white. In Figure 1 the five visible front edge surfaces shown hatched are brown, with all the other edge surfaces being white.

In Figure 1 the dashed lines indicate where the various panels, crosspiece and upright must be positioned so as to be secured together using the selected predetermined fixing arrangement referred to above. This method of assembly will produce an assembled carcass as shown in Figure 2 with the five visible front edge surfaces 16 brown, giving a cream or beige overall effect.

Thus with this method the shorter edge surfaces 17 of the base panel are abutted by the respective lower parts of the inner surfaces of the side panels 10, 11, as shown by the arrows in Figure 1, the abutted surface of panel 10 being shown by dashed lines. The base and side panels are then in position to be secured together.

Thereafter the shorter edge surfaces of the rear panel abut respective inner surfaces of the side panels at the upright dashed lines, shown for side panel 10 alone in Figure 1, the rear panel then being secured to the side panels.

Next the respective end surfaces of the crosspiece 14 abut respective short upper parts of the inner surfaces of the side panels 10, 11, again shown in Figure 1 as bounded by dashed lines for side panel 10. The crosspiece is then secured to the side panels. Finally the upright 15 is positioned at the front middle of the base panel with its lower end surface abutting the inner surface of the base panel at the dashed lines shown in Figure 1 and its upper end surface abutting the lower surface of the crosspiece at its mid-point. The upright is then secured to the crosspiece and base panel to complete the carcass.

If however it is wished to assemble the components to produce a carcass with white visible front edge surfaces instead of brown, thus giving a white overall effect, it is necessary to re-orientate the components somewhat, so that edge surface abutments now take place at the positions indicated in Figure 1 by dotted lines.

Each side panel is rotated through 1800 about its central horizontal axis so that its brown edge surface is now rearmost, as viewed in Figure 1. The rear panel remains unaltered, but the base panel is also rotated through 1800 around its central vertical axis, so that similarly its brown edge surface is now rearmost.

Finally the crosspiece and upright are rotated through 180 about their illustrated vertical and horizontal axes respective, again to dispose their brown edge surface rearmost. The five visible front edge surfaces are now white and an identical assembly method to that described will produce -a carcass as in Figure 2, but now with white front edges and a white overall appearance.

Thus a purchaser of a flatpack D.I.Y. unit may choose to assemble either a white or a cream/beige unit using the same constituent parts. Previously this would only be possible by purchasing two differently coloured units. With the kit of parts of the invention there is no handing of components.

Once the carcass is assembled the door hinges, doors and shelves can be fitted in the usual manner, appropriate screw holes being provided in either method of assembly.

Instead of or in addition to screw fixing, adhesive fixing could be used and rebates could be provided for receiving edge and/or end surfaces instead of mere abutment. Conventional screw head covers can be used with all the screws and also with any empty screw holes.

Of course the order of assembly of the components can be different from that described, as desired.

Although described with a single carcass, the invention is also applicable to a series of side-by-side carcasses having respective common side panels, such as panels 10 or 11, with appropriate drillings for dowels andor screws. The common sides, as well as the remainder of the carcasses will thus be reversible in the manner described for a single carcass.

For a wall unit carcass, the difference from the base unit carcass described is that a top panel, identical to the base panel 13, replaces the crosspiece 14. Accordingly the dashed lines shown at the top left corner of panel 10 in Figure 1 for crosspiece 14 would be extended rearwardly to match the dashed lines for panel 13 at the bottom of side panel 10, thus overlapping the dotted lines shown. Similarly at the bottom of side panel 10 the dotted lines at the lower right hand end would be extended forwardly for the .length of the base panel and the top panel, and thus overlap the lower dotted lines. Alternative assembly of a wall unit carcass would be of the same form as for the base unit, but with the top panel being rotated by 1800 about its central vertical axis, as with the crosspiece, to show a white front visible edge instead of a brown one.

With the wall unit, an alternative method of producing the white visible edges from the 'brown' arrangement of Figure 1, is merely to rotate the rear panel 12 about its vertical central axis and to move it to the dotted line position on the base panel, as shown in Figure 1, where it will also align with the dotted line fixing position for the top panel. The rotation of panel 12 correctly positions its fixing means for securement with the other panels with the white edges being visible.

With a wall unit, or a base unit, an alterantive embodiment envisages the brown and white visible edges being instead light oak and dark oak, with the remainder of a panel being of middle oak colour. Thus the middle oak appears dark when combined with dark oak edges and light when combined with light oak edges. Moreover instead of middle oak, the remainder of a panel could be white.

Claims (19)

1. A kit of parts for assembling a carcass, comprising a multiplicity of interconnectible panels, at least some which have two of their surfaces of different colours, at least one of the panels being adapted for connection in two alternative ways to form the carcass, so that on assembly the different carcasses are of the same form but display some differently coloured corresponding surfaces respectively.

2. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the panels which have two of their surfaces of different colours are symmetrical around their respective centre points.

3. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the panels having two of their surface of different colours are rectangular and said two surfaces are oppositely facing edge surfaces respectively.

4. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein at least some of said panels are adapted for connection in two alternative ways by alternative arrangements of fixing arrangements respectively.

5. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein there are a pair of side panels, a base panel, a front crosspiece and a front upright, all of which are symmetrical around their respective centre points and rotational around the centre of the assembled carcass.

6. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 5, including a rear panel symmetrical through its height.

7. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the panels having two of their surfaces of different colours are rectangular and said two different surfaces are oppositely facing edge surfaces respectively.

8. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 7, wherein there are a pair of side panels, a base panel, a top panel and a front upright.

9. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 8, wherein all the panels are symmetrical around their respective centre points and rotational around the centre of the assembled carcass.

10. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 8, including a rear panel which is symmetrical about central vertical axis.

11. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein those panels having two of their surfaces of different colours have one edge surface brown and all other edge surfaces white.

12. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein those panels having two of their surfaces of different colours have one edge of light oak and an opposite edge of dark oak.

13. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 12, wherein all those panels having two of their surfaces of different colours have their remainder of a middle oak colour.

14. A kit of parts as claimed in Claim 11 or Claim 12, wherein all those panels having two of their surfaces of different colours have their remainder of an off white colour RAL 9001.

15. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said panels are adapted for connection in two alternative ways by alternative arrangements of rebates.

16. A kit of parts as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the panels having two of its surfaces of different colours is adapted to be common with a further carcass.

17. A kit of parts for assembling a carcass substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

18. A carcass when assembled using a kit of parts as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

19. A carcass substantially as hereinbefore described.