Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing Medical and Dental Cabinets

Abstract

The method of construction of medical and dental cabinets of the present invention enables the user to construct cabinets that are better suited for such environments through the use of PVC board substrate that is either wrapped with a vinyl wrapping or high pressure laminate material.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a cabinet for medical and dental environments comprising: determining specific design of a cabinet according to a customer's specifications; drawing said design using CAD (computer aided design) software; applying a high pressure laminate to a solid-core PVC substrate; curing the high pressure laminate for approximately three (3) days; cutting the cabinet components out of the solid-core PVC substrate using a CNC (computer numerical control) machine; labeling the cabinet components for ease of later assembly; preparing applicable cabinet components by using tools to give proper corners and edges required per the design; attaching hinges to door cabinet components; assembling remaining cabinet components; and installing door cabinet components and any hardware components to the remaining assembled cabinet components to finalize assembly of cabinet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said PVC substrate is a 4 foot by 8 foot, thick sheet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said high pressure laminate is Wilsonart high pressure laminate.

4. A method of constructing a cabinet for medical and dental environments comprising: determining specific design of a cabinet according to a customer's specifications; drawing said design using CAD (computer aided design) software; cutting the cabinet components out of the solid-core PVC substrate using a CNC (computer numerical control) machine; labeling the cabinet components for ease of later assembly; preparing applicable cabinet components by using tools to give proper corners and edges required per the design; attaching hinges to door cabinet components; assembling remaining cabinet components; installing door cabinet components and any hardware components to the remaining assembled cabinet components to finalize assembly of cabinet; cleaning assembled cabinet to be dust free; and applying a vinyl wrap material to the assembled cabinet substrate.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said PVC substrate is a 4 foot by 8 foot, thick sheet.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said vinyl wrap material is 3M DI-NOC Architectural Finishes.

7. A cabinet for use in medical and dental environments comprising: a substrate material made out of solid-core PVC; a high pressure laminate applied to the substrate.

8. A cabinet for use in medical and dental environments comprising: a substrate material made out of solid-core PVC; a vinyl wrap material applied to the substrate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram for a medical and/or dental cabinet apparatus and method of construction with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram for a medical and/or dental cabinet apparatus and method of construction with a second embodiment of the present invention;

DESCRIPTION

[0036] Referring now to the drawings, reference will be made to the preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and not meant for purposes of limited the scope of the present invention.

[0037] The method of manufacturing the cabinets of the present invention vary slightly dependent on whether the substrate is covered using a vinyl wrap or a high pressure laminate material. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a cabinet with a solid-core PVC board substrate and a vinyl wrap exterior may be summarized as follows. The design pattern of the cabinet components is determined according to customer specifications; whether, comprising upper and/or lower cabinets, modularity, free standing and/or wall mounted, pass-through, storage configurations, and workflow designs (Step 1). Once determined, the cabinet components are drawn using CAD software on a computer (Step 2). The size of solid-core PVC board substrate that is typically used is a 4 foot by 8 foot, thick sheet. Although, larger or smaller sizes and thicknesses may be used depending on the application. Then, a CNC machine is used to cut the substrate into the cabinet components according to the design (Step 3). The cabinet components are labeled (Step 4) and then tools are used to give the applicable components the proper corners and edges (Step 5). The cabinet components that make up the doors are then hinged and filed or sanded appropriately to clean up any rough spots (Step 6). The rest of the cabinet components are then assembled together (Step 7). Then the doors and all hardware components are installed (step 8) and the cabinets are cleaned so that they are dust free (step 9).

[0038] In the embodiment described in the preceding paragraph, once the cabinets have been assembled, then a vinyl wrap material is applied to the substrate to make the cabinets aesthetically pleasing and provide extra protection for the medical and dental environments (Step 10). In this embodiment, the preferred vinyl wrap material is a material manufactured by 3M, called 3M DI-NOC Architectural Finishes, although any vinyl wrap material having similar characteristics may be used. The use of a vinyl wrap to cover the substrate material provides many benefits for use in medical and dental environments. First, vinyl wrap allows for a large amount of choices to the customer of different looks and finishes. Second, the vinyl wrap materials used for cabinets of the present invention share some of the same benefits as the solid-core PVC board substrate, namely, that they are water/moisture resistant, heat resistant, fire o10 resistant, and resistant to most solvents, cleaners, and chemicals used in cleaning and sterilization.

[0039] An important distinction of the present invention over the prior art is that the vinyl wrap material requires a smooth, clean, non-porous surface to properly adhere to the substrate. Therefore, prior art substrate materials such as MDF, plywood, wood, and particleboard are not good materials to be used with the vinyl wrap material as it will not adhere properly to such substrates. However, the solid-core PVC board used for the cabinets of the present invention is an ideal material that provides the smooth high surface tension area needed to proper adhesion of the vinyl wrap.

[0040] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a cabinet with a solid-core PVC board substrate and high-pressure laminate (HPL) exterior may be summarized as follows. The steps of manufacturing the cabinets are essentially the same as the method in the preceding embodiment, with the exception that that high-pressure laminate is applied to the solid-core PVC board sheets prior to cutting them into the components using the CNC machine; i.e. the HPL is applied prior to construction of the cabinets versus in the other embodiment the vinyl wrap material is applied after the construction of the cabinets. The HPL replaces the use of the vinyl wrap material in the previous embodiment. First, the design of the cabinet components is determined according to customer specifications (step 20). Once determined, the cabinet components are drawn using CAD software on a computer (step 21). The HPL is applied to the solid-core PVC board substrate sheets (step 22) and allowed to cure/set for approximately three (3) days (step 23). Once the HPL has properly cured, the manufacturing process proceeds as previously described and the cabinets are assembled. The cabinet components are cut out of the HPL covered solid-core PVC board using a CNC machine (step 24). The cabinet components are labelled for later assembling (step 25). Necessary tools are used to give applicable components proper corners and edges according to the design (step 26). Attach hinges to door components and file/sand appropriately to clean up any rough spots (step 27). The rest of the cabinet components, minus the door components, are then all assembled together (step 28). Finally, the doors and all hardware components are assembled with the previously assembled components to finalize assemble (step 29). As mentioned, the HPL takes the place of the vinyl wrap material in this embodiment, so that step of applying the vinyl wrap is eliminated under this embodiment. In this specific embodiment, the preferred HPL comes from Wilsonart HPL, although any HPL materials sharing similar beneficial characteristics may be used.

[0041] An important feature of the present invention is that the cabinets are constructed using the same substrate thickness for all components, for example a thick solid-core PVC board can be used for the doors, side panels, and back panels. This feature results in the cabinets of the present invention being stronger than prior art cabinets, which typically use varying thicknesses throughout, especially for the back panels. This feature also results in cabinets of the present invention not requiring the use of internal strengthening components typically found in the prior art. The solid-core PVC substrate provides an overall stronger cabinet that can withstand the medical and dental environments without the need for such internal chassis or strengthening components. Further, by using the same substrate thickness throughout, the manufacturing process is less cumbersome than for prior art cabinets.

[0042] The cabinet of the present invention also provides benefits over prior art cabinets during installation by making installation easier in several areas and/or allowing for certain things to be done during installation that could not be performed with prior art cabinets. Since the solid-core PVC substrate of the present invention provides a lighter overall cabinet than prior art cabinets, the cabinets of the present invention are easier for installers to maneuver and install. This is especially beneficial when the cabinet installation requires the cabinets to be hung or lifted. Many times during installation of cabinets, adjustments are required to be made due to a variety of potential reasons not initially known, such as an uneven floor, unforeseen errors, and even construction imperfections. These adjustments offer require the repositioning of screws and/or other attachment means. As has been discussed herein, prior art cabinets, specifically MDF cabinets, do not hold screws well, especially if adjustments must be made and components and hardware must be repositioned and re-attached in a new screw hole. These adjustments, which are common when installing cabinets, can cause the prior art cabinets to lose strength and overall integrity. Often times during the installation, other adjustments or alterations will be required due to electrical or plumbing access being installed in an incorrect location or otherwise not as originally designed. With prior art cabinets, specifically MDF cabinets, the cabinet is only as strong as the laminate surrounding the substrate. Therefore, in instances where the electrical or plumbing access is incorrectly located, it is typically not recommended to cut/drill new access to fit the environment provided, as doing so will decrease the integrity of the cabinet. However, the cabinet of the present invention overcomes these issues because the solid-core PVC substrate does not share the inherent drawbacks found in the prior art. All of these adjustments can be handled by the cabinet of the present invention without sacrificing the strength and integrity of the cabinet, which is a huge benefit during installation as it avoids potential setbacks. Further, the PVC substrate of the cabinet of the present invention allows for electrical components to be added on to the cabinets in the field without compromising the integrity of the cabinet as a whole.

[0043] Also, since the cabinet of the present invention does not require the use of a metal subbase like the prior art cabinets, the cabinet of the present invention can be installed to sit flush with the floor as a solid one piece cabinet, using detachable toe-kicks or other means of attaching the cabinet to the floor. When installing into a wall, since the substrate used in the cabinet of the present invention is comprised of the same thickness for all components, including the back panel, there is unlimited area to attach the cabinet using trim screws or other attachment means.

[0044] It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the embodiments described herein.