Abstract
A mobile cabinet may include a cabinet body, a door, a heating or refrigeration module, and at least one attachable insulation panel. The insulation panel may be a single panel, or a plurality of panels, to provide insulation for the cabinet. The insulation panel may include a hinge to couple multiple wall sections that can be attached to different walls of the cabinet and integral hand holds.
Claims
1. An insulation panel for a cabinet comprising: a side wall section; a back wall section; a hinge comprising a first hinge portion and a second hinge portion connecting the side wall section and the back wall section; and a flange that projects perpendicularly from a front edge of the side wall section, opposite the hinge; wherein the side wall section includes an angled surface proximate to the first hinge portion and the back wall section includes an angled surface proximate to the second hinge portion; and wherein the side wall section and the back wall section are configured to be folded about the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion in an L-shape wherein a depth of one of the first and second side walls and a portion of a width of the back wall, and the respective angled surfaces of the side wall section and the back wall section are spaced apart by a distance and an exterior side of the insulation panel at the hinge comprises a rounded seamless surface.
2. The insulation panel of claim 1, further comprising at least one hand hold integrally formed in the side wall section.
3. The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the hinge is integrally formed with the side wall section and the back wall section.
4. The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the side wall section, the back wall section, and the hinge are integrally formed; and wherein each of the side wall section and the back wall section defines a cavity that is filled with an insulating material.
5. The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the hinge, the side wall section, and the back wall section are formed by a one of a blow molding process and a rotational molding process.
6. The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the back wall section includes a flange that projects from a side of the back wall section opposite the hinge.
7. The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the hinge is an integrally molded section attaching the side wall section to the back wall section so as to space apart the side wall section and back wall section from each other when the insulation panel is laid flat.
8. The insulation panel of claim 1, wherein the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion are connected by a web portion; wherein the rounded seamless surface comprises the web portion.
9. The insulation panel of claim 8, wherein the first hinge portion and second hinge portion enable the side wall section and the back wall section to move independently from one another and in a direction perpendicular to one another when the insulation panel is folded in the L-shape.
10. A insulation panel for a cabinet comprising: a side wall section; a back wall section; and a double living hinge integrally formed with, disposed between and connecting the side wall section and the back wall section; wherein the double living hinge comprises a first hinge portion and a second hinge portion that are connected by an intermediate web portion, wherein the first hinge portion the second hinge portion and the web portion cooperatively enable independent movement of the side wall section and the back wall section in a direction perpendicular to one another; and wherein an exterior surface of the insulation panel at the hinge comprises a rounded seamless surface comprising the web portion.
11. The insulation panel of claim 10, further comprising at least one hand hold integrally formed in the side wall section.
12. The insulation panel of claim 10, wherein each of the side wall section and the back wall section defines a cavity that is filled with an insulating material.
13. The insulation panel of claim 10, wherein the hinge, the side wall section, and the back wall section are formed by a one of a blow molding process and a rotational molding process.
14. The insulation panel of claim 10, wherein the back wall section includes a flange that projects from a side of the back wall section opposite the hinge.
15. The insulation panel of claim 10, further comprising a flange that projects perpendicularly from a front edge of the side wall section opposite the hinge.
Description
DRAWINGS
[0029] FIGS. 1A and 1B are external perspective views of a mobile cabinet according to one embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 2 is an exploded external perspective view of a mobile cabinet according to one embodiment.
[0031] FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of an unfolded cabinet insulation panel according to one embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a folded cabinet insulation panel according to one embodiment.
[0033] FIG. 5 is an external top view of an unfolded cabinet insulation panel according to one embodiment.
[0034] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional top view of an unfolded cabinet insulation panel according to one embodiment.
[0035] FIGS. 7A and 7B are enlarged cross-sectional views of an insulation panel double living hinge according to one embodiment.
[0036] FIGS. 8A and 8B are a cross sectional view of a mobile cabinet, and an enlarged view of an isolated cabinet chimney according to one embodiment.
[0037] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing heat flow in a mobile cabinet according to one embodiment.
[0038] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one corner of a mobile cabinet with a cutaway of a side panel according to one embodiment.
[0039] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an ambient mobile cabinet without a heating or cooling module according to one embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] The example embodiments of the invention presented herein are directed to mobile heated or refrigerated cabinets. This is for convenience only, and is not intended to limit the application of the present invention. In fact, after reading the following description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art how to implement the following invention in alternative embodiments, involving, for example, mobile carts, storage containers, and refrigerators.
[0041] FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of a mobile cabinet 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. The mobile cabinet 10 includes a heating or cooling module 20 located above a storage space 30. Alternatively, the storage space 30 may be located above the heating or cooling module 20. The storage space 30 is designed to store items, while the heating or cooling module 20 is designed to accommodate a heating or refrigeration system. The lower edge of the heating or cooling module 20 extends over the top of the upper insulation panels 112a and 112b.
[0042] The sides of the mobile cabinet 10 are wrapped with insulation panels around the storage space 30. In FIG. 1, the cabinet is wrapped with four insulation panels, each of which covers the top or bottom and right or left side of the storage space. The insulation panels 112 are each hinged panels, which include side wall sections 114 and rear wall sections 116. The side wall sections cover the side wall and include a flange portion which extends across a portion of the front of the cabinet near the door 40. The rear wall sections are coupled to the side wall sections by a hinge, and extend across a portion of the rear wall of the cabinet. As shown in FIG. 1A, the rear wall sections of the left and right insulation panels are both secured to the cabinet near the center of the rear wall of the cabinet.
[0043] FIG. 2 is an exploded external view of an exemplary embodiment of a mobile cabinet 10 according to the present invention. The mobile cabinet 10 includes: two sides walls 104a and 104b, a rearwall 105, a door 40 with a latch mechanism 108, an electrical connection port 109 (not shown in FIG. 2), a user interface 110, upper insulation panels 112a and 112b, casters 118a-d, lower insulation panels 112c-d, and insulation panel handles 150.
[0044] The door 40 is constructed from two pieces of sheet metal joined together around a skeletal structure which creates a door cavity. The door cavity is filled with an insulating material. In one embodiment, the insulator is polyurethane foam which is a poor conductor of heat. The polyurethane foam may be injected into the door cavity, resulting in a relatively homogenous distribution. One advantage of polyurethane foam, as compared to fiberglass insulation, is that the foam is sprayed into the door cavity and then rapidly expands to fill the cavity. The foam effectively blocks air migration through the door cavity. As a result, minimal, if any, heat transfer via convection through the door 40 itself occurs. When the polyurethane foam cures and hardens, it provides significant torsional rigidity and strength to the door 40. As a result, the door 40 skeletal structure is less extensive than conventional mobile refrigeration cabinets, resulting in an overall reduction in weight.
[0045] The side walls 104a and 104b, the rear wall 105, the upper wall (not shown in Fig), and an interior bottom wall 202 of the storage space 30, are also formed from sheet metal joined together. However, in order to reduce the costs and manufacturing time, it is preferable to not have to provide insulation within the walls of the cabinets. Rather, it is beneficial to create a separate insulation system that may be efficiently and cost-effectively constructed independently of the cabinet walls.
[0046] The insulation panels 112 are provided to protect and insulate the mobile cabinet 10 from impacts with external objects, as well as protect external objects (e.g., walls and doors), and to minimize temperature changes in the storage space 30. The heating or cooling module 20 is provided above the storage space and is able to push heated or cooled air into the storage space 30.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper insulation panels 112a and 112b are provided on the left side wall 104a and the right side wall 104b, respectively, at a location below the heating or cooling module 20. The left and right side walls 104a-b may be formed of aluminum or stainless steel, in order to reflect heat within the storage space. The particular height of the insulation panels 112 may be adjusted based on the overall height of the mobile cabinet 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the insulation panels 112a-d each may be provided to cover about 50% of the height of the walls of the mobile cabinet 10. This size is only exemplary, and depends upon the particular size of the mobile cabinet 10. For example, the insulation panels may span the entire height and/or width of the side walls 104a and 104b, or only a portion thereof.
[0048] Upper and lower insulation panels of different heights may be provided to accommodate a range of different sizes of cabinets without having to produce insulation panels with specific sizes for each size of cabinet. As shown in FIG. 2, the panels may be manufactured separately from the cabinet, and secured to the cabinet in the final stages of assembly. The insulation panels may also be added as an after-market addition to inefficient cabinets.
[0049] The insulation panels 112a-d may also be configured to extend beyond the width of the side walls 104a and 104b. As shown in FIGS. 3-6, the insulation panels 112 may include a flange portion 126. The flange portion 126 extends beyond the front end of the side walls 104a and 104b and wraps around the front comers of the mobile heated or refrigeration cabinet 10. As such, the insulation panels cover a portion of the front of the cabinet that is not covered by the door. When users of the cabinet engage the door, they are more likely to come into contact with this portion of the cabinet. As such, the flange portion provides important protection to the user to prevent possible burns. The flange also improves the insulation provided at this portion of the cabinet.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 2, the door 40 preferably includes a latch mechanism 108 comprising a striker which engages a corresponding receptacle formed in the side wall 104a. A cabinet may also be provided with multiple doors, which provide access to a portion of the storage space to reduce heat loss in cabinets which are accessed frequently. Preferably, at least two hinges and are provided to secure the door 40 to the side wall 104b. Depending upon the size of the mobile cabinet 10, three or more hinges may be provided. Furthermore, the flange portions 126 of the insulation panels 112b and 112d may include indentations to allow for the door hinges. The door 40 engages a door flange, which is disposed within the storage space 30 at such a position as to allow the door 40 to be flush with edges of the side walls 104a and 104b when the door 40 is closed. A door gasket may be attached to the side of the door flange which faces the door 40. The door gasket is compressed when the door 40 is closed and maintained in a compressed state by the engagement of the striker with the receptacle. This arrangement provides an effective barrier between the storage space 30 and the external environment, thus mitigating, if not preventing, air migration around the periphery of the door 40 when the door is closed.
[0051] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cabinet 10 also includes a user interface 110 which, in the preferred embodiment, is provided on the front of the cabinet in the heating or cooling module 20. The user interface 110 includes temperature controls which allow a user to raise or lower the temperature within the storage space 30. The user interface 110 may also include a writable surface area, preferably a dry erase surface, on which a user can display relevant messages, such as the contents of the mobile cabinet 10.
[0052] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exemplary mobile cabinet 10 includes a plurality of casters 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d attached to the bottom wall of the cabinet (e.g., bottom of storage space). The plurality of casters 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d allow the mobile cabinet 10 to move in any direction. While the plurality of casters 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d may be directly attached to the bottom wall of the cabinet 10, the plurality of casters 118a, 118b, 118c, and 118d may also be attached to caster mounting brackets which in turn are connected to the bottom wall of the storage space and/or to the side walls 104a and 104b. The casters or caster mounting brackets may be connected to the bottom wall of the cabinet and/or the side walls 104a and 104b by any number of fasteners including, for example, rivets, nuts and bolts, and screws.
[0053] Each of the insulation panels 112 may be attached to the mobile cabinet 10 by any number of fasteners including, for example, nuts and bolts, rivets, and screws. The insulation panels may be formed with a plurality of mounting portions 135 to allow fasteners to engage with both the insulation panels and the cabinet body. The mounting portions 135 are preferably provided in at least the flange 126. In addition, mounting portions 135 may be in the rear wall section 116.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 3, insulation panels 112 may be initially formed as a flat, unfolded panel with an integral hinge 130 between the a side wall section 114 of the insulation panel and a back wall section 116 of the insulation panel. The hinge 130 may be formed as part of a solid structure integrally molded with the side wall section 114 and the back wall section 116. When flat, angled portions of the side wall section 114 and the back wall section 116, near the hinge, form a V-shaped gap that defines an angle of about 90 degrees. The side wall portion 114 may be integrally formed with the flange portion 126, which extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the side wall section, in order to protect the portion of the front of the cabinet that is not protected by the door 40 from heat loss. The flange 126 also protects a cabinet user from potential bums.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, the integral hinge 130 allows the side wall section 114 and the back wall section 116 of the insulation panel to be folded. When folded, the insulation panel may be secured to the side and rear walls of the cabinet without any significant exposed surfaces. In the exemplary embodiment, the outer corners 140a-b of the insulation panels are generally rounded, so as to protect the mobile cabinet 10, and any object it may collide with, regardless of the angle of impact. The outer comers 140a and 140b may extend beyond the exterior dimensions of the insulation panels 112 or, may have the same exterior dimensions equal to the width of the insulation panels 112. The folded insulation panel also lacks any exposed seams that may get caught against an object such as a door frame. As such, the hinge protects the insulation panel from possible damage. In a preferred embodiment, the side wall section 114 and back wall section 116 of the insulation panels 112 have the same maximum thickness, to provide substantially uniform insulation across the surfaces of the cabinet body.
[0056] As shown in FIG. 5, the insulation panel may be provided with a cutout (or flange) 516 on the interior edge of the rear wall section 116. As shown in FIG. 8A, the cabinet may include a raised channel 820 on the back of the cabinet. The raised channel 820 allows features to be secured to the cabinet without penetrating the rear wall of the cabinet with fasteners, such as screws. The cutout 516 in the insulation panel allows the insulation panel 112 to be secured flush to the rear channel of the cabinet.
[0057] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in detail in FIG. 6, the insulation panels 112 are provided with a handle 150 or plurality of handles formed as depressions within the sidewall section 114 of the insulation panels 112, to allow the user to better control the movement of the cabinet. In a preferred embodiment, another handle 155 may be formed within the back wall section 116 of the insulation panels 112. The handles are formed to allow a user to more securely engage with the cabinet when the cabinet is being moved and provides important protection to the user to prevent possible bums. In a preferred embodiment, the depth of the handle is no more than half of the maximum thickness of the insulation panels, to avoid the creation of pinch points in the blow molding and insulation filling processes.
[0058] As further shown in a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, the insulation panels 112 may be formed with an outer shell 610 by a blow molding process. The outer shell is preferably formed of polyethylene. The outer shell 610 may then be filled with an insulator 620, such as polyurethane foam, to help maintain the desired temperature inside of the cabinet. In addition, mounting portions 145 may be provided in the insulation panels 112 to allow screws, or other fasteners, to attach the insulation panels 112 through the side and back walls of the cabinet 10. In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portions 145 are thermally isolated from the insulator 620, so that thermal energy is not conducted from any screws into the insulation panels so as to degrade the insulator 620.
[0059] The insulation panels are created with a shell and insulation in a cavity created in the shell in a multi-part process. A hinged panel may have separate cavities formed for a side wall section 114 and a back wall section 116. These cavities may also be injected with polyurethane foam. The cured polyurethane foam adds additional torsional rigidity and strength to the insulation panel. Accordingly, a skeletal structure of the cabinet body may be less extensive than in conventional mobile budget cabinets. Alternative materials, instead of sheet metal, may be also used to construct the mobile cabinet 10, such as, for example, carbon fiber, plastics, and fiber resins composites.
[0060] FIGS. 7A and 7B show an enlarged view of the insulation panel hinge. In this embodiment, the hinge is a double living hinge 710 formed between the side wall section 114 and rear wall section 116 of the insulation panels 112. The double living hinge 710 is defined by two thin hinge portions 720 with a thicker portion or web 730 there between. The preferred thickness of the hinge portions 720 is in the range of 0.025 to 0.1 inches. More preferably, the thickness of the hinge portions 720 is in the range of 0.03 to 0.07 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the width of the hinge 710 is in the range of 0.3 to 0.4 inches. Then folded, the distance X between the angled portions 114a and 116a of the side wall section 114 and a back wall section 116 is preferably between 0.0 and 0.5 inches, and more preferably about 0.25 inches. The thin hinge portions 720 allow the panels 112 to be folded to be secured to the cabinet 10. As can be understood, each of the hinge portions 720 of double living hinge 710 is independently foldable. Thus, the side wall sections 114 and the back wall sections 116 can each move with respect to the other, as depicted by arrows A, B and C in FIG. 7A, to enable a close fit of the folded panels 112 to the side walls 104a, 104b and rear wall 105 of the cabinet 10. The folded panels 112 create a rounded seamless contour along the panel exterior, as shown in FIG. 7A. The seamless contour prevents possible snagging and tearing of the panels 112 if the cabinet accidentally collides with an object when being moved. As such, the hinged insulation panels help maintain insulation qualities of the cabinet over time.
[0061] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the interior of the storage space 30. The heated or refrigerated space may include a plurality of mounting brackets which extend vertically within the storage space along the interior portions of the side walls 104a and 104b. At least two mounting brackets 830 may be provided along the interior portion of each side wall 104a and 104b, with one of the mounting brackets being located towards the front of the storage space 30, near the door 40, and the other mounting bracket being located towards the rear of the storage space 30. In one embodiment, the mounting brackets located near the door 40 lie substantially within the same plane. Similarly, the mounting brackets located near the rear of the storage space 30 also lie substantially within the same plane.
[0062] Each of mounting brackets 830 includes a slot which is configurable to receive a platform support element 840, which is adjustable in the vertical direction over the height of the mounting bracket. The platform support element includes a support portion 860 configured to engage a shelf or tray. A plurality of platform support elements may be provided for each mounting bracket and engaged thereto. In addition, a group of platform support elements disposed in respective mounting brackets may be arranged to lie substantially in the same horizontal plane, so as to support a shelf or tray which rests upon the group of platform support elements.
[0063] As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the side walls 104 of the storage space 30 include a chimney 214 with an opening 204. The chimney is located between the front and rear mounting brackets and interior to any platform support elements provided on the interior of the side walls. The chimney 214 allows air to flow from the heating or cooling module down to the bottom of the cabinet; or allows air to flow upwards from a bottom mounted heating or cooling module. In a preferred embodiment, the chimney 214 is spaced from the side wall 104 of the cabinet, creating an air gap, in order to better thermally isolate the air in the chimney from the insulation panels. In a preferred embodiment, the air gap between the chimney and the cabinet wall is at least of an inch. When the chimney is spaced from the side wall, the side wall of the cabinet and insulation panels are also better able to reflect thermal energy from the chimney back into the cabinet and protect the insulation 620 and insulation panel 112 from thermal degradation.
[0064] As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom wall 202 of the storage space 30 includes an air intake opening 204 where the chimney engages with the heating or cooling module and an output opening 206 proximate to the bottom of the cabinet. In a preferred embodiment, a heating module can force heated air down through the chimney to the bottom of the cabinet. The heated air will then rise throughout the cabinet, as shown by the air flow arrows of FIG. 9. The air intake opening 204 allows the heating or refrigeration system 300 to supply the storage space 30 with air at a regulated temperature. In the exemplary embodiment, the air intake opening 204 is rectangular; however, other shapes may be used. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 9, the chimney 214 may be attached to the interior portion of the side wall 104b by fasteners such as, for example, rivets, screws, and nuts and bolts.
[0065] The heating or cooling module space 20 is designed to accommodate the heating or refrigeration system 300. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the heating or refrigeration system 300 may include an AC power connection (not shown), and a control unit 320. The control unit 320 may include a power switch 1002, a temperature controller 1006, and a thermometer 1010. As shown in FIG. 10, the cover 1060 of the heating or cooling module space 20 may extend to cover the top on the upper insulation panels. This allows the cover 1060 to help secure the insulation panels to the body of the cabinet.
[0066] The cabinet may also be provided without a heating or cooling unit. The cabinet may instead be provided with an air circulation system. In yet another embodiment, the cabinet may be provided without any powered component. In such an embodiment, the cabinet may be provided with an additional top insulation panel 1112 as shown in FIG. 11. This top insulation panel is provided in substantially the same position as the heating or cooling module 20. The top insulation panel is formed in the same manner as the side insulation panels to cover the top of the cabinet.
[0067] While various example embodiments of the invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It is apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein. Thus, the disclosure should not be limited by any of the above described example embodiments.
[0068] In addition, it should be understood that the figures are presented for example purposes only. The architecture of the example embodiments presented herein is sufficiently flexible and configurable, such that it may be utilized and navigated in ways other than that shown in the accompanying figures.
