A FIRE RESISTANT CABINET

Abstract

A fire resistant cabinet has a housing delimiting an interior space for accommodating a sanitizer container holding a flammable liquid. The wall of the housing comprises at least one exterior shell part made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of melamine resin, corian or fiber-reinforced concrete.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A fire resistant cabinet having a housing wherein a wall of the housing delimits an interior space, which accommodates a sanitizer container that holds a sanitizer in form of a flammable liquid and has an associated dispenser means, whereby the sanitizer container is adapted to dispense the flammable liquid, that said wall of the housing comprises at least one exterior shell part, wherein said at least one exterior shell part is composed of an exterior front wall panel, an exterior bottom wall panel, an exterior top wall panel, and two exterior side wall panels, wherein said at least one exterior shell part is made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of melamine resin, corian or fiber-reinforced concrete and keeps the temperature of the sanitizer in the sanitizer container below the boiling point of 78° C. when heated to fire temperatures, wherein the exterior bottom wall panel has a cabinet outlet via which the flammable liquid is dispensed.

13. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 12, wherein the wall of the housing further comprises at least one interior shell part made of same or different material as the at least one exterior shell part.

14. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 12, wherein the interior shell part fits inside the exterior shell part.

15. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 12, wherein the exterior shell part is pivotally connected to a backing component.

16. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 13, wherein an actuator mechanism for actuating dispensing of a sanitizer from the sanitizer container and/or a suspension means for keeping the sanitizer container in upright position is/are suspended to one or more of the interior shell part and the exterior shell part.

17. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 13, wherein the interior shell part has a layer of aerogel.

18. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 17, wherein any of the interior shell part, the exterior shell part and the aerogel layer are laminated together by means of chemical fasteners, such as glues, or are secured to each other by means of mechanical fastener, such as bolts or screws.

19. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 12, wherein the cabinet outlet is provided with a thermal safety component.

20. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 12, wherein the cabinet outlet and/or the thermal safety component has a fire-retardant sealing means.

21. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 12, wherein the housing comprises one or more of the backing component and the interior shell part, which interior shell part is composed of an interior front wall panel, an interior bottom wall panel, an interior top wall panel, and two interior side wall panels, wherein said wall panels are separate wall panels joined along their respective adjacent edges by gluing, welding, fusing, laying-up or mechanical fasteners, or said wall panels are obtained by making the respective shell part and/or the housing as an integral unit, e.g. by molding and/or shaping.

22. A fire resistant cabinet according to claim 12, wherein the housing comprises at least the exterior shell part, which is composed of the exterior front wall panel, the exterior bottom wall panel, the exterior top wall panel, and the two exterior side wall panels, and the backing component, wherein said wall panels are separate wall panels joined along their respective adjacent edges by gluing, welding, fusing, laying-up or mechanical fasteners, or said wall panels are obtained by making the respective shell part and/or the housing as an integral unit, e.g. by molding and/or shaping.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The invention will now be explained in further detail with references to the accompanying drawing in which

[0035] FIG. 1 shows, in perspective slightly from below, an oblique front view of an embodiment of a fire resistant cabinet,

[0036] FIG. 2 shows the same from the backing component,

[0037] FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of a fire resistant cabinet,

[0038] FIG. 4 is an exploded side view of the same,

[0039] FIG. 5 shows, in an enlarged scale view, the lower part of the fire resistant cabinet with detached backing component and the actuating mechanism for dispensing a dose of sanitizer removed for improved visually,

[0040] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fire-retardant thermal safety component for being arranged in the cabinet outlet, and

[0041] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] It is emphasized that the size and shape of the components shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting and exhaustive. Within the scope of the present invention the exterior shape of the fire resistant cabinet can quite as well be any other than the shown box, including but limited to tubular, in which case the wall of the housing may be composed of two identical or similar tube halves that are assembled, e.g. snapped together. In such an embodiment the fire resistant cabinet can be free-standing, thus not needing a backing component. The two tube halves can be held detachable but firmly together using e.g. an exterior fire resistant band or be snapped together as described above.

[0043] The sanitizer container need not be bottle-shaped but can have any kind, including pouches. The suspension means for the sanitizer container is simple selected accordingly and any kind of suspension means can be fitted inside the housing.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows, in perspective slightly from below, an oblique front view of a box-shaped embodiment of a fire resistant cabinet 1. FIG. 2 shows the same from the backing component 2.

[0045] For simplicity the fire resistant cabinet 1 will in the following only be denoted the cabinet 1.

[0046] The cabinet has an exterior shell part 3 delimited by a wall 4. The wall is composed of an exterior front wall panel 5, an exterior top wall panel 6, an exterior bottom wall panel 7, and two opposite exterior side wall panels 8,9. The exterior wall panels are joined along adjacent edges to obtain the box-shape. The exterior bottom wall panel 7 has a cabinet outlet 10.

[0047] The backing component 2 has four mounting holes 11 for suspending the cabinet 1 to a wall (not shown).

[0048] The interior structure of the cabinet 1 is shown in more details in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 3.

[0049] FIG. 3 further shows that the interior shell part 12 has an interior front wall panel 5′, an interior top wall panel 6′, an interior bottom wall panel 7′, and two opposite interior side wall panels 8′, 9′, which provide the interior shell part 12 with substantially the same shape as the exterior shell part 3. In such a configuration said interior shell part 12 can closely line at least some of the interior face 13 of said exterior shell part 3, thereby preserving as much space 14 as possible inside the combined housing 15, as also seen in FIG. 5, for the sanitizer container 16, the actuating mechanism 17 for dispensing a dose of sanitizer from the sanitizer container 16.

[0050] The actuating mechanism 17 can be any conventional type including e.g. a motor 18, and an optical sensor (not shown) to be actuated from below the bottom wall panel 7. The optical sensor delivers a signal to start the motor 18 to conduct a dispensing sequence and appropriate switches serve to control the dispensing sequence and thus the amount of dispensed sanitizer. Such actuating mechanisms are known to the person skilled in the art and will not be described in further details.

[0051] The interior bottom wall panel 7′ has a slot 19 that allows the dispensing outlet 20, as seen best in FIG. 5, to dispense sanitizer via the cabinet outlet 10. A protruding tongue 21 on the backing component 2 serves as a suspension means for the sanitizer container, the bottle 16. The protruding tongue 21 fits inside and/or above the slot 19 to guide the dispensing outlet 20 of the sanitizer container 16 in alignment with the cabinet outlet 10.

[0052] The interior shell part 12 has first pivot means 22a, 22b, such as first pivot bearings, that extend upright from the interior bottom wall panel 7′ in substantial the same plane as the two opposite interior side wall panels 8′, 9′. The backing component 2 has second pivot means 23a, 23b, such as second pivot bearings, to be coupled to the first pivot means 22a, 22b for allowing the combined interior shell part 12 and exterior shell part 3 to pivot free of the backing component 2 to e.g. replace an empty sanitizer container 16 with a new one, to conduct maintenance, etc. In case the housing is a simple structure without interior shell part, first pivot means can be arranged on the exterior shell part.

[0053] The first pivot means 22a, 22b and the second pivot means 23a, 23b can be pivotally connected by means of respective pivot pins (not shown), whereby the combined exterior shell part 3 and interior shell part 12, that together with the backing component 2 constitute the housing 15 of the present embodiment of a cabinet 1, can be pivoted in relation to the backing component 2 along a pivot axis P substantial parallel to the bottom wall parts 7, 7′.

[0054] In case the combined exterior shell part 3 and interior shell part 12 are to be pivoted a slam lock button 24 mounted in aligned slam lock holes 25, 25′ of the respective shell parts 3,12 are pressed inside slam lock holes 25, 25′ to release a first slam hook 26 of the slam lock button 24 from a second slam hook 27 of the backing component 2, whereby the combined exterior shell part 3 and interior shell part 12 can be swung free of the backing component 2, as indicated by the curved arrow A1, under the control of a piston member 28. In order to close the combined exterior shell part 3 and interior shell part 12 against the backing component 2 again the combined exterior shell part 3 and interior shell part 12 are simply pushed back in the direction towards the backing component 2, as indicated by curved arrow A2, until the first slam hook 26 and the second slam hook 27 snaps together, which action can be both tactile and audible. The piston member 28 is secured at one end to the interior surface of the interior side wall part 9 and the other end is secured to the backing component 2 in the vicinity of the second pivot means 23a. A corresponding optional second piston can be secured similarly at one end to the interior surface of the interior side wall part 8 and with the other end secured to the backing component 2 in the vicinity of the second pivot means 23b, thus on the opposite side of the housing 15. It should be noted that any means that can serve to assist in controlling the opening and closing of the cabinet can be implemented in addition to or as an alternative to the piston. Such means can e.g. be a simple spring, and such means can be automatic, and controlled by the motor as well.

[0055] It should be noted that in case the cabinet 1 is to be mounted on a fire-proofed surface no backing component 2 is needed and the housing 15 is constituted by the combined shell parts 3,12.

[0056] A holder 29 for keeping the sanitizer container 16 in upright position is attached to the backing component 2, as seen best in the exploded side view of FIGS. 3 and 4, e.g. via slot 30. The holder 29 is part of the suspension means for the sanitizer container 16.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged scale view inside the lower part of the fire resistant cabinet 1 with detached backing component 2, and where the actuating mechanism 17 for dispensing a dose of sanitizer has been removed for improved visually of the thermal safety component 31 that is inserted in the cabinet outlet 10 in alignment with the dispensing outlet of the sanitizer container 16.

[0058] The thermal safety component 31 is seen further enlarged and in perspective in FIG. 6. The thermal safety component 31 fits sealingly into the cabinet outlet 10 as a plug. And to further make the thermal safety component 31 fireproof and preventing heat and flames getting up through the thermal safety component 31, said thermal safety component 31 may have an interior lining 32 of fire resistant material, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 7. In the event of overheating the fire resistant material will swell and close the opening 33 of the thermal safety component.

[0059] More or less of the interior surface 34 of the interior shell part can have a layer 35 of aerogel (not shown).