US20100289393A1

US20100289393A1 - Integrated Recycling System

Info

Publication number: US20100289393A1
Application number: US12/778,253
Authority: US
Inventors: John C. Cantrell; David L. Rush
Original assignee: HOK PRODUCT DESIGN LLC
Current assignee: Steelcase Inc
Priority date: 2009-05-18
Filing date: 2010-05-12
Publication date: 2010-11-18

Abstract

A piece of office furniture includes a body portion. The body portion defines a cavity therein. A plurality of drawers is disposed within the cavity. Each drawer is slidably mounted to the body portion and includes a front door portion affixed thereto. A plurality of removable bins are each disposed in a different one of the plurality of drawers. A cabinet is defined by at least one vertical sub-wall and the body portion. A cabinet door is pivotally affixed to the body portion and is configured to enclose the cabinet. A plurality of labels is associated with each of the door portions and the cabinet door. The plurality of labels indicates which type of material is to be placed in the removable bin corresponding to the door with which each label is associated.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/179,041, filed May 18, 2009, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to office furniture and, more specifically, to office furniture that incorporates a recycling system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Credenzas are one of the many different types of office furniture. Credenzas are used in many applications, including providing a serving surface for food items in a buffet and for the distribution of publications at a meeting.
Oftentimes, meals are provided in office conference rooms and the like during “working lunch meetings.” Such meals usually include food items that are stored in and served on recyclable containers, such a glass and plastic containers. Frequently, such meals also include items served in materials that are not commonly recycled, such as Styrofoam cups. Also, during business-oriented meals, recyclable papers are often distributed as part of, for example, a lunch time meeting.
Unfortunately, common recycling containers and trash bins can be perceived as detracting from the ambience of a conference room. Also, a conference room can become crowded with the presence of both a serving credenza and a plurality of recycling containers. Therefore, the host of a lunch meeting is often confronted with the dilemma of either providing recycling containers in the conference room, knowing that their presence might detract from the experience of the meeting, or not providing recycling containers and thereby allowing recyclable materials to be thrown out as trash.
Therefore, there is a need for a credenza that provides a serving surface and the functionality of recycling containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which, in one aspect, is a piece of office furniture that includes a body portion. The body portion defines a cavity therein. A plurality of drawers is disposed within the cavity. Each drawer is slidably mounted to the body portion and includes a front door portion affixed thereto. A plurality of removable bins are each disposed in a different one of the plurality of drawers. A cabinet is defined by at least one vertical sub-wall and the body portion. A cabinet door is pivotally affixed to the body portion and is configured to enclose the cabinet. A plurality of labels is associated with each of the door portions and the cabinet door. The plurality of labels indicates which type of material is to be placed in the removable bin corresponding to the door with which each label is associated.
In another aspect, the invention is a credenza that includes a body portion. The body portion includes a vertical back wall, two oppositely disposed vertical side walls, a horizontal planar bottom surface and an opposite horizontal top surface. The bottom surface, the top surface, the back wall and the two side walls define a cavity therein. A plurality of spaced apart vertical sub-walls is disposed within the cavity so as to define a plurality of compartments therebetween. A first front door is disposed at a front side of a first one of the compartments and a first removable bin is disposed in the first one of the compartments. The first front door includes a label indicating that the first removable bin is configured to receive therein a first recyclable material. The first front door is coupled to a slide mechanism that is configured to support the first removable bin and that is configured to slide the first removable bin outwardly from the first one the compartments so as to facilitate access to the first removable bin. A second front door is disposed at a front side of a second one of the compartments and a second removable bin is disposed in the second one of the compartments. The second front door includes a label indicating that the second removable bin is configured to receive therein a second recyclable material. The second front door is coupled to a slide mechanism that is configured to support the second removable bin and that is configured to slide the second removable bin outwardly from the second one the compartments so as to facilitate access to the second removable bin. A third front door is pivotally affixed to the body portion so as to enclose a third one of the compartments selectively. The third front door includes a label indicating that the third one of the compartments is configured to receive therein a non-refuse item.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top right perspective view of a first representative embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in which a drawer is extended.

FIG. 3B is a front elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in which the front doors have been removed.

FIG. 3C is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in which two drawers have been extended and a door has been opened.

FIG. 4 is a top right perspective view of a second representative embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a top right perspective view of a third representative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. Unless otherwise specifically indicated in the disclosure that follows, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, one embodiment is a piece of office furniture configured as a combined credenza recycling system 100 that includes a shell member 110 and a top piece 120. The top piece 120 can perform several functions, including serving foods and beverages, laying out materials, supporting audiovisual equipment, etc. The top piece 120 can include a counter top material such as granite, marble, a stone, a synthetic stone or any other material commonly used in counter tops. The shell member 110 includes a credenza body portion 112 that defines a plurality of interior compartments 114 a-d therein. The shell member can be constructed using such materials as wood, steel, plastic, fiberboard, composites and combinations thereof. Some of the interior compartments 114 a-d includes drawers 113 mounted therein. The shell member 110 may be mounted on large glides 140 to facilitate easy movement of the system 100. In an alternate embodiment, the shell member 110 may be mounted on castors for the same purpose.
In use, servable items (such as food and papers) may be placed on the serving surface top piece 120. As needed, users slide out selected compartments 114 a-d to place recyclable materials and trash in the corresponding compartments 114 a-d. Custodial personnel can also remove the contents of the compartments 114 a-d by sliding them out. Disposed in each of these compartments 114 a-d can be a durable, washable and removable bin 144, such as a plastic or synthetic rubber bin. Each compartment 114 a-d can be supplied with a separate planar lift-off top piece 146 defining an opening 148 into the bin 144 below.
A drawer 113, including a front door portion 115, a pair of walls 121 and a bottom portion 119 can be placed in different ones of the interior compartments 114 a-d. A sliding mechanism, such as a drawer slide 118 (or one of the many other mechanisms configured to support sliding drawers, as well known in the cabinetry arts) is affixed to the drawer 113 to facilitate easy removal of the removable bins 144.
Each front door portion 115 includes a gripping member 116 disposed thereon to help a user can draw a selected drawer 113 out to place recyclable materials or trash into a selected one of the bins 144. A label 117 may be applied to either the gripping member 116 or the face of the compartment 114 a-d to indicate which type of material is stored in a corresponding compartment 114 a-d. The label 117 can be affixed to the gripping member 116 or it may be embedded therein, such as through engraving or by casting the gripping member 116 so as to include the member. Alternately, the label 117 could be placed on the front face of the compartments 114 a-d. Also the shape of the opening 148 may indicate the type of material is to be placed in the corresponding bin 144. For example, a triangular opening 148 might be used to indicate that plastics are to be placed in the bin 144 underneath the opening 148.
One compartment 114 e can serve as a storage compartment for non-refuse items. This compartment can include adjustable shelves 150 and can include a blind hinged cabinet door 123 for access thereto. This compartment 114 e could be configured as a cabinet and used, for example, to house meeting room supplies, audio-visual equipment, and the like.
An alternative embodiment 200 is shown in FIG. 4, in which two parallel top faces 230 are disposed at the top of the credenza body portion 112. Each top face 230 defines a plurality of openings 232-238 therethrough. Thus, each interior compartment 114 a-d is in communication with the outside of the shell member 110 through at least one of the openings 232-238. The openings 232-238 are configured to allow materials to be placed in the corresponding compartments 114 a-d. Lift out bins can be placed in each of the compartments 114 a-d to facilitate remove of material therefrom.
In one such embodiment, each opening 232-238 has a shape that designates a different type of material to be placed in the corresponding compartment 114 a-d. In one illustrative example, opening 232 can have a shape indicating that trash is to be placed in corresponding compartment 114 a; opening 234 can have a shape indicating that recyclable paper is to be placed in corresponding compartment 114 b; opening 236 can have a shape indicating that recyclable plastic containers are to be placed in corresponding compartment 114 c; and opening 238 can have a shape indicating that recyclable aluminum cans are to be placed in corresponding compartment 114 d. Labels indicating the type of material to be placed in a compartment may also be provided. Similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, this embodiment may be mounted on castors or large glides to facilitate ease of movement.
Another embodiment 300 is shown in FIG. 5. This embodiment 300 is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, but is lighter and more easily moved. While this embodiment may be mounted on large glides, use of castors 340 will make this embodiment 300 more portable.
The embodiments shown here can be made using techniques well known in the cabinetry and metal fabrication arts.
The above described embodiments, while including the preferred embodiment and the best mode of the invention known to the inventor at the time of filing, are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.

Claims

1. A piece of office furniture, comprising:

a. a body portion, the body portion including a vertical back wall, two oppositely disposed vertical side walls, a horizontal planar bottom surface and an opposite horizontal top surface, wherein the bottom surface, the top surface, the back wall and the two side walls define a cavity therein;

b. a plurality of drawers disposed within the cavity, each drawer slidably mounted to the body portion and including a front door portion affixed thereto;

c. a plurality of removable bins, each bin being disposed in a different one of the plurality of drawers;

d. a cabinet defined by at least one vertical sub-wall and the body portion, a cabinet door pivotally affixed to the body portion and configured to enclose the cabinet;

e. a plurality of labels associated with each of the door portions and the cabinet door, the plurality of labels indicative of which type of material is to be placed in the removable bin corresponding to the door with which each label is associated.

2. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of labels indicate a different type of recyclable material that is to be placed in a corresponding bin.

3. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of labels indicate that trash is to be placed in a corresponding bin.

4. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, wherein each drawer is mounted to the body portion with a drawer slide.

5. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, wherein each of the removable bins comprises a plastic material.

6. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, wherein a gripping mechanism is affixed to each of the drawers and wherein the label is applied to the gripping member.

7. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, further comprising at least one horizontal shelf disposed in the cabinet.

8. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, further comprising a counter top material disposed on top of the horizontal top surface.

9. The piece of office furniture of claim 8, wherein the counter top material comprises granite.

10. The piece of office furniture of claim 1, further comprising a planar lift-off top piece placed above at least one of the removable bins, the lift-off top piece defining an opening therethrough.

11. A credenza, comprising:

a. a body portion that defines a cavity therein;

b. a plurality of spaced apart vertical sub-walls disposed within the cavity so as to define a plurality of compartments therebetween;

c. a first front door disposed at a front side of a first one of the compartments and a first removable bin disposed in the first one of the compartments, the first front door including a label indicating that the first removable bin is configured to receive therein a first recyclable material, the first front door coupled to a slide mechanism that is configured to support the first removable bin and that is configured to slide the first removable bin outwardly from the first one the compartments so as to facilitate access to the first removable bin;

d. a second front door disposed at a front side of a second one of the compartments and a second removable bin disposed in the second one of the compartments, the second front door including a label indicating that the second removable bin is configured to receive therein a second recyclable material, the second front door coupled to a slide mechanism that is configured to support the second removable bin and that is configured to slide the second removable bin outwardly from the second one the compartments so as to facilitate access to the second removable bin; and

e. a third front door pivotally affixed to the body portion so as to enclose a third one of the compartments selectively, the third front door including a label indicating that the third one of the compartments is configured to receive therein a non-refuse item.

12. The credenza of claim 11, further comprising a fourth front door disposed at a front side of a fourth one of the compartments and a fourth removable bin disposed in the fourth one of the compartments, the fourth front door including a label indicating that the fourth removable bin is configured to receive trash therein, the fourth front door coupled to a slide mechanism that is configured to support the fourth removable bin and that is configured to slide the fourth removable bin outwardly from the fourth one the compartments so as to facilitate access to the fourth removable bin.

13. The credenza of claim 11, wherein the sliding mechanisms each comprise a drawer slide.

14. The credenza of claim 11, wherein each of the removable bins comprises a plastic material.

15. The credenza of claim 11, wherein each of the front doors comprise a gripping mechanism to which the label is applied.

16. The credenza of claim 11, further comprising at least one horizontal shelf disposed in the third one of the compartments.

17. The credenza of claim 11, further comprising a counter top material disposed on top of the horizontal top surface.

18. The credenza of claim 17, wherein the counter top material comprises granite.

19. The credenza of claim 11, further comprising a planar lift-off top piece placed above at least one of the removable bins, the lift-off top piece defining an opening therethrough.

20. The credenza of claim 19, wherein the opening defined by each of the lift-off top pieces has a shape indicative of which type of material is to be placed in the bin corresponding to the lift-off top piece.