Solid surface countertop assembly

Abstract

A countertop assembly having a solid surface countertop member with an upper surface and a bottom surface is disclosed. A supporting member and an edging member are disposed adjacent to the bottom surface of the countertop member opposite the upper surface of the countertop member. The supporting member and edging member both extend substantially along a length of the countertop member. Preferably, the edging member abuts a front surface of the supporting member substantially along an entire length of the supporting member. The edging member comprises a non-solid surface material, such as a plastic laminate material affixed to a substrate. The non-solid-surface material faces a front of the countertop assembly to form the countertop edging. The edging member is secured to the countertop member via an adhesive or via a dado cut in a bottom portion of the countertop member. In another embodiment of the present invention, the countertop assembly forms a curved countertop edging. The substrate of the edging member is preformed in a curved shape or comprises a plurality of vertical notches cut into the substrate such that said edging member is flexibly bendable.

1 . A countertop assembly comprising: 
 a solid surface countertop member having an upper surface and a bottom surface,    a supporting member disposed adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member, and    an edging member comprising a non-solid surface material, said edging member disposed adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member, said non-solid surface material facing a front of said countertop assembly to form a countertop edging.    
   
   
       2 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-solid surface material is a plastic laminate material affixed to a substrate.  
   
   
       3 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said substrate is substantially composed of medium density fiberboard.  
   
   
       4 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said edging member abuts a front surface of said supporting member substantially along an entire length of said supporting member to form the countertop edging.  
   
   
       5 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a dado cut in the bottom surface of said countertop member forming a recess extending substantially along a length of said countertop member to receive said edging member for positioning of the edging member.  
   
   
       6 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said edging member is held in place within said dado via an adhesive.  
   
   
       7 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said dado is approximately {fraction (1/16)} inch in depth and approximately {fraction (13/16)} inch in width.  
   
   
       8 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said supporting member is secured to said countertop member via an adhesive.  
   
   
       9 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said edging member is secured to said supporting member via an adhesive.  
   
   
       10 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said supporting member is substantially composed of particle board.  
   
   
       11 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said non-solid surface material has a width of approximately {fraction (1/32)} inch and said substrate has a width of approximately ¾ inch.  
   
   
       12 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein a front edge of said edging member is parallel to and set back from a front edge of the countertop member by a depth of approximately ¾ inch.  
   
   
       13 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said edging member has a front finished surface which is substantially similar in appearance to the upper surface of the countertop.  
   
   
       14 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said edging member has a front finished surface which is substantially similar in appearance to an underlying cabinet.  
   
   
       15 . A countertop assembly comprising: 
 a solid surface countertop member having an upper surface and a bottom surface,    a supporting member disposed adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member, and    an edging member comprising a non-solid surface material, said edging member disposed adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member, said non-solid surface facing a front of said countertop assembly to form a countertop edging,    wherein said supporting member comprises a curved formation having a contoured edge which substantially follows a curved edge portion of said countertop member, and wherein said edging member is flexibly bendable to form a contoured countertop edging which substantially follows the contoured edge.    
   
   
       16 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said non-solid surface material is a plastic laminate material affixed to a substrate.  
   
   
       17 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein said substrate is substantially composed of medium density fiberboard.  
   
   
       18 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of vertical notches cut into said substrate such that said edging member is flexibly bendable.  
   
   
       19 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein said plurality of notches are substantially rectangular in shape.  
   
   
       20 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said edging member abuts a front surface of said supporting member substantially along an entire length of said supporting member to form the countertop edging.  
   
   
       21 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , further comprising a dado cut in the bottom surface of said countertop member forming a recess extending substantially along a length of said countertop member to receive said edging member for positioning of said edging member.  
   
   
       22 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein said edging member is held in place within said dado via an adhesive.  
   
   
       23 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein said dado is approximately {fraction (1/16)} inch in depth and approximately {fraction (13/16)} inch in width.  
   
   
       24 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said supporting member is secured to said countertop member via an adhesive.  
   
   
       25 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said edging member is secured to said supporting member via an adhesive.  
   
   
       26 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said supporting member is substantially composed of particle board.  
   
   
       27 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said non-solid surface material has a width of approximately {fraction (1/32)} inch and said substrate has a width of approximately ¾ inch.  
   
   
       28 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein a front edge of said edging member is set back from a front edge of the countertop member by a depth of approximately ¾ inch.  
   
   
       29 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said edging member has a front finished surface which is substantially similar in appearance to the upper surface of the countertop.  
   
   
       30 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein said edging member has a front finished surface which is substantially similar in appearance to an underlying cabinet.  
   
   
       31 . A countertop assembly comprising: 
 a solid surface countertop member having an upper surface and a bottom surface,    a supporting member disposed adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member,    an edging member comprising a non-solid surface material, said edging member disposed adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member, said non-solid surface facing a front of said countertop assembly to form a countertop edging, and    a dado cut in the bottom surface of said countertop member forming a recess which extends substantially along a length of said countertop member to receive said edging member,    wherein said edging member and said dado are pre-formed into a curved formation.    
   
   
       32 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said non-solid surface material is a plastic laminate material affixed to a substrate.  
   
   
       33 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 32 , wherein said substrate is substantially composed of medium density fiberboard.  
   
   
       34 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 32 , wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of vertical notches cut into said substrate such that said edging member is flexibly bendable.  
   
   
       35 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 34 , wherein said plurality of notches are substantially rectangular in shape.  
   
   
       36 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said edging member abuts a front surface of said supporting member substantially along an entire length of said supporting member to form the countertop edging.  
   
   
       37 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said edging member is held in place within said dado via an adhesive.  
   
   
       38 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said dado is approximately {fraction (1/16)} inch in depth and approximately {fraction (13/16)} inch in width.  
   
   
       39 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said supporting member is secured to said countertop member via an adhesive.  
   
   
       40 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said edging member is secured to said supporting member via an adhesive.  
   
   
       41 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said supporting member is substantially composed of particle board.  
   
   
       42 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein a front edge of said edging member is set back from a front edge of the countertop member by a depth of approximately ¾ inch.  
   
   
       43 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said edging member has a front finished surface which is substantially similar in appearance to the upper surface of the countertop.  
   
   
       44 . The countertop assembly according to  claim 31 , wherein said edging member has a front finished surface which is substantially similar in appearance to an underlying cabinet.  
   
   
       45 . A method of assembling a countertop assembly comprising: 
 providing a solid surface countertop member having an upper surface and a bottom surface,    disposing a supporting member adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member,    providing an edging member comprising a non-solid surface material, disposing said edging member adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface,    extending said edging member substantially along a length of said countertop member, and    disposing said non-solid surface material such that said non-solid surface material faces a front of said countertop assembly to form a countertop edging.    
   
   
       46 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein said non-solid surface material is a plastic laminate material affixed to a substrate.  
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 45 , further comprising abutting said edging member against a front surface of said supporting member substantially along an entire length of said supporting member to form the countertop edging.  
   
   
       48 . The method according to  claim 45 , further comprising cutting a dado in the bottom surface of said countertop member to form a recess extending substantially along a length of said countertop member to receive said edging member for positioning of said edging member.  
   
   
       49 . A method of assembling a countertop assembly comprising: 
 providing a solid surface countertop member having an upper surface and a bottom surface,    disposing a supporting member adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member,    providing an edging member comprising a non-solid surface material,    disposing said edging member adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface,    extending said edging member substantially along a length of said countertop member, and    disposing said non-solid surface material such that said non-solid surface material faces a front of said countertop assembly to form a countertop edging,    wherein said supporting member comprises a curved formation having a contoured edge which substantially follows a curved edge portion of said countertop member,    and wherein said edging member is flexibly bendable to form a contoured countertop edging which substantially follows the contoured edge.    
   
   
       50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein said non-solid surface material is a plastic laminate material affixed to a substrate.  
   
   
       51 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein said substrate comprises a plurality of vertical notches cut into said substrate such that said edging member is flexibly bendable.  
   
   
       52 . The method according to  claim 49 , further comprising abutting said edging member against a front surface of said supporting member substantially along an entire length of said supporting member to form the countertop edging.  
   
   
       53 . The method according to  claim 49 , further comprising cutting a dado in the bottom surface of said countertop member forming a recess extending substantially along a length of said countertop member to receive said edging member for positioning of said edging member.  
   
   
       54 . A method of assembling a countertop assembly comprising: 
 providing a solid surface countertop member having an upper surface and a bottom surface,    disposing a supporting member adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface and extending substantially along a length of said countertop member, and    providing an edging member comprising a non-solid surface material affixed to a substrate,    disposing said edging member adjacent the bottom surface of said countertop member opposite the upper surface,    extending said edging member substantially along a length of said countertop member,    disposing said non-solid surface material such that said non-solid surface material faces a front of said countertop assembly to form a countertop edging,    cutting a dado in the bottom surface of said countertop member to form a recess which extends substantially along a length of said countertop member adapted to receive said edging member, and    pre-forming said edging member and said dado into a curved formation.    
   
   
       55 . The method according to  claim 54 , further comprising abutting said edging member against a front surface of said supporting member substantially along an entire length of said supporting member to form the countertop edging.