Exterior cabinet doors and drawers

Abstract

An outdoors cabinet includes a door and a drawer which when closed prevent liquids from windy rain or counter top spills from entering into the cabinet or drawer. The door includes a frame having a back-side face which includes a groove at a top thereof. Similarly, the drawer includes a front-panel having a back-side which also includes a groove at a top thereof. When the door and/or drawer is closed shut against the cabinet's exterior surface, the frame and/or front-panel overlaps the cabinet's exterior surface about the door, and their respective grooves project through the cabinet's exterior surface into the cabinet. Configured in this way, when the door and/or drawer is closed shut against the cabinet's exterior surface, the door's and/or drawer's grooves respectively prevent liquids from windy rain or counter top spills from entering the cabinet or the drawer.

1 . A door adapted for inclusion in a cabinet, the door and the cabinet being adapted for use outdoors, locatable on a supported structure, and resembling a conventional interior cabinet; the cabinet having an exterior surface with which the door becomes juxtaposed when the door is closed shut, the door comprising: 
 a center panel; and    a frame formed by frame pieces which enclose the center panel;    the frame pieces and the center panel being formed from a maintenance-free material that needs no painting or superficial maintenance; and    when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, the frame: 
 b. overlaps the exterior surface of the cabinet about the door; and  
 a. has a back-side face at a top thereof that includes a groove which projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet and horizontally across the back-side face whereby the groove becomes: 
 i. disposed within the cabinet through the exterior surface thereof: and  
 ii. adapted for preventing liquids from windy rain or counter top spills from entering into the cabinet when located outdoors.  
 
   
   
   
       2 . The door of  claim 1  wherein maintenance-free material forming the frame pieces projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, and the groove is carved into material forming the frame piece.  
   
   
       3 . The door of  claim 1  wherein a gutter strip secured to the frame piece provides the groove and projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet.  
   
   
       4 . The door of  claim 1  wherein the maintenance-free material is predominantly recycled polyethylene plastic.  
   
   
       5 . The door of  claim 1  wherein the frame further includes a vertically oriented groove along a side thereof that is disposed within the cabinet through the exterior surface thereof when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet thereby adapting the frame for eliminating liquids from windy rain or counter top spills internally within the cabinet.  
   
   
       6 . The door of  claim 5  wherein maintenance-free material forming the frame pieces projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, and the grooves are carved into material forming the frame pieces.  
   
   
       7 . The door of  claim 5  wherein a gutter strips secured to the frame piece provides the grooves and project through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet.  
   
   
       8 . The door of  claim 5  wherein the maintenance-free material is predominantly recycled polyethylene plastic.  
   
   
       9 . A drawer adapted for inclusion in a cabinet, the drawer and the cabinet being adapted for use outdoors, locatable on a supported structure, and resembling a conventional interior cabinet; the cabinet having an exterior surface with which the drawer becomes juxtaposed when the drawer is closed shut, the drawer comprising: 
 a bottom panel;    a back;    at least a pair of side pieces; and    a front-panel;    the back, side pieces and front-panel collectively surrounding the bottom panel;    the back, side pieces, front-panel and bottom panel being formed from a maintenance-free material that needs no painting or superficial maintenance; and    when the drawer is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, the front-panel: 
 b. overlaps the exterior surface of the cabinet about the drawer; and  
 a. has a back-side with a top thereof that includes a groove which projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet and horizontally across the back-side whereby the groove becomes: 
 i. disposed within the cabinet through the exterior surface thereof: and  
 ii. adapted for preventing liquids from windy rain or counter top spills from entering into the drawer when located outdoors.  
 
   
   
   
       10 . The drawer of  claim 9  wherein maintenance-free material forming the front-panel projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the drawer is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, and the groove is carved into material forming the front-panel.  
   
   
       11 . The drawer of  claim 9  wherein a gutter strip secured to the front-panel provides the groove and projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet.  
   
   
       12 . The drawer of  claim 9  wherein the maintenance-free material is predominantly recycled polyethylene plastic.  
   
   
       13 . A cabinet adapted for use outdoors, locatable on a supported structure, and resembling a conventional interior cabinet; the cabinet comprising: 
 an exterior surface; and    a door which becomes juxtaposed with the exterior surface when the door is closed shut, the door including: 
 a center panel; and  
 a frame formed by frame pieces which enclose the center panel;  
 the frame pieces and the center panel being formed from a maintenance-free material that needs no painting or superficial maintenance; and  
 when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, the frame:  
 b. overlaps the exterior surface of the cabinet about the door; and  
 a. has a back-side face at a top thereof that includes a groove which projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet and horizontally across the back-side face whereby the groove becomes: 
 i. disposed within the cabinet through the exterior surface thereof: and  
 ii. adapted for preventing liquids from windy rain or counter top spills from entering into the cabinet when located outdoors.  
 
   
   
   
       14 . The cabinet of  claim 13  wherein maintenance-free material forming frame pieces of the door projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, and the groove is carved into material forming the frame piece.  
   
   
       15 . The cabinet of  claim 13  wherein a gutter strip secured to the frame piece of the door provides the groove and projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet.  
   
   
       16 . The cabinet of  claim 13  wherein the maintenance-free material is predominantly recycled polyethylene plastic.  
   
   
       17 . The cabinet of  claim 13  wherein the frame of the door further includes a vertically oriented groove along a side thereof that is disposed within the cabinet through the exterior surface thereof when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet thereby adapting the frame of the door for eliminating liquids from windy rain or counter top spills internally within the cabinet.  
   
   
       18 . The cabinet of  claim 17  wherein maintenance-free material forming frame pieces of the door projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, and the grooves are carved into material forming the frame pieces.  
   
   
       19 . The cabinet of  claim 17  wherein gutter strips secured to frame pieces of the door provides the grooves and project through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet.  
   
   
       20 . The cabinet of  claim 17  wherein the maintenance-free material is predominantly recycled polyethylene plastic.  
   
   
       21 . A cabinet adapted for use outdoors, locatable on a supported structure, and resembling a conventional interior cabinet; the cabinet comprising: 
 an exterior surface; and    a drawer which becomes juxtaposed with the exterior surface when the drawer is closed shut, the drawer including: 
 a bottom panel;  
 a back;  
 at least a pair of side pieces; and  
 a front-panel;  
 the back, side pieces and front-panel collectively surrounding the bottom panel;  
 the back, side pieces, front-panel and bottom panel being formed from a maintenance-free material that needs no painting or superficial maintenance; and  
 when the drawer is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, the front-panel:  
 b. overlaps the exterior surface of the cabinet about the drawer; and  
 a. has a back-side with a top thereof that includes a groove which projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet and horizontally across the back-side whereby the groove becomes: 
 i. disposed within the cabinet through the exterior surface thereof: and  
 ii. adapted for preventing liquids from windy rain or counter top spills from entering into the drawer when located outdoors.  
 
   
   
   
       22 . The cabinet of  claim 21  wherein maintenance-free material forming the front-panel of the drawer projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the drawer is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet, and the groove is carved into material forming the front-panel.  
   
   
       23 . The cabinet of  claim 21  wherein a gutter strip secured to the front-panel of the drawer provides the groove and projects through the exterior surface of the cabinet into the cabinet when the door is closed shut against the exterior surface of the cabinet.  
   
   
       24 . The cabinet of  claim 21  wherein the maintenance-free material is predominantly recycled polyethylene plastic.