Collapsable modular cabinet

Abstract

A modular storage system includes a first cabinet and a second cabinet. Each of the first and the second cabinets defines a cabinet space having a substantially planar right face and a substantially planar left face, a substantially planar top face and a substantially planar bottom face when the cabinet is in a deployed position. Each of the cabinets includes a front right flange, a front left flange, a top member, a bottom member, a rear frame and a right foldable wall attaching the rear frame to the right flange, and a left foldable wall attaching the rear frame to the left flange. The right foldable wall includes a right attachment point and the left foldable wall includes a left attachment point configured to mate with the right attachment point of the first cabinet and facilitate fixed attachment to the left attachment point of the second cabinet in side-by-side relationship.

1 . A modular storage system comprising: 
 a first cabinet and a second cabinet, each of the first and the second cabinets defining a cabinet space having a substantially planar right face and a substantially planar left face, a substantially planar top face and a substantially planar bottom face when the cabinet is in a deployed position and having a front right flange substantially coplanar with the right face, the front right flange having a right rearward hinge eyelet and, in opposed relation to the right rearward hinge eyelet, a right door hinge flange having a right door hinge eyelet and configured to leftwardly offset the right door hinge eyelet from a plane containing the right face by a right offset distance; and a front left flange substantially coplanar with the left face, the front left flange having a left rearward hinge eyelet; a rear frame including: a rear right flange substantially coplanar with the right face, the rear right flange having a right frontward hinge eyelet; and a rear left flange substantially coplanar with the left face, the rear left flange having a left frontward hinge eyelet; and a right foldable side wall including: a right front plate having a right front plate front hinge eyelet configured to engage the right rearward hinge eyelet and a right front plate rear hinge eyelet; and a right rear plate having a right rear plate rear hinge eyelet configured to engage the right frontward hinge eyelet and a right rear plate front hinge eyelet configured to engage the right front plate rear hinge eyelet; a right front hinge pin inserted through the right rearward hinge eyelet and the right front hinge eyelet to pivotally attach the right front plate to the front right flange; a right middle hinge pin inserted through the right front plate rear hinge eyelet and the right rear plate front hinge eyelet to pivotally attach the right rear plate to the right front plate; and a right rear hinge pin inserted through the right frontward hinge eyelet and the right rear plate rear hinge eyelet to pivotally attach the rear frame to the right rear plate; and a right attachment point; a left foldable side wall including: a left front plate having a left front plate front hinge eyelet configured to engage the left rearward hinge eyelet and a left front plate rear hinge eyelet; and a left rear plate having a left rear plate rear hinge eyelet configured to engage the left frontward hinge eyelet and a left rear plate front hinge eyelet configured to engage the left front plate rear hinge eyelet; a left front hinge pin inserted through the left rearward hinge eyelet and the left front hinge eyelet to pivotally attach the left front plate to the front left flange; a left middle hinge pin inserted through the left front plate rear hinge eyelet and the left rear plate front hinge eyelet to pivotally attach the left rear plate to the left front plate; and a left rear hinge pin inserted through the left frontward hinge eyelet and the left rear plate rear hinge eyelet to pivotally attach the rear frame to the left rear plate; and a left attachment point configured to mate with the night attachment point such that, in mating, the right attachment point of the first cabinet fixedly attaches to the left attachment point of the second cabinet to hold the first and second cabinets in side-by-side relationship; a bottom member being situated substantially in the plane of the bottom face and configured to attachably connect to and spatially fix the rear frame, the right flange, and the left flange relative to each other; and a top member being situated substantially in the plane of the top face and configured to attachably connect to and spatially fix the rear frame, the right flange, and the left flange relative to each other.    
   
   
       2 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein a front frame is fixedly attached to each of the front right flange and the front left flange.  
   
   
       3 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the right front flange includes at least one right door and pivotally attached to the right door hinge eyelet and wherein the right offset distance is selected to facilitate pivotal movement of the right door.  
   
   
       4 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the left front flange includes and, in opposed relation to the left rearward hinge eyelet, a left door hinge flange having a left door hinge eyelet and configured to rightwardly offset the left door hinge eyelet from a plane containing the left face by a left offset distance.  
   
   
       5 . The modular system of  claim 4 , wherein the left front flange includes at least one left door and pivotally attached to the left door hinge eyelet and wherein the left offset distance is selected to facilitate pivotal movement of the left door.  
   
   
       6 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the rear frame further includes a rear wall fixedly attached to each of the rear right flange and the rear left flange.  
   
   
       7 . The modular system of  claim 6 , wherein the rear wall defines at least one shaped slot having a “T”-shaped cross-section configured to engage a cleat having a “T”-shaped cross-section, the cleat being configured to suspend the cabinet.  
   
   
       8 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein a worksurface assembly includes a work surface attached to a work surface frame, including a left work surface attachment point and a right work surface attachment point, the right attachment point of the first cabinet being configured to fixedly attach to the left work surface attachment point and the left attachment point of the second cabinet being configured to fixedly attach to the right work surface attachment point to hold the work surface between first and second cabinets.  
   
   
       9 . The modular system of  claim 8 , wherein the work surface is suspended over the work surface frame by means of a scissors jack for adjustably raising and lower of the work surface.  
   
   
       10 . The modular system of  claim 1 , including a shelf having shelf rails and shelf stiles, the shelf rails and wherein the foldable walls include tongue protuberance to grapingly engage the shelf rails holding the foldable walls in planar alignment.  
   
   
       11 . The modular system of  claim 10 , wherein the tongue proterberance extends inwardly from the right and left front plates.  
   
   
       12 . The modular system of  claim 10 , wherein the tongue proterberance extends inwardly from the right and left rear plates.  
   
   
       13 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the rear frame includes a first rear frame plate and a second rear frame plate hingedly attached at a rear hinge to the first rear frame plate.  
   
   
       14 . The modular system of  claim 13  wherein the rear hinge is pivotally limited to allow the second rear plate to pivotally rotate from an angle of substantially parallel to the first rear plate to and substantially perpendicular to the first rear plate.  
   
   
       15 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate front hinge eyelets and the front plate rear hinge eyelets are integral to front plates.  
   
   
       16 . The modular system of  claim 1 , wherein the rear plate front hinge eyelets and the rear plate rear hinge eyelets are integral to rear plates.