Drawer with replaceable skin

Abstract

A drawer front includes a removable decorative skin that is configured to be repeatedly removed and installed on the drawer front. Co-acting connection features on the drawer front and the skin releasably retain the skin to the drawer front.

1 . A tool storage unit comprising:
 a storage unit housing including five sides that form a tool storage cavity having a frontward facing opening defined by edges of four of the sides;   at least one drawer slidingly installed within the tool storage cavity, the drawer including a body portion having a compartment therein and a front face configured to rest substantially flush with the frontward facing opening when the drawer is in a closed position;   a removable drawer front connected to the front face and configured to enable repeated removal from and installation to the front face; and   a removable decorative skin coupled to the drawer front, the decorative skin positioned to face away from the tool storage cavity to present an exterior surface of the drawer.   
   
   
       2 . The tool storage unit of  claim 1  wherein the drawer front comprises a top drawer front portion connected to a bottom drawer front portion and wherein the skin is coupled to the top drawer front portion and the bottom drawer front portion. 
   
   
       3 . The tool storage unit of  claim 2  wherein the top drawer front portion and the bottom drawer front portion each include a skin mounting surface and wherein the skin rests on the skin mounting surface to assume a profile defined by the mounting surface. 
   
   
       4 . The tool storage unit of  claim 2  wherein the skin is longer than a width of the drawer front top portion and the drawer front bottom portion and wherein the skin wraps around end portions of the drawer front top portion and the drawer front bottom portion. 
   
   
       5 . The tool storage unit of  claim 4  wherein the skin includes slots that are configured to receive fasteners that connect the skin to a rear surface of the drawer front top portion and to a rear surface of the drawer front bottom portion. 
   
   
       6 . The tool storage unit of  claim 1  wherein the skin comprises aluminum. 
   
   
       7 . The tool storage unit of  claim 1  wherein the skin comprises stainless steel. 
   
   
       8 . The tool storage unit of  claim 1  wherein the skin comprises a painted surface. 
   
   
       9 . The tool storage unit of  claim 1  wherein the skin comprises a material that includes plastic. 
   
   
       10 . The tool storage unit of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of drawers include a removable drawer front and wherein the skin coupled to each drawer front depicts a portion of a single image. 
   
   
       11 . A drawer skin replacement kit for use with a tool storage unit having at least one drawer slidingly installed within the tool storage cavity, wherein the drawer includes a removable drawer front having drawer front connection features for coupling to skin connection features on a removable decorative skin to the drawer front, the kit comprising a decorative skin comprising skin connection features configured to couple to the drawer front connection features. 
   
   
       12 . The drawer skin replacement kit of  claim 11  wherein the drawer front connection feature comprises a threaded boss and wherein the skin connection feature comprises a slot configured to pass a stem of a threaded fastener threaded into the threaded boss while constraining a head of the threaded fastener from passing through the slot. 
   
   
       13 . The drawer skin replacement kit of  claim 11  comprising one or more threaded fasteners. 
   
   
       14 . The drawer skin replacement kit of  claim 11  wherein the skin comprises aluminum. 
   
   
       15 . The drawer skin replacement kit of  claim 11  wherein the skin comprises stainless steel. 
   
   
       16 . The drawer skin replacement kit of  claim 11  wherein the skin comprises a painted surface. 
   
   
       17 . The drawer skin replacement kit of  claim 11  wherein the skin comprises a material that includes plastic. 
   
   
       18 . The drawer skin replacement kit of  claim 11  comprising a plurality of skins and wherein each skin depicts a portion of a single image. 
   
   
       19 . A method of replacing a skin on a drawer front on a tool storage unit drawer, the method comprising:
 removing an installed skin from the drawer front; and   installing a replacement skin on the drawer front.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising the steps of:
 removing the drawer from the tool storage unit;   disconnecting front fastening features on the installed drawer front component from co-acting drawer fastening features on the drawer; and   removing the drawer front component from the drawer prior to removing an installed skin from the drawer front.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of removing the installed skin is performed by removing one or more skin fasteners from the skin and drawer front. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of removing the skin fasteners is performed by unthreading threaded fasteners that protrude through slots in the skin from threaded bosses disposed on a rear surface of the drawer front. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the step of installing a replacement skin is performed by wrapping the replacement skin around skin mounting features on the drawer front and threading the threaded fasteners through slots in the skin and into threaded bosses disposed on a rear surface of the drawer front.