Collapsible Furniture Cabinet

Abstract

A furniture cabinet includes a removable horizontal base panel, a removable horizontal top panel, and a collapsible body. The collapsible body includes a front panel, a back panel, a split left panel and a split right panel. Hinges connect the two parts of the split left panel and the split right panel. Additional hinges connect the split panels to the front panel and back panel. The base panel and the top panel are configured for convenient removal from the body. When the base panel and the top panel are removed from the body, the split left panel and the split right panel may be foldable at the hinges. When the split left panel and the split right panel are folded, the front panel and the back panel are moved toward one another until all panels of the body are oriented parallel to one another.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A furniture cabinet comprising:
 a collapsible vertical body including:
 a front panel, 
 a back panel opposite the front panel, 
 a left side split panel including a forward left panel portion hingedly connected to the front panel and a rearward left panel portion hingedly connected to the back panel, the forward left panel portion hingedly connected to the rearward left panel portion such that the forward left panel portion and rearward left panel portion are configured to move inwardly on the collapsible body when the forward left panel portion is pivoted relative to the rearward left panel portion, and 
 a right side split panel including a forward right panel portion hingedly connected to the front panel and a rearward right panel portion hingedly connected to the back panel, the forward right panel portion hingedly connected to the rearward right panel portion such that the forward right panel portion and rearward right panel portion are configured to move inwardly on the collapsible body when the forward right panel portion is pivoted relative to the rearward right panel portion, 
 wherein an interior cabinet space is defined by the front panel, the back panel, the left side split panel and the right side split panel of the collapsible vertical body; 
   a horizontal base panel positioned within the interior cabinet space of the collapsible vertical body; and   a horizontal top panel positioned on top of the collapsible vertical body above the interior cabinet space.   
     
     
         2 . The furniture cabinet of  claim 1  wherein the horizontal top panel is removable from the collapsible vertical body, the horizontal top panel further comprising a plurality of alignment ribs positioned on a bottom side of the horizontal top panel and arranged within the interior cabinet space with at least one of the plurality of bottom ribs abutting an interior surface of the collapsible vertical body. 
     
     
         3 . The furniture cabinet of  claim 1 , the collapsible vertical body further comprising a plurality of support ribs positioned within the interior cabinet space with the horizontal base panel resting on the plurality of support ribs. 
     
     
         4 . The furniture cabinet of  claim 3 , wherein the horizontal base panel is removably positioned within the interior cabinet space. 
     
     
         5 . The furniture cabinet of  claim 1  wherein the horizontal base panel is hingedly connected to an interior surface of the collapsible vertical body within the interior cabinet space. 
     
     
         6 . The furniture cabinet of  claim 5  wherein the back panel includes at least two elongated horizontal panel members connected to at least two elongated vertical panel members, wherein the horizontal base panel is hingedly connected to the at least two elongated vertical panel members of the back panel. 
     
     
         7 . The furniture cabinet of  claim 1  wherein the front panel includes a face panel with a door hingedly connected to the face panel. 
     
     
         8 . A kit for a furniture cabinet comprising:
 a package;   an expandable vertical body positioned in the package, the expandable vertical body comprising a plurality of interconnected panels arranged in parallel with one another within the package, the plurality of panels including a front panel, a back panel opposite the front panel, a left side split panel positioned between and hingedly connected to both the front panel and the back panel, and a right side split panel positioned between and hingedly connected to both the front panel and the back panel;   a horizontal base panel positioned in parallel with the plurality of interconnected panels of the vertical body within the package; and   a horizontal top panel positioned in parallel with the horizontal base panel and the plurality of interconnected panels of the vertical body within the package.   
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 8  wherein the horizontal base panel is hingedly connected to the expandable vertical body and wherein the horizontal top panel is disconnected from the expandable vertical body within the package. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 9  wherein the back panel includes at least two elongated horizontal panel members connected to at least two elongated vertical panel members, wherein the horizontal base panel is hingedly connected to the at least two elongated vertical panel members of the back panel. 
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 8  wherein the horizontal base panel and the horizontal top panel are disconnected from the expandable vertical body within the package. 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 8  wherein:
 the left side split panel includes a forward left panel portion hingedly connected to a rearward left panel portion, wherein the forward left panel portion is hingedly connected to the front panel and the rearward left panel portion is hingedly connected to the back panel; and 
 the right side split panel includes a forward right panel portion hingedly connected to a rearward right panel portion, wherein the forward right panel portion is hingedly connected to the front panel and the rearward right panel portion is hingedly connected to the back panel. 
 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 12  wherein the forward left panel portion and rearward left panel portion are configured to pivot relative to one another when the front panel is moved away from the back panel, and wherein the forward right panel portion and rearward right panel portion are configured to pivot relative to one another when the front panel is moved away from the back panel. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 8  wherein each panel of the plurality of interconnected panels of the expandable vertical body includes six faces with two larger faces, wherein at least one of the two larger faces of each panel engages one of the two larger faces of an adjacent panel within the package. 
     
     
         15 . A method of making a furniture cabinet comprising:
 opening a package comprising a plurality of panels for the furniture cabinet;   removing the plurality of panels from the package, the plurality of panels including an expandable vertical body, a horizontal base panel and a horizontal top panel;   placing the expandable vertical body in an upright position with a plurality of interconnected panels of the expandable vertical body arranged in parallel with one another, the plurality of interconnected panels including a front panel, a back panel opposite the front panel, a left side split panel rotatably connected to both the front panel and the back panel, and a right side split panel rotatably connected to both the front panel and the back panel;   moving the front panel away from the back panel such that the left side split panel and the right side split panel both rotate relative to the front panel and the back panel with an interior cabinet space defined between the front panel, the back panel, the left side split panel, and the right side split panel;   arranging a horizontal base panel within the interior cabinet space with the horizontal base panel perpendicular to the front panel, back panel, left side split panel, and right side split panel; and   arranging a horizontal top panel above the interior cabinet space with the horizontal top panel perpendicular to the vertical front panel, back panel, left side split panel, and right side split panel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the left side split panel is rotatably connected to the front panel and the back panel with a first plurality of hinges, and wherein the right side split panel is rotatably connected to the front panel and the back panel with a second plurality of hinges. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the left side split panel includes a forward left panel portion hingedly connected to a rearward left panel portion with the forward left panel portion hingedly connected to the front panel and the rearward left panel portion hingedly connected to the back panel, and wherein the right side split panel includes a forward right panel portion hingedly connected to a rearward right panel portion with the forward right panel portion hingedly connected to the front panel and the rearward right panel portion hingedly connected to the back panel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the front panel is moved away from the back panel until the forward left panel portion and the rearward left panel portion of the split left side panel are perpendicular to the front panel and the back panel, and until the forward right panel portion and the rearward right panel portion of the right side split panel are perpendicular to the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the horizontal base panel is hingedly connected to one of the front panel and the back panel, and wherein arranging the horizontal base panel within the interior cabinet space includes rotating the horizontal base panel from a position that is parallel to the front panel and the back panel to a position that is perpendicular to the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the horizontal top panel is a free panel relative to the plurality of interconnected panels of the expandable vertical body, and wherein arranging the horizontal top panel within the interior cabinet space includes inserting a plurality of ribs on a bottom of the horizontal top panel into engagement with the expandable vertical body and/or into the interior cabinet space.