US3267492A - Trim strip - Google Patents

Description

T. E. JENKINS Aug. 23, 1966 TRIM STRIP Filed NOV. 12, 1963 INVENTOR.

THOMAS E. TENYQNS e H\5 ATTORNEY 3,267,492 Ice Patented August 23, 1966 3,267,492 TRIM STRIP Thomas E. Jenkins, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 322,656 4 (Ilaims. (Cl. 4-187) This invention relates to trim strips and, more particularly, to a trim strip for mounting a sink or other appliance in a cabinet.

For a number of years it has been the practice to mount sinks in openings provided in the top surface of kitchen cabinets. With the older type of sink construction this mounting presented little problem. A trim strip was provided which extended around the outer edge of the sink and contacted both the sink and the surface of the cabinet. This trim strip was provided with a flange extending downwardly between the sink and the cabinet and retaining clips were provided to connect the underside of the sink and cabinet to this flange.

However, much greater difliculty is encountered when it is desired to mount a sink in a cabinet top and have the sink extend through the front of the cabinet. The ordinary types of trim strip provided for mounting sinks in openings in tops of counters are entirely unsatisfactory in that it would be necessary to manufacture a different trim strip for each configuration of cabinet in order for the trim strip to fit snugly about the upper front edge of the counter.

Similar problems are encountered in attempting to seal the junction between built-in washing machines, dishwashers, etc., and the cabinets adjacent thereto. The dishwasher or washing machine is normally as deep as the cabinets and to obtain a smooth appearance at the juncture between them and a cabinet it is necessary to seal around the upper front edges of the associated cabinets.

Not only is it necessary to accommodate cabinets having widely varying upper front edge configurations, but it is also necessary to compensate for the fact that the workmen, in building the cabinets, will normally be unable to leave an opening in the cabinet of exactly the proper size for the insertion of the appliance. This invention provides a trim strip which solves all these problems, gives a finished appearance and is usable with a wide variety of cabinets.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved trim strip for mounting a sink or other appliance in a cabinet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a universal trim strip which will accommodate a wide variety of front edge shapes of cabinets.

A further object of this invention is to provide a universal trim strip which will compensate for variations in the size of the openings in cabinets.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

The present invention, in one form thereof, is directed to a universal trim strip which is used to mount a sink or other appliance in a cabinet. The trim strip is formed in a generally U-shaped configuration in order to fit around three sides of the sink, the front of the sink extending through the front side of the cabinet. For the major part of its length the connecting strip is formed with a horizontal portion which serves to cover the edge of the sink and the edge of the cabinet and a flange which extends downwardly between the sink and the cabinet to receive a screw and clip arrangement for supporting the sink. Thus the trim strip serves as the connecting link for supporting the sink in the cabinet as well as providing a finished appearance to the front.

The ends of the connecting strip are formed with a generally U-shaped cross-section providing a pair of downwardly extending arms. One of these arms overlies the front portion of the sink and is formed to terminate closely adjacent thereto. The other arm is formed to contact the cabinet. The ends of the strip extend outwardly and upwardly beyond the front of the cabinet and the sink so as to accommodate a large variety of front edge cabinet shapes.

For a better understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a cabinet and sink arrangement including one form of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial enlarged plan view of a portion of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line 33 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 with the screw in a tightened position; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along line 66 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a sink mounting including one embodiment of this invention in which a sink 1 is supported in a cabinet 2 by means of a trim strip 3. The front portion 4 of sink 1 extends outwardly to a front edge 5 of cabinet 2 and ends 6 and 7 of trim strip 3 extend outwardly further than either sink 1 or cabinet 2. Trim strip 3, in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, is formed in U-shape so as to extend along both sides and the rear of sink 1 in order to completely support it within cabinet 2. However, it will be obvious that, if the sink were designed to extend to the rear edge 8 of the cabinet, the connecting strip could be formed as a pair of straight complementary strips, one to be provided at each side of the sink.

As may be seen in FIGURE 6, for the major portion of its length connecting strip 3 is formed with a horizontal portion 9 which covers the space between sink 1 and cabinet 2 and bears against both of them to form a tight seal. A flange or arm 10 extends downwardly from horizontal portion 9 between sink 1 and cabinet 2 and is provided with a number of openings 11 to receive securing means for physically connecting the sink to the cabinet. Each of the securing means comprises an L-shaped bracket 12 which bears against the underside of sink 1 and extends through one of the openings 11 in flange 10. A screw 13 is threadedly received through the end of bracket 12 most remote from the sink and abuts the underside of cabinet 2. The screw 13 may be adjusted in order to properly align bracket 12 and correctly mount the sink in the cabinet.

As may be seen in FIGURE 2, horizontal portion 9 of connecting strip 3 terminates inwardly of the front of the sink and cabinet and is formed integrally with a 'U-shaped portion 14. The U-shaped portion 14 includes a pair of resilient, spaced, downwardly extending arms. One of these arms is an extension of flange 10 while the other is a relatively short arm 15 which is designed to overlie front portion 4 of sink 1 and terminate closely adjacent thereto. A gusset 16 is provided in the bight of U-shaped portion 14. Gusset 16 serves to maintain the spacing between arms 10 and 15 and enables strip 3 to be tightly secured to the cabinet without bending the arms. A screw 17 is inserted through an opening in arm 15, gusset 16, and arm 10 and is received in cabinet 2 to secure the forward portion of the trim strip to the cabinet.

If desired the gusset can be eliminated by providing a larger opening in arm 15 so that screw 17 would be inserted completely through arm 15 and the screw head would bear against arm 10. With this arrangement a plug would normally be provided to fill the opening in arm 15 after complete assembly to keep undesired material from getting between the arms.

The arm 15 closely overlies front portion 4 of sink 1 (as may be seen in FIGURE 3) and overlaps edge 18 of sink 1 (as may be seen in FIGURE 4). Therefore, when screw 17 is tightened and arm is drawn snugly against cabinet 2, overlapping of edge 18 of sink 1 by arm prevents arm 15 from being drawn beyond edge 18 of the sink (as may be seen in FIGURE 5).

This mounting arrangement enables a sink or other appliance to be quickly and easily mounted within a cabinet, even if the opening in the cabinet has not been perfectly cut to size. If desired epoxy resin may be applied to the edge of the cabinet adjacent the front corner in order to fill in any openings between arm 10 and cabinet 2 resulting from irregularities in the cut in the cabinet.

The ends of connecting strip 3 extend outwarldy and upwardly beyond the front edges of the cabinet and sink. This construction of the connecting strip enables a connecting strip of a single design to be used in mounting sinks or other appliances in cabinets having a wide variety of front edge configurations 0r shapes.

, It will be obvious that similar connecting strips can be utilized in sealing the space between a dishwasher, a washing machine or the like and the adjacent cabinet when they are built into a cabinet structure. The only significant difference lies in the fact that, since the dishwasher or automatic washing machine would normally be a free standing device, the clips 12 and screws 13 would be omitted from the structure.

Modifications of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art and it is desired to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed but that the appended claims are meant to cover all modifications which are within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A universal trim strip for mounting an appliance in a cabinet comprising:

(a) a horizontal portion to cover the space between the appliance and the cabinet,

(b) said horizontal portion terminating rearwardly of I the front of the appliance and the cabinet,

(c) a U-shaped portion having two, spaced, resilient,

downwardly-extending arms,

1 (d) said U-shaped portion being formed integrally with said horizontal portion and extending forwardly therefrom,

(e) said U-shaped portion projecting beyond the front of the appliance and the cabinet,

(f) one of said arms overlying the appliance, and

(g) the other of said arms abutting the cabinet.

2. A universal trim strip for mounting an appliance in a cabinet comprising:

(a) a horizontal portion to cover the space between the appliance and the cabinet,

(b) said horizontal portion terminating rearwardly of the front of the appliance and the cabinet,

(c) a U-shaped portion having two, spaced, resilient downwardly-extending arms,

((1) said 'U-shaped portion being formed integrally with said horizontal portion and extending forwardly therefrom,

(e) said U-shaped portion projecting beyond the front of the appliance and the cabinet,

(f) one of said arms overlying the appliance, and

(g) a crew extending through at least the other of said arms and seated in the cabinet whereby tightening of said screw forces said other arm tightly against the cabinet to form a smooth even joint.

3. A universal trim strip for mounting an appliance in a cabinet comprising:

(a) a horizontal portion to cover the space between the appliance and the cabinet,

(b) said horizontal portion terminating rearwardly of the front of the appliance and the cabinet,

(c) a U-shaped portion having two, spaced, resilient downwardly-extending arms,

(d) said U-shaped portion being formed integrally with said horizontal portion and extending forwardly therefrom,

(e) said U-shaped portion projecting beyond the front of the appliance and the cabinet,

(f) one of said arms overlying the appliance,

(g) the other of said arms abutting the cabinet,

(h) a screw extending through said arms and seated in the cabinet, and

(i) a gusset substantially filling the space between said arms adjacent said screw for maintaining the spaced relationship of said arms whereby tightening of said screw forces the second of said arms tightly against appliance in said horizontal portion and extending forwardly therefrom,

(g) said U-shaped portion projecting beyond the front of the appliance and the cabinet,

(h) one of said arms overlying the front portion of the appliance and terminating closely adjacent thereto,

(i) the other of said arms being an extension of said flange and abutting the appliance,

(j) a screw extending through saidarms and seated in the cabinet,

(k) a gusset substantially filling the space between said arms adjacent said screw for maintaining the spaced relationship of said arms whereby tightening of said screw forces the second of said arms tightly against the cabinet without bending said arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS- 2,088,933 8/1937 Uphues. 2,599,322 6/1952 Drain. 2,721,333 10/1955 Stanitz 4l89 3,014,476 12/1961 Barnett 4-'187 X 3,051,160 8/1962 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Praia- Examiner. H. GROSS, Assistant Examiner.

Nielsen 4-187 X

Claims (1)

1. A UNIVERSAL TRIM STRIP FOR MOUNTING AN APPLIANCE IN A CABINET COMPRISING: (A) A HORIZONTAL PORTION TO COVER THE SPACE BETWEEN THE APPLIANCE AND THE CABINET, (B) SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION TERMINATING REARWARDLY OF THE FRONT OF THE APPLIANCE AND THE CABINET, (C) A U-SHAPED PORTION HAVING TWO, SPACED, RESILIENT, DOWNWARDLY-EXTENDING ARMS, (D) SAID U-SHAPED PORTION BEING FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID HORIZONTAL PORTION AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM, (E) SAID U-SHAPED PORTION PROJECTING BEYOND THE FRONT OF THE APPLIANCE AND THE CABINET, (F) ONE OF SAID ARMS OVERLYING THE APPLIANCE, AND (G) THE OTHER OF SAID ARMS ABUTTING THE CABINET.

Images