EP0959797A2

EP0959797A2 - Endoscope cabinet

Info

Publication number: EP0959797A2
Application number: EP97953127A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kevin O. Osborn; James O. Kelley; Eugene R. Hamilton; Errol S. Pearsons; Edward L. Dekiep
Original assignee: Herman Miller Inc
Current assignee: MillerKnoll Inc
Priority date: 1996-12-10
Filing date: 1997-12-09
Publication date: 1999-12-01
Also published as: AU5693398A; WO1998025569A2; EP0959797A4; BR9713698A; WO1998025569A3; JP2001508328A; CN1245546A

Abstract

An apparatus and method for storing an instrument is disclosed. A cabinet (30) has walls (32, 34, 36, 38) defining a cavity and a door (78) that allows access to the cavity. The method involves opening the door to reveal the cavity and inserting the instrument within the revealed cavity. The door is closed to deny access to the cavity. Ambient atmosphere is allowed to flow within the closed cabinet to dry the instrument.

Description

ENDOSCOPE CABINET

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field Of The Invention

This invention relates to an endoscope cabinet for storing an endoscope or like medical instrument.

Discussion Of Related Art

In the past, several types of portable containers have been used to store endoscopes. The containers were rectangular in shape having an opening that allowed an endoscope to be inserted within the interior of the container. Examples of such portable containers are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,256,225 and 5,314,070.

One disadvantage of such portable containers is that the limited size of their interiors requires the endoscope to be coiled up therein. Coiling up the endoscope can create unwanted stress on the instrument and can deter the drying of the instrument.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention regards a cabinet having: a top piece, a bottom piece, a first side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece, a second side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece. A rear wall is attached to the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein the top piece, the bottom piece, the rear wall, the first side wall and the second side wall define a cavity. The cabinet includes a door movable from a first position that covers the cavity to a second position that reveals the cavity, wherein either the rear wall, the first side wall or the second side wall has a closure structure that allows the door to be moved from the second position to the first position.

A second aspect of the present invention regards a method of opening and closing a cabinet having a top piece, a bottom piece, a first side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece, a second side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece and a rear wall attached to the first side wall and the second side wall and a door, wherein the top piece, bottom piece, rear wall, first side wall and second side wall define a cavity. The method includes the step of moving the door from a first position that covers the cavity to a second position that reveals the cavity, wherein a portion of the door lies adjacent to the rear wall at the second position.. The method further includes engaging the portion of the door so as to move the door to the first position.

A second invention regards a cabinet having a top piece, a bottom piece, a first side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece, a second side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece. The cabinet further includes a rear wall attached to the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein the top piece, the bottom piece, the rear wall, the first side wall and the second side wall define a cavity. A first door of the cabinet has a handle and is movable from a first position to a second position. A second door is movable from a third position to a fourth position, wherein the second door blocks access to the handle when the first door is at the first position and the second door is at the third position.

A second aspect of the second invention regards a method of opening and closing a cabinet having a top piece, a bottom piece, a first side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece, a second side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece, a rear wall attached to the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein the top piece, bottom piece, rear wall, first side wall and the second side wall define a cavity. The cabinet includes a first movable door and a second movable door with a handle. The method involving moving the first door from a first position to a second position and moving the second door from a third position to a fourth position so that the second door blocks access to the handle.

A third invention regards a cabinet having a top piece, a bottom piece, a first side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece, a second side wall attached to the top piece and the bottom piece. The cabinet further including a rear wall attached to the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein the top piece, bottom piece, rear wall, first side wall and second side wall define a cavity. A door is movable from a first position that covers the cavity to a second position that reveals the cavity, wherein either the top piece, the bottom piece, the rear wall or the first side wall has an opening formed therein so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into the cabinet when the door covers the cavity.

A second aspect of the third invention regards a method of storing an endoscopic instrument or the like in a cavity located within a cabinet having a door that allows access to the instrument within the cavity. The method involves opening the door so as to reveal the cavity and inserting an endoscopic instrument or the like within the revealed cavity. The door is then closed so as to deny access to the cavity. Next, the ambient atmosphere is allowed to flow within the closed cabinet so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to dry the endoscopic instrument or the like.

Several of the above-mentioned inventions present the advantages of improved access to a cabinet and locking of a cabinet.

Another advantage provided by several of the above-mentioned inventions is that they provide improved storage of endoscopic instruments or the like in that they allow the endoscope or the like to be fully extended when stored which lessens stress on the instrument and improves the drying of the instrument.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded view of an embodiment of a cabinet according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another exploded view of the cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 a side cross-sectional view of the cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cabinet according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the cabinet of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the cabinet of FIG. 5 with the doors removed;

FIG. 8 is a top view of an endoscope rack to be used with the cabinet of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the endoscope rack of FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is a front view of the endoscope rack of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11A is a front view of a bracket to be used with the cabinet of FIG. 5;

FIG. 1 IB is a side view of the bracket shown in FIG. 11 A;

FIG. 12 is a top front view of a track when the top door of the cabinet of FIG. 5 is in a closed position;

FIG. 13 is a bottom front view of a track to be used with the cabinet of FIG. 5;

FIG. 14 is a front view of the cabinet of FIG. 5;

FIG. 15 is a side cross-sectional view of the cabinet of FIG. 5 when the doors are at an open position;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the side cross-sectional view of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17A is top view of an auxiliary handle system to be used with the cabinet of FIG. 5;

FIG. 17B is a front view of the auxiliary handle system of FIG. 17 A; and

FIG. 17C is a side cross-sectional view of the auxiliary handle system of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an endoscope to be stored in the cabinets of FIGS. 1 and 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Cabinets 30, 30' according to the present invention are schematically shown in Figs. 1-17, wherein like elements are identified by like numerals. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the cabinet 30 has two sides such as side walls or panels 32, a rear side such as a rear wall or panel 34, a bottom piece 36 and a top piece 38. The side walls 32, rear wall 34, bottom piece 36 and the top piece 38 are each preferably made of a resilient material, such as steel or particle board that is covered with Mellamine and is edge banded with polyvinylchloride (PVC).

Each side wall 32 has a trapezoidal shape having a base 40 with a length of approximately 14", a front side 42 with a length of approximately 89", a rear side 44 with a length of approximately 92" and a top side 46 having a length of approximately 12". The side walls 32 are parallel to one another and are separated from one another by approximately 22". The top piece 38 is attached to each of the side walls 32 by fasteners, such as screws, which are inserted through four comer holes 48 formed at the four comers in the top piece 38 and into corresponding comer holes 50 formed in the interior side of the side walls 32. The side walls 32 are attached to the bottom piece 36 in a similar manner by inserting six screws 51 into comer holes 52 formed in rectangular tabs 54 of the bottom piece 36 and comer holes 56 of the side walls 32. Note that the rectangular tabs 54 and holes 52 located on the left side of the bottom piece 36 face corresponding tabs 54 and holes 52, respectively, located on the right side of the bottom piece 36. Similarly, the holes 50 and 56 of the left side wall 32 face corresponding holes 50 and 56 of the right side wall 32.

Top piece 38 has a rectangular top plate 58 with an edging 60 that covers a top portion of the front side edges 62 of the side walls 32. The top plate 58 has a width of approximately 22" and a length of approximately 12".

Bottom piece 36 has a rectangular bottom plate 64 having a width of approximately 22" and a length of approximately 14". A vertical lip 66 is integral with the bottom plate 64. The lip 66 has a width of approximately 22" and a height of approximately 6".

The side walls 32 may be attached to a permanent wall (not shown) by by three brackets 68. As shown in FIG. 2, the brackets 68 are attached to the permanent wall by inserting fasteners, such as screws, through holes 70 formed in the brackets 68 and into the permanent wall. The brackets 68 are attached to the side walls 32 by inserting fasteners, such as screws 72, through holes 74 formed in the side walls 32. At this point, the side walls 32 are mounted to the permanent wall by the brackets 68. Each side wall 32 includes three screws 75 that extend inward towards the opposite side wall 32. The screws 75 are used to support the rear wall 34 thereon by inserting the screws 75 into corresponding L-shaped slots 77 formed in the rear wall 34. Once the screw 75 are inserted, the rear wall 34 is lowered until the screws 75 engage the closed end of the L-shaped slots 77. Thus, the rear wall 34 is hung on the screws 75. It is understood that without departing from the spirit of the invention, the cabinet 30 may be free standing and movable by eliminating the brackets 68. In this case, the side walls 32 are attached directly to the rear wall 34 in a well known manner, such as screws or nuts and bolts.

Once the side walls 32, the rear wall 34, the bottom piece 36 and the top piece 38 are attached to each other, they define an interior cavity 76. It is understood that other shapes and configurations for the side walls 32, the rear wall 34, the bottom piece 36 and the top piece 38 are possible. For example, the top piece 38 may be positioned parallel to the bottom piece 36.

A tambour door 78 is inserted into U-shaped grooves or tracks 80 formed in each side wall 32. Each groove 80 is formed adjacent to the inwardly jutting front side edge 62, the top piece 38 and the rear wall 34. The groove 80 has a rectangular cross-section with a width of approximately 3/8" and a depth of approximately V". The door 78 has a length of approximately 82" and a width of approximately 23.5". A smaller version of a tambour door 78 is used with the C- Locker manufactured under the trademark COSTRUC by Milcare, Inc. of Zeeland, Michigan. Once inserted in the grooves or tracks 80, the tambour door 78 is movable from a closed position where the door 78 extends from the top to the bottom of the side walls 32 so as to cover the cavity 76 and deny access thereto. From the closed position, the tambour door 78 can be moved to an open position where the bottom 84 of the door 78 moves up to the top of the side walls 32 that reveals the cavity 76 so as to allow access therein.

When the tambour door 78 is moved to the open position, the bottom 84 of the door 78 may be unreachable for some people. In order to gain access to the door 78 at the open position, a closure stmcture 86 is formed in the rear wall 34 that allows the door 78 to be moved from the open position to the closed position by a smaller person. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the closure stmcture 86 includes one or more openings 88 formed in the rear wall 34. The openings 88 are rectangular in shape having a width of approximately 1.5" and a height of approximately 12". The bottom ends 90 of the openings 88 are approximately 50" above the bottom plate 64. An auxiliary rear handle 92 can be inserted into one of the openings 88 and is able to slide from the bottom end 90 to a top end 94 of the opening 88. As shown in FIGS. 17A-C, the handle 92 is made of three pieces - - a curved handle 96 positioned outside the cabinet 30, an L-shaped support 98 having a ledge 100 that is located within the cavity 76 and a screw 102 that attaches the support 98 to the handle 96 by passing through the opening 88. As shown in FIG. 17C, a portion of the door 78 lies adjacent to the rear wall 34 so that the top end 104 of the door 78 is received on the ledge 100 when the door 78 is at the open position. The door 78 is closed by moving the handle 92 from the bottom end 90 to the top end 94 of the opening 88. The ledge 100 moves upward which engages the top end 104 of the door 78 and causes the top end 104 to slide upward and the bottom 84 of the door 78 downward along the front side edges 62 of the side walls 32. When the handle 92 reaches the top end 94 of the opening 88, the bottom 84 of the door 78 is located at an intermediate position below the top piece 38 nearer the bottom plate 64 so that a person can reach it and move it to the closed position by pulling and sliding the door 78 down to the top of the vertical lip 66 so as to close the cabinet 30. It is understood that a pair of tambour doors 118 and 120 and a closure structure 86' may be employed with the cabinet 30 in a manner as described with the cabinet of FIG. 5. It is also possible to adapt the closure stmcture 86, openings 88 and the handle 96 to engage a tambour door at one or both of the side walls 32 (schematically shown in FIG. 1) in a manner as described above.

When the door 78 is moved to the open position, an endoscopic instrument 106 or the like, such as shown in FIG. 18, is placed in the cabinet 30 and hung on the endoscope racks 108 which have one or more openings 110 to receive one or more instruments so that a substantial portion of the endoscopic instruments 106 or the like extend along a vertical direction. The endoscope racks 108 are made of a resilient material such as a solid phenolic and are substantially rectangular in shape having a length of approximately 22" and a thickness of approximately 3/8". The top rack has a width of 6" while the lower rack has a width ranging from 3 to 4 inches. The openings 110 of the upper and lower endoscope racks 108 are preferably offset from one another by approximately 0.5". The endoscope racks 108 are inserted within slots 112 formed in the rear wall 34 and are attached to the side walls 32 by inserting the front comers of the racks 108 into C-shaped brackets 113 which are attached to the side walls 32 via fasteners such as screws 115. The upper and lower endoscope racks 108 are positioned approximately 78" and 39", respectively, above the bottom plate 64.

The endoscopic instrument or the like 106 is supported on the upper rack 108 by inserting the head 117 of the eyepiece section into the openings 110 and having the strain relief portion 119 of the fiber optic cable supported in the V-shaped holders 121. The V-shaped holders 121 are made of the same material as the upper rack 108 and have a cylindrical base 123 with a V-shaped notch 125 formed in the top of the cylindrical base 123. The lower rack 108 supports, in an opening offset from the opening supporting the head 117, a light guide 127 which extends from the strain relief portion 119. Once the instruments 106 are hung on the racks 108, the door 78 is moved to the closed position and locked via a well known locking mechanism 129 such as lock model 66-017412-61 made by Medeco of Salem, Virginia. Access to the instmments is thus prevented.

Note that the locking mechanism 129 is inserted in a notch 131 formed in either side wall 32. Once the locking mechanism 129 is secured to the side wall 32, covers 133 are attached to the outer sides of the side walls 32 via screws 135 so as to cover both notches 131.

While the instmments are locked within the cabinet 30, they are allowed to dry in a number of ways. First, one or more openings 114 can be formed in either the top piece 38, the bottom piece 36, the rear wall 34 or one of the side walls 32 so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into the cavity 76 of the cabinet 30. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, twenty one oval openings are formed in an upper grill 125 and a lower grill 127. Each opening has a length of approximately 5/8" and a height of approximately 1/8". It is understood that varying the number and size of the openings would be possible without departing from the spirit of the invention which is to allow the ambient air to flow within the cavity 76 and help dry the instmments therein.

A second way of drying the instmments is to insert a removable drip pan 116 above the bottom piece 36 and below the lowest hanging end of the endoscopic instmment 106 or the like. The drip pan 116 is supported on four shoulder screws (not shown) that are inserted in the side walls 32 so that the four comers of the drip pan 116 are supported by a corresponding shoulder screw. The drip pan 116 collects an amount of liquid present on the hanging endoscopic instrument 106 or the like. When the drip pan 116 is substantially full of the liquid that has dripped off of the endoscopic instrument 106 or the like, the drip pan 116 is removed and the liquid therein is poured in a suitable container for disposal. The empty drip pan 116 is cleaned and returned to the cabinet 30. Note that when the drip pan 116 is removed, a second empty drip- pan 1 16 can be placed in the cabinet 30 to collect further liquid from the endoscopic instrument 106 or the like. It is also possible to insert an absorbent material, such as a towel, within the drip pan 116 and remove the towel when it is soaked with the liquid. The drip pan 1 16 remains in the cabinet 116 when the towel is removed and a new towel can be inserted within the drip pan 116.

Other variations of cabinet 30 are shown in FIGS. 5-17. In these versions two tambour doors, lower tambour door 118 and upper tambour door 120, are used to control access to the interior cavity 76'. The cabinet 30' has two sides such as side walls 32', a rear wall 34' and a top piece 38'. The side walls 32', rear wall 34' and the top piece 38' are each preferably made of a resilient material, such as steel or particle board that is covered with Mellamine and is edge banded with polyvinylchloride (PVC).

Each side wall 32' has a rectangular shape having a length of approximately 90" and a width of approximately 14". The side walls 32' are parallel to one another and are separated from one another by approximately 22". The top rectangular piece 38' (width of approximately 12" and a length of approximately 23.75") is attached to each of the side walls 32' by fasteners, such as screws, which are inserted through four comer holes 48' formed at the four comers in the top piece 38' and into corresponding comer holes 50' formed in the interior side of the side walls 32'. Note that the holes 50' of the left side wall 32' face corresponding holes 50' of the right side wall 32'. Each side wall 32' may be attached to a permanent wall via three L-shaped brackets 68'. Screws are inserted through holes 70' formed in the brackets 68' and into the permanent wall. The brackets 68' are attached to the side walls 32' by inserting fasteners, such as a pair of screws 72', through side holes formed in the bracket 68'and into holes 74' formed in the side walls 32'. Each side wall 32' includes three screws, like screws 75, that extend inward towards the opposite side wall 32'. The screws are used to support the rear wall 34' thereon by inserting the screws into corresponding L-shaped slots 77' formed in the rear wall 34'. Once the screw are inserted, the rear wall 34' is lowered until the screws engage the closed end of the L-shaped slots 77'. The side walls 32' are attached to a rectangular lip 66' via comer brackets 122 and screws (not shown). The lip 66' is rectangular in shape and has a width of approximately 1", a height of approximately 2" and a length of approximately 22".

It is understood that without departing from the spirit of the invention, the cabinet 30' may be free standing and movable by eliminating the brackets 68'. In this case, the side wall 32' are attached directly to the rear wall 34' in a well known manner, such as screws or nuts and bolts.

Once the side walls 32', the rear wall 34', the lip 66' and the top piece 38' are attached to each other, they define an interior cavity 76'. It is understood that other shapes and configurations for the side walls 32', the rear wall 34', the lip 66' and the top piece 38' are possible, such as that described with the cabinet 30 of FIGS. 1-4. Furthermore, the cabinet 30' may have a bottom piece as described previously with respect to cabinet 30 or it may be supported on four comer legs 137 attached to the bottom of side walls 32' so that the cabinet has an approximate height of 8 feet.

Tambour doors 118 and 120 are inserted into an oval shaped track or groove 80' formed in each side wall 32'. Each track or groove 80' is formed adjacent to the inwardly jutting front side edge 62', the top piece 38' and the rear wall 34'. The track or groove 80'has a rectangular cross-section with a width of approximately 3/8" and a height of approximately ³ i". The lower door 118 has a length of approximately 37" and a width of approximately 23.5". Similarly, the upper door 120 has a length of approximately 55" and a width of approximately 23.5". An example of a tambour door 118 or 120 is used with the C-Locker manufactured under the trademark COSTRUC by Milcare, Inc, of Zeeland, Michigan.

Once inserted in the track or groove 80', the lower and upper tambour doors 118 and 120, respectively, are able to move to a closed position where the handles 128 of the doors contact each other. When both the doors 118 and 120 are moved to the closed position, the doors abut each other so as to cover the cavity 76' and deny access thereto. From the closed position, the tambour doors 118 and 120 can be moved to an open position where the top 130 of the lower door 118 moves down to the bottom of the side walls 32' and the bottom 132 of the upper door 120 moves to the top of the side walls 32' so that access to the cavity 76' is allowed.

As with the embodiment of the cabinet 30 of FIGS. 1-4, the cabinet 30' has a closure stmcture 86' formed in the rear wall 34' that allows the upper door 120 to be moved from the open position to the closed position by a smaller person. As shown in FIG. 14, the closure stmcture 86' includes a central opening 88' formed in the rear wall 34'. The opening 88' is substantially rectangular in shape having a width of approximately 1.5" and a height of approximately 12". The bottom end 90' of the opening 88' is approximately 50" above the floor supporting the cabinet 30'. An auxiliary rear handle 92' having the same stmcture as shown and described previously with respect to FIGS. 17A-C is inserted into the opening 88' and is able to slide from the bottom end 90' to a top end 94' of the opening 88'. As described previously, the cabinet 30' is closed from the open position by moving the handle 92' from the bottom end 90' to the top end 94'. This causes the top end 104' of the top door 120 to slide upward and the bottom 84' of the door 78' to slide downward along the front side edges 62' of the side walls 32'. When the handle 92' reaches the top end 94', the bottom 84' is located at an intermediate position below the top piece 38' and above the cross bracket 128. At the intermediate position, a person can grasp the bottom 132 and pull it down to the top of the bracket 128. The cabinet 30' is closed by sliding the lower door 118 up and the upper door 120 down until their handles 128 abut each other as shown in FIG. 5. It is also possible to adapt the closure stmcture 86', openings 88' and the handle 96' to engage a tambour door at one or both of the side walls 32' (schematically shown in FIG. 15 by dashed lines) in a manner as described above. The doors 118 and 120 can be locked by a conventional locking mechanism 129' such as lock model 66-017412-61 made by Medeco of Salem, Virginia.

Note that the locking mechanism 129' is inserted in a notch 131 ' formed in either side wall 32'. Once the locking mechanism 129' is secured to the side wall, covers 133' are attached to the outer sides of the side walls 32' via screws 135' so as to cover both notches 131'.

The cabinet 30' is designed to store an endoscopic instmment 106 or the like by hanging the instrument 106 on a pair of racks 136 and 138 that are arranged one above the other as shown in FIGS. 8-10. As shown in FIGS. 8-10, the racks 136 and 138 are attached to a common support plate 140 which is attached to the rear wall 34' in a well known manner, such as by screws 142. In another variation, each pair of upper and lower racks 136 and 138, respectively, are attached to separate support plates 140 which have offset arms 139 that are inserted into slots 141 of a C-shaped bracket 143 that is permanently attached to the interior facing side of the rear wall 34'. Bracket 143 is sized so that more than one support plate 140 is able to be supported within the slots 141. Thus, a desired configuration of the racks is accomplished by sliding the support plates 140 within the slots 141 to desired positions along the slots 141.

The top rack 136 is designed to hold the head 117 of an eyepiece of an endoscope 106 by having a pair of cylindrical arms 145 that are separated from each other by approximately 2" (center-to-center) where each arm 145 has a diameter of approximately 0.5" and a length of approximately 4". The arms 145 are made of steel 144 that is surrounded by a urethane sleeve 146. The other rack 138 is positioned approximately 1.18" below the rack 136 and is U-shaped where the arms 148 extend approximately 4" from the support plate 140. As shown in FIGS. 8-10, rack 138 preferably is made from a single steel wire 150 which is wrapped with a urethane outer skin 152. The lower rack 138 is designed to support the portion of the endoscope 106 connected to and positioned below the eyepiece 117.

The cabinet 30' may have an opening or vent 154 formed in either the top piece 38' (FIG. 5) or the top comer of cabinet 30 (FIG. 12) and a bottom opening 156 (FIG. 13). The bottom opening 156 is formed by placing the previously described cabinets 30, 30' on a rectangular base 157 made of a front panel 159, a rear panel and a pair of side panels 161. The front and rear panels have lengths that correspond to the widths of the lip 66' and rear wall 34'. The front panel 159 may have a cove base molding 163 formed thereon. The side panels 161 are approximately 3" shorter than the side walls 32, 32' so that the front panel 159 is offset with respect to the lip 66' and rectangular opening 156. As described previously with respect to the cabinet 30 of FIGS. 1 -4, the openings 154 and 156 allow the ambient atmosphere to flow through the closed cabinet 30' so as to dry the instmments 106 stored therein. A drip pan 116', similar to the one described previously with respect to the cabinet 30 of FIGS. 1-4 and 17, may be inserted within the cabinet 30' above the bottom piece 36' so as to collect the liquid drippings from the endoscopic instmments 106 or the like in a manner as described previously. The drip pan 116' is supported on four shoulder screws (not shown) that are inserted in the side walls 32' so that the four comers of the drip pan 116' are supported by a corresponding shoulder screw.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a locking system that can be employed both for the cabinet 30 of FIGS. 1-4 when two tambour doors are employed and the cabinet 30' of FIGS. 5-14 and 17. As shown in FIG. 16, both the lower tambour door 118 and the upper tambour door 120 have handles 158 and 160 attached at the ends of the doors. The handles 158 and 160 are preferably like the handles used with the C- Locker manufactured under the trademark COSTRUC by Milcare, Inc. of Zeeland, Michigan but with a reversed attachment. To close the cabinet 30, 30', the handle 158 is grasped and lifted so that the lower door 1 18 follows a J-shaped portion 162 of the track in which the door is inserted. The J-shaped portion 162 has a straight section 164 that ns substantially parallel to the front side edges 62, 62'and an end portion 166 that is attached to the straight section 164 and curves into the cavity 78, 78' at an angle θ of approximately 35°. The end of the end portion 166 has a lower notch 168 that receives a protmsion 170 of the handle 158. Thus, the notch 168 holds the lower door 118 in the closed position. To close the cabinet 30, 30', the upper door 120 is lowered to a position approximately 42" above the floor so that the handle 160 and the upper door 120 block access to the handle 158. When the doors 1 18 and 120 are moved to the positions shown in FIG. 16, the cavity 78, 78' is covered and access is denied therein. At the closed position, the handle 158 is positioned nearer the rear wall 34, 34' than the portion of the upper door 120 that covers the cavity 78, 78' at the closed position. At the closed position, the upper door 120 can be locked by a locking mechanism 129, 129' (not shown). Locking the upper door 120 effectively locks the lower door 118 since the only way to move lower door 118 downward is to reach into the cavity 78 and lift the protmsion 170 out of the notch 168. It should be noted that the closure stmctures 86, 86' described with respect to the cabinets of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 can be employed with the locking system of FIGS. 16-17 so as to aid in the closing of the upper door 120. Also, the J-shaped portion 162 can be used with the upper door 120 so that the lower door 118 blocks access to the door 120 in a manner described above. The cabinet 30, 30' is opened by unlocking the locking mechanism, moving the upper door 120 upward and lifting the protmsion 170 out of the notch 168 and lowering the lower door 118.

The foregoing description is provided to illustrate the invention, and is not to be constmed as a limitation. Numerous additions, substitutions and other changes can be made to the invention without departing from its scope as set forth in the appended claims. For example, the rack of cabinet 30 may be used in the cabinet 30' and vice versa.

Claims

WE CLAIM:

1. A cabinet comprising: a top piece; a bottom piece; a first side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece; a second side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece; a rear wall attached to said first side wall and said second side wall, wherein said top piece, said bottom piece, said rear wall, said first side wall and said second side wall define a cavity; and a door movable from a first position that covers said cavity to a second position that reveals said cavity, wherein either said rear wall, first side wall or said second side wall comprises a closure stmcture that allows said door to be moved from said second position to said first position.

2. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein said rear wall comprises said closure stmcture.

The cabinet of claim^' 1, wherein said door comprises a tambour door.

4. The cabinet of claim 3, wherein said first side wall comprises a track in which said tambour door is inserted.

5. The cabinet of claim 3, wherein said door comprises a second tambour door that abuts said first tambour door at said first position.

6. The cabinet of claim 5, wherein said second tambour door is inserted within said track.

7. The cabinet of claim 1 , wherein said closure stmcture comprises an opening formed in said rear wall so as to allow access to said door when said door is at said second position.

8. The cabinet of claim 7, wherein said closure stmcture comprises a handle mounted within said opening and movable therein from a first end of the opening to a second end of said opening.

9. The cabinet of claim 8, said handle comprises a support that receives an end of said door, wherein movement of said handle from said first end to said second end causes a bottom end of said door to move to an intermediate position between said second position and said first position.

10. The cabinet of claim 7, wherein said door comprises a tambour door.

11. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein said first side wall comprises a track in which said tambour door is inserted.

12. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein said door comprises a second tambour door that abuts said first tambour door at said first position.

13. The cabinet of claim 12, wherein said second tambour door is inserted within said track.

14. The cabinet of claim 1 , comprising an opening formed in either said top piece, said bottom piece, said rear wall or said first side wall so as to allow the ambient atmosphere flow through said opening and enter into said cabinet when said door covers said cavity.

15. The cabinet of claim 1, comprising an opening formed in said bottom piece so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into said cabinet when said door covers said cavity.

16. The cabinet of claim 1 , comprising an opening formed in said first side wall so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into said cabinet when said door covers said cavity.

17. The cabinet of claim 1 , comprising a removable drip pan positioned above said bottom piece.

18. The cabinet of claim 1 , comprising a rack having one or more openings to receive an instrument.

19. The cabinet of claim 18, wherein said rack is supported within a slot of a support plate that is mounted within said cabinet, wherein said rack is able to slide within said slot to a desired position.

20. A method of opening and closing a cabinet having a top piece, a bottom piece, a first side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece, a second side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece and a rear wall attached to said first side wall and said second side wall and a door, wherein said top piece, said bottom piece, said rear wall, said first side wall and said second side wall define a cavity, said method comprising the steps of: moving said door from a first position that covers said cavity to a second position that reveals said cavity, wherein a portion of said door lies adjacent to said rear wall at said second position; and engaging said portion of said door so as to move said door to said first position.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said moving step comprises sliding said door up toward said top piece.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said engaging step comprises sliding said door down toward said bottom piece.

23. A cabinet comprising: a top piece; a bottom piece; a first side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece; a second side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece; a rear wall attached to said first side wall and said second side wall, wherein said top piece, said bottom piece, said rear wall, said first side wall and said second side wall define a cavity; a first door comprising a handle and movable from a first position to a second position; a second door movable from a third position to a fourth position, wherein said second door blocks access to said handle when said first door is at said first position and said second door is at said third position.

24. The cabinet of claim 23, wherein portions of said first door and said second door cover said cavity when positioned at said first and third positions, respectively.

25. The cabinet of claim 24, wherein said handle of said first door is positioned nearer said rear wall than said portion of said second door that covers said cavity when said second door is positioned at said third position.

26. The cabinet of claim 23, wherein said first door comprises a tambour door.

27. The cabinet of claim 26, wherein said second door comprises a second tambour door.

28. The cabinet of claim 27, wherein said first side wall comprises a track in which said first and second tambour doors are inserted.

29. The cabinet of claim 28, wherein said track comprises a J- shaped portion that comprises a straight section and an end portion attached to said straight section and curving into said cavity.

30. The cabinet of claim 29, wherein said straight section runs substantially parallel to an edge of said first side wall.

31. The cabinet of claim 29, wherein said first door is inserted into said J-shaped track.

32. The cabinet of claim 30, wherein said first door is inserted into said J-shaped track.

33. The cabinet of claim 23, wherein said closure stmcture comprises an opening formed in said rear wall which is located so as to allow access to said door when said door is at said second position.

34. The cabinet of claim 23, wherein said cavity is revealed when said first door is at said second position and said second door is at said fourth position.

35. The cabinet of claim 23, comprising an opening formed in said top piece so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into said cabinet when said door covers said cavity.

36. The cabinet of claim 23, comprising an opening formed in said bottom piece so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into said cabinet when said door covers said cavity.

37. The cabinet of claim 23, comprising an opening formed in said first side wall so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into said cabinet when said door covers said cavity.

38. The cabinet of claim 23, comprising a removable drip pan positioned above said bottom piece.

39. The cabinet of claim 23, comprising a rack having one or more openings to receive an instmment.

40. The cabinet of claim 39, wherein said rack is supported within a slot of a support plate that is mounted within said cabinet, wherein said rack is able to slide within said slot to a desired position.

41. A method of opening and closing a cabinet comprising a top piece, a bottom piece, a first side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece, a second side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece, a rear wall attached to said first side wall and said second side wall, wherein said top piece, said bottom piece, said rear wall, said first side wall and said second side wall define a cavity, a first movable door and a second movable door comprising a handle, said method comprising the steps of: moving said first door from a first position to a second position; moving said second door from a third position to a fourth position so that said second door blocks access to said handle.

42. The method of claim 41 , comprising the step of covering said cavity when said first door is moved to said first position and said second door is moved to said third position.

43. The method of claim 41 , comprising the step of moving said handle inward into said cavity when said first door is moved to said first position. _Λ™«^_« PCT/US97/22621 98/25569

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44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of moving said handle comprises first moving said handle parallel to an edge of said first side wall prior to moving said handle into said cavity.

45. The method of claim 41 , comprising the step of engaging a portion of said first door through an opening formed in said rear wall so as to move a bottom end of said door to an intermediate position between said first position and said second position.

46. The method of claim 41, comprising the steps of: moving said first door to said second position; and moving said second door to said fourth position, wherein said cavity is revealed when said first door is at said second position and said second door is at said fourth position.

47. A cabinet comprising: a top piece; a bottom piece; a first side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece; a second side wall attached to said top piece and said bottom piece; a rear wall attached to said first side wall and said second side wall, wherein said top piece, said bottom piece, said first side wall and said second side wall define a cavity; and a door movable from a first position that covers said cavity to a second position that reveals said cavity, wherein either said top piece, said bottom piece, said rear wall or said first side wall comprises an opening formed therein so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to enter into said cabinet when said door covers said cavity.

48. The cabinet of claim 47, wherein said opening is formed in said top piece.

49. The cabinet of claim 47, wherein said opening is formed in said bottom piece.

50. The cabinet of claim 47, wherein said opening is formed in said rear wall.

51. The cabinet of claim 47, wherein said opening is formed in said first side wall.

52. The cabinet of claim 47, comprising a removable drip pan positioned above said bottom piece.

53. The cabinet of claim 47, comprising a rack having one or more openings to receive an instrument.

54. The cabinet of claim 53, wherein said rack is supported within a slot of a support plate that is mounted within said cabinet, wherein said rack is able to slide within said slot to a desired position.

55. The cabinet of claim 47, wherein said door comprises a tambour door.

56. A method of storing an endoscopic instmment or the like in a cavity located within a cabinet comprising a door that allows access to said instmment within said cavity, said method comprising the steps of: opening said door so as to reveal said cavity; inserting an endoscopic instmment or the like within said revealed cavity; closing said door so as to deny access to said cavity; and allowing ambient atmosphere to flow within said closed cabinet so as to allow the ambient atmosphere to dry said endoscopic instrument or the like.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein said insertion step comprises hanging said endoscopic instrument or the like within said cavity.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein a substantial portion of said endoscopic instrument or the like extends along a vertical direction.

59. The method of claim 56, comprising the step of collecting an amount of liquid present on said endoscopic instrument or the like when said endoscopic instmment or the like is present within said cavity of said cabinet.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said collecting step comprises allowing said amount of liquid to drip off of said endoscopic instrument or the like and collecting said amount of liquid in a drip pan located below said endoscopic container or the like.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein said collecting step comprises removing said drip pan when it is substantially full of liquid that dripped off of said endoscopic instmment or the like.