Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B51/00—Cabinets with means for moving compartments up and down

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a storage device, in particular a piece of furniture, more particularly a storage device with high drawers or intended to be placed in height and in which the highest drawers can be lowered for easier access.
• Document JP 10033281 discloses a storage unit intended to be placed high and comprising a fixed main body in which is mounted a horizontally movable body and open on its underside. Vertical drawers in the form of shelves are suspended inside the movable body by respective cable and spring systems. These drawers can be pulled out of the movable body, downward, after the movable body has been removed from the fixed body. During their vertical displacement, the drawers are guided by slides provided on the lateral internal faces of the movable body and provided with a stop.
• Document DE 199 23 494 also discloses a storage unit comprising a fixed main body in which a horizontally movable body is mounted. Inside the movable body is mounted a vertically movable shelf along slides provided on the lateral internal faces of the movable body. The vertical movement of the shelf is controlled either by telescopic rods connecting the movable body to the shelf and located at the bottom of the fixed body, or by a motor secured to the movable body and connected to the shelf.
• the furniture described above both have the disadvantage that the vertical travel of the mobile storage elements (drawers, shelves) is limited, these cannot in fact be completely removed from the mobile body since they must be guided by slides.
• a storage device comprising a body and at least one storage element linked by means of connection to retaining means mounted movable horizontally in the body, l storage element which can be extracted and returned horizontally into the body with the retaining means and lowered and raised vertically relative to the latter after having been extracted from the body, characterized in that the connecting means comprise links attached to the means of retaining and retaining the storage element at different points and means for actuating these links, controlling the vertical movements of the storage element.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage unit according to a first embodiment of the invention
• - Figure 2 is a sectional view of a link actuation mechanism for descending and reassembling vertically a storage element of the furniture illustrated in Figure 1
• - Figure 3 is a bottom view of the actuating mechanism, showing a winding wheel of this mechanism in the fully unrolled position
• - Figure 4 is a perspective view of the winding wheel of the actuating mechanism, winding links
• - Figure 5 is a perspective view of a storage unit according to a second embodiment of the invention
• - Figure 6 shows a storage device according to the invention placed in height, above a sink
• - Figure 7 shows a storage device according to the invention placed on the roof of a car
• - Figure 8 is a top view of an elevating structure for raising and lowering a cabinet storage element according to the first or second embodiment of
• a tall storage unit according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a main body 1 fixed against a wall and a plurality of drawers 2 mounted in the body 1.
• the highest drawers 2 each consist of two parts, namely a retaining structure 3 movable in horizontal translation relative to the body 1 and a storage element 4, such as a rack open in the upper part, movable in vertical translation relative to the structure of retainer 3.
• each of these tallest drawers 2 can be pulled horizontally out of the body 1, only a rear part of the retainer structure 3 remaining connected to the body 1 to retain the drawer 2, then the storage element 4 may be lowered vertically with respect to the mobile structure 3, along the front face 5 of the body 1, from a position 4a in which it is inside the retaining structure 3 (cf. the dotted lines in FIG. 1) to a more accessible position, completely outside the retaining structure 3.
• the storage element 4 may be lowered vertically with respect to the mobile structure 3, along the front face 5 of the body 1, from a position 4a in which it is inside the retaining structure 3 (cf. the dotted lines in FIG. 1) to a more accessible position, completely outside the retaining structure 3.
• Each retaining structure 3 comprises horizontal rods 6 sliding in corresponding slides 7 provided on the internal lateral faces of the body 1 and a front plate 8 connecting the rods 6.
• the front plate 8 could be omitted, that is to say that the retaining structure 3 could only consist of rods 6.
• the rods 6 his t preferably telescopic rods, for example of the type used in furniture with double extension drawers.
• Each storage element 4 is linked to its retaining structure 3 by links 9, that is to say flexible and elongated elements, which hold the storage element 4 at different points.
• the links 9 consist of four cables arranged in two opposite pairs associated respectively with the two lateral faces 10, 11 of the storage element 4.
• the cables of the first pair are attached by one of their ends to one of the rods 6 of the retaining structure 3 and enter through respective holes 12 formed in the corresponding side face 10 of the storage element 4 in a double bottom defined by two lower horizontal plates 13a, 13b of the storage element 4.
• the cables of the second pair are attached by one of their ends to the other rod 6 of the retaining structure 3 and enter the double bottom 13a-13b by two respective holes 14 formed in the face corresponding side 11 of the storage element 4.
• the holes 12, 14 preferably comprise sockets (not shown) made for example of plastic or hard metal and inside which the links 9 pass.
• This actuation mechanism M is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 It notably comprises a horizontal wheel 15 for winding the links 9, movable in rotation about its axis, and a toothed wheel 16 secured to the winding wheel 15 and driven by an endless screw 17 controlled by a motor 18.
• the winding wheel 15 has a hub 19 having a large diameter hollow upper part 20 and a small diameter lower part 21 around which the toothed wheel 16 is fixed by means of a fixing ring 22 tightening the wheel. d entry 16 against an annular shoulder 23 of the lower part 21 of the hub 19 and held in position by a grub screw 24.
• Grooves 25 (only one of which is visible in FIG. 2) provided on the surface of the lower part 21 of the hub 19 receive corresponding protrusions 26 provided on the internal surface of the toothed wheel 16 to secure in rotation the hub 19 and the toothed wheel 16.
• the hub 19 is guided at its upper face around a nut
• the winding wheel 15 further comprises, at the periphery and between a lower annular shoulder 32 and an upper flange 33 of the part upper 20 of the hub 19, a superposition of horizontal rings 34 concentric with the hub 19 and spaced from each other by rings 35.
• These rings 34 define between them annular grooves 34 'reserved respectively for the links 9 which can thus be wind around the hub 19, more precisely around the periphery of the rings 35, without becoming tangled.
• Holes 36 each passing successively through a respective ring 35 and the peripheral wall of the upper part 20 of the hub 19 allow the passage of the links 9 so that their end other than that fixed to the movable retaining structure 3 is located and retained at the 'interior of the hub 19 (for the sake of clarity, the four links 9 and the four holes 36 have been shown, in dotted lines, in Figure 2).
• the toothed wheel 16 secured to the winding wheel 15 and the worm 17 by which it is driven together constitute a self-locking system.
• the links 9 can be actuated either in a direction tending to wind them around the wheel 15, which causes the storage element 4 to be mounted, or in a direction tending to unwind it from this wheel 15, which lowers the storage element 4.
• the toothed wheel 16 - worm gear 17 assembly locks despite the weight of the element storage 4, the toothed wheel 16 can not drive the worm 17.
• the storage element 4 is then stopped and remains securely locked in its stopped position until the motor 18 is not reactivated.
• the motor 18 can control the rotation of the worm 17 either directly or, as shown in FIG. 3, by means of a reduction system 37 composed for example of bevel gears.
• the motor 18 is preferably an electric accumulator motor, the accumulator of which is recharged automatically when the storage element 4, with its movable retaining structure 3, has returned to the body 1.
• the motor 18 can be connected to an electrical contact 38 located in the rear part of the double bottom 13a-13b, electrical contact 38 which, when the storage element 4 has returned to the body 1, cooperates with another contact (not shown) disposed in the body 1 and connected to an electrical supply.
• the motor 18 comprises or is connected to wireless communication means 39, such as radioelectric or infrared, to allow the user to remote control it.
• the motor 18 controlling the worm 17 could be replaced by a simple crank actuatable by the user.
• FIG. 1 shows a tall storage unit according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• the mechanism for actuating the links 9 ' is secured not to the storage element 4' but to the mobile retaining structure 3 '.
• the movable retaining structure 3 ′ consists of a front plate 42 and an upper plate 43 on which the actuation mechanism is fixed, this upper plate 43 being integral with lateral rods 44 cooperating with slides 45 of the body 1 '.
• the links 9 ' which cooperate with the actuating mechanism are guided by respective pulleys 46 disposed on the upper plate 43, and pass through respective holes 47 formed in this upper plate 43 to retain the storage element 4' in different points 48 located on the lateral faces and in the upper part of the latter.
• Figures 6 and 7 show embodiments of the invention in which the storage device is placed in height. In Figure 6, the storage device is placed above a sink. In Figure 7, it is fixed on the roof of a car and can be used for example to store skis or suitcases.
• the storage device may further comprise, in the lower part, drawers each composed of a storage element 49 mounted on an elevating structure 50.
• the lifting structure 50 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 8 to 12. It comprises a horizontal support plate 51 and two feet each consisting of a pair of segments 52, 53 hinged to each other in their center, the four segments 52, 53 extending in vertical planes parallel to each other.
• the lifting structure 50 is in the low, folded position (FIGS. 8, 9), the feet 52-53 lie flat on the plate 51.
• a first segment 52 of each foot has a first, rounded end, connected by a transverse axis of articulation 53 to an element, such as a stirrup (not shown), integral with the plate 51.
• the second end of the first segment 52 also rounded, is connected by a transverse axis of articulation 54 to a wheel 55 capable to roll and / or slide in a slide 56 fixed under the bottom of the storage element 49.
• the second segment 53 of each leg has, on the same side as the first end of the first segment 52, an end connected by a transverse axis articulation 57 to a wheel 58 capable of rolling and / or sliding in a slide 59 fixed under the bottom of the storage element 49.
• the second end of the second segment 53 is rounded and connected by a transverse articulation axis 6 0 to a stirrup 61 resting, without being attached to it, on the plate 51.
• the lifting structure 50 further comprises, on the side of the second end of the segments 52, 53, a member 62 movable in translation in a horizontal direction parallel to the planes vertical defined by segments 52, 53.
• the movable member 62 comprises a rod 63 perpendicular to said vertical planes and extending practically over the entire width of the plate 51.
• On this rod 63 are fixed two oblique plates 64 located opposite the second end of the first segments 52 and two studs 65, shorter in top view than the oblique plates 64 and located opposite the second end of the second segments 53.
• the movable member 62 is driven by an endless screw 66 itself driven by a motor 67 per l 'through a reduction device 68.
• the oblique plates 64 reach the second end of the first segments 52 before the studs 65 reach the second end second segments 53.
• the oblique plates 64 come into contact with the first segments 52, they pass under the second end of the latter, so as to ulever this second end, as shown in Figure 10.
• the lifting of the second end of the first segments 52 causes a lifting of the first end of the second segments 53, which initiates the unfolding of the feet.
• FIGS. 13A and 13B show a variant of the storage elements, in which the latter are extendable in width and can therefore be adapted to bodies of different widths.

Landscapes

• Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
• Valve Device For Special Equipments (AREA)
• Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
• Drawers Of Furniture (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=34957146

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2004
  • 2004-03-15 DE DE602004027667T patent/DE602004027667D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-03-15 WO PCT/IB2004/000724 patent/WO2005092148A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2004-03-15 EP EP04720655A patent/EP1725138B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-03-15 ES ES04720655T patent/ES2346139T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-03-15 AT AT04720655T patent/ATE470374T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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