EP1961677A1

EP1961677A1 - Container means

Info

Publication number: EP1961677A1
Application number: EP07103012A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Franco Bonin
Original assignee: Vibo SpA
Current assignee: Vibo SpA
Priority date: 2007-02-23
Filing date: 2007-02-23
Publication date: 2008-08-27

Abstract

Container means comprises a containing element (2), frame means (3,4) supporting said containing element (2) and guide means (5) associable to a supporting structure (10), in particular a piece of furniture, said frame means (3,4) being slidably coupled to said guide means (5) so as to move between a retracted position (A), wherein said containing element (2) is inside said supporting structure (10), and an extracted position (B), wherein said containing element (2) is outside said supporting structure (10), whereby said frame means (3,4) further comprises first frame means (3) slidably coupled to said guide means (5) and second frame means (4) that supports said containing element (2) and is rotatable connected to said first frame means (3) so that said containing element (2) can be rotated in a rotated position (C;C').

Description

The invention relates to container means, in particular container means for containing objects or garbage that can be associated to pieces of furniture, for example kitchen units.
Container means for garbage, such as dustbin or waste bin, is known in the prior art that is positioned inside a piece of furniture, typically a kitchen cabinet supporting a sink. A container is supported by hook elements fixed to an inner side wall of the cabinet or is simply positioned on a suitable seat provided on a bottom panel thereof.
Due to the position inside the cabinet and/or because of an encumbrance of other objects positioned therein, such as for example drainpipes and fittings of the sink, the access to the container can be quite difficult and problematic for a user. Sometimes the user is obliged to remove the container outside the cabinet for using it.
Nevertheless removal and insertion of the container from and into the cabinet at each use are procedures quite tiresome and inconvenient for the user.
To overcome the above described disadvantage, container means have been devised that can slide horizontally along linear guides provided in the cabinet, so as to be extracted from and/or retracted into the latter. In particular, the container means includes a frame arranged so as to slidably engage the linear guides that are typically mounted on internal walls of the cabinet.
In this way, the container means can be easily and rapidly moved outside the cabinet so as to be fully accessible for a user and likewise easily retracted inside the cabinet after the use.
A drawback of above described known container means consists in that in the extracted position said container means remains positioned in front of the piece of furniture, so that it closes or makes difficult the access to the inside thereof and furthermore constitutes an encumbrance and an obstacle for the user, which for example has to move in front of the piece of furniture or has to use or using devices or fittings thereof, for example a sink.
An object of the invention is to improve container means that can be associated with pieces of furniture, in particular container means to be positioned inside a kitchen cabinet.
Another object of the invention is to provide container means that can be connected to an inner wall of a piece of furniture in such a way that it can be moved in suitable positions for enabling an easy and quickly access both to said container means and to the inside of said piece of furniture.
A further object is to provide container means and related connecting means which can be easily manufactured and assembled and which are strong, reliable and economical.
According to the invention, container means is provided comprising a containing element, frame means supporting said containing element and guide means associable to a supporting structure, in particular a piece of furniture, said frame means being slidably coupled to said guide means so as to move between a retracted position, wherein said containing element is inside said supporting structure, and an extracted position, wherein said containing element is outside said supporting structure, characterized in that said frame means comprises first frame means slidably coupled to said guide means and second frame means that supports said containing element and is rotatable connected to said first frame means so that said containing element can be rotated in a rotated position.
Owing to the invention it is thus possible to extract easily and quickly a containing element of the container means from an inner space of the piece of furniture and rotate said containing element in a rotated position, wherein it is completely accessible for a user. In said rotated position the containing element is sideways displaced with respect to the piece of furniture, so that an access to the inner space thereof is not blocked. Besides, the containing element does not constitute an encumbrance or an obstacle for an user moving in front of the piece of furniture or using devices or fittings of the latter, for example a sink.
Since the container means can be moved outside the piece of furniture both in the extracted position and in the rotated position, a user can reach the containing element laterally or frontally, this making the container means of the invention more ergonomic than container means of prior art.
Frame means and guide means comprise iron section elements which can be easily manufactured and assembled and which confer sturdiness and stability to container means even when the containing element, i.e. a litter bin, supports heavy objects or material.
The invention can be better understood and implemented with reference to the attached drawings that illustrate some embodiments thereof by way of non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective schematic view of container means of the invention fixed to an inner wall of a piece of furniture and arranged in a retracted position;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of container means of Figure 1 in an extracted position;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of container means of Figure 1 in a rotated position;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of guide means and frame means of supporting means of Figure 3, in the rotated position;
Figure 5 is a perspective back view of guide means and frame means of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a perspective schematic view of an embodiment of supporting means comprising two containing bodies and associated to a kitchen cabinet.

With reference to Figures 1 to 5, container means is shown that is associated to a supporting structure 10, in particular a piece of furniture, and comprises a containing element 2 arranged for receiving objects, frame means 3, 4 for supporting said containing element 2 and guide means 5 fixed to said piece of furniture and arranged for supporting said frame means 3, 4. In particular, the frame means 3, 4 is slidably coupled to said guide means 5 so as to move along a linear a sliding direction X between a retracted position A, wherein the containing element 2 is inside the piece of furniture 10, and an extracted position B, wherein the containing element 2 is outside said piece of furniture 10.
The containing element 2 comprises, for example, a wire basket or a waste bin.
The frame means comprises first frame means 3 that is slidably coupled to said guide means 5 and second frame means 4 supporting the containing element 2 and rotatably connected to the first frame 3 so as to rotate with said containing element 2 in a rotated position C (Figure 3).
Guide means 5 comprises an upper linear guide 51 and a lower linear guide 52 that are parallel, spaced apart and interconnected at respective ends by means of a first elongated element 53 and a second elongated element 54 so as to form a frame structure, having a rectangular shape. Guide means 5 are fixed, for example by screws, to an inner side wall 11 of the piece of furniture 10, such as for example a kitchen cabinet arranged for supporting a sink.
In a version of container means 1 not shown in the figures, guide means 5 comprises only the linear guides 51, 52 that are directly fixed to the inner side wall 11.
The first frame means 3 comprises a substantially "L" shaped element having a first elongated part 31 and a second elongated part 32, substantially orthogonal each to other and both configured so as to slidably engage the linear guides 51, 52 (Figure 4). In particular, the first elongated part 31, mounted substantially vertical, includes an upper end 31a that is opposed to the end fixed to the second elongated part 32 and is arranged so as to engage the upper linear guide 51.
The upper linear guide 51 may consist, for example, of a "double C" section bar provided with a linear inner cavity suitable for receiving rolling means 33 rotatably mounted on said upper end 31a.
The second elongated part 32 engages the lower linear guide 52, which comprises, for example, further rolling means arranged for supporting at both sides a slider member fixed to said second elongated part 32.
Alternatively, the lower linear guide 52 can have a linear shaped track arranged for accommodating respective rolling means fixed to said second elongated part 32.
Other known sliding connections can be provided for coupling the first frame 3 means with the guide means 5.
Hinge means 7, 8 are fixed to said first elongated part 31 for supporting said second frame means 4 rotatably around an axis Y that is substantially orthogonal to said sliding direction X of said first frame means 3.
Second frame means 4 comprises, for example, an upper transverse element 41 and a lower transverse element 42 interconnected at respective ends by two upright element 43, 44 so as to form a rectangular shaped frame. Second frame means are provided with a plurality of hooking elements 45 arranged for supporting the containing element 2, such as for example a wire basket as shown in figures.
The second frame means 4 can be rotated clockwise or anticlockwise with respect to first frame means 3, according to how the latter and guide means 5 are fixed to the piece of furniture. Figures 1 to 5 show container means 1 fixed to a right side wall 11 of the piece of furniture 10 so that the containing element 2 can be rotated anticlockwise in the rotated position C.
It should be noted that thanks to frame means 3, 4 and guide means 5 of container means 1 of the invention, it is possible to extract easily and quickly the containing element 2 from the inside of the piece of furniture 10 and position it in a rotated position C, wherein said containing element 2 is completely accessible for a user.
Furthermore, in the rotated position C the containing element 2 is sideways displaced with respect to the piece of furniture, so that an access to the inner space thereof is not blocked. Besides, the containing element does not constitute an encumbrance or an obstacle for an user moving in front of the piece of furniture or using devices or fittings of the latter, for example a sink.
Since container means 1 can be accessible for the user both in the extracted position B and in the rotated position C, the user can reach the containing element 2 laterally or frontally, according to the need. This makes the container means 1 more ergonomic with respect to container means of

prior art.

Frame means 3, 4 and guide means 5 comprise iron section elements, for example "C" or "L" section bars, which can be easily manufactured and assembled and which confer sturdiness and stability to container means even when the containing element, i.e. a litter bin, supports heavy objects or material.
Locking means are provided for maintaining second frame means 4 aligned with the first frame means 3, in this configuration the upright element 43 of second frame means 4 being adjacent to and facing the first elongated element 31 of first frame means 3. Locking means prevent second frame means 4 to rotate when the container means 1 are moved between the retracted position A and the extracted position B and vice versa.
Said locking means includes, for example, a roller 34 rotatably mounted on said upper linear guide 51 so as to engage a linear groove 41a provided on the upper transverse element 41 of second frame means 4. In particular, the roller 34 is connected to an end of said upper linear guide 51 that is close to said second frame means 4, also in the rotated position C. During the linear motion of frame means 3, 4 along guide means 5, the roller 34 slides into said linear groove 41a so as to prevent a rotation of second frame means 4.
Figure 6 shows another embodiment of container means 1, which is substantially mirror-like with respect to the container means 1 above described, since it is arranged to be fixed to a left side wall 13 of the piece of furniture 10. In this embodiment, second frame means 4' supports a containing element 2' consisting of a wire basket which accommodates a couple of waste bins 17, 18, arranged side-by-side, for a differentiated waste collection.
Such second frame means 4' and related containing elements 2', 17, 18 can be rotated clockwise with respect to the piece of furniture 10 in a respective rotated position C'.
Second frame means 4 also supports a door 12 of the piece of furniture 10 so as to close the latter when the container means 1 is in the retracted position A.

Claims

Container means, comprising a containing element (2), frame means (3, 4) supporting said containing element (2) and guide means (5) associable to a supporting structure (10), in particular a piece of furniture, said frame means (3, 4) being slidably coupled to said guide means (5) so as to move between a retracted position (A), wherein said containing element (2) is inside said supporting structure (10), and an extracted position (B), wherein said containing element (2) is outside said supporting structure (10),
characterized in that said frame means (3, 4) comprises first frame means (3) slidably coupled to said guide means (5) and second frame means (4) that supports said containing element (2) and is rotatable connected to said first frame means (3) so that said containing element (2) can be rotated in a rotated position (C; C').
Container means according to claim 1, comprising hinge means (7, 8) fixed to said first frame means (3) for supporting said second frame means (4) rotatably around an axis (Y) that is substantially orthogonal to a sliding direction (X) of said frame means (3, 4).
Container means according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first frame means (3) comprises a substantially "L" shaped element having a first elongated part (31) and a second elongated part (32), substantially orthogonal each to other and configured so as to slidably engage respective linear guides (51, 52) of said guide means (5).
Container means according to claim 3, wherein said guide means (5) comprises a linear guide (51) arranged for slidably engaging an end (31a) of said first elongated part (31).
Container means according to claim 4, wherein said linear guide (51) comprises a cavity suitable for receiving rolling means (33) that are rotatably coupled to said end (31a) of said first elongated part (31).
Container means according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said guide means (5) comprises a further linear guide (52) arranged for slidably engaging said second elongated part (32).
Container means according to claim 6, wherein said further linear guide (52) comprises further rolling means for supporting a slider element of said second elongated part (32).
Container means according to any preceding claim, wherein said second frame means (4) comprises transverse elements (41, 42) interconnected by means of upright elements (43, 44).
Container means according to any preceding claim, comprising locking means (34, 41a) arranged for maintaining said second frame means (4) aligned with said first frame means (3) when said frame means (3, 4) is moved between said retracted position (A) and said extracted position (B) and vice versa.
Container means according to claims 8 and 9, when claim 8 is appended to claim 4 or 5, wherein said locking means comprises at least a rolling element (34) rotatably mounted on said linear guide (51) and arranged for engaging seat means (41a) provided on an upper transverse element (41) of said second frame means (4) so as to prevent a rotation thereof with respect to first frame means (3).
Container means according to any preceding claim, wherein said second frame means (4) are provided with hooking means (45) arranged for supporting said containing element (2).