ES2828123A1 - KITCHEN STORAGE CABINET (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Kitchen storage cabinet comprising a set of drawers (11) that perform a rotary movement of the carousel type or bucket wheel, providing the user with access to said drawers and reducing floor space occupation. The movement of the carousel of the drawers is promoted by a gear motor (5) that drives the movement of two lateral roller chains (7) with their corresponding sprocket wheels (8, 9). The union between the drawers and the roller chains allows their vertical upward and downward movement, guaranteeing their stability and horizontality throughout the entire path without overturning thanks to a pivoting mechanism of the bolt-tongue type. The entire carousel mechanism is hidden by an outer frame (1), which includes a front window (2), through which the rotary drawers are opened. The front part of the frame has an electric switch or push-button (3) that activates or stops the carousel movement of the drawers. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

KITCHEN STORAGE CABINET

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The invention falls within the sector of the design, development and manufacture of home furniture products, specifically in storage elements for kitchens. The object of this document is a cabinet with rotating storage drawers that guarantees accessibility for users with mobility problems or certain degrees of disability, while also ensuring that any user can access drawers that are too high, or too low.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When it comes to creating storage cabinets with revolving drawers for kitchens, there is no prior invention. The principle of the rotary movement carried out by the drawers of the kitchen cabinet in the invention of this document, has its origin in the discovery of the Ferris wheel, where carousels or buckets move in a circular path without the danger of overturning them.

Over the years, many products have taken this same principle of movement as a reference, an example of this are the so-called car parks or parking of vehicles in vertical configuration. The first inventions appeared in L.A., New York and Chicago in 1932. It was an innovative invention, since it saved a lot of space in the city and solved the great problem of parking vehicles that existed in large cities.

The latest advances in this area are related to picking systems in department stores and industries; this is the case of vertical carousels. The automatic vertical carousel is an automated system of storage trays that move in a vertical movement type Ferris wheel, reaching heights up to 30 meters. Its main application is in department stores for the maximum use of space in the plant.

As far as the current state of the art is concerned, the following invention patents are noteworthy, by way of example:

[1] T. Robey, "Vertical Carousel and Vertical Lift Module Position Indicator System". United States Patent US6715910B2, April 6, 2004.

[2] T. Robey, "Vertical Carousel with Top and Side Access Position". United States Patent US2004 / 0101386 A1, May 27, 2004.

[3] P. A. Manuel J Menendez, «Vertical Carousel for Lumber». United States Patent US7811042 B1, October 12, 2010.

Although the principle of operation and movement, carousel or ferris wheel type, has been described in the indicated inventions, there is no storage cabinet that allows the movement of drawers, modifying their height, so that the invention solves the problem of reaching drawers too high, close to the ceiling or too low, close to the floor. Furthermore, the mechanism used in the invention is totally different from those used in the state of the art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The concepts of accessibility and universal design or design for all are becoming increasingly important in the current market model. Industrial designs seek the best user-product adaptation to facilitate their handling and prevent health risks for consumers. It is for this reason that a storage unit for domestic kitchens has been developed that is perfectly accessible, regardless of the user who uses it, especially in the case of users with reduced mobility.

Today, most kitchen appliances and cabinets are installed at a standard height, intended for individuals operating in a standing position. On many occasions, the height at which these elements are placed is inaccessible for some people who are shorter or who use a wheelchair due to certain types of disability. To solve this problem, a storage cabinet is proposed that comprises a plurality of storage drawers, attached to a mechanism that allows their rotary movement in the manner of a carousel or Ferris wheel, that is, the path that said drawers take within the structure of the furniture resembles that made by the carousels or buckets of a Ferris wheel. In this way, when the mechanism is activated, the drawers that are initially in the upper position of the furniture will descend to a comfortable and practicable height for the user.

For this, two of the opposite or end side walls of the drawers are pivotally attached to two roller chain-sprocket type mechanisms. The union between the drawers and the roller chains allows the former to move, guaranteeing their stability and horizontal position throughout the entire journey, without the possibility of them tipping over.

The roller-sprocket chain-type mechanism to which the drawers of the furniture are laterally attached is powered by an electric motor duly controlled by the user by means of the corresponding pushbutton.

Once the cabinet is connected to the electrical network, the user will be able to activate or stop the movement of the set of drawers through a switch or button that is accessible to the user.

In one embodiment, the furniture proposed in the present invention hides the entire mechanism inside an outer frame, which in the center of its front face comprises a window to allow the visibility of the drawers and their content, as well as to facilitate the opening. and closing of the same when extracting or positioning articles, providing a cabinet-like configuration. The front face of the outer shell includes the pushbutton.

Ultimately, the invention is characterized by comprising a gear motor and a structure configured to support:

- two upper sprockets facing each other and two lower sprockets also facing each other and vertically aligned with the wheels upper sprockets, two of said facing wheels being joined together by a transmission shaft, drivable by the gearmotor, - two roller chains, each of them arranged meshing with an upper sprocket and with a lower sprocket forming a vertical loop,

- means of pivoting fixing of the plurality of drawers in horizontal position on the roller chains, through two of their facing side walls,

All this in such a way that when the gearmotor is activated, the rotary movement of the roller chains and consequently of the plurality of drawers is produced to modify the height at which they are located.

It is envisaged that the drawers can be provided with a front hinged lid, which preferably folds down, or they can also be removable drawers.

In one embodiment, the structure is fixed inside the outer frame, providing a compact piece of furniture that contains the drawers, like a wardrobe, so that the drawer that faces it is accessed through the window. that by activating the gearmotor it is possible to access the different drawers.

In the preferred embodiment, the pivotal fixing means of the plurality of drawers comprise:

- two bolts threaded to both facing side walls of each drawer and fixed on the inside of said side walls by means of an anti-rotation nut,

- two lugs inserted into the pins and fixed to the roller chain with two countersunk head screws and two anti-rotation nuts, - two pressure rings inserted into the pins on both sides of the lugs to fix their position,

- a friction bearing located at the junction between the bolts and their corresponding tabs to favor the pivoting of the drawers on the roller chains.

The position of the bolts is vertically offset on the corresponding side wall of the drawer so that the distance of the bolts to the upper sides of the drawer is less than the distance between the bolts and the bottom base of the drawer, to ensure stability and avoid a possible rotation of the drawers.

The material of the base of the drawers is of high density to prevent the pivot rotation of the drawers during their travel.

Therefore, it solves the ergonomic problems that arise in users with reduced mobility in terms of the reach of articles that are positioned at high heights, close to the ceiling, or too low, close to the ground. Allowing, likewise, a maximum use of the kitchen floor space and guaranteeing accessibility to the user without the user having to perform forced postures on occasions that are unfeasible due to the fact that it presents reduced mobility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and, in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description, where, with an illustrative and non-limiting nature, it has been represented the following:

Figure 1a - 1d. Isometric views of the outer frame of the furniture and the different parts that compose it.

Figure 2. Isometric view of the interior of the furniture without the frame

Figure 3. Elevation view of the interior of the furniture without the frame

Figure 4. Top view of the interior of the furniture without the frame

Figure 5. Isometric view of the link assembly between the roller chain and the rotary drawer

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the indicated figures, the general elements that make up the present invention can be observed:

An outer frame (1), which is configured as a straight prism with a rectangular base and which is made up of six laminated wood boards screwed together by means of brackets or tongue and groove (not shown) and which hides an internal mechanism. The front face panel has a window (2) through which drawers (11) are accessed, allowing them to be opened and closed to extract or position articles therein. Likewise, there is an electrical switch or push-button (3) on the left side of said window (2) that allows to activate or stop a rotation movement of the drawers, as described below. The panel on the rear or rear face of the outer frame (1) has a hole in the form of a wall through which an electrical cable exits from the interior that will allow the cabinet to be connected to the electrical network.

It also comprises a support structure (4), which in the exemplary embodiment is made up of two structures, although it is obvious that it could be a single structure. The structures are formed by hollow steel profiles, welded and joined to the two side panels of the outer frame (1) by brackets (not shown). Its function is to support the weight of a carousel-type mechanism and provide the proper stability and rigidity to the furniture, as described below.

Some elements (5) and (6), located in the lower area of the right side panel in the lower area of the outer frame (1), refer, respectively, to a gearmotor (5) and an electrical transformer (6) that are those in charge of operating the carousel mechanism. The movement, driven by the gearmotor (5), is transmitted to the carousel-type mechanism, specifically to two roller chains (7) by means of four sprocket wheels, two upper sprocket wheels (8) and two lower sprocket wheels (9), which they mesh with the roller chains (7). The movement is transmitted from the driving side to the driven side by means of a transmission shaft (10) that connects at its ends with the two lower sprocket wheels (9).

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, ten drawers (11) are represented which, like pivoting buckets, are joined by two of their side walls facing the roller chains (7), to carry out the rotary movement of the carousel dragged by the roller chains (7), maintaining their horizontality throughout the entire route without the risk of tipping over due to pivoting.

To guarantee the stability of the drawer, the connection between the roller chains (7) and the sides of the drawers is carried out as follows:

Both sides of each drawer have a threaded hole into which a threaded bolt (12) is inserted at its end and which is fixed by means of an anti-rotation nut (13) on the inside of the side of the drawer. A pressure ring (14), a friction bearing (15), a tongue (16) and another pressure ring (14) are inserted through the free end of the bolt (12), in this order, as described above. represented in figure 5. The connection between the tongue (16) and the roller chain (7) is made by inserting two countersunk head screws (17) through two holes provided at the end of the tongue (16) and, at the same time time, through two holes that constitute a link of the roller chain (7) so that each screw (17) becomes, in this way, a bolt of the roller chain (7). Finally, the screws (17) are fixed with two anti-rotation nuts (18).

This union between the tabs (16) and the bolts (12) allows the drawers (11) to pivot on the tabs (16), thus guaranteeing the stability of the drawers, preventing them from tipping over when passing through the wheels Catalinas (8) and (9). If this joint were fixed, the drawers would overturn when passing through the curved sections on their way through the sprocket wheels (8) and (9). The pressure rings (14), installed on both sides of the tongue (16), ensure that it does not come off the bolt (12).

To help the drawers (11) remain horizontal, it has been provided that the position of the bolts (12) is vertically offset on the corresponding side wall of the drawer (11) so that the distance between the bolts (12) and the The upper sides of the drawer (11) is less than the distance between said bolts (12) and the lower base of the drawer (11), guaranteeing stability to avoid a possible rotation of the drawers (11), when passing through the sprocket wheels.

Likewise, the base of the drawers (11) will preferably be made of a high-density material that ensures that the position of the center of gravity of the drawer (11) is always vertically below the pivot points located in the connection. between the bolts (12) and the tabs (16). With this, it is achieved that the drawers (11) are always kept in a horizontal position throughout the entire course of their movement.

Once the description of the invention has been completed, it should be mentioned that the materials, shape and dimensions of the elements described can be modified later, as long as this does not imply an alteration of the essential characteristics of the invention that are claimed below.

Claims (8)

1. Kitchen storage cabinet that is provided with a plurality of drawers; characterized by comprising: - a gearmotor (5), - a structure (4), configured to support: - two upper sprocket wheels (8) facing each other and two lower sprocket wheels (9) also facing each other and vertically aligned with the upper sprocket wheels, two of said facing wheels being connected by a transmission shaft, operable by the gearmotor, - two roller chains (7), each one arranged meshing with an upper sprocket and with a lower sprocket forming a vertical loop, - Pivoting fixing means of the plurality of drawers (11) in a horizontal position on the roller chains, through two of their facing side walls, where when the gearmotor is activated the rotary displacement, like a Ferris wheel, of the plurality of drawers to modify their height. 2. Furniture according to claim 1, wherein the drawers are selected from drawers equipped with a front hinged lid and removable drawers. 3. Furniture according to previous claims, comprising an outer frame (1), inside which the structure (4) is fixed. Furniture according to claim 3, wherein the outer frame (1) comprises on its front face an electrical switch or push-button (3) configured to activate / stop the rotary movement of the containers. Furniture according to claim 3, wherein the outer frame (1) comprises an access window (2) to the drawer that faces said window. 6. Furniture according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting fixing means of the plurality of drawers comprise: - two bolts (12) threaded to both facing side walls of each drawer (11) and fixed on the inside of said side walls by means of an anti-rotation nut (13), - two tabs (16) inserted in the bolts (12) and fixed to the roller chain (7) with two countersunk head screws (17) and two anti-rotation nuts (18), - two pressure rings (14) inserted in the bolts (12) on both sides of the tabs (16) to fix their position, - a friction bearing (15) located at the junction between the bolts (12) and their corresponding tabs (16) to favor the pivoting of the drawers (11) on the roller chains (7). Furniture according to claim 6, where the position of the bolts (12) is vertically offset on the corresponding side wall of the drawer (11) so that the distance of the bolts (12) to the upper sides of the drawer ( 11) is less than the distance between said bolts (12) and the lower base of the drawer (11), to guarantee stability and avoid a possible rotation of the drawers (11). Furniture according to claim 7, wherein the material of the base of the drawers (11) is of high density to prevent the pivoting rotation of the drawers (11) during their travel.