WO2006051289A1

WO2006051289A1 - Stowable container and hinge therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2006051289A1
Application number: PCT/GB2005/004320
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Clarke
Original assignee: Peter Clarke
Priority date: 2004-11-10
Filing date: 2005-11-10
Publication date: 2006-05-18
Also published as: GB2436031B; GB2436031A; GB0424843D0; GB0711079D0; GB2420151A

Abstract

A lower forward part of a container (40) rests on a pivotable support (34) in a frame so as to be pivotable between an upright stowed position and a forward position allowing access. On at least one side of the container (40), a projection (31) from the side of the frame above the pivotable support (34) engages in a channel (28) on the side of the container. The channel (28) comprises an upper part, in which the projection (31) engages where the container is mounted in the frame and which is shaped to limit upward movement of the container (40) when in its upright position and to allow the container to pivot between its upright and forward position, and a lower part which extends to a bottom edge of the container (40). The lower part of the channel is open at the bottom of the container (40) to allow the container (40) to be lifted away from the support when in or adjacent its forward position.

Description

STOWABLE CONTAINER AND HINGE THEREFOR

This invention relates to a container such as a storage container or refuse bin, mounted in a housing such as a kitchen unit, the container being mounted on a hinge which enables it to pivot forwards between a stowed position within its housing and a forward position allowing access, and which also enables the container to be lifted from its mounting and out of the housing, without the need for a complicated disengagement mechanism.

The invention also relates to a hinge on which containers and the like can be mounted to enable them to swing forward in a support frame and to be lifted clear of the hinge.

Various hinge arrangements for pivoting containers and the like have been proposed in recent years, for example as illustrated in WO94/08489, according to which a modular element for furnishings is mounted within a furniture unit on a pair of coaxial pins projecting from opposite sides of the unit. The container rests on these pins and can swing forward from an upright position within the furniture unit to a forward position allowing access. To prevent the container from falling out, pins project from opposite sides of the bottom of the container and engage in respective channels on the inner sides of the furniture unit, behind the pins on which the container rests. It is however complicated to disengage the container from its mounting because of the configuration of the channels in which the pins projecting from the container engage. The present invention provides a stowable container removably mounted in a support frame, a lower forward part of the container resting on a pivotal support in the frame on which the container is pivotable between an upright stowed position and a forward position allowing access, wherein on at least one side of the container a projection from the side of the frame above said pivotal support engages in a channel on the side of the container, said channel comprising an upper part, in which said projection engages when the container is mounted in the frame and which is shaped to limit upward movement of the container when in its upright position and to allow^'the container to pivot between said upright and forward positions, and a lower part which extends to the bottom edge of the container from a position in said upper part in which said projection engages when the container is in or adjacent its forward position, said lower part of the channel being opened at the bottom of the container to allow the container to be lifted away from the support from said forward position.

Preferably two said projections are provided, coaxial with one another and extending towards one another from opposite sides of the frame, to engage in respective channels on opposite sides of the container. The projections are preferably in the form of rollers, to reduce friction as the container pivots.

The pivotal support preferably provides a horizontal pivoting axis for the container, and may for example also comprise a pair of coaxial projections from opposite sides of the frame, which projections may also be in the form of rollers, or a rail extending between said opposite sides.

The channel or channels in which the projections from the frame engage may suitably be provided on a plate secured to one or both sides of the container.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper part of the or each channel extends rearwardly beyond its junction with the lower part, to provide a recess in which a respective projection can engage to prevent the container from being lifted up when in its fully forward position. The pivotal support preferably comprises one or more concave surfaces on the underside of the container, resting on one or more horizontal projections or rails of the frame. The concave surfaces may be shaped to restrain horizontal movement of the container when in its stowed position.

According to a more general aspect of the invention there is provided a hinge for mounting a pivotable body in a support frame, comprising a first hinge member securable to the support frame and comprising a pair of projections in fixed positions spaced from one another and projecting towards the inside of the frame, and a second hinge member detachably engageable with the first, and adapted to be secured to the pivotable body, said second hinge member having a recess in a lower edge surface thereof to engage a first said projection and a channel extending around two sides of said recess and opening at a lower edge of said hinge member to engage the second said projection on the first hinge member. The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a stowable container according to the invention, mounted in a kitchen unit;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 2a illustrating a frame-mounted hinge member to support the container;

FIGS. 3a-3e illustrate the hinge mounting of the container of Figs. 1 and 2 as the container moves from its stowed position to its forward position and is subsequently removed;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a further embodiment of the invention comprising two containers;

FIG. 5 illustrates a pedal-operated device for pivoting the containers of Fig. 4;

FIG. 6 shows an electrically operated cam device for pivoting the containers of Fig. 4;

FIGS. Ia-Ic schematically illustrate the use of the containers of Fig. 4;

FIG. 8 illustrates how two containers fitted with the hinge arrangement of the invention may be mounted one above the other;

FIG. 9 is a detailed illustration of one of the hinges shown in Fig.9, Fig.9a being an exploded view of the hinge arrangement and 9b showing the forward position of the container;

FIG. 10 is a schematic side elevation of a stowable container in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates various options for the frame- mounted hinge member for a container in accordance with the invention; FIG. 12 illustrates various types of container- mounted hinge members;

FIGS. 13a and 13b illustrate respectively the stowed and forward positions of a ^' container in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 14a and 14b illustrate respectively the stowed and forward positions of a further embodiment of the invention fitted with a spring-loaded catch;

FIG. 15 illustrates a further variation on the embodiment of Fig. 15;

FIG. 16a is a perspective view of a stowable container in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, Figs lβb and 16c being respective schematic side elevations of the stowed and forward positions; and

FIG. 17 illustrates how the hinge members of the invention can be adapted to another type of pivoting body such as a window.

Referring first to Fig. 1, a container 12 for kitchen waste or the like is pivotally mounted in a kitchen unit 10, and has a front panel 14 which matches the doors of the kitchen unit when the container is in its upright position. In Fig. 1 the container is shown in its forward accessible position. A foot pedal 16 is provided for swinging the container forwards, but in an alternative arrangement the container could be arranged to be swung forward manually.

As shown in Figure 2, the container 12 has sides 23, 24 and a bottom tray 25 in which a refuse bin or the like can be stood. At the bottom of each of the sides is attached a plate 22, suitably of metal such as aluminium, or plastics, with a small recess 26 in its bottom front edge and a channel 28 behind it. Each of these plates is arranged to engage projections on a hinge member 20, one of which is secured to the inside of the kitchen unit on each side of the bin. In Figure 2, the hinge member 20 shown is adapted to engage the hinge plate (not shown) on the opposite side of the container from that shown in the drawing.

As indicated in Figure 3, each fixed hinge plate 20 has projections 31, 32, 33, 34 positioned at the four corners of a square, the projections on each of the hinge plates 20 being in axial alignment. At least projection 31 is preferably in the form of a roller, and all of them may be. The are however referred to herein simply as projections.

In Figure 3a the container 12 is in its vertical stowed position, the bottom recess 26 of the hinge plate 22 resting on projection 33 of the fixed hinge plate 20. Projection 31 engages the top end of channel 28 and a rear leg of the plate 22 rests against projection 33.

The channel 28 has a vertical lower leg 35 and an upper leg 36 extending at an obtuse angle to the lower leg to a position just above the recess 26. In Figure 3b, the container has been swung forward, pivoting on projection 34, to a position in which projection 31 is at the junction of the two legs 35, 36 of channel 38, and the container cannot swing forward further without being lifted off projection 34. The hinge plate 22 has a curved upper surface 28 which, in the position shown in Figure 3b, engages projection 32 of the fixed hinge plate, enabling the container to rest in its forward position. As shown in Figure 3c, a releasable catch 38 can be provided on one or both sides of the container to engage projection 31, thereby not only preventing further forward movement of the container but also preventing it being lifted off the supporting projection 34. The catch 38 is a pivoting catch, which can be released by applying pressure to the upper end of the catch remote from the end engaging the projection 31.

In Figure 3d, the container 12 is being lifted off the fixed hinge plate 20 so that recess 26 disengages from projection 34 and projection 31 enters the lower leg 35 of channel 28. In Figure 3e the container has been lifted clear of the hinge plate and out of the kitchen unit.

Figure 4 shows a container similar to that of Figures 1 to 3, fitted with hinge plates 22. This Figure shows how the fixed hinge plates 20 can be secured in a kitchen unit or the like by means of screws 40. A foot pedal 16 is secured to the underside of a base board 41 of the unit and has one end of a lever 42 protruding through the base board to assist in tipping the container 40 forwards as will be described below.

A second container 42 is positioned behind container 40, mounted on hinge parts 20, 22 according to the invention and similarly pivotable between upright and forward positions. The pedal 16 is also arranged to pivot this container forwards, as will be described below. Separate refuse containers 43, 44, 45, 46 are provided in the two pivotable containers, for example for paper, tin, kitchen waste etc.

Covers 47, 48, suspended from the top of the kitchen unit by flexible straps 49 are provided for the two pairs of containers, positioned to cover them when the containers are in their upright position. The functioning of pedal 16 is illustrated in more detail in Figure 5. This shows that the pedal 16 is pivotably mounted on a spindle 50, secured to the underside of base board 41 by brackets 51, secured in place by screws or the like. Attached to the pedal 16, and constrained to pivot with it, is a lever 42 arranged, when downward pressure is applied to pedal 16, to move upwards to exert pressure on the underside of container 40 behind its pivotal mounting on projections 34, so that it is pushed forward towards its open position allowing access.

The lever 42 is connected by push rods 52 to a second lever 54, pivotably mounted on a spindle 56, secured to the underside of a base board in the same way as spindle 50, so that when pressure is applied to pedal 16 the levers 42, 54 pivot upwards together, pushing both containers forward.

An alternative arrangement for pushing the containers forward is shown in Figure 6, wherein a first cam is arranged to be driven in rotation by an electric motor or solenoid 62, operable for example by a switch mounted on a kitchen unit. Rotation of this cam in the direction of the arrow acts in the same way as the lever 42 of Figure 5, pushing the container forwards. A push rod 64, _ Q —

connected to the cam 60 at a position spaced from its axis of rotation, is connected at its other end to a pivotally mounted second cam 66 arranged to exert a similar pressure on the underside of the rear-mounted bin 42, so that the two bins are pivoted together.

Figure 7a shows how a user can insert a container 40 onto the forward hinge plates 20 in a kitchen unit 10. Pivoting the front bin to its vertical position pushes down lever 42, thereby causing lever 54 to pivot downwards also. Pivoting of the front bin pushes the back one towards its vertical position, which it the assumes under gravity.

Figure 7b shows how the covers 47, 48 close over the two bins in their vertical position to prevent refuse smells escaping.

Figure 7c shows how both bins can be swung forwards together by application of pressure to pedal 16, to allow different types of refuse to be put into each bin.

Figure 8 shows how a pair of bins 82, 84 can be mounted one above the other to pivot forwards independently of one another on projections 81, 83 which in this case are hollow and engage enlongate hinge rails, shown in more detail in Figure 9.

The containers 82, 84 have hinge plates 87, similar to the hinge plates 22 of the embodiments described above, and engage guide projections 88, 89. A hinge rail 85 is shown in more detail in Figure 9, and comprises pins 90 at each end which engage in respective hollow projections 81 on fixed hinge plates 82. Apart from the hollow projections, these hinge plates may be indentical to the hinge plates 20 of the embodiments described above.

The pins 90 are integral and coaxial with a semi- cylindrical support 92 which forms part of the rail 85. The semi-circular support 92 has a pair of co-planar support surfaces 93 on which a forward part of container 82 can rest.

Figure 9b shows how the container 82 can pivot forward on the guide rail 92. Its guide channel 87 engages a projection 96 of fixed hinge plate 82 in the same way as in the previous embodiments. In the forward position, a curved surface 97 engages a projection 95, preventing further forward rotation whilst still enabling the container to lifted clear of the support rail 92. In the upright position of the container, a recess 98 on the underside of the hinge plate behind channel 87 engages a projection 94.

Referring to Figure 10, a container 100 rests on the four projections 31, 32, 33, 34 of a fixed hinged plate 20 as in the previous embodiments, but in this case the channels and recesses which engage the projections are formed integrally with the side 101 of the container rather than being on a separate plate.

The bottom recess 107 of the container side in which projection 34 engages is slightly elongate, so as to allow a degree of play as the container swings forward. In the upright configuration shown, the projection is constrained to engage the forward end of this recess by the engagement of other parts of the container side with the other three projections. Thus, projection 32 engages in a correspondingly shaped recess 105, and projection 33 engages in an arcuate recess 108.

The guide channel of hinge comprises an upper arcuate portion 102, the radius of which corresponds to the distance between projections 31 and 34, the arc being centred on projection 34 wherein the container is stowed in the upright position shown in Figure 10.

Guide channel portion 103 is essentially straight and extends downwards from the channel portion 102, opening at the bottom of the container side as in the previously described embodiments. The arcuate portion 102 extends slightly beyond the junction with portion 103 to define a recess 104 in which projection 31 can engage at the end of the forward swinging movement of the container. This stabilises the container in its forward accessible position, preventing it from accidentally slipping out of position. It can nonetheless be lifted away from the hinge quite easily by swinging it back slightly towards the upright.

Figure 11 shows a number of possibilities for the fixed hinge plate, all of which can be seen to comprise at least two projections 131, 134 located one above the other, these being the essential projections for the hinge according to the invention. All the projections shown may be in the form of rollers. Figure 12 illustrates a number of different possibilities for the container side hinge plate, which in each case have a recess or cam surface 126 to rest on projection 34 or 134, and a two part guide channel 128 to engage with projection 31, 131.

The hinge of Figure 13 is shown in its upright position A and forward position B. The configuration of the container-side part of this hinge is essentially similar to that of the hinge plate shown at the left hand end of Figure 12, and differs from that of Figure 10 in that the recesses resting on projections 133 and 134 are less pronounced and there is no actual recess such as 108 engaging projection 133. There is however an additional recess 136 which engages projection 132 in the forward position of the container.

The hinge 140 shown in Figure 14 is similar to that of Figure 13 except that a spring loaded catch 141 is pivotally mounted on the container side hinge plate to be rotatable about a pivot 142. A compression spring 143 biases the catch in an anticlockwise direction as seen in Figure 14, to the position shown in the upright configuration A of the hinge, in which the catch bears against a pin on the plate just above projection 33. When the hinge is pivoted to the forward position B, a cam surface 144 on the underside of the catch moves over projection 31, rotating the catch in a clockwise direction against the force of compression spring 143, until a recess 145 at the free end of the catch engages projection 32. The spring-loaded catch helps to control the speed of the forward motion of the container, especially if the projections such as 31 and 34 are in the form of rollers, which allow movement with little friction.

On the rear edge of the hinge plate 140, there are two recesses 146, 148, separated by an intermediate cam surface 147. As the hinge plate swings forward, recess 146 disengages with the projection 32, which then engages in recess 148 in the forward position of the hinge plate, having remained in contact with cam surface 147 as the hinge plate swings forward.

The hinge of Figure 15 is similar to that of Figure 14, except that the spring catch 151 has an additional rearwardly projecting leg 150 which engages projection 32 when the container is in its upright position.

The arrangement of Fig 16 is similar to that of Figs. 4 to 7, except that the rear containers are fixed bins 160 which do not swing forward when the forward bin

162 is swung forward. Pivoting chutes 163 are slung by hooks 164 on sloping rails 165 secured to respective opposite inner sides of the kitchen unit. In the open configuration shown, different types of refuse can be thrown directly into forward bins 162 or down the chutes

163 into selected rear bins 160 without those bins having to swing forward. When the bins 162 are swung back to their vertical stowed position, they slide under the chutes 163 which are lifted off rails 165 and rest on the bins to act as closing lids to prevent smells escaping.

Although the hinges according to the invention are primarily intended for stowable containers, it is envisaged that they could be provided on other bodies designed to pivot within a support frame, for example window casements. Figure 17 shows how a window casement 170 could be provided with hinge plate 172 as already described, intended to cooperate with projections on the sides of a window frame 175, to enable the casement to be swung forward and lifted out of the frame.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A stowable container (40) removably mounted in a support frame, a lower forward part of the container resting on a pivotal support (34) in the frame on which the container is pivotable between an upright stowed position and a forward position allowing access, wherein on at least one side of the container a projection (31) from the side of the frame above said pivotal support engages in a channel ( (28) on the side of the container, said channel comprising an upper part, in which said projection engages when the container is mounted in the frame and which is shaped to limit upward movement of the container when in its upright position and to allow the container to pivot between said upright and forward positions, and a lower part which extends to a bottom edge of the container from a position in said upper part in which said projection engages when the container is in or adjacent its forward position, said lower part of the channel opening at the bottom of the container to allow the container to be lifted away from the support from said forward position.

2. A stowable container according to claim 1 wherein two said projections (31) are provided, coaxial with one another and extending towards one another from opposite sides of the frame, to engage in respective said channels on opposite sides of the container (40) .

3. A stowable container according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said pivotal support (34) provides a horizontal pivoting axis for the container.

4. A stowable container according to any preceding claim wherein the or each said channel (28) is provided in a plate (22) secured to the side of the container.

5. A stowable container according to any preceding claim wherein the upper part (102) of the or each channel extends rearwardly beyond its junction with the lower part to provide a recess (104) in which the respective projection can engage to prevent the container from being lifted up when in its fully forward position.

6. A stowable container according to any preceding claim wherein said pivotable support comprises one or more concave surfaces (26) on the underside of the container, resting on one or more horizontal projections (24) or rails (70) of the frame and serving also to restrain horizontal movement of the container when in its stowed position.

7. A stowable container according to any preceding claim wherein the or each said projection is in the form of a roller.

8. A hinge for mounting a pivotable body in a support frame, comprising a first hinge member securable to the support frame and having a pair of projections in fixed position spaced from one another and projecting towards the inside of the frame, and a second hinge member detachably engageable with the first, and adapted to be secured to the pivotable body, said second hinge member having a recess in a lower edge surface thereof to engage a first said projection and a channel extending around two sides of said recess and opening at a lower edge of said hinge member to engage the said projection on the first hinge member.