WO2009051568A1

WO2009051568A1 - Assembly of rotatable shelves in a furniture element

Info

Publication number: WO2009051568A1
Application number: PCT/SI2008/000052
Authority: WO
Inventors: Slavko Fujs; Anton Holobar; Janez Smerdelj
Original assignee: Gorenje Gospodinjski Aparati, D.D.
Priority date: 2007-10-15
Filing date: 2008-10-14
Publication date: 2009-04-23
Also published as: SI22601A

Abstract

An assembly of rotating shelves in a furniture element, preferably a sinkable table top refrigerator is made of a support element (1), which may be designed as a lifting actuator preferably with remote wireless control and via which a guide (6) is coaxially positioned, on which a support (7) is rotatably pivoted, on said support being arranged axially settable holders (12) and shelves (8) thereon. On the support (7) there are arranged holders (12) of shelves (8) being conceived as two-part interrupted rings embracing the support by an angle exceeding one half of a full circle, whereas the lower part (13) of the holder (12) comprises drilled holes (14) for fastening with screws into selected drilled holes (11) and drilled holes (15) for fastening with screws with the upper part (16) formed as an interrupted ring, whereas its cross-section is in the shape of a reversed letter L, and both its ends (17) are thicker provided with drilled holes (18) allowing a mutual engagement by screws together with the drilled holes (15) of both parts (13) and (16) and between the shelf (8) positioned therebetween.

Description

ASSEMBLY OF ROTATABLE SHELVES IN A FURNITURE ELEMENT

Subject of Invention

The subject of the present invention is an assembly of rotatable shelves in a furniture element, preferably a sinkable table top refrigerator.

Technical Problem

A technical problem solved by the present invention is how to design such assembly of rotatable shelves in a furniture element that would allow the shelves to be adjusted in height and to create larger space for storing food and drinks in a space of at least two neighbouring shelves, whereas the setting of shelves in height can only be performed by special personnel by means of a special tool. In other words, the technical problem lies in that how to increase the volume yield of an assembly of shelves in case there are products of different heights positioned on the same shelf, like bottles of wine and lower bottles of refreshing drinks.

Prior Art

Known rotatable shelves of this type on or in furniture elements, e.g. tables, cooling cabinets and glass cabinets and various cabinets are arranged on a central vertical column at a certain distance from each other. Rotatability of shelves in a simple embodiment is conceived in a way that the entire assembly of shelves is manually rotated on a pivoted column. Further, an assembly of shelves on a fixed column is known, on which column the shelves are rotatably and individually pivoted.

A disadvantage of such shelves lies in their entire surface having equal distance from the shelf lying above. A need for placing low, somewhat higher and high objects on the same shelf is often present, e.g. confectioneries on plates, fruit juice bottles, bottles of other refreshing drinks and wine bottles. Volume yield of such assembly of shelves is relatively inadequate and calls for a new solution to do away with this disadvantage.

This need is of high importance with a sinkable table top refrigerator for food and drinks, whereas said refrigerator vertically rises from the table by means of an actuator and remote control. The volume of this type of refrigerator is relatively small. A need for having such refrigerator filled up with food and especially drinks requires a well-thought space consumption.

Solution to the Technical Problem

The described technical problem is solved by an assembly of shelves of the invention characterised in that shelves are positioned on an upright cylindrical column that can be internally equipped with a device for vertical rising and sinking of the entire assembly, said shelves allowing to be positioned in stages along the height of the column, moreover, individual shelves can even be removed from the assembly by means of a tool, whereby the shelves are made as a circle section preferably comprising approximately ³A of the surface area. It is herewith possible to make part of the neighbouring surface on one shelf reaching in its height at least into the area of the first next shelf positioned above said shelf.

The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of a description of an embodiment and drawings, on which

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an assembly of shelves in a furniture element of the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of same with a shelf removed,

Fig. 3 shows a detail of same with a shelf removed and opened shelf holders,

Fig. 4. shows an assembly of the invention in axial cross-section. An assembly of rotating shelves in a furniture element, preferably a sinkable table top refrigerator is made of a support element 1, which may be designed as a lifting actuator preferably with remote wireless control. The element 1 equipped by an actuator allows the assembly of the invention to rise from and sink into a furniture element, e.g. table, which is not shown on figures. On the upper end of the element 1 there is a connecting element 2 intended to fasten an optional terminal part 3 corresponding to the design of a furniture element, into which the assembly of the invention is built. In a preferred embodiment of a furniture element, formed as a table, the terminal part 3 is designed as a panel fitting into the table in the situation when the assembly of the invention is totally sunk in the table. The terminal part 3 designed as a panel may comprise a rotating insert 4 on its upper side positioned on a bearing 5 which is simultaneously also a bayonet fixing element preventing the rotating element 4 from being removed without first opening the bayonet junction.

Via cylindrical support element 1 a coaxial guide 6 is fastened, on which a support 7 of shelves 8 is pivoted. In a preferred embodiment, the support 7 of the shelves 8 is pivoted in a way that there is a circumferential element 9 on the bottom part of the guide 6, said circumferential element having a freely rotating support 7 with its bottom edge 10. The guide 6 and the support 7 are preferably conceived as concentric tubes fitting to each other glidingly without significant friction. It is therefore sufficient for the support 7 to be rotatingly pivoted only on the circumferential element 9.

On the support 7 there are at least two series of axially parallel running drilled holes 11 determining the raster of distance between the shelves 8.

Holders 12 of shelves 8 are arranged on the support 7. The holders 12 are conceived as two-part interrupted rings embracing the support 7 by an angle exceeding one half of a full circle. The lower part 13 of the holder 12 comprises drilled holes 14 for fastening with screws into selected drilled holes 11 and drilled holes 15 for fastening with screws with another, i.e. the upper part 16 of the holder 12. The upper surface of the part 13 is intended to receive the shelf 8, which will be described in more detail in the continuation. The upper part 16 of the holder 12 is formed as an interrupted circle similar to the lower part 13, whereas its cross-section is in the shape of a reversed letter L, and both its ends 17 are thicker by approximately square cross-section and provided with drilled holes 18 running parallel with the axis of the element 1 thus allowing a mutual engagement by screws together with the drilled holes 15 of both parts 13 and 16 and between the shelf 8 positioned therebetween.

The shelves 8 are formed as panels of an optional outline, preferably with an outline of a circular interrupted ring. Each shelf 8 has a cut-out 19 running from the external edge 19 to the location intended for the centre 20 of rotation of the shelf 8 on the element 1. The central part 21 of the cut-out 19 is formed as a circular cut-out concentric with the centre of the guide 6 and the gap 22 of which equals or exceeds the diameter of the guide 6 and the diameter of which is equal to or slightly exceeding the external diameter of the upright end 23 of the upper part 16. The remaining area 24 of the cut-out 19 is optionally shaped in a way that its width is constantly equal or greater than the gap 22.

Each shelf 8 is positioned on the guide 6 with its central part 21 embracing the guide 6 and lying on the upper surface of the lower part 13 of the holder 12, whereas the upper part 16 of the holder 12 is positioned on the shelf in a way that the upright end 23 of the upper part 16 is positioned in the gap between the support and the central part 21 of the cut-out 19 of the shelf 8, whereas both parts 13 and 16 of the holder 12 are dismountably joined by screws, not shown in figures, in the drilled holes 15 and 18. The holder 12 with the shelf 8 is positioned on the support 7, as mentioned above, with a dismountable connection in the height, preferably by two screws, screwed into the selected drilled holes 11 in the support 7. Each shelf 8 is secured between both parts 13 and 16 of the holder 12 against falling out, and what's more, by manually turning any shelf, the entire assembly of shelves is turned.

The shelves 8 are made of an optional material, preferably glass. Most reasonably, the holder 12 is produced from thermoplastic materials, whereas the guide 6 and the support 7 are preferably of stainless steel. The assembly of the invention is thus adaptable to the structure and shape of a furniture element, e.g. a table, for which it is intended.

It is understood that a man skilled in the art can conceive other embodiments based on the above invention, especially in the sense of industrial design, without circumventing the characteristics of the invention defined in the appended patent claims.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. An assembly of rotating shelves in a furniture element, preferably a sinkable table top refrigerator is made of a support element (1), which may be designed as a lifting actuator preferably with remote wireless control whereas at the end of the element (1) there is a connecting element (2) intended to fasten an optional terminal part (3) corresponding to the design of a furniture element and is preferably formed as a panel, which may comprise a rotating insert (4) on its upper side positioned on a bearing (5), near which there is also a bayonet fixing element of the insert (4) preventing it from being removed from the terminal part (3) without first opening the bayonet junction, characterised in that a guide (6) is coaxially positioned via the column support element (1), on said guide (6) being rotatably pivoted a support (7), on which there are arranged axially settable holders (12) and shelves (8) thereon.

2. Assembly as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the guide (6) and the support (7) are preferably conceived as neighbouring coaxial tubes fitting to each other glidingly, so that the lower part of the support (7) lies on the circumference (9) provided on the bottom part of the guide (6) and in that on the support (7) there are at least two series of axially parallel running drilled holes

(11) determining the raster of distance between the shelves (8).

3. Assembly as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, characterised in that holders

(12) of shelves (8) are arranged on the support (7) said holders (12) being conceived as two-part interrupted rings embracing the support by an angle exceeding one half of a full circle, whereas the lower part (13) of the holder (12) comprises drilled holes (14) for fastening with screws into selected drilled holes (11) and drilled holes (15) for fastening with screws with the upper part (16) formed as an interrupted ring, whereas its cross-section is in the shape of a reversed letter L, and both its ends (17) are thicker by approximately square cross-section and provided with drilled holes (18) running parallel with the axis of the element (1) thus allowing a mutual engagement by screws together with the drilled holes (15) of both parts (13) and (16) and between the shelf (8) positioned therebetween.

4. Assembly as claimed in Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the shelves (8) are formed as panels of an optional outline, preferably with an outline of a circular interrupted ring, in that each shelf (8) has a cut-out (19) running from the external edge of the shelf (8) to the location intended for the centre (20) of rotation of the shelf (8) on the element (1), whereas the central part (21) of the cut-out (19) is formed as a circular cut-out concentric with the centre (20) and the gap (22) of which equals or exceeds the diameter of the support (7) and the diameter of which is equal to or slightly exceeding the external diameter of the upright end (23) of the upper part (16), whereas the remaining area (24) of the cut-out (19) is optionally shaped in a way that its width is constantly equal or greater than the gap (22).

5. Assembly as claimed in Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a each shelf (8) is positioned on the support (7) with its central part (21) embracing the support (7) and lying on the upper surface of the lower part (13) of the holder (12), whereas the upper part (16) of the holder (12) is positioned on the shelf (8) in a way that the upright end (23) of the upper part (16) is positioned in the gap between the support (7) and the central part (21) of the cut-out (19) of the shelf (8), whereas both parts (13) and (16) of the holder (12) are dismountably joined, preferably by screws.