WO2011054991A1

WO2011054991A1 - Storage system for overhead spaces

Info

Publication number: WO2011054991A1
Application number: PCT/ES2010/070708
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aitor Jauregui Otalora; Arkaitz Alcorta Ugalde; Iñaki MARTIN AMUNDARAIN
Original assignee: Universidad Del Pais Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
Priority date: 2009-11-03
Filing date: 2010-11-02
Publication date: 2011-05-12
Also published as: ES2370333A1; ES2370333B1

Abstract

A description is given of a storage system for overhead spaces, which comprises an upward and downward housing (20), a platform in contact with the housing; a framework (40); a cable (50) with upward and downward movement together with the upper wall (22) of the housing (20) in order to cause the latter to ascend and descend; at least one telescopic post (60) that has a lower end (61) mounted on the platform (30), and an upper end (62) mounted on the framework (40); and means for extending and retracting the cable such that the means cause the housing (20) to descend and to ascend from a storage position in the overhead space (11) to a lower position in which a user has access to the contents of the housing (20), and vice versa.

Description

STORAGE SYSTEM FOR UPPER SPACES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the techniques employed in the design and manufacture of cabinets, filing cabinets, closets, cabinets and other storage furniture and, more particularly, is related to a storage system for upper spaces, such as ceilings, decks, attics , etc. which are generally free spaces in houses, offices, workshops and other premises. The system is essentially hidden when it is not used and allows you to rearrange the place where it is installed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Given the growing need to take advantage of the greater space available in homes, offices, workshops and other premises, in the prior art some solutions have been developed either to elevate objects to a higher space while they are not occupied or give utility to the space between the roof and the descent of the roof.

For example, in U.S. Pat. 5 667 035 describes a platform lifting system, which is raised by posts within which there are cables that are moved by a motor. This system lacks accommodation for storing items in order to keep them safe from dust and prevent them from slipping or falling, it can be said that it is a lifting system rather than storage.

In U.S. Patent 6 131 702, a lifting system that allows lifting loads between one floor and another is also described, lacking accommodation to keep the cargo safe.

A lifting and storage system is described in US Patent 7 416 055, in which a rectangular platform is directly elevated by motors and cables connected to the corners of the platform, in this system a housing for storing the items is also not provided or objects to keep them out of dust and prevent them from falling. Speaking specifically of storage devices that rise, it can be mentioned that disclosed in US 6 250 728 where a pendant closet that is operated manually is described, this closet is retractable and, due precisely to its drive form , a user must be placed in a chair to operate it, so it is not appreciated that this closet is given a constant and daily use, just remember that there are everyday objects such as exercise equipment.

Another storage system is described in U.S. 7 513 580 in which the cabinet is stored horizontally on the ceiling and the system descends it and takes it to an upright position for use. The closet has connections for electricity, water, etc. which makes it a complex system to build and use extensively in houses, offices, where the needs of storing objects and items are not so complex but constant.

In summary, in the prior art the most used is to raise and lower a platform on which a closet or cabinet can be placed, but does not consider the fact of providing an entire system that can efficiently cover the upper space that you wish to take advantage of, particularly prior art systems only consider a single closet or closet that rises so there are really few items that can be stored, and easy-to-use solutions are required for day-to-day use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a storage system for upper spaces, such as attics, roofs, ceilings, etc. which are generally wasted in houses, offices, workshops, warehouses or other places of human activity.

To achieve said objective, the system of the present invention comprises at least one descending and ascending housing having a lower wall and an upper wall. In the system, a platform is provided in contact with the lower wall of the housing so that when it is in the upper space it is hidden. To support the weight of the housing a cable is provided with upward and downward movement and which is integral to the upper wall of the housing.

Also, to support and mount the system elements, it comprises a framework; in which, the cable is supported in order to raise and lower the housing to which it is attached. The framework is anchored in the upper space where the system is installed, for example, the framework can be anchored directly to the roof or the surrounding walls, for example, the framework can be anchored on the main beams of the walls of a building .

To guide the upward and downward movement of the housing at least one pair of telescopic posts is provided, each having a lower end that is mounted to the platform, and an upper end that is mounted to the frame; The posts allow stability to the platform to avoid unwanted lateral movements of the housing when ascending or descending. Finally, the system comprises means for extending and collecting the cable, so that the housing descends and ascends from a storage position in the upper space to a lower position where a user has access to the content of the housing. Said means may consist of a motor and reducer assembly that move a shaft on which a reel is mounted that picks up the cable of the housing when it rises.

In one embodiment of the invention, when more than one housing is included, the system additionally comprises a housing selector that allows choosing the housing to be promoted or descended. In said embodiment, it is preferred to order the housings in rows to partially or totally cover the length and / or width of the upper space where the system is installed, whereby a user would think that it is only a false ceiling composed of soffits and Not from a storage system when looking up. Also, the system may be mounted only in a portion of the upper space, while the remaining portion retains its original state. Among the advantages achieved by the present invention, the following can be mentioned: it is a storage system for any type of product or element taking advantage of the available space that generally exists in the descent or the false ceiling or high of some house, office, workshop or other premises, and even allows to give a different use to the same premises. Acoustic isolation of the space where the system is mounted is achieved and it is easy to reach tall objects. Likewise, cleaning and order of the premises is achieved.

In a further embodiment, the system comprises an acoustic insulator provided on the platform of each housing and / or a lighting system mounted on said platform that contacts the housing, the platform is the only visible part when the housing is in the upper space .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the features of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of this description. where for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bedroom using prior art floor furniture for storing objects and items.

Figure 2 shows the chamber of Figure 1 once the storage system constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed therein.

Figure 3 is a top perspective view of the storage system constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows one of the housings and their platform used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows a side view of one of the telescopic posts used in the system of the present invention.

Figure 6 shows the basic unit of parts used in the frame of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 shows a view of the motor, reducer, shaft and clutch assembly used to extend and retract the cable.

Figure 8 shows an enlarged view of two seizures and reels shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the clutches.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the reels used to pick up the cable used to ascend or descend a housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE

INVENTION

In order to contextualize the application of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 1, a conventional bedroom 1 showing the prior art for storing objects and articles by floor or wall furniture such as the file cabinet 2 is shown. and the cabinet 3 that occupy an important space on the floor of the same bedroom 1 making it look very small and uncomfortable, while the upper space 1 1, in this case the ceiling, remains as a space substantially available for use.

Reference is now made to Figure 2, where a storage system 10 constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, where, in the upper space 1 1 of the bedroom 1, the storage system is installed storage 10 comprising a plurality of housings 20 that ascend and descend, such that they cover the upper space 1 1 to its entire length and width. As can be seen in figure 2, the entire bedroom 1 as a whole looks more orderly and with greater amplitude with respect to figure 1.

The storage system 10 in its preferred embodiment can be explained from Figure 3, where a plurality of housings 20 are observed, each having a lower wall 21 and an upper wall 22. Each housing 20 is in contact by its lower wall with a platform 30, while a cable 50 is integral with its upper wall 22 to support its weight and make it rise and fall. To assemble and support the elements of the system 10, a frame 40 consisting essentially of beams 41 and crossbars 42 connecting the beams 41 and mounted above them is included; for this embodiment the beams 41 are mounted to the walls of the upper space, for example, in the case of a building, the beams 41 are mounted on the master beams of the building, but depending on the installation needs they can be mounted directly on the roof by screws, brackets, welding, or other well-known mounting means.

More particularly, it can be mentioned that the cable 50 is also supported by the frame 40, for this a pulley 43 mounted on a crossbar 42 is occupied, on said pulley 43 the cable 50 is supported and changes from a horizontal direction to a vertical position to raise and descend to the accommodation 20.

To guide the upward or downward movement of each housing 20, telescopic posts 60 are provided, two poles are preferably provided for each housing, each post 60 has a lower end 61 that is mounted to the platform 30, and an end upper 62 that is mounted to the frame 40, particularly and preferably, the posts 60 are connected to the crossbar 42 which is above the housing 20 to which they guide.

In the described embodiment, means 70 are also provided to extend and collect the cable 50, making the housing 20 descend and ascend from a storage position in the upper space 1 1 to a lower position where a user has access to the content of the housing 20, which can be seen in the front and central part of figure 3 where one of the housings has descended. Each of the elements that form the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, for which reference is made to Figure 4 which shows one of the housings 20, which has a parallelepiped shape, other shapes are also possible for the same as a circular or cylindrical shape, so that being in the upper space where the system is installed a housing is located immediately next to another housing. Inside the housing 20, the objects to be stored are stored, the front wall 23 is provided with doors 25, although also in the wall rear 24 more doors can be provided with which it is possible to have easy access to the interior of the housing to prevent objects from falling or becoming dirty. The accommodation can have different dimensions and the distribution they have inside is varied, depending on what you want to store.

The bottom wall 21 of the housing 20 is in contact by the platform 30 which can be flat, curved, tilted, etc., preferably it is flat and has a pair of lateral sides 31, in each of them, the end is mounted bottom 61 of one of the telescopic poles. The platform 30 serves at the same time as a trim, and if necessary, the platform 30 includes some lighting system, proximity sensors to detect if there is an object underneath and stop the system, the platform 30 can also be provided with sound insulation, air conditioning, air conditioning, etc., the platforms 30 are the visible part when the module is in the upper space, and its essential objective is to cover the upper space to keep the housings hidden.

Now, reference is made to Figure 5, to describe one of the posts 60, which has a lower end 61 where a lower mounting base 63 is provided that joins the platform, while at its upper end 62 is located a top mounting base 64 that joins the frame. Each post 60 comprises a plurality of telescopic sections 65, the number of which will be a function of the height of the upper space, the telescopic sections 65 are introduced into each other when the housing is raised, so that when the module is located above each post is contracted and when it's down, instead, the pole expands. For each module, it is preferred to provide a pair of posts each attached to the platform on one of its lateral sides.

As mentioned, the function of the posts is to direct the trajectory of the housings when ascending or descending, the posts provide balance to the movement preventing the module from moving towards the sides, it is important to note that the posts do not support the weight of the housing or the platform, as is usually done in the prior art, this work is essentially done by the cable.

One of the most important parts of the system is the frame 40 which can be described from figure 6, the frame is constituted by units repetitive consisting of a pair of beams 41, each separated laterally from the other; crossbars 42 that connect the pair of beams 41 at their top and are supported by them. As mentioned, in said crossbar 42 it is preferred to connect the upper end of the posts of each housing; and, where pulley 43 is also located where the cable is supported to raise and lower the housing.

The essential function of the frame 40 is to hold and hold the elements of the storage system and retain them in the upper space. The beams 41 are preferably made of steel, with a cross section in the form of "H" whose function is to anchor all the elements of the system to the desired height by means of screws or other mounting means, the beams are attached to the vertical walls of the premises and / or to the roof thereof and support the entire weight of the storage system.

On the other hand, the crossbars 42 are preferably rectangular steel sheets that are supported on the upper part of the beams. The crossbars

42 are essentially used for fastening the posts and mounting the pulley 43.

In another order of ideas, to ascend or descend the housings, the system of the present invention comprises means for extending and picking up the cable, said means are responsible for giving vertical movement to the housings and are used so as not to have to do it manually as in the prior art.

With the support of Figures 7 to 10 it can be mentioned that for the described embodiment said means 70 comprise a motor 71; a speed reducer 72 operatively coupled to the motor 71; a shaft 73 mounted to the outlet of the reducer 72; and at least one reel 74 mounted on the axis 73 and where the cable 50 of one of the housings is wound when the reel 74 is moved by the axis 73. The motor 71, the speed reducer 72 and the axis 73 are they are mounted to one of the crossbars 42 of the frame 40. The motor 74 is directly powered by the local electric current or, be powered by a battery in case said electric current is gone. Whenever in the described embodiment more than one housing is provided, the system additionally comprises a housing selector that allows choosing the accommodation to be promoted or descended. Said selector comprises a clutch 81 mounted on the axis 73 and to which the cable reel of one of the housings is selectively connected to move only one at a time.

Motor 71 is the one that transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy to perform the work. Its characteristics depend on the type of load the accommodation has. For its part, the reducer 72 makes the speed of ascent or descent of the housing slow for safety reasons, it is preferred to use a worm type reducer that changes the direction of movement provided by the motor in 90 ⁵ in order to move the axis 73.

With respect to axis 73, this is the element used as a support for clutches 81 and reels 74, transmitting the rotary movement of the reducer to the clutch. Its function is to connect the shaft with the reel of the module that you want to start.

Thus, the operation of the means for collecting and extending the cable is simple, the reels 74 are initially disconnected, and when the clutch is actuated 81 the rotary movement is transmitted to a reel. Clutches also have their own built-in brake. The brake acts when the element is disengaged. The cable used in the embodiment described is a steel cable.

In general, it can be mentioned that, one of the benefits of the present invention that can be obtained in homes, is to take advantage of the lowering of the roofs that are made in homes for greater thermal use. That space between the original roof and the false ceiling is the one that serves to install the frame achieving a greater thermal, acoustic use and a space to store any type of elements from clothes, toys, blankets, books, bed, with which you can eliminate some traditional closet of the house giving a greater amplitude to the house, a better use of the floor, and even the possibility of giving various uses to the premises (gym by day, bedroom at night). Starting from the same idea of the location of the house, in the offices the offices can be given a better performance. Eliminating filing cabinets and cabinets that would be occupying space on the useful floor of the office, taking them to the ceiling, the system allows more workers to work in an office where the system has been installed, giving a pleasant feeling.

Taking advantage of the height of the workshops, the system can be used to better organize work tools. It can be a support for passageways that have no storage structure in place. Another possibility is to place the accommodations in the same workplace. In this way the operator does not waste valuable time going to the warehouse in search of spare parts or tools. In conclusion the production cuts times.

In view of this description and set of figures, the person skilled in the art will be able to understand that the embodiments of the invention that have been described can be combined in multiple ways within the scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCES Bedroom

Bookcase

Wardrobe

Storage System

Upper space

accommodation

21 Bottom Wall

22 Top Wall

23 Front wall

24 back wall

25 doors

Platform

Platform sides

Frame

41 Beams

42 Crossbar

43 Pulley

Cable

Poles

61 Bottom End

62 Top End

63 Bottom mounting base 64 Top Mounting Base

65 Telescopic pole sections Means for extending and picking up the cable

71 Engine

72 Reducer

73 Axis

74 Reel

Clutch

Claims

one . Storage system (10) for upper spaces (1 1), characterized in that it comprises: a) at least one ascending and descending housing (20) having a lower wall (21) and an upper wall (22); b) a platform (30) in contact with the bottom wall (21) of the housing (20); c) a frame (40); d) a cable (50) with upward and downward movement integral to the upper wall (22) of the housing (20) in order to make it rise and fall; the cable (50) being supported in the frame (40); e) a pair of telescopic poles (60), each having a lower end

(61) which is mounted to the platform (30), and an upper end

(62) which is mounted to the frame (40); and, f) means for extending and collecting the cable, such that the housing (20) descends and ascends from a position stored in the upper space (1 1) to a lower position where a user has access to the content of the accommodation (twenty).

2. Storage system for upper spaces, according to claim 1, characterized in that, when more than one housing is included, the system additionally comprises a housing selector that allows choosing the accommodation to be promoted or descended.

3. Storage system for upper spaces, according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame (40) comprises: i. at least one pair of beams (41), each separated laterally from the other;

I. at least one crossbar (42) connecting the pair of beams (41), wherein the upper end (62) of said posts (60) is connected to the crossbar (42); Neither. a pulley (43) mounted to the crossbar (42) where the cable (50) is received to raise and lower the housing (20).

4. Storage system for upper spaces according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the means for extending and collecting the cable comprise: i) a motor (71); ii) a speed reducer (72) operatively coupled to the motor (71); iii) a shaft (73) mounted to the reducer (72); and iv) a reel (74) mounted on the axle (73) and where the cable (50) is wound when the reel is moved by the axle to raise the housing (20).

5. Storage system for upper spaces, according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the selector comprises a clutch (81) mounted on the shaft (73) and to which the cable reel of one of the cables is selectively connected accommodation to move only one accommodation at a time.

6. Storage system for higher spaces, according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the motor is powered by a battery.

7. Storage system for upper spaces, according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the platform is flat, curved or tilted.

8. Storage system for upper spaces, according to claim 7, characterized in that the platform is flat and with a pair of lateral sides (31), in each of them, the lower end (61) of each of the units being mounted. telescopic poles.

9. Storage system for upper spaces, according to claim 2, characterized in that when more than one housing is provided, the Accommodations are arranged in rows to partially or totally cover the length and / or width of the upper space where the system is installed.

10. Storage system for higher spaces, according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the platform additionally includes an acoustic insulator.

eleven . Storage system for higher spaces, according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the platform additionally includes a lighting system.

12. Storage system for higher spaces, according to any one of claims 1 to 1, characterized in that the platform additionally includes a proximity sensor that stops the system in case it detects an object below.

13. Storage system for upper spaces, according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the housing includes a front wall (23) provided with doors (25).

14. Storage system for upper spaces, according to any of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the housing includes a rear wall (24) provided with doors (25).