WO2017149556A1

WO2017149556A1 - A cabinet with pulling out and putting back shelves and mechanism thereon

Info

Publication number: WO2017149556A1
Application number: PCT/IT2017/000039
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto TROMBETTONI; Alfred Zahlaus
Original assignee: Inoxa S.R.L.
Priority date: 2016-02-29
Filing date: 2017-02-27
Publication date: 2017-09-08
Also published as: ITUB20161157A1

Abstract

A cabinet (1) provided with a containment space (2), supporting shelves (9) and an access opening (3) through which the shelves (9) can be pulled out of the containment space (2) and put back into it, comprises a moving mechanism (4) for the shelves (9) that comprises a first arm (5) and a second arm (6), which are sustained by a side (7) of the cabinet (1), cantilever-style, inside the containment space (2), and rotatably about a vertical line (V), said first arm (5) and second arm (6) in turn sustaining two supports (8) for a related shelf (9) that are rotatable with a turning motion about the vertical line (V); at least the second arm (6) of said arms (5, 6) being provided with two component segments (10, 11), converging at an interposed articulated joint (12). Control means (13) being provided for coordinating the movement of said first arm (5) and second arm (6) and said articulated joint (12) in such a way as to allow the shelf (9) to travel along a trajectory with variable orientation so as to allow shelf free transit through the access opening (3) of the cabinet (1).

Description

A CABINET WITH PULLING OUT AND PUTTING BACK SHELVES AND MECHANISM THEREON

Technical Field

This invention relates to a cabinet with shelves that can be pulled out of a containment space and positioned outside the cabinet and vice versa can be put back in it, and the related pull-out mechanism.

Background Art

When constructing furniture and in particular corner cabinets, which may have a modular structure, a known method for solving the problem of poor access to the inner compartment of the furniture through its door is to make the shelves such that they can be pulled out for use and then put back in. In fact, that allows the user to access the shelf in total comfort, without encountering any obstacles, and then put the shelf, along with the objects supported, back in the space inside the piece of furniture when he or she has finished handling the objects.

The movements of pulling out and putting back in the shelf through the door of the piece of furniture affect both the shape of the outline of the shelf and the trajectory that the shelf has to follow in order to: come out of the inner compartment of the piece of furniture, reach the outside of the piece of furniture, and go back into it during the reverse movement. The trajectory and the shape are interdependent, since they affect each other. Therefore, the trajectory influences the shape of the shelf and its usable surface.

In terms of shape, semi-circular shelves have proved able to provide a satisfactory compromise between usable surface and easy transit without obstacles through the door of the piece of furniture. In fact, the substantially semi-circular shape makes available a quite satisfactory loading surface, although smaller than the square and/or rectangular shapes of similar fixed shelves. As regards the ability of this shape to pass through the door, tests have shown that this can be achieved with a movement on a substantially sinusoidal trajectory, that allows the semi-circular shelf to get around first one and then the other of the two vertical edges that delimit the door.

A first embodiment of mechanisms suitable for giving the shelf this movement, known from document US2006/0012273 , comprises a support column with a vertical axis of rotation that is positioned inside the containment space of the piece of furniture and behind one of the posts of the door, and a hinge with vertical axis supported behind the other post by one side of the piece of furniture. Projecting horizontally from the column and from the hinge cantilever-style there are two arms that can rotate independently and oscillate angularly about the respective vertical axes of rotation. The two arms in combination support the shelf at two separate points of it. By rotation of the two arms in opposite directions about the column and the hinge, the semi-circular shelf can be practically completely pulled out of the inner compartment of the piece of furniture, and vice versa put back into it with inverted movements.

Another solution described and illustrated by document EP 2415370 again comprises a column positioned inside the containment compartment, supporting cantilever-style an "L"-shaped bracket, that is horizontally rotatable about the column, and that sustains a curved guide on which a trolley is mounted, in turn supporting the shelf. Rotation of the "L"-shaped bracket about the column, appropriately followed by translation of the trolley along the guide, allows the shelf to gradually travel along the trajectory, being oriented along it in such a way that it can come out through the door, to the outside of the containment space of the piece of furniture and then be put back into it with a reverse movement.

The fundamental disadvantage of prior art solutions is that they need the vertical supporting column of the mechanism inside the piece of furniture.

That component involves several disadvantages. In fact, first, it takes up valuable space inside the piece of furniture .

Second, it is not aesthetically pleasing, above all when the structure of the piece of furniture is such that it does not have a door post with a vertical member behind which the column can be concealed.

Another disadvantage is the fact that the mechanism for moving the shelf has quite large dimensions in plan view inside the containment compartment of the piece of furniture. In fact, it covers practically the entire horizontal dimensions of the door opening, extending from one doorpost to the other.

A further disadvantage of the prior art solutions is the fact that when fully pulled out the semi-circular shelf has a more or less oblique position relative to its main axes, meaning relatively large dimensions in front of and outside the cabinet. Therefore, in front of the cabinet there has to be enough free space to allow the progress of the shelf movement.

Disclosure of the Invention

The technical purpose of this invention is therefore to overcome such disadvantages.

As part of that purpose, the primary aim of this invention is therefore to provide a cabinet with pull- out shelves that, conditions being the same as those of similar prior art cabinets, has a greater usable inner space than them, with a more compact moving mechanism for the shelves.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a pull-out mechanism for said shelves, that is easy and inexpensive to build, that can be used on ranges of furniture that are geometrically different, and that can be easily and rapidly assembled either at the production site or in the receiving piece of furniture.

Another aim of the invention is also to provide a mechanism able to give the shelf, when fully pulled out of the cabinet, an orientation practically identical to that which it has inside the containment space of the cabinet, so as to minimise the space taken up in front of the cabinet, that is to say, the amount of space to be left free in order to allow movement of the shelf without interference with surrounding obstacles in the room.

Yet another aim is to provide a mechanism suitable for constituting an assembly kit than can be used even by the end user and/or even at a later date after purchasing the piece of furniture.

In accordance with the invention, those results are achieved by means of a cabinet equipped with pull-out shelves and a pull-out mechanism whose technical features are described in one or more of the appended claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The advantages of the invention are more apparent in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an example, non-limiting embodiment of the invention, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective assembly view of the invention illustrated with a pull-out shelf contained in the inner containment compartment of a cabinet;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view, showing the cabinet, the shelf and the related pull-out mechanism in the state of Figure 1;

- Figures 3 and 4 are views corresponding to the views of Figures 1 and 2, which show the invention in a second condition corresponding to partial pulling out of the pull-out shelf from the containment compartment of the piece of furniture;

- Figure 5 is an enlarged partial view of a detail of Figure 4, with some parts cut away to better illustrate others;

- Figures 6 and 7 are views corresponding to those of Figures 3 and 4, which show the invention in a condition in which the shelf is practically completely pulled out of the containment compartment of the cabinet;

- Figure 8 is an enlarged partial view of a detail of Figure 7, with some parts cut away to better illustrate others .

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment of the Invention

With reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in Figure 1 the numeral 1 denotes in its entirety a generic cabinet provided with a containment space (2) equipped with supporting shelves (9) . The shelves (9) can be pulled out of the containment space (2) through an access opening (3), to be positioned outside the cabinet (1), in a location near a user of the cabinet (1) where access to the shelf is more convenient, and vice versa, can be put back into the containment space (2) when operations are complete. In the figures, reference will be made to a cabinet layout provided with a single shelf (9) . That is only for the sake of a simple description. Obviously, the cabinet (1) may be equipped with a more or less numerous set of shelves (9), stacked vertically and suitably spaced from one another.

As regards the access opening (3), hereinafter in the description reference will generically be made to a door opening, it being understood that, as described in more detail below, there may or may not be a door panel present .

For moving the shelf (9) the cabinet (1) is provided with a moving mechanism, labelled (4) as a whole, which basically comprises a first arm (5) and a second arm (6), which are sustained by a vertical side (7) of the cabinet (1), cantilever-style, horizontally and inside the containment space (2) . The arms (6 and 7) are rotatable together about a vertical line (V) of free movement allowed by respective fixed hinges (23 ad 22) constraining the arms (6 and 7) and supported by an anchoring member (21) that anchors the mechanism (4) to the side (7) of the cabinet (1) .

Figure 2 shows that the first arm (5) and the second arm (6) in turn sustain, at their free ends, two supports (8) for a related shelf (9) that are rotatable freely and with a turning motion about the vertical line (V) . In particular, it should be noticed that the supports (8) have cylindrical seats for axial coupling with pins (25), which are also cylindrical, supported jutting vertically by the shelf (9) .

The first arm (5) comprises a monolithic tubular rod, which at its opposite ends is connected on one side to the fixed hinge (23) and which on the opposite side sustains one of the two supports (8) for the shelf ⁽9⁾ . In contrast, the second arm (6) has a composite, articulated structure, comprising two straight segments (10, 11) that converge and are joined to each other at an interposed articulated joint (12) . One end of the first segment (10) is rotatably interconnected to one (22) of the two cylindrical fixed hinges (23 and 22) of the anchoring member (21) . In contrast, the free end of the second segment (11) supports the other of the two supports (8) for the shelf (9) .

Operatively positioned between the first arm (5) and the second arm (6), the mechanism (4) comprises control means (13) for controlling the synchronised coordinated movement of the two arms (5) and (6), so as to guide the overall motion of the pull-out shelf (9) along a horizontal line and with a variable trajectory designed to allow the shelf (9) to pass through the access opening (3) without interference.

More particularly, the control means (13) comprise a pair of sliders (14, 15) and a pair of tracks (16, 17), relative to which said sliders (14, 15) are translatable, preferably with simultaneous rolling contact with the tracks (16,17), and according to a suitable law of motion implemented in the shape given to the tracks (16 and 17) .

The two sliders (14, 15) are supported by a structure of the articulated joint (12) substantially aligned with and continuing on from one of the segments (11) of the second arm (6) . In contrast, the tracks (16, 17) are supported by the first arm (5) and are preferably grooves with suitable geometry made through a flat plate (20) that is welded and fixed to the first arm (5) .

As is shown more clearly in Figures 5 and 8, the tracks (16 and 17) are provided with open ends (18 and 19) for the transit of the corresponding sliders (14 and 15⁾ into and out of the tracks.

In use, operation of the mechanism (4) may be described starting from Figure 1 in which the shelf (9) is completely housed inside the cabinet (1) . In this condition, as can be seen in Figure 2, the distal slider (14) of the articulated joint (12) is engaged in the corresponding track (16) at the end of its stroke and in a location far from the open end (18) of the self-same track (16) . In contrast, the proximal slider (15) is in the non-operating position and is completely disengaged from the corresponding track (17) .

During the transition that sees the shelf (9) gradually rotate clockwise and gradually be positioned through the access opening (3) (compare Figures 1 and 3) the vertex angle between the segments (10 and 11) of the second arm (6) (compare Figure 4 and Figure 2) tends to be reduced, and as the articulated joint (12) moves towards the access opening (3), the distal slider (14) nears disengagement from its track (16) and movement out of the open end (18) of that track. Simultaneously, the proximal slider (15) begins engaging with the corresponding track (17), passing through the open end (19) .

Therefore, control of the mechanical step gradually switches from the track (18) to the track (19), as is clearly shown in Figure 5.

As the motion continues, the shelf (9) begins rotating the opposite way to previously, rotating anti-clockwise, as can be clearly seen by comparing Figures 3 and 6. The shelf (9) pulling out movement is complete when the proximal slider (15) reaches its end of stroke in the respective track (17), whilst the distal slider (14⁾ is completely disengaged from its track (16) and is not operating, as is clearly shown in Figures 7 and 8. In that configuration the mechanism (4) has the first arm (5) substantially against the side (7) of the cabinet

⁽1⁾ , whilst the jointed second arm (6) has its component segments (10 and 11) substantially orthogonal to each other .

A comparison of Figures 1 and 6 reveals that the mechanism (4) allows the shelf (9) to be placed, by travelling along a horizontal trajectory (H) , with practically identical positioning in the two end conditions of said trajectory (H) in which the shelf (9) is completely contained in the containment compartment

(2) of the cabinet (1), or is completely pulled out of and so outside the cabinet (1) . That positioning advantageously minimises the space needed in front of the cabinet (1) for moving the shelf (9), making optimum use of the living spaces in which the cabinet (1) is placed.

The mechanism (4) achieves the aims of the invention and provides the further advantage of combining the possibility of being prepared in modular assembly "kit", that can be easily and quickly fitted to the side (7) of the cabinet (1) with simple, inexpensive production. The mechanism (4) is also highly versatile in terms of use, since it can be specially adapted to the various geometries of the receiving cabinets (1) practically by just customising the plate (20), with the related tracks (16 and 17) specially adapted each time according to the various models of cabinets (1) .

Moreover, remaining on the subject of versatile use, considering that the mechanism and the related movement of the shelf (9) induced are irrespective of the width of the access opening (3) of the piece of furniture, the same mechanism (4) can be used on practically the entire range of standard pieces of furniture in which, as is known, the width of the access opening generally varies from 430 to 600 mm. In other words, the horizontal trajectory "H" being equal (it remains invariable) and the dimensions of the mechanism being equal, in order to switch from one size of furniture to another, it is sufficient to change only the shape of the shelf (9). However, it is also important to notice that the idea of controlling the trajectory (H) of the shelf (9) by means of two tracks (16, 17) and two sliders (14, 15) allows the trajectory to be divided into two separate steps which can be defined separately. Since they have in common only the intermediate step, this makes the production engineering of the mechanism (4) easy to specially adapt for applications involving different geometry.

The invention described above is susceptible of evident industrial application. It may also be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A cabinet with a containment space (2), supporting shelves (9) contained in the containment space (2), an access opening (3) through which the shelves (9) can be pulled out of the containment space (2) and put back into it, and a moving mechanism (4) for moving the shelves (9); a cabinet

in which said moving mechanism (4) comprises a first arm (5) and a second arm (6) , which are sustained by a side (7) of the cabinet (1), cantilever-style, inside the containment space (2), and rotatably about a vertical line (V); said first arm (5) and second arm (6) in turn sustaining two supports (8) for a related shelf (9) that are rotatable with a turning motion about a vertical line (V); at least the second arm (6) of said arms (5, 6) being provided with two component segments (10, 11), converging at an interposed articulated joint (12) ; and that comprises control means (13) for coordinating the movement of said first arm (5) and second arm (6) and of said articulated joint (12) in such a way as to allow the shelf (9) to travel along a horizontal trajectory (H) with variable orientation designed to allow free transit of the shelf (9) through the access opening (3) of said cabinet (1);

and in which said control means (13) are characterised in that they comprise a pair of sliders (14, 15) and a pair of tracks (16, 17) relative to which said sliders (14, 15) are movable, said sliders (14, 15) and said tracks (16, 17) being operatively positioned between said articulated joint (12) and said first arm (5) .

2. The cabinet according to claim 1, characterised in that said sliders (14, 15) are supported by a structure of the articulated joint (12) and said tracks (16, 17) are supported by said first arm (5) .

3. The cabinet according to claim 2, characterised in that said tracks (16, 17) are provided with open ends (18, 19) for the transit of the sliders (14, 15) into and out of said tracks (16, 17) .

4. The cabinet according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said tracks (16, 17) are grooves made in a single plate (20) .

5. The cabinet according to the preceding claims, characterised in that said mechanism (4) comprises a member (21) bearing fixed hinges (22, 23) for rotation of said first arm (5) and second arm (6) relative to the side (7) of the cabinet (1) .

6. A moving mechanism for shelves (9) that can be pulled out of a cabinet (1), characterised in that it comprises a first arm (5) and a second arm (6), which are sustained by a side (7) of the cabinet (1), cantilever- style, inside the containment space (2), and rotatably about a vertical line (V), said first arm (5) and second arm (6) in turn sustaining two supports (8) for a related shelf (9) that are rotatable with a turning motion about the vertical line (V); at least the second arm (6) of said arms being provided with two component segments (10, 11), converging at an interposed articulated joint (12); and

control means (13) for coordinating the movement of said first arm (5) and second arm (6) with the position of the articulated joint (12) in such a way as to allow said shelf (9) to travel along a trajectory with variable orientation so as to allow shelf free transit through the access opening (3) of the cabinet (1) .

7. The mechanism according to claim 6, characterised in that said control means (13) comprise a pair of sliders (14, 15) and a pair of tracks (16, 17) relative to which said sliders (14, 15) are movable, said sliders (14, 15) and said tracks (16, 17) being operatively positioned between said articulated joint (12) and said first arm (5) .

8. The mechanism according to claim 7, characterised in that said sliders (14, 15) are supported by a structure of the articulated joint (12) and said tracks (16, 17) are supported by said first arm (5) .

9. The mechanism according to claim 8, characterised in that said tracks (16, 17) are provided with open ends (18, 19) for the transit of the sliders (14, 15) into and out of said tracks (16, 17) .

10. The mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterised in that said tracks (16, 17) are grooves made in a single plate (20) .

11. The mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterised in that said mechanism (4) comprises a member (21) bearing fixed hinges (22, 23) for rotation of said first arm (5) and second arm (6) relative to the side (7) of the cabinet.

12. The mechanism according to one of claims 6 to 11, characterised in that it is made in the form of a pre- assembled assembly that can be fitted as a whole inside a receiving cabinet (1).