Cabinet Upper Cover Pneumatic Support for Safe Opening and Closing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional storage cabinets lack a stable position assembly for their upper covers, making them laborious to open and close, especially for large cabinets, and pose a risk of injury or damage due to unsupported falls.
Innovation Solution
A cabinet design featuring a pivotally connected upper cover with a pneumatic rod and swinging member that extends to support the cover when opening and retracts to close it, using a hinge element and reinforcing rods for stable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple support rod is used to support the opened upper cover, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability is poor as the support rod easily falls down and the upper cover can hurt the user when falling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by using a pneumatic rod that can dynamically adjust its extension state based on the opening/closing motion of the upper cover. The pneumatic rod transitions from retracted to extended state automatically during operation, providing adaptive support rather than a static support rod. This dynamic behavior ensures the support is available when needed while maintaining simplicity in the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent directly applies pneumatics by incorporating a pneumatic rod as the core support mechanism. The pneumatic rod uses compressed gas to generate the force needed to support the upper cover in the opened position. This pneumatic mechanism provides reliable and stable support without requiring complex mechanical linkages, solving the contradiction between simplicity and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the upper cover is allowed to rotate freely to the back side, then the ease of operation is improved for small cabinets, but the harmful factors increase as the upper cover can fall and cause injury or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by having the pneumatic rod ready to provide support before the upper cover completes its opening motion. As the upper cover rotates open, the pneumatic rod extends in advance to prevent the cover from falling to the back side. This preemptive support action eliminates the harmful falling effect while maintaining the natural opening motion that users find convenient.
Solution Approach 2:
The pneumatic rod acts as a cushioning mechanism that prepares support in advance during the opening process. As the upper cover moves toward the opened position, the pneumatic rod gradually extends to cushion and support the cover, preventing it from falling freely. This beforehand cushioning ensures safe operation while preserving ease of use.
3Reliability
If a position assembly is added to keep the upper cover at a set position, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a pneumatic rod to provide position stability for the upper cover. The pneumatic rod extends to support the cover at the desired opened position, eliminating the need for complex mechanical position assemblies with multiple links and joints. This pneumatic solution achieves reliable position holding with minimal structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of position support from complex mechanical assemblies and implements it through a simplified pneumatic rod mechanism. By taking out only the core support function and implementing it pneumatically, the system achieves position stability without the complexity of traditional position assemblies.
4Volume of moving object
If the cabinet is made large to increase storage capacity, then the volume is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users need to move to the side to open the upper cover
Solution Approach 1:
The pneumatic rod acts as a counterbalancing mechanism that compensates for the weight of the large upper cover. By providing upward support force during opening and closing operations, the pneumatic rod makes it easier for users to operate large cabinet doors without needing to move to the side. This counterbalancing effect maintains ease of operation even as cabinet size and capacity increase.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design allows for easy and safe operation of the upper cover by stabilizing its opening and closing, reducing the risk of injury and damage, and enabling convenient access without requiring users to move away from the cabinet.
Implementation Method 1
a pneumatic rod... When the upper cover is opened or closed, the swinging member rotates to adjust a position of a lower end of the pneumatic rod, and the pneumatic rod extends or retracts at the same time to stably support the upper cover
Implementation Method 2
the swinging member rotates to adjust a position of the lower end of the pneumatic rod... Two ends of the swinging member are respectively pivotally connected to the connection base and a lower end of the pneumatic rod
Implementation Method 3
A rear board of the upper cover is pivotally connected with a rear board of the cabinet body... a hinge element is disposed on the first reinforcing rod
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure discloses cabinet. The cabinet comprises a cabinet body with a top opening, an upper cover, a swinging member, and a pneumatic rod. A middle portion of a bottom surface of the upper cover comprises a first reinforcing rod extending in a front-rear direction, and a hinge element is disposed on the first reinforcing rod. A middle portion of an inner surface of a rear board of the cabinet body is disposed with a second reinforcing rod extending in a vertical direction. A connection base is disposed on an upper end of the second reinforcing rod. Two ends of the swinging member are respectively pivotally connected to the connection base and a lower end of the pneumatic rod, and an upper end of the pneumatic rod is pivotally connected to the hinge element.