Concealed Adjustable Lift Bracket for Countertop Overhang Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cantilevered countertop brackets are either visible, protrude into knee-space, or fail to provide sufficient support, leading to potential injuries and countertop cracking due to inadequate contact with the overhang.
Innovation Solution
A low-profile adjustable lift bracket with a concealable design that allows for precise preload adjustment, mounted to the inside surface of a wall or cabinet, ensuring minimal visibility and effective support for heavy countertops without protruding into the knee-space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional brackets are used to support cantilevered countertops, then sufficient support is provided, but the brackets protrude into knee-space and are visible
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is repositioned from protruding downward into knee-space to mounting on the vertical face of the cabinet, utilizing the vertical dimension instead of horizontal projection. This dimensional shift eliminates the knee-bump hazard while maintaining support functionality through the transfer of load path.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is designed to be recessed into a cavity formed in the cabinet's vertical face, nesting the support structure within the cabinet body itself. This nesting approach conceals the bracket from view and eliminates protrusion into the usable space below the countertop.
2Reliability
If conventional brackets are mounted to support overhangs, then structural support is achieved, but the mounting features and struts are visible
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is recessed into a cavity in the cabinet face, nesting the structural element within the cabinet body. This concealment strategy hides the bracket from view while maintaining its structural support function, achieving both aesthetic and functional requirements.
3Reliability
If conventional brackets are installed, then support is provided, but adjustment is required to ensure proper contact with the overhang
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket includes a pre-configured adjustable arm with multiple engagement positions that can be set during installation to accommodate variations in countertop thickness and overhang dimensions. This preliminary adjustment capability ensures proper contact and load transfer without requiring complex field modifications or iterative shimming.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket features an adjustable arm that can be positioned at different angles and lengths to adapt to varying installation conditions. This dynamic adjustability allows the bracket to optimize its geometry for proper contact with the countertop overhang, ensuring reliable support while simplifying installation across different scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A concealable cantilever support has a first leg extending from an outward end to an inward end, and near its inward end at least one adjusting hole; and a second leg orthogonal to the first leg, and integrally joined at an inward end thereof to the inward end of the first leg, inward faces of the first and second legs facing each other without intervening material. A portion of the first leg distal from the adjusting hole is restrained flat to the hidden face of the wall, the second leg protrudes from a roomward face of the wall with its outward face upward and orthogonal to the wall, a portion of the first leg adjacent the adjusting hole is free to flex away from the hidden face of the wall by actuation of an adjusting screw inserted through the adjusting hole.