Corner Cupboard Shelf Fitting With Offset Pivot Pull-Out
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotary and pull-out fittings for corner cupboards do not optimally utilize space and often require asymmetrical designs, leading to inefficient use of interior space and ergonomic limitations, particularly when accessing shelves placed in corner cabinets.
Innovation Solution
The pull-out guide is mounted on an intermediate carrier that can rotate about an axis parallel and offset from the primary axis of rotation, providing three degrees of freedom for the shelf, allowing for smooth pivoting and linear movement, which enhances space utilization and ergonomic accessibility by allowing the shelf to pivot further out of the door opening, thus providing a larger footprint and symmetrical design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the shelf is designed with a fixed symmetrical base shape, then the manufacturing complexity is reduced and both left and right corner cabinets can use the same shelf, but the interior space of the corner cabinet is not optimally utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The shelf base is made dynamically adjustable through a mechanism that allows the base shape to change between different configurations. The base can be adjusted to have different radii of curvature (e.g., 15 cm or 30 cm) to optimize space utilization in different corner cabinet configurations, while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through a standardized adjustable design rather than producing multiple fixed asymmetric versions
2Ease of operation
If the shelf is pulled out further from the door opening, then the accessibility of objects on the shelf is improved, but the shelf requires additional support to counteract the high tilting moment caused by its weight
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediate support element is introduced between the shelf and the main support structure. This intermediate carrier with its own support axis provides additional support points that counteract the tilting moment generated when the shelf is pulled out to fully extended positions, enabling better accessibility without compromising structural strength
Solution Approach 2:
The support mechanism is extended into a third dimension by adding a vertical support axis offset from the primary rotation axis. This creates a three-dimensional support structure that can counteract moments in multiple directions, providing the necessary strength to support the shelf in fully extended positions
3Reliability
If the shelf follows a defined movement path through positive coupling, then the movement control is improved, but the layout of the shelf is restricted and space utilization is not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The movement mechanism is segmented into independent rotational components around different axes. The shelf can rotate around a primary axis and an intermediate carrier can rotate around a secondary offset axis, allowing the shelf to follow a more flexible three-dimensional trajectory that optimizes space utilization while maintaining reliable movement control through the segmented mechanical guidance
Data Source
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Figure 3
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AI summary
The fitting has a carrier (30) supported in the corner cupboard, which rotates around a vertical axis (32) and a pull-out guide, on which the lower shelf (28) moves relative to the carrier. The pull-out guide is mounted on an intermediate carrier (46), which rotates around an axis (52) which is parallel to the rotating axis of the carrier and offset in relation to the carrier. The intermediate carrier is force coupled with the lower shelf relative to the carrier.