Corner Cabinet Shelf Fitting With Guided Rotation and Pull-Out
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing corner cabinet shelf fittings experience a jerky motion sequence during rotation and pull-out, which compromises user experience and efficiency in utilizing corner cabinet space.
Innovation Solution
A guide member is introduced to positively guide the pivotal movement of the intermediate carrier relative to the carrier, ensuring a smooth motion sequence by maintaining a well-defined position and reducing additional degrees of freedom, coupled with an additional guide structure for the shelf to follow a defined trajectory, integrating rotation and linear displacement seamlessly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the intermediate carrier is allowed to rotate freely relative to the carrier during pivotal movement, then the motion sequence becomes more flexible, but the motion becomes jerky and unstable
Solution Approach 1:
A guide member is introduced as an intermediary element between the intermediate carrier and the carrier. This guide member positively guides the pivotal movement of the intermediate carrier relative to the carrier, ensuring smooth motion while maintaining stability. The guide member acts as a mediator that constrains the rotation to a well-defined path, eliminating jerky movements while preserving the flexibility of the motion sequence.
2Ease of operation
If the shelf is coupled directly to the carrier without additional guide structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the shelf follows an undefined trajectory with additional degrees of freedom
Solution Approach 1:
An additional guide structure is introduced as an intermediary between the shelf and the carrier. This guide structure includes guide rails or similar elements that constrain the shelf to follow a well-defined trajectory during the motion sequence. The guide structure eliminates unnecessary degrees of freedom while maintaining operational smoothness, and its design is integrated into the existing fitting structure to minimize added complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the shelf projects far out of the door opening, then accessibility is improved, but the shelf may interfere with the cabinet body during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The guide structure is designed with curved paths and rounded trajectories that allow the shelf to project far out of the door opening for improved accessibility. The curved guide rails ensure that the shelf follows an arc-shaped path during rotation and pull-out movements, preventing interference with the cabinet body while maximizing the projection distance. The curved geometry naturally accommodates the corner cabinet configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The fitting employs dynamic movement sequences where the shelf transitions through multiple phases: initial rotation about the carrier axis, followed by pull-out movement along the guide structure. This dynamic, multi-phase movement allows the shelf to achieve maximum projection for accessibility while the guide structure ensures the path clears the cabinet body throughout the entire motion sequence.
Data Source
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AI summary
A rotation and pull-out fitting for a shelf (20) in a corner cabinet (10), comprising a carrier (24) supported in the corner cabinet to be pivotable about a vertical axis (26), an intermediate carrier (30) rotatable relative to the carrier (24) about an axis (32) that is parallel with but offset from the axis of rotation of the carrier (24), and a pull-out guide (40, 42) on which the shelf (20) can be displaced relative to the intermediate carrier (30), characterised in that the rotary movement of the intermediate carrier (30) relative to the carrier (24) is positively guided by a guide member (38) throughout the entire sequence of movement, said guide member (38) being stationary relative to the corner cabinet.