Outdoor Kitchen Cover Pivot Fitting for Weather-Protected Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing outdoor kitchen units are not suitable for outdoor use due to exposed and vulnerable moving parts that become dirty or rust from weather influences, and covers are cumbersome and pose safety risks, failing to protect both utensils and fittings effectively.
Innovation Solution
A kitchen unit with a cover that moves from a horizontal closed to an open position laterally, using a swivel fitting with parallelogram links and a spring element, keeping the fitting parts covered and reducing manual effort, ensuring operational safety and protection from dirt and weather.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a hinged cover is used to protect kitchen utensils, then protection against dirt is improved, but the moving parts become exposed to weather influences and rust
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of the conventional hinged cover that folds upward exposing hinges, this invention uses a laterally sliding cover that moves horizontally along guides. The cover slides parallel to the base body surface, keeping all moving parts (guides, sealing elements, adjustment mechanisms) concealed within the structure rather than exposed to weather, while still providing effective protection against dirt and debris.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover movement is transitioned from the vertical dimension (hinged folding) to the horizontal dimension (lateral sliding). This dimensional change allows the cover to open without exposing moving parts vertically, as the guides and mechanisms remain embedded within the horizontal plane of the base body, protecting them from weather while maintaining coverage functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the cover is moved extensively to expose fittings, then accessibility is improved, but effort required and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The opening mechanism is divided into distinct functional segments: lateral sliding movement for primary opening, and optional vertical lifting for full exposure. This segmentation allows fittings to be accessed through controlled, limited movements rather than requiring the cover to be completely removed or folded back extensively, reducing both effort and safety risks.
Solution Approach 2:
Guides and sealing elements act as intermediaries between the cover and base body, enabling smooth lateral sliding movement. These intermediary components facilitate easy opening while constraining the cover's path to a safe, controlled trajectory, preventing accidental drops and reducing the effort needed to operate the cover.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fittings protrude beyond the top surface, then usability is improved, but coverage and protection are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The design accommodates protruding fittings by nesting the cover's lateral sliding path around them. The cover is configured to slide laterally along guides that are positioned to clear protruding fittings, allowing the cover to maintain full protection over the base body surface while fittings remain accessible beyond the edge. The sealing elements are positioned to seal against the base body, ensuring protection even when fittings extend outward.
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 solution enhances operating comfort and safety by minimizing effort required to open the cover, protecting moving parts from dirt and weather, and providing a stable, secure, and visually appealing design that maintains usability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element, which is tensioned in the closed position and the open position of the cover
Data Source
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Figure 7
AI summary
A kitchen unit (1) for outdoor use, comprising a base (2) for holding kitchen utensils and a cover (3) for the base (2), which is movable from a substantially horizontal closed position, in which it covers the base (2), to an open position, in which it at least partially exposes a surface of the base (2). It is proposed that the cover (3) be attached to the base (2) by means of a pivot fitting (4), wherein the cover (3) can be pivoted by means of the pivot fitting (4) from its substantially horizontal closed position, remaining in an approximately horizontal position, to its substantially horizontal open position, in which the cover (3) is arranged laterally offset from its closed position.