Pivoting Drawer Rack Design for Front-Accessible Cabinet Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pull-out frames for cupboard furniture are either inaccessible from the front when in the open position or require significant construction effort to be pivoted for front access, lacking a structurally simple solution for pivoting functionality.
Innovation Solution
The pull-out frame is articulated via a pivoting lever to a translationally movable telescopic rail, allowing it to pivot relative to the rail, with a guide link enabling movement in the open position, reducing component requirements and allowing for optimal pivoting path and locking mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the frame is held on telescopic rails with a front element in the manner of a door, then the pull-out frame is accessible from the side when pulled out, but it is not accessible from the front when in the open position
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is made dynamically movable through a pivoting mechanism that allows it to rotate between a retracted position (parallel to cabinet side walls) and an extended position (perpendicular to cabinet front). This dynamic transformation enables front accessibility while maintaining a compact storage configuration, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame transitions from a one-dimensional linear pull-out motion to a two-dimensional movement by incorporating a pivoting joint. This allows the frame to change its spatial orientation from parallel to perpendicular relative to the cabinet front, enabling front accessibility without requiring complex multi-component mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If the frame is pivoted in the open position to be accessible from the front, then front accessibility is achieved, but the construction effort required is considerable
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting mechanism is segmented into discrete functional components: a pivoting joint at the front end of the frame, telescopic rails for linear motion, and a guide slot for constrained movement. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using standard fabrication processes, significantly reducing overall construction effort while enabling front accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A guide slot is introduced as an intermediary element that constrains the pivoting motion to a predetermined path. This simple geometric feature guides the frame's movement without requiring complex mechanical linkages or multiple actuators, thereby reducing construction effort while achieving the desired pivoting functionality for front accessibility.
3Length of moving object
If the pull-out path is made long to accommodate full extension, then the pull-out length increases, but the installation depth must be greater
Solution Approach 1:
The frame's motion is made dynamic by combining linear telescopic extension with rotational pivoting. This allows the pull-out length to be extended beyond the fixed installation depth by utilizing the vertical dimension through pivoting, effectively increasing the accessible pull-out length without requiring a proportionally deeper cabinet installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The movement transitions from purely horizontal linear motion to a combination of horizontal linear motion and vertical rotational motion. This two-dimensional movement path allows the frame to achieve a longer effective pull-out length by utilizing the vertical space created during pivoting, thereby reducing the required horizontal installation depth.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a drawer rack (10) for a cabinet, in particular for a kitchen cabinet (1), having upright side walls (2) oriented parallel to each other and a rear wall which extends between said side walls and delimits a cabinet interior to the sides and rear. The drawer rack has a rack frame (6) which can be transferred from a closed position in the cabinet interior to an opening position moved out of the cabinet interior via telescopic rails (11). At least one tray (9) or similar piece of equipment can be supported on at least one vertical supporting column (8) of the drawer rack (10). According to the invention, to provide a drawer rack (10) which has a simple structure and has a pivotable frame in the open position, the rack frame (6) is hingedly connected via a pivoting lever (13) to a movable telescopic rail (11), and the rack frame (6) is hinged to the pivoting lever (13) pivotably relative to the latter. The telescopic rail (11) is assigned a slotted guide (14) along which the rack frame (6) can move when in the open position transferred into the opening position, for a pivoting movement of the rack frame (6) relative to the telescopic rail (11).