Sliding-Pivoting Shelf Mechanism With Lever-Assisted Heavy Load Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding and pivoting mechanisms for shelves in furniture and household appliances, particularly when loaded with heavy objects, make it difficult to raise or lower the shelf, and using higher spring rates or prestressing elements complicates the process further.
Innovation Solution
A sliding and pivoting mechanism with a lever unit that supports the raising and lowering of the shelf, featuring lever elements connected by a crossbar and pivotably fixed parallel to the side walls, allowing for easier operation without altering the spring rate of a tension spring, and optionally incorporating telescopic lifting elements for additional support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a tension spring with a higher spring rate or a preload element is used to support heavy shelves, then the shelf can be raised and lowered even when loaded with heavy objects, but lowering the shelf when unloaded becomes significantly hindered and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the lever unit movable and adjustable. The lever unit can pivot between different positions (first position for supporting the shelf in use, second position for facilitating lowering) and can be manually repositioned by the user. This dynamic adaptability allows the same mechanism to provide different levels of support depending on the operational phase, resolving the contradiction between supporting heavy loads and enabling easy lowering when unloaded.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the support function into two distinct phases handled by the lever unit at different positions. The lever unit divides the shelf lowering process into two stages: initial lowering assisted by the lever in the first position, and final lowering facilitated by repositioning the lever to the second position. This segmentation allows each phase to be optimized independently, resolving the contradiction between load support and ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If a preload element acts on the swivel arm to support raising or lowering of the shelf, then the shelf movement is assisted, but the mechanism becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complicating preload element (such as gas springs or dampers) from the system and replaces it with a simpler lever unit that uses basic mechanical advantage principles. The lever unit achieves similar assistance functionality through geometric relationships and user positioning rather than complex preloaded mechanical elements, reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever unit is a simple, inexpensive mechanical component compared to preload elements like gas springs or dampers. It achieves the necessary support function through clever mechanical design rather than expensive components, providing cost-effective assistance for shelf movement without the complexity and cost of preload elements.
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
Facilitates the raising and lowering of shelves with less effort, enhancing accessibility and reducing strain on users, especially when the shelf is loaded with heavy objects, by providing a favorable leverage effect and supporting movement with minimal driving force.
Implementation Method 1
A lever unit that assists in raising and lowering the swivel mechanism. The lever unit comprises two lever elements connected to each other by at least one crossbar. The lever elements are shaped in such a way that raising and lowering the shelf requires less effort compared to a conventional handle attached to the shelf or by reaching into the shelf itself.
Implementation Method 2
The lever elements have a first leg and a second leg, with a first crossbar arranged between the free ends of the shorter leg. The second leg is preferably designed such that the first crossbar is positioned above the shelf, at least in the lowered position, in the raised position, or in an intermediate position. It is particularly advantageous for the first crossbar to be positioned above the shelf in every position.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a sliding/pivoting mechanism of a shelf (4) of a piece of furniture or of a domestic appliance (1) for pulling out and raising the shelf (4) from a body of the piece of furniture (1) or of the domestic appliance (1), comprising at least two pivoting arms (51, 52) of a pivoting mechanism (5), which are fastened by means of a first end to at least one of the side walls (21) of the body (2) in such a way that said pivoting arms can be rotated parallel to the plane of the side walls (21) and which are arranged parallel to each other at a distance from each other, wherein at respective second ends of the pivoting arms (51, 52), a guide rail (61) is fastened in such a way that the guide rail of a pivoting mechanism (6) can be pivoted parallel to the plane of the side walls (21) and in such a way that the guide rail (61) can be pivoted from a lower position inside the body (2) to a raised upper position at least partially outside the body (2), and at least one running rail (62), which is linearly displacable in the guide rail (61) and to which the shelf (4) is fastened, wherein said sliding/pivoting mechanism comprises a lever unit (7, 7', 7'') which supports the raising and lowering of the pivoting mechanism (5). The invention further relates to a piece of furniture having a sliding-pivoting mechanism and to a domestic appliance having a sliding-pivoting mechanism.