DEVICE FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT

Abstract: A device for performing a two-dimensional movement of a cupboard (1) in a vertical plane comprises two guide rods (3, 4), a scissor-type link (5) and a drive means (8) for adjusting the scissor-type link. One guide rod (3) is fixedly mounted in an essentially vertical position and the other guide rod (4) is movable relative to the fixedly mounted guide rod and supports the cupboard (1). The scissor-type link (5) has two link arms (6, 7) which are mutually turnable in said vertical plane. The ends (14, 16) of one link arm (6) are each turnably connected to one guide rod (3, 4), and the ends (18, 21) of the other link arm (7) are each connected in a displaceable manner along one guide rod. The drive means (8) turns the link arms (6, 7) relative to one another and thus performs a two-dimensional movement of the cupboard (1).

Description: DEVICE FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT The present invention relates to a device for making a two-dimensional movement in a vertical plane, and spe¬ cifically to such a device for moving a wall cupboard away from a wall and downwards. Persons who are tied to their wheelchair or disabled in some other manner find it difficult, in for instance a kitchen, to reach into fixed wall cupboards at a high level above the floor. It is therefore known to make wall cupboards lowerable either merely downwards or both down- wards and away from the wall. For example, SE-B-455,153 discloses a device having a parallelogram link for moving a wall cupboard outwards and downwards, thereby improving the accessibility of the interior of the cupboard. The prior-art device, however, has a limited range of motion and utilises an additional mechanism for further moving the wall cupboard vertically. The object of the present invention is to provide a simple device of the type stated by way of introduction, which alone yields a great range of motion and which is operable with the aid of a single drive means. In the case involving the above-described wall cup¬ board, the device should on its own permit the desired movement from the usual position of a fixed wall cup¬ board to a lowered and pulled-out position, in which the accessibility of the interior of the wall cupboard is satisfactory also to a disabled person. The device should preferably also be accommodated between the wall and the wall cupboard when this is in its upper position. According to the invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved by the device of the type stated by way of introduction being given the features appearing from the accompanying claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the device are stated in the subclaims. According to the invention, use is made of two guide rods arranged in a vertical plane, one guide rod being fixedly mounted in an essentially vertical position and the other being movable relative to the fixedly mounted guide rod. Further, use is made of a scissor-type link having two link arms which are mutually turnable in said vertical plane. The ends of one link arm are each turn- ably connected to one of the guide rods, while the ends of the other link arm are each connected in a turnable manner relative to one of the guide rods as well as in a displaceable manner along the same. Finally, a drive means is used for mutual turning of the link arms and, thus, two-dimensional movement of the guide rods rela¬ tive to one another. Although the inventive device is particularly suit¬ able for the desired moving of a wall cupboard, the in- vention thus is not restricted to this application but is generally usable for performing a two-dimensional move¬ ment of an object in a vertical plane. In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention, the link arm end which is merely turn- ably connected to the fixedly mounted guide rod, is posi¬ tioned below the link arm end which is both turnably and displaceably connected to the same guide rod. Also the link arm end which is merely turnably connected to the movable guide rod, is positioned above the link arm end which is both turnably and displaceably connected to the same guide rod. The drive means is suitably connected between the link arm ends connected to the fixedly mounted guide rod and may, in the case involving a wall cupboard, when the fixedly mounted guide rod is attached to a wall, be accommodated between the wall and the wall cupboard when this is in its upper position. An embodiment of inventive device will now be de¬ scribed in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of an inventive device used for a wall cupboard and shows this in its upper position; and Fig. 2 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 1, show- ing the wall cupboard in a lower and outer position. The drawing illustrates a wall cupboard 1 mounted on a wall 2 by means of a device according to the invention. The device comprises more specifically a first guide rod 3, a second guide rod 4, a scissor-type link 5 having two link arms 6 and 7 and a drive means 8. The first guide rod 3 is fixedly mounted on the wall 1 with the aid of wall fastening means 9 and 10. The second guide rod 4 is fixed to the rear side of the wall cupboard 1 by cupboard fastening means 11 and 12. The two link arms 6 and 7 are turnable in a vertical plane about a common pivot pin 13. The one end 14 of the link arm 6 is turnably con¬ nected to a lower part of the guide rod 3 by means of a pivot coupling 15 which is fixed to the guide rod 3. The other end 16 of the link arm 6 is in the same manner turnably connected to an upper part of the guide rod 4 by means of a pivot coupling 17 which is fixed to the guide rod 4. The one end 18 of the link arm 7 is turnably and displaceably connected to the guide rod 3 by means of a pivot coupling 19 which is fixed to a sleeve 20 which is movable along the guide rod 3. The other end 21 of the link arm 7 is turnably and displaceably connected to the guide rod 4 by means of a pivot coupling 22, which is fixed to a sleeve 23 which is movable along the guide rod. The drive means 8, which can be an electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically operated cylinder assem¬ bly, is connected to adjust the distance between the end 14 of the link arm 6 and the end 18 of the link arm 7 by being connected between the pivot couplings 15 and 19. The pivot coupling 19, 22 can be integrated with the sleeve 20 and 23, respectively. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the end 14 of the link arm 6 and the end 18 of the link arm 7 are maximally separated by the drive means 8, i.e. the link arms 6 and 7 are almost parallel with the guide rods 3 and 4. The cupboard 1 is then in its upper position immediately adjacent to the wall 2, and the entire device according to the invention is accommodated between the rear side of the cupboard 1 and the wall 2. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the drive means 8 has moved the end 18 of the link arm 7 closer to the end 14 of the link arm 6, i.e. down to the latter to, for instance, a predetermined limit position, in which the other end 16 of the link arm 6 has been pivoted downwards and outwards from its position in Fig. 1, and the other end 21 of the link arm 7 has been moved closer to the other end 16 of the link arm 6. Since the pivot pin 13 in the embodiment illustrated is arranged in the centre of the two link arms 6 and 7, the cupboard 1 will be moved in parallel when activating the drive means 8. A parallel movement of the cupboard 1 is generally effected if the length of the parts of the link arm 6 on both sides of the pivot pin 13 is equal to the length of the corresponding parts of the link arm 7 on both sides of the pivot pin 13. It is thus obvious that it would be possible to move the cupboard 1 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to a position which is not parallel to this by giving the parts of the link arms 6 and 7 on both sides of the pivot pin 13 other lengths than the said ones. Consequently, the inventive device makes it easy to guide the cupboard to a desired position outside the wall 2 and below the position shown in Fig. 1. Several modifications of the moving device as de¬ scribed above are possible within the scope of the inven¬ tion. For instance, the ends 14 and 16 of the link arm 6 which are turnably connected to the guide rod 3 and 4, respectively, need not be connected directly thereto, but may just as well be indirectly connected by means of the wall 2 and the wall cupboard 1, respectively.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A device for making a two-dimensional movement in a vertical plane, c h a r a c t e r i s e d by two guide rods (3, 4) arranged in said vertical plane, one guide rod (3) being fixedly mounted in an essentially vertical position and the other guide rod (4) being movable relative to the fixedly mounted guide rod, a scissor-type link (5) having two link arms (6, 7) which are mutually turnable in said vertical plane, the ends (14, 16) of one link arm (6) being each turnably connected to one of the guide rods (3, 4) and the ends (18, 21) of the other link arm (7) being each connected in a displaceable manner along one of the guide rods, and a drive means ( 8) for mutual turning of the link arms (6, 7) and, thus, two-dimensional movement of the guide rods (3, 4) relative to one another. 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the link arm end ( 14 ) turnably con¬ nected to the fixedly mounted guide rod (3) is positioned below the link arm end (18) which is displaceably con¬ nected to the same guide rod. 3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i s e d in that the link arm end (16) which is turnably connected to the movable guide rod (4) is posi¬ tioned above the link arm end (21) which is displaceably connected to the same guide rod. 4. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the drive means ( 8 ) is connected between the link arm ends (14, 18) connected to the fixedly mounted guide rod (3 ) . 5. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the link arms (6, 7) are turnable relative to one another about a pivot pin which is displaced from the centres of the link arms in the longitudinal direction. 6. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the fixedly mounted guide rod (3) is mounted on a wall (2). 7. The device as claimed in claim 6, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the movable guide rod (3) supports a cupboard (1 ) .

Inventors: HOLM BERNT, HOLM, BERNT
Applicants: HOLM BERNT, SVENSKA KENAB KARLSHAMNS ERGON, HOLM, BERNT, SVENSKA KENAB KARLSHAMNS ERGONOMI AB
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A47B77
IPC codes: A47B46, A47B77