Patent Publication Number: US-8991948-B2

Title: Accessible cabinetry system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a division of U.S. Non-Provisional Utility patent application Ser. No. 13/734,948, filed Jan. 5, 2013, now abandoned, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to cabinetry and in particular to mechanized cabinetry wherein a high cabinet may be lowered to be within reach of a disabled user, such as a user confined to a wheelchair. Conventional fixed cabinets, when located high up, are typically only within reach of a standing adult and are therefore completely inaccessible to wheelchair-bound individuals. At the same time, conventional fixed cabinetry provides a well-known solution for the use of storage space near the ceiling within a living area. To provide disabled users the ability to use storage space near the ceiling, a useful device would provide a cabinet that temporarily lowers itself and its contents to within reach of a disabled user in a manner that is safe, gentle, and reliable. While some moving cabinet designs exists, these systems are generally limited by the requirement that an area of countertop be kept completely clear; an improved device would allow for whole or partial region of the countertop below the cabinet to be used for storage of frequently needed items or for active use in food preparation, during which the user might wish to access the contents of the cabinet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the invention is directed to a system of mechanized cabinetry wherein a high near-ceiling cabinet may be mechanically lowered to within reach of a disabled user. Three exemplary embodiments are provided. In the first exemplary embodiment, an otherwise ordinary cabinet having otherwise ordinary doors is attached to a wall by two sets of rotatable lever arms, which allow the cabinet to be translationally moved between a raised position against a wall and a lowered position out from the same wall, optionally resting on a countertop. In the second exemplary embodiment, a scissor-jack type mechanism pushes an outer cabinet out from the wall and a sliding mechanism allows an inner cabinet to drop down from within the outer cabinet. In the third exemplary embodiment, a single cabinet is mounted between a pair of vertically sliding plates, which are mounted between a pair of horizontally sliding plates. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of the second exemplary embodiment in extended and raised position. 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of the second exemplary embodiment in extended and lowered position. 
         FIG. 3  shows front view of the second exemplary embodiment in raised position. 
         FIG. 4  shows a front view of the second exemplary embodiment in lowered position. 
         FIG. 5  shows a rear view of the second exemplary embodiment in extended position. 
         FIG. 6  shows a rear view of the second exemplary embodiment in retracted position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a system of mechanized cabinetry wherein a storage cabinet may be lowered from a raised storage position to a lowered loading and unloading position within reach of a user, for example a disabled user confined to a wheelchair. In each of several exemplary embodiments, an independent cabinet enclosure having a top, bottom, back, front, left side, and right side is allowed to move translationally guided by a support mechanism between the raised storage position and the lowered loading and unloading position. In each embodiment, the support mechanism is securely fixed to a vertical support, for example affixed between two vertical wall studs of a wooden home. In each embodiment, the mechanism is powered by an electronically controlled drive mechanism, for example an electric motor or hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder system. The cabinet enclosure may optionally be of the common type found in homes wherein one or more swinging doors covers one or more openings in the front of the cabinet (with the doors optionally featuring glass or other transparent components). Optionally, in lieu of doors, a cabinet insert may slide out from the enclosure to give access to the cabinet contents; in such embodiments one or more of the fixed faces may include glass or other transparent components so that the contents can be seen. The inside of the cabinet storage area may be bare or may features shelves, drawers, hooks, rods, or other type of storage structure. 
     Referring now to the second exemplary embodiment,  FIGS. 1-6  show the second exemplary embodiment. In the second exemplary embodiment, a rigid rectangular frame  700  is mounted to a vertical support, for example between a pair of vertical wall studs. Each vertical side of the frame  700  supports a pair axles or hinges  701 , preferably at least one of which (e.g the lower one) is vertically slidable. The axles or hinges rotatably support a scissor-type extension mechanism  702  wherein a plurality of opposingly angled members are rotatably fixed to one another such that the mechanism may be contracted or extended along a line of motion that is generally horizontal and orthogonal to the wall. The scissor-type extension mechanism is rotatably and slidably fixed to a rear cabinet frame  703 , which surrounds the rear edges of an outer cabinet  704 . The outer cabinet  704  encloses an inner cabinet  800  such that the inner cabinet may be dropped down and out of the outer cabinet  704  by vertical motion along a pair of tracks  801 , each mounted on one side of the inner cabinet  800  and on the inner face of the outer cabinet  704 . The scissor-type mechanism  702  is powered by a linear extension device  1100 , which may be any form of actuator, for example an electric motor or hydraulic or pneumatic piston that rotates or extends to drive the scissor-mechanism  702  in its extension and retraction motion. In particular, the linear extension device  1100  may be in the form of a linear motor comprising a motor-driven lead screw, or equivalently, a lead screw having a motor movable mounted thereon. The inner cabinet  800  may likewise be driven on its tracks  801  by a linear motor  705  or other type of linear motion device. In particular, the linear extension device  705  may be in the form of a linear motor comprising a motor-driven lead screw, or equivalently, a lead screw having a motor movably mounted thereon, as shown in  FIG. 2 . As further shown in  FIG. 2 , the linear extension device  705  is directly adjacent to the track  801 ; this is preferably and implicitly repeated on the opposing side of the inner cabinet  800  with the other of the pair of vertical tracks  801  such that, for each vertical track  801 , there is one adjacent corresponding linear extension device  705 . 
     It should be noted that, in the second exemplary embodiment as best shown in  FIG. 2 , the inner cabinet  800  preferably comes to rest in its access position on or near the front edge of a countertop or other surface. This motion allows the user to store frequently used items at the rear of the counter or to lower the inner cabinet  800  over and in front of any temporary items located on the counter, for example food in the process of preparation. 
     It should be further noted that, in the second exemplary embodiment, the invention generally may be mechanically inverted to create a lift-cabinet rather than a drop-cabinet. This may generally be achieved by allowing the cabinet&#39;s vertical dimension of motion to go up, rather than down, and the storage position low rather than high. Each mechanism may be otherwise unmodified. The lift variant of the invention preserve&#39;s the invention&#39;s advantage of having an obstructable region behind the access position; however the obstructable region is located above, rather than below the storage position. 
     While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.