Patent Publication Number: US-2005116592-A1

Title: Kitchen fixture

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention refers to a kitchen fixture, specially intended for housing a garbage container, the fixture being designed to be built-in under a countertop, under a sink, cooking range or any other higher apparatus or fixture.  
      A fixture for the purpose set forth is already known from Spanish Utility Model ES 1043638. It includes a receptacle swivel-mounted in the cavity of a low kitchen fixture, which can be coupled under a countertop. This fixture has the drawback that the receptacle is not easily extractable, which may create problems for the cleaning thereof. Furthermore, its use is relatively uncomfortable, given the tilted position that the receptacle adopts when it is necessary to place the bags therein, to dump the garbage inside it, and to remove them once they are full, a position in which the cover also partially hinders those operations.  
      A domestic garbage sorting fixture is known from Spanish Utility Model number ES 200202167, designed to be assembled in a kitchen fixture, under a sink or the like, which comprises a receptacle assembled inside of the fixture and which incorporates an upper gate hinged thereto which, in a closed position, acts as the upper part of the front of the fixture, whereas in its open position, it acts as a dumping ramp of the receptacle. The fixture is provided with an upper gate operation mechanism. In this type of fixtures, the garbage container is not easily extractable, and access thereto, through the upper gate, may present drawbacks, especially when introducing relatively voluminous garbage.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks set forth above by means of a fixture in which the garbage container is easily accessible and extractable, such that all necessary operations can be very easily carried out.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a fixture for the purposes set forth, which may include a high capacity garbage container with divisions for different kinds of garbage, or without these divisions, and which can further provide other uses or functions.  
      The fixture of the invention is comprised of a fixed body, an extractable body and a garbage container.  
      The fixed body is comprised of at least two parallel walls and a lower bottom and incorporates a partition between the walls capable of acting as a cover for the container.  
      The extractable upper body is comprised of a front panel and a bottom platform with support wheels. The panel and platform are hinged at their adjacent edges around a shaft parallel to the edges, to permit the swivelling of the front panel with regard to the bottom platform between a closed position, in which they form approximately a right angle together, and an open position, in which the front panel is outwardly lowered, approximately in extension with the bottom platform, position in which the garbage container is perfectly accessible and extractable. The bottom platform incorporates a rocker lever assembled therein, rotatable around a shaft parallel to that of the hinge between said platform and the front panel. The lever projects outwardly through the lower platform and the front panel to form an operation pedal.  
      The garbage container is open at its upper base and is provided with two lower support wheels resting on the bottom platform of the extractable body. These wheels enable the container to be easily removed from the fixed body, which acts as a casing for the container, when the front panel is in its lowered position, in extension with the bottom platform. When the container is inside the fixed body, the lever assembled on the bottom platform extends between the wheels of the container, such that acting on the pedal forming the rocker lever can achieve the lifting and removal of the container.  
      All the features set forth, as well as other features of the invention, as included in the claims, are explained below in greater detail with the aid of the attached drawings, which show a non-limiting embodiment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      In the drawings:  
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a kitchen fixture according to the invention, in its closed position.  
       FIG. 2  shows a side elevational view of the fixture of  FIG. 1 , in a closed position, wherein one of the sides has been omitted to show the inside thereof.  
       FIG. 3  shows a view similar to  FIG. 2 , with the fixture in an open and removed position.  
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the fixed body.  
       FIG. 5  shows a view similar to  FIG. 4 , wherein the front side-wall has been omitted.  
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the extractable body.  
       FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of the garbage container.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The fixture shown in  FIG. 1  has a right prismatic configuration, of a square or rectangular plan form, and comprises a fixed outer body shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , generally referenced with number  1 , a extractable body shown in  FIG. 6  and generally referenced with number  2 , and a garbage container shown in  FIG. 7  and generally referenced with number  3 .  
      The fixed body  1  is comprised of two side-walls  4 , a lower bottom panel  5 , and, optionally, an upper closure panel  6 , as can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 .  
      The walls  4  can be joined also by means of intermediate cross members  7  and  8 . A panel  9  is assembled between the walls  4 , which panel can swivel about a rear shaft  10  and which will serve as a closure cover for the garbage container receptacle, as explained below. The walls  4  are also internally provided with lower strips  11 , close to the bottom panel  5 , defining with the panel, guides for steering the extractable body  2 , as will be explained below.  
      The panel  9  can include an upper support  12  for a roll of garbage bags or the like.  
      As can be seen in  FIG. 5 , the bottom panel  5 , from the front edge, is provided with recesses  13  for receiving sliding wheels of the extractable body.  
      As can be seen in  FIGS. 2, 3  and  6 , the extractable body  2  is comprised of a front panel  14  and of a bottom platform  15  with front  16  and rear  17  support wheels. The front panel  14  acts as a front closure door of the fixture, as can be seen in  FIG. 1 .  
      The front panel  14  and the platform  15  are hinged together at their adjacent edges by means of a hinge or hinge element  17   a,  the adjacent edges being spaced for allowing the passage of a lever  18  between them which is hinged to the bottom panel  5  according to a shaft  19  parallel to that of the hinge  17 . The lever  18  projects outwardly to define an operating pedal  20 . The platform  15  may include a front band  21  which will close the front of the fixture, as can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the lever  18  forming the pedal  20  projecting between it and the panel  14 .  
      As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , when the extractable body is inside of the fixed body, the wheels  16  are housed in the front recesses  13  of the bottom  5 .  
      The platform  15  can be provided on its rear part with partitions or supports  22  for fixing an object holder bucket  23 .  
      Lastly, the container  3  intended for containing the garbage is open at the upper base, and the lower part is provided with two support wheels  24 . It is also possible to provide it with an extractable handle  25 . It can internally be provided with dividing partitions  26  to define different housings, possibly intended for different kinds of garbage. Furthermore, the container  3  can be provided with hand grips  27  on the side-walls.  
      With the construction mentioned above, the front panel  14  of the extractable body, in the closed position shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is in a position approximately perpendicular to the bottom platform  15 , defining the front closure surface of the fixture. The front panel  14  and the upper cover  6  of the fixed body can be provided with fastening means for ensuring this closed position.  
      When intending to dump any garbage, the pedal  20  is acted on, causing the swivelling of the lever  18 , which runs under the garbage container  3 , between the wheels  24  thereof, causing its tilting and pushing the front panel  14  outwards, thus allowing easy access to the container  3 .  
      The front panel  14  can be completely outwardly lowered, as seen in  FIG. 3 , to a position at which the garbage container  3  can be removed, for example for the emptying or cleaning thereof.  
      Furthermore, the extractable body  2 , defined by the front panel  14  and the platform  15 , can be removed from the fixed body, as shown in  FIG. 3 , thus facilitating access to the container  3  as well as to the bucket  23  located behind said container.  
      The partition  9 , if it is rotatable about the shaft  10 , will remain on the container  3 , acting as a cover thereof, when the assembly is in the position of  FIG. 2 , whereas upon removal of the container  3 , the partition  9  will swivel downwards, to a position which may be limited by a stop.  
      For introducing and removing the extractable body, the platform  15  thereof will shift on the wheels  16  and  17 , the longitudinal edges of the platform being steered by the strip or guide  11 .  
      Definitively, with the fixture of the invention, by means of a simple constitution, a container is provided for garbage, which can be sorted, and which is easily accessible, for both dumping the garbage inside the container and removing the latter for the purpose of the emptying or cleaning thereof. Furthermore, the fixture can include an auxiliary bucket  24  for other receptacles or utensils, as well as the upper support  12  for bags or the like.  
      The garbage container  3  can be provided with means for holding the bags intended for receiving the garbage near the upper edge of its walls and of the partitions  26 .  
      Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.