S-Box Storage Unit

• US 20100301715A1
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal Intellectual Property Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Derolo Limited
• Inventors: Walker, Elaine Claire
• Granted Patent: US 8,899,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/201
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0013 Table or cupboards with upwardly concealable compartments
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 77/08 for incorporating apparatus operated by power, including water power; for incorporating apparatus for cooking, cooling, or laundry purposes

Abstract

A household item (12), such as a microwave oven, can be moved from a lowered storage position to a raised usable position. In the storage position the moving surface lid (14) is flat with the surrounding work surface (10) having been lowered by a manual force and held in place by a suitable catch or latching mechanism. The household item can be raised by pushing the housing slightly downwards, thus releasing the housing from its anchored position. A counterweight (15) greater than the weight of the household item is suspended by way of a wire and pulley system (1a, 1b, 1c) that in turn powers the platform and displaces the lid, on which the household item is located, upwardly.

Claims

1. An in-door or out-door storage unit movable between a raised position and a storage position in which, in the storage position, the storage unit may be located at least partly within another existing housing.

2. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1 in which in the raised position, the storage unit is partly or wholly out of the existing housing.

3. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes a floor and the housing includes a work surface, further wherein the floor of the storage unit, when the storage unit is in the raised position, is flush with an adjacent portion of the work surface.

4. A storage unit as claimed in claim 3, in which the storage unit includes a top and in the storage position the top is flush with an adjacent portion of the work surface.

5. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, in which the storage unit includes a top and the top, in the storage position at least, comprises a flat surface.

6. A storage unit as claimed in claim 5 in which the top of the storage unit is movable between a lowered position in which it comprises a flat horizontal surface to a raised position in which it comprises a flat horizontal surface.

7. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, further including a housing located within another housing within which the storage unit is at least partly located when in the storage position.

8. A storage unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the storage unit includes a top surface and the housing includes a work surface, further wherein the top surface is terminated adjacent to the work surface.

9. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, in which the housing includes a base.

10. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, including driving means arranged to move the storage unit from the storage position to the raised position.

11. A storage unit as claimed in claim 10, in which the driving means includes a counterweight or a motor system that is assisted by a counterweight.

12. A storage unit as claimed in claim 10, including a linkage arrangement connected to the driving means and arranged to raise the storage unit from the storage position to the raised position when the driving means are activated.

13. A storage unit as claimed in claim 10, including a platform supporting the storage unit with the driving means being arranged to move the platform upwardly thereby moving the storage unit from the storage position to the raised position.

14. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, in which, in the storage position, the top of the storage unit, in plan view, is side-by-side with the adjacent housing around the complete extent of the housing.

15. A storage unit as claimed in claim 13, in which the drive means includes a lifting mechanism having at least one column extending from a top region of the storage unit to a bottom region.

16. A storage unit as claimed in claim 15 in which the column of the lifting mechanism is connected to the platform.

17. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one side of the storage unit is substantially open or accessible.

18. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit is an enclosed storage unit.

19. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, comprising any one or more of an LCD TV, laptop, microwave, spice rack, utensil rack, kettle, knife block or rack, bread machine, fruit, cookies, paperwork, hairdryer, cosmetics, perfume, soaps etc. etc.

20. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes an upper surface and the housing includes a work surface, further wherein the upper surface is of the same appearance as that of an adjacent surface portion of the work surface.

21. A storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes a top surface with marble or other suitable work surface.

22. (canceled)

23. A method of operating an indoor storage unit comprising moving the storage unit from a raised position, to a storage position in which the storage unit is located at least partly within another existing housing.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23 comprising causing at least part of a top surface of the storage unit to move to an inclined or vertical position when the structure is not in the storage position.

25. A method as claimed in claim 23, comprising moving the storage unit to a position below the storage position before backing the storage unit up to the storage position.

26. (canceled)