Overhead cabinet with rotating door

• US 5,409,308 A
• Filed: 02/24/1994
• Issued: 04/25/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knoll Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Anderson, Robert E., Reuter, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GREEN, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US08/201,142
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 312/319.2, 312/319.4, 312/327, 312/328, 220/334, 16/289, 16/DIG. 7, 49/203, 49/204, 49/206, 49/246, 49/386
• US Class Current: 312/319.4
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/40 supported on arms movable in vertical planes
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1091 with a gas spring E05F1/1292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furniture, e.g. cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/40 with a vertical or horizontal axis of rotation not at one side of the opening, e.g. turnover wings

Abstract

A cabinet is provided with a curved, upwardly-swinging door and interior shelves. The curved shelf door is mounted on a pair of opposed pivot arms which rotate on a horizontal axis. Each pivot arm is provided with a disk portion having a central boss and an arm portion tangent to the disk portion. The central boss engages a fixed stud at the side of the cabinet and provides a center pivot for each of the arms. A gas spring for each arm is provided, which is pivotably connected at one end to the arm and at the other end to a side wall of the cabinet. The gas spring serves a dual purpose of counterbalancing the door as it moves between an open and a closed position and opening the door unassisted once the user initiates movement of the door, this opening feature being very beneficial to seated and physically disabled users.

Claims

1. An overhead storage cabinet having an upwardly movable door, said cabinet comprising:

a top wall, a bottom wall and first and second opposed, parallel side walls;

a door having opposed top and bottom edges and opposed side edges;

a pair of pivot arm means for moving said door between a closed position and a fully open position situated above said cabinet each pivot arm means having a disk portion, a protrusion perpendicularly adjacent to said disk portion and an elongated arm portion extending outwardly from said disk portion and having a mounting bracket at its far end opposite said disk portion, said disk portion being rotatably mounted about its center to one of said side walls, and said elongated arm portion being secured to said door; and

a pair of force means coacting with said pivot arm means for moving and counterbalancing said door as said door moves between said closed and fully open positions, each of said force means comprising a reciprocable piston and cylinder constructed and arranged to move said door to its open position without assistance once movement of said door is initiated, one end of said piston and cylinder being pivotally connected to said protrusion on said pivot arm means and the other end of said piston and cylinder being pivotally connected to said side wall, whereby when said door is in said closed position, said reciprocable piston and cylinder is only slightly offset from said center of said disk portion of said pivot arm means and when said movement of said door is initiated to cause said door to move to said open position, said protrusion at which said piston and cylinder is pivotally connected to said pivot arm means moves slightly forward toward said door, thereby redirecting the force generated by said reciprocable piston and cylinder to be essentially tangential to said disk portion of said pivot arm means thus permitting said door to move for the remainder of its travel solely under the force generated by said force means.

2. The overhead cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said force means is constructed and arranged to move said door between said open and closed positions at a controlled rate once movement of said door is initiated a predetermined distance.

3. The overhead cabinet according to claim 2 wherein said predetermined distance equals a rotation angle of approximately 15 to 20 degrees.

4. An overhead storage cabinet comprising:

a top wall, a bottom wall, and first and second opposed side walls;

a door having opposed top and bottom edges and opposed side edges;

a pivot arm for moving said door between a closed position and a fully open position situated above said cabinet, said pivot arm having a first portion being rotatably mounted about a pivot point to one of said side walls and a second portion being secured to said door; and

a force means coacting with said pivot arm for moving and counterbalancing said door as said door moves between said closed and fully open positions, one end of said force means being pivotally connected to said pivot arm at a connection point offset from said pivot point and the other end of said force means being pivotally connected to said side wall, said force means being only slightly offset from said pivot point thereby directing the force generated by said force means substantially through said pivot point when said door is in said closed position, and when movement of said door is initiated to cause said door to move to said open position, said connection point moves slightly forward toward said door, thereby redirecting the force generated by said force means to be essentially tangential to said pivot point thus permitting said door to move for the remainder of its travel solely under the force generated by said force means.

5. The overhead storage cabinet according to claim 4 wherein said force means comprises a reciprocable piston and cylinder.

6. The overhead storage cabinet according to claim 5 wherein said first portion of said pivot arm includes a disk portion and a protrusion perpendicularly adjacent to said disk portion.

7. The overhead storage cabinet according to claim 6 wherein said second portion of said pivot arm includes an elongated arm portion extending outwardly from said disk portion and having a mounting bracket at its far end opposite said disk portion.

8. The overhead storage cabinet according to claim 7 wherein said force means and said pivot arm are constructed and arranged to move said door without assistance at a continuous, controlled rate once said door is opened beyond a predetermined distance.

9. The overhead storage cabinet according to claim 8 wherein said predetermined distance equals a rotation angle of approximately 15 to 20 degrees.

10. The overhead storage cabinet according to claim 9 wherein said predetermined distance equals a rotation angle of approximately 15 degrees.