Cabinet door prop unit

• US 5,971,514 A
• Filed: 01/14/1999
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sugatsune Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sugatsune Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allred, David E.
• Application Number:
  US09/231,112
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 312/319.2, 312/323, 312/319.1, 312/325, 16/82, 16/289, 16/291, 16/293, 16/306, 49/206, 49/386
• US Class Current: 312/319.2
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/087 with substantially axial friction, e.g. friction disks
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/582 with horizontal swinging axis E05D15/581 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1058 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1276 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/14 with fluid brakes of the rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/16 with friction brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/254 Fluid or viscous friction
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/266 rotary
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/172 on different wing or frame locations
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

An over-the-top type cabinet door prop unit is characterized in that it comprises a fitting case to be rigidly fitted to the inner surface of one of the lateral walls of the cabinet, a movable spring holder vertically movable relative to the fitting case containing it and urged downward by compression springs, a link arm pivotably linked at the upper end to the movable spring holder by a pivot pin and a swing arm swingable around an arm spindle located in a lower portion of the fitting case and having a base section arranged around the arm spindle and linked to the lower end of said link arm by a link pin and an arm section extending from the base section and pivotably linked at the distal end thereof by an anchor pin to an anchor pin bearing secured to the over-the-top type cabinet door and that the pivot where the link arm and the base section of the swing arm is linked by the link pin is located closer to the cabinet door relative to the vertical axial line connecting the pivot pin and the arm spindle when the over-the-top type cabinet door is closed and moved onto the vertical axial line in the initial stages of the opening motion of the cabinet door and then further away from the cabinet door relative to the vertical axial line in the subsequent stages of the opening motion of the cabinet door until the cabinet door is placed on the top wall of the cabinet.

Claims

1. A cabinet having two lateral walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, one of said walls comprising a hinged door, and a door prop unit comprising a fitting case fitted to an interior of said cabinet, a movable spring holder movable relative to the fitting case containing it and urged by compression springs, a link arm pivotably linked at an end thereof to the movable spring holder by means of a pivot pin, a swing arm swingable around an arm spindle located in a portion of the fitting case and having a base section pivotally mounted on the arm spindle, said base section of said swing arm linked to an opposite end of said link arm by means of a link pin at a location spaced radially outward from a rotational axis of said arm spindle, said swing arm having an arm section extending from the base section to a distal end thereof, an extension arm linked at its proximal end to the distal end of said swing arm by means of a joint pin, said swing arm and said extension arm being oblique relative to each other in said interior and coming in line with each other when said arm section and said extension arm are extended out of an opening of the cabinet, said extension arm and said swing arm being pivoted relative to each other and toward the opening of the cabinet when moved from an aligned to an oblique position, said extension arm pivotably linked at its distal end by means of an anchor pin to an anchor pin bearing secured to the cabinet door, wherein the link pin is located relative to an axial line connecting said pivot pin and said arm spindle so as to provide a desired force for assisting in closing and/or opening said door.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the door prop unit is a pull-down-and-open door prop unit, the fitting case is fitted to an inner surface of one of the lateral walls of the cabinet, the movable spring holder is vertically movable relative to the fitting case containing it and urged upward by the compression springs, the link arm is pivotably linked at a lower one of the ends to the movable spring holder by means of the pivot pin, the arm spindle is located in an upper portion of the fitting case, the base section is linked to an upper end of said link arm, the link pin is located closer to the door relative to said axial line connecting said pivot pin and said arm spindle when the swing arm and the extension arm are oblique relative to each other to expand said compression springs when the door is closed, whereas said link pin is located substantially on said axial line and the swing arm and the extension arm are aligned as the movable spring holder is moved downward when the door is opened.

3. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein the arm spindle is linked to a rotary shaft of a damper mechanism arranged in the fitting case and designed to exert a damping effect on the closing or closing and opening motion of the door by means of viscous fluid.

4. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the door prop unit is a pull-up-and-open top door prop unit, the fitting case is fitted to an inner surface of one of the lateral walls of the cabinet, the movable spring holder is horizontally movable relative to the fitting case containing it and urged toward the front wall of the cabinet by the compression springs, the link arm is pivotably linked at the one of said ends closest to the rear wall of the cabinet to the movable spring holder by means of the pivot pin, the arm spindle is located closer to the front wall of the cabinet than said movable srring holder, the base section is linked to the opposite end of said link arm which is closest to the front wall of the cabinet, the link pin is located between the pivot pin and the arm spindle and slightly away from the door relative to said axial line connecting said pivot pin and said arm spindle when the swing arm and the extension arm are oblique relative to each other to compress said compression springs when the door is closed, whereas said link pin is located closer to the front wall of the cabinet relative to the swing arm and away from the cabinet door relative to said axial line connecting said pivot pin and said arm spindle and the arm section and the extension arm are aligned and project upward to expand said compression springs as the link pin is moved away from the door relative to said axial line when the door is opened.

5. The cabinet of claim 4 wherein the arm spindle is linked to a rotary shaft of a damper mechanism arranged in the fitting case and designed to exert a damping effect on the closing or closing and opening motion of the door by means of viscous fluid.

6. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the door prop unit is a pull-up-and-open door prop unit, the fitting case is fitted to an inner surface of one of the lateral walls of the cabinet, the movable spring holder is vertically movable relative to the fitting case containing it and urged downward by the compression springs, the link arm is pivotably linked at an upper one of the ends to the movable spring holder by means of the pivot pin, the arm spindle is located in a lower portion of the fitting case, the base section is linked to a lower opposited one of the ends of said link arm, the link pin is located closer to the cabinet door relative to said axial line connecting said pivot pin and said arm spindle when the swing arm and the extension arm are oblique relative to each other to compress said compression springs when the door is closed, whereas said link pin is moved substantially onto said axial line connecting said pivot pin and said swing arm spindle in an initial stage of opening the door and then further away from the door relative to said vertical axial line in the subsequent stages of opening the door until the swing arm and the extension arm are aligned to expand the compression spring and complete a door opening operation.

7. The cabinet of claim 6 wherein the arm spindle is linked to a rotary shaft of a damper mechanism arranged in the fitting case and designed to exert a damping effect on the closing or closing and opening motion of the door by means of viscous fluid.

8. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the door prop unit is a pull-sideways-and-open door prop unit, the fitting case is fitted to an inner surface of either the top or bottom wall of the cabinet, the movable spring holder is horizontally movable relative to the fitting case containing it and urged toward the front wall of the cabinet by the compression springs, the link arm is pivotably linked at the one of said ends closest to the rear wall of the cabinet to the movable spring holder by means of the pivot pin, the arm spindle is located in a portion of the fitting case closer to the front wall of the cabinet than the movable spring holder, the base section is linked to the opposite end of said link arm which is closest to the front wall of the cabinet, the link pin is located closer to the door relative to said axial line connecting said pivot pin and said arm spindle when the swing arm and the extension arm are oblique relative to each other to expand said compression springs when the door is closed, whereas said link pin is moved substantially onto said horizontal axial line connecting said link pivot pin and said arm spindle in an initial stage of opening the door and then further away from the door relative to said axial line in the subsequent stages of opening the door until the swing arm section and the extension arm are aligned to expand the compression spring and complete a door opening operation.

9. The cabinet of claim 8 wherein the arm spindle is linked to a rotary shaft of a damper mechanism arranged in the fitting case and designed to exert a damping effect on the closing or closing and opening motion of the door by means of viscous fluid.

10. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein the door prop unit is a pull-up-and-store-under-the-top door prop unit designed for the door to be pulled up to a horizontal position, pushed into the cabinet and stored under the top wall of the cabinet by means of a bracket horizontally movable along a sliding rail assembly mounted on an inner surface of one of the lateral walls of the cabinet and pivotably linked by means of a sliding hinge mechanism to an inner surface of a top portion of the door fitted into the opening of the cabinet, the fitting case is fitted to said bracket, the movable spring is vertically movable relative to the fitting case containing it and urged downward by the compression springs, the link arm is pivotably linked at an upper one of the ends to the movable spring holder by means of the pivot pin, the arm spindle is located in a lower portion of the fitting case, the base section is linked to a lower opposite one of the ends of said link arm, the link pin is located closer to the door relative to said axial line connecting said pivot pin and said arm spindle when the swing arm and the extension are oblique relative to each other, whereas said link pin is moved substantially onto said axial line in an initial stage of opening the door linked to the bracket by way of the sliding hinge mechanism and then further away from the door relative to said vertical axial line in the subsequent stages of opening the door until the swing arm and the extension arm are aligned to expand the compression spring and complete a door opening operation.

11. The cabinet of claim 10 wherein the arm spindle is linked to a rotary shaft of a damper mechanism arranged in the fitting case and designed to exert a damping effect on the closing or closing and opening motion of the door by means of viscous fluid.