Mechanized drawer
A modular drive unit for controllably extending a storage receptacle such as a drawer or shelf, wherein the drive unit comprises a drive pulley, a take up pulley and an elongate spring member biased such that the spring member has a tendency to wind about one of the take up pulley and the drive pulley. The modular drive unit further includes a drive wheel rotatably coupled to the drive pulley, a rotation thereof providing a drive force for extending of the storage receptacle. The drive wheel includes either or both of a toothed gear wheel and a cylindrical shaft for receiving a drive cable windable thereon.
The present invention relates generally to actuating mechanisms for opening or closing drawers or other receptacles, extending shelves and the like, and relates more particularly to such a mechanism for actively driving the extension of a drawer or shelf, the mechanism having a push latch and at least one spring motor operable to extend the drawer or shelf via a cable or gear system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONVarious means for driving opening and/or closing of cabinet drawers, shelves, and various types of storage racks have long been known in the art. For example, various spring-loaded cash registers and tool drawers are known. In one typical design, an operator pushes a button, electronically or mechanically actuating a release mechanism, allowing extension of a drawer, shelf or similar storage receptacle under the action of a spring. Although such designs have been shown to be useful in certain applications, they tend to be relatively bulky and require complex and expensive retrofitting of structures to which they are applied. Moreover, many examples of such devices require manual actuation of a switch, button, latch or similar mechanism. In certain environments, manual manipulation of switches, handles, etc. can provide a significant risk of bacterial and/or chemical contamination. It is thus desirable to provide an actuating mechanism that overcomes one or more of the problems or shortcomings set forth above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a drive system for a reciprocable unit that allows hands-free opening and closing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular drive system for a drawer or similar unit.
The present invention comprises a drive system for extending a reciprocable unit, e.g. a drawer, shelf, bin, cassette, tray, or similar member. The drive system is preferably housed at least partially within a modular housing unit, and preferably includes a plurality of spring motor drive units. In one preferred embodiment, the modular housing is mounted to a frame that houses the reciprocable unit. In another preferred embodiment, the spring motor drive units actuate the drawer by rotating a toothed gear wheel that meshes with a complementary gear rack, preferably attached to the drawer. In another preferred embodiment, the spring motor actuates the drawer by winding a cable, preferably attached to the drawer about a central armature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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Drive module 810 further provides for an adjustable force of spring 815. Shaft assembly 817 preferably comprises a head portion 819 having a shaped recess 821 in a first end thereof. Shaft assembly 817 is further reciprocable between a first position and a second position, and is preferably biased toward its second position with a wave spring 823 positioned between head portion 819 and a housing 811. At the shaft assembly's second position, as shown in
It should be appreciated that alternative means for fixing shaft assembly 817 might be utilized, so long as the assembly is rotatable at a first position, and fixed against rotation relative to the housing at a second position. By disengaging shaft assembly 817 from its fixed position relative to housing 811, i.e. by overcoming wave spring 823 and moving shaft assembly 817 axially such that member 809 disengages with protrusion 830, shaft assembly 817 may be rotated relative to armature 813, increasing or decreasing a tensioning of spring 815. Shaped recess 821 facilitates rotation of shaft assembly 817 by allowing engagement with an adjustment tool such as a screwdriver, hex or torx wrench, etc. (not shown). The degree of spring adjustment depends on the number of rotations of shaft assembly 817 relative to armature 813. When downward pressure is released from shaft assembly 817, the force of wave spring 823 causes threaded member 809 to re-engage with protrusion 830.
Drive module 810 is preferably mounted in any suitable configuration in cooperation with a drawer, cassette, etc. as discussed relative to the foregoing embodiments. Thus, those skilled in the art will contemplate a great variety of cable and gear drive designs suitable for application of drive module 810. When the associated “drawer” is pushed closed, spring 815 is preferably energized, i.e. wound in a direction against its inherent spring bias. Various push-push latches, as described herein, may be utilized in conjunction with drive module 810.
The present description is for illustrative purposes only, and should not be construed to limit the breadth of the present invention in any way. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications might be made to the presently disclosed embodiments without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, rather than being used to drive a drawer unit in a substantially linear fashion, as is conventional with drawers, slides, trays, etc., the present invention might be adapted for use as a rotational drive system. The modular unit described with respect to
Still further designs are contemplated, including, for example, tie racks, shoe racks and similar devices might all benefit from the use of the present push-push controlled drive mechanism. Other contemplated applications include automobile storage containers such as tape or CD trays. In one such embodiment, a modular unit such as the molded plastic unit shown in
Claims
1. A drive module for extending a storage member in a controlled fashion comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive pulley rotatably mounted to said housing and comprising an armature;
- at least one substantially circular drive wheel mounted to said drive pulley, said drive wheel rotating with said armature;
- a take up pulley rotatably mounted to said housing;
- an elongate spring member having a first end fixed relative to said armature, and a second end fixed to said at least one take up pulley, a bias of said spring imparting a tendency to said spring to wrap about said take up pulley.
2. The drive module of claim 1 further comprising:
- a first and a second take up pulley rotatably mounted to said housing; and
- a first and a second elongate spring member, each of said spring members having a first end fixed relative to said armature, and a second end fixed to one of said take up pulleys, a bias of each said spring member imparting a tendency to each said spring member to wrap about one of said take up pulleys.
3. The drive module of claim 1 wherein said at least one drive wheel comprises a gear wheel having a plurality of teeth.
4. The drive module of claim 3 wherein said gear wheel comprises a spiral groove with an inner terminus and an outer terminus, said groove adapted for sliding receipt of a peg fixed relative to said housing in a first linear direction and movable relative to said housing in a second linear direction substantially perpendicular to said first linear direction.
5. The drive module of claim 4 wherein said spiral groove has a radius decreasing around a clockwise traversal of said groove, said groove adapted for receipt of said pin at said inner terminus when said spring is substantially de-energized.
6. The drive module of claim 1 wherein said at least one drive wheel comprises a drive shaft fixed to said armature and flanked by two discs, said discs being positioned at separate axial positions relative to a rotational axis of said armature, and wherein said drive pulley is adapted to receive between said discs a drive cable windable there around.
7. The drive module of claim 6 wherein said at least one drive wheel further comprises a gear wheel having a plurality of teeth.
8. The drive module of claim 6 further comprising a roller mounted to said housing, said roller receiving said drive cable thereacross and reorienting same by at least about 90°.
9. An apparatus for controlled extension of a storage member comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one drive pulley rotatable relative to said housing for providing a drive force relative thereto;
- a shaft assembly mounted to said housing and axially reciprocable between a first axial position at which said shaft assembly may be rotated relative to said housing, and a second axial position at which said shaft assembly is fixed relative to said housing;
- an elongate spring member having a first end fixed to said shaft assembly, and a second end fixed to an inside of said drive pulley;
- wherein a radial position of said shaft assembly relative to a radial position of said drive pulley defines a tensioning of said spring member, and a rotational spring force thereof.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a toothed wheel rotatably fixed to said drive pulley and a toothed rack mating therewith, a rotation of said toothed wheel meshing said toothed wheel with said toothed rack and urging said housing therealong.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an outer cylindrical surface integral with said drive pulley, a rotation of said drive pulley winding a drive cable about said cylindrical surface.
12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said housing is attached to a reciprocable storage cassette, a drive force provided to said housing thereby urging said cassette in a linear direction.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said shaft assembly comprises a first end shaped to engage with an adjustment tool, and a second end shaped to engage with a protrusion on said housing, said shaft assembly biased toward said second position.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said shaft assembly comprises a shaped recess at said first end and a slotted nut threadedly received at said second end;
- said nut is disengaged with said protrusion when said shaft assembly is at said first axial position whereat said shaft assembly is rotatable relative to said housing; and
- said nut is engaged with said protrusion when said shaft assembly is at said second axial position, thereby preventing a rotation thereof.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a push-push latch.
16. A controllably extensible storage apparatus comprising:
- a storage unit having a storage unit body and at least one receptacle movable between a retracted and an extended position;
- a modular drive unit for providing a drive force for moving said receptacle to said
- extended position, said drive unit comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive pulley rotatably mounted to said housing and comprising an armature; at least one substantially circular drive wheel mounted to said drive pulley, said drive wheel rotating with said armature;
- a take up pulley rotatably mounted to said housing;
- an elongate spring member having a first end fixed relative to said armature, and a second end fixed to said at least one take up pulley, a spring bias imparting a tendency for said spring to rotate said drive pulley and move the receptacle to said extended position;
- a latch for retaining said receptacle at said retracted position whereat said spring is wrapped in a substantially energized state.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said spring bias imparts a tendency for said spring to wrap about said armature.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said spring bias imparts a tendency for said spring to wrap about said take up pulley.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said drive unit is mounted to said storage receptacle.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising an elongate toothed rack attached to an interior of said storage unit body, wherein said drive wheel comprises a toothed drive wheel engageable with said toothed rack, a rotation of said drive wheel meshing said drive wheel with said rack and urging the storage receptacle toward its extended position.
21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said drive wheel comprises a drive shaft fixed to said armature and adapted to receive a drive cable windable there around, said drive cable having a first end fixed to said drive shaft and a second end fixed to said storage unit body.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said drive unit is mounted to said storage receptacle.
23. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of drive cables windable about said drive shaft, each of said cables having a first end fixed to said drive shaft and a second end fixed to said storage unit body.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein at least one of said drive cables is passed through a roller that alters an orientation of said at least one drive cable.
25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said roller is attached to said storage receptacle.
26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said roller is attached to said storage unit body.
27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said plurality of drive cables comprises at least two drive cables windable about said drive shaft in opposite directions.
28. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said drive unit is mounted to said storage unit body.
29. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:
- said drive wheel comprises a drive shaft integral with said armature and adapted to receive a drive cable windable there around, said drive cable having a first end fixed to said drive shaft and a second end fixed to a ring; and
- said storage receptacle comprises a member adapted to insert through said ring upon positioning said storage receptacle in said storage unit body at said retracted position, an urging of said storage receptacle toward said retracted position energizing said elongate spring member.
30. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising an elongate toothed rack attached to said housing, wherein said drive wheel comprises a toothed drive wheel engageable with said toothed rack, a rotation of said drive wheel meshing said drive wheel with said rack and urging said storage receptacle toward its extended position.
31. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said drive wheel comprises a drive shaft fixed to said armature and adapted to receive at least one drive cable windable there around, said drive cable having a first end fixed to said storage unit body drive shaft and a second end fixed to said storage unit body.
32. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising a plurality of drive cables windable about said drive shaft, each of said cables having a first end fixed to said storage unit body and a second end fixed to said drive shaft.
33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said at least one drive cable is passed through a roller that alters an orientation of said cable.
34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said roller is attached to said storage receptacle.
35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said roller is attached to said storage unit body.
36. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said plurality of drive cables comprises at least two drive cables windable about said drive shaft in opposite directions.
37. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said drive unit is mounted upon a carriage body having an elongated gear rack attached thereto.
38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said elongated gear rack meshes with teeth on said drive wheel.
39. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said carriage body is mounted on rollers.
40. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein said drive unit comprises a drive shaft fixed to said armature and adapted to receive at least one drive cable windable there around, said drive cable having a first end fixed to said drive shaft and a second end fixed to said carriage body.
41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said drive cable is passed through at least one roller that alters an orientation thereof.
42. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising a plurality of drive cables.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 25, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 28, 2006
Inventors: Michael Bonner (Rochester Hills, MI), Penelope Dawn Bonner (Rochester Hills, MI)
Application Number: 11/089,680
International Classification: A47B 88/00 (20060101);