ROTATING MECHANISM FOR A STORAGE CABINET AND THE CABINET

Abstract

There is provided a storage cabinet that includes a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the storage units within the storage cabinet. The rotating mechanism comprises a first set of rotational gears having a first direction of rotation and a first central axis perpendicular to the first direction of rotation, a second set of rotational gears having a second direction of rotation and a second central axis perpendicular to the second direction of rotation. The mechanism further comprises a chain adapted to be operatively connected to the first and second set of rotational gears, and a rail adapted to be mounted on the internal walls of the storage cabinet, wherein the cabinet rail and the chain are configured to receive the at least one storage unit so as to rotate said at least one storage unit clockwise or counterclockwise movement within the storage cabinet along the first and second rotation directions.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wear closets, and more particularly the present invention relates to a wear closet with a rotating mechanism for rotating closet compartments and to a rotating mechanism for said closet, particularly useful for disabled people and young children.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Usually closets are constructed so that in an upper region of storage, cabinets or shelves are provided wherein clothes can be stored horizontally while in a lower region, an elongated rod is usually arranged for hanging clothes vertically.

However, retrieving clothes or garments from shelves is particularly difficult for those individuals with reduced mobility option such as young children; elderly or handicapped people using wheelchair. It is sometimes very difficult to take out the clothes from the upper compartments of a wardrobe and drop them.

In traditional closets, cloth compartments located at the upper side of the closets are static and cannot be moved downwardly to accommodate people of all height as well as people with reduced mobility such as children and handicapped people. Also, fix compartments have limited the possibility of building high closets with an increased number of compartments within the upper space taking advantage of the available vertical space to accommodate more clothes and utilities within the compartments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore there is a need for improving the designs of storage cabinets so that they are easily accessed by people, notably people with disabilities such as wheelchair; and people with reduced mobility option, such as elderly or young children.

The present invention provides a simplified and efficient closet with a rotating mechanism for rotating closet compartments.

As a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a rotating mechanism configured to rotate at least one storage unit of a storage cabinet extending vertically along a vertical axis and horizontally along a horizontal axis, the rotating mechanism comprising;

• • a first set of rotational gears having a first direction of rotation and a first central axis perpendicular to the first direction of rotation, the first set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the first direction of rotation of the first set of rotational gears is parallel to the vertical axis of the storage cabinet;
  • a second set of rotational gears having a second direction of rotation and a second central axis perpendicular to the second direction of rotation, the second set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the second direction of rotation of the second set of rotational gears is parallel to the horizontal axis of the storage cabinet;
  • a chain adapted to be operatively connected to the first and second set of rotational gears, the chain being adapted to be engaged by the first and second set of rotational gears and being further adapted to slide along the first and second rotation directions by the effect of said engagement in a circular or semi-circular manner; and
  • a rail adapted to be mounted on the internal walls of the storage cabinet;
    wherein the cabinet rail and the chain are configured to receive the at least one storage unit so as to rotate said at least one storage unit clockwise or counterclockwise movement within the storage cabinet along the first and second rotation directions.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit is configured to be mounted at and slide along the chain at least at one extremity forming the wall. Preferably the storage unit comprises drawer rails located along slide along the chain at least at one extremity forming the wall, which help the storage unit to be engaged to a chain through said drawer rails.

In another preferred embodiment, the storage unit includes inward depressions throughout the external walls (in case of a rectangular/square compartment, the inward depressions will be on all four outward faces), while the chain includes outward protrusions, such that the storage unit is engaged in between the rail and the chain with the help of outward protrusions of the chain and the inward depressions of the storage unit.

Preferably, the storage unit is made up of steel, aluminum, wood or any other kind of suitable lightweight material. More preferably, the storage unit is made of wood.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotating mechanism is actuated manually using a crank attached to a rotating shaft. The crank may be a bent portion of the shaft, or a separate arm or disk attached to it. The end of the rod attached to the crank moves in a circular motion so that enable the compartments to move either upwardly or downwardly according to the direction of the rotating movement of the crank.

In a still preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotating mechanism is actuated automatically. The automatic actuation can be conducted using at least one rotary actuator adapted to force the storage units along both the first and second rotational directions. The automatic actuation can also be conducted using at least two linear actuators, a first linear actuator adapted force the storage units along the first rotational direction and a second linear actuator adapted to force the storage units along the second rotational direction.

In an embodiment of the invention, the automatic actuator of the rotating mechanism can be carried out using a user interface and a microprocessor microcontroller adapted to be connected to the actuators which are connected to the rotating mechanism. The user interface is adapted to receive instructions from the user for the specific compartment for which access is desired. The microprocessor is adapted to receive and process the user instructions for triggering the actuators in order to move the desired compartment at the lower level of the cabinet. The microprocessor is connected to a memory for memorizing the exact location of each compartment.

In an embodiment of the invention, there is provided flexible supporting members adapted to be mounted along the internal walls of the storage cabinet for supporting the storage units while moving vertically upwardly and downwardly along the vertical axis of the cabinet. The flexible supporting members are adapted to have a sufficient strength to hold the storage unit for preventing it from falling against the direction of rotation while in movement, and further adapted to have a flexible property to flex when being forced by the storage unit to let the latter pass to the next step. The flexible supporting member is flexed in only one direction to secure the good function of the movement of the storage unit while rotating. A flexible supporting member is preferably mounted at regular rotation steps (intervals) along the vertical axis of the cabinet. The intervals preferably correspond to the intervals between the different protrusions of the chain such that each supporting member corresponds in position to one protrusion. The storage units are therefore enabled to move forwardly and downwardly along the vertical axis by the combination of both the flexible supporting members and the chain operation.

Preferably, the rotation is controlled through linear motors.

In another embodiment, the present invention also related to a storage cabinet comprising:

• • at least one storage unit of a storage cabinet extending vertically along a vertical axis and horizontally along a horizontal axis,
  • a first set of rotational gears having a first direction of rotation and a first central axis perpendicular to the first direction of rotation, the first set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the first direction of rotation of the first set of rotational gears is parallel to the vertical axis of the storage cabinet;
  • a second set of rotational gears having a second direction of rotation and a second central axis perpendicular to the second direction of rotation, the second set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the second direction of rotation of the second set of rotational gears is parallel to the horizontal axis of the storage cabinet;
  • a chain adapted to be operatively connected to the first and second set of rotational gears, the chain being adapted to be engaged by the first and second set of rotational gears and being further adapted to slide along the first and second rotation directions by the effect of said engagement in a circular or semi-circular manner; and
  • a rail adapted to be mounted on the internal walls of the storage cabinet;
    wherein the cabinet rail and the chain are configured to receive the at least one storage unit so as to rotate said at least one storage unit clockwise or counterclockwise movement within the storage cabinet along the first and second rotation directions.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with advantages and features, refer to the description and to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1a is a line diagram representing the various parts of the storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1b is a line diagram representing the various parts of the storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a line diagram displaying configuration of the storage unit within the inward depressions.

FIG. 3 is a line diagram displaying configuration of the storage unit within the drawer rails.

It is to be noted that the drawings presented are intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that they are, therefore, neither desired nor intended to limit the disclosure to any or all of the exact details of construction shown, except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the claimed invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a storage cabinet 100 which includes multiple storage units. For the purpose of ease, only one storage unit 102a is shown in the diagram and its position on the right side (dashed line diagram of storage unit 102b) however, it will be appreciated by a person ordinarily skilled in the art that there can be multiple storage units located in the storage cabinet or closet. The storage units are adapted to be mounted at and slide along a chain at each extremity of the storage units. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the storage unit 102a includes drawer rails system 302 located at each extremity of the storage unit which help the storage unit 102a to be engaged to a chain 106 through said drawer rails 302. When the storage unit 102a is located in the left side of the closet, said storage unit is engaged to a chain 106 through a drawer rail located externally in the right side X of the storage unit 102a. When said storage unit 102a moves upwardly and reaches the top part of the closed, it is engaged to the chain 106 through a drawer rail located externally in the end part T of the storage unit 102a. Similarly, when the storage unit 102b is located in the right side of the closet, said storage unit is engaged to a chain 106 through a drawer rail located externally in the left side Z of the storage unit. When said storage unit 102b moves downwardly and reaches the end part of the closed, it is engaged to the chain 106 through a drawer rail located in the top part Y of the storage unit 102b.

In another embodiment of the invention, for operative rotation the storage unit 102a includes inward depressions 202 on all four outward faces X, Y, Z and T, whereas the chain 106 includes the outward protrusions 114 (FIG. 2). The storage unit 102a is engaged in between the rail 112 and the chain 106 with the help of outward protrusions 114 and the inward depressions 202 so as to move the storage unit 102a vertically upward or downward by engaging the inward depressions 202 of the storage unit 102a with the outward protrusions of the chain 106. When said storage unit 102a moves upwardly and reaches the top part of the closed, it is engaged to the chain 106 through the inward depressions 202 located externally in the end part T of the storage unit 102a. Similarly, when the storage unit 102b is located in the right side of the closet, said storage unit is engaged to a chain 106 through the inward depressions 202 located externally in the left side Z of the storage unit. When said storage unit 102b moves downwardly and reaches the end part of the closed, it is engaged to the chain 106 through the inward depressions 202 located in the top part Y of the storage unit 102b. In another embodiment of the invention the rotating mechanism as described above may also be adapted to rotate the storage unit in a horizontal manner as well.

The chain 106 is configured to be engaged to two vertically aligned rotational gears 104a and 104b. As shown in the FIG. 1, the rotational gear 104a is connected to a set of other rotational gears 108a, 108b through a connecting chain 116. Whereas, the other extreme rotational gear 104b is connected to a set of other rotational gears 108c, 108d through another connecting chain 118. In an embodiment of the invention there is provided a rail 112 fitted between the two set of other pulleys viz. 108a, 108b and 108c, 108d. The rotational gears 108a, 108b and 108c, 108d and the rail 112 along with the rotational gears 104a, 104b form the rotational mechanism to rotate the storage unit 102. For operative rotation of the storage unit 102, the rail 112 includes outward protrusions 110 so that the storage unit is mounted to the rail 112 between two outward protrusions 110a and 110b from one side and to the chain 106 that slide along the drawer rail located outside in the extremity of the storage unit 102 so as to move the storage unit 102 vertically upward or downward. The storage unit 102 that includes the drawer rails 202 is engaged to the chain 106. In another embodiment of the invention the rotating mechanism as described above may also be adapted to rotate the storage unit in a horizontal manner as well. In this regard, the storage unit is mounted to the rail 112 from the top side between two outward protrusions 110c and 110d and to the chain 106 that slide along the drawer rail located outside around the storage unit 102 so as to move the storage unit 102 horizontally either from left to right or form right to left.

In another embodiment the invention as described above may be manually operated or with the help of linear motors so as to automatically present operator or person using the storage cabinet 100, with empty storage unit. For sensing the empty storage unit 102, there could be placed a sensor to presence the availability of things within the storage unit 102.

In an embodiment of the invention the user of the storage cabinet 100 whenever wants to access the storage unit 102 might engage the storage unit 102 manually or through an automatic means so as to move the storage unit 102 to be accessed. The user pulls down the storage unit 102 which rotates through the rotational gears 104a and 104b with the help of the chain 106. The rotation could be initiated through a linear motor (not shown in the figure) connected to an axel operatively engaged with any of the rotational gears 104a or 104b (not shown in the figure). The rotation hence initiated provides an access to the storage unit 102 being accessed by the user. Hence, in a scenario when the storage unit 102 is being moved upward, the storage unit, when reaches the top rotational gear 104a, is then moved from left side of the storage cabinet 100 to the right side as displayed by FIG. 1 (dashed line diagram of storage unit 102b). Hence on rotation, once the storage unit reaches any of the extreme rotational gears i.e. 104a or 104b, the alignment of the storage unit 102 is changed. It will be however, appreciated by a personal ordinarily skilled in the art that the rotating mechanism can also be operated in a horizontal manner as well and the rotation can be either in a clockwise manner or in a counter clockwise manner too.

The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present invention. Having thus described exemplary embodiments, it should be noted by those ordinarily skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only, and that various other alternatives, adaptations, and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention. Merely listing or numbering the steps of a method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of that method. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one ordinarily skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Moreover, the present invention has been described in detail; it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein, but is limited only by the following claims

Claims

1. A rotating mechanism configured to rotate at least one storage unit of a storage cabinet extending vertically along a vertical axis and horizontally along a horizontal axis, the rotating mechanism comprising; wherein the cabinet rail and the chain are configured to receive the at least one storage unit so as to rotate said at least one storage unit clockwise or counterclockwise movement within the storage cabinet along the first and second rotation directions.

a first set of rotational gears having a first direction of rotation and a first central axis perpendicular to the first direction of rotation, the first set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the first direction of rotation of the first set of rotational gears is parallel to the vertical axis of the storage cabinet;

a second set of rotational gears having a second direction of rotation and a second central axis perpendicular to the second direction of rotation, the second set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the second direction of rotation of the second set of rotational gears is parallel to the horizontal axis of the storage cabinet;

a chain adapted to be operatively connected to the first and second set of rotational gears, the chain being adapted to be engaged by the first and second set of rotational gears and being further adapted to slide along the first and second rotation directions by the effect of said engagement in a circular or semi-circular manner; and

a rail adapted to be mounted on the internal walls of the storage cabinet;

2. The rotating mechanism of claim 1, wherein the storage unit is configured to be mounted at and slide along the chain at least at one extremity forming the wall of the storage unit.

3. The rotating mechanism of claim 1, wherein the storage unit comprises drawer rails located along at least at one extremity forming the wall of the storage unit.

4. The rotating mechanism of claim 1, wherein the storage unit includes inward depressions throughout the external walls, while the chain includes outward protrusions, such that the storage unit is engaged in between the rail and the chain with the help of outward protrusions of the chain and the inward depressions of the storage unit.

5. The rotating mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rotating mechanism is actuated manually.

6. The rotating mechanism of claim 1, wherein the rotating mechanism is actuated automatically.

7. The rotating mechanism of claim 6, wherein the rotation is controlled through rotary actuators or linear actuators.

8. The rotating mechanism of claim 1, further comprising flexible supporting members adapted to be mounted along the internal walls of the storage cabinet for supporting the storage units while moving vertically upwardly and downwardly along the vertical axis of the cabinet.

9. A storage cabinet comprising: wherein the cabinet rail and the chain are configured to receive the at least one storage unit so as to rotate said at least one storage unit clockwise or counterclockwise movement within the storage cabinet along the first and second rotation directions.

at least one storage unit,

a first set of rotational gears having a first direction of rotation and a first central axis perpendicular to the first direction of rotation, the first set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the first direction of rotation of the first set of rotational gears is parallel to the vertical axis of the storage cabinet;

a second set of rotational gears having a second direction of rotation and a second central axis perpendicular to the second direction of rotation, the second set of rotational gears being adapted to be mounted within the storage cabinet such that the second direction of rotation of the second set of rotational gears is parallel to the horizontal axis of the storage cabinet;

a chain adapted to be operatively connected to the first and second set of rotational gears, the chain being adapted to be engaged by the first and second set of rotational gears and being further adapted to slide along the first and second rotation directions by the effect of said engagement in a circular or semi-circular manner; and

a rail adapted to be mounted on the internal walls of the storage cabinet;

10. The storage cabinet of claim 9, wherein the storage unit wherein the storage unit is configured to be mounted at and slide along the chain at each extremity of the storage unit.

11. The storage cabinet of claim 9, wherein the storage unit comprises drawer rails located along the external walls at each extremity of the storage unit, which help the storage unit to be engaged to a chain through said drawer rails.

12. The storage cabinet of claim 9, wherein the storage unit includes inward depressions throughout the external walls, while the chain includes outward protrusions, such that the storage unit is engaged in between the rail and the chain with the help of outward protrusions of the chain and the inward depressions of the storage unit.

13. The storage cabinet of claim 9, wherein the storage unit is made of wood.

14. The storage cabinet of claim 9, further comprising flexible supporting members adapted to be mounted along the internal walls of the storage cabinet for supporting the storage units while moving vertically upwardly and downwardly along the vertical axis of the cabinet.