Abstract: A furniture assembly comprises two or more drawers and a plurality of pouches disposed at a rear lower portion of the furniture assembly. The plurality of pouches are filled with water, sand, or dirt. The water may contain a plurality drops of bleach. A minimum weight of the plurality of pouches is determined from torque balance of forces and weights. In one example, the plurality of pouches are disposed at a rear portion of a lower drawer. A rear wall of the plurality of pouches directly contacts a rear wall of the lower drawer. A top surface of each of the plurality of pouches and a top surface of a rear wall of the lower drawer are coplanar.

Abstract: A piece of furniture has an actuating arrangement for a flap of the piece of furniture. An actuating arm arrangement includes a lever arrangement for moving the flap and a main spring that acts in the closing direction (SR) to hold the flap closed. The piece of furniture also has an ejecting device for ejecting the flap in the opening direction (OR) by overpressing the flap in the closing direction (SR). At least one support spring acts in the opening direction (OR) and is separate from the ejecting device, and supports the ejecting motion of the ejecting device. At least in an overpressed closed position (US), the spring forces (A, U) are together greater than the closing force (Z) which acts on the flap and which is provided by the main spring acting in the closing direction (SR).

Abstract: A container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse has a base and opposed sides, L-shaped tracks, and a plurality of padded dunnage supports extending between the tracks. One type of padded dunnage support comprises end members and a tubular middle member, the end members being movable along the tracks. The padded dunnage supports support dunnage, such as pouches.

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.

Abstract: An appliance that conducts a useful cycle of operation on an article comprises a treating chamber receiving the article and having an access opening. A first closure element selectively closes at least a first portion of the access opening, and a second closure element movable relative to the first closure element selectively closes at least a second portion of the access opening. An operative device can be coupled to the second closure element. A cable providing at least one of electrical or data communication to the device is routed through the first closure element to the second closure element and is operatively connected to the device on the second closure element.

Abstract: A parcel box for receiving and keeping parcels in a theftproof manner has a box having a drawer that can be pulled out and pushed in, and a theft prevention mechanism that prevents unauthorized removal of parcel. The theft prevention mechanism has a platform configured to have parcel disposed thereon, a blocking mechanism that blocks pulling out of the drawer from the box when the parcel is placed on the platform, and an unblocking mechanism for unblocking the drawer. The drawer is swingable about a pivot axle fixed in the box. The drawer has a left side wall, a right side wall, an outer wall, and an inner wall. The platform has a first end and a second end situated opposite each other. The platform is swingable about a cross pivot axle fixed in the drawer.

Abstract: Furniture including a means for concealing a display stand and an object affixed thereto, such as a television. The furniture includes an upper housing and a lower housing, such as a dresser-hutch combination. A panel, such as a framed mirror that is part of the upper housing, conceals the display stand when in an ascended position. The panel vertically slides down into the lower housing in order to expose the display stand upon manipulation by the user's hand. Controlled sliding with the appropriate tension is provided by use of a counterbalance system in combination with a sliding track system.

Abstract: Counterbalance devices are provided for a closure mounted with respect to a container. The devices can include a stationary friction member, an elongated flexible member, and a biasing member. The stationary friction member can be comprised of a mounting portion and a friction portion. An intermediate portion of the elongated flexible member can also slidingly engage the friction surface of the stationary friction member.

Abstract: A wall mounted cabinet includes a plurality of removable supports configurable for holding a variety of objects, including an electrical appliance, one or more shelves and cups. The cabinet also includes one or more apertures for electrical outlets for supplying electrical power to the appliance. An electrical cord management device is provided for controllably extending and retracting the cord to facilitate use of the appliance and storage of the cord.

Abstract: A height adjustable workstation comprising a frame, a console supported by and movable up and down with the respect to the frame, and a keyboard tray supported by the console and pivotable with respect thereto when the console is moved down.

Abstract: An appliance includes a chassis defining a cavity and having an opening for accessing the cavity and a door assembly joined to the chassis. The door assembly includes a door for closing access to the opening, and the door assembly further includes a door lift sub-assembly having a horizontal slide and a vertical slide. The door is coupled to one of the horizontal slide and the vertical slide. The horizontal slide is moveable between a recessed position and an extended position and is configured to move the door in a substantially horizontal direction. The vertical slide is moveable between a closed position and an open position and is configured to move the door in a substantially vertical direction.

Abstract: An appliance including a chassis having a top, a bottom, a left and right side opposite one another other and connecting the top and the bottom, and a back opposite an opening. The chassis defines a cavity with an opening for accessing the cavity. A door assembly joined to the chassis includes a door for closing access to the opening and a first and second door lift sub-assemblies. The door lift sub-assemblies are configured to move with the door in a first direction and a second direction different than the first direction. At least one stabilizing device operatively connects the first and second door lift sub-assemblies to synchronize movement of the first and second door lift sub-assemblies in the first direction.

Abstract: This self-closing, sliding door assembly is used for a cabinet having a front opening and a pair of doors each mounted for movement in upper and lower tracks. A counterweight is attached to each door by a sash-line having a vertical length attached to the counterweight and a horizontal length attached to an associated door. The sash-line is guided from the vertical to the horizontal by a pair of pulley bracket assemblies one being mounted to a cabinet wall in a vertical plane and the other being mounted to a cabinet wall in a horizontal plane. The sash-line is retained on the pulleys by the pulley brackets during movement of the counterweight to guard against slip off the pulleys.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing articles comprises a plurality of individual article support devices for supporting a plurality of articles independent of the side walls of a container. Each article support device comprises a first rack and a second rack. Each one of the racks comprises a first spine and a second spine, each spine having notches for receiving the peripheral surface of the articles. Each rack also has a plurality of openings formed in each rack disposed intermediately to each spine. At least one of the racks has a coupling mechanism for coupling the first spine and the second spine to form one of the racks for coupling to the other rack through one of the openings. The racks are coupled so that the spines of one of the racks are oriented approximately ninety degrees to the adjacent spines of the other rack.

Abstract: A dishwasher is provided, comprising a door pivotably engaged with a body and a counterbalance assembly coupled therebetween for facilitating pivoting of the door. The counterbalance assembly includes a first and second biasing member, each coupled to the body and serially engaged with a respective first and second flexible element coupled to the door. A guide member is secured to the body and includes a fixed arcuate member defining a first guide track, and a pulley rotatable about an axis and defining a second guide track. The first flexible element is at least partially wrapped about each of the fixed arcuate member and the pulley so as to serially engage the first and second guide tracks. The second flexible element is at least partially wrapped about a second side of the fixed arcuate member so as to engage the first guide track. An associated apparatus and method are also provided.

Abstract: A dishwasher is provided, comprising a door pivotably attached to a body and having a counterbalance assembly coupled therebetween for facilitating pivoting of the door, wherein the counterbalance assembly includes a biasing member coupled to the body and serially engaged with a flexible element coupled to the door, and a guide member secured to the body and including a fixed arcuate member defining a first guide track, and a pulley rotatable about an axis and defining a second guide track, wherein the flexible element is at least partially wrapped about each of the fixed arcuate member and the pulley so as to serially engage the first and second guide tracks, and wherein the first guide track of the fixed arcuate member is offset from the second guide track of the pulley along the axis thereof.

Abstract: A household appliance door, which is mounted in a manner that enables it to pivot about a joint axis, has a door handle that can pivot about a door handle axis running parallel to the joint axis. At least one controlling mechanism is associated with the door handle. When the door executes a pivotal movement in a first pivoting direction, the controlling mechanism pivots the door handle in a second pivoting direction opposite the first pivoting direction, as such, reliable actuation of the door handle is achieved. The door handle is pivotally mounted in a bearing housing and the bearing housing extends in an axial direction along the entire door.

Abstract: A front-loading storage unit includes a cabinet having an internal storage space and a front opening providing access to the space. Shelves for supporting product are mounted one above the other within the storage space and have a low friction support surface inclined upward to enable remaining product to slide frontwardly downward when product near the front opening is removed by a consumer. The shelves are translatable for servicing to extend outside the cabinet through the opening, moving at an angle equal to that of the low friction shelf surface. A mounting structure supporting the shelves translatably includes slide assemblies each having a bracket fixed to the cabinet, and a slide constrained to move along a predetermined path. The slides connect to the shelves and are movable to extend the associated shelf outside the cabinet. Product is stored and removed in a FIFO sequence.

Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a storage unit defining a front opening, and a door configured to cover the front opening. The door is operably attached to the storage unit for movement between opened, intermediate, and closed positions. The storage apparatus further includes a handle that is isolated from the door but operably connected to the door for selectively manually moving the door between the opened, intermediate, and closed positions. The handle is conveniently located at a front center of the storage unit, under a bottom thereof, such that the handle can be easily grasped and operated by a seated person, such as a wheelchair-bound person.