Mechanized drawer
OwnerMichael Bonner, Penelope Dawn Bonnerinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
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.
Claims42
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.
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.