Patent Application
20170350181
The present invention relates to a balance system used in a door of cupboard.
A cupboard is used for storage, for example, a clothes cupboard, a kitchen cupboard and a shoes cupboard. A cupboard is usually equipped with a door. People can open the door to take something out, and close the door for preventing something inside the cupboard from humidification, and hiding articles so as to have a good appearance.
However, some prior art doors may be difficult to open, and they need great strength to open.
Therefore, some driving devices were installed in the door. Chinese patent CN203654983U provided a device to open/close a door, in which a motor is equipped, and the door can be opened/closed by controlling a forward-rotation/rearward-rotation of the motor. Although this method can solve the problem as to how to open/close the door without too much strength, some drawbacks exist, for example:
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a balance system used in a door of cupboard such that a small driving force can facilitate the door opening/closing. The present invention features easy operation, long lifetime, low cost and good stability.
The present invention is therefore provided as follows:
A balance system used on a door of cupboard, comprising a transmission shaft, a first pulley mounted on the transmission shaft, and a balance component; a pair of first pulleys connected to a pair of door belts in which one end of each belt is secured to one of the first pulleys, and the other end of each belt is connected to the door of cupboard; the balance component comprises a weighted balancing member, a pair of balancing belts, and a pair of second pulleys mounted on at the transmission shaft; one end of each balancing belt being connected to one of the second pulleys, and the other end of each balancing belt being connected to the balancing member, such that the balancing member is hung on the second pulleys; the first pulleys and the second pulleys rotate simultaneously, and the door belts and the balancing belts are wound inversely or oppositely.
In some embodiments, the balance system includes a motor transmission apparatus, comprising a reversible electric motor, a first gear secured coaxially to a shaft of the motor, and a second gear secured to the transmission shaft; with the first gear in meshing engagement with the second gear.
In some embodiments, an electric/manual switch is configured in the motor, for enabling the first gear and the second gear to be disengaged.
In some embodiments, the second gear is arranged at a center of the transmission shaft.
In some embodiments, the balancing member is an elongated member.
Further the two second pulleys are configured in bilateral symmetry at both sides of the center of the transmission shaft; the transmission shaft and the elongated balancing member have a same orientation, and the balancing belts are mounted at both ends of the elongated balancing member where their mounting points are in bilateral symmetry; the elongated balancing member is a homogeneous substance.
The present invention can bring the following benefits:
In the balance system used in a door of cupboard, the transmission shaft is equipped with a balance component, a pulling force or weight of the door corresponds to a pulling force or weight of the balancing member so as to make the balance system in balanced state. In this regard, a small driving force can make the system imbalance and facilitate the door opening/closing.
Further the balance component features simple structure, good stability and long lifetime, and can keep the door opening/closing smoothly.
Further the present invention also includes a motor transmission apparatus, an electric/manual switch is configured therein, to enabling the first gear and the second gear to be disengaged/engaged. Thus, the door can open/close manually or electrically. Meanwhile, since a balance component is introduced herein, only a small power output of the motor is required, causing the total costs to be lower.
The present invention will be described hereinafter in details with reference to the figures.
A cupboard with a vertically movable, up-down door is shown in
The door 200 adopts a lift louvered mechanism, comprising a plurality of louvers 202, a pair of lift racks 300, and a guideway 400 for each lift rack 300.
Each of the lift racks 300 comprises a plurality of first lift units 310, and a plurality of second lift units 320 in which each second lift unit 320 is connected to two adjacent first lift units 310. Each louver 202 is secured to each corresponding first lift unit 310.
Each first lift unit 310 comprises a first connective element or finger 311 securing to the louver 202, and a second connective element 312 hinged to the first connective element 311. Each second lift unit 320 comprises a third connective element 321 hinged to the first connective element 311, and a fourth connective element 322 hinged to the second connective element 312. Both the third connective element 321 and the fourth connective element 322 are hinged to each other. Thus, the elements 311, 312, 321, 322 form a scissor jack type assembly.
As shown in
The body 100 consists of a top board 101, a bottom board 102, a left board 103, a right board 104 and a rear board 105. As shown in
As shown in
When people need to open the door 200, the lift racks 300 lift and fold up, causing the louvers 202 to fold up, the door is thus open.
When people need to close the door 200, the lift racks 300 descend and extend, causing the louvers 202 to extend, the door is thus closed.
As shown in
The first pulley 2 is connected to a belt 1. One end of the belt 1 is secured to the first pulley 2, and the other end of the belt 1 is connected to the door of cupboard. Thus, the door provides the belt 1 with a pulling force due to the weight of the door.
The balance component comprises a balancing member 6, a balancing belt 4 and a second pulley 3 configured at the transmission shaft 5. One end of the balancing belt 4 is connected to the second pulley 3, and the other end of the balancing belt 4 is connected to the balancing member 6, such that the balancing member 6 can be hung on the second pulley 3 evenly and provides the balancing belt 4 with a pulling force due to the weight of the balancing member 6. A direction of the pulling force is shown by an arrow in
Preferably, the pulling force from the door corresponds to the pulling force from the balancing member 6 so as to make the balance system in a balanced state. In other words, the weight of the door is substantially equal to the weight of the balancing member, so that the door and balancing member are in equilibrium.
As shown in
The two second pulleys 3 are configured in bilateral symmetry at both sides of a center of the transmission shaft 5, and the elongated balancing member 6 is a homogeneous substance. Preferably the transmission shaft 5 and the elongated balancing member 6 have a same orientation, and both balancing belts 4 are mounted at both ends of the elongated balancing member 6 where two mounting points are in bilateral symmetry such that the force borne by both second pulleys 3 will be substantially even.
Both second pulleys 3 are arranged between the two first pulleys 2. The pulling force from the door to the belts 1 corresponds to the pulling force from the balancing member 6 to the balancing belts 4 so as to make the balance system in a balanced state. In this regard, a small driving force can make the system imbalance and facilitate the door opening/closing.
The present invention features simple structure, low cost, good stability and long lifetime.
In an alternative embodiment shown in
An electric/manual switch 10 is operatively connected to the motor 7, for enabling the first gear 8 and the second gear 9 to be disengaged. When the first gear 8 and the second gear 9 are disengaged, the balance system will be in manual state, whereby, a little driving force to a handle, can make the system imbalance and open/close the door.
When the first gear 8 and the second gear 9 are engaged and the motor 7 is powered up to rotate, the transmission shaft 5 is rotated. The motor 7 generates a small driving force, which can make the system imbalance and open/close the door. Since only a small power output is required, the motor 7 cost is minimized. The present invention features good stability and long lifetime due to a balanced configuration.
In case no balancing member 6 is present, there is no pulling force from the balancing member 6 to balance the weight of the door. In this circumstance, when people need to open/close the door, the motor will supply a stronger pulling force, with more motor power. In addition, a motor controller may be required to control the motor's output, making the door open/close smoothly, and may require a complex transmission mechanism with a higher cost.
Regulating wheels 600 allow for adjustment of the belts 1, i.e., tightening or loosening the belts. The wheels 600 are mounted on the side boards of the cupboard.
It is understood that the belts 1 and 4 may also be any type of pulling or tension member, such as a cable, a cord, a chain, a rope, and the like.
The embodiments described hereinbefore are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and not for purposes of any restrictions or limitations to the invention. It will be apparent that any non-substantive, obvious alterations or improvements by the technician of this technical field according to the present invention may be incorporated into ambit of claims of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201511022648 | Dec 2015 | CH | national |
This is a Divisional Application of U.S. Ser. No. 15/210,985 filed Jul. 15, 2016, which claims priority to Chinese Serial No. 201511022648, filed Dec. 29, 2015, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15210985 | Jul 2016 | US |
| Child | 15681002 | US |
