Shelf extending and lifting system

Abstract

A cabinet having opposing side walls and an open, or openable, frontal area, provides a pair of arms pivotally engaged with each of the side walls. The arms are rotatable between a downwardly and rearwardly directed position within the cabinet for storing a shelf or basket attached to the arms, and a forwardly directed position extensive of the frontal area for exposing the shelf or basket. Each of the pair of arms is, in one embodiment of the invention, engaged with a guide plate fixed at one side of a basket, whereby the basket is able to move between a retracted position inside the cabinet, and a frontally extended and raised position. Such movement is facilitated by a motor driven linear actuator. In another embodiment, the arms are spring loaded, and in a still further embodiment, the arms are connected with a linear draw slide.

1 . An apparatus comprising: a cabinet providing opposing side walls, each of the side walls having an interior wall surface, the cabinet further providing an open frontal area; pivotally engaged with each of the side walls, adjacent the respective interior wall surface, a pair of arms rotatable between a downwardly and rearwardly directed position within the cabinet, and a forwardly directed position extensive of the frontal area; each of the pair of arms further pivotally engaged with a guide plate fixed at one side of a basket; whereby the basket is able to move between a retracted position inside the cabinet, and a frontally extended and raised position; and a means for driving at least one of the arms of at least one of the pair of arms for executing said basket movement.  
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the arms of each of the pair of arms are pivotally interconnected by a strut.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the guide plates each provide a pair of slots, each of the pairs of arms adapted for sliding motion within the slots.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each of the arms comprises a pair of arm segments, the arm segments telescopically joined for axial extension and retraction.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein each of the arms further comprises an extension spring positioned for urging one of the arm segments to extend from the other of the arm segments.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the driving means is a motor engaged with a linearly extendable strut.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising a limit switch positioned for engaging the driving means whereby power is terminated to the motor when the basket is in one of a retracted, extended and raised position.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a set of draw slides engaged with the basket and with the arms, the draw slides enabled for moving the basket linearly into and out of the cabinet, the pairs of arms enabled for lifting the draw slides and the basket to a raised position.