S-box storage unit
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 ( 1 a , 1 b , 1 c ) that in turn powers the platform and displaces the lid, on which the household item is located, upwardly.
1. A storage device adaptable to different thickness worktops having a storage unit for storing kitchen, office, or home appliances, provisions, or equipment and being movable between a raised position and a storage position in which, in the storage position, the storage unit is located within a housing and has a lid flush with an adjacent surface of the worktop, wherein:
the storage device comprises a driving means including a counterweight having a first weight and a pulley operable to move the storage unit between the storage position and the raised position;
the first weight of the counterweight is selected so that in use the counterweight and pulley arrangement exert a greater upward force on the storage unit than the storage unit exerts downwardly such that the storage unit moves toward the raised position when in a free state by the upward force of the counterweight and pulley arrangement alone;
the counterweight is configured to allow for manual alterations thereof so as to increase or decrease the first weight;
the storage unit further comprises guides configured to ensure aligned movement of the storage unit when moved between the raised position and the storage position within the housing;
the counterweight is arranged generally centrally beneath the storage unit when the storage unit is in the raised position and in the storage position;
the driving means and the storage unit are contained within the housing;
the storage unit includes a floor;
the floor of the storage unit, when the storage unit is in the in the raised position, is flush with the adjacent surface of the worktop; and
the storage unit further comprises a latching mechanism having multiple latching positions, each said latching position corresponding to a different stop point for the storage unit such that each stop point permits a different thickness of a worktop to be accommodated such that the lid remains flush with the adjacent surface of the worktop in the storage position.
2. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 in which in the raised position, the storage unit is partly or wholly out of the housing.
3. A lid device as claimed in claim 1 in which the storage comprises a flat surface.
4. A storage device as claimed in claim 3 in which the lid of the storage unit is movable between a lowered position wherein the storage unit comprises a flat horizontal surface and a raised position wherein the storage unit comprises a flat horizontal surface.
5. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage unit includes a top surface and the housing includes a work surface, further wherein the top surface is terminated adjacent to the work surface.
6. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 in which the housing includes a base.
7. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , including a linkage arrangement connected to the driving means and arranged to raise the storage unit from the storage position to the raised position when the driving means are activated.
8. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , including a platform supporting the storage unit with the driving means being arranged to move the platform upwardly thereby moving the storage unit from the storage position to the raised position.
9. A storage device as claimed in claim 8 , in which the drive means includes a lifting mechanism having at least one guide extending from a top region of the storage unit to a bottom region.
10. A storage device as claimed in claim 9 in which the guide of the lifting mechanism is connected to the platform.
11. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , in which, in the storage position, a top of the storage unit, in plan view, is side-by-side with the housing around a complete extent of the housing.
12. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one side of the storage unit is substantially open or accessible.
13. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage unit is an enclosed storage unit.
14. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising any one or more of an LCD TV, laptop, microwave, spice rack, utensil rack, kettle, knife block or rack, bread machine, fruit, cookies, paperwork, hairdryer, cosmetics, perfume, soaps.
15. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage unit includes an upper surface and the housing includes a work surface, further wherein the upper surface is of the same appearance as that of an adjacent surface portion of the work surface.
16. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage unit includes a top surface with marble or other work surface on top of the storage unit.
17. A storage device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage unit is operable to be fitted to a work surface by suspending the storage unit from said work surface.