US20060238084A1

US20060238084A1 - Wheel Chair Bound Accessible Storage Carriers for Refrigrator,Pantry and Storage Closets through, Two plus Two Major and Minor Access Doors with two plus One Motorized Closed Loop Rectangular Vertical Conveyor Track System

Info

Publication number: US20060238084A1
Application number: US10/907,257
Authority: US
Inventors: Belous Golani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-03-25
Filing date: 2005-03-25
Publication date: 2006-10-26

Abstract

Refrigerator, Pantry and Closet storage carriers with 2+1 Motorized Closed Loop Vertical Conveyor track on each end of the storage carriers. The Drive track mechanism creates the mobility in the close looped for the storage carriers. The 2 separate closed loop stability tracks maintain the storage containers in horizontal level to prevent tilt (pendulum and lateral) movement. The storage containers have pull out shelf that rest on the minor lower access-opening door in the horizontal position serving as tray. The use of 2+1 Motorized Closed Loop Vertical Conveyor track maximizes shelf space and eliminates un-useable areas on the shelf. This concept alleviate all stretching and straining that is required to reach items on shelves, and to open a refrigerator, pantry and closet door from a seated position. This concept with 2+2 doors allows a wheelchair occupant, People with walkers, scooters and crutches, People with Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Chronic back condition, Weakness Caused by sickness and People with Long Term Care for more independence in a home setting.

Description

Motorized Shelve and Opened front side Container Boxes known as storage carriers guided by 2 stability closed loop tracks and 1 power-drive closed loop track. The power-drive track mechanism creates the mobility in the closed rectangular loop for the storage carriers. The 2 separate closed rectangular loop stability tracks, maintain the storage containers in horizontal level to prevent tilt (pendulum and lateral) movement
The storage carriers (containers) have pull out shelves. The use of 2+1 Motorized Closed Loop Vertical Conveyor track maximizes shelf space and eliminates un-useable areas on the shelves.
The cooling refrigerator side, pantry and storage closets doors have 2+2 individual door segments. Two main upper and lower door segment, two minor lower and upper access opening door segments. The two minor access opening door segments are located between main upper and main lower door segments.
Each Major individual door segment opens separately with one Minor door. The 2+2 door segments open as one integrated door. The storage container with pull out shelve selectively revolve to the access-opening area.
The access-opening area located at the height that easily accessible by wheel chair bound person. The width of the access opening area is equal to each cooling refrigerator, Pantry and closet door width. The minor lower and minor upper access-opening doors open from vertical to a horizontal position. The minor lower door in the horizontal position serves as tray.
On the outside of the minor lower access door mounted a push button pad control. The Push button Pad, controls the position of the desire storage container (carrier) pull out shelf. This shelf is accessible trough the access opening area. A person in the wheel chair manipulate the push button pad control by knee when, the minor lower access opening door fully opened in horizontal position serving as tray. A person standing using their hand can access the bottom of the tray to selectively position the desire storage carrier at access opening by manipulating the push button pad control
A touch screen monitor attached to the outside of minor lower access-opening door in conjunction with the push button pad control, and functions separately. The touch screen monitor shows the number of shelves is used and calendar for the selected month. The touch screen monitor pivots face up when the minor lower access-opening door is in the vertical or in horizontal position serving as tray. The touch screen monitor has voice recording and play back capabilities. The voice recording and play back system provides inventory on each shelf.
Touch a shelf number once, the inventory on that shelf reported. Touch the shelf number twice the requested shelf will revolve selectively at the access opening. The requested pull out shelf rest on the minor lower access-opening door in the horizontal position serving as tray.
The voice recording and play back system provides daily user's appointments, prescription drug and diet reminder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By this invention there is provided a different vertical close-loop conveyer system for use in refrigerator, pantry and storage closets for wheel chair bound accessibility. The storage carrier with pull out shelves brings items on the shelf to the wheel chair bound person. The principal of the invention provides three rollers on each end of storage carriers and three separate respective matching rectangular vertical close-loop tracks adjacent to the rollers. The two lower tracks provide stability and the third single upper track provides the mobility.
The three rollers positioned in triangle and the two stabilizing rollers make the triangle base and one single driven roller makes the third triangle point. These three rollers are assembled in contact with their respective vertical rectangular close-loop tracks. These rollers continue to stay in contact with their respective rectangular close loop tracks around the full length of the rectangular close loop. A unique power drive system provides the mobility to the single drive track.
The unique 2+2 door segment concept and double drawer freezer compartment provide ease of accessibility to items for wheel chair bound and others.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIGS. 1 to 5 Are front view showing five different refrigerator door configurations with two minor and two major lower, upper doors with mounted touch screen monitor and the button pad control located on the cooling compartment side (s) at height that is easily accessible by wheel chair bound person.
FIG. 1 shows vertical double-sided refrigerator with cooling side door comprise of 2+2 doors.
FIG. 2 shows two vertical double-sided cooling compartments with freezer compartment located horizontally above the cooler compartment. Each cooling compartment has 2+2 doors.
FIG. 3 similar to FIG. 2 has freezer drawer compartment located horizontally below the cooling compartment doors. This freezer drawer compartment is split to two vertical drawers for wheel chair side accessibility.
FIG. 4 shows single cooling compartment with same freezer compartment as FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 similar to FIG.4 with freezer compartment same as FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 shows one translucent storage carrier with three rollers on each end and two translucent pullout shelves.
FIG. 7 Shows cross section of the refrigerator cooling compartment comprising of storage carriers with rollers and their respective 2+1 close rectangular loop tracks and the minor lower and upper access opening doors in the open position. One shelf pulled out and resting on the minor lower door serving as tray and the two major doors are in closed position.
FIG. 8 shows storage carrier roller movement prints on their respective close loop tracks.
FIG. 9 shows the three rectangular close loop track configurations with one storage carrier cross-section.
FIG. 10 shows FIG. 9 with four individual storage carrier cross-sections spaced to allow for the storage carrier movement. The linear distance travel for each storage carrier includes vertical and horizontal movement is equal.
FIG. 11 shows touch screen monitor system

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 to 5 depict the door configuration and external control locations for this invention: [1 push button pad control], [2, 2A and 2B minor lower access doors for one and two cooling compartments], [3 touch screen monitor], [4, 4A and 4B minor upper access doors for one and two cooling compartments], [5, 5A and 5B major upper doors for one and two cooling compartments], [6, 6A and 6B major lower doors for one and two cooling compartments], 7 freezer compartment door and 7A, 7B for double drawer freezer compartments.
FIGS. 4 and 5 depicts freezer compartment located at the lower part of refrigerator with pull out a drawer. This compartment is divided vertically in two separate compartment drawers shown as 7A and 7B. This allow for wheel chair accessibility to the freezer.
FIG. 6 depicts storage carrier 11 comprises: [8 upper power driven roller], [9 and 10 stabilizing rollers], [15, 16 pull out shelves], the number of pull out shelves depends on the height of the storage carrier and the height of the items on the shelves.
FIG. 7 depicts the refrigerator-cooling compartment, pantry and storage closet cross section space 16 comprise: [2, 2A and 2B minor lower access door in horizontal open position serving as tray, pivots on top of the major lower door], [1 push button control pad attached to 2, 2B], [3 touch screen monitor mounted on 2], [4, 4A and 4B minor upper access doors in horizontal open position pivots at the bottom of the major upper door], [5, 5A and 5B major upper doors], [6, 6A and 6B major lower doors], [8 power driven roller], [9 and 10 stabilizing rollers], [11 cross section of storage carrier with 8, 9 and 10 rollers in contact with their respective rectangular close loop tracks], [12 power drive rectangular close loop vertical conveyor track], [13, 14 stabilizing rectangular close loop vertical tracks], [15 pull out shelf resting on 2, 2A and 2B], 17 wheel chair bound person.
FIG. 8 depicts: 8, 9 and 10 roller movements on their respective rectangular close loop 12, 13 and 14 tracks.
FIG. 9 shows the 12, 13 and 14 rectangular vertical close loop track set over lapping each other in two separate points and one storage carrier in contact with these three tracks.
FIG. 10 shows four 11 individual storage carrier cross-sections spaced to allow for the storage carrier to clear each other's movement. The linear distance travel for each storage carrier includes vertical and horizontal movement on 12, 13 and 14 tracks.
FIG. 11 shows the touch screen monitor comprises: 18 master shelf control, 19 master calendar control, 20 erase control, 21 vocal listen control, 22 vocal record control, 23 vocal add control, 24 the available shelf controls for 2+1 Motorized Closed Loop Vertical Conveyor track system and 25 one month calendar controls. 26, 27 and 28 are diet, appointment and prescription drug announcement controls respectively.

Claims

1. Refrigerator, Pantry and Closet storage carriers with 2+1 Motorized Closed Loop Rectangular Vertical Conveyor track system, accessible by wheel chair bound person, through 2+2 major and minor accessible doors comprising.

2. 1) The claim 1 has two identical rectangular Vertical close-loop track sets. 2) The two identical rectangular Vertical close-loop track sets are located at both ends of the storage carries. 3) The Said track set is located adjacent and latitude to the storage carrier's end side. 4) The two identical Vertical close-loop track sets are in parallel to each other. 5) The 2 Identical Vertical close-loop track sets have total of six rectangular Closed-Loop tracks. 6) Each track set has 2 intersecting individual rectangular closed-loop stabilizing vertical tracks and 1 Power-drive vertical rectangular closed loop track intersecting the stabilizing tracks. 7) Intersecting means the 2 individual rectangular closed loop-stabilizing tracks overlap at two points and the drive track intersects each of the stabilizing tracks in two places and allow for rollers to stay in their perspective tracks. 8) Each 4 rectangular corners have radius fillet for smooth roller movements.

3. 1) Each Track set with 2 individual rectangular closed loop-stabilizing tracks guide one end of the storage carriers. 2) Each Track set with 1 power-drive track, drives one end of storage carriers. 3) The two Power-Drive Tracks positioned at each end of storage carrier selectively position the storage carrier to an access-opening area at height easily accessible by wheel chair bound person.

4. 1) A low profile AC motor drives each power-drive track. The power from low profile ac motor transmitted by a single rubber belt. 2) The single rubber belt moves the Storage Carriers by friction contact. 3) The power from low profile AC motor transmitted by a single plastic chain replaces the rubber belt. 4) The single plastic chain moves the Storage Carriers by a sprocket. 5) The power-driven roller is integrated with a fixed pulley replaced with power-driven roller integrated with a fixed sprocket. 6) The power-driven pulley is driven by the rubber belt's friction. 7) The rubber belt replaced with plastic chain drives the power-driven sprocket. 8) The rubber belt or plastic chain each provides mobility for the storage carriers with pull out shelve to selectively revolve to the access-opening area. 9) The two stabilizing rollers provide stability for the storage carriers during vertical and horizontal movement along their respective tracks to reach the access-opening area.

5. 1) The storage carriers are translucent boxes with or without front doors that open in the horizontal position. 2) Each storage carrier has one or more pull out shelves. 3) The two stabilizing and one power-drive roller are mounted on each end of storage carrier. 4) These three rollers spaced in triangle. The two stabilizing rollers are attached adjacent and lateral to the storage carrier end and make the base for the triangle. 5) The two stabilizing rollers are spaced to match the spacing of the 2 individual rectangular closed loop-stabilizing tracks. 6) The power-driven roller provides the third angle of the triangle and matches the location of the power-drive track.

6. 1) The access-opening area located at the height that easily accessible by wheel chair bound person. 2) The two minor access-opening doors open from vertical to a horizontal position. 3) The minor lower access-opening door opens from vertical to a horizontal position serves as tray. 4) The minor lower access door pivots on top of the major lower door segment. The cooling side of refrigerator, pantry and storage closet doors each has 2+2 individual door segments. 5) These 4 segments have equal width. The major upper door segment swings open with upper minor door. 6) The two minor access opening door segments are located between major upper and major lower door segments. 7) The major lower and minor lower access-opening door swing open as one door. 8) The minor upper door pivots at the bottom of the major upper door. 9) The 2+2 door segments open as one integrated door. 10) These 4 door segments in open position disables the 2+1 Motorized Closed Loop Vertical Conveyor function for safety concerns. 11) The lower major door segment in open position disables the 2+1 Motorized Closed Loop Vertical Conveyor function for safety concern. 12) The upper door segment swings open with minor upper door as one piece for a person standing to reach items on the storage carries' shelves and using the lower access-opening door as a tray.

7. 1) On the outside of the minor lower access opening door mounted a push button pad control. 2) The push button pad, controls the movement and positions the desired storage carriers' pull out shelf, accessible trough the access opening area. 3) The push button control pad, manipulated by a person's knee in the wheel chair when, the minor lower access-opening door fully opened in horizontal position serving as tray. 4) A person standing using their hand can access the bottom of the tray to selectively position the desire storage carrier at access opening area by manipulating the push button control pad.

8. 1) A touch screen monitor attached to the outside of the minor lower access-opening door, controls the mobility of the storage carries in conjunction or separately with the push button control pad. 2) The touch screen monitor shows shelves numbers and calendar for the selected month. 3) The touch screen monitor pivots face up when the minor lower access-opening door is in the vertical or in the horizontal position serving as tray. 4) The touch screen monitor has voice recording and play back capabilities.

9. 1) The voice recording and play back system provides inventory on each shelf. 2) Touch a shelf number once, the inventory on that shelf vocally announced. 3) Touch the shelf number twice the requested shelf will revolve selectively at the access opening area. 4) The requested pull out shelf rests on the minor lower access-opening door in the horizontal position serving as tray. 5) The pull out shelf resting on the tray disables the movement function of the storage carrier.

10. 1) The voice recording and play back system provides daily reminder for 2) appointments, 3) prescription drug and 4) diet requirements.