One of several research fields for companies producing pieces of furniture and mechanisms for moving leaves is devising linear lifting mechanisms for the cover-panels of hanging furniture. Generally speaking, one wants the covering leaf or panel to slide vertically to uncover the span behind.

And the imperative echoes very simple: obtain a furniture with an efficient, reliable and cheap lifting/opening mechanism.

A lot of big companies produced variants of mechanisms of this type. They have in common the complexity and the difficulties to be manufactured.

In the figures on the side instead there is shown Girotto's invention (as designed with Solidworks and then produced by a known and flexible company in the field of furniture (Perin s.p.a.)).

The structure of the mechanism follows Girotto's philosophy, that is "simple but effective". The liftable panel (see figures) is coupled to the furniture's frame by means of linear guides, made from mere section bars.

The heart of the mechanism is a pulley with variable diameter, on which a wire is wound (in red) and fixed at its ends to the panel. Between an end of the wire and a fixing point on the panel there is interposed a spring, adapted to tension the wire and to accumulate translational energy.

Moving the panel, the wire winds/unwinds on the pulley, and constantly (un)loads the force of the spring from/to the pulley according a lever-arm determined by the instantaneous radius that it "sees" while winding. By properly modulating the pulley's diameter as long as the wire winds over it (threading the pulley one can bind the wire to follow a preset winding path...), it is possible "to program" the dynamic response of the system.

For instance, sections of acceleration of deceleration for the wire can be obtained very simply, and/or different "harnesses" perceived by a user while he/she is acting for closing/opening the panel. Note how the action of the spring on the wire also allows to maintain the panel lifted.

It is hard to still simplify a mechanism with so many potentialities.

Even if superfluous, we must let you note, once again, how much the simplicity of the invention is a further surplus and not a synonymous of low efficiency on the field.

So few components working harmonically and by synergy. Installation is fast, maintenance inexistent and the costs near zero. Could you want more?