"Kneeling" cupboards for wheelchair users.

Jethro_uk used his keyboard to write :

I seem to remember another solution which involved the wheelchair user being raised up to the height needed, in a supported standing position. Unless powered, then a slight pull and push would not be enough, due to the variation of weight of the cupboard contents. Rather I would think a series of motorised threaded rods, with the 'nuts' on the cupboard, one per cupboard might do what is needed.

Another way would be using bicycle chains, over chain pulleys with one motor to drive a cupboard section. That would not be too difficult to arrange mechanically, there are plenty of suitable bike parts available.

Anything here:

It seems the magic phrase (kerching !) is "wall cabinet lifts" - then there are solutions, although they do look a tad ... over robust ?

I was hoping to avoid anything electrical ... too much to go wrong.

Tx for the steer ...

after messing with google, and grappling with pinterest (:() I hit upon similar. At least it's a starting point.

I might help to know what is wrong with electric wall cabinet lifts such as

NB I do accept their price is one thing wrong with them!

Quite a few similar.

I made some variable height work surfaces using standard industrial linear bearing runs a bit like these and an electric ram similar to the one shown in

(the ram actually came out of a discarded bath lift)

You need an iBot.

Sadly, $25K, which likely puts it out of reach for most.

"These" should have been

The electric rams by the way have been very reliable with little to go wrong.

Of course you can make every cupboard in the kitchen go up and down, but what a price!

I think you need to start again, deciding what do you actually need to achieve?

Can you organise things so 90-99% of what your DW needs is actually within wheelchair reach? Maybe with some stuff on a rotating tray on the worktop? My mother had one of those long grabbers.

Low tech and cheap. :)

You might find

that's crazy money.

This is also crazy, but might just work. Maybe. Make the whole floor raise up when required. A tenth the price, don't know if you could work out how t o make it genuinely workable.

Another slightly crazy option would be one hoist updowning all the cupboard s at once. The cables would be very much on view, but it should do the job. If you use steel cables, don't forget they do wear through eventually. Cot ton wear through more often, and plastics too often.

NT

Aldidl electric hoist currently £25 locally.

That's a very good link.

Indeed. But I know someone whose mother had them and they work. And priorities for spending can change when someone's disabled.

Seems to me a bold and courageous approach :) Eg seals at the edges cd be a bit challenging in a kitchen where spillages are to be expected; loss of access to lower cupboards (and w/m, d/w, fridge, freezer) until floor lowered again; can't leave kitchen until floor lowered again; provision to lower if power lost. Not to mention risk of floor being jammed "up".

It's still crazy money. I bet an engineering shop could fab a full set for their price for one.

For real. Let's try it...

Maybe the floor is on a metal frame, and sections can be lifted off.

If it goes up & down quickly that's workable. Powered by an aldidl hoist it would.

a panel on one end hinged so it acts as a ramp passively

Stuck down is much more likely. It's the sort of mechanism that could be workable if there is someone in the house that can replace the steel cable every 10 years, change a fuse if ever etc.

I have an inherent dislike for retailed disability aids, the prices are obscene and the designs woefully bad.

NT

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com formulated on Tuesday :

Sarah Beany used this on one of her 'double your house for half the money' programs. It wasn't cheap though, all electrically operated to raise and lower worktops and wall cabinets.

Hang the cupboards from the ceiling, using a screw car jack like mechanism. The screw will ensure that the cupboards stay at whatever height you stop them. Position the cupboards away from the wall so that they can clear wall mounted items, or recess the items into the wall.

Probably not practical, given the variations in weight that will occur. If you don't want to power the screw, you will need something like a long crank handle, turning it via bevel gears, or a continuous chain mechanism.