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Gas lifts can be found in any modern kitchen where cabinet furniture is installed. They are used in cabinets whose fronts open upward and secure the doors in the open position. A furniture gas lift is a lift with a piston and cylinder containing inert gas. The gas prevents sudden compression and expansion of the spring in the lift, creating a shock-absorbing effect. The simple and effective design has found wide application in various industries.
Scope of gas lifts
Gas elevators have proven themselves in the automotive industry - initially they were installed on hoods and trunks, and also mounted in car doors. Lifts are needed to take on the weight of structures and protect them from damage.
Today, gas lifts, in addition to the automotive industry, are widely used in other areas:
- Furniture industry - first of all, we are talking about kitchen furniture. Gas lifts are ideal for cabinets that open upward. They prevent doors from closing spontaneously and allow you to save space in the kitchen. Also, furniture gas lifts are installed in office chairs, folding sofas, wardrobe beds;.
- Construction - used in the production of doors, window frames and glass display cases;
- Medical equipment - used in the manufacture of beds for the care of palliative patients, in the production of simulators for rehabilitation procedures and other equipment;
- Printing - gas shock absorbers are installed on the covers of copiers, scanners, MFPs and other devices;
- Weapons sphere - used for the manufacture of pneumatic weapons;
- Aerospace construction and others;
Below we will talk about the features of furniture gas lifts.
What it is?
The kitchen gas lift is a shock-absorbing mechanism for horizontal opening doors. The gas lift mechanism itself belongs to a large group of brackets. It has the appearance of a lifting mechanism, the main purpose of which is to open and hold doors. Thanks to this, the doors open and close without unnecessary effort. In addition, by swinging completely open, the door allows you to fully see the contents of the cabinet.
The gas lift is known as a completely sealed structure. Nitrogen enters the cylinder during the manufacturing process, and if damaged, it cannot be repaired.
Varieties
Depending on the application, the design of gas shock absorbers will differ. According to the direction of action there are:
- Direct acting gas lifts compress the rod. This means that in the basic assembly the stem is fully extended. Such devices are most widely used in furniture production;
- Reverse-acting gas lifts—extend a rod recessed in the base assembly.
Also, gas lifters differ in the pressure in the cylinder. Based on this principle, a distinction is made between high and low pressure springs. High pressure lifters consist of two main elements: a rod and a cylinder, which is filled with inert gas. The design of such a device cannot be disassembled. The principle of operation is based on the fact that the gas pushes the rod out of the cylinder. Immersion of the rod into the cylinder leads to a decrease in the volume of gas storage and an increase in pressure in the spring. The low pressure lifter is made of two hollow cylinders filled with compressed gas. Compressing the gas increases its volume and increases the pressure inside the spring.
Direct action
Reverse action
Low-pressure gas lifts are characterized by an almost unlimited service life and the possibility of independent adjustment and maintenance.
Another type of gas shock absorbers is locking springs. The block can be located on the pressure tube or on the rod. Such devices are used, for example, in office chairs for height adjustment. The piston rod has a locking function with a button that opens the piston valve. After pressing the button, the rod can be pressed in or out. Releasing the button causes the rod to lock in the specified position.
There are three types of gas lift blocking:
- Standard blocking is elastic and occurs at a certain point in the piston stroke. In this case, there is a risk of arbitrary displacement;
- Ambivalent locking - when pressed in, it will be elastic, and when pulled out, it will be rigid;
- Combined locking - provides rigid fixation in both directions, preventing arbitrary movement of the spring.
Standard
Ambivalent
Popular manufacturers and best models
The most popular manufacturers of gas lifts are the following:
- Bloom. The company's best product is the Aventos mechanism. It ensures smooth, silent and easy closing of even massive and folding kitchen fronts. The company offers a wide range of products, which makes it possible to choose a mechanism for any furniture. Different types of lifting mechanisms are produced - vertical, folding, rotary, folding, small rotary. Their service life is at least 20 years.
- Grass Kinvaro. Its products are distinguished by durability and quality. The company's products are silent, compact and easy to use. The company is considered a leader in the production of vertical gas lifts.
- HAFELE. The company specializes in the production of rotary mechanisms, which are multifunctional sets of parts for forming high-quality and reliable hanging cabinets. The brand has developed and produces mechanisms used for corner pull-out shelves.
Installing a gas lift on a kitchen cabinet or bed is a practical solution that allows you to increase the comfort of using furniture. Despite the rather complex mechanism, installation of the structure is not difficult, and with careful work you can get a reliable device.
Selection rules
When choosing a furniture gas lift, you need to rely on two criteria: the compression force of the spring and the dimensions of the door to which the device will be attached.
In terms of compressive force, to withstand a load of 1 kilogram, a force of 10 Newton is required. Thus, by measuring the weight of the door, you can calculate the required value. Most gas lift manufacturers produce devices with a fixed load from 60 to 140 Newton. Knowing the weight of the door, you can easily select a suitable lift.
In addition to weight, the choice is influenced by the size of the door. The length of the device will depend on it. The longer you need the gas spring, the thicker its body should be.
Also, gas lifts allow the use of step-by-step and automatic design of locker doors. The step design is the most common mechanism with a handle on the door. Automatic design involves opening doors at the press of a button and closing them automatically after a certain time. For this purpose, the facades of cabinet furniture are equipped with an electric drive. Such devices are suitable for people who forget to close cabinets or cannot reach the handle when the door is in the open position.
Selection table
Attaching the headset to the rail with your own hands
The work is performed according to the following scheme:
- Doing the preparatory work yourself. The cornice is installed if necessary. Furniture cornices are often used for decorative purposes. Essentially, this is a device made of solid wood that decorates the structure. You can install the cornice yourself by choosing the appropriate option. Modern furniture stores are ready to offer high-quality cornices at an affordable price.
- Screwing in screws and aligning hooks. It is very important that they are in the same position at the middle level. When using canopies, they are placed in one position. The protrusion of the fastener should be about two millimeters, measured from the back surface of the wall.
- If you plan to cut a tire, then you need to make blanks in advance.
- Holes are made on the wall (markings are first applied to it) to secure the tires.
- Installing the dryer body onto the tire. You should choose the wall surface as a guide.
- Sequential fixation of objects using fasteners. Most often, craftsmen use curtain rod clamps. To avoid damaging the surface, you need to lay a thin layer of insulating material.
- Holes are made in the body. The individual structural elements are combined with a screed.
- Securing the sashes. The overhang must be arranged with extreme care. Don't forget about closers for kitchen cabinets. The video on the site will help you understand how to install a door closer according to all the rules with your own hands. Closers for kitchen cabinets are essential to ensure smooth closing of the doors.
How to regulate
The design of most popular furniture gas elevators provides for three positions of the facade when open: at an angle of 70°, 90° and 110° relative to the side of the cabinet. So that all family members, regardless of height, can reach the door of an open cabinet, an angle of 70° is best.
In order for the facade to open at this angle, you need to change the markings of the fasteners. The distance from the top edge to the center of the fastener should be 100 mm. For a 90° position, mark 90 mm from edge to center, for a 110° position, mark 80 mm. This way you can adjust the tilt angle yourself. The error when choosing this method will not exceed 5°-10°.
For more precise adjustment (if you need to achieve the same position of several facades located in a row), turn the internal thread of the cylinder of each gas elevator until the doors take the same position when open.
Installation Rules
Before installing a gas elevator, the following features should be considered:
- It is worth installing two gas lifts on one front so that when opening there is no great tension, which can cause distortion;
- due to the high level of liquid, using gas elevators with a force of 100 Newton is in most cases impractical;
Note! This mechanism is suitable for installation on large and massive doors.
- adjustment of the front with the lifting mechanism is carried out by hinges securing it to the box;
- the assembly of the box in which the fittings will be mounted must be preceded by the installation of fasteners;
- by moving the installation location of the fasteners to the front part of the side, you can increase the angle at which the door will open;
- Installation of automatic elements requires strict adherence to instructions.
Trust a professional to install gas lifts.
Preparing the necessary tools
For installation you will need the following tools:
- ruler, meter or tape measure;
- hammer;
- drill (preferably electric);
- pliers;
- screwdriver or screwdriver.
When installing furniture connecting elements, it is convenient to use a drill using a special drill.
Marking before installation
Before installing a gas lift on a kitchen cabinet, it is necessary to make markings in the niche, as well as calculations for accurate installation. It is worth marking the centers for the mounting points on the door and on the sides of the niche.
Before installation, try on the gas lift several times.
First of all, you should check the suitability of the equipment. For example, for a cabinet with a height of 365 mm, a gas lift measuring 355 mm will be required. The marking order is as follows:
- Mark the middle of the fastening on the sides. To do this, measure 37 mm from the front side of the sidewall, and 366 mm from the inside of the top cover.
- Mark the center of the fastening on the sash. To do this, measure a segment from the side end equal to the height of the fastening on the side of the cabinet, usually 19 mm, and from the top cut - 128 mm.
Use detailed instructions for installing a gas lift.
Step-by-step installation instructions
Instructions for installing a furniture gas lift on a kitchen cabinet are as follows:
- Attach the bases to the sides in the marked places.
- Install brackets with springs and plates. The brackets should be screwed in and the elevator heads will snap right onto them.
- Attach the center of the fastening so that it coincides with the markings. The base is secured with three or four screws or self-tapping screws. In this case, the head of the structure must be fixed in the holes.
Important! If the plate is bent, the mechanism will not work.
- Carry out similar actions, securing the gas lift to the door. In this case, you should achieve a hinge angle of 8°.
The bed can also be equipped with gas lift.
The procedure for installing the mechanism on the bed is as follows:
- Drill three holes at the markings (14-15 cm from the edge, at the height of the legs).
- Secure the lower part of the mechanism with bolts.
- Attach the corner of the device to the frame of the structure.
- Lower the base of the mechanism deep into the frame and mark four holes on each side. In this case, future attachment points must correspond to the bottom bar of the device.
- Open the frame and drill holes.
- Secure the top bar so that there is a gap between the box and the frame for the full functioning of the mechanism.
Gas lift allows you to make the bed multifunctional.
Adjustment
When adjusting, it should be taken into account that the distance from the ceiling to the top of the cabinet must exceed the dimensions of the door, since it will open upward and it should not touch the ceiling.
The door can close silently.
The adjustment allows for slow and silent operation of the doors. To do this, you need to tighten the basic fastening elements of the product.
