Lift Hinges

[Patrick Sievert]

I'm starting to build a bed, and I want storage drawers that slide out from the foot of the bed. Rather than having the whole bed slide out, what I want to do is lift up the end of the bed, revealing the drawers underneath (see attachment).

I can't find the hardware that I need to accomplish this though. There are vertical lift hinges out there, but they're designed for taller and/or shorter "cabinet" doors. The dimensions on the faceplate for the foot of the bed are 11" x 79.5". Does anybody have any ideas?

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[Malcolm McLeod]

Maybe this...??

Or build your own. Similar to the link, you need 2 linkages on pivots at either side, with gas springs to match the weight of your 'door'.

[Patrick Sievert]

Maybe this...??

Or build your own. Similar to the link, you need 2 linkages on pivots at either side, with gas springs to match the weight of your 'door'.

The problem with the linked hinges is they're too big to fit in an 11" high cabinet. I'm all for building my own, do you have more details? I've never used gas springs before.

[Malcolm McLeod]

The problem with the linked hinges is they're too big to fit in an 11" high cabinet. I'm all for building my own, do you have more details? I've never used gas springs before.

Figured as much for the link, but thought the manufacturer might offer other sizes.

Building your own will involve some simple drafting or building a model. It is basically a 4-bar mechanism and in simplest form could be a parallelogram. The bed frame is one 'bar', the door is another, and two pivoting bars connect them.

If drafting is your siren call - -
Get a sketch pad large enough to do full size side views of the end of the bed and door. Sketch the bed and the door closed, then add the door in its intended full open position.

Offset 2 points relative to the door's inside face. These become your pivot points on the door and should be offset far enough off the face to conform to your pivot (hinge) mechanism. Space them vertically far enough apart to give you some stability. Draw them on both the 'closed' door as well as the 'open' one. Use a compass set for your estimated linkage length and strike an arc from all 4 of the door's pivot points (2 'open' and 2 'closed') onto the bed frame. Where the respective arcs from the top door pivot intersect is your fixed pivot on the bed frame. Same for the bottom. You just have to design a bed pivot that holds the link in the resulting position.

If you like models - -
Try some peg board. Cut pieces (strips) for the door and links, another rectangular piece for the bed frame. Drop bolts or nails into various holes and cycle the door thru its desired range of motion.

In both drafting and modeling you can test the effects of various pivot locations and link lengths. You can even make the linkage trapezoidal, rather than a parallelogram, and see if the resulting angle of the door while open will improve access...?

I don't have drafting access to post a diagram, but a 'knuckle' off one link (on each side) could be the mount for the gas spring's rod. Call this link 'A'. Mount the spring's base to the bed frame. Ideally the knuckle will swing from one side to the other of a line extending from the spring's base mount thru the frame pivot for link 'A'. When the door is closed the spring force on the knuckle is 'inside' this line and keeps the door closed. If the knuckle is 'outside' this line when the door is open, the spring holds it open. Estimate the door's weight and cut it in ~ half. (Result) X (linkage length) / (knuckle's distance from it's pivot) = approximate spring force required. (I've simplified this calculation so this doesn't turn into a book, but this will get you close.)

[Jamie Buxton]

Could you put hinges along the bottom edge of the "footboard"? When the footboard is open, it would be below the airspace where the drawers pull out.

[Lee Schierer]

How about these? Lift Hinge