Oven Helper
By Prucz, Roni; Brower, Justin; Hong, William; NSF 2005 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pp. 58-59Publication Date: 2005
Description of a device for transferring heavy pans to and from an oven. Developed at the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, the Oven Helper was designed for a client with cerebral palsy. The device uses a gas spring mechanism to help her move pans between the stovetop and middle oven rack. Pans are vertically displaced through single-hand pushing or pulling actions. An L-shaped commercial height-adjustable rolling table was modified to obtain minimum and maximum levels corresponding to the client’s middle oven rack and stovetop. A custom spring possessing the proper extension and force and featuring a locking system controlled by a Bowden wire (Easy Lift Springs, Melbourne, FL) was mounted inside the tubing shaft of the original rolling table. Two linear drawer glides were added inside and outside the shaft to alleviate friction. A padded handle was mounted below the tabletop, with the spring release lever attached. The Oven Helper allows the client to cook larger portions of food and increases the diversity of dishes that can be made. Cost of fabrication was circa $550.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
ISBN: 1-931280-03-7
