Retractable vented attic storage system

Abstract

A closet fits into an attic. A raiseable panel forms the bottom of the closet. The raiseable panel can be lowered to the living space below manually or by using a return spring or electrical means. The raiseable panel holds a cabinet, box, or other storage item. Air space around the cabinet or items insulates it from thermal contact with the closet walls. Alternatively a cabinet is hung from a restraining member, or arm, so it can be raised for storage and lowered for access. In this aspect, a bottom panel is secured to the bottom of the cabinet. Optional vents and fan urge circulation between the air space and the living space, reducing temperature extremes in the air space and hence the cabinet. In other aspects, air treatment units (HVAC, dehumidifier, etc.) condition the air within the closet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage system comprising:
 a closet located in an attic space, said closet having a plurality of enclosing walls with inner sides, a top, and a downward-facing opening, said downward-facing opening communicating with an opening in a ceiling structure;   a cabinet, said cabinet having a bottom, a top, and a plurality of side walls connecting said bottom and said top of said cabinet;   said cabinet and said closet being dimensioned so that when said cabinet is positioned in said closet, there will be an air space around and surrounding substantially all of said side walls of said cabinet, between the outsides of all of said side walls and said inner sides of said walls of said closet;   said cabinet being movable into and out of said closet for access in a space below when said cabinet is lowered;   at least one vent opening between said attic space and the outdoors;   a fan, said fan positioned and arranged to circulate outdoor air through said attic space when said fan is energized; and   means for raising said cabinet upward into said closet and lowering said cabinet downward out of said closet,   whereby when said cabinet is raised into said closet and said fan is energized, outdoor air can circulate through said attic space tending to equalize the temperature in said attic space with the temperature in said outdoors, whereby the temperature in said air space and in said cabinet will tend toward an average of the varying temperatures in said outdoors, averting high temperature extremes in said cabinet.   
     
     
         2 . The storage system of  claim 1 , whereby said closet has insulating properties. 
     
     
         3 . The storage system of  claim 1 , whereby when said cabinet is positioned in said closet, there will be an air space substantially between said top of said cabinet and the inner side of said top of said closet. 
     
     
         4 . The storage system of  claim 3 , further including at least one airflow block arranged and positioned between said top of said cabinet and the inner side of said top of said closet so that when said cabinet is raised into said closet said airflow block provides means for modulating the temperature in said air space. 
     
     
         5 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said fan is selected from the group including an electrically powered attic fan, an electrically powered whole house fan, a solar powered fan, a wind powered fan or other fan. 
     
     
         6 . The storage system of  claim 1 , whereby said outdoor air is drawn directly from said outdoors or through a living space below. 
     
     
         7 . The storage system of  claim 1 , including a panel attached to said bottom of said cabinet, said panel arranged to substantially cover said downward-facing opening when said cabinet is raised into said closet. 
     
     
         8 . The storage system of  claim 1 , further including an electrically activated locking means to engage said cabinet and to secure said cabinet in an elevated position when not in use. 
     
     
         9 . The storage system of  claim 1 , further including at least one airflow block arranged and positioned between at least one of said side walls of said cabinet and an adjoining inner side of said closet so that when said cabinet is raised into said closet said airflow block provides means for modulating the temperature in said air space. 
     
     
         10 . The storage system of  claim 1 , wherein said means for raising said cabinet upward into said closet and lowering said cabinet downward out of said closet includes an electric motor equipped to prevent said motor from turning in the reverse direction causing said cabinet to fall. 
     
     
         11 . The storage system of  claim 1 , further including a human sensor located within a predetermined distance of said cabinet's upward and downward movement paths, said human sensor arranged to detect and emit a predetermined output when a human is present within said predetermined distance, and means responsive to said predetermined output for inhibiting movement of said cabinet in response to said predetermined output, whereby said movement of said cabinet is restricted when a human is detected within said predetermined distance from said cabinet. 
     
     
         12 . A method of preventing extremely high temperatures from reaching a cabinet in an attic space, comprising:
 providing a closet having a plurality of enclosing walls with inner sides, a top, and a downward-facing opening;   positioning said closet in said attic space with said downward-facing opening being positioned in a ceiling of a floor below;   providing a cabinet;   said cabinet having a bottom, a top, and a plurality of side walls connecting said bottom and said top of said cabinet;   said cabinet and said closet being dimensioned so that when said cabinet is positioned in said closet, there will be an air space around and surrounding substantially all of said side walls of said cabinet, between the outsides of all of said side walls and said inner sides of said walls of said closet;   said cabinet being movable into and out of said closet via said downward-facing opening for access in a space below when said cabinet is lowered;   at least one vent opening between said attic space and the outdoors;   a fan, said fan positioned and arranged to circulate outdoor air through said attic space when said fan is energized; and   means for raising said cabinet upward into said closet for storing said cabinet and lowering said cabinet downward out of said closet for accessing and using said cabinet,   whereby when said cabinet is raised into said closet and said fan is energized, outdoor air can circulate through said attic space tending to equalize the temperature in said attic space with the temperature in said outdoors, whereby the temperature in said air space and in said cabinet will tend toward an average of the varying temperatures in said outdoors, averting high temperature extremes in said cabinet.   
     
     
         13 . The storage system of  claim 12 , providing at least one airflow block arranged and positioned between at least one of said side walls of said cabinet and an adjoining inner side of said closet so that when said cabinet is raised into said closet said airflow block provides means for modulating the temperature in said air space. 
     
     
         14 . The storage system of  claim 12 , whereby when said cabinet is positioned in said closet, there will be an air space substantially between said top of said cabinet and the inner side of said top of said closet. 
     
     
         15 . The storage system of  claim 14 , further including at least one airflow block arranged and positioned between said top of said cabinet and the inner side of said top of said closet so that when said cabinet is raised into said closet said airflow block provides means for modulating the temperature in said air space. 
     
     
         16 . An attic storage system comprising:
 an attic space containing air;   a living space, said living space lying adjacent and beneath said attic, said living space containing air;   a ceiling separating said attic and said living space;   a cabinet having a bottom, a top, and a plurality of side walls connecting said bottom and said top of said cabinet;   a closet, said closet being movable between said living space and said attic, said closet having walls and a bottom, said closet further containing said cabinet so that said bottom of said cabinet and said bottom of said closet are substantially coplanar and are separated by a bottom periphery between said cabinet and said closet;   an air space between said cabinet and said inner walls of said closet, said air space containing air;   at least one vent opening between said attic space and the outdoors;   a fan, said fan positioned and arranged to circulate outdoor air through said attic space when said fan is energized; and   means for raising said cabinet upward into said closet and lowering said cabinet downward out of said closet,   whereby when said cabinet is raised into said closet and said fan is energized, outdoor air can circulate through said attic space tending to equalize the temperature in said attic space with the temperature in said outdoors and the temperature in said air space and in said cabinet will tend toward an average of the temperatures in said outdoors, averting high temperature extremes in said cabinet.   
     
     
         17 . The storage system of  claim 16 , wherein said fan is selected from the group including an electrically powered attic fan, an electrically powered whole house fan, a solar powered fan, a wind powered fan or other fan. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , whereby said outdoor air is drawn directly from the outdoors or through a living space below. 
     
     
         19 . The storage system of  claim 16 , wherein an electrically activated locking means is provided to engage said cabinet and to secure said cabinet in an elevated position when not in use.