Overhead wall cabinets are still one of the most popular storage solutions in the kitchen. With Kinvaro, the Grass portfolio offers a range of different flap lift mechanisms. For Interzum this year, the portfolio has been extended. The motto is: Super. Slim. T-Slim.
Kinvaro T-Slim is the thinnest, most efficient fitting ever developed by Grass. It combines purist looks with outstanding durability and the art of perfect movement in a unique way.
Reduction is what it’s all about. “If less is more, then maybe nothing is everything.” This quote by pioneering architect Rem Koolhaas inspired the development of Kinvaro T-Slim.
The new flap lift mechanism makes the dream of invisible fittings come true – and will therefore provide furniture designers all over the world with inspiration. “We have been a furniture industry pioneer for over 70 years,” says Grass flap lift mechanism product manager Harald Küper. “With Kinvaro T-Slim, we are adding a new chapter to our innovation history. After the first-ever concealed hinge or the invention of the double wall drawer, we have now developed a new dimension of invisibility with Kinvaro T-Slim.”
Kinvaro T-Slim blends into the furniture almost invisibly, thereby unlocking completely new possibilities for overhead wall cabinets in response to the current trend. Particularly wide, rather than tall, storage solutions with lift-up flaps are currently undergoing a renaissance. Whether fitted at eye level directly above the kitchen worktop, sink or cooker, above a desk or the television in the living room, or also next to the mirror in the bathroom – overhead wall cabinets with flaps are an essential design feature in modern interiors.
A movement mechanism that does not distract from the design
The challenge here is obvious, as every technical detail is visible on a piece of furniture fitted at eye level. This fact prompted the development of Kinvaro T-Slim – the Grass engineers have managed to reduce the complex mechanism of a lift-up fitting down to an overall size of 12mm.
This minimal size provides furniture designers with maximum flexibility. Anything is possible from a minimum side wall thickness of 16mm upwards. In material terms, there are hardly any limitations – wood can just as easily be used as MDF – and Kinvaro T-Slim’s effect on the furniture’s aesthetics really comes into its own on glass-front flaps with aluminium frames. The fitting becomes one with the furniture.
“The best movement mechanisms distinguish themselves by the fact that they give precedence to the design of the furniture they have been fitted to,” says brand manager Harald Klüh. “Kinvaro T-Slim perfectly exemplifies this philosophy.”
Besides the obvious aesthetic bonus, this reduction in size offers another advantage – the flap lift-up mechanism takes up very little room; the available storage space can therefore be used to its full potential.
A fascinating display of kinetics
The Kinvaro T-Slim flap lift-up mechanism joints are mechanical masterpieces made of nickel-plated steel. Moving Kinvaro T-Slim’s five-part jointed hinge arms reveals a fascinating display of well-co-ordinated technical sensuality – nothing seems to be left to chance.
The precise interaction of the matte shiny leverage elements follows a cleverly choreographed sequence of forces – apparently designed to defy the laws of physics. This effortlessness is also transferred to the user – the cabinet front is so easy to move that it appears to be lifted up by an invisible force.
The soft close technology, already proven millions of times over, ensures an elegant, gently dampened closing movement, a comfort feature that is particularly important on overhead wall cabinets.
With an opening angle of 107°, the flap opens well beyond the user’s area of movement – conveniently, it can therefore stay open without getting in the way. It comes with an integrated opening angle limiting stay that prevents the front from being lifted up too high on overhead wall cabinets that are mounted directly below the ceiling. It can also be equipped with Tipmatic for handleless cabinet versions.
A wider range of fitting possibilities
When it comes to the fitting options, the latest Grass product offers several possibilities – Kinvaro T-Slim can either be inset, or overlaid and screwed on, the most commonly used alternative in the industry. The design of this fitting version is also impressively slim and space saving. No tools are needed to fit and remove the two-part covering pelmet. The flap lift system can therefore also be adjusted after it has been fitted, if necessary. It is attached to the front with a clip, a solution that is as elegant as it is simple. The fully-adjustable spring tension can be adjusted from the front – to ensure that the fronts move easily and elegantly.
Kinvaro T-Slim is also available in a choice of design versions: Grass offers the mechanism in its standard colours ICE, STONE and SILVER. A paintable covering pelmet is also available; it can simply be painted to match the body finish.
