See link for a variety of existing lazy susans. In my opinion, all of them suffer from the problem of occupying too much cabinet space.

For example, one type consists of a solid shelf, a bearing mounted on the shelf, and the lazy susan disk/shelf is mounted on the bearing. That's 3 layers of stuff occupying cabinet space. Bah!

Another design consists of a vertical pole with the bearings mounted on it, and the lazy susan disks have holes cut into them for the pole to go through. This means not only is the pole occupying cabinet space, it is also occupying space on the lazy susan shelf. Double-bah!

So, time to propose a better Idea.

Start with the fact that a lazy susan is basically circular (not counting any "bite" cut out of it when made to fit a corner space, like some of the linked images), and a circle can always be drawn inside a square. So, take a Square piece of shelf material and cut out a big Circle from it.

With the Circle temporarily removed from the Square, we now focus on the underside of the Square. At perhaps 8 points around the cut-out Circle, we mount metal straps such that they extend for a couple centimeters toward the center of the cut-out.

We now mount "furniture floor sliders" (2nd link) on the extending-inward parts of the straps. As a first-stage solution, we may now place the Circle into the cut-out space, and it can be rotated by sliding on the sliders.

Yes, I'm aware that we have used up some cabinet space by incorporating these straps and sliders. But we have used much less space than the first example above.

Some additional work is probably desirable. We can bend the metal straps downward a bit, to allow the Circle to be lowered to the same level as the Square. Overall, the effect is as if we have full-and-level access to a large Square shelf, especially its corners, while its central part can be rotated for easy access to most of its total area.

Note that in some of the linked lazy susan images, the Circle has a rim, to retain items placed on its surface. Such a rim could be desirable here, just to provide a means of gripping the lazy susan, to rotate it. Alternately, if the Circle has a "bite" removed, then its edge becomes accessible for rotating the Circle (because the Square will have a matching "bite").

Finally, for smoother rotation, it may be necessary to place some sliders in the narrow gap between the Circle and the Square (the Square can be notched if the sliders are too thick).
-- Vernon, May 10 2011

Example Lazy Susans http://www.google.c...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi
As mentioned in the main text. [Vernon, May 10 2011]

Furniture floor sliders http://www.google.c...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi
As mentioned in the main text. [Vernon, May 10 2011]

Heated Lazy Susan Shelves Heated_20Lazy_20Suzan_20shelves
[theircompetitor, May 10 2011]

Lazy Shoes On Lazy_20Shoes_20On
[theircompetitor, May 10 2011]

Hamster Powered Extra Lazy Susan Hamster_20Powered_20Extra-Lazy_20Susan
Certainly unique, but otherwise unremarkable [Cedar Park, May 10 2011]

I think Volkswagen already baked this. They have two of them in Wolfsburg, Germany, at the bottom of thier big car storage towers. It would be cool to have the smaller version in my kitchen.
-- Alterother, May 10 2011


Fairly common in industrial use for turning objects that are to heavy to lift.
-- MechE, May 10 2011


Right, so as is somtimes the case in the Halfbakery, we're simply talking miniaturization. I want one! Bunz away!
-- Alterother, May 10 2011


We fired our lazy Susan.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 10 2011


Recess a circular panel in the floor of the cupboard and fill with ball bearings. Add a rigid circular plate. Spin.
-- infidel, May 10 2011


But sit on it first. Then spin.
-- RayfordSteele, May 11 2011



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