1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for adjusting the height of a drawer, which, by way of a draw-out guide connected to said drawer on the side of said drawer, is guided by means of draw-out rails on supporting rails on the carcass side; comprising an adjustment device by means of which the drawer is raiseable relative to the supporting rails and is lowerable down to the plane of the top of the draw-out guide.
2. Description of the Related Art
Draw-out guides for drawers with draw-out rails on the drawer side and supporting rails on the carcass side are known in various embodiments. In this type of draw-out guide it is necessary to align the front sidewalls or front panels of the drawers relative to each other, and if necessary in relation to the doors or flaps of a piece of furniture, so that the size of the gaps or dimensions between these is the same. Due to unavoidable manufacturing tolerances, it is necessary to design the fronts or front panels of the drawers so as to be height-adjustable in order to be able to set the desired spacings to other parts of the piece of furniture. From DE 44 14 462 A1, a device of the type mentioned in the introduction is known, which comprises fittings for height-adjustable holding of drawers on these running rails of drawers which are supported at the bottom, in which a sliding piece which comprises a placement area pointing towards the bottom of the drawer is slidably arranged, at the running rail of the respective draw-out guide, by way of specified adjustment travel and parallel to the running rails, but in relation to draw-out direction of the drawer at such an incline that the placement area of the sliding piece in the one horizontal slide-end position is essentially flush with or even below the underside of the bottom of the drawer if the drawer in the proper installation position is supported on the running rail, while by contrast, in the other slide-end position, it is upward off-set by the desired height adjustment dimension.
It is the object of the invention to create a device of the type mentioned in the introduction, which device is easy to produce and in particular is easy to handle.
According to the invention, this object is met in that at the draw-out rails of the draw-out guide, sliders are guided, in guides, at right angles to said draw-out rails of the draw-out guide, with said sliders comprising support surfaces for the underside or the bottom of the drawer, and in that the sliders are movable in height by means of the adjustment device.
A preferred embodiment provides for each slider to comprise a multiple-angled sheet metal part or structural part which with a hook or an upwards jutting projection engages a borehole in each of the drawer side parts, and that the sheet metal part or structural part comprises a section which rests against the inner vertical web of the draw-out rail, both of which, for mutual guidance, comprise vertical slots or grooves and knobs or projections engaging said vertical slots or grooves. At its end which is positioned in front in the direction of pushing in, each draw-out rail can comprise a hook, which for connecting the draw-out rail to the drawer engages a recess or borehole in the front of the drawer. The projection or hook provided according to the invention prevents horizontal displacement of the drawer relative to the draw-out rails so that as a result of the sliding movement of the drawer said drawer does not become detached from the draw-out rails. The device according to the invention provides a particular advantage in that the slider can comprise devices for holding the drawer in its front region.
Preferably, the adjustment device comprises an eccentric whose shaft is rotatably connected to the vertical web of the draw-out rail or to the section resting against said draw-out rail, with the eccentric disc being located in a horizontal elongated hole in the supported section, with the section lapping the elongated hole by means of a widened head. Adjustment devices for adjusting the height of drawers, which adjustment devices comprise cam bodies or eccentrics, are for example known from DE-GM 82 28 143.2 and 93 18 383.6 as well as from EP 0 545 329 A2.
Expediently, the shaft of the eccentric is kept in a borehole in the inner vertical web part of the U-shaped draw-out rail by way of a rivet head.
Each U-shaped draw-out rail with a running surface which is angled away from its inner limb can comprise, adjacent to its inner vertical limb, a recess in its web part and its outer limb, into which recess each slider with sections that are angled away according to the recess is fitted.
A modified embodiment provides for each slider to comprise an angular piece whose upper horizontal limb supports the bottom of the drawer in its extended position, and for the vertical limb of said angular piece to rest against the inner web or limb of the draw-out rail, and to be guided by said web or limb so as to be height-adjustable. In this arrangement, the horizontal limb of the angular piece can lap the associated draw-out rail or it can be angled so as to point away from said draw-out rail. Expediently, in this embodiment, by way of a free cut, a latch is bent out of each outer vertical web of each draw-out rail, with the upwards jutting section of said latch engaging a borehole in each of the drawer side parts, so that the drawer is non-slidably held in horizontal direction, relative to the draw-out rail.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the object is met in that an adjustment device each is arranged at supporting pieces, which are connected or interlocked with the front end region of the draw-out rails, which face the front wall or panel of the drawer, and in that the supporting pieces comprise devices for holding the drawer.
Preferably, a supporting part is connected to each draw-out rail, with a guide section for the slider jutting out over said supporting part, in the direction of the front drawer panel, wherein the guide section and the slider comprise guide devices which extend transversely to the draw-out rail, and further comprise an adjustment device. By means of this embodiment, a device for height adjusting the drawer can be created which, without special adaptation of the draw-out rail, only needs to be connected with said draw-out rail.
Expediently, the guide pieces comprise vertical grooves, and knobs or webs which engage said vertical grooves. The adjustment device in turn can comprise an eccentric of the type already stated.
In a further embodiment of the invention, for simple attachment of the supporting part to the draw-out rail, the supporting part comprises a right-angled pin which is non-rotatably held in boreholes of the front and rear vertical webs or limbs of the draw-out rail.
A step on the guide section of the supporting part can rest against the front vertical edge of the inner web part or limb of the guide rail.
Advantageously, the slider comprises a sheet metal piece or structural part which is bent so as to be U-shaped, with the web part of said metal piece or structural part being able to be raised from a position which is flush with the web part of the U-shaped draw-out rail. From the outer limb of the slider, an extended part can be bent away in a U-shape, with the upwards jutting limb of said extended part engaging a borehole in a side part of the drawer, in this way preventing the drawer from moving in horizontal direction relative to the draw-out rail.
The front limb of the slider can comprise a bent-away sprung extended part which comprises an angled-off latch which engages a recess in the front panel and/or in a sidewall of the drawer.
During adjustment of the slider, the extended parts with the latches which point away at an angle are moved together with said extended parts and the drawer, so that the corresponding recesses at the front panel and/or sidewall of the drawer can be made smaller, thus ensuring a better hold.
A further embodiment provides for the outer and inner vertical webs or limbs of the slider to comprise boreholes in which a pin, which engages a recess in the sidewall of the drawer, is held. This pin prevents movements of the drawer in vertical and horizontal direction relative to the draw-out rail, so that the extended part which is bent away in a U-shape cannot be provided here either.
From an extended part of the front limb of the slider, a sprung arm, which extends approximately parallel to the limb, can be bent away, with said arm comprising a hook or an extended part which engages a recess in the draw-out rail. This embodiment creates an additional fixing point of the slider at the draw-out rail. The extended part can comprise an extended part or hook which point away at an angle, which extended part or hook engages a borehole in a side part.
A further embodiment provides for the slider to comprise a guide for a locking latch which can be pushed in against spring force, with said locking latch engaging a recess in the front wall or front panel of the drawer. For activation, the locking latch can comprise an actuation member.
Expediently, each supporting piece comprises a section which can be slid into the profile of each draw-out rail, with said section being attached in, or on, said draw-out rail. The section can be adapted to the profile of the draw-out rail such that it is centred in relation to said draw-out rail.
Expediently, each section or each draw-out rail comprises sprung projections or hooks, as well as recesses which interlock when the section is slid into the profile of the draw-out rail.
On its outside, each supporting piece can carry an upwards-jutting gudgeon or hook which engages a borehole in the lower front of a drawer side part. Furthermore, the gudgeon or hook can be arranged on a sprung arm which is connected to the supporting piece, with said sprung arm extending parallel to the draw-out rail. Preferably, on its side facing the draw-out rail, the sprung arm comprises a projection, which snaps into a locking recess on the underside of the draw-out rail.
In order to attach the supporting piece to the drawer, the front of said supporting piece can comprise a hook-shaped projection which engages a groove-shaped recess in the front wall of the drawer. The recess consists of a groove which extends at a right angle to the bottom of the drawer, so as to make it possible to lift the drawer from its draw-out rail for adjustment of said drawer.
A further embodiment of the invention provides for the adjustment device to comprise a wedge-shaped tab, held by a gudgeon in a borehole of a supporting piece, with said tab radially projecting beyond said gudgeon; with said tab being swivellable, relative to the supporting piece, by an actuation arm; and with said tab being able to be swivelled into the gap between the draw-out rail and the bottom of the drawer. Such wedge-shaped tabs which can be swivelled in between the draw-out rail and the bottom of the drawer, for raising the drawer relative to the draw-out rails, are for example known from DE 94 04 898 U1 and EP 0 701 787 B1. These known swivellable and wedge-shaped tabs are however not held by way of supporting rails on the draw-out rails, but instead, by way of holding pieces at the front plate of the drawer.
An improvement of the invention provides for the gudgeon which carries the tab to be rimmed by at least one screw-shaped surface, which is supported on a complementary counter-surface of the supporting piece, which counter-surface surrounds the borehole. In this way, the base which raises and supports the drawer is enlarged so that the drawer is effectively held in its set raised position, even if it is loaded with heavy objects.
Expediently, two screw-shaped surfaces which oppose each other are provided.
In each case one of the upper or lower screw-shaped surfaces can comprise locking recesses while the other screw-shaped surface can comprise locking projections so that raised positions set by turning the gudgeon are fixed.
Expediently, the incline of the screw surface and the incline of the wedge of the tab are identical. If, due to production tolerances, said incline is not exactly identical, the tabs and the screw surfaces nevertheless bear the load evenly, in particular if the supporting piece and/or the tab with the gudgeon has been made from injection-moulded plastic parts which provide a degree of elasticity and plasticity, so that manufacturing tolerances are evened out.
Below, embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by means of the drawing which shows the following:
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
As shown in
The inner plate-shaped limb 19 of the essentially U-shaped slider 7, which has been bent from a stamped sheet metal part, is connected to the inner limb 17 of the U-shaped draw-out rail 2 by means of an eccentric 20. Bent away from the plate-shaped part 19 of the slider 7 is its web part 21 which is angle-shaped in top view. In turn, from the web part 21, a limb 22, which is parallel to the plate-shaped part 19, is angled away at a right angle. By way of two further angles, said limb 22 carries an upwards jutting hook 23 which engages a borehole in the lower front of the side part 14 of the drawer 1. By way of this hook-shaped part 23, the drawer 1 is secured against horizontal sliding, relative to the, draw-out rail 2. The front limb 17 of the draw-out rail 2 comprises two guide slots 25 arranged parallel to each other and aligned transversely, as shown in
The web part 21 of the slider 7 and the limb 22, which is angled away from said slider 7, are located in corresponding recesses or free punches 35 of the web part and the outer limb of the draw-out rail 2.
For anchoring the draw-out rail 2 to the front part of the drawer, a pin 36 held in the limbs of the draw-out rail and in boreholes can be provided, which pin 36 can be pushed in by said limbs of the draw-out rail. The front end 37 of said pin 36 engages an elongated hole in the sidewall of the drawer, which makes it possible to move the drawer in height relative to the front end region of the draw-out rail 2, while preventing complete lifting off.
The supporting rails and draw-out rails with sliders are arranged on both sides of the drawer.
The embodiment according to
From part of the web part and the outer limb of the draw-out rail 2, a latch 45 is bent out in a hook shape, with the upwards jutting end section of said latch 45 engaging the borehole 24 of the front of the side part of the drawer.
In the embodiments according to
The slider 60 again comprises a base body bent in U-shape, with an inner vertical limb 61, an outer vertical limb 62 and a web part 63 connecting said outer vertical limb 62, with the bottom of the drawer being supported by said web part 63 in the case of a height-adjustment of the slider. The inner limb 61 of the slider 60 comprises guide pieces 65 which are raised in the manner of bulges and which are arranged parallel in relation to each other, with said guide pieces 65 engaging guide grooves 66, which are arranged parallel to each other, of the thicker section 53 of the supporting part 50. From the outer limb 62 of the slider 60, a lateral extended part is angled away by way of three angles to a sprung lever 67, as is shown in
From the outer limb 62 of the slider 60, an upwards jutting hook-shaped part 70 is angled away by a double angle, with said hook-shaped part 7 engaging a borehole in the lower front of a sidewall of the drawer.
In the transition area from the inner limb 61 to the web part 63, the slider 60 comprises depressed swages 71 which are supported in an upper step 72 between the sections 52, 53 of the plate-shaped part of the supporting part 50 and which swages 71 form end stops which hold the web part 63 of the slider in the moved-in position in a position which is flush with the web part of the draw-out rail 2.
The front limb 61 of the slider 60 is held, in the way described in the first two embodiments, by an eccentric, to the section 53 of the supporting part 50, wherein the shank part of the eccentric is rotatably held in the borehole 74 of the section 53.
In the embodiment of the slider 90 according to
In the embodiment according to
The slider 110 shown in
Furthermore, a sprung arm 122 is angled away from the section of the slider 120 which section laterally extends the outer limb of the slider 120. The sprung arm 122 extends parallel to the draw-out rail 2 and at its end comprises two hooks 125, 126 in the way described in
In the embodiment according to
For retention in the borehole 140, the pin comprises a middle slot. At its lower end, the two parts of the pin 143 comprise a collar 157 which comprises stop faces. After the pin is pushed into the borehole, said collar 157 encompasses the lower edge of the borehole 140 with an annular step.
On the front end, the inner web 134 comprises an upwards jutting projection 160 which at its upper end comprises a hook 161 which engages a vertical longitudinal groove on the rear of the front panel of the drawer.
The outer webs 134 of the supporting pieces 130 include arms 164 which extend the supporting pieces 130, with the arms 164 extending parallel to the draw-out rail 2. In order to improve the spring characteristics of the arms 164, in the transitional area to the webs 134, the arms 164 include notches 165 which reduce the cross sections of the webs 134. At their ends, the sprung arms 164 include upwards jutting gudgeons 166 which engage boreholes of the lower fronts of the drawer side parts. On their insides, the sprung arms 164 include projections 167 which point inward, which projections, for additionally locking the supporting pieces 130 onto the draw-out rails, engage two recesses 168 on the outer lower edges of the supporting rails. In order to be able to hinge the arms 164 downward, for the purpose of undoing them, they include actuation pieces 169.
Expediently, the supporting pieces 130 and the tab 145 swivellably held on them by way of the pin 143 comprise injection-moulded plastic parts.
The invention being thus described, it will be apparent that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be recognized by one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
202 09 517 U | Jun 2002 | DE | national |
202 11 803 U | Jul 2002 | DE | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
549283 | Wendte | Nov 1895 | A |
4810045 | Lautenschlager | Mar 1989 | A |
5375922 | Brüstle et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
5439283 | Schroder et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
5580139 | Grabher | Dec 1996 | A |
5588729 | Berger | Dec 1996 | A |
5664855 | Lautenschlager | Sep 1997 | A |
6913334 | Weichelt | Jul 2005 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0400660 | Feb 1996 | AT |
0402598 | Jun 1997 | AT |
8228143 | Jan 1983 | DE |
3939257 | Jun 1990 | DE |
4114708 | Nov 1992 | DE |
9215337 | Apr 1993 | DE |
9300260 | Apr 1993 | DE |
9304521 | Jul 1993 | DE |
43 01 327 | Aug 1993 | DE |
93 18 383.6 | Mar 1994 | DE |
93 20 197.4 | Jun 1994 | DE |
44 14 462 | Nov 1995 | DE |
4432820 | Mar 1996 | DE |
296 00 180 | Apr 1996 | DE |
20107278 | Sep 2001 | DE |
0 545 329 | Jun 1993 | EP |
0606564 | Jul 1994 | EP |
0 701 787 | Aug 1995 | EP |
0761132 | Mar 1997 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20030234603 A1 | Dec 2003 | US |