Patent Application
20060049730
The present invention relates to a drawer frame, in particular a double-walled drawer frame, having at least one opening, which is preferably provided on its outside, and which enables access to holding and adjusting devices respectively in the interior of the frame, wherein it is possible to close off the opening by a cover part.
Frames of this kind are used for example as side guides and/or side delimiters for drawers and other pull-out systems. In the interior of the frames—preferably at their distal end—holding and adjusting devices for connection to a further frame, a drawer panel, a drawer back wall, etc. may be provided. These devices that are mounted in the interior of the frame must be freely accessible during interventions, for example during a vertical or lateral adjustment thereof. For this purpose, openings are provided in the side wall of the frame which allow tools such as a screwdriver to pass through. For reasons of appearance, these openings are provided with a cover which may be placed over the openings, held there in clamping manner and when necessary removed for the performance of the desired interventions to the frame. The disadvantage of covers of this kind is the fact that they can easily become detached during the course of such adjustments or, as a result of a loss of elasticity in the clamping device over time, can no longer be held in the opening properly. Eventually, the covers no longer end flush with the frame but hang partly out of the openings and in the end are often lost completely.
The object of the invention to which the application relates is therefore to propose a cover part of the type mentioned at the outset which obviates the above-mentioned disadvantages.
In accordance with the invention, this is achieved in that the cover part is undetachably connected to the drawer frame in all operating positions.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, it may be provided for the cover part to be mounted on the drawer frame such that it is displaceable—preferably in the longitudinal direction thereof. This means that the cover part can be displaced in order to expose the openings and to enable tools to pass through. Once the intervention has been performed, the cover part can be put back into its closed position, in which it substantially completely covers the opening, giving a visually attractive appearance to the frame.
In relation to the movable mounting it may also be advantageous if the cover part is mounted on the drawer frame such that it is rotatable. If the structural conditions permit it, it may also be advantageous to provide a combination of a displaceable mounting with a rotary mounting of the cover part relative to the drawer frame.
In accordance with a further example embodiment, it may be provided for the cover part to be mounted such that it is movable along a slide track. In this case, the cover part may be guided in a defined track with little play and with guide pegs engaging in the slide track. Here, it may be advantageous if the slide track is made or arranged on the drawer frame itself, it being possible to achieve this by appropriate bending processes or by cutting the frame to the appropriate shape as early on as during the process of manufacturing the frame. In just the same way, the embodiment may be such that the slide track is made or arranged within a border—which preferably resembles a framework—which may be attached to the drawer frame as a separate part.
Advantageously, it is provided for at least one stop to be provided which delimits the path of movement of the cover part with respect to the drawer frame, at least in one and preferably in both directions. As a result of this, the cover part has a defined range of opening so that any overstretching of spring-loaded devices is also prevented.
It is particularly favorable if, in the open condition, the cover part lies at least partly in the interior of the drawer frame. Here, during the opening procedure the cover part is displaced gradually into the interior of the frame, which has the effect that it can effectively be prevented from being sheared off at the outer surface of the frame by objects exerting a force.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is produced by providing at least one spring device which brings the cover part into a position in which it substantially completely covers the opening of the drawer frame. Here, it may be advantageous if a spring device acts on the cover part with a closing force so that the cover part is not moved during opening and closing of the drawer. Favorably, the spring device moves the cover part into its closed position, in which it completely covers the opening, from any position along the path of opening.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided for the cover part to be non-detachably connected to the drawer frame in all operating positions.
Further details and advantages of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of the description of the figures, given with reference to the drawings, in which:
b show a solution, which is known from the prior art, of a cover part for covering openings in a drawer frame,
a-2c show an example embodiment of a drawer frame having a cover part according to the invention, in various views,
a-3c show a chronological sequence of the position of the cover part according to the invention during the opening procedure, and
a and 4b show an example of an embodiment of a cover part according to the invention which is guided in a framework within a slide track.
a and
a shows a perspective illustration of a drawer frame 1 having a cover part 2 according to the invention which covers one or more openings 4 on the outside of the drawer frame 1.
a to 3c show a chronological sequence of various positions of the cover part 2 during the opening procedure.
a shows an example of an embodiment of a cover part 2 which is mounted such that it is displaceable within a framework-like border 7 in non-detachable manner. The framework-like border 7 may be formed from synthetic material and may be attached to the drawer frame 1 as a separate part. For the purpose of displaceably mounting the cover part 2, a slide track 8 is provided which is in the form of an S shape on the upper and lower sides of the framework, with the result that the cover part 2 can be displaced into the interior of the frame 1 during the opening procedure.
The invention is not restricted to the example embodiments shown but includes or extends to all technical equivalents that fall within the scope of the claims below. The specifications made with regard to positions which have been selected in the description, such as top, bottom, lateral, etc., moreover relate to the figure which is directly described and presented, and in the case of a change in position these should be transferred to the new position appropriately. Although it is true that a preferred example embodiment provides for the opening 4 which is to be covered by the cover part 2 to be arranged at the distal ends of the drawer frame 1, in principle the cover part 2 may be applied to any positions on the drawer frame 1, including the upper side thereof, to cover openings that are to be closed off.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| GM 653/2004 | Sep 2004 | AT | national |
