The invention concerns a drive device for a moveable furniture part comprising a housing and an ejection device moveable relative to the housing and lockable to the housing for ejecting the moveable furniture part out of a closed position into an open position. The ejection device is unlockable by over-pressing the moveable furniture part into an over-pressed position which is behind the closed position in the closing direction. The invention also concerns an article of furniture having such a drive device, and a method of moving a moveable furniture part comprising a lockable ejection device for ejecting the moveable furniture part out of a closed position into an open position. The ejection device is unlocked by over-pressing the moveable furniture part into an over-pressed position which in the closing direction is behind the closed position.
Drive devices have already been known for many years in the furniture fitment industry, which by virtue of pressing against a moveable furniture part (drawer) unlock it from the furniture carcass and then open or eject it. Such drive devices have a so-called touch-latch mechanism. In those mechanisms, the movement for closing the drawer from the open position and the movement for opening the drawer from the closed position occur in the same direction (closing direction). In the case of normal soft closure (by hand or by a retraction device), the drawer or the moveable furniture part is held in the closed position by the lockable ejection device. If, however, the drawer is excessively vigorously pushed closed, the ejection device cannot lock at all or it is immediately moved into the over-pressed position again due to the high closing speed and as a result is unlocked, whereby secure closure of the moveable furniture part (in the event of an excessively vigorously closing movement) is not guaranteed.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to overcome that disadvantage. In particular, the invention seeks to ensure that, in the event of excessively firm or excessively fast manual closing, immediate re-opening or ejection is prevented.
For a drive device of the present invention, that object is achieved by a blocking element which has a first position in which the moveable furniture part can be stopped when reaching the closed position, wherein the blocking element prevents a further movement of the moveable furniture part in the closing direction. The blocking element also has a second position in which the path into the over-pressed position for the moveable furniture part is enabled. Thus, the present invention provides protection from excessive pressing implementation, such protection preventing immediate re-opening in the event of excessively fast closure and guaranteeing reliable attainment of the closed position.
When reaching the closed position, the blocking element is in the first position (with a high closing force) or in the second closed position (with a low closing force), depending on the closing force acting on the drive device. It is preferable however, that when reaching the closed position, the position of the blocking element (this can also be referred to as a temporarily removeable abutment) is dependent on the closing speed of the moveable furniture part. In other words, as soon as the closing speed exceeds an adjustable or fixed threshold value (preferably 20 mm/second), the blocking element guarantees that the drawer is stopped in the closed position and does not move immediately into the over-pressed position. The blocking element thus acts in a speed-controlled fashion.
Also, the blocking element can be adapted to be time-controlled, for example by way of a rotational damper. In other words, in each closing situation, it is guaranteed that the moveable furniture part is held exactly in the closed position for example between one second and three seconds. It is only thereafter, by cessation of the damping action of the rotational damper, that a further movement in the closing direction (into the over-pressed position) is permitted. The blocking element can also be pressure-controlled and/or force-controlled.
The possibility should not be excluded that the blocking element is moved based on a speed sensor which measures the closing speed of the moveable furniture part into the first position (in the event of a speed above a threshold value) and into the second position (at a low closing speed). A purely mechanical solution is preferred, however, in which the blocking element is arranged displaceably in a guide track provided in a housing of the drive device and having a closed position abutment and an evasion portion. In the first position, the blocking element bears against the closed position abutment, and in the second position, the blocking element is moveable into the evasion portion. The movement into the second position can preferably be effected by pivotal movement of the blocking element transversely relative to the closing direction. A force storage member, preferably a torsion spring, is preferably provided for triggering the movement of that blocking element.
In general, ejection devices and also automatic retraction devices which guarantee reliable soft closure of the moveable furniture part are used nowadays in the furniture fitment industry. Preferably, such a retraction device retracts the moveable furniture part at a speed of about 20 mm/second.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the first position the blocking element is clamped between an entrainment element of the retraction device and the closed position abutment. This means that the blocking element is always moved depending on the retraction device, in which case in the event of the moveable furniture part being excessively vigorously pushed shut by hand, the retraction device itself no longer acts but the blocking element in its first position guarantees that the moveable furniture part is reliably stopped in the closed position.
In addition, a damping device is provided for damping the retraction movement triggered by the retraction device. The damping device has a piston and a cylinder, and the piston bears against the housing of the drive device and the cylinder is moveable relative to the housing of the drive device by the entrainment means of the retraction device, preferably by way of a coupling element on the cylinder. Preferably, the blocking element is arranged on the damping device, preferably the cylinder thereof, and the blocking element is moveable relative to the cylinder of the damping device, preferably being rotatable about the cylinder.
The closing speed-dependent control is achieved in that at a closing speed of below 20 mm/second the blocking element is moveable into the evasion portion—and thus into the second position—by the force storage member before reaching the closed position abutment. This means that the force storage member can deliver its force acting on the blocking element, in good time, insofar as the blocking element no longer hits against the closed position abutment. However, the blocking element can also be moved into the evasion portion after (blockingly) reaching the closed position and after cessation of the closing or retraction force.
For the ejection device, the ejection device preferably has an ejection slider displaceable relative to the housing and an ejection force storage member fixed on the one hand to the housing and on the other hand to the ejection slider. Locking of the ejection device can be effected by per se known means. Preferably, the ejection slider is lockable in the closed position in a sliding guide track which is provided in the housing and which preferably has a cardioid-shaped portion with a latching recess, by way of a locking pin separate from the blocking element. The locking pin prevents a movement of the moveable furniture part in the opening direction. In that case, the locking pin in corresponding relationship with the latching recess only prevents the movement of the moveable furniture part in the opening direction. The movement in the closing direction is not prevented by the locking pin and must even be absolutely possible for the unlocking action. The movement into the over-pressed position can be blocked only by the blocking element in its first position. Otherwise, it is always to be possible to reach the over-pressed position.
Protection is also claimed for an article of furniture having a drive device according to the invention. The drive device can be associated with the furniture carcass and can act on an entrainment element arranged on the moveable furniture part. It is preferable, however, that the housing of the drive device is disposed on the moveable furniture part, preferably on a drawer rail of an extension guide, and the entrainment element is arranged on the furniture carcass, preferably at the carcass rail thereof. That permits clever and space-saving placement of the drive device.
For a method of the present invention, the object is attained in that the moveable furniture part is stopped when reaching the closed position by a blocking element which is in a first position. A further movement in the closing direction is prevented by the blocking element, and when the blocking element is in a second position, the path into the over-pressed position for the moveable furniture part is enabled.
In that case, the closing speed-controlled movement of the blocking element can be implemented in such a way that when reaching the closed position the blocking element is in the first position only when the closing speed of the moveable furniture part just before reaching the closed position corresponds to the retraction speed triggered by a retraction device or is above a maximum retraction speed triggerable by a retraction device. In that respect, “just” before reaching the closed position refers to a region of about 3 cm before the closed position. This means that the blocking element in its first position stops the moveable furniture part in the closed position both upon retraction by the retraction device and also upon the moveable furniture part being excessively quickly slammed shut. In the event of a slower closing movement than by the retraction device (for example by active manual retardation of the retraction device) or after cessation of the closing force triggered by the retraction device or by hand, the blocking element passes into its second position and permits over-pressing of the moveable furniture part to a position behind the closed position.
Further details and advantages of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter via the specific description with reference to the embodiments by way of example illustrated in the drawings, in which:
a show a section through the module for affording protection from excessive pressing implementation that is fitted into the drive device,
a show the blocking element in its first position,
a are further views of the blocking device in its first position,
a show the blocking element in its second position,
a show a further view of the blocking element in its second position,
a show the blocking element in the evasion portion, and
In comparison with
In
The ejection force storage member 7 is completely stressed in
That unlocking action provides that the retraction slider 9 is no longer held on the ejection slider 6 and the retraction device 8 moves the moveable furniture part 2 out of the open position OS shown in
a show a section through the module 77 installed in the drive device 1. In this arrangement, the extension of the blocking element 70 engages through the guide track 71 provided in the housing central plate 31. It is also possible to see the holding bracket 26 for the entrainment element 4 and the ejection slider 6. The slider base 39 of the retraction device 8, which is displaceable in the ejection slider 6 by way of the retraction force storage member 10, is also shown. A closing force is applied to the blocking element 70 by that retraction device 8. The ejection force storage member 7 exerts force on the ejection slider 6 in the opening direction OR.
a show in detail how force is exerted on the damping device 16 and the module 77 in the closing direction SR by the retraction device 8. More specifically, for that purpose the locking element 15 of the retraction device 8 or of the retraction slider 9 has an entrainment element 75 which upon retraction bears against the coupling element 76 and retracts it or entrains it together with the damping cylinder 29 in the closing direction SR against the force of the damping device 16. The protection module 77 arranged on the damping cylinder 29 together with the blocking element 70 is also entrained thereby and moved relative to the damping piston 30 bearing against the housing central plate 31.
That entrainment element 75 is no longer shown in
Due to excessively fast manual closure of the moveable furniture part 2, the damping cylinder 29 is moved so fast in the closing direction SR by the entrainment element 75 whereby the blocking element 70 cannot move into the evasion area 73 and is thus clamped between the entrainment element 75 or the coupling element 76 and the closed position abutment 72 (see
In contrast,
If now as shown in
Finally
If, as shown in
In that way—by pressure further being applied after the furniture part 2 has been released in the meantime—the moveable furniture part 2 can move out of the closed position SS along the triggering travel AW which is preferably 3.5 mm long into the over-pressed position ÜS and the lockable ejection device 5 is unlocked whereby the moveable furniture part 2 is ejected in the opening direction OR.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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52/2012 | Jan 2012 | AT | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140319986 A1 | Oct 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/AT2012/000313 | Dec 2012 | US |
Child | 14330268 | US |