Patent Application
20210010311
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a furniture panel having an integrated or inserted flap fitting, which comprises a lever mechanism having multiple levers for guiding a flap of an item of furniture. The flap fitting comprises a spring unit, which acts on at least one lever of the lever mechanism, wherein a pre-tension of the spring unit is settable. Exemplary embodiments of the invention furthermore relate to a furniture body or an item of furniture having at least one flap fitting.
Furniture, in particular kitchen furniture or living room furniture such as base units or hanging cabinets, generally has a furniture body open toward the front, on which movable furniture parts guided via fittings are installed. In particular, in the case of hanging cabinets, flaps are frequently used as movable furniture parts for closing the furniture body, which are mounted via at least one, generally two, laterally arranged flap fittings. The flap fittings enable opening upward (pivoting up) of the flap, wherein the flap may be pivotable, for example, around a horizontally extending imaginary pivot axis arranged in the upper region of the furniture body. Other upwardly oriented opening movements of a flap are also conceivable.
The lever mechanism of the flap fitting is typically formed in multiple parts as a multi-joint lever mechanism, so that a so-called door bearing lever, on which the flap is fastened, executes a combined pivoting and sliding movement or a pivoting movement which takes place around a pivot axis located outside the flap fitting and generally also outside the furniture body.
A flap fitting having a lever mechanism and a spring acting on one of the levers is known from the document CN 105 155 962 A. The spring holds the guided flap with application of force both in the closed state and also in the completely open state. The force to be applied by the spring, in this case to the lever mechanism, in particular in the open state, is strongly dependent on the geometry and the weight of the guided flap. To ensure that flaps of different sizes and weights are held reliably in the open position, the spring pre-tension of the spring is settable. For this purpose, a bearing point of the spring is adjustable via a spindle in relation to a housing of the flap fitting. The spindle is connected via a deflection gearing to a laterally accessible tool receptacle. During installation of the flap fitting on a side wall of a furniture body, with the flap open, the pre-tension of the spring can be set in the interior of the furniture body with the aid of a screwdriver as a tool.
The described flap fitting is suitable for installation on an inner side of a side wall of the furniture body. However, the fitting unavoidably protrudes into the interior of the furniture body in this case, which reduces the usable storage space inside the furniture body and also impairs a structuring of the interior of the furniture body. Cleaning of the interior, in particular the inner side of the side wall of the furniture body, is also obstructed by the installed fitting. Not least, a side wall on which no fittings are installed is desirable for visual reasons.
To install door hinges, milling a pocket into an end face of a side wall, into which the door hinge is insertable from the front, is known. A side wall having an integrated door hinge is provided in this manner, in which the inner side of the side wall remains free. A hinge suitable for use in such a milled pocket is known, for example, from the document DE 1 559 963.
A furniture wall having an insertable or integrated fitting is also desirable for furniture having flaps because of the mentioned advantages. The above-described flap fitting known from the document CN 105 155 962 A is not suitable for integration or insertion into a furniture wall, however, since the setting of the spring pre-tension takes place from the side, which is not possible in the case of a side wall having a continuous inner surface.
Therefore, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a furniture panel for an item of furniture having an inserted or integrated flap fitting, in which the lateral faces can be made continuous and nonetheless simple setting capability of a pre-tension of the spring unit of the flap fitting is possible. Furthermore, exemplary embodiments are directed to a furniture body and an item of furniture having at least one flap fitting and the listed advantages.
A furniture panel according to the invention is distinguished in that the lever mechanism, in a closed position of the guided flap, retracts into an end-face opening of the flap fitting and the furniture panel, wherein the pre-tension is settable via an adjustment element having a tool receptacle and wherein the tool receptacle is accessible through the end-face opening, into which the lever mechanism retracts.
The end-face opening is provided in the flap fitting and the furniture panel to accommodate the lever mechanism in the closed state of the flap. According to the invention, this opening is also used to set the pre-tension of the spring unit of the flap fitting and/or a transmission ratio between the spring unit and the lever mechanism. The tool receptacle is arranged and aligned for this purpose in the flap fitting in such a way that it is accessible through the mentioned opening, whereby a setting capability is provided without an additional, for example, lateral setting opening having to be provided. A continuously homogeneous appearance of the lateral faces of the furniture construction panel is thus maintained.
In one advantageous embodiment of the furniture panel, the flap fitting comprises a spindle unit having a spindle, using which a spring bearing is movable, wherein the spindle is coupled to the adjustment element. The spindle is preferably coupled via an angular gear to the adjustment element. A simply and compactly implementable adjustment option for the spring pre-tension is provided by a movement of the spring bearing. Due to the angular gear, a setting can take place through the end-face opening of the furniture construction panel, even if the spindle extends parallel or diagonally in relation to the alignment of the end face.
The spindle can be dimensioned in this case so that it can directly absorb forces transmitted from the spring bearing. Alternatively, it is also possible to mount the spring bearing so it is linearly displaceable in a guide rail arranged parallel to the spindle, so that forces can be absorbed entirely or partially by the guide rail. The spindle can accordingly be dimensioned thinner. The guide rail can be formed U-shaped, for example.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture panel, the spring unit acts via a pressure roller on a control portion of one of the levers of the lever mechanism, whereby the flap fitting is held in the closed and/or an open end position. It can be precisely specified in this case via the shaping of the control portion how strongly and in which direction the spring force acts on the lever mechanism as a function of the opening angle of the flap fitting.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture panel, the flap fitting comprises a housing, which comprises two parallel sides spaced apart from one another, for example, formed by side panels. Preferably, all joint axes of the lever mechanism are positioned between the sides in a closed state of the flap fitting. Thus, a furniture panel is provided that does not impair the appearance of the furniture body due to protruding components of the flap fitting. Furthermore, the sides preferably have an internal spacing that is less than 16 mm (millimeters) and is preferably less than 14 mm. In spite of integrated flap fitting, furniture walls thus have the conventional wall thickness of furniture bodies, which is important for the visual impression of the item of furniture and also ensures the unrestricted use of machine tools used up to this point.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture panel, the sides of the flap fitting extend up to the end-face opening of the furniture panel, which is advantageous, inter alia, for reasons of the strength of the furniture panel in the region of the opening. The sides can moreover be used to support components of the flap fitting, for example, the spindle unit is preferably fastened on at least one of the sides.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture panel, the flap fitting is inserted through the opening of the furniture panel into a pocket formed behind the opening in the furniture panel. Alternatively, the flap fitting can be integrated into this pocket during the production of the side wall. Furthermore, the flap fitting can alternatively be inserted laterally through a pocket, which is introduced from a lateral face of the furniture panel and which comprises an opening on the end face. In all mentioned cases, the mentioned opening, through which the lever mechanism of the flap fitting extends, is preferably formed in a front end face of the furniture panel.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the furniture panel has no or almost no thickness difference in the region of the flap fitting and outside this region.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture panel, the tool receptacle is accessible through the end-face opening of the furniture panel, whereby a setting capability is provided without an additional opening being provided.
Alternatively, the tool receptacle can be settable through a different end-face opening of the furniture panel than the above-mentioned end-face opening of the furniture panel, into which the lever mechanism retracts. This is slightly more complex but also enables setting without the lateral faces of the furniture body being impaired.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture panel, a scale, which is visible to a user, is arranged on the adjustment element. Such a scale enables presetting of the spring pre-tension, for example, of the spindle unit to specific predetermined values. Moreover, the scale facilitates an identical setting of multiple flap fittings which jointly guide a flap.
A side wall according to the invention for a furniture body is distinguished by the use of at least one such furniture panel having inserted or integrated flap fitting. An item of furniture according to the invention having a furniture body and a guided flap is distinguished by such a furniture body having at least one such side wall having inserted or integrated flap fitting. The advantages mentioned in conjunction with the flap fitting result. In particular, an item of furniture having a guided flap can be provided, the interior of which can be used in its entire size, which can be designed freely and which has a visually appealing effect.
The invention will be explained in greater detail hereafter on the basis of exemplary embodiments with the aid of figures. In the figures:
a,
1
b show an isometric view and a side view of a flap fitting in a closed position having open housing;
a,
2
b show the flap fitting of
a,
3
b show the flap fitting as in
a,
4
b show the flap fitting as in
a,
5
b show the flap fitting of the preceding figures having closed housing in a closed (
In
In the description, terms such as upper, lower, left, right refer exclusively to the illustration selected by way of example in the respective figures. The terms front and rear generally refer to an opening movement of the guided flap. The front side is a side facing toward the user in this case.
A housing 10 of the flap fitting is shown open on one side in each case to be able to illustrate the internal structure of the flap fitting 1. In all figures, identical reference signs identify identical elements. For reasons of comprehensibility, in the figures, not every element is provided with a reference sign in all figures.
In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 10 is formed from two side panels 11, of which only the rear one is shown in the figures. The side panels 11 are spaced apart from one another and aligned parallel to one another by a partially circumferential frame 12. A plurality of rivets 13 (cf.
In the illustrated flap fitting 1, all further components are fastened on the side panels 11, for example, also using rivets or bolts, which lead through one or both of the side panels 11.
The flap fitting 1 comprises a lever mechanism 20 having five levers, which are connected in seven joint points to one another and/or to the housing 10. The flap fitting 1 is thus designed as a seven-joint hinge. The lever mechanism 20 comprises a door bearing lever 21 as the outermost element of the lever mechanism 20, which is connected via an adjustment device 30 to an installation plate 31. The flap to be guided by the flap fitting 1 is installed on this installation plate 31. The adjustment device 30, which is illustrated in greater detail in the following figures, enables an adjustment movement of the installation plate 31 and thus of the guided flap in relation to the door bearing lever 21.
The door bearing lever 21 is rotatably connected at the upper joint point in
As is apparent from
The flap fitting 1 furthermore comprises a spring unit 40, which holds the flap both in the closed and also in the completely open state by the application of spring force. In particular in the completely open state, the spring unit 40 is capable of compensating for the weight of the flap, so that it remains in the open position without further locking levers.
In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the spring unit 40 comprises a spring packet 41 having a plurality of compression springs 411. In alternative embodiments, a spring unit can also comprise only one spring instead of a plurality of springs. A right side of the spring packet 41 in the figures is mounted in a fixed spring bearing 412. A left side of the spring packet 41 in the figures is mounted in a free spring bearing 413 at a shorter end of an angled intermediate lever 43, wherein the intermediate lever 43 is formed as a two-sided lever and is mounted so it is pivotable on the housing 10. A pressure roller 431, which acts on a control portion 221 of the transmission lever 22, is attached at the end of the second, free lever arm of the intermediate lever 43. The fixed spring bearing 412 secures the right side of the spring packet in the figures in relation to the housing 10. The position of this fixed spring bearing 412 is adjustable by a spindle unit 42, however, to be able to set a spring pre-tension and also an action direction of the spring packet 41 on the intermediate lever 43. The additions “fixed” and “free” in the case of the spring bearings 412, 413 refer to a position of the spring bearings 412, 413 during a movement of the lever mechanism 20. The fixed spring bearing 412 maintains its position, the free spring bearing 413 moves along the control portion 221 in accordance with the movement of the pressure roller 431. Details of the spindle unit 42 are explained further hereafter.
The control portion 221 extends in a dome shape on its edge having a rising (left side of the control portion 221 in the figures) and a falling flank (right side of the control portion 221 in the figures). When the pressure roller 431 presses against the falling flank, a pressure of the pressure roller 431 has the result of moving the lever mechanism 20 in the direction of the closed position. The installed flap is accordingly pressed closed or kept closed. The opening movement passes through a dead point when the pressure roller is just located on the dome of the control portion 221. In the further course of the opening movement, the pressure roller 431 presses against the rising flank of the control curve, wherein the pressure of the pressure roller 431 has the result of moving the lever mechanism 20 further in the direction of the open position. The opening movement is accordingly assisted and the flap is held in the open position.
The spindle unit 42 comprises a spindle 421, which is mounted so it is rotatable in a first spindle bearing 422 (lower here) and a second spindle bearing 424 (upper here). Moreover, an angular gear is arranged in the first spindle bearing 422, which transmits a rotational movement of an adjustment element having a tool receptacle 423 to the spindle 421, for example, via intermeshing bevel gears. The tool receptacle 423, for example, a slotted, a cross head, a hexagonal, or a polygonal receptacle, is oriented forward in the direction of the open region of the housing 10 and is accessible from there.
The two spindle bearings 422, 424 are fastened on the housing 10 using fastening means 425. The fastening means 425 are, for example, rivets, which are guided through both side panels 11 comparably to the rivets 13, so that the spindle unit 42 is arranged and fastened between the two side panels 11.
By rotating the spindle 421, a spindle nut 426 moves along the spindle 421, wherein the fixed spring bearing 412 is formed on the spindle nut 426. Accordingly, a rotational movement of the tool receptacle 423 and thus of the adjustment element displaces the fixed spring bearing 412 along the spindle 421 and thus changes the spring pre-tension and the engagement direction of the spring unit 41 on the intermediate lever 43.
It is to be noted that an adaptation of the spring action can be carried out not only by a change of the spring pre-tension, but rather alternatively and/or additionally also by a change of a transmission ratio, using which forces are transmitted from the spring unit to the lever mechanism.
Furthermore, a damping unit 50 is provided, in the present case a linear damper operating as a compression damper, against which a portion of the transmission lever 22 moves, specifically a part of the control portion 221 of the transmission lever 22 here, to decelerate the lever mechanism 20 as it approaches the closed state.
In principle, the damping unit 50 could also be arranged at another point inside the housing 10 and could act on another lever or arm of the lever mechanism 20 to decelerate an approach of the flap to one of the end positions (closed/open) and thus damp it. In a refinement, two independent damping units 50 can also be provided, of which one performs a closing damping and the other performs an opening damping.
The setting capability resulting due to the spindle unit 42 and a setting procedure of the spring unit 41 are shown in
In
The change of the setting of the spring unit 40 changes, on the one hand, the spring pre-tension of the compression springs 411 and, because of the different angle at which the spring packet 42 acts on the intermediate lever 43, also changes the dynamics of the force action of the spring packet 41 on the lever mechanism 20. The manner in which these dynamics change and also the type of the change of the spring pre-tension is dependent on the alignment of the spindle unit 42 inside the housing 10. An alignment of the spindle unit 42 parallel to a front edge of the housing 10 has proven to be particularly advantageous for the construction shown.
In
An isometric view of the flap fitting of
The housing 10 is closed in the region of the frame 12 by the above-mentioned rivets 13. It is obvious that instead of the rivets 13, other connecting elements can be used for closing the housing 10, for example, screws. Alternatively, closing of the housing can also be performed by an adhesive bond between the side panels 11 and the frame 12.
An opening 4, through which the lever mechanism 20 of the flap fitting 1 extends, is formed in a front end face 3 of the side wall 2. The flap fitting 1 is either inserted through the opening 4 into a pocket formed behind it in the side wall 2 or is already integrated into the side wall 2 during the production thereof or is inserted laterally through a pocket, which is introduced from a lateral face 5 and comprises an opening 4 on the end face 3. In all cases, the flap fitting 1 is integrated into the side wall 2, wherein at least in the first two cases, the flap fitting is covered on its sides by lateral faces 5 of the side wall 2 and is therefore not visible from the outside or from the inside of the furniture body. It is essential here that the flap fitting 1 and the side wall 2 form a unit, and the side wall 2 having inserted flap fitting has no or almost no thickness difference.
To be integrated into the furniture panel or side wall 2 of the furniture body, the thickness of the flap fitting 1, i.e., the outer spacing of the side panels 11, is strongly restricted by specifications with respect to the wall thickness of the furniture body. In the case of typical side walls of furniture bodies having a thickness of 16 mm (millimeters), the thickness of the flap fitting is necessarily less than 16 mm and is preferably less than or equal to 14 mm. Accordingly, the lever mechanism 20 including the adjustment device 30 is formed so that it can be retracted between the two side panels 11, which have this spacing.
Lateral faces of the furniture panel or the side wall 2 can thus comprise a continuous surface, which is not interrupted by any elements of the flap fitting 1. This is achieved in particular in that the tool receptacle 423 of the flap fitting 1 is reachable through the opening in the end face of the flap fitting and the furniture panel or the side wall 2.
In these figures, identical reference signs identify identical or identically-acting elements as in the preceding figures. Reference is explicitly made to the description of the first example. In particular the differences between the two examples are explained in greater detail hereafter.
In
A difference from the first example in the flap fitting 1 of the second example is in the design of the spindle unit 42. As in the first example, the spring packet 41 is mounted on one side so it is displaceable in position in the fixed spring bearing 412 via the spindle unit 42 on the housing 10 and acts on the intermediate lever 43 at its other end via the free spring bearing 413.
The spindle unit 42 differs in the second exemplary embodiment in that the spindle (only visible in
A further difference in the second example relates to the design of the frame 12, which comprises reinforcement ribs 121 in particular in the region of the rear portions of the flap fitting 1 opposite to the opening. Moreover, the damping unit 50 is integrated into the frame 12 in this example. The integral formation of the damping unit 50 in the frame 12 simplifies the installation of the flap fitting 1, since the damping unit 50 does not have to be separately connected to the housing 10.
Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed, and other variations can be derived from these by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples that are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2017 108 197.6 | Apr 2017 | DE | national |
| 10 2017 126 368.3 | Nov 2017 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2018/059268 | 4/11/2018 | WO | 00 |
