The present invention relates to a furniture drive for movably supporting a furniture part relative to a furniture carcass. The furniture drive includes at least one base body configured to be fixed to and/or within the furniture carcass, at least one actuating arm configured to be fixed to the movable furniture part, and at least one locking device for locking the at least one actuating arm to the at least one base body. The at least one locking device includes at least one locking element movable between a locking position, in which the at least one actuating arm is locked to the at least one base body, and a demounting position, in which the at least one actuating arm can be demounted from the at least one base body. The furniture drive further includes at least one actuating device, preferably configured to be actuated with the aid of a tool, for moving the at least one locking element from the locking position into the demounting position.
Moreover, the invention concerns an item of furniture comprising a furniture carcass, a furniture part movably supported relative to the furniture carcass, and at least one furniture drive to the type to be described.
A furniture drive comprising a base body and an actuating arm configured to be releasably fixed to the base body is disclosed in the WO 2006/053352 A1 reference, for example. The separate configuration between the base body and the actuating arm has the particular advantage that the constructional size of the furniture drive can be divided into two constructional units, and that different types of base bodies can be combined with different types of actuating arms.
A drawback of known constructions is the fact that upon a release of the locking between the base body and the actuating arm, there is also the danger that the operator will be surprised by the suddenly released weight of the furniture part connected to the actuating arm, and the actuating arm with the furniture part can no longer be held by the operator. This can lead to a crash of the furniture part and to damages to the furniture part, to injuries of the assembling personnel and damages to objects.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a furniture drive of the type mentioned in the introductory part, thereby avoiding the above-discussed drawbacks. In particular, the safety for an operator shall be increased.
According to the invention, the furniture drive includes at least one releasable securing device configured to prevent a movement of the at least one locking element from the locking position into the demounting position upon an actuation of the actuating device.
In other words, a releasable securing device is provided, the releasable securing device preventing a release of the locking, even when the actuating device for moving the locking element into the demounting position is actuated, for example with the aid of a tool. For a successful separation between the base body and the actuating arm, at least one further action is thus required for an operator.
This further action can be, for example, an additional relative movement, in particular a lifting movement, of the actuating arm relative to the base body. Only after an additional relative movement of the actuating arm, initiated by the operator, a movement of the locking element into the demounting position can be made possible.
According to an embodiment, the releasable securing device includes at least one bearing contour configured to bear against the at least one locking element under an influence of a force of gravity acting to the at least one actuating arm, and possibly under an influence of a force of gravity of the furniture part to be fixed to the at least one actuating arm.
According to possible embodiments:
Further details and advantages of the present invention will be explained with the aid of the embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:
A furniture drive 4 for moving the movable furniture part 3 is fixed to each of the opposing sidewalls of the furniture carcass 2. Each of the furniture drives 4 includes at least one pivotally supported actuating arm 5, and a pivoting movement of the two actuating arms 5 can be synchronized to one another via a pivotable synchronization shaft 6.
The furniture drive 4 includes a, preferably substantially cuboidal, base body 9 configured to be fixed to the furniture carcass 2, and a lever 5a of the actuating arm 5 is pivotally supported about a pivoting axis 7a on the base body 9.
On the contrary, the synchronization shaft 6 is rotatably supported about a further pivoting axis 7c. The pivoting axis 7a of the lever 5a and the further pivoting axis 7c of the synchronization shaft 6 are arranged laterally offset to one another, preferably mutually spaced apart from each other in a parallel relationship.
The offset arrangement between the pivoting axis 7a of the lever 5a and the further pivoting axis 7c of the synchronization shaft 6 has the particular advantage that the synchronization shaft 6 can be arranged on a high location within the furniture carcass 2, that is to say adjacent to a top panel 2a of the furniture carcass 2. Therefore, an increased storage space can be made available within the furniture carcass 2.
Further, it can be provided that the further pivoting axis 7c, in a mounted condition of the furniture drive 4, can be arranged deeper in a direction of the depth of the furniture carcass 2, in comparison with a coaxial arrangement between the pivoting axis 7a and the further pivoting axis 7c.
The actuating arm 5 can include a fitting portion 8 configured to be releasably connected to a fitting body (not shown) to be fixed to the furniture part 3. The fitting portion 8 can be hingedly connected to the lever 5a of the actuating arm 5, and can be configured to be connected to the fitting body to be fixed to the furniture part 3 without the use of a tool.
The base body 9 of the furniture drive 4 includes two housing walls 9a, 9b mutually spaced apart from each other in a parallel relationship, each of the housing walls 9a, 9b having a flat-shaped bearing surface configured to bear against a furniture carcass 2. In this way, the base body 9 of the furniture drive 4 can be fixed either to a first sidewall of the furniture carcass 2 or, alternatively, to a second sidewall of the furniture carcass 2, the second sidewall opposing the first sidewall of the furniture carcass 2.
A front opening 9c is formed between the two housing walls 9a, 9b of the furniture drive 4, and the actuating arm 5 at least partially protrudes through the front opening 9c in a maximum open position.
In a mounted condition, the actuating arm 5 is pivotally supported about at least one pivoting axis 7a on the base body 9.
In the shown embodiment, the actuating arm 5 includes a plurality of levers 5a, 5b, 5c hingedly connected to each other, and at least two of the levers 5a, 5b of the actuating arm 5 are releasably connectable to the base body 9 of the furniture drive 4.
The actuating arm 5 is movable between a closed position and a maximum open position, and the actuating arm 5 is at least partially arranged within the base body 9 of the furniture drive 4 in the closed position.
The levers 5a, 5b, 5c of the actuating arm 5 can form a four-joint geometry, and one of the four pivot points of the four-joint geometry corresponds to the at least one pivoting axis 7a of the actuating arm 5.
In the shown embodiment, the actuating arm 5 is pivotally supported about at least one second pivoting axis 7b on the base body 9, wherein
According to an embodiment, the second pivoting axis 7b corresponds to a pivot point of the four-joint geometry of the levers 5a, 5b, 5c of the actuating arm 5.
Further, the following arrangements are possible:
A fastening interface 35 is arranged on the third lever 5c, and the movable furniture part 3 can be, preferably releasably, fixed to the actuating arm 5 via the fastening interface 35. The first lever 5a and the second lever 5b are hingedly connected to the third lever 5c. The third lever 5c has an angled configuration, and two partial portions 36a, 36b of angled third lever 5c enclose an angle of substantially 90° relative to each other.
The furniture drive 4 includes at least one force storage member 12 for applying a force to the actuating arm 5. Preferably, the at least one force storage member 12 is arranged on the base body 9 and preferably includes at least one spring element 12a. In this way, a weight of the movable furniture part 3 to be fixed to the actuating arm 5 can be compensated for.
In
According to an embodiment, a transmission mechanism 17 is provided, the transmission mechanism 17 being configured to transmit a force that can be stored in the at least one force storage member 12 to the actuating arm 5. Preferably, the transmission mechanism 17:
In the shown embodiment, the actuating arm 5 is configured to be releasably connected to the base body 9 of the furniture drive 4 via two locking devices 37, 38 separate from each other. At least one of the two locking devices 37, 38 can include at least one fastening portion 37a, 38a configured to be hung into or configured to be slid into the base body 9, and/or can include at least one locking element 37b pressurized by at least one spring 25 (
A first, preferably hook-shaped, fastening portion 37a of the lever 5b can be hung into the base body 9, for example to a pin arranged on the second pivoting axis 7b. The lever 5b can be releasably locked by the spring-loaded locking element 37b.
The second fastening portion 38a of the other locking device 38, in contrast, can be releasably locked to a movable actuating portion 22, the actuating portion 22 being preferably pivotable about the first pivoting axis 7a. Preferably, the setting contour 16 is formed on the movable actuating portion 22.
To be seen is the locking element 37b which, for example, is linearly displaceably supported along at least one guide, and is pre-stressed in a direction of the locking position by a spring 25. For example, the spring 25 can be formed by a mechanical spring element or also by a material elasticity of a component. It can be seen that the locking element 37b includes an inclined surface for urging the locking element 37b against the force of the spring 25 upon a co-operation with the hinge axis 7b.
In
In
The at least one locking device 38 includes a locking element 38c configured to be moved between a locking position, in which the at least one actuating arm 5 is locked to the at least one base body 9, and a demounting position, in which the at least one actuating arm 5 can be demounted from the at least one base body 9.
The furniture drive 4 can include a force adjustment device 18 for adjusting a force of the force storage member 12 to the at least one actuating arm 5. Preferably, the force adjustment device 18:
The actuating device 11 can include an opening 11a for introducing the tool 10, and the locking element 38c is movable into the demounting position by exerting a force to the locking element 38c against a resilient action.
For an operator, there are two different possibilities for introducing the tool 10. On the one hand, the rotatable adjustment wheel 18a of the force adjustment device 18 can be actuated.
On the other hand, the locking between the actuating arm 5 and the base body 9 can be released by an actuation of the actuating device 11. If thus the operator inadvertently actuates the actuating device 11 instead of the force adjustment device 18, the locking between the base body 9 and the actuating arm 5 could be inadvertently released. A crash of the actuating arm 5 along with the movable furniture part 3 would be the result.
The furniture drive 4 includes, in addition to the locking device 38, a releasable securing device 19 configured to prevent a movement of the at least one locking element 38c from the locking position into the demounting position upon an actuation of the actuating device 11.
The releasable securing device 19 can include at least one bearing contour 19a configured to bear against the at least one locking element 38c under an influence of gravity on the at least one actuating arm 5 and possibly under an influence of a weight force of the furniture part 3 to be fixed to the at least one actuating arm 5.
According to an embodiment:
In the shown embodiment, the guide 30 for movably supporting the locking element 38c, together with the fastening portion 38a of the actuating arm 5, jointly form a common bearing contour 19a for the locking element 38c.
Therefore, if a person tries to push the locking element 38c out from the locking position by exerting a force with the aid of the tool 10, a movement of the locking element 38c in a direction of the demounting position is prevented. The locking element 38c is namely arrested between the recess 19c and the fastening portion 38a of the actuating arm 5 and can thus not further be moved along the guide 30 into the demounting position. The locking between the base body 9 and the actuating arm 5, despite an actuation of the actuating device 11, is further maintained by the releasable securing device 19.
According to possible embodiments, the guide 30:
With further embodiments, the actuating device 11:
With further embodiments:
In a locked condition of the actuating arm 5, the locking element 38c is received between the fastening portion 38a of the actuating arm 5 and the guide 30. A movement of the locking element 38c into the demounting position is prevented, because the locking element 38c is arrested between the recess 19c of the fastening portion 38a and the guide 30.
Due to the tilting movement of the fastening portion 38a about the axis formed by the guide element 39, the path for the locking element 38c into the demounting position along the guide 30 can be unblocked. Now, the locking element 38c can be moved against a force of the spring 25 into the demounting position by exerting a force with the aid of the tool 10 in order to demount the actuating arm 5 from the base body 9.
Accordingly, the actuating arm 5 can only be demounted from the base body 9 when the movable furniture part 3, in an open condition, is firstly moved further in the opening direction OR, and then the actuating device 11 for releasing the locking is to be actuated. This constitutes a significant safety aspect, because the operator must necessarily grasp the actuating arm 5 and/or the furniture part 3 connected therewith. Therefore, the movable furniture part 3 can be secured against a crash.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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A 50040/2021 | Jan 2021 | AT | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/AT2022/060022 | Jan 2022 | US |
Child | 18222120 | US |