The present invention relates to an actuating device comprising at least one pivotably mounted actuating arm for moving a furniture flap. The actuating arm is or can be acted upon by a spring device, and there is provided an assembly securing device for the vacant actuating arm on which therefore no furniture flap has yet been fitted. The assembly securing device prevents accidental opening or deflection of the vacant actuating arm and for that purpose has a braking or latching device which can be moved by way of a shaft.
The invention further concerns an article of furniture having an actuating device of the kind to be described.
Such actuating devices serve for example to move a furniture flap which is connected to the pivotally mounted actuating arm between a vertical position in which a compartment in a carcass is covered and an upwardly moved open position. To compensate for the weight of the flap there is provided a spring device or a gas pressure storage means, and the torque acting on the actuating arm can be adjusted selectively to the weight of the flap to be moved. In the case of heavy furniture flaps, therefore, a very high torque is to be provided as the biasing force for the actuating arm. If now the actuating device is already pre-assembled to the article of furniture in the course of assembly, there is as yet no furniture flap pivotally connected to the actuating arm. Thus, there is a serious risk that the actuating arm can be massively deflected by the spring device acting thereon and as a result can seriously injure the assembly personnel. Therefore, WO 2006/069412 A1 to the present applicant already discloses an assembly securing device for the “vacant” actuating arm—to which therefore no furniture flap has yet been fitted—, which has a braking or latching device for limiting the opening speed of the vacant actuating arm.
It is an object of the present invention to propose an actuating device with an assembly securing device of the general kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, which prevents uncontrolled opening or deflection of the actuating arm even when very high biasing forces of the spring device are applied thereon.
In accordance with the invention in an advantageous configuration, the object is achieved in that there is provided a step-up transmission by which the pivotal speed of the actuating arm—at least over a region of the pivot travel of the actuating arm in the opening direction—can be stepped up to a higher rotary speed of the shaft.
It is to be noted that the spring device acts on the actuating arm in the opening direction about an axis of rotation so that, when the flap is pivotably connected, a sufficiently high level of torque is provided for compensating for the weight of the flap. The higher the force of the spring device acting on the actuating arm, the correspondingly greater is the risk that the actuating arm deflects over a tolerable pivotal range when the flap is not pivotably connected thereto—even if there is provided a braking or latching device for preventing the actuating arm from kicking out. The arrangement of the step-up transmission can therefore reduce the reaction time of the braking or latching device as, upon an increase in the spring force (for example when fitting a spring device with increased standardized spring force), faster braking or stopping of the actuating arm also occurs.
The invention can be particularly advantageously implemented with braking or latching devices which comprise a centrifugal clutch for braking or stopping the actuating arm. More specifically, the step-up transmission provides that a slight pivotal movement of the spring-loaded actuating arm already triggers a rotary movement of the shaft, which is increased by a defined ratio. Accordingly, when a predetermined pivotal speed of the actuating arm is exceeded, the braking or latching device also reacts substantially more quickly than in the case of conventional devices.
A further advantageous effect in terms of the arrangement of the step-up transmission is that the braking or latching device does not have to directly compensate for the enormous torque of the actuating arm. The step-up transmission provides that the holding moment occurring in the braking or latching device is also markedly reduced so that the unit formed by the braking or latching device can be smaller and possibly also less expensive. A braking or latching device of relatively small geometrical dimensions is of particular advantage by virtue of the very limited structural space in actuating devices.
An embodiment of the invention provides that the transmission ratio (i) of the step-up transmission is greater than 3, preferably greater than 5. That means for example that, in the case of a transmission ratio equal to 5, a pivotal movement of the actuating arm through 10° results in a rotary movement of the shaft (which is associated with the braking or latching device) through 50°. The desired higher transmission ratio is therefore determined by the ratio between the rotary speed of the shaft and the pivotal speed of the actuating arm.
Various options present themselves to the person skilled in the art for implementing the step-up transmission. In an embodiment, it can be provided that the step-up transmission has a pinion gear transmission. In that respect, a so-called internal gear pair has proven to be particularly advantageous, in which a pinion mounted to the shaft meshes with an internal tooth arrangement of a hollow gear or a tooth portion. The transmission ratio can be determined by the ratio of the diameter of the pinion to the diameter of the internal tooth arrangement. In that respect the length of the tooth portion can correspond approximately to the length of the pivotal range of the actuating arm.
Alternatively thereto, however, other design configurations are also possible for the gear transmission. Basically it is sufficient if the gear transmission has a first pinion meshing with at least one second pinion or a tooth arrangement of different size. In that connection it may be desirable if the first pinion is associated with the shaft and the second pinion or the tooth arrangement is associated with the housing of the actuating device. In that respect, it can be provided that, during the pivotal movement of the actuating arm, the first pinion runs along a tooth arrangement which is preferably stationarily arranged on the housing of the actuating device. The step-up transmission can also embrace structures with a toothed belt or the like.
The centrifugal clutch provided for braking or stopping the actuating arm can have at least one movably mounted first clutch portion which is movable starting from a rest position (also against the force of a spring) into an outer position in which the first clutch portion can come into contact with a second clutch portion and can preferably be latched thereto. In that respect, it is provided that under a predetermined pivotal speed of the actuating arm, the first clutch portion and the second clutch portion are uncoupled from each other and when a predetermined pivotal speed of the actuating arm is exceeded, the first clutch portion and the second clutch portion can come into contact with each other.
An embodiment of the invention provides at least two first clutch portions which can come into contact with a second clutch portion after the mass moment of inertia has been overcome (and possibly after a spring force has been overcome). The first clutch portions can have latching teeth (or latching recesses) or alternatively can also be provided with a friction lining. However, in the sense of immediately stopping the actuating arm, it may be desirable if the first clutch portion has at least one latching tooth which is latchable with at least one latching recess arranged or formed on the second clutch portion. It may also be advantageous if the first clutch portion or portions has or have a plurality of latching teeth and the second clutch portion has a plurality of latching recesses.
An embodiment of the invention provides that the braking or latching device is arranged in or on a portion fixedly connected to the actuating arm and is also moved therewith. In that respect, it may be desirable for the braking or latching device to be arranged on a rotatable control cam associated with the actuating arm.
The article of furniture according to the invention is characterized by at least one actuating drive of the described kind.
Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specific description hereinafter. In the drawings:
a, 3b show a side view of an actuating device according to the invention in the unlatched condition and a detail view on an enlarged scale thereof,
a, 4b show a side view of an actuating device according to the invention in the latched condition and a detail view on an enlarged scale thereof,
a, 5b show the braking or latching device arranged on the control cam of the actuating arm and an exploded view thereof,
a, 6b show a side view of the braking or latching device in the unlatched condition and a detail view on an enlarged scale thereof, and
a, 7b show a side view of the braking or latching device in the latched condition and a detail view on an enlarged scale thereof.
a shows a side view of the actuating device. It is possible to see a spring device 7 in the form of a spring pack which is supported on the one hand against a portion 8, which is fixed with respect to the article of furniture, on the housing 5, and which on the other hand acts on an intermediate lever 9 pivotal about axis of rotation S. An adjusting device 10 is provided to adjust the spring force acting on the actuating arm 4, whereby the position of the spring mounting 11 is variably adjustable relative to the axis of rotation S. Supported on the intermediate lever 9 is a pressure roller 12 which can run along a control contour 13a associated with the actuating arm 4 during the pivotal movement of the actuating arm 4 under the pressure of the spring device 7. The control contour 13a is formed by the peripheral edge of a control cam 13 rotatable about the axis of rotation (R), wherein the control cam 13 is or can be fixedly connected to the actuating arm 4.
b shows an enlarged view of the region identified in
a and
a shows the control cam 13 which is pivotally arranged about the axis of rotation R and which is latchable to the actuating arm 4 (not shown here) by way of a coupling portion 18. The control cam 13 has a control contour 13a which runs against the pressure roller 12 (
a shows a side view of the braking or latching device 14 arranged on the control cam 13, wherein the first clutch portions 17a and 17b mounted movably to the rotor 21 are not latched to the outer tooth arrangement 17c. In that rest position of the two first clutch portions 17a and 17b, unimpeded movement of the control cam 13 (and therewith the actuating arm 4) about the axis of rotation R is possible so that the braking or latching device 14 does not influence the movement of a furniture flap which properly pivotably connected to the actuating arm 4.
b shows the braking or latching device 14 of
a shows in contrast the latched condition of the braking or latching device 14. A further particularity of the invention is to be mentioned in this context. It can be seen from
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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A 1726/2008 | Nov 2008 | AT | national |
This application is a continuation application of International application No. PCT/AT2009/000349, filed Sep. 7, 2009, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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1353219 | Collins | Sep 1920 | A |
3421605 | Hansen | Jan 1969 | A |
6473936 | Orita | Nov 2002 | B2 |
7562757 | Dubach et al. | Jul 2009 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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0 298 514 | Jan 1989 | EP |
1 055 381 | Nov 2000 | EP |
1 217 159 | Jun 2002 | EP |
2003-227268 | Aug 2003 | JP |
2006069412 | Jul 2006 | WO |
Entry |
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Machine translation of JP 2003-227268 A, Feb. 7, 2013. |
International Search Report issued Nov. 24, 2009 in International (PCT) Application No. PCT/AT2009/000349. |
Austrian Patent Office Search Report issued Aug. 3, 2009 in Austrian Patent Application No. A 1726/2008. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20110193458 A1 | Aug 2011 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/AT2009/000349 | Sep 2009 | US |
Child | 13091449 | US |