a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roller pull-out guide for pulling out a furniture part from a furniture body in a pull-out direction and for sliding the furniture part into the furniture body in a slide-in direction. The guide includes at least one guidance rail and at least one roller guided therein, as well as a self-retraction device with a spring-loaded, tiltably and displaceably supported tilt slide for the retraction of the furniture part in the slide-in direction.
b) Description of Related Prior Art
Roller pull-out guidances of this type are known per se. The self-retraction device serves for automatically pulling the furniture part in the slide-in direction completely into the furniture body, thus into the closed position, after the furniture part has been slid in, for example manually, over a certain length of path in the slide-in direction. Within the prior art, several solutions with tilt slides are known. It is also known to equip such retraction mechanisms with slide-in attenuators in order to attenuate in the last section the push-in movement of the roller pull-out guidance. Such an attenuated retraction mechanism or self-retraction device, in which the tilt slide cooperates with a slide-in attenuator, is disclosed for example in EP 1 532 892 A1. Each of the tilt slides of the self-retraction devices cooperates with an entrainer disposed on the pull-out furniture part. Similar self-retraction devices, however without attenuators, are described, for example, in AT 401 334 B, in which a tilt slide displaceable against the force of a spring is also provided. The tilt slide is disposed tiltably about a tilt axis on a sliding carriage displaceable in a straight line in the pull-out direction of the drawer against the force of the spring. In the self-retraction device disclosed in AT 393 948 B a tilt slide is also provided, which is displaceable along a guide track against the force of a spring. The guide track has a straight section and a curved section which effects the swivelling of the tilt slide about an imaginary axis into its tilted end position.
The present invention addresses the problem of providing a generic roller pull-out guide, wherein, using as few parts as possible and with as few working steps as possible, high operational reliability can be ensured.
This is attained in that the tilt slide includes a claw that, for the purpose of retracting the furniture part in the slide-in direction, engages on the roller.
Expressed differently, it is consequently provided that the tilt slide engages via the claw associated with it on a roller of the roller pull-out guidance itself Therefore, additional entrainers, such as for example hooks or parts formed out similarly, on which the tilt slide engages and conventionally used in prior art, can be omitted. This saves, for one, working steps, however, for another, also parts. Moreover, such a roller pull-out guidance can also be built highly compactly. However, a special advantage lies therein that, in spite of sufficient movement play, high operational reliability can be ensured.
It is advantageously provided that the roller is rotatably supported, preferably rotatably secured in place, on a second rail of the roller pull-out guidance, preferably by means of a roller pivot axle. It is thus preferred that at least one roller is rotatably supported on a rail. On the rails of the roller pull-out guidance, furthermore, additional rollers can be rotatably supported or secured in place preferably by means of their roller pivot axles. The roller or rollers have herein preferably a bearing function. Additionally, or alternatively, to the additional rollers, roller pull-out guidances according to the invention can also be implemented with sliding carriages known per se, in which balls and/or cylinders are rotatably supported. The guide rail can be, for example, the rail that is fixed on the furniture body. This rail is conventionally referred to as the body rail. The second rail in this case is advantageously the rail of the roller pull-out guidance, which is secured in place on the furniture part supported displaceably relative to the furniture body. The guide rail and the second rail are in this case advantageously supported one in the other such that they are displaceable by means of said rollers and/or sliding carriages. One each of such roller pull-out guidances can be disposed on two opposite sides of the furniture part. The roller pull-out guidance can in each instance also additionally include at least one further rail, for example, a center rail, which is movable or displaceable relative to the guide rail as well as also to the second rail. Roller pull-out guidances according to the invention can thus also be implemented as differential pull-out guidances known per se. A roller pull-out guidance, in which on each side of the furniture part three rails are supported one in the other displaceably with respect to one another, is described for example in EP 1 532 892 A1.
As already explained above, an essential fundamental concept of the invention is that the tilt slide includes a claw which, for retracting the furniture part in the slide-in direction, engages on the roller. The retraction of the furniture part comprises herein two sections. First, the claw of the tilt slide must engage on the roller. In the following, this is referred to as a contacting process. Succeeding it is the retraction process proper, in which the self-retraction device pulls in the slide-in direction via the tilt slide on the roller or on the second rail connected therewith. The retraction of the furniture part refers to the engagement process as well as also to the retraction process. In a first group of embodiments of the invention it can be provided that the contacting process as well as also the retraction process takes place via the engagement of the claw of the tilt slide on the roller. A method for operating such roller pull-out guidances according to the invention can in this case provide that the tilt slide is tilted from a first tilt position into the second tilt position by the striking of the roller onto the claw, wherein through this tilting the claw and the roller are brought into engagement with one another and, subsequent to this striking, the roller caught on the claw of the tilt slide is retracted by the tilt slide in the slide-in direction. In this approach the second rail is thus retracted by the claw engaging directly on the roller and thus is pulled on the roller. These variants are distinguished thereby that especially few parts are required. However, they can have the disadvantage that through the contact of the claw on the roller increasing frictional forces occur during the retraction process.
If these increased frictional forces are to be avoided, in a second group of embodiments of the invention can be provided that the engagement of the claw on the roller only takes place during the contacting process. It can thus also be provided that the retraction of the furniture part in the slide-in direction occurs only partially, for example only comprising the contacting process, through the engagement of the claw on the roller. Other means can be provided for the retraction process in these variants of the invention, with which means the tilt slide engages on the second rail. Having stated such, a preferred group of embodiments of the invention provides that on the tilt slide a first coupling part is disposed and on the second rail a second coupling part, wherein the coupling parts in a first tilt position of the tilt slide are detached from one another and in a second tilt position of the tilt slide are engaged with one another, wherein in the first tilt position the second rail and the tilt slide are movable in the pull-out direction and/or in the slide-in direction relative to one another, and, in the second tilt position, the second rail and the tilt slide are per force coupled with one another with respect to a movement in the pull-out direction and/or in the slide-in direction. Coupled per force means in this connection in particular that rail and tilt slide in the second tilt position can only be moved jointly in the pull-out direction and/or in the slide-in direction. A method for operating such a roller pull-out guide can in this case provide that the tilt slide through the striking of the roller on the claw is tilted from the first tilt position into the second tilt position whereby through this tilting the coupling parts are brought into engagement with one another and subsequently the second rail is pulled by the tilt slide in the slide-in direction via the coupling parts while being caught on the tilt slide. In these variants is thus provided that the tilting of the tilt slide takes place during the contacting process via the engagement of the claw of the tilt slide on the roller. During the subsequent retraction process, however, the tilt slide engages directly on the second rail via the coupling parts brought into engagement with one another, such that the weight of the second rail and of the furniture part, connected therewith and to be retracted, no longer acts via the claw onto the roller. The frictional forces between roller and claw can hereby be minimized or excluded during the retraction process.
The claw of the tilt slide can in principle engage at different sites on the roller. It is, for example, conceivable that the claw of the tilt slide engages on the roller pivot axle of the roller. However, especially preferably is provided that the roller has a running surface with which it runs in the guide rail and the claw of the tilt slide engages on the running surface of the roller. This permits an especially operationally reliable roller pull-out guidance which, nevertheless, can be equipped with much movement play. This is, moreover, also a highly space-saving variant. It is preferably provided that the claw has, preferably at least sectionwise, for example a circular arc shape curved claw face and/or one such delimiting an indentation in the claw, with which it engages on, preferably the running surface, of the roller. In order for the claw of the tilt slide to be able to securely engage the roller, preferred embodiments provide that the length of the claw face, measured in the pull-out direction, is at least one eighth, preferably at least one fourth, of the total circumference of the running surface of the roller. Herein is to be taken into consideration in particular that portion of the claw face which can, in fact, encompass the roller. In the case of curved claw faces, the length specification refers to a measurement along the curved claw face in the pull-out direction and not to the imaginary chord, extending in the pull-out direction, between the end points of the claw face.
The claw can include an indentation for receiving the roller, which is delimited by two, preferably curved, claw arms.
In order to be able to move the roller into position again following a potential malfunction of the roller pull-out guidance, a position in which it can be encompassed by the claw of the tilt slide, especially preferred embodiments of the invention provide that at least one of the claw arms is realized such that it is elastically deformable and has an oblique run-up face, oblique with respect to the slide-in direction. By running-up on the roller against the oblique run-up face and through the elastic deformation of the claw arms, the roller is displaceable past the claw arms into the indentation of the claw.
In order to attenuate the push-in movement of the movable furniture part during the retraction in the slide-in direction, it is feasible to integrate into roller pull-out guidances according to the invention attenuators known per se for movable furniture parts. An especially preferred embodiment provides that on the tilt slide is disposed, preferably integrally, an attenuator part of an attenuator, including at least two attenuator parts movable relative to one another, preferably rotation attenuators or linear attenuators. The number of parts and the space requirement is hereby also minimized.
Further details and features of preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained in conjunction with the following description of the figures.
In the drawings:
In
For the sake of completeness, reference is made to the fact that conventionally on each of two opposing sides of the movable furniture part, one of the roller pull-out guidances depicted in
As is evident in
The self-retraction device 5 of the first embodiment example implemented according to the invention will now be explained in further detail in conjunction with
The tilt slide 6 or its claw 7 provided in this automatic retraction mechanism or self-retraction device 5 comprises two claw arms 15. These delimit an indentation 11 serving for receiving the roller 4. The claw face 12 in the depicted embodiment is at least sectionwise curved in the form of a circle. The claw 7 engages with the claw face 12 on the running surface 10 of roller 4. The radius of curvature 13 of the circular section of claw face 12 is between 100% and 110%, preferably between 100% and 105%, of the radius 14 of running surface 10 of roller 4. Consequently, as explained above, a certain play can be provided between roller 4 and claw 7, without such play decreasing the operational reliability of the self-retraction device 5.
In this embodiment, the tilt slide 6 comprises two guide pins 17 and 18 spaced apart in the pull-out direction 1. With these pins the slide is guided displaceably by force in a guide track 20 of a housing 25. In the depicted embodiment, the guide track 20 is formed in the shape of a groove and is delimited by two opposing side walls 19. On its forward end, viewed in the slide-in direction 2, the guide track 20 has an angled-off or bent-out section 21, it otherwise advantageously extends linearly. Into the angled-off section 21 can be slid a first guide pin 17, here the guide pin forward in the slide-in direction 2. The second guide pin 18 provided in this embodiment forms a swivel axle about which the tilt slide 6 swivels when the first guide pin 17 is slid into the angled-off section 21. As a result of this swivel movement, the tilt slide 6 comes into the ready position shown in
As already explained above, the attenuator 24 with its attenuator part 23 (here the attenuator housing) is secured integrally on tilt slide 6. This effects for the automatic retraction movement carried out by spring 31 to be simultaneously attenuated by attenuator 24. This results overall in a gentle braking of the retraction movement such that the roller 4, the rail 8 and the furniture part secured thereon are decelerated gently and not abruptly upon reaching the end stop 33. In the depicted embodiment, the attenuator part 22, rotatably supported relative to the attenuator part or the attenuator housing 23, meshes with the toothed rack 29. Further details regarding attenuator 24 do not need to be depicted, since they are known within the prior art. For the sake of completeness, reference is made to the fact that the attenuator 24, of course, does not absolutely need to be disposed integrally on the tilt slide 6.
In the event that the tilt slide 6 for once does not reach the end position shown in
The housing 25 of this embodiment is once again shown separately in
In the two embodiments according to
In the succeeding description of this embodiment example in conjunction with
A first significant difference from the first two embodiments is that in the third embodiment, the housing 25′ of this embodiment does not have a U-shaped recess 26 but rather, is disposed, preferably completely, above the guide rail 3, viewed in an operating position of the roller pull-out guidance. It is understood that it could just as well be disposed, preferably completely, beneath the guide rail 3. Both variants have the advantage that overall the installation length of the roller pull-out guidance is shortened since the housing 25′ no longer projects at the rearward end over guide rail 3. In the course thereof, in the depicted embodiment is also provided that the spring 31, which provides the force for retracting roller 4 or second rail 8, is no longer deflected. In the depicted embodiment the spring 31 has an exclusively linear extent. Spring 31 is therein, preferably exclusively, disposed above the guide rail 3. It also does not project over the guide rail 3 in the slide-in direction 2. The spring 31 can just as well as, preferably exclusively, be disposed beneath the guide rail 3.
Housing 25′ of self-retraction device 5 of this embodiment is built of two parts. It comprises a housing part 38 nondisplaceably fixed on the guide rail 3. This housing part in this embodiment includes again a housing rail 39, on which a connection body formed as a push rod 35 is supported displacebly relative to the fixed housing part 38, preferably parallel to the pull-out direction 1 or slide-in direction 2. As is evident in particular in sectional representations according to
As in the first embodiments, the tilt slide 6 is guided by means of the first guide pin 17 and of the swivel axle pin 18 in a guide track 20, which includes at its forward end, viewed in the slide-in direction 2, the angled-off region 21. Guidance and tilting of tilt slide 6 by means of guide track 2 and its angled-off section 21 takes place as in the two first described embodiments. The tilt movement takes place in the swivel joint 34.
In
Further mentioned should be the oblique run-up face 16 of the forward claw arm 15, seen in the slide-in direction 2, of tilt slide 6. This face, analogous to that described in the first two embodiment examples, serves for the so-called malfunction safety, in which the roller 4 in the second tilt position of tilt slide 6, by running up against the oblique run-up face 16 and through the elastic deformation of claw arm 15, is displaceable past this arm into the indentation 11 of claw 7.
This application claims priority to Austrian application A 1565/2008, filed Oct. 7, 2008, and European patent application 09 007 350.3, filed Jun. 3, 2009. The entire subject matter of these two foreign priority applications is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1565/2008 | Oct 2008 | AT | national |
09 007 350 | Jun 2009 | EP | regional |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3104142 | Geren et al. | Sep 1963 | A |
4121878 | Lokken | Oct 1978 | A |
4447095 | Fielding | May 1984 | A |
4765699 | Bessinger et al. | Aug 1988 | A |
6848759 | Doornbos et al. | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6902244 | Chen | Jun 2005 | B1 |
20040174101 | Lin | Sep 2004 | A1 |
20110037362 | Park et al. | Feb 2011 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
389 218 | Nov 1989 | AT |
393 948 | Jan 1992 | AT |
401 334 | Aug 1996 | AT |
87 14 720 | Feb 1988 | DE |
38 18 225 | Dec 1989 | DE |
1 532 892 | May 2005 | EP |
06245831 | Sep 1994 | JP |
Entry |
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European Search Report issued Jan. 29, 2010 in EP 09 00 7350. |
Austrian Search Report issued Jul. 1, 2009 in AT 1565/2008. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100086244 A1 | Apr 2010 | US |