The invention concerns an arrangement having two locking devices arranged on both sides of a moveable furniture part for locking the moveable furniture part in a locking position with respect to a furniture carcass. The invention further concerns an article of furniture having such an arrangement.
Locking devices for furniture parts have already been known for many years in order to hold the moveable furniture parts (drawers) in a closed position in the furniture carcass. Such locking devices are appropriate in particular when active ejection devices for the moveable furniture part are integrated in the article of furniture. By virtue of unlocking of the locking device that ejection device then becomes active and moves the furniture part from a closed position into an open position from which it can then generally be further opened by hand. In the case of relatively small drawers (about 50 cm in width) and in the case of light drawers a single one of such ejection devices and locking devices is generally sufficient. In order however to guarantee easily moveable and straight ejection of the drawer, in particular when wide drawers are involved, those lockable ejection devices are mostly arranged on both sides of the drawer, on the drawer or on the furniture carcass respectively. In most cases those lockable ejection devices also have a so-called touch-latch mechanism which makes it possible to unlock the locking device by pressing on the drawer when in the closed position, thereby to cause drawer ejection. To prevent one-sided and skewed ejection with such ejection devices on both sides—in that case the drawer could become jammed in the furniture carcass—various synchronization mechanisms are already known.
For that purpose for example WO 2010/129971 A1 discloses a double-sided ejection device in which the linearly displaceable sliders of the two unlockable ejection devices are motionally coupled by way of a rotatable synchronization bar.
WO 2009/114884 A2 also discloses a synchronization unit for locking units of a lockable ejection device.
In addition EP 1 314 842 B1 discloses a device for opening and closing a moveable furniture part, which permits synchronous ejection of two ejection devices associated with one drawer.
In addition the Austrian application bearing the application number A 614/2011 which is to the present applicant and which is not a prior publication discloses a lockable ejection device having a synchronization mechanism for lockable sliders of the ejection device. In that case connecting elements at both ends of a synchronization bar have teeth engaging into synchronization teeth on the slider.
A disadvantage with all synchronization mechanisms known from the state of the art is that those synchronization mechanisms are only concerned with synchronization of the ejection movement and do not guarantee synchronous locking or even prevent that. That leads to problems in particular when the drawer is pushed in inclinedly or in a skewed position so that locking takes place firstly on one side. As soon as that locking has occurred on one side no locking can occur on the other side and the ejection device cannot be adequately stressed so that once again the drawer is ejected only at one side. It can however also happen that a user of the drawer notices that the drawer is closed only at one side and tries to move the side of the drawer which is not closed and which is skewed into the closed position by hand, in which case that can even lead to damage in the locking devices. If for example in accordance with A 614/2011 one side of the ejection device is already in the closed position while the other lags behind it is no longer possible for any further movement to take place by means of the teeth of the synchronization bar, and in addition the teeth of the connecting element, due to the effect of a high level of force, come out of engagement with the toothed bar, which can cause damage.
Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement which is improved over the state of the art, having two locking devices. In particular the invention seeks to permit reliable and trouble-free closing on both sides of a moveable furniture part.
For an arrangement having the features of the classifying portion of claim 1 that is achieved in that each locking device has a blocking device which in a blocking position prevents attainment of the locking position, wherein each locking device has a release means by which the blocking position of the blocking device respectively associated with the other locking device can be cancelled. In general terms this means that a locking action can take place on one side of the moveable furniture part only when the other side of the moveable furniture part has already been moved sufficiently far into the furniture carcass. That therefore allows locking only when the drawer is pushed in straight and parallel or when the drawer is only in a really slightly inclined position. Once again in other words this means that the release means on one side detects how far the drawer at that side is still away from the closed position and cancels the blocking action on the other side and permits locking there, when a given small spacing is reached (for example between 0 and 5 mm).
In specific terms this can be effected by position sensors which, by way of electric signals, nullify the blocking position of the corresponding blocking device on the other side and thus permit locking. A variant of the present invention can provide for that purpose that only the respective blocking position of the blocking device respectively associated with the other locking device can be cancelled by each release means. That can preferably be effected by a control or regulating device.
As an alternative thereto and preferably it can be provided that the release means are connected together by way of a synchronization bar, wherein the blocking position of both blocking devices can be cancelled at the same time. Therefore the blocking action is released on both sides by that synchronization bar, that preferably being effected by the blocking device in the blocking position preventing rotation of the synchronization bar.
In a specific mechanical embodiment of the present invention it can be provided that each of the two locking devices has a slider displaceable with respect to a housing between a locking position and an open position, and each of the two sliders has a guide path in which a respective connecting element is displaceable to an end abutment and—in dependence on radially projecting extensions on the connecting element, that bear against the guide path—is rotatably guided and the connecting elements are coupled in motional coupling relationship by way of the synchronization bar, wherein an end abutment of at least one of the guide paths, a narrow portion of at least one guide path and an extension of at least one connecting element form the blocking device and a wide portion of both guide paths, both connecting elements and the synchronization bar form the release means, wherein in the blocking position at least one extension of a connecting element bears against the narrow portion of the guide path and prevents a rotary movement of the connecting element and the synchronization bar, and in the cancelled blocking position extensions of both connecting elements are arranged in the wide portion of the respective guide path and thereby both connecting elements are rotatable together with the synchronization bar. In particular by virtue of the fact that the synchronization bar does not have to constantly rotate (as for example in A 614/2011) but moves in the guide path or slidingly moves therein, trouble-free movement can be made possible after cancellation of the blocking position, even when a skewed position is involved.
Locking in the blocking position is prevented in particular in that in the blocking position at least the extension of a connecting element limits the displacement travel of the slider by bearing against the end abutment and thereby prevents locking of the slider in the locking position and in the cancelled blocking position said extension is moveable away from the end abutment, preferably being rotatable away therefrom, whereby the displacement travel of the slider is free and said slider is lockable in the locking position.
In order to enforce simultaneous locking on both sides it is preferably provided that in the cancelled blocking position extensions of both connecting elements are moveable away from the respective end abutments, preferably being rotatable away therefrom, whereby the displacement travels of both sliders are free and both sliders are lockable synchronously in the locking position. This is achieved in particular when the wide portion of the guide path is of a length (about between 2 and 5 mm) which is scarcely longer than the extension projecting from the connecting element.
In that respect however another variant of the invention can provide that locking of a second locking device is made possible even when the first locking device is already locked and the drawer still involves a certain inclined position. That is achieved in that in the cancelled blocking position and with a slider locked in the locking position the slider associated with the other locking device is moveable into the locking position. In particular that is made possible by the wide portion of the guide path being provided not just in the very last part of the closing movement, but is several millimeters in length (for example between 5 and 25 mm).
As is known per se, in accordance with a further embodiment it can be provided that each locking device respectively includes a slider, a control lever, a sliding guide path and a control pin, wherein the slider is lockable in the locking position in the sliding guide path provided in the housing by way of the control pin arranged on the control lever.
Protection is also claimed for an article of furniture having the features of claim 10 and claim 11.
Further details and advantages of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter by means of the specific description with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows an article of furniture with closed and opened drawer,
FIG. 2 shows a view of a drawer extension guide with drawer side wall and furniture carcass,
FIG. 3 shows a part of the drawer side wall with extension guide,
FIG. 4 shows FIG. 3 with fitted ejection device,
FIGS. 5 through 7 show different positions of the moveable furniture part relative to the carcass rail,
FIGS. 8 through 12 shows a side view of the ejection device in different positions,
FIG. 13 shows the ejection device in the form of a structural unit,
FIGS. 14 and 15 show exploded views of the ejection device from two different sides,
FIGS. 16 through 22 show diagrammatic views of an arrangement with locking devices, blocking devices and release means,
FIGS. 23 through 28
b show sectional views and 3D views of a first embodiment of a locking device according to the invention in different positions, and
FIGS. 29 through 33 show 3D views of a second embodiment of a locking device according to the invention in different positions.
In principle it should be noted that FIGS. 1 through 13 are identical to the Figures in above-mentioned Austrian application No A 614/2011. This means that all functions shown therein are in principle also provided in the invention here. Only the configuration of the connecting element 23, the synchronization teeth 26 and the guidance for the connecting element 23 in the slider 11 differ from the structure which is already known.
Accordingly FIG. 1 shows an article of furniture 15 including a furniture carcass 16 and two moveable furniture parts 2. In this case the upper moveable furniture part 2 is disposed in the closed position SS, the control pin 4 being held in the locking position VS in the sliding guide path 3. The control pin 4 is connected by way of a control lever 12 to a slider 11 displaceable in the housing 10 (only diagrammatically indicated here). The slider 11 is connected to the housing 10 by way of an ejection spring 8, the ejection spring 8 (tension spring) being stressed in that locking position. That ejection device 1 is mounted to the drawer rail 17, the drawer rail 17 being locked, that is to say not displaceable, relative to the carcass rail 18, as the drawer rail 17 is held by way of the ejection device 1 and its diagrammatically illustrated ejection element 13 (with locking hooks) to the entrainment member 19 (also shown diagrammatically) of the carcass rail 18.
If now—as shown in the case of the lower moveable furniture part 2 in FIG. 1—triggering is effected (both by over-pressing and also by pulling on the moveable furniture part 2) then the control pin 4 passes outside the locking portion of the sliding guide path 3. As then the slider 11 is no longer locked in the sliding guide path 3 the ejection spring 8 can contract, whereby the housing 10 of the ejection device 1 together with the moveable furniture part 2 mounted thereon is moved in the opening direction OR. As the slider 11 itself is still connected in positively locking relationship to the entrainment member 19 by way of the ejection element 13, displacement of the housing 10 occurs with respect to the slider 11 and the moveable furniture part 2 passes into the open position OS.
FIG. 2 shows a side wall of the moveable furniture part 2 and the container rail 20 which is held to the drawer rail 17 (barely visible here). The ejection device 1 is fixed under that drawer rail 17 or under the container rail 20.
The drawer side wall 21 is shown in FIG. 3. The entrainment member 19 is fixed to the carcass rail 18 by way of a mounting element 22.
FIG. 4 shows the drawer side wall 21 together with the ejection device 1 mounted to the drawer rail 17. The connecting element 23 for synchronization with a second ejection device associated with another drawer side wall (not shown) and a depth adjusting device 14 can be seen here.
In FIG. 5 the housing cover 10c has been removed from the ejection device 1, thereby giving a view into the ejection device 1. It will be seen therein that the ejection element 13 (locking hook) is connected to the entrainment member 19 in positively locking relationship. That ejection element 13 moves in the guide path 24. The ejection spring 8 and the spring 9 for the locking element 7 are also shown.
In FIG. 6 the moveable furniture part 2 with drawer side wall 21 has been moved further in the opening direction OR, wherein the ejection element 13 has moved into the inclined end region of the guide path 24 and is thereby pivoted with respect to the slider 11 and releases the entrainment member 19. From that moment or from that position the moveable furniture part 2 can be moved freely in the opening direction OR (see also FIG. 7).
FIG. 8 shows a view of the ejection device 1 from the center of the furniture part. In this case the housing cover 10c has been entirely removed. In addition a part of the displaceable part 10a is also cut away, thereby giving a view on to the sliding guide path 3 in the displaceable part 10a. In FIG. 8 the control pin 4 is in the locking position VS and bears in the latching recess 5 against the locking element 7.
FIG. 9 shows the control pin 4 in the over-pressed position Ü and goes from the locking portion 3b into the opening portion 3c (see also FIG. 18).
In FIG. 10 the action of the injection spring 8 has already started, whereby the mounting part 10b of the housing 10 is moved in the opening direction OR with respect to the slider 11 as the slider 11 itself is held by way of the ejection element 13 (with locking hook) to the entrainment member 19 and thus to the furniture carcass 16. The control pin 4 is shown shortly before passing over the branching element 25, the control pin 4 urging that spring-loaded branching element 25 downwardly, which after the passing movement goes back into the starting position again. When the control pin subsequently moves in the closing direction SR that means that the control pin 4 does not pass into the opening portion 3c but into the closing portion 3a or is deflected in that way.
In FIG. 11 the ejection spring 8 has been completely unloaded (that is to say contracted) and the slider 11 has moved the ejection element 13 into the inclined end portion of the guide path 24 so that the ejection element 13 pivots and the positively locking connection between the ejection element 13 and the entrainment member 19 is released.
In FIG. 12 the ejection device 1 is no longer held to the entrainment member 19 whereby the entire moveable furniture part 2 is freely moveable.
FIG. 13 shows the narrow elongate ejection device 1 is the assembled condition.
FIGS. 14 and 15 show an exploded view of the ejection device 1 from different sides. As large components that ejection device 1 has a housing 10 comprising the mounting part 10b, the housing cover 10c and the displaceable part 10a. The ejection device 1 is connected to the moveable furniture part 2 or to the drawer rail 17 by way of the mounting part 10b. The housing cover 10c is fixedly connected to the mounting part 10b by way of conventional connecting means. The displaceable part 10a is arranged between those two parts, wherein displacement and thus the depth of the locking position of the entire drawer 2 can be adjusted by way of the depth adjusting device 14. At its underside that rotatable depth adjusting device 14 has a spiral worm 14b corresponding to latching means 14a provided on the displaceable part 10a. The sliding guide path 3 is provided in the displaceable part 10a, wherein the latching recess 5 of the sliding guide path 3 is formed by the locking element 7. That locking element 7 is mounted displaceably and is acted upon by the force of the spring 9 (compression spring). The slider 11 is mounted slideably or displaceably with respect to the entire housing 10. The control lever 12 is pivotably mounted to that slider 11 and at one end has the control pin 4 which engages into the sliding guide path 3. In addition the ejection element 13 is mounted pivotably at one end of the slider 11. The slider 11 has a guide path 41 for a connecting element 23 on which a synchronization bar 46 can provide for connection to a further ejection device provided in substantially mirror-symmetrical relationship at the other side of the drawer. In addition the ejection device 1 has an ejection spring 8 held between the spring holder 27 on the housing cover 10c and the spring holder 28 on the slider 11.
It will also be seen from FIGS. 14 and 15 that the guide path 41 has a narrow portion 42—transversely relative to the longitudinal extent of the slider 11—and a wide portion 43. In addition those two Figures show the essential components of the locking device, namely the blocking device 40 and the release means 45. In this arrangement the blocking device 40 includes the extensions 44 on the connecting element 23, the narrow portion 42 of the guide path 41 and the end abutment of the guide path 41. In comparison the synchronization bar 46, the connecting elements 23 on both sides of the synchronization bar 46 and the wide portions 43 of the guide paths 41 of both locking devices form the release means 45.
In general these exploded views in FIGS. 14 and 15 show the embodiment which is the same as that of FIGS. 29 through 33, wherein a holding element 48 in the form of a rocker lever is mounted on the slider 11 in the wide portion 43 of the guide path 41.
FIGS. 16 through 18 show in entirely diagrammatic and simplified form a fundamental variant of the present invention, which corresponds to the wording of claim 2. In comparison the diagrammatic views in FIGS. 19 through 22 show a variant corresponding to claim 3.
Referring to FIG. 16 the drawer 2 which is in the inclined position is displaced with the control pin 4 in the closing direction SR relative to the sliding guide path 3.
If now as shown in FIG. 17 the left-hand control pin 4 passes almost to the locking portion of the sliding guide path 3 then the blocking device 40 blocks and prevents further movement of the control pin 4 and the latter can then not be locked in the sliding guide path 3. At the same time however the blocking device 40 on the right-hand side is already released.
As soon as now in FIG. 18 the right-hand side also follows on by being further pushed in then—if the control pins 4 are at the same height—the left-hand blocking device 40 is also released and both control pins 4 can be locked in their respective sliding guide path 3. The diagrammatic lines shown in crossed configuration form the release means 45 which for example can be formed by sensors and electric signals.
Referring to FIG. 19 the inclined drawer 2 is displaced as in FIG. 16 in the closing direction SR.
In FIG. 20 the left-hand control pin 4 (in specific terms the connecting element 23) comes into a condition of abutment with the end abutment 41 of the blocking device 40 whereby the control pin 4 cannot yet lock in the locking portion of the sliding guide path 3.
However as shown in FIG. 21 as soon as the right-hand control pin 4 also reaches the same height, cancellation of the blocking position BS of the blocking device 40 is effected at the same time on both sides by way of the synchronization bar 46 of the release means 45 and the blocking device 40 moves into the cancelled blocking position AB. As a result the arrangement can then reach the locking position VS shown in FIG. 22.
FIG. 23 is a partial view in section showing the right-hand side of an ejection device 1 with locking device. It should be noted in that respect here that, for reasons of clarity, the description of this application always refers to the right-hand and the left-hand side, even though this always depends on the viewing location, in the case of a specific design configuration. The detail view of FIG. 23a and the 3D view of FIG. 23b also correspond to FIG. 23. In those three Figures the connecting element 23 and its extensions 44 are already disposed almost at the end of the guide path 41 in the slider 11, wherein an extension 44 bears against the end abutment 47 of the guide path 41. In that respect it can be seen in particular in FIG. 23a that the extension 44 is already disposed in the wide portion 43b of the guide path 41. As shown in FIGS. 23, 23a and 23b the blocking device 40 is still in the blocking position BS.
That is to be attributed to the fact that, on the left-hand side of the ejection device 1 (see FIGS. 24, 24a and 24b), the left-hand connecting element connected to the right-hand connecting element 23 by way of the synchronization bar 46 is still in the narrow portion 42 of the guide path 41. As the extensions 44 of the left-hand connecting element 23 bear at both sides against the surface of the guide path 41 there cannot be any rotation of the synchronization bar 46 together with the connecting elements 23. In the views in FIGS. 23 and 24 the moveable furniture part is in the inclined position, wherein the right-hand side is still remote from the locking position VS by the spacing X (see FIG. 25a) while the left-hand locking device is still remote from the locking position VS by the spacing Y (see FIG. 24a).
FIGS. 25, 25a and 25b correspond to FIGS. 23, 23a and 23b. In FIGS. 26, 26a and 26b, in comparison with FIGS. 24, 24a and 24b, the left-hand side of the locking device has moved further in the closing direction SR whereby an extension 44 of the left-hand connecting element also bears against the end abutment 47. If now in that position the drawer is moved still further in the closing direction SR then the synchronization bar 46 begins to rotate by virtue of the extensions 44 sliding into the wide portion 43, and it passes into the position shown in FIGS. 27 and 28. By virtue of that approximately quarter turn in the direction of the arrow D the blocking position BS is cancelled and the two sliders 11 can move by the distance X with respect to the connecting elements 23 together with the synchronization bar 46 whereby the control pin 4 is locked in the sliding guide path 3 (see FIG. 27a).
Thus the embodiment shown in FIGS. 23 through 28 guarantees that the locking device locks at the same time on both sides and thus there cannot be any locking in respect of an inclinedly positioned drawer.
In comparison, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 29 through 33, one-sided locking can very well occur.
In that respect, FIG. 29 shows the right-hand side of a locking device in which an extension 44 of a connecting element 23 already bears against the end abutment 47 of the guide path 41. Thus the connecting element 23 is already in the region of the wide portion 43 of the guide path 41, in which basically rotation of the connecting element 23 together with the synchronization bar 46 would be possible. By virtue of the left-hand side of the locking device as shown in FIG. 30 however that is prevented, whereby the connecting element 23 there together with the extension 44 is still in the narrow region 42 of the guide path 41 and thus the blocking device 40 is in the blocking position BS.
If now however the connecting element 23 is further displaced in the guide path 41 in the direction of the end abutment 47 by virtue of the left-hand side of the moveable furniture part 2 being further pushed in, the connecting element passes into the wide portion 43 of the guide path (see FIG. 31). As a result the synchronization bar 46 can rotate in the direction of the arrow D. The cancelled blocking position AB is thus reached and the right-hand locking device can move away from the end abutment 47 as shown in FIG. 32 or can escape into the wide portion 43 so that the locking position VS—in which the control pin 4 latches in the locking portion of the sliding guide path 3 (see for example also FIG. 27a)—is reached on the right-hand side. During that however the connecting element 23 is not yet entirely at the end of the guide path 41 in the left-hand locking device in FIG. 31 so that the left-hand locking device is not yet locked. If the moveable furniture part 2 has adopted such an inclined position as shown in FIGS. 31 and 32 in the state of the art it was not possible for the left-hand side to be further pushed in, by virtue of rotation of the synchronization teeth being no longer further possible. In the state of the art therefore the inclined positioning has to be tolerated. The advantage of the present invention however is now that the locking position VS can nonetheless be reached from that inclined position on the left-hand side as shown in FIG. 31, by being further pushed in. Starting from FIG. 31 the connecting element 23 is moved in direction of the end abutment 47 by a further closing movement and in so doing urges the elastically bending holding element 48 which is in the form of a rocking arm rearwardly (out of the guide path 41) and finally attains the position shown in FIG. 33 in which the extension 44 is held between the holding element 48 which is moving forwardly again, and the end abutment 47. The locking position VS is also reached on the left-hand side in that condition, without damage occurring.
Thus the present invention provides an arrangement with locking devices disposed at both sides of a moveable furniture part, in which damage-free locking is guaranteed on both sides of the drawer—in spite of the drawer being pushed in inclinedly.
In general it should be pointed out that the synchronization bar 46 is only shown in one view. Naturally such a synchronization bar 46 can also be mounted as is known per se between the connecting elements 23 and is not shown in the other Figures only for reasons of drawing clarity. In the installed condition the synchronization bar 46 is connected to the connecting elements 23 in positively locking and non-rotational relationship. The synchronization bar 46 can be made from aluminum in an extrusion process. The geometrical configuration of the extensions 44 projecting from the connecting element 23 can be any desired configuration. It is only necessary to guarantee that a rotary movement of the connecting elements 23 together with synchronization bar 46 is allowed only in a last portion of the closing travel (corresponds to the length of the wide portion 43).
Patent Application
20140210329
