DE20006068U1 - Furniture with damped furniture element - Google Patents

Description

Company hülsta-werke Hüls GmbH & Co.KG, Gerhart-Hauptmann-Str. 43 - 49, 48703 Stadtlohn

"Furniture with dampened furniture element" 5

The innovation concerns a piece of furniture according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such furniture is known as so-called box furniture. The movable furniture element can, for example, be a drawer

designed so that the drawer front rests against the furniture body when the drawer is closed and is completely removed from the furniture body when the drawer is opened.

The movable furniture element may only be partially separated from the furniture

belkorpus, namely if it is designed, for example, as a pivoting door which remains in or on the body in the area of its pivot axis, while it is removed from the body with its opposite free end and is returned to the body when closed.

If the movable furniture element is designed as a sliding or floating door, for example, it remains essentially in the same plane on or in the body and is essentially only moved sideways.

In all of the above cases, an opening in the front of the furniture is opened or closed by operating the movable furniture element, so that a distinction can be made between a closed position and an open position of the furniture element.

that can become.

Even if the movable furniture element is designed, for example, as a so-called pull-out, which is arranged behind a door and can be pulled out when the door is open, this

movable furniture element at least partially on or in the cor-

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pus remain. In this case, the opening in the front of the furniture is not opened or closed by the movable furniture element, but by the additionally provided door, whereby, for the sake of simplicity, the position of use of such a furniture element is also referred to below as

"open position" and its rest position is called the "closed position", so that here too a distinction can be made between a closed position and an open position of the furniture element.

In all cases, the movable furniture elements come into contact with a stop when they are returned from their open position to their closed position. The stop can either be formed by the furniture body itself or be provided as a separate stop element, either as a hard stop

impact made of wood, metal or plastic, or as a softer "buffer" made of plastic, an elastomer material, a foam material, felt or the like.

The impact of the furniture element against a shelf

or against the stop is always associated with the development of noise and vibration, which in itself can be perceived as unpleasant and which, depending on the contents of the furniture, can lead to further noise nuisance, for example to a clattering of the contents.

Although the softer stops designed as buffers can partially reduce these noise and vibration phenomena, careful operation of the furniture element is usually necessary, in which

the furniture element is guided by the user into its closed position in order to ensure that the disadvantages mentioned above are avoided.

The innovation is based on the task of improving a generic piece of furniture in such a way that it ensures a gentle closing of the furniture element.

This task underlying the innovation is carried out by a

Furniture with the features of claim 1.

In other words, the innovation proposes, regardless of whether the stop itself has damping properties or is comparatively hard, a damping element

element which dampens the closing movement of the furniture element, in particular in the last section of the closing movement up to the stop or at least up to shortly before the stop.

In particular, this damping function can advantageously be provided in conjunction with a so-called self-closing mechanism. Such self-closing mechanisms usually work with a force accumulator, for example a spring, and pull the movable furniture element into its closed position. The comfort

The advantage of such self-closing mechanisms is that the user does not have to guide the furniture element into the closed position, but only close to the closed position, so that the self-closing mechanism then reliably ensures the complete guiding of the furniture element, for example the movable furniture front, into

the closed position occurs.

However, the force also causes an acceleration of the furniture element, which increases the impact on the stop and the associated disadvantages. For this reason,

The effect of the self-closing mechanism is usually limited to a certain distance in which it acts on the furniture element in order to avoid the impact being too strong. A longer effective distance, which would improve the comfort function of the self-closing mechanism, by a small

to allow for greater force development in order to avoid the impact

The disadvantage of allowing the fittings to become too strong is that if the fittings become dirty or the movement of the furniture element is otherwise obstructed, it may no longer be possible to ensure that it is guided reliably into the closed position. 5

By combining a self-closing mechanism with the damping element provided in accordance with the new design, the comfort feature of the self-closing mechanism can be improved in such a way that a particularly long distance of the closing movement of the furniture element can be combined with the self-closing mechanism.

The damping element ensures that, despite this long effective path of the self-closing mechanism, there is no undesirable hard impact of the furniture element against the stop.

A particularly advantageous operability of the furniture, in particular of the movable furniture element, results for the user in that the damping element is advantageously effective in only one direction of movement of the furniture element, namely during the closing movement, and in the other movement

direction of travel either works with a lower damping rate or is even completely ineffective. In this way, for example, opening a furniture front element is made easier and is not hindered by the damping function of the damping element.

This "one-sided" effect of the damping element can be due either to its construction or to its arrangement on the furniture, so that the damping element may be activated together with the opening of the corresponding furniture.

bel part is moved into a so-called catch position. Only a small amount of force is required for this movement of the damping element, whereby the damping element then remains in this catch position and is used during the closing movement of the furniture element and only at the

Conclusion of this closing movement in its retracted

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waiting position, from which it is then moved out again when the furniture element is opened again and transferred to the catch position.

The one-sided mode of action can be used instead of such a

Arrangement can also be made possible purely structurally, for example by providing sawtooth-like elements in a rotary damper, which result in a higher resistance during rotation in one direction than in the other direction of movement of the rotary damper. In a tele

A check valve can be provided in the telescopic damper, which opens an opening and facilitates the expansion of the damper, while when the telescopic damper is compressed, this valve closes and only a smaller opening is opened, through which the compression movement

operation of the damper is made more difficult.

A deformable body can be provided as a damping element, for example an elastically bendable rod against which the movable furniture element is pushed during its closing movement.

However, the damping element can advantageously have two components that move relative to one another, so that the effects of weather and signs of aging or material fatigue can be reduced and smaller structural dimensions can be achieved.

Compared to pure friction dampers, it can be advantageous to provide a damping fluid between two components that move against each other, for example air, a silicone oil or the like.

in order to reduce wear of the damping element and to ensure the most uniform damping properties possible over a long period of time.

Advantageously, the damping element can be unobtrusive for the user

be designed as part of the fitting that the furniture

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element, &zgr;. B. within the hinge of a furniture door or within the rails of the guide fitting for a drawer or pull-out.

An inexpensive way to upgrade existing furniture with the

The possibility of retrofitting a damping function can be achieved by arranging the damping element on or in a shelf of the furniture, so that existing shelves only have to be replaced with appropriately converted shelves. For example, telescopic dampers can be used

are used which, in their holding position, protrude in front of the front edge of the shelf and dampen the movable furniture element during the last part of its closing movement.

Furthermore, if necessary, the damping element can be arranged on or in the body of the furniture in order to be housed in a place that is as inconspicuous as possible for the user, so that the appearance of the furniture remains as unchanged as possible despite the additional damping function provided.

Examples of the innovation are explained in more detail below using the schematic and perspective drawings.
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Fig. 1 fitting for a drawer or pull-out, and Fig. 2 a cabinet with partially opened door.

In Fig. 1, 1 generally designates a fitting that serves to guide a drawer or pull-out. The fitting

1 comprises a fitting element 2 on the body side which can be fixed in place in the furniture and a fitting element 3 which can be moved relative to the fitting element and which can be connected to the drawer or pull-out.
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A tongue 4 extends from the fitting element 2 and carries a damping element 5 in the form of a rotary damper. A housing 6 of the damping element 5 is firmly connected to the tongue 4, and thus ultimately also to the body of the furniture, while a gear 7 is rotatable and

Rack, which in turn is attached to the fitting element 3 and thus to the drawer as the movable furniture element.

The fitting element 3 is shown in Fig. 1 in its fully retracted

a position in which the front panel of the drawer rests against the body of the furniture in question, so that the body forms the stop for the drawer. In relation to this position, the fitting element 3 can be pulled forwards, thus opening the drawer, whereby the

Fitting element 3 is moved downwards to the right according to the arrangement in Fig. 1.

During this movement, the rack 8 interacts with the gear 7. Inside the housing 6 of the damper

The damping element 5 can also be provided with an impeller shaped like a gear, but the teeth are inclined or curved like sawtooths, so that the damping effect of the rotary damper is less during the opening movement than during the closing movement.

of the drawer, in which the fitting element 3 is pushed onto the fitting element 2. In this process, a bevelled guide nose of the rack 8 first passes behind the gear 7 until the first teeth of the rack 8 mesh with the gear 7 and the rotation of the gear 7

is transferred to the damping body within the housing 6 of the damping element 5. In this direction of movement, i.e. during the closing movement of the drawer, the damping element 5 has a higher damping capacity than during the opening movement.

The last stretch of the closing movement is covered automatically by the fact that the fitting 1 has a so-called self-retraction function, for example a tension spring, which completely pulls the fitting element 3 onto the fitting element 2 on the last stretch of the closing movement.

While such self-closing mechanisms are usually effective over a distance of about 2 to 3 cm, in the illustrated embodiment a considerably longer distance of, for example, 6 cm can lead to the automatic closing of the drawer by the self-closing mechanism,

whereby, by means of the corresponding length of the rack 8, either a dampened closing movement of the drawer takes place during this entire self-closing path or whereby the dampening takes place at least at the end of this closing movement, in such a way that despite the long path of the self-closing

and the associated, comparatively high kinetic energy of the drawer reliably ensures a dampened, gentle stop of the drawer or the front panel on the drawer on the respective corresponding stop.

The fitting 1 can not only be intended for a drawer, i.e. for an element which also forms part of the entire furniture front through a corresponding panel, but it can also be a pure built-in element,

which is arranged, for example, behind a swing door or other furniture door and - after this door has been opened - can be pulled out of the furniture body or moved within the furniture body.

Fig. 2 shows a cabinet furniture 9, which has a movable furniture part in the form of a pivoting door 10. This pivoting door 10 is guided by fittings that are not shown in Fig. 2. Such fittings can have a damping element, for example a rotary damper integrated in the fitting

similar to the damping element 5 of Fig. 1. In addition,

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these fittings can also be provided with a self-closing function or additional fittings can be provided on the swing door 10 which are intended exclusively for the self-closing function. In particular, for retrofitting a piece of furniture with the combined self-closing and damping function, such a fitting can be provided which does not serve as a hinge fitting to hold the door, but is intended exclusively for the self-closing function and may already be provided with a damping element and may be installed by a layperson.

can be retrofitted to an existing piece of furniture or can be added to a piece of furniture without changing the other fittings.

The concept of self-'entry' is also used in the field of

Swing door 10 is used because it has become established as a technical term, even if in the case of the swing door 10 it is not a translational movement corresponding to a "retraction", but rather a rotary swing movement.

In Fig. 2, purely schematically and merely to illustrate the different installation locations, several damping elements 5 are indicated at several different installation locations, whereby, however, a single damping element 5 is used for

the desired damping function can be sufficient.

The damping elements 5 shown in Fig. 2 are telescopic dampers, i.e. each one is an approximately cylindrical hollow body in which a piston is guided, whereby the

Piston is basically sealed against the cylinder and only relatively small openings are provided through which air can escape from the cylinder, for example through specially made holes in the cylinder or in the piston or through a corresponding clearance between

the piston and the cylinder.

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The one-sided damping effect mentioned with reference to the rotary damper in Fig. 1 can be provided in such a telescopic damper, for example, by a movable tab that serves as a check valve and that rests against an opening, so that when the piston is pulled out of the cylinder, the tab is moved, the opening is opened and accordingly a large amount of fluid can quickly flow into the cylinder interior. In this way, the extension movement of the piston is hardly hindered. This extension movement of the piston can

supported by a spring. This type of expansion of the damping element occurs when the swing door 10 is opened.

In the case of the reverse movement, when the piston is in the

When the cylinder is pressed in, the tab moves and closes the opening, so that a fluid flow is now only possible through the aforementioned deliberate leakage, so that the damping effect results from this. The compression of the damping element 5 begins when the

Swing door 10 as soon as the door rests against the damping element 5 in the last section of the closing movement.

In the simplest case, the damping fluid can be the ambient air that enters the compression chamber of the cylinder or can escape from it. However, telescopic dampers that work with special gases or liquids, especially oils, can also be provided, and, in contrast to the embodiment shown, other types of damping elements can be provided instead of telescopic dampers.

hen be.

A damping element 5 can be arranged, for example, in a shelf 11, whereby the shelf 11 has a material thickness that allows the introduction of a hole

possible, in which the damping element 5 is then inserted

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The telescopic damper arranged in the shelf 11 is essentially invisible, only the front end of a piston rod or a tappet is visible.

A simpler and cheaper way to install such a

The arrangement of the damping element 5, which can be designed as a telescopic damper, is also shown, namely when the damping element 5 is arranged below the shelf 11. Due to the arrangement below the shelf, this damping element 5 is also arranged comparatively inconspicuously.

and in particular, can be easily replaced or retrofitted to an existing piece of furniture, if necessary by a layperson. In general, damping elements arranged on or in the shelf 11 make it possible to easily equip an existing piece of furniture with the damping

function to be retrofitted.

In operational production, the fitting of shelves with damping elements can be used in a cost-effective manner without any changes to the furniture body in order to

and to enable the damping function even in existing furniture programs with only minimal changes in production. In particular, the damping effect can be easily influenced to suit the different applications by changing the number of

Shelves equipped with damping elements can be freely selected.

Furthermore, Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of a damping element 5 on the body of the furniture. This attachment can also be carried out easily by a layperson. The arrangement of a damping element 5 in the body of the furniture - not shown - can be carried out in a similar way to the shelf and enables an unobtrusive attachment of the damping element, particularly during factory production.

elements.

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All arrangements of damping elements 5 shown in Fig. 2 are located in the area that is furthest away from the pivot axis of the swing door 10. Here, the damping can take place over a particularly long distance, so

that comparatively inexpensive damping elements can be used, which are only exposed to small forces. A more inconspicuous arrangement of the damping elements 5 is possible by arranging them closer to the pivot axis of the pivot door 10. Due to

Due to the then smaller lever arm between the damping element 5 and the pivot axis of the swing door 10, the damping elements 5 must then process higher forces. The same also applies to the damping elements arranged in the fittings of the swing door 10.

Claims (9)

1. Furniture,
with an essentially box-shaped body,
and with a furniture element that is movable relative to the body, such as a pull-out, a drawer or a door,
wherein the furniture element is movable between a rest or closed position and a use or open position,
and wherein the furniture element, when it is in its rest or closed position, rests against the body or a stop, characterized in that a damping element ( 5 ) is provided which dampens the movement of the furniture element in the region of the last section of a movement of the furniture element, referred to as the closing movement, from its use or open position to its rest or closed position. 2. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that a so-called self-closing mechanism is provided, which is arranged to act in a force-assisted manner on the furniture element in the region of its last movement section of the closing movement, in such a way that it supports the closing movement. 3. Furniture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the damping element ( 5 ) has a higher damping effect in the closing direction of the furniture element than in the opposite direction of movement. 4. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the damping element ( 5 ) is designed as part of a fitting which guides the furniture element. 5. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the damping element ( 5 ) is arranged on or in a shelf ( 11 ) of the furniture. 6. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the damping element ( 5 ) is arranged on or in the body. 7. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping element ( 5 ) has two components that can move relative to one another. 8. Furniture according to claim 7, characterized in that a damping fluid is provided between the two components. 9. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the damping element ( 5 ) is effective over a movement distance of the furniture element of at least 3 cm.