AT524448B1 - Furniture and method for opening and closing a hinged flap - Google Patents

Abstract

A piece of furniture comprises a furniture body (2) and a pivotable flap (5) arranged on the furniture body (2), the furniture body (2) having an upper panel (4) on which at least two hinges (10) are fixed, each of which has a have a side part (11) fixed to the top panel (4) and a hinge part (12) which can be pivoted relative to the side part (11) and on which the flap (5) is fixed, and a holding device by means of which the flap (5) can be opened in at least one open position, the holding device being unlockable by lifting the flap (5), the holding device being designed as at least one holding hinge (20) mounted on the top panel (4) and having a pivotable hinge part (22) connected to the flap (5) connected is. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for opening and closing a pivotable flap.

Description

description

The present invention relates to a piece of furniture with a furniture body and a pivotable flap arranged on the furniture body, the furniture body having a top panel and at least one side wall, at least one hinge being fixed to the top panel, each of which has a side part fixed to the top panel, and have a hinge part that can be pivoted relative to the side part, on which the flap is fixed, and a holding device, by means of which the flap can be locked in at least one open position, wherein the holding device can be unlocked by lifting the flap, the holding device being at least one on the top floor or a retaining hinge mounted in the side wall and connected to the flap with a pivotable hinge part, and a method of opening and closing a pivotable flap.

Flap fittings are known which are mounted on a side wall of a furniture body (EP 1 846 635) and can hold a flap in an open position. Such flap fittings on the side wall of the furniture body reduce the usable interior volume and are optically disadvantageous.

DE 25 245 32 discloses a device for locking a liftable flap which is held on a hinge which is fixed to a top panel of a furniture body. This allows better use of the internal volume. In this hinge, the flap is rotatably mounted about an axis and is provided with a locking device that prevents the flap from being lowered out of an open position. The flap is lifted to unlock. The disadvantage of this hinge is that the locking device on the hinge is comparatively bulky and there is no provision for adapting to flaps of different sizes, and that the flap movement is predetermined by the hinge and its pivot axis, with the locking device being matched to the hinge movement.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a piece of furniture with a pivotable flap that can be pivoted using a simple pivoting mechanism with a compact structure and the pivoting mechanism is independent of the holding device.

This object is achieved with a piece of furniture having the features of claim 1 and with a method having the features of claim 13.

In the piece of furniture according to the invention, the pivotable flap can be pivoted via at least two hinges fixed to the top panel and can be locked in an Oopen position via a holding device, the holding device being designed as at least one holding hinge mounted on the top panel or in the side wall, which has a pivotable hinge part connected to the flap. As a result, several hinges and at least one retaining hinge can be provided for pivoting the flap, which can be positioned and mounted depending on the size and length of the flap. In the case of heavy flaps, more than two hinges and more than one holding hinge can also be provided, so that the pivoting mechanism can be designed depending on the weight of the flap. In addition, products can be used as hinges that are also used to pivot doors, so that no complex custom-made product is necessary. In addition, the retaining hinge is designed in such a way that it can follow the pivoting movement of the hinges independently of their movement path. This allows the retaining hinge to be combined with different hinges.

Preferably, the at least one retaining hinge is spaced from the at least two hinges. The retaining hinge and the at least two hinges are manufactured as separate components and can be positioned on the top panel so that the mounting position can be freely selected. The retaining hinge can, for example, be positioned centrally between the two hinges in order to be able to absorb the weight forces evenly when supporting and locking the flap in an open position.

For a compact structure, the hinges are designed as four-joint hinges. Such four-joint hinges have four joints with which two levers are mounted between a side part and a hinge part. This results in an optimized pivoting path of the flap when opening and closing compared to a stationary axis of rotation. However, the hinges can also be designed as single-joint hinges or seven-joint hinges. In addition to the joint structure, the hinges differ in the executable movement path of the joint arrangement. In addition to the hinges mentioned above, other types of hinges can also be used, such as so-called recessed or drilled-in hinges or flap hinges.

Another embodiment for a compact structure is the integration of the retaining hinge in the side wall. The retaining hinge can be inserted into a recess in the side wall, so that the interior of the piece of furniture is not influenced by the retaining hinge, ie the retaining hinge does not protrude into the interior. With an appropriate hinge selection, e.g. with a drilled-in hinge, the interior of the furniture can also be unaffected or almost unaffected by the hinge.

According to the invention, the retaining hinge has a cam guide and a control element guided in the cam guide, with a plurality of snap-in receptacles for holding the flap in different open positions being provided on the cam guide. The cam guide can be provided, for example, on two housing shells of a pivoted lever, in which a pin is guided as a control element. The control element can be held, for example, on a lever which is rotatably mounted on a stationary housing of the holding hinge. When the hinge part moves, the curve guide is thus moved relative to the control element. In order to avoid the influence of gravity, the control element can preferably be pretensioned by a spring in one direction of movement, for example towards the top floor. Alternatively, the control element can be held with friction so that it always remains in the position to which it is guided by the trajectory and not moved by gravity.

The curve guide preferably has an opening track and a closing track which are separated from one another by a plurality of projections. The opening path is the path that is traversed by the control element when the flap is opened, while the closing path is a path that is traversed when the flap is closed. The two webs are separated from one another by projections, on each of which a latching receptacle is provided, so that each projection forms a latching receptacle for the control element in order to be able to lock the flap in a corresponding open position. By raising the flap, the control element can then be transferred from the snap-in receptacle to the closing track.

In a further embodiment, the retaining hinge has a damper which brakes a closing movement of the flap, preferably at least in an angular range between 0° and 30° before the closed position. In this way, loud impact noises can be avoided. Additional dampers can optionally be provided on the hinges, with the dampers being designed as fluid dampers or gas pressure dampers, preferably as linear dampers. Alternatively, the at least one retaining hinge can slow down a closing movement in a first opening range from a maximum opening angle, for example up to approx. 30°, after which at least one damper on the at least one hinge can brake during a further closing movement. Optionally, the retaining hinge can also slow down the entire path in the closing direction. As a result, maximum damping performance can be achieved in an opening range between 90° and 30° before the closed position. The damping effect of a hinge is sufficient for the last 30°. Alternatively, it is possible for the holder to be used with undamped hinges. In this case, the holder would have to cushion the entire way.

For a stable fixation of the flap, the hinges are preferably provided with a cup-shaped hinge part which is at least partially inserted into a hole in the flap. This results in a particularly stable connection between the flap and the

hinges.

Optionally, an overload protection can be provided on at least one locking receptacle of the cam guide, which releases the control element when a predetermined force is exceeded on the locking receptacle and allows the flapper to close. Such an overload protection for locking mechanisms is described, for example, in EP 2 272 400 A1, in which a part of the locking receptacle is movably mounted and is biased into a locking position by a spring. If the spring force is exceeded, the control element can be released from the snap-in receptacle. An alternative of such a U-overload protection is described in DE 10 2011 002 212 A1, in which part of the latching receptacle is formed by a flexible spring element which, when a predetermined force is exceeded, unlocks the control element and releases it into the curve guide. Corresponding mechanisms can also be provided for the holding hinge.

At least one pawl can also be provided on the curve guide, which blocks the control element in a first direction and allows it to happen in an opposite second direction. This avoids incorrect operation. An example of such a pawl on a curved guide is shown in EP 2 208 440 A1. Other mechanisms for pawls can also be used.

In the method according to the invention, the flap is first raised from a closed position and pivoted into an OÖffungsposition. The flap is then released and lowered slightly until the flap is held in an open position by a holding device in the form of at least one holding hinge. For unlocking, the flap can be lifted in order to then be released again and lowered into a closed position by gravity, damping on at least one hinge and/or the retaining hinge slowing down the closing movement. The pivoting mechanism with the at least two hinges and the at least one retaining hinge allows the pivoting mechanism to be optimally adapted to the weight of the flap and the braking process by the damping.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Figures 1A to 1D several views of a piece of furniture according to the invention in different positions;

[0019] FIGS. 2A to 2C show three perspective views of a piece of furniture according to the invention with the flap open and the holding hinge in different positions;

[0020] FIGS. 3A and 3B show two perspective views of a hinge for mounting the flap;

[0021] FIGS. 4A to 4D show several views of a holding hinge for the piece of furniture; [0022] FIG. 5 shows a perspective exploded view of the retaining hinge; Figures 6 to 16 several detailed views of the retaining hinge with the curve guide

tion in different positions.

A piece of furniture 1 comprises a cabinet-like furniture body 2, which has a floor 3, a top floor 4 and side walls 6. Furthermore, a rear wall 7 can be provided, which surrounds an interior space for storing objects. A pivotable flap 5 is mounted on the top panel 4 and can be pivoted from a closed position in which the interior is closed (Figure 1A) in the Oopening direction, with Figures 1B and 1C showing middle opening positions and Figure 1D showing a maximum Oopening position .

The pivotable flap 5 is pivotably mounted on two hinges 10 which are fixed to an underside of the top panel 4, so that the side walls 6 are not covered by fittings. A retaining hinge 20 is also provided on the top panel 4 as a retaining

provided direction that can hold and lock the flap 5 in several open positions.

In the figures 2A and 2C it is shown that the hinges 10 on or in the top panel 4 and the retaining hinge 20 can be mounted independently on the top panel 4 or in the side wall 6 and the flap 5. The retaining hinge 20 can be mounted either between the two hinges 10 or laterally adjacent to a hinge 10 . The side wall 6 can also be a vertical intermediate wall, not shown here, between two side walls 6 .

In the figure 2C a piece of furniture is shown in which the interior of the hinges 10 and the retaining hinge 20 is not affected. The hinges 10 are designed as built-in hinges that are built into a receptacle on the top panel 4 and a receptacle on the flap 5 and therefore do not protrude into the interior of the furniture body. The holder hinges 20 are installed in a socket in the side wall and a socket in the flap 5 .

In the figures 3A and 3B, a hinge 10 is shown in detail that has a fixable on the top floor 4 side part 11 on which a hinge part 12 is pivotally mounted via lever 13. The hinge part 12 is cup-shaped and engages in an opening or bore on the flap 5 . The hinge 10 is designed as a four-joint hinge, with the hinge part 12 being pivotably mounted on the side part 11 via two parallel levers 13 . Means 14 for adjusting the support and means 15 for adjusting the depth are also provided on the side part 11 in order to be able to align the flap 5 in the closed position relative to the furniture body 2 . The vertical extent of the hinge 10 on the underside of the top panel is preferably less than 40mm.

The retaining hinge 20 is shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D. The retaining hinge 20 includes a housing 21 which can be fixed to the underside of the top panel 4 by means of fastening means. A pivoting lever 23 is provided on the housing 21 and is mounted on the housing 21 such that it can rotate about an axis 24 . A further lever 26 is rotatably mounted on the pivoting lever 23 via an axis 25 and is connected to a hinge part 22 via an axis 27 . The hinge part 22 is fixed to the flap 5 and is moved together with the flap 5 when it is opened and closed.

In Figure 5, the retaining hinge 20 is shown in detail. The pivoting lever 23 comprises two housing shells 23A and 23B, which form a cam guide 40 on their side facing one another, which is formed by groove-shaped channels. The housing shells 23A and 23B are held together by bolts 29 . In the cam guide 40, a control element 31 is guided in the form of pins which protrude from a lever 30 on opposite sides. The lever 30 is held on the housing 21 so that it can rotate about an axis 32 .

A spring 60 is also provided, which applies a force to the lever 30 and thus generates friction, so that the lever 30 is held in its position by friction against the force of gravity.

The housing 21 is held on an optionally provided inner housing 28, which can be fixed to the underside of the top panel 4 via a fastening mechanism not shown in detail. Height and windage adjustment means may also be provided to align the housing 21 relative to the inner housing 28 . In the inner housing 28 there is a damper 33 which is designed as a linear damper and has a damper housing and a piston rod 35 which is movably mounted on the damper housing. The damper 33 can be designed as a fluid damper, in particular an oil damper. The damper 33 is mounted such that it can rotate about an axis 34 which is arranged on the housing 21 . The piston rod 35 is mounted at the end with a head piece on an axle 36 which is held on a lever 50 which is mounted on the housing 21 so as to be rotatable about an axle 51 . Furthermore, a lever 37 is provided, which is arranged in an articulated manner on the pivoting lever 23 via an axis 38 . It can also be seen in FIG. 5 that the hinge part 22 has a first part 22A and a middle

part 22B, wherein the hinge part 22 can also be formed in one piece.

In Figure 6, the retaining hinge 20 is shown in section, the cam guide 40 is visible on one of the housing shells 23A or 23B. The control element 31 is located in an exit section 43 of the curved guide 40, and the hinge part 22 and the flap 5 are in a closed position. If the flap 5 is now opened, as shown in Figure 7, the hinge part 22 pivots and thus also the lever 26 and the pivot lever 23.

As a result, the cam guide is moved relative to the control element 31, which is held on the lever 30. The control element 31 hits a first projection 46 at a ramp 44 which causes the control element 31 to be guided to an opening track 41 . During an opening movement of the flap 5 the control element 31 is moved along the channel-shaped opening path 41 .

In Figure 8, a position is shown in which the flap 5 was released after a short opening movement, so that the control element 31 has passed the first projection 46, but the other projections 47 and 48 have not yet been reached. In this position, the control element 31 can be moved during a closing movement of the flap 5 to a latching receptacle 45 on the first projection 46, which is trough-shaped and ensures that the flap 5 is locked in an open position. The locked position of the retaining hinge 20 with the control element 31 on the latching receptacle 45 is shown in FIG. If the flap 5 is now to be moved back into the closed position, it is raised slightly. As a result, the control element 31 is moved by the movement of the lever 26 and the pivoting lever 23 to a run-up slope 55 which is formed on the second projection 47 . As a result, the control element 31 is guided to the closing track 42, which is arranged on the upper side in the figures on the cam guide 40. The flap 5 can be brought into the closed position without being locked.

During the closing movement, the damper 33 is actuated, which is connected to the pivoting lever 23 via a lever 37, the lever 37 being articulated on one side to the pivoting lever 23 at a distance from its axis 24 and on the opposite side to the Head of the piston rod 35 is articulated. During the closing movement, the piston rod 35 is thus moved into the housing of the damper 33 so that corresponding damping forces can be generated which prevent the flap 5 from slamming shut due to the influence of gravity.

11 shows a position in which the flap with the hinge part 22 is in an opening movement, the control element 31 having passed the first projection 46 and, unlike the sequence described above, is now moving further in the opening direction until the second projection 47 has been passed. If the flap 5 is now released, the control element 31 reaches a latching receptacle on the second projection 47 and can support the flap 5 there (FIG. 12). To open, the flap 5 is raised slightly, whereby the control element 31 is moved against a run-up slope on the third projection 48, so that the control element 31 is guided to the closing track 42 for a closing movement.

In Figure 13, a position of the flap 5 is shown, which corresponds to the maximum opening position in the locked position, since the control element 31 is held on the third projection 48 on the latching receptacle. In this position the flap 5 is between 80° and 100° away from the closed position. To unlock the flap 5, it is lifted slightly so that the control element 31 comes up against a run-on slope 61 on the fourth projection 49 and is guided from there into the closing track 42 (FIG. 14).

The closing of the flap 5 can now be done by gravity, so that the user no longer has to actively intervene in the closing movement. The control element 31 is moved along the closing path 42 on the cam guide 40, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, until the closed position according to FIG. 6 is reached. A comparison of Figures 14 and 16 shows that during the closing movement of the flap, the piston rod 35 in the housing

of the damper 33 is retracted, so that the flap 5 is braked during the closing movement in a predetermined angular range. A spring can optionally be arranged in the damper 33 and acts on the piston rod 35 so that the piston rod is automatically retracted or extended depending on the connection to the lever 23 . In this way it can be ensured that the flap 5 reliably reaches the closed state. It can also be arranged that a spring acts on another component such as the lever 23, 37 or 50 or the piston rod 35 to move the piston rod relative to the damper 33 so that the flap 5 reaches the closed position. A rotary damper can also be used instead of a linear damper, in which case a spring can also drive the rotary damper for a secure closed position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the cam guide 40 includes three projections 46, 47 and 48 with a locking receptacle. Of course, it is also possible to provide only one, two or more than three projections for locking the control element 31 in place. Instead of the stepped latching on the retaining hinge 20, a clamping mechanism or another locking mechanism can also be provided in order to hold the flap 5 in an open position against the force of gravity.

In addition, the number of hinges 10 used and the retaining hinges 20 can be varied depending on the size of the flap 5.

REFERENCE LIST

1 furniture

2 furniture body 3 shelf

4 top panel 5 flap

6 side panel 7 rear panel 10 hinge 11 side panel

12 hinge part

13 levers

14 means

15 means

20 retaining hinge 21 housing

22 hinge part 22A part

22B center section

23 Pivoting Lever 23A Housing Shell

23B housing shell

24 axis

25 axis

26 levers

27 axis

28 Inner Housing 29 Bolts

30 levers

31 control 32 axis

33 dampers

34 axis

35 piston rod

36 axis 37 lever 38 axis

40 curve guidance

41 opening track

42 closing track

43 exit section 44 starting bevel

45 snap-in mount

46 lead

47 protrusion

48 lead

49 protrusion

50 lever 51 axle 55 — ramp 60 spring

61 ramp

Claims (13)

patent claims 1. Furniture (1) with a furniture body (2) and a pivotable flap (5) arranged on the furniture body (2), the furniture body (2) having a top panel (4) and at least one side wall (6), on which At least one hinge (10) is fixed to the top panel (4), each of which has a side part (11) fixed to the top panel (4) and a hinge part (12) that can be pivoted relative to the side part (11) and on which the flap (5) is fixed and a holding device by means of which the flap (5) can be locked in at least one open position, the holding device being unlockable by lifting the flap (5), the holding device being at least one on the top panel (4) or in the side wall (6 ) mounted retaining hinge (20) is formed, which is connected to a pivotable hinge part (22) with the flap (5), characterized in that the retaining hinge (20) has a curved guide (40) and in the curved guide (40) guided control element ( 31), multiple snap-in receptacles for holding the flap (5) in different opening positions being provided on the cam guide (40). 2. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one retaining hinge (20) is spaced from the at least one hinge (10). 3. Furniture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least one hinge (10) is designed as a four-joint hinge, one-joint hinge, seven-joint hinge, inlet or drill-in hinge or flap hinge. 4. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control element (31) is held on a lever (30) which is rotatably mounted on a stationary housing (21). 5. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control element (31) is biased by a spring in a direction of movement on the curved guide (40). 6. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the curved guide (40) has an opening track (41) and a closing track (42) which are separated from one another by a plurality of projections (46, 47, 48, 49). 7. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining hinge (20) has a damper (33) which brakes a closing movement of the flap (5). 8. Furniture according to claim 7, characterized in that the damper (33) is acted upon by an energy accumulator, so that the flap (5) reaches the closed position counter to the damping effect. 9. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one hinge (10) has a damper which brakes a closing movement of the flap (5). 10. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an overload protection is provided on a latching receptacle of the cam guide (40), which releases the control element (31) when a predetermined force on the latching receptacle is exceeded and allows the flap (5) to be closed . 11. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one pawl is provided on the curved guide (40), which blocks the control element (31) in a first direction and can happen in an opposite second direction. 12. Furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining hinge (20) has a first lever (23) and a second lever (26) which are connected to one another via an axis (25), the first lever (23) over a Axis (24) is connected to the stationary part of the retaining hinge (20), and the second lever (26) is connected to the pivotable hinge part (22) via an axis (27). 13. A method for opening and closing a pivotable flap (5) on a furniture body (2) in a piece of furniture according to one of the preceding claims, with the following steps: - Raising and pivoting a flap (5) held on at least one hinge (10) from a closed position into an open position; - Releasing the flap (5) and slightly lowering the flap (5) until a holding device on at least one holding hinge (20) holds the flap (5) in an open position; - raising the flap (5) and unlocking the retaining device, and - Releasing the flap (5) and lowering the flap (5) by gravity, with a damper on at least one hinge (10) and/or the at least one holding hinge (20) braking the closing movement. 19 sheets of drawings