AU2008248882B2

AU2008248882B2 - Drive system for a fitting

Info

Publication number: AU2008248882B2
Application number: AU2008248882A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stefan Andschus; Alexander Gorges; Thorsten Niedick; Oliver Schael; Uwe Sobolewski
Original assignee: Hettich Heinze GmbH and Co KG; Grass GmbH Deutschland
Current assignee: Hettich Heinze GmbH and Co KG; Grass GmbH Deutschland
Priority date: 2007-05-07
Filing date: 2008-03-06
Publication date: 2013-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 2028-03-06
Also published as: WO2008135300A1; EP2142735B1; RU2009144388A; ES2573255T3; CN101680253A; TW200914711A; RU2456423C2; TWI510703B; DE202007006689U1; CN101680253B; EP2142735A1; AU2008248882A1

Abstract

A drive system for a fitting, in particular a flap hinge for cupboards, has a housing (50) that can be secured to the body of a piece of furniture. An electric motor (38) provided on or in the housing (50) drives by means of gears (32) a coupling element (30) linked to a portion (7) of the fitting. The coupling element (30) is centrally arranged in the housing (50), in a direction perpendicular to the plane of motion of the portion (7) of the fitting. The drive system can be mounted on opposite sides of the body of a piece of furniture for driving a flap hinge (1).

Description

1 A drive system for a fitting The present invention relates to a drive system for a fitting, especially a flap hinge for cabinet furniture units, comprising a housing that can be secured to the body of a piece of furniture, on or in which an electric motor is provided which drives by means of gears a coupling element linked to a part of the fitting. There are fittings for furniture which are movable by an electric drive. The drive is usually adjusted individually to the respective part of the fitting and specially designed for one specific purpose. This increases manufacturing costs because only a specific number of a specific driven fitting can be sold. Especially in the field of hinged fittings there is the problem that a drive is desirable because the hinge fittings are mostly arranged to hang high up in the cabinet furniture units and the opening and the closing of the hinge fittings is regarded as cumbersome. Therefore the present invention seeks to provide a drive device for a fitting, especially a flap hinge for cabinet furniture units, which can be used universally for different pieces of furniture and mounting positions on the body of the furniture. In one aspect the present invention provides cabinet furniture comprising a body of a piece of furniture on which a housing of a drive device for a flap hinge is secured, on or in which an electric motor is provided which drives by means of gearing a coupling element linked to a part of the fitting, wherein the coupling element is arranged centrally in the housing in a direction perpendicular to the plane of motion of the part of the fitting and the drive device is mounted on opposite sides of a body of a piece of the furniture for driving a flap hinge and the coupling element is rotatably held on a driven swiveling lever. In accordance with the invention, the coupling element which is connected with the part of the fitting is arranged centrally in the housing, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of motion of the part of the fitting and the drive device can be mounted on opposite sides of a body of the furniture for driving the flap hinge. The drive device can thus be mounted universally for a right or left side on a body of the furniture, thus reducing the need for warehousing. As a result of the universal possibility of connecting the coupling element, the drive device can also be used for a large number of different fittings, so that fittings already installed in furniture can be retrofitted with the drive device. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the coupling element is arranged as a lever which reaches through a central slot in the housing. As a result, the components of the drive device in the housing can be arranged in a substantially protected manner against dirt accumulation and other ambient influences. 4664597.1 (GHMatters) P82148AU 5/09/13 2 For mounting the drive device, the coupling element can be held in a rotatable manner on a driven swiveling lever, so that a certain tolerance compensation can be effected in the mounting of the housing of the drive device. In order to predetermine the swiveling range of the fitting parts, limit switches can be provided by means of which the electric motor can be switched off upon reaching a maximum opening position or closing position. The limit switches can be actuated via at least one driver which is mounted on the swiveling lever. The swiveling range of the swiveling lever via the drivers and/or the limit switches can be adjustable, so that the swiveling range of the fitting parts is changed via the setting. This enables a respective adjustment to the purpose of the drive device. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is coupled with a controller which is connected with a signal line and/or a remote control with a switching device. The fitting part can thus be opened and closed via the controller as required. It is not necessary that the switching device is arranged directly adjacent to the body of the furniture, but it is also possible to provide remote control or remote switching over a certain distance. For effective drive, the swiveling lever comprises a toothing which is in engagement with a gearwheel. When the transmission has a respective gearing ratio, the electric motor can be arranged to be relatively small. The drive device is preferably connected on the coupling element with a flap hinge, with the same being used for opening a swiveling flap. Depending on the overall size of the flap, a respective drive device can be mounted on the flap hinge both on the right and left side. It may be sufficient for lower weights when only one drive device is mounted on the flap hinge. The invention is now explained in closer detail by reference to an embodiment shown in the enclosed drawings, wherein: Figs. I to 3 show side views of a drive device mounted on a flap hinge in different opening positions; Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the pivoting fitting with the drive device of Fig. 1; 3 Figs. 5 to 7 show several views of the drive device and the flap hinge with closed housing; Fig. 8 shows a front view of the drive device; Fig. 9 shows a top view of the drive device with the flap hinge, and Fig. 10 shows a perspective rear view of the flap hinge with the drive device. Fig. I shows a drive device for a flap hinge I which can be fastened via a holding plate 2 to the body of a furniture, preferably a cabinet furniture unit. The flap hinge 1 comprises a swiveling part 4 on which a plate 3 is provided for connection with a flap. The swiveling part 4 is arranged to be angular and comprises a hinge axis 6 perpendicular to the plane of plate 3 in a section 5 on which a guide lever 7 is held. A further axis 8 is formed on the section 5 which is spaced from the axis 6 and on which a second guide lever 9 is held in a rotatable manner. The guide lever 9 is connected via an axis 10 with a first lever 11 on the end averted from the swiveling part 4, which lever is also linked in an articulated manner with the guide lever 7 on an axis 15. A second lever 12 is provided which is spaced from the first lever 1I which is held on the holding plate 2 on an axis 17, which second lever is connected in an articulated manner on one side via an axis 13 with a guide lever 7 and at the other end via an axis 14 with the holding plate 2. As is shown in the Figs. 2 and 3, the swiveling part 5 can be swiveled relative to the holding plate 2. The illustrated flap hinge 1 concerns a fitting with seven hinge axes 6, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15 and 17. The arrangement of these axes and the geometry of the levers 7, 9, 11 and 12 can be varied depending on each application. In order to enable moving the swiveling part 4 more easily to the opened position, a spring 25 is provided which is held at one end on an axis 24 which forms an articulation point for a lever 21 and a lever 22. The lever 21 is held in a swiveling manner on the hinge axis 13 and the lever 22 is fixed to an axis 23 on the side averted from the axis 24, which axis 23 is provided on the holding plate 2. The spring 25 is fixed to a pin 26 on the side averted from the axis 24, which pin is adjustably held on a screw 27 in order to set the screw tension.

4 In the closed position of flap 3, the spring pressures the swiveling part 4 to the closed position because the levers 21 and 22 are moved towards one another with the axes 13 and 23 for opening the swiveling part 4 via the mechanism, so that the length of the spring 25 is slightly enlarged at the beginning. The length of the spring is reduced only after an angle of 150 to 25* for example and the spring 25 presses the swiveling part 4 to the opened position. After exceeding a dead center, the opening movement is thus supported by the spring 25. A drive device is provided in order to enable the flap hinge to be opened and closed not only manually but also automatically. It comprises a coupling element 30 in form of a lever which is held on one side on the hinge axis 13 and on the opposite side on an axis 35 on a swiveling lever 33. The swiveling lever 33 is rotatably held about a rotational axis 34. The swiveling lever 33 comprises a toothed section 31 which is in engagement with a gearwheel of a gearing 32 formed by several gearwheels. A gearwheel 36 of gearing 32 can be driven by an output shaft 37 of an electric motor 38. A gearing ratio is provided by the gearing 32, so that the electric motor 38 can be arranged in a relatively small way. Two mutually spaced drivers 42 and 44 are provided on the swiveling lever 33, through which a limit switch 40 and 41 which are each mounted on a housing are each switchable, so that the electric motor 38 can be switched off via a controller. In order to open the swiveling part 4, the electric motor 38 drives the swiveling lever 33 via the gearing 32 in a counter-clockwise manner until a half-opened position is reached at first (Fig. 2) and then a fully opened position (Fig. 3). In the maximum opened position, the driver 42 presses against a contact arm 43 of the limit switch 40 which cuts off the electric motor 38. When the swiveling part 4 is moved again to the closed position, the driver 44 presses against a contact arm 45 of the second limit switch 41, so that electric motor 38 is switched off in the end position. The drivers 42 and 44 and/or the limit switches 40 and 41 can be adjusted for setting the switching points. For this purpose, oblong holes 46 are provided on a housing 50 or a mounting plate, on which screws 47 are inserted for fixing the limits switches 40 and 41. The limit switches 40 and 41 can be fixed in the desired position by displacing the position of the screws 47. The drive device is received in the housing 50 which consists of two housing halves 51 and 52. The housing 50 can also have more than two parts. The electric motor 38 and the gearing 32 and the swiveling lever 33 are held in the housing 50. The coupling element 30 which is arranged as 5 a lever protrudes from a central slot, which element is connected on an axis 13 with the guide lever 7 of the flap hinge. As is shown in Fig. 8, the coupling element 30 is disposed in the housing 50, with the housing halves 51 and 52 forming a slot for leading through the coupling element 30. The distance of the coupling element 30 from the outside is the dimension A on both sides. It is thus possible to fasten the drive device both on a right side of a body of a piece of furniture as well as the left side of a body of a piece of furniture. It is merely necessary to provide one type of a drive device for both sides of the flap hinge. The drive device can also be used in a universal manner for other fittings. For this purpose it is possible to perform an adjustment of the swiveling range of the swiveling lever 33, e.g. in such a way that the drivers 42 and 44 are positioned differently. It is alternatively possible to also vary the position of the limit switches 40 and 41. In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 4664597_1 (GHMatters) P82148.AU 5/09/13

Claims

1. Cabinet furniture comprising a body of a piece of furniture on which a housing of a drive device for a flap hinge is secured, on or in which an electric motor is provided which drives by means of gearing a coupling element linked to a part of the fitting, wherein the coupling element is arranged centrally in the housing in a direction perpendicular to the plane of motion of the part of the fitting and the drive device is mounted on opposite sides of a body of a piece of the furniture for driving a flap hinge and the coupling element is rotatably held on a driven swiveling lever.

2. The cabinet furniture according to claim 1, wherein the coupling element is arranged as a lever which reaches through a central slot in the housing.

3. The cabinet furniture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coupling element is rotatably held on a driven swiveling lever.

4. The cabinet furniture according to any one of the claims I to 3, wherein one or more limit switches are provided, by means of which the electric motor can be switched off upon reaching a maximum opening or closing position.

5. The cabinet furniture according to claim 4, wherein the one or more limit switches can be actuated via at least one driver mounted on a swiveling lever.

6. The cabinet furniture according to claim 5, wherein a swiveling range of the swiveling lever can be set through the drivers and/or the one or more limit switches.

7. The cabinet furniture according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electric motor is coupled with a controller which is connected with a signal line and/or a remote control with a switching device.

8. The cabinet furniture according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the swiveling lever comprises a toothing which is in engagement with a gearwheel of the gearing.

9. The cabinet furniture according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive device is connected with a flap hinge with a swiveling part via the coupling element which is held 4664597_1 (GHMatters) P82148.AU 5/09/13 7 on two guide levers, and a holding plate which can be connected with a body of a piece of furniture, with two levers being held on the holding plate, of which one first lever is connected in an articulated manner with the two guide levers and a second lever is connected in an articulated manner with a guide lever.

10. The cabinet furniture according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling element on a hinge axis is connected with the guide lever and the lever.

11. The cabinet furniture according to claim 9 or claim 10 when dependent on claim 9, wherein a spring is provided by means of which the swiveling part is pretensioned in a closed position to the closed position and, after the swiveling of the swiveling part beyond the dead center, to the opened position. 4664597_1 (GHMatters) P82148.AU 5/09/13