AU2009250025A1

AU2009250025A1 - Damper

Info

Publication number: AU2009250025A1
Application number: AU2009250025A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Daniel Buschmeyer; Karsten Kroke; Janine Mertens; Thomas Oberhaus; Detlef Redecker; Andreas Stuffel
Original assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2008-05-19
Filing date: 2009-03-04
Publication date: 2009-11-26
Also published as: CN102036585A; JP2011520539A; RU2010150874A; WO2009141174A1; ES2533845T3; JP5453619B2; DE202008006755U1; EP2276377B1; CN102036585B; TW201006410A; KR20110043537A; RU2503389C2; EP2276377A1

Description

Damper The present invention relates to a damper for a furniture pullout guide comprising a body rail and a running rail and optionally a pullout-extending center rail. Furniture pullout guides are often equipped with a self-closing apparatus in the form of an energy storage device which is tensioned on pulling out a furniture pullout part and releases the stored energy when the furniture pullout part is pushed back into the furniture body. As a result of the energy of the energy storage device which is released in the closing direction, the furniture pullout part is securely returned to its closing position irrespective of any external operating forces, with constructions of self-closing apparatuses being known which are equipped with a damper. This damper is used to substantially prevent any excessive impact of the running rail on a limit stop in order to thus substantially reduce any impact noises. The present invention is based on the object of providing an inexpensive damper which is sturdy in permanent operation and which is independent of the configuration of a self closing apparatus. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in such a way that the damper consists of a housing which is fastened to the running rail or the body rail, lies in the displacement path of the center rail or running rail, can be elastically deformed at least in the displacement direction of the running rail and comprises a chamber which absorbs a force in the pullout direction. A damper that is arranged in such a way such as an end-position damper can be produced at extremely low cost and is virtually free from malfunctions. When the running rail is running in, the gaseous medium disposed in the chamber is compressed and kinetic energy is absorbed in this manner. This leads to a deceleration of the speed of the retracting running rail and thus also to lower impact forces at a limit stop, so that a considerable reduction of noises is possible. The housing is made of plastic according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. 2468962_1 (GHMatters) The person skilled in the art can make use of a large number of suitable materials which ensure a long service life of the damper. The gaseous medium is compressed in the closed position and is thus under a higher pressure than when the damper is relaxed. When a furniture pullout is moved away from this closed position, the compressed gaseous medium can relax again, whereby the housing is brought back to its original form again. It is also of subordinate relevance even in permanent operation that the material of the housing loses elasticity itself, because the function of the damper in accordance with the invention is determined virtually exclusively by the compression and decompression of the gaseous medium. An especially appropriate embodiment is that the housing is arranged as a bellows. This achieves a high amount of elasticity in the displacement direction of the running rail, in combination with high strength and stability against buckling transversally to the displacement direction. The chamber can principally be filled with any non-volatile gaseous medium. It is especially useful to fill the chamber with air. Further features of the invention are the subject matter of further dependent claims. An embodiment of the invention is shown in the enclosed drawings and will be described below in closer detail, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a partly sectional perspective view of a furniture pullout guide with a damper in accordance with the invention in a neutral position; Fig. 2 shows a view according to Fig. 1 with a partly compressed damper; Fig. 3 shows a view according to Figs. 1 and 2 with maximally compressed damper; Fig. 4 shows a partly sectional perspective view of a damper fastened to an end plug of a running rail. 2466962.1 (GHMatters) In Figs. 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 indicates a running rail of a furniture pullout guide which is longitudinally displaceable in relation to a pullout-extending center rail 2 in the direction of the double arrow A. The center rail 2 is displaceable in relation to a stationary mounted body rail in the known manner, which is why it is not illustrated in closer detail. It needs to be mentioned for easier orientation that the running rail 1 which carries a furniture pullout when used is pulled to the left out of a furniture body in the illustration position according to Figs. 1 to 3 and is pushed back into the furniture body to the right. A damper 3 in accordance with the invention is connected to the running rail 1 at its front end. This damper 3 lies in the displacement path of the center rail 2 and meets the front face side 2a of the center rail 2 during the insertion of the running rail 1, which corresponds to pushing in a furniture pullout part. When the running rail 1 is pulled out, which corresponds to the pulling out of a furniture pullout part from a furniture body, the damper 3 moves away completely from the center rail 2. Alternatively, the damper 3, which is used as an end-position damper, meets the face side of the body rail, in the case of furniture pullouts without any pullout-extending center rail 2 with pull-in mechanism. The damper 3 consists of a housing 4 which is arranged in form of a bellows and which forms a chamber that is completely sealed externally and is filled with a gaseous medium. Bellows 4 is therefore arranged as a hollow body and is completely sealed towards the outside. A gaseous medium, preferably air, is disposed in the interior of said hollow body. The bellows 4 is made of plastic. As is shown especially in Fig. 4, the bellows 4 is fastened to an end plug 5 which can be inserted in the front face end of the running rail 1. The fastening of the bellows 4 at the end plug 5 occurs by a bolt 6 which penetrates a bore hole of the end plug 5 like a bore hole of a pin 7 which is attached to the bellows 4 on its face end. 2466982_1 (GHMatters) When the distance between the face end 2a of the center rail 2 and the opposite face side 4a of the bellows 4 is reduced during the retraction of the running rail 1, the bellows 4 will meet the face side 2a of the center rail 2. When the two rails 1 and 2 are pushed further together relative to one another, this will lead to an axial reduction of the bellows 4, which is accompanied by a compression of the gaseous medium arranged in the interior of the bellows 4. The entering speed of the running rail 1 is thus reduced and the noise is minimized when the running rail 1 meets the end stops of the like. In the pushed-in state, which corresponds to the position of a closed drawer for example, the bellows 4 is compressed to a maximum as is shown in the illustration in Fig. 3 and the gaseous medium therein is compressed to a maximum and is thus under the highest achievable internal pressure. When the drawer is opened again, which means that the running rail 1 is displaced to the left in relation to the center rail 2, the gaseous medium can relax again in the interior of the bellows 4 and thus move back the bellows 4 again to its original shape, as is shown in Fig. 1. The damping effect of the damper 3 is therefore virtually exclusively determined by the compression of the gaseous medium within the bellows 4 as a result of the described construction, even though certain deformation forces are applied for the compression of the bellows 4 and respective restoring forces will become effective upon the release of the bellows. The lastly mentioned forces are of subordinate relevance for the function and the damper 3 will also maintain its function when the deformation and restoring forces which affect the bellows 4 approach zero in the end. The cooperation between a running rail 1 and a center rail 2 of a furniture pullout guide were described in the illustrated embodiment. The damper 3 can obviously also be used advantageously when there is no center rail 2 and the running rail 1 is guided directly on a stationary mounted body rail. The damper 3 could then alternatively also be fastened in the rear end region of the body rail and be pressurized by the rear face end of the running rail 1. It is obviously also possible to make the bellows 4 from a self-contracting elastic material and to thus use a virtually incompressible medium as the filling. 2466962_1 (GHMafters) It is further possible to fill the bellows 4 with an open-cell elastic material for achieving the damping effect. Moreover, the use of any form of mechanical springs is possible for achieving the damping effect. An interlocking, frictional or material connection of any configuration is possible as the connection between the end plug 5 and the damper 3. It is further provided in a further embodiment that the end plug 5 and the damper 3 is produced integrally in a two-component injection-molding process. In this way, the bellows 4 could consist of a plastic of higher elasticity and the end plug part of a plastic of higher hardness. It is further provided in a further embodiment that the housing is arranged as a sealed chamber and is made from a self-contracting elastic material for example. In this embodiment, the housing or the bellows 4 can be filled with an incompressible or nearly incompressible medium. Alternatively, the housing or bellows 4 can also be filled with an open-cell elastic material. The bellows 4 is appropriately connected with an end plug 4 in an interlocking, frictional or material way. Furthermore, the bellows could also be connected with an end plug 5 of the running rail 1. It is especially advantageous when the bellows 4 is arranged in an integral way. It is further possible that the bellows 4 and the end plug 5 are made integrally as a unit. It is further also possible that the force is applied by a mechanical spring. 2408962_1 (GHMatters)

Claims

1. A damper (3) for a furniture pullout guide comprising a body rail and a running rail (1) and optionally a pullout-extending center rail (2), characterized in that the damper (3) consists of a housing which is fastened to the running rail (1) or the body rail, lies in the displacement path of the center rail (2) or running rail (1), can be elastically deformed at least in the displacement direction of the running rail (1) and comprises a chamber which absorbs a force in the pullout direction.

2. A damper according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing is made of plastic.

3. A damper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing is arranged as a bellows (4).

4. A damper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing is arranged as a sealed chamber.

5. A damper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the housing is made of a self-contracting elastic material.

6. A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bellows (4) is rectangular in its cross section, preferably square.

7. A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing or bellows (4) is filled with air.

8. A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing or bellows (4) is filled with an incompressible or nearly incompressible material.

9. A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing or bellows (4) is filled with an open-cell elastic material. 2468962_1 (GHMatters)

10.A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bellows (4) is connected with an end plug (5) in a frictional, interlocking or material way.

11. A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bellows (4) is connected with an end plug (5) of the running rail (1).

12.A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bellows (4) is made integrally.

13. A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bellows (4) and the end plug (5) are made integrally as a unit.

14. A damper according to claim 1, characterized in that the force is applied by a mechanical spring.

15. A damper according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bellows (4) is connected by a bolt (6) with the end plug (5), which bolt (6) passes through a bore hole of the end plug (5), as also through a bore hole of a pin (7) attached to the bellows (4) at the end side. 2486962_1 (GHMatters)