AU2010268131A1

AU2010268131A1 - Drawer

Info

Publication number: AU2010268131A1
Application number: AU2010268131A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Guido Babucke-Runte; Andreas Kathler; Bernd Meyer; Helmut Meyer; Dennis Michelswirth; Andreas Stuffel
Original assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2009-07-02
Filing date: 2010-06-23
Publication date: 2012-02-02
Also published as: DE202009004982U1; EP2448450B1; EP2448450A1; CN102573566A; JP2012531230A; US20120133259A1; TW201102020A; CN102573566B; JP5678355B2; WO2011000751A1; RU2012102707A; RU2516151C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a drawer (1) that can be extended from and retracted into a furniture body, comprising a bottom (2), a front panel (3), two lateral frames (4, 5), and a back wall (6) that is positively and/or non-positively connected to the end regions of the lateral frames (4, 5) via corner joints (7), wherein each corner joint (7) is made of a first connecting part (8) and a second connecting part (9) that is connected in a pivotable manner to the first. The second connecting part (9) comprises at least one detent means (12) that can be connected to the first connecting part (8) and/or to the back wall (6), wherein the second connecting part (8) is connected to an adapter (15) associated with the end region of the lateral frame (4, 5).

Description

A drawer The invention relates to a drawer which can be extended from and retracted into a furniture body, comprising a bottom part, a front panel, two lateral frames and a back wall which is positively or non-positively connected to the end regions of the lateral frames via corner joints. The drawers in question are known in a large number of embodiments. In current industrially produced drawers, the lateral frames consist of hollow profile sections in which adapters are introduced for absorbing and transferring the forces to the pull-out guides. Corner joints are arranged at the end of the adapters which face the back wall. The back wall also often has to transfer forces to the lateral frames in addition to the mere delimiting function for the items disposed in the drawer. It can be arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part or as a panel which consists of wood or substitute wood material. The corner joints are usually arranged as shaped plastic parts in order to utilize the dimensionally and materially resilient properties of plastic materials for connection. The corner joints are usually arranged in such a way that the connection between the lateral frames and the back wall can occur without the help of tools. In the case of a prior known corner joint, mounting journals spaced from one another are applied to the side associated with the back wall, on which the back wall is then inserted. For this purpose, the back wall is provided with boreholes arranged in a correctly positioned manner, which need to be adjusted precisely to the width of the drawer. The back wall is secured by means of hooks which are arranged in groups and which have a different length, so that respective hooks will engage behind the back wall on the outside depending on the actual thickness of the back wall. As a result of the only partly engaging hooks, the transfer of forces via the back wall is reduced and the precisely produced boreholes in the back wall increase the production costs per back wall. These corner joints are complex from a constructional viewpoint as a result of the relatively high number of hooks, despite the fact that the joint consists of a single component. 042231 I GHMUM 1 P09nQ7 AU Optionally, the drawers in question are provided with back walls which are arranged as shaped sheet-metal parts or as plate-like parts. The thicknesses of the shaped sheet metal parts deviate from the thicknesses of the plate-like back walls; usually, the plate like back walls are thinner than the shaped sheet-metal parts. As a result, different corner joints are also necessary. The present invention is based on the object of providing a drawer of the kind described above in such a way that in the simplest possible way identically constructed corner joints can be used both for plate-like back walls as well as for back walls consisting of shaped sheet-metal parts, with the transmission of forces being improved and handling being as simple as possible. This object is achieved in such a way that each corner joint consists of a first connecting part and a second connecting part that is connected in a pivotable manner to the first connecting part, and that the second connecting part comprises at least one detent means which can be connected to the first connecting part and/or to the back wall, wherein the first connecting part is connected to an adapter associated with the end region of the lateral frame. Since the corner joint consists of two connecting parts which are connected with each other in the manner of a hinge or by way of articulation, the first connecting part can conventionally be connected fixedly to the adapter associated with the end region of the lateral frame, wherein the second connecting part can be moved in relation to the first connecting part in this phase. Subsequently, the second connecting part is pivoted to a position which stands at a right angle to the lateral frame, wherein thereafter the detent means of the second connecting part are in engagement with the first connecting part. In the case of a respective configuration, they could also additionally or solely be connected to the back wall. This applies especially in the case that the back wall is arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part. The arrangement can also be made in such a way that each detent means is disposed outside of the back wall and that the detent means of the two corner joints form stops, so that the end regions of the back wall engaging into the first connecting part are secured against displacement. In a preferred embodiment, each detent means of the second connecting part consists of at least one undercut latching web, the contact surface of which engages behind an VIlA720 I (rHMaderI PA007 AU associated area of the first connecting part of the corner joint or the back wall arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part. Every detent means is arranged in such a way that it is resilient when the second connecting part is pivoted to the end position. The detent means then jumps into the latched position in the end position of the connecting part. Preferably, each detent means consists of several undercut latching webs which are arranged in pairs. Since they are also arranged at a distance from each other, the second connecting part is fixed several times so that the latched connection is exceptionally secure. Every latching web is advantageously arranged as a harpoon sleeve. Since the free end regions are arranged in the manner of a wedge, the adjoining region extends for forming the contact area. The harpoon sleeves that are arranged in pairs either engage behind the openings of the first connecting part or the openings of the back wall which delimit the edge, wherein the harpoon sleeves penetrate the openings of the first connecting part in the latter case. It is provided in a further embodiment that the area of the second connecting part facing the back wall is arranged in a plate-like manner and is offset in the manner of steps, with the free area disposed away from the pivot axis having the larger thickness. It is thereby possible that the corner joint can be used both for back walls arranged as shaped sheet-metal parts and also for massive back walls. The thicknesses of the massive back walls are advantageously lower than the back walls formed as shaped sheet-metal parts. In the case of massive back walls, the free end region with the larger thickness of the second connecting part rests on the back wall, whereas the region facing the pivot axis rests on the back wall in the case of back walls arranged as shaped sheet-metal parts, so that the free end region engages in the back wall by the amount of offset. It is provided for fixing the height of the back wall arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part on the second connecting part that the first connecting part comprises at least one recess in the corner region facing away from the pivot axis, into which a projection arranged on the second connecting element will engage in an interlocking fashion, 3042239 1 (GHMatten) P89097.AU which projection simultaneously engages into a notching on the edge side of the back wall. This will also help prevent that forces act on the latching webs which act perpendicularly on the latching webs and would cause a movement. It is provided in a preferred embodiment that the first connecting part is connected to the second connecting part via a film hinge. As a result, the corner joint can be regarded as an integral shaped part which can be made of plastic by means of a suitable die by injection molding. It is further advantageous that both connecting parts are non detachably connected to one another. Further advantageous embodiments of the drawer in accordance with the invention are the subject matter of further dependent claims and are mentioned in the following description. The invention will be explained in closer detail by reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a drawer in accordance with the invention in a preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the connection of a lateral frame with the back wall by means of the corner joint in the unlatched state; Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the connection of the lateral frame with the back wall according to Figs. 1 and 2 in the latched state; Fig. 4 shows the connection of the lateral frame with the back wall in a perspective view, illustrating a view onto the inner areas of the lateral frame and the back wall; Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the adapter associated with the end region of the lateral frame with inserted corner joint without illustration of the lateral frame; Fig. 6 shows a perspective view from below of the adapter associated with the end region of the lateral frame with inserted corner joint without illustration of the lateral frame; Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of the adapter associated with the end region of the lateral frame without inserted corner joint without illustration of the lateral frame; Fig. 8 shows a perspective view from below of the corner joint as an individual part; Fig. 9 shows a top view of the connection of the lateral frame with a massive back wall; Fig. 10 shows a top view of the connection of the lateral frame with a back wall arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part. The drawer 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a bottom part 2, a front panel 3, two lateral frames 4, 5 and a back wall 6. The back wall 6 is connected to the lateral frames 4, 5 by means of corner joints 7 to be explained below in closer detail. As is shown in Figs. 2 to 6 and 8, each corner joint 7 consists of a first connecting part 8 and a second connecting part 9, which can be latched into one another in a manner that will be explained below in closer detail. The two connecting parts 8, 9 are connected to one another in the manner as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 by way of a film hinge 18 forming a vertical rotational axis. As is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the first connecting part 8 is arranged on the bottom side on an adapter 15 and is held by means of integrally arranged T-shaped pins 21 and knobs 22 acting as detent means, as shown in Fig. 8. The formation of the associated recesses in the adapter is shown in Fig. 7. The corner joint 7 is inserted with T-shaped pins 21 in the keyhole-like recesses 19 and displaced thereafter in the direction towards the back wall. The knobs 22 reach the latching holes 20 and thus secure the mounted position of the corner joint 7. The T-shaped pins 21 which are shown twice in the illustration close to the outside edges of the bottom area 23 ensure that the fixing of the corner joint 7 on the adapter 15 is also advantageously arranged against bending forces acting in the pull-out direction. The knobs 22 which act as a securing means contribute further to stiffening against bending forces acting transversely to the pull-out direction. In the case of a respective dimensioning, even only one knob 22 per corner joint 7 will be sufficient. In addition, a web 24 is formed between two recesses, which web can be brought after performed mounting by plastic deformation at least partly into a recess 25 on the corner joint 7 and thereby prevents any inadvertent detachment from the mounted position. The same also applies to the 3042239 1 (GHMttes) P89097.AU corner region (not shown) of the other side. The first connecting part 8 is provided on the rear side with two breakthroughs 10, 11 which are arranged on top of one another at a distance. Two harpoon sleeves 12 which are spaced from one another in the middle are formed on the second connecting part 9 in the illustrated embodiment, which harpoon sleeves are arranged at the same distance from one another and from the film hinge. These harpoon sleeves 12 are arranged in a correctly positioned manner in relation to the breakthroughs 10, 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the first connecting part 8 is provided with a recess 13 in the corner region facing away from the film hinge 18, into which a projection 14 attached to the inner surface of the second connecting part 9 engages in the latched state in an interlocking manner in the latched position of the corner joint 7. The beveled boundary web of the back wall 6 arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part is recessed with the same shape as the projection in a correctly positioned way. Fig. 3 shows the latched position for back walls 6 which are arranged as shaped sheet metal parts. Accordingly, the second connecting part 9 stands at a right angle in relation to the lateral frame 4. In the latched position, the harpoon sleeves 12 engage behind the edges delimiting the breakthroughs 10, 11 and the back wall 6 is fixed without any further fastening means between the stop 16 and the second connecting part 9. Fig. 4 shows a corner of the drawer 1 with a view towards the inner areas of the lateral frame 4 and the back wall 6. The end regions of the back wall 6 rest on the rear side on a stop 16 which is arranged on the first connecting part 8, which is arranged in form of a tapering projection and covers the gap the adjacent back wall 6. As a result of the coverage on the stop 16, the back wall 6 can advantageously be used as a rectangular part that can thereby be produced at low cost, even in the case of lateral frames 4, 5 which are arranged in an oblique or contoured way. As is especially shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the area of the second connecting part 9 facing the first connecting part 8 is offset in the manner of a step, with the end region facing away from the film hinge having the larger thickness. Figs. 9 and 10 show a top view of the fixing of the back wall 6 to the lateral frame 4 by means of the corner joint 7. The embodiment according to Fig. 9 shows a plate-like 3042239 1 (CHMatteri P9907 AU massive back wall 6, whereas Fig. 10 shows a back wall 6 which is arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part. A comparison of the drawings shows that the outer end region with the larger thickness of the second connecting part 9 rests on the outer surface of the massive back wall 6, whereas in the embodiment according to Fig. 10 the area protruding against the film hinge enters the back wall 6. In order to stiffen the second connecting part 9 against vertical forces, conventional fastening means (not shown) such as screws, nails, rivets or the like can be introduced through the holes 17 into the back wall 6 when using the massive back wall. It is especially advantageous that corner joints 7 of the same configuration can be used for both types of back walls 6. The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The relevant aspect is that the corner joints 7 are arranged in two parts and are connected with one another in an articulated manner, with the second connecting part 9 which stands at a right angle to the lateral frame 4 being provided with a detent means, preferably consisting of several harpoon sleeves 12. 3042239 1 (GHMotters) P89097.AU List of reference numerals 1 Drawer 2 Bottom part 3 Front panel 4 Lateral frame 5 Lateral frame 6 Back wall 7 Corner joint 8 First connecting part 9 Second connecting part 10 Breakthrough 11 Breakthrough 12 Harpoon sleeve 13 Recess 14 Projection 15 Adapter 16 Stop 17 Hole 18 Film hinge 19 Recess 20 Latching hole 21 T-shaped pin 22 Knobs 23 Bottom area 24 Web 25 Recess 3M42239 i (GHMattersI P89097.AU

Claims

1. A drawer which can be extended from and retracted into a furniture body, comprising a bottom part (2), a front panel (3), two lateral frames (4, 5) and a back wall (6) which is positively or non-positively connected to the end regions of the lateral frames (4, 5) via corner joints (7), characterized in that each corner joint (7) consists of a first connecting part (8) and a second connecting part (9) that is pivotably connected to the first connecting part, and that the second connecting part (9) comprises at least one detent means (12) which can be connected to the first connecting part (8) and/or to the back wall (6), wherein the first connecting part (8) is connected to an adapter (15) associated with the end region of the lateral frame (4, 5).

2. A drawer according to claim 1, characterized in that each detent means of the second connecting part (9) consists of at least one undercut latching web (12), the contact surface of which engages behind an associated area of the first connecting part (8) of the corner joint (7) and/or the lateral frame (4, 5) arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part.

3. A drawer according to claim 2, characterized in that each detent means consists of several undercut latching webs (12) which are arranged in pairs, that each latching web is arranged as a harpoon sleeve (12), and that the harpoon sleeves (12) arranged in pairs engage behind breakthroughs (10, 11) of the first connecting part (8) or an opening of the lateral frame (4, 5).

4. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second connecting part (9) is arranged in the manner of a plate, and that the area of the second connecting part (9) facing the back wall (6) is offset in a step like manner, with the free region disposed away from the pivot axis having the larger thickness.

5. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connecting part (8) in the corner region facing away from the pivot axis comprises at least one recess (13), into which a projection (14), a securing web 3042239 I (GHMsatltrI P99097 AU or a securing pin arranged on the second connecting part (9) will engage in an interlocking fashion in the latched state of the corner joint (7).

6. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connecting part (8) is connected with the second connecting part (9) of the corner joint (7) via a film hinge (18).

7. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connecting part (8) of the corner joint (7) is arranged on the bottom side on the adapter (15) and is held by integrally arranged T-shaped pins (21) and knobs (22) acting as detent means.

8. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that keyhole-like recesses (19) are associated with the T-shaped pins (21) in the adapter (15), so that after the insertion the adapter is displaceable in the direction towards the back wall (6).

9. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the T-shaped pins (21) of the first connecting part (8) are arranged adjacent to the outer edge of the bottom area (23).

10. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adapter (15) comprises a web (24) between two recesses (19), which web can be introduced at least partly into a recess (25) of the corner joint (7).

11. A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a beveled boundary web of the back wall arranged as a shaped sheet-metal part is provided with a recess disposed in a precisely positioned manner in relation to the projection (14) of the second connecting part (9).

12.A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connecting part (8) of the corner join (7) is provided with a stop (16) in such a way that the back wall (6) is fixed between the stop (16) and the second connecting part (9) and that the stop (16) covers the back wall (6). 3042239_1 (GHMatter) P89097.AU

13.A drawer according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second connecting part (9) is provided with holes (17) for guiding through fastening means. 3042239_1 (GHMatter) P89097.AU