AU2011281655B2

AU2011281655B2 - Ejector unit and push device

Info

Publication number: AU2011281655B2
Application number: AU2011281655A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jurgen Baum; Patrick Freiheit; Karsten Kroke; Janine Mertens; Lars Schrubke; Rainer Weichelt
Original assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Paul Hettich GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2010-07-22
Filing date: 2011-07-19
Publication date: 2015-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 2031-07-19
Also published as: EP2656749B1; RU2531884C2; JP2013530801A; DE102011001983A1; JP5987827B2; EP2656749A1; RU2013106745A; WO2012010589A1; TW201212854A; CN103037737A; AU2011281655A1; EP2595504B1; EP2595504A1; KR20130041246A; CN103037737B

Abstract

The invention relates to an ejector unit (1), in particular for movable furniture parts, comprising a pivotably mounted lever (2), which is preloaded by means of a spring (17) in an ejection direction, wherein the lever (2) is provided with a detent mechanism (11, 20) by means of which the lever (2) can be latched in a closed position against the force of the spring (17). This allows the ejector unit (1) to have a particularly compact design.

Description

Ejector unit and push device An ejector apparatus and a push device The present invention relates to an ejector apparatus, especially for movable furniture parts, comprising at least one pivotably mounted lever which is preloaded by means of a spring in an ejection direction, and a push device, especially for furniture or domestic appliances. DE 20 2006 020 236 discloses an apparatus for opening and closing a movable furniture part, in which a locking unit is provided with at least two locking elements which are coupled with each other synchronously and in a substantially play-free manner. One of the locking elements comprises a locking mechanism, so that a furniture part can produce unlocking by being pressed in and is ejected subsequently in the opening direction. This apparatus is arranged in a comparatively complex way with a large number of individual parts and requires a large amount of installation space due to the two separate locking elements. In at least one embodiment the present invention provides an ejector apparatus for movable furniture parts which are arranged in a compact way and enable user-friendly handling in conjunction with a push device. In one aspect the present invention provides an ejector apparatus comprising: at least one pivotably mounted lever which is preloaded by means of a spring in an ejection direction; a latching mechanism arranged on the lever, by means of which the lever can be latched in the closed position against the force of the spring in order to eject a component in an opening direction, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a curve guide with a loop-like section on which a latching recess is formed; and a control element held on the lever, which control element is guided in the curve guide, wherein the control element comprises at least one pin which engages in the curve guide and is displaceably held on the lever.. Therefore, the component can be ejected in one opening direction after unlocking and subsequently the lever can be latched again by the component in the closed position. As a result, the ejector apparatus can be provided with an especially compact 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS configuration and can be arranged independently from any further guide elements, a self-retraction unit or dampers. The ejector apparatus arranged in this manner can be used especially for movable furniture parts such as drawers, sliding doors or flaps. The control element can be arranged as a rod which engages through an oblong hole in the lever, so that a pin protrudes on opposite sides of the lever which is respectively held in a curve guide. This may enable an especially stable latching of the lever. A guide bevel can be arranged adjacent to the latching recess for unlocking, by means of which the rod is displaceable relative to the lever when the lever is pivoted, so that unlocking may occur in a simple way and an only short distance may be required for the unlocking process. Preferably, the lever is rotatably mounted on a housing on which a curve guide is arranged. The housing can comprise two side walls which respectively comprise on their inner sides a groove-like curve guide in which the control element is guided. As a result, the curve guide and the control element may be arranged in a protected manner in the housing and in the lever. It is obviously also possible to arrange the curve guide on the lever and to provide a control element on the housing, e.g. a displaceable pin. In accordance with one embodiment, the ejector apparatus comprises several levers which are coupled with each other via a connecting element and can be moved together. It may be necessary, especially when using the ejector apparatus on the rear wall of a drawer, to provide several ejector apparatuses distributed over the width of the drawer. The individual triggering of an ejector apparatus may then be prevented because they are moved jointly via the connecting element. The ejector apparatus can further comprise at least one pull-out guide on which a push element is displaceably held. The ejector apparatus can be mounted on the push element, with the housing of the ejector apparatus being optionally mounted on a fixed component such as a furniture body or the push element. The push element can then be moved in the closing direction for unlocking the lever, so that the lever is moved against the force of the spring and is unlocked. A magnet may be provided on the lever in a further variant, by means of which the control element can be influenced. The control element preferably consists of metal, so 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS that the magnet acts on the control element at specific positions of the curve guide, especially in regions of a branch-off where the control element could be displaced in a wrong direction without the action of the magnet. Erroneous actuation may be securely prevented in this way. Moreover, the switching path for unlocking the lever can be reduced to a minimum when the magnet acts on the control element in the region of the latching recess, so that a force will act on the control element as a result of a minimal movement of the control element out of the latching recess or the latching receiver. The influence of gravity may also be reduced by the magnetic force, so that the ejector apparatus in accordance with embodiments of the invention can easily be installed in different positions, e.g. overhead and with the lever facing downwardly. As a result of simple unblocking of the lever, this ejector apparatus can also be used especially well in wide drawers and those with a very small panel gap. It is obviously also possible to provide several magnets on the lever instead of one magnet. Furthermore, a push device may be provided which comprises a body on which a push element is displaceably held via at least one pull-out guide, with the push element being ejectable via an ejector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The ejector apparatus can be fixed to a rear side of the push element and cooperate with a lever on a rear wall or a stop in order to move the push element from a closed position to a slightly opened position. Preferably, the push device is provided with a first ejector apparatus which is effective over a longer distance than the tumbler apparatus which is arranged as a self-retraction apparatus for example. The push element can be moved to the closed position by means of closing by pressure, and the lever can be latched. In accordance with a further embodiment, the lever is adjustably held in the opening direction on the push element. An adjustment can accordingly be made after the mounting of the lever on the push element in order to adjust the size of the panel gap of a front panel relative to a furniture body for example. The adjustment can occur for example via an eccentric mechanism or any other adjusting apparatus which allows a displacement of the lever in the opening direction and closing direction even when the lever is mounted. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS Furthermore, a first ejector apparatus can be provided in a push device, which ejector apparatus can move the push element from a closed position to a slightly opened position, and a second ejector apparatus which is effective by being spaced from the first ejector apparatus. As a result, the push element can be latched in an intermediate position between the two ejector apparatuses, e.g. via a self-retraction apparatus, because the respective forces on the push element partly overlap one another by the two ejector apparatuses and the self-retraction apparatus. This may provide a high level of user comfort because the user is able to selectively latch the push element in a slightly opened position or in the closed position. Alternatively, the force of the first ejector apparatus may overlap the force of the self closing apparatus or the self-retraction apparatus, so that the push element may be accelerated by the first ejector apparatus in such a way that a second ejector apparatus is reached without any intermediate position and the push element may then be further accelerated by said second ejector apparatus. As a result of dividing the ejector forces among at least two ejector apparatuses, the triggering force for the first ejector apparatus may be reduced and the push element may be accelerated over a longer distance. Furthermore, a triggering field over nearly the entire panel may be achieved if the push element is arranged as a drawer. The ejector apparatuses can be arranged spaced from one another or also partly overlap one another. The self-closing apparatus may ensure that the roller on the lever of the first ejector apparatus will always come to lie on the stop in the latched state of the release mechanism. As a result, a direct response of the release mechanism may be ensured. Furthermore, the push element cannot be moved out of the furniture body inadvertently, e.g. by vibrations or tilting of the furniture body in the opening direction. As a result of manually opening the push element, the self-closing apparatus can be overcome. Once the second ejector apparatus is in engagement, the user may be supported at least during the opening of the push element. The release mechanism of the second ejector apparatus remains latched during the manual opening in the opening direction. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS If the self-closing apparatus comes into engagement with the activator on the running rail of the pull-out guide during the closing process, the push element may be closed on the stop until contact of the roller on the lever of the second ejector apparatus. The next opening process can be triggered selectively by pressure in the closing direction or by pulling in the opening direction on the push element. Preferably, a holding element is provided which engages around the lever at least in part and which holds the lever together with the push element in a closed position. As a result, the lever can comprise a self-closing function for the push element together with the holding element, so that no additional self-retraction apparatus is required. The holding element can be arranged in a bendable manner in order to release the lever upon exceeding a predetermined tensile force. The invention will be explained below in closer detail by reference to several embodiments shown in the enclosed drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an ejector apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows a perspective exploded view of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 1; Figs. 3A and 3B show views of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 1 in a closed position; Figs. 4A and 4B show views of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 1 in a release position; Figs. 5A and 5B show views of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 1 in an opened position; Figs. 6A and 6B show views of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 1 shortly before reaching the closed position; Figs. 7A and 7B show views of a piece of furniture with an ejector apparatus in the closed position; 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS Figs. 8A and 8B show views of a piece of furniture with an ejector apparatus during release; Figs. 9A and 9B show views of a piece of furniture with an ejector apparatus in a slightly opened position; Figs. 1 CA and 1 OB show views of a piece of furniture with an ejector apparatus in an opened position; Figs. 11 A to 11C show several views of a push element with an ejector apparatus; Figs. 12A and 12B show two views of a pull-out guide of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 shows a load-displacement diagram for a push device of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 shows a perspective view of a modified embodiment of an ejector apparatus; Fig. 15 shows a perspective exploded view of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 14; Figs. 16A to 18B show several views of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 14 in different setting positions; Figs. 19A and 19B show two views of a piece of furniture with differently set front panel; Fig. 20 shows a perspective view of a push element with a mounted ejector apparatus, and Fig. 21 shows a perspective exploded view of a modified embodiment of an ejector apparatus; Figs. 22A to 22C show several views of an adjusting disc; Figs. 23 and 24 show two views of the ejector apparatus of Fig. 21; 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS Figs. 25A to 25D show several views of a further embodiment of an ejector apparatus in different positions; Figs. 26A to 26E show several views of the embodiment of Fig. 25 in applying a tensile force on the push element; Figs. 27 and 28 show two perspective views of a further embodiment of an ejector apparatus in accordance with the invention, and Figs. 29 to 36 show several views of the ejector apparatus of Figs. 27 and 28 in different positions. An ejector apparatus 1 comprises a lever 2, at the one end of which a roller 3 is rotatably held. The roller 3 comprises protruding pins 4 on opposite sides which are fixed in a receiver between two legs 5, with the legs 5 being integrally arranged with the lever 2. The lever 2 is rotatably mounted about an axis 7 on a housing 6, with the housing 6 having a front wall 16 which connects two side walls 60 with each other. A groove-like curve guide 14 is recessed on each inside of the side walls 60, which curve guide comprises an outwardly open channel 15 for mounting a control element 11. The control element 11 is arranged as a rod which is cylindrical and comprises a radially protruding ring 12 at opposite ends, on which a laterally protruding pin 13 is adjacently disposed. The pin 13 is respectively displaceably held in the curve guide 14. The control element 11 penetrates an oblong hole 9 which is recessed in the lever 2. The oblong hole 9 comprises an enlarged head section 10, through which the control element 11 can even be inserted together with the annular discs 12, so that it is displaceable in a secured manner in the axial direction within the oblong hole 9. The oblong hole 9 extends in alignment with the rotational axis of the roller 3 and the rotational axis 7 and in the plane opened up by the roller 3 and the rotational axis 7, so that the control element 11 is movable in the oblong hole 9 in the radial direction of the lever 2. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS The lever 2 is preloaded by a spring 17 in the opening direction, with the spring 17 resting with a leg 18 on the front wall 16 and with the opposite leg 19 on the lever 2. Figs. 3 to 6 show the function of the ejector apparatus 1 in different positions. Figs. 3A and 3B show the lever 2 arranged in a closed position. The control element 11 is disposed with the pin 13 on a latching recess 20 which is formed by a projection in a loop-like section of the curve guide 14. The spring 17 presses the lever 2 about the axis 7 to the right and the pin 13 thereby rests in the latching recess 20. In order to unlock the lever 2 from the latched position, it is pressed at first in the closing direction (Figs. 4A and 4B), so that the lever 2 will be pivoted in an anti-clockwise manner. As a result, the control element 11 will be pressed with the pin 13 against a guide bevel 21 of the curve guide 14 and is displaced within the oblong hole 9 downwardly to a run-out channel 22 of the curve guide 14. After the unlocking of the control element 11, it can be displaced freely within the curve guide and reaches from the run-out section 22 to an extension channel 23 of the group like section. The lever 2 will pivot in a clockwise manner by the force of the spring 17 up to an end channel 24 with a stop on which the pins 13 will rest in a slightly opened position of the lever 2 (Figs. 5A and 5B). In order to move the lever 2 back to the closed position, a component such as a movable furniture part is pressed against the roller 3 on the lever 2 and will move the same in an anticlockwise manner. Consequently, the control element 11 with the pin 13 will reach a run-in channel 25 on the loop-like section and up to an upper run-out channel 26 which is arranged adjacently to the latching recess 20 (Figs. 6A and 6B). The user can now release the movable component in this position, so that the spring 17 will press the lever in the clockwise direction again, by means of which the control element 11 with the pin 13 will be moved from the upper run-out channel 26 to the latching recess 20, so that the position as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B will be reached again. Figs. 7A to 1 OB show the ejector apparatus of Fig. 1 in an installation situation in a piece of furniture 30. The piece of furniture 30 comprises a furniture body 32 on which 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS at least one push element 35 is displaceably held. The push element 35 is arranged as a drawer which comprises a front panel 31. The housing 6 of the ejector apparatus 1 is mounted on the side opposite of the front panel 31, on which the lever 2 is pivotably held. An angle is fixed to the furniture body 32, which angle forms a stop 34 for the lever 2 with one leg. Figs. 7A and 7B show the closed position of the drawer. In order to unlock the ejector apparatus 1, the front panel 31 is pressed further in the closing direction into the furniture body 32. As a result, a rear stop surface 70 of the housing 6 reaches a rear wall 33 of the furniture body. This is only provided for limiting the path, but not for unlocking. For unlocking, the lever 2 is pressed with the roller 3 against the stop 34, so that the lever is pivoted slightly in an anticlockwise manner and the control element 11 is moved out of the latching recess 20 (Figs. 4A and 4B). After the unlocking, the ejector apparatus 1 can pivot the lever 2 in a clockwise manner via the force of the spring 17, which lever rests on the stop 34. As a result, the push element 35 is moved to a slightly opened position, as is shown in Figs. 9A and 9B. After reaching a slightly opened position, the push element 35 can now be displaced independently of the ejector apparatus 1, with the lever 2 being arranged spaced from the stop 34, as is shown in Figs. 1 CA and 1 OB. In order to bring the push element 35 back to the closed position, it is moved in the closing direction until the lever 2 rests on the stop 34 and is then pivoted in one direction in an anticlockwise manner and against the force of spring 17 until the position as shown in Figs. 6A and 6B is reached. The front panel 31 or a handle element is then subsequently released, so that the spring 17 will slightly open the push element 35 and thereby lock it on the ejector apparatus 1. Figs. 11 A to 11C show the push element 35 in closer detail. The push element 35 has a box-like configuration, to which the front panel 31 is fixed. Pull-out guides 40 are arranged on opposite sides of the push element 35, on which the push element 35 is displaceably held. Two housings 6 are fixed to the rear wall 33 of the push element 35, on which one respective lever 2 is pivotably held. The levers 2 are connected via a rod 36 with each other and can therefore only be moved jointly. Unlocking of the two ejector apparatuses 1 can then also occur in the case of a lateral loading of the front panel 31. An angle 34 is fixed to the furniture body 32 for each ejector apparatus 1, which angle forms a stop for the lever 2 with one leg. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS Figs. 12A and 12B show a pull-out guide 40 on which the push element 35 is displaceably held. The pull-out guide 40 comprises a guide rail 41 which is mounted on the furniture body 32. A running rail 42 is displaceably mounted on the guide rail 41, optionally by interposing one or several middle rails, to which the push element 35 is fixed. A web-like activator 44 is fixed to the running rail 42, which activator can be coupled with a self-retraction apparatus and the second ejector apparatus. A housing 43 is arranged for this purpose on the pull-out guide 40, on which curve guides are arranged for a first driver 45 and the second driver 48. The first driver 45 is displaceably held on a curve guide, which comprises a bent-off end section on opposite sides, with the driver 45 being able to pivot at the end sections and releasing the activator 44. The driver 45 is preloaded in the closing direction via a retraction spring 47. In this process, the driver 45 is displaceable over a path along the curve guide which is shorter than the path of the push element 35 which is moved by the lever 2 of the ejector apparatus 1 to a slightly opened position. When the push element 35 is therefore moved in the opening direction, the opening movement will be supported at first by the lever 2 of the ejector apparatus 1, with the push element 35 that is accelerated in this manner further moving the running rail 42 in the opening direction. After this short distance, e.g. between 0.5 and 5 cm, the driver 45 reaches a bent-off end section and will be pivoted there, so that the activator 44 can be moved independently of the driver 45. The activator 44 now comes into engagement with the second driver 48, which is displaceably held along a further curve guide on the housing 43. The curve guide comprises a bent-off end section, so that the activator 44 will pull the driver 48 from said bent-off end section and the driver 48 will then be pulled via the force of an opening spring 50 in the opening direction. As a result, the opening movement of the push element 35 is supported again by the second ejector apparatus. A receiver 49 for the activator 44 is provided on the driver 48, so that coupling between the activator 44 and the second driver 48 is ensured in a linear section of the curve guide. Similarly, the first driver 45 comprises a receiver 46 for the activator 44. During the extension of the push element 35, the activator 44 comes out of engagement and it can freely run over the driver 48. Fig. 13 shows a load-displacement diagram for the push element 35. In a widely opened range, the first ejector apparatus 81 and the second ejector apparatus 82 and the self 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS closing apparatus 83 (arranged as a self-retraction apparatus for example) are not active and the push element 35 can be freely displaced via the running rails 42. When the push element 35 is moved in the closing direction, the second ejector apparatus 82 is activated at first in that the activator 44 is coupled with the driver 48 and the force of the opening spring 50 now needs to be overcome in the closing direction. When the driver 48 reaches a bent-off end section of the curve guide, the driver 48 pivots and releases the activator 44. As a result, no forces act on the activator by the second ejector apparatus 82 in a short transitional region. The roller 3, 3' of the ejector apparatus 1, 1', 81 then comes to rest on the stop 34. When the push element 35 needs to be moved to the completely closed position, the force of spring 17 needs to be overcome and the push element 35 needs to be pressed completely into the furniture body 32 so that the ejector apparatus 1, 1', 81 latches in the closed position. Furthermore, the activator 44 comes into engagement with the driver 46, which as a result of the force of the retraction spring 47 is pulled in the closing direction. The load displacement diagram further shows the system friction 84 and the resulting progression of force 85. Fig. 14 shows a modified embodiment of an ejector apparatus 1', in which a pivotable lever 2 is held on a housing 6, as described in the preceding embodiment. A rotatable roller 3' is arranged on the lever 2 at the end side, which roller comprises several annular ribs, between which annular recesses are provided. The roller 3' consists of an elastic material and provides low noise development under impact load as a result of the contour of roller 3'. The roller 3' can be placed against an angular stop 34 which is mounted on a furniture body. The housing 6 is held on the push element via an adjusting mechanism, so that the lever 2 can be adjusted together with the housing 6 in the opening direction. The adjusting mechanism comprises a plate 61 on which the housing 6 is fixed. The plate 61 is arranged at a protruding end adjacent to a mounting plate 64 which is fixed to a push element 35. Two pin 66 are fixed to the mounting plate 64 for this purpose, which can be inserted into respective openings on the bottom of the push element 35. Fig. 15 shows the individual parts of the adjusting mechanism. The pins 66 are fixed via screws 67 to the plate 61, with the pins 66 moving apart when the screws 67 are twisted in and are clamped in an opening. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS An oblong hole 62 which is aligned perpendicularly to the opening direction is recessed in plate 61 in the region of the mounting plate 64, in which an eccentric 63 is inserted. The eccentric 63 comprises an eccentrically arranged pin 73 which is inserted into a central opening 65 on the mounting plate 64. Furthermore, two pins 68 are provided which are inserted into openings on plate 61 and are respectively guided in an oblong hole 69 on the mounting plate 64 in the opening direction. In Figs. 16A and 16B, the adjusting mechanism is shown in a position in which the pins 68 are arranged in a middle region of the oblong holes 69. From this position, the pin 68 can be displaced by the rotation of the eccentric 63 by the length t in the closing direction and by the length s in the opening direction, leading to the adjustment range v. A receiver for a tool is arranged in the eccentric 63, e.g. a screwdriver, so that the opening position can be set by rotating the eccentric 63 from the bottom side of the push element. Figs. 17A and 17B show the adjusting mechanism in a position at the maximum in the closing direction. The pins 68 have reached the end of the oblong holes 69. The eccentric 63 has been twisted in the opposite direction in Fig. 18, so that the pins 68 are arranged in the maximum opening position. The adjusting process is performed in the piece of furniture in such a way as shown in Figs. 19A and 19B. In Fig. 19A, the front panel 31 is disposed directly adjacent to the furniture body 32, so that the initial panel gap y was reduced by the distance t. In Fig. 19B, the opening gap was enlarged between the front panel 31 and the furniture body 32, with the initial opening gap y being enlarged by the distance s. As a result, a subsequent alignment of the front panel 31 relative to the furniture body 32 can occur by the adjusting mechanism. In Fig. 20, the push element 35 which is arranged as a drawer is shown with the mounted ejector apparatus. The ejector apparatus is held on plate 61 with the housing 6, with the plate 61 being adjustable relative to the mounting plate 64. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS The illustrated invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. It is obvious that one or several ejector apparatuses 1 can be attached to a push element 35. The push element 35 can also be arranged as a sliding door or any other linearly movable component instead of a drawer. Moreover, the ejector apparatus 1 can obviously also be used for flaps, doors and other moved components. In a further embodiment (not shown), the push element 35 can be latched in an intermediate position between the effective area of two ejector apparatuses. In this case the self-retraction device is provided with a larger effective area than the first ejector apparatus and the self-retraction spring presses the push element against the lever 2 of the ejector apparatus 1. The force of spring 17 of the ejector apparatus 1 will then be larger than the force of the self-retraction spring in order to enable such intermediate latching. Fig. 21 shows a further embodiment of an ejector apparatus with a pivotable lever 2, which is held on a housing 6 according to the embodiment as shown in Fig. 14 and comprises a rotatable roller 3' at the end side. The lever 2 is penetrated by a control element 11 which is movable in a curve guide 14. The housing 6 is fixed to a plate 97, with the plate 97 having a recess 100 into which a projection on housing 6 is inserted. Furthermore, the plate 97 comprises oblong slits 98 in the direction of movement of a push element 35. Latching elements 107 engage into the slits 98, which latching elements slide in the slits 98 during an adjusting process. The slits 98 comprise guideways, on which projections of the latching elements 107 can slide. Furthermore, a mounting plate 101 is provided which can be fixed to a push element 35 by means of screws for example which engage through openings 102. A receiver 103 with an opening 104 for the rotatable bearing of an adjusting screw 105 is provided on the mounting plate 101, with the adjusting disc 105 engaging with a pin 96 in the opening 104 and comprising a rib-like endless adjusting screw 106. The adjusting disc 105 protrudes over the mounting plate 101 and can therefore be twisted by hand. As is shown in Figs. 22A to 22C, the pin 96 alternatively comprises a tool receiver 108 in order to enable actuation with a tool. Fig. 23 shows that the plate 97 comprises a row of adjacent projections 99 on the side facing the adjusting disc 105, which projections engage between the endless adjusting 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS screw 106, so that the plate 97 will be displaced relative to the mounting plate 101 during rotation of the adjusting disc 105. As a result, the housing 6 can be moved with the lever 2 in the direction of movement of the push element 35. An adjustment of the panel can therefore occur via the adjusting disc 105, as shown in Fig. 24. Figs. 25A to 26E show a previously described ejector apparatus which is fixed to a push element 35, with the lever 2 with the roller 3' which is rotatably held on the housing 6 resting on a stop 34 which is formed by an angle. A flexible holding element 55 is further provided on the angle 34, e.g. leaf spring. Fig. 25A shows the push element 35 in a closed position and a front panel 31 is disposed at a short distance from the furniture body 32. If a slight tensile force acts on the front panel 31, the holding element 55 prevents an opening of the push element 35 because the holding element 55 will engage over the roller 3' and prevent that the push element 35 will open. When the front panel 31 is pressed in and the latching mechanism is unlocked (Fig. 25B) the housing moves further into the furniture body and the lever 2 with the roller 3' remains in the unchanged position for the time being. After the unlocking of the latching mechanism the lever 2 presses on the stop 34 and pivots in a clockwise manner. As a result, the roller 3' slides downwardly and moves away from the holding element 55 (Fig. 25C). Fig. 25D shows the push element 35 in an opening position and the lever 2 is spaced from the stop 34 and the holding element 55. When the push element 35 is brought back to the closed position, the lever 2 with the roller 3' reaches the stop 34 at first and is then pivoted until the roller 3' rests on the holding element 55 again. The position as shown in Fig. 25A has then been reached. Fig. 26A shows the ejector apparatus shown in Fig. 25 in the closed position. If a tensile force acts on the front panel 31 instead of a pressing-in force, the flexible holding element 55 will hold the roller 3' with the lever 2 in the closed position at first, with the latching mechanism not being unlatched. If a predetermined force is exceeded however, the holding element 55 will bend upwardly (Fig. 26B) and the roller 3' on lever 2 will move away from the stop 34. The push element 35 will then be opened by overcoming 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS the spring force of the holding element 55 (Fig. 26C). Fig. 26D shows the push element 35 in an opened position in which the untriggered lever 2 is remote from the stop 34. If the push element 35 is to be moved back again to a closed position, the lever 2 with the roller 3' reaches the holding element 55 at first, which bends towards the stop 34. As a result of the force of the holding element 55, the lever 2 will be pivoted slightly in an anticlockwise direction, so that the latching mechanism will be triggered. The push element 35 will then be moved in the opening direction after the triggering of the latching mechanism. The push element 35 can then be moved by the user in the closing direction until the latching of the latching mechanism. In this process, the lever 2 is displaced again upwardly along the stop 34 beneath the holding element 55 until the position shown in Fig. 26A has been reached. This process protects the ejector apparatus from damage to the components. In the embodiment as shown in Figs. 25 and 26, the holding element 55 is provided with a flexible configuration (e.g. as a leaf spring made of plastic or metal). It is also possible to arrange the holding element in a dimensionally stable manner, so that an opening of the push element 35 by pulling the front panel 31 is not enabled. Opening of the push element 35 can only occur by pressing in and unlocking the latching mechanism. Figs. 27 and 28 show a further embodiment of an ejector apparatus in accordance with the invention, in which a lever 2 is rotatably held about an axis 7. A rotatable roller 3' is arranged on the lever 2 at the end side, which roller is held with pins 4 on legs 5 of the lever 2. Rings 3" made of an elastic material are disposed on the roller 3', especially rubber rings, in order to avoid impact noises when the roller 3' or the rings 3" strike the stop 34. The housing 6, on which the lever 2 is pivotably held, is disposed on a plate 97' which is displaceably held on a mounting plate 101'. For this purpose, the plate 97' comprises webs 98' at the edge, which webs are held in respective lateral guides on the mounting plate 101'. The guides comprise inwardly facing projections 107' which engage over the webs 98'. A receiver 103' with an opening 104' is arranged on the mounting plate 101', as in the preceding embodiment, on which an adjusting disc 105' with an endless adjusting screw 106' is rotatably held. The endless adjusting screw 106' engages in projections which are arranged on the bottom side of plate 97', so that the position of 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS the plate 97' will be changed by rotating the adjusting disc 105' in order to set a panel gap or to align the position of the housing 6 in any other manner. A receiver 56 for a leg 18 of the spring 17 is arranged on the housing 6 in a side wall 60. The leg 18 which is arranged on the opposite side of spring 17 will be inserted into a receiver 57 which is recessed in the lever 2. A recess for a magnet 110 is further formed in the lever 2 adjacent to the oblong hole 9. The magnet 110 exerts forces of attraction on the control element 11 which consists of metal, preferably steel. For utilising the advantageous effect, the control element 11 is preferably made of a ferromagnetic material. Figs. 29 and 30 show the ejector apparatus in the closed position of the push element with locked control element 11. The roller 3' of the lever 2 can rest on a stop 34, as has been explained with reference to Figs. 25 and 26. In the closed and locked position, the pin 13 of the control element 11 is disposed in a latching recess 20 or latching receiver of the curve guide 14. The magnet 110 is disposed slightly beneath the control element 11, so that a magnetic force acts in the direction of arrow 111, which pulls the control element 13 downwardly into the oblong hole 9. The control element 11 cannot be moved downwardly because it is held with pin 13 on opposite sides in the latching recess 20. When the lever 2 is now unlocked by a movement of the push element in the closing direction, the position as shown in Fig. 31 will be reached. Directly after the pivoting of the lever 2 in an anticlockwise manner, the magnet 110 pulls the control element 11 downwardly to the run-out channel 22, so that the control element 13 is unlocked. It is not necessary that the control element 11 runs against the guide bevel 21, even though mechanical unlocking is possible by displacement of the control element 11 along the guide bevel 21 in the case of a jerky movement. The control element 11 could also be unlocked by way of the force of the magnet 110 even in the case of overhead installation in that the control element 11 is moved against the force of gravity. In Fig. 32, the lever 2 has been pivoted even further in an anticlockwise manner, so that the control element 11 will run with the pin 13 into the run-out channel 22. When the push element is released, the lever 2 will pivot in a clockwise manner by the force of 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS spring 17 and will eject the push element. As a result, the control element 11 will be displaced on the pins 13 along the curve guide 14 in an extension channel 23 of a loop like section until the position as shown in Fig. 33 has been reached. The loop-like section comprises a corner region, wherein the end channel 24 was omitted. Once the control element 11 reaches this corner region, the lever 2 is in its end position. As is shown in Fig. 34, the control element 11 is in the end position of the lever 2 adjacent to the magnet 110 which draws the control element 11 upwardly along the oblong hole 9, as symbolically shown with the arrow 112. The corner region forms a branch-off for the control element 11, because the control element 11 can be moved selectively back into the extension channel 23 or into the run-in channel 25. As a result of the force of the magnet 110, the control element 11 will be held on the side of the run-in channel 25 which faces away from the extension channel 23, so that inadvertent actuation is securely prevented. As is shown in Fig. 35, the control element 11 is disposed with the pin 13 on the upper wall of the run-in channel 25 although gravity pulls the control element 11 downwardly. Since gravity is lower than the force of magnet 110, the control element 11 is moved along the upper wall of the run-in channel 25 which faces away from the extension channel 23. The lever 2 is pivoted in an anticlockwise manner again during retraction of the push element until the position as shown in Fig. 36 has been reached. The control element 11 has been moved in the upper run-out channel 26, so that the push element can now be released, so that spring 17 pivots the lever 2 in a clockwise manner. As a result, the control element 11 is pushed into the latching recess 20 again and the position as shown in Figs. 29 and 30 is reached. It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. 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 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS 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. List of reference numerals 1 Ejector apparatus 1' Ejector apparatus 2 Lever 3 Roller 3' Roller 3" Rings 4 Pin 5 Leg 6 Housing 7 Axis 9 Oblong hole 10 Head section 11 Control element 12 Ring/disc 13 Pin 14 Curve guide 15 Channel 16 Front wall 17 Spring 18 Leg 19 Leg 20 Latching recess 21 Guide bevel 22 Run-out channel 23 Extension channel 24 End channel 25 Run-in channel 26 Run-out channel 30 Piece of furniture 31 Front panel 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS 32 Furniture body 33 Rear wall 34 Stop 35 Push element 36 Rod 40 Pull-out guide 41 Guide rail 42 Running rail 43 Housing 44 Activator 45 Driver 46 Receiver 47 Retraction spring 48 Driver 49 Receiver 50 Opening spring 55 Holding element 60 Side wall 61 Plate 62 Oblong hole 63 Eccentric 64 Mounting plate 65 Opening 66 Pin 67 Screw 68 Pin 69 Oblong hole 70 Stop surface 75 Pin 81 Ejector apparatus 1 82 Ejector apparatus 2 83 Closing apparatus 84 System friction 85 Resulting force curve 86 Mounting plate 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS 87 Opening 88 Receiver 89 Opening 90 Adjusting disc 91 Endless adjusting screw 92 Plate 93 Slits 94 Projection 95 Recess 96 Pin 97 Plate 97' Plate 98 Slit 98' Web 99 Projection 100 Recess 101 Mounting plate 101' Mounting plate 102 Opening 103 Receiver 103' Receiver 104 Opening 104' Opening 105 Adjusting disc 105' Adjusting disc 106 Endless adjusting screw 106' Endless adjusting screw 107 Latching element 107' Projection 108 Tool receiver 110 Magnet 111 Arrow 112 Arrow t Length, distance 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS s Length, distance v Adjusting range y Panelgap 6622854_1 (G H Matters) P92267.AU WENDYS

Claims

1. An ejector apparatus comprising: at least one pivotably mounted lever which is preloaded by means of a spring in an ejection direction; a latching mechanism arranged on the lever, by means of which the lever can be latched in the closed position against the force of the spring in order to eject a component in an opening direction, wherein the latching mechanism comprises a curve guide with a loop-like section on which a latching recess is formed; and a control element held on the lever, which control element is guided in the curve guide, wherein the control element comprises at least one pin which engages in the curve guide and is displaceably held on the lever.

2. An ejector apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lever comprises an oblong hole and the control element is arranged as a rod which engages through the oblong hole in the lever.

3. An ejector apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a guide bevel is arranged adjacent to the latching recess.

4. An ejector apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever is rotatably held on a housing on which the curve guide is arranged.

5. An ejector apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the curve guide is groove-like and is arranged on opposite inner sides of the housing.

6. An ejector apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ejector apparatus comprises a plurality of levers which are coupled with each other and are jointly movable by means of at least one connecting element.

7. An ejector apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ejector apparatus comprises at least one pull-out guide on which a push element is displaceably held. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS

8. An ejector apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever is moved against the force of the spring for unlocking the latching mechanism.

9. An ejector apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a magnet is arranged on the lever, by means of which the control element can be influenced.

10. An ejector apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ejector apparatus is for movable furniture parts.

11.An ejector apparatus substantially as herein before described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. 6622854_1 (GHMatters) P92267.AU WENDYS