AU3394999A

AU3394999A - Roll top

Info

Publication number: AU3394999A
Application number: AU33949/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andreas Albig; Siegmund Furst; Max Kuspert
Original assignee: Rehau AG and Co
Current assignee: Rehau Automotive SE and Co KG
Priority date: 1998-06-09
Filing date: 1999-06-08
Publication date: 2000-01-20
Also published as: DE59909373D1; EP0964129A2; ATE266142T1; EP0964129A3; TW418279B; CN1243192A; DE29810292U1; EP0964129B1; CN1137326C

Abstract

Free ends of cables (6,6') of the counterweight system are attached to coiling drums (31,32), between which is a torsion spring (4). One free end is linked to one of the drums and the other free end is linked to the spindle (7) carrying the drums. Between the spindle and the torsion spring is at least one spacer member (9). Preferably the outside diameter of the spacer member is smaller than the inside diameter of the torsion spring. A protective tube (5) can be fixed over the torsion spring and the free ends of the coiling drums.

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant/s: Actual Inventor/s: Address for Service: Invention Title: Rehau AG Co.

Andreas Albig and Max Kuspert and Siegmund Furst BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS MARGARET STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000 "ROLL TOP" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- File: 22339.00 2 Roll top The invention relates to a roll top for storage openings in cabinet-type furniture, whereby a plurality of interlinked roll top profiles are guided in lateral U-shaped profile guide rails and whereby a counterweight is located in the roll top drive which prevents an unwanted shutting or opening of the roll top. The counterweight is formed as a single continuous rope which is attached with its free ends to a roll top profile and guided by means of at least two deflections according to the pulley principle. A spring is attached between the deflections and an axis between the inside walls of the cabinet by means of main supports.

A roll top of the above type is described in German Patent 91 03 919.3. This roll top minimises the required effort for tensioning the spring as it gradually loses its tension with increased use. In addition, a drive system is provided whereby a decrease of the motion system from the lateral walls is not required for tensioning a torsion spring. This is achieved in that end caps are inserted on the inside of the guide pipe lumen •with partial areas projecting the lumen. Tooth-like 25 projecting parts equally distributed over the circumference project from these partial areas over the outer circumference of the guide pipe. These projecting parts engage in corresponding grooves which are arranged at the inner circumference of the centre boring of the 30 cogs and extend over the axial length of the cogs. The *end caps run in rotary bearing on the axis and are detachably connected with the cogs by means of mechanical motion means. When tensioning the spring, the required righting moment for the roll top weight is adjusted by 3 rotating the end caps of the guide pipe and pulling of the outer spring end.

This roll top system fulfils its requirements in practice in a recognised manner, however it has been shown that the guide rails attached on the sidewalls result in a loss of width of the cabinet.

With the chosen arrangement, there is also a loss in space with respect to the height of the cabinets.

A further roll top of the prior art is described in German Patent 296 18 802.6.

Here, a roll top with a counterweight is discussed which is technically not costly and not expensive to manufacture. This is achieved in that the counterweight is formed as a single continuous rope attached with its free ends to the roll top profile and guide according to the pulley principle over at least two deflections.

A

pressure spring is arranged between the deflections, which relative to the force measured at the rope receives a multiple of motivity in a resilient manner. This is achieved by an arrangement consisting of rope, e .deflections and pressure spring which are guided at the 0 *o 25 upper edge of the roll top. It is perceived advantageous 0 that the roll top is not rolled up during opening but is guided behind the rear wall of the cabinet. Thereby no space loss is incurred with respect to the cabinet height. A further advantage of this system is the guide 30 grooves which are sunk in to the cabinet wall allowing maximum use of the cabinet width.

o However, this generally acknowledged roll top system reaches its physical limitations when very high and very reaches its physical limitations when very high and very 4 narrow cabinets are to be built. Limitations in height and width are incurred due to the pulley mechanics and the illustrated path of the spring, which do not allow an optimal function of the roll top.

Here, the present invention comes into use which has the object to improve on the disadvantages of the prior art in such a manner that a compensating mechanisms for roll top systems is realised which makes it possible to cover the entire gamut of commercially available cabinet geometrics in an inexpensive and trouble-free manner.

According to the present invention, it is suggested that coil drums are arranged at the free ends of the axis for receiving and releasing the rope and that a torsion spring is arranged between the coil drums which is linked with its free end at a coil drum and with the other end at an axis and that at least one distance element is arranged between the axis and the torsion spring.

Advantageously, it is perceived that with this chosen arrangement nearly the complete height of the cabinet is available to the user. There are also no limitations oo regarding the cabinet height or width.

25 With the use of the distance element according to the invention, a sagging of the torsion spring in its unloaded state is prevented so that no noise generation o occurs during rotation of the compensating mechanism.

A further important advantage lies in the use of the distance element according to the invention which prevents the twisted torsion spring from coming into contact with the protective pipe under load. Thereby, it is prevented that noise is generated during rotation and oooo 5 that material is eroded from the inner wall of the protective pipe. The distance elements according to the invention must have an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the torsion spring.

Advantageously, the torsion spring is surrounded by a protective pipe which includes the free ends of the coil drum. In order to guarantee an easy and trouble-free handling of the roll top cabinet, the torsion spring must be dimensioned in such a manner that the roll top system is moved by a force of no more than 50 N.

In this manner, the torsion spring can counterbalance the weight forces occurring toward the front and the back.

A further important advantage of the invention is seen in that the compensating mechanism is easy to install and operates maintenance free at a low cost. Thereby, a double economical profit is provided to the end user.

In a further advantageous application, the torsion spring is linked with one of its free ends to the protective pipe.

Due to the chosen advantageous arrangement of the compensating mechanism it is guaranteed that the rope S.support glides over the rope receiving and releasing coil 25 drum when the point of the least rope tension is reached.

The invention is further described schematically as follows.

30 Figure 1 shows a front view of the roll top with **indicated motion mechanism o Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the compensating o ::mechanism.

o 6 In Figure 1 the roll top 1 in the cabinet-type furniture 2 is illustrated, whereby the guide grooves 211, 221 for guiding the lateral ends of the roll top profiles are sunk in to the side walls 21, 22. The protective pipe is arranged above the roll top profile which is arranged with its free ends on the coil drums 31, 32. The torsion spring 4 is located inside the protective pipe 5. In this advantageous embodiment, the rope 6 is attached to the coil drum 31 and runs after a deflection of 90' at the rope support 70, which is attached at the roll top rod 11, parallel to the latter and crosses the support element 75 and continues to the rope support 71. There it is deflected by 90' and fixed to the coil drum 32. In this embodiment, the support element 75 acts as slack safeguard for the rope 6. The roll top rod 11 defines the middle of the roll top which when half opened is in the position of the least rope tension.

This position can shift with the use of handles, closing elements or suchlike of differing weight. In a further embodiment, the rope 6 is attached to the coil drum 31 and the rope 6' to the coil drum 32.

Rope 6 is guided by means of the rope support 70 and rope 6' by means of the rope support 71 to the middle of the 25 roll top profile 11. At this position, both rope ends come together and are connected at a support element Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of the compensating mechanism according to the present invention. Here, axis 30 7 engages at both its free ends in the main support 0000 91 and is fixed there. Coil drums 31, 32 can be seen at the free ends of the axis 7 with the torsion spring 4 located in between. The torsion spring 4 is connected 0 7 with its free end 81 to the coil drum 31 and fixed with its other free end 80 to the axis 7.

A distance element 9 can be seen on the axis 7 which adjoins with its free end 91 the face if the coil drum 31 and with the other free end 92 the fixing point 80 if the spring 4. A support 7 is attached on the axis 7 for fixing the spring 4 and the distance element 9.

The rope 6 runs from the coil drum 31 to the rope support 70 and is fixed there.

The rope 6' runs from the coil drum 32 to the rope support 71 and is fixed there.

*0 O e 0 ***0*00 *0 0000

Claims

1. A roll top for storage openings in cabinet-type furniture, whereby a plurality of inter-linked roll top profiles are guided in lateral U-shaped profile guide rails and whereby a counterweight is located in the roll top drive which prevents an unwanted shutting or opening of the roll top, whereby the counterweight is formed as a single continuous rope which is attached with its free ends to a roll top profile and guided by means of at least two deflections according to the pulley principle and that a spring is attached between the deflections and an axis between the inside walls of the cabinet by means of main supports, characterised in that coil drums are arranged at the free ends of the axis for receiving and releasing the rope and that a torsion spring is arranged between the coil drums which is linked with its free end at one of the coil drums and with the other end at an axis and that at least one distance element is arranged between the axis and the torsion spring.

2. A roll top according to claim 1, characterised in that the outer diameter of the o. o•15 distance element is smaller than the inner diameter of the torsion spring. &se 3. A roll top according to claim 1, characterised in that a protective pipe is arranged between the coil drums which overlaps the torsion spring and the free ends of the coil drums.

4. A roll top according to claim 1, characterised in that the torsion spring is l 20 dimensioned in such a manner that the roll top system is moved by a force of no more than 50 N. A roll top according to claim 1, characterised in that the torsion spring is linked with its free end to the protective pipe. -9-

6. A roll top according to claim 1, characterised in that the rope support glides over the rope receiving and releasing coil drum when reaching the point of the least rope tension.

7. A roll top for storage openings in cabinet-type furniture substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. DATED this 8th Day of June, 1999 REHAU AG CO Attorney: JOHN DOUGLAS FOSTER Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of BALDWIN SHELSTON WATERS e ee*