CN109923274B

CN109923274B - Damping unit for sliding elements

Info

Publication number: CN109923274B
Application number: CN201780067132.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·蒙特基奥; S·瓦斯克
Original assignee: Hettich Heinze GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Hettich Heinze GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2016-10-28
Filing date: 2017-10-27
Publication date: 2021-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-27
Also published as: WO2018078070A1; EP3532690B1; CN109923274A; EP3532690A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a damping unit (10) for a sliding element (3), in particular for a movable furniture part, a movable element of a household appliance, or a sliding or folding door, comprising a linearly guided drive (12) which interacts with an activator (5) directly or indirectly connected to the sliding element (3) and is coupled to a linear damper (16). The damping unit (10) is characterized in that: the linear damper (16) has a damping stroke that is longer than a displacement stroke of the actuator (12); the linear damper has a damping characteristic that varies along the damping stroke; and there is an adjustable coupling element (17) which optionally distributes different parts (21, 22) of the damping stroke to the displacement stroke of the driver (12).

Description

Damping unit for sliding elements

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a damping unit for sliding elements, in particular for movable furniture parts, movable elements of household appliances, or sliding or folding doors. The damping unit comprises a linearly guided driver interacting with an activator directly or indirectly connected to the sliding element and coupled to a linear damper.

Background

Such sliding elements are, for example, movable furniture parts, or movable elements of a household appliance, such as drawers, also referred to as trays, in particular gear trays, which are usually mounted such that they can be pulled out of a furniture body or a household appliance on a guide device. Such a guide device is also referred to as a pull-out device. Movable sliding doors, furniture doors and living room doors are also considered to be sliding elements which are mounted on the guide rail via guide elements. Folding doors, in which at least a part of the door is movably guided, also represent sliding elements for which the above-described damping unit is applicable.

The damping unit mentioned at the outset is provided for comfortable actuation of such sliding elements, which damps the movement of the sliding element to one or more end locations (end positions). For this purpose, at least one activator is attached to the guide device that moves the sliding element and/or guides the element, which activator interacts with the driver such that a retarding force can be transmitted during damping between the damping unit and the sliding element. In this case, the damping unit may be combined with a retraction device such that self-retraction proceeds to at least one end location. For example, DE 202005014050U 1 discloses a pull-out guide for a furniture part with a damping unit, wherein an opening movement is damped when approaching the fully pulled-out position of the furniture guide.

The motion behavior of the damped sliding element depends both on the damping characteristics of the employed linear damper of the damping unit, in particular its damping force, and on the mass of the moved sliding element. If the transmission element is arranged between the driver and the linear damper, it also influences the damping behavior. In particular, the personal preference is decisive as to whether the sliding element requires a stronger or weaker damping. In order to be able to provide a damping unit which achieves a satisfactory damping characteristic even for sliding elements having different weights on the part of the manufacturer and to provide the option for the user to adjust the damping characteristic according to his own preferences, a damping device which can be set for the damping behavior is desirable.

Linear dampers with a damping force that varies along their damping path are known from documents DE 202013003332U 1 and EP 2425080B 1. For example, a soft start of the damping behavior can be achieved using these dampers. It is likewise not possible with these dampers to adapt the damping behavior to sliding elements having different weights or to individual preferences for the damping behavior.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a damping unit of the type mentioned in the introduction, in which the damping characteristic can be set in a simple manner.

This object is achieved by a damping unit according to one aspect of the invention. Advantageous embodiments and improvements are specified according to further aspects of the invention.

The damping unit according to the invention is characterized in that the linear damper has a damping path which is longer than the displacement path of the driver, and in that the linear damper has a damping characteristic which varies along the damping path. A settable coupling element is provided which alternately associates different portions of the damping path with the displacement path of the driver.

Thus, the coupling element enables different parts of the damping path to be used for damping the displacement movement of the driver. This becomes possible because the damping path of the linear damper is longer than the displacement path of the actuator. Since the damping characteristic varies along the damping path, the driver experiences different strengths of damping depending on the setting of the coupling element.

In order to achieve a varying damping characteristic along the damping path, for example, a linear damper with a cylinder and a piston can be used, wherein the cylinder is tapered at least in sections. The size of the gap between the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder, which varies with the position of the piston, thus results in a variation of the damping force depending on the position of the piston and thus on the damping path.

Alternatively or additionally, channels or protrusions may be formed in part in the side wall of the cylinder of the linear damper for achieving a damping characteristic that varies along the damping path.

In an advantageous embodiment of the damping unit, the coupling element fixes the cylinder or the piston rod of the linear damper in at least two different positions in the housing of the damping unit depending on the setting thereof. In each position, the travel path of the driver corresponds to a different portion of the damping path of the linear damper, where the portions are arranged relative to each other, but may partially overlap. Thus, a smaller portion of its average resistance is used in the first position than in the second position. Of course, more than two mentioned positions may also be provided as setting options.

In principle, the linear damper can also be constructed in two different ways, wherein a cylinder or a piston rod is connected to the drive and thus another component, the piston rod or the cylinder, then interacts with the coupling element.

The coupling element may serve as a stop for the cylinder or piston rod of the linear damper or may be connected to the cylinder or piston rod. The first type is suitable for automatic movement back to the starting position if damping is provided in only one direction of movement and the linear damper has a spring.

The setting capability of the coupling element (such that the coupling element provides at least two different positions of the cylinder or piston rod) can be achieved in different ways.

For example, the coupling element may be rotatable or pivotable in the housing into at least two different positions. Alternatively, the coupling element may be guided such that it can be longitudinally displaced in the housing, wherein the coupling element can be locked in at least two different positions. For example, the locking may be performed by means of a latch or a bayonet fitting.

In an advantageous embodiment of the damping unit, the coupling element is coupled to an actuating lever, which is preferably externally operable on the housing. In this way, a tool-free and comfortable damping effect adjustment can be achieved.

In this case, the actuating lever can be part of an adjusting element, for example, which is guided in a pivoting and/or sliding movement via at least one guide curve, which is formed in the housing. The adjusting element may be connected to the coupling element via a further lever on the opposite side to the actuating lever. The actuation of the actuation lever can be converted into a linear movement of the coupling element by a combined pivoting and sliding movement. Furthermore, the adjusting element is guided in a self-damping manner. In this way, the positions into which the coupling element is pushed via the actuating lever are fixed in the event of a force being applied to the coupling element by the linear damper. The additional locking device to be actuated may be omitted.

In a further alternative, a set screw may be provided to set at least two different positions of the coupling element.

Drawings

The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with the aid of the drawings. In the drawings:

figure 1 shows an isometric view of a piece of furniture with a sliding element and a damping unit;

FIG. 2 shows a detail of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of a portion of the damping unit in a first exemplary embodiment;

fig. 4a, 4b each show a damping unit according to fig. 3 in a top view, with differently set coupling elements;

fig. 5a to 5d each show an isometric view of a part of a damping unit in a second exemplary embodiment with different settings of the coupling elements;

fig. 6a to 6c show various views of a damping unit in a third exemplary embodiment with different settings of the coupling elements;

figures 7a to 7c each show a schematic view of a linear damper for a damping unit in various positions according to the application, an

Fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the damping force, which in the graph depends on the damping path.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 first shows a cabinet as an example of a piece of furniture 1, with a main body 2 and two sliding elements 3 (here sliding doors). The sliding elements 3 are guided such that they can be displaced horizontally via the sliding guides 4. The damping units 10 are provided for damping the sliding elements 3 at least in the closed end position, wherein one damping unit is identifiable in a slightly open region of the left sliding element 3. The damping unit 10 is arranged, as an example, on an upper region of the piece of furniture 1, wherein additional or alternative arrangements can also be provided in a lower region of the piece of furniture 1.

Fig. 2 shows the area around the damping unit 10 in fig. 1 in an enlarged detail. The damping unit 10 is mounted with its housing 11 on the body 2 of the piece of furniture 1. The damping unit 10 has a linear drive 12 which is guided displaceably in the horizontal direction, i.e. in the sliding direction of the sliding element 3, and which interacts with an activator 5, which in the present case is arranged on the sliding element 3.

During the closing of the sliding element 3, the activator 5 engages in the driver 12, whereby it damps the closing movement up to the closed state of the sliding element 3. In this case, the damping unit 10 may additionally be provided with a retraction function, by means of which the driver 12 and thus the sliding element 3 are actively retracted to the end position by means of an accumulator (typically a spring).

Fig. 3 and 4a, 4b show a first exemplary embodiment of a damping unit 10 according to the present application, which can be used, for example, in the piece of furniture 1 of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a detail of the damping unit 10 in an isometric view. The damping unit 10 has a housing 11 which in the present case is shown open to obtain a view of the internal structure of the damping unit 10. The driver 12 is arranged in the housing 11 such that it is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11. For this purpose, a stationary guide curve 13 is formed in the housing 11. The driver 12 has two drive arms 121 which are movable relative to each other, which form a drive fork 122 as shown in the figure, wherein an activator (not visible here), for example an activator 5 according to fig. 2, can be engaged.

The drive 12 is coupled to a drive carrier 14, wherein the drive can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement of the stationary guide curves 13 in a jointly moving guide curve 15 on the drive carrier 14. This movement enables the oscillation of the driver 12 to accommodate or release the activator 5, respectively, as well as the angled end regions in the stationary guide curve 13. However, during the movement of the driver 12 in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11, the driver 12 and the driver carrier 14 are coupled to each other.

A linear damper 16 having a cylinder 161 and a piston rod 162 connected to a piston 164 inside the cylinder 161 is disposed in the recess of the drive carrier 14. In this exemplary embodiment of the damping unit 10, the cylinder 161 of the linear damper 16 thus moves together with the driver 12 in the longitudinal direction. It is obvious that the basic principle according to the present application can also be implemented using a linear damper, wherein the linear damper is not the cylinder 161, but the piston rod 162 of the damper 16, which moves together with the driver 12. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, piston rod 162 is fixed in position relative to housing 11 during movement of driver 12. For this purpose, it is supported by the head 163 on a first stop 171 of the coupling element 17, which is inserted into the housing 11. Instead of a stop, a connection of the head 163 and the coupling element 17 can also be provided. For example, the head 163 may be formed as a ball head, wherein the ball snaps into a cut-out (undercut) groove on the coupling element 17.

The damping unit 10 according to fig. 3 is shown in each of fig. 4a and 4b in a top view. Both fig. 4a and fig. 4b differ in two different (set) positions of the coupling element 17. The position of the coupling element 17 shown in fig. 4a corresponds to the position shown in fig. 3. In this case, the coupling element 17 is positioned in a first compartment 111 of the housing 11, which is formed transversely to the displacement direction of the driver 12. In this position, the piston rod 162 is supported with its head 163 on the first stop member 171 and/or is connected with its head 163 with the coupling element 17 in the region of the stop member 171.

In fig. 4b, the coupling element 17 is shown in a second possible position, in which the coupling element 17 is arranged in a second compartment 112 of the housing 11, wherein this second compartment 112 is substantially aligned in the longitudinal direction of the displacement direction. In this position, the coupling element 17 provides a second stop 172, wherein the head 163 of the piston rod 162 is supported on the second stop and/or the second stop is connected to the head 163. In the second position of the coupling element 17, with the same position of the driver 12, the piston rod 162 of the linear damper 16 is retracted relative to the first piston according to fig. 4a by a distance Δ x shown in fig. 4 b.

In both positions of the coupling element 17, damping can take place over the entire displacement path of the driver 12, since the linear damper 16 has a damping path which is at least longer than the displacement path of the driver 12 by a distance Δ x. Furthermore, the linear damper 16 has a damping behavior, wherein the damping force is not constant along the damping path. For example, it may be provided that: the further the piston rod 162 is pushed into the cylinder 161, the greater the damping force. One possible design of a linear damper 16 showing such a damping characteristic is shown in fig. 7a to 7 c.

Since the more the piston rod 162 is retracted, the greater the damping force experienced by the driver 12 in each position when positioning the coupling element 17 in the second position according to fig. 4b compared to the first position according to fig. 4 a. Thus, by adjusting the coupling element to the first or second position, i.e. into the first or

second compartment

111, 112, respectively, of the housing 11, the damping behavior, in particular the damping force, experienced by the drive 12 under otherwise identical conditions can be set to two steps here. The change between the two settings can be performed, for example, by removing the coupling element 17 and reinserting it in another position. The

compartments

111, 112 can also be formed such that a change between the two setting positions can be effected by pivoting the coupling element 17 without having to remove it from the housing 11. The coupling element 17 is then preferably latched in each of the two possible positions.

Fig. 5a to 5d show a second exemplary embodiment of a damping unit 10 according to the present invention. Each figure shows a part of the damping unit 10 in an isometric view. As in the first exemplary embodiment, a drive 12 with a drive fork 122 is provided, which is guided such that it can be displaced longitudinally in a stationary guide curve 13. The driver 12 is connected to a driver carrier 14 which is displaced together with the driver 12 in the longitudinal direction. Then, the air cylinder 161 of the linear damper 16 is disposed in the driver bracket 14. The piston rod 162 is connected to and/or supported on the coupling element 17.

In this design, the coupling element 17 is displaceably guided in a guide 113 of the housing 11. Within the guide 113, the coupling element 17 is movable in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the damping unit 10, i.e. in a direction parallel to the movement path of the driver 12 and the movement path of the driver carrier 14. In other words, the guiding of the coupling element 17 takes place axially in the direction of the piston rod 162. Depending on whether damping is required in one or both directions of movement of the drive, the piston rod 162 can bear on the coupling element 17 or can be connected thereto such that it can carry pressure and tension. For example, the piston rod 162 may again have a head 163 formed as a ball head, wherein the ball snaps into a slot on the coupling element 17.

The locking groove 114 is introduced along the guide 113 transversely to the longitudinal direction of the guide 113. In the present case, two such locking grooves 114 are formed, however, a plurality of such locking grooves 114 may be provided. A rectangular locking plate 174 is arranged on the coupling element 17, connected to the tool receptacle 173 in a rotationally fixed manner. The tool receptacle 173 is formed like a head of a hex screw. The locking plate 174 protrudes beyond the outer circumference of the head of the tool receptacle 173 on two opposite sides.

The housing 11 is again shown open in fig. 5a to 5 d. It is terminated in operation by a shell plate or housing half placed from above, in which a guide for the coupling element 17 is formed, similar to the guide 113. The guide also has a correspondingly positioned locking slot, similar to locking slot 114.

The position of the coupling element 17 is shown in fig. 5a, where the locking plate 174 is inserted into a rear locking slot (not visible in the figure). Thus, the coupling element 17 is fixed with respect to its movement within the guide 113. By pivoting the coupling element 17 by means of the tool receptacle 173, the locking plate 174 may be rotated out of the corresponding locking groove, as shown in fig. 5 b. The coupling element 17 is then free to move longitudinally in the direction of the guide 113. It can thus be moved to a forward position, as shown in fig. 5c and 5d, wherein, in the same position of the driver 12, the piston 162 again extends a distance Δ x relative to the position of the coupling element 17 as shown in fig. 5a and 5 b.

In fig. 5d, the locking plate 174 is inserted into the respective front locking slot 114 by pivoting the coupling element 17 by means of the tool receptacle 173, and thus the coupling element 17 is fixed in the longitudinal direction.

As in the exemplary embodiment of fig. 3 and 4a, 4b, the choice is therefore also provided here by setting the coupling element 17 of the operating damping unit 10 using two different damping characteristics, which differ in particular in the strength of the damping. Instead of the two locking grooves 114 shown, a plurality of locking grooves may be provided so that the setting capability can be produced not only in two steps but also in a plurality of steps.

In an alternative design, instead of the bayonet-fitting coupling element 17 shown in fig. 5a to 5d, the adjustment can also be effected via a set screw, wherein by screwing in or out the set screw, the piston rod 162 is moved relative to the cylinder 161 in the same position of the driver 12. In this case, a screw fixation may be provided so that the set screw is not passively and unintentionally adjusted. The setting by means of the set screw enables a continuous adjustment of the damping characteristic within the range provided by the adjustment range of the screw.

In another possible design, the coupling element can be designed as a longitudinally displaceable slide which latches in two or more latching positions. Various basic settings of the piston rod 162 relative to the cylinder 161 can also be set via such a latch slide and thus the damping behavior can be changed in steps.

In fig. 6a to 6c, a further exemplary embodiment of the damping unit 10 is shown in detail in a top view in a similar manner to that in fig. 4a and 4b and fig. 5a to 5d, respectively.

The housing 11 of the damping unit 10 is again shown open, so that the structure of the damping unit 10 can be shown. With reference to the description of fig. 3 regarding the basic structure, in particular regarding the driver 12, the driver is guided such that it can be displaced longitudinally via a guide curve 13 and coupled (in a manner not visible herein) to a linear damper 16 via a driver carrier 14.

The linear damper 16 also has a cylinder 161 and a piston rod 162. The head 163 arranged at the end of the piston rod 162 is inserted or clipped into a coupling element 17 which is mounted such that it can be displaced in the direction of the piston rod 162 in a guide 113 in the housing 11. Thus, the coupling element 17 may be axially displaced similarly to the exemplary embodiment of fig. 5a to 5d, wherein the damping effect of the linear damper 16 depends on the position of the coupling element 17 within the guide 113.

In the exemplary embodiment of fig. 6a to 6c, the position of the coupling element 17 within the guide 113 can be set by the user without tools between two different positions via the adjustment element 18. Fig. 6a shows the adjusting element 18 in a first position, and fig. 6b shows the adjusting element 18 in a second position. In fig. 6c, both the coupling element 17 and the adjustment element 18 are removed, so that the design of the housing 11 for guiding the coupling element 17 and the adjustment element 18 can be better shown.

The adjusting element 18 is designed like a double-sided lever, which is connected to the coupling element 17 using a coupling lever 181, and wherein an opposite actuating lever 182 is operable from the outside as an actuating element through the housing opening.

In the intermediate region, a guide locking pin 183 is formed on the adjusting element 18, which interacts with the guide curve 115 and the locking groove 116. In its end region, the coupling lever 181 is rotatably connected to the coupling element 17. In the illustrated example, the end region of the coupling lever 181 is provided with an eyelet which is guided on the coupling element 17 via a pin. The combination of the guide curve 115 and the connection with the coupling element 17 (the coupling element 17 being guided in turn) results in a combined sliding and pivoting movement of the adjusting element 18 when the actuating lever 182 is moved.

Further, self-restraint of the adjustment element 18 is provided by engagement of the guide locking pin 183 in the locking groove 116. The adjustment element 18 can be pivoted by actuating the actuation lever 182, however, the adjustment element 18 blocks in case of a force exerted by the coupling element 17 via the coupling lever 181, so that the set position, in particular the position of the adjustment element 18 shown in fig. 6b, is maintained.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, a tool-free adjustment of the coupling element 17 and thus of the damping effect on the rear side of the damping unit 10 can thus advantageously be performed.

In all three exemplary embodiments illustrated, the change in the position of the piston rod 162 in the linear damper 16 relative to the cylinder 161 results in a different damping behavior, since the linear damper 16 used shows a damping characteristic that varies with the position of the piston rod 162.

Fig. 7a to 7c each show a schematic cross-sectional view of how a damping behavior depending on the position of the piston rod 162 relative to the cylinder 161 may be achieved in an exemplary embodiment.

In each cross-sectional view, a piston 164 connected to a piston rod 162 and moving within a cylinder 161 can be identified. The interior of the cylinder 161 is filled with a viscous medium, typically a viscous liquid, for damping. During movement of the piston 164, viscous medium flows between the piston and the cylinder inner wall 165, which dampens the movement of the piston 164 and the piston rod 162 relative to the cylinder 161.

As a special feature, the cylinder inner wall 165 is formed in a conical shape, which is exaggeratedly shown in the illustrated figures to illustrate the principle. The taper of the cylinder inner wall 165 is such that the clearance remaining between the circumference of the piston 164 and the cylinder inner wall 165 is a result of the position of the piston 164 within the cylinder 161. With the piston rod 162 fully extended in the image of fig. 7a, a circumferential gap with a larger cross section is maintained, the size of which continuously decreases with the position of the piston rod 162 in the intermediate position of the piston rod 162 according to fig. 7b and finally in the position of the fully retracted piston rod 162 according to fig. 7 c. Thus, the further the piston rod 162 moves in the direction of the fully retracted position, the greater the damping force.

It should be noted that in addition to or instead of the conically shaped cylinder inner wall 165, a position-dependent variation of the damping characteristic may also be achieved by channels or protrusions extending along the cylinder inner wall 165, which are arranged in different numbers or different cross sections in different regions.

Fig. 8 schematically shows in the form of a graph the dependence of the damping force D on the damping path x of a linear damper suitable for use in a damping unit, such as the linear damper 16 shown in fig. 7a to 7 c.

The damping force D is specified in percent (%) of the maximum damping force on the longitudinal axis of the graph. The damping path x is shown in millimeters (mm) on the lateral axis of the graph. The curve of the damping force D according to the damping path x is shown by the damping curve 20 in the figure. The damping curve 20 shows a linear curve of the damping force D according to the damping path x.

The damping curve 20 is for example the damping curve of the linear damper 16 shown in fig. 7a to 7 c. Position x specifies how far piston rod 162 extends from cylinder 161. In the linear damper 16 shown in fig. 7a to 7c, the maximum damping effect is achieved when the damping force D is 100% with the piston rod 162 fully retracted, which in the figure corresponds to a value where x is 0. In contrast, in the case of a maximum extension of the piston rod 162, with a value x of 80mm, the damping force d in the damping curve 20 is only 40% of the maximum value.

If the linear damper 16 is used in a damping unit whose driver 12 has a displacement path of 60mm, it is therefore possible to use two

different parts

21, 22 of the damping path, of which the first part 21 uses a damping path in the range of 0-60mm and the second part 22 uses a damping path in the range of 20-80 mm. The two

parts

21, 22 are therefore spaced apart from one another by a distance Δ x of 20mm, which is achieved by different settings of the coupling element 17. In each point of the displacement path of the driver 12, the damping force D within the first part 21 is greater than the damping force of the same position of the driver 12 in the second part 22. Thus creating a greater damping effect.

The linearly extending damping curve 20 shown as an example decreases monotonically. It is, however, obvious that even in the case of a damping force which is constant in one section, i.e. with a horizontally extending damping curve 20, a damping effect of different strengths can be achieved on average in the

sections

21 and 22. A similar effect will be produced by a damping curve which does not extend linearly over the entire range or area but which rises or falls in other ways.

[ list of reference numerals ]

1 furniture

2 main body

3 sliding element

4 sliding guide

5 activating device

10 damping unit

11 casing

111 first compartment

112 second compartment

113 guide member

114 locking groove

115 guide curve

116 locking groove

12 driver

121 drive arm

122 drive fork

13 stationary guide curve

14 drive carrier

15 co-displacing guide curve

16 linear damper

161 cylinder

162 piston rod

163 head

164 piston

165 inner wall of cylinder

17 coupling element

171 first stop member

172 second stop

173 tool receptacle

174 locking plate

18 adjusting element

181 coupling lever

182 actuating lever

183 guide locking pin

20 damping curve

21. 22 part (B)

x damping path

Damping force of D

Δ x distance.

Claims

1. A damping unit (10), the damping unit (10) being for a sliding element (3), the damping unit (10) comprising a linearly guided driver (12), the driver (12) interacting with an activator (5), the activator (5) being directly or indirectly connected to the sliding element (3), and the driver (12) being coupled to a linear damper (16), characterized in that:

-the linear damper (16) has a damping path which is longer than the displacement path of the driver (12);

-the linear damper (16) has a damping characteristic that varies along the damping path, wherein the cylinder (161) of the linear damper (16) is tapered at least in a part to achieve a damping characteristic that varies along the damping path; and

-providing a settable coupling element (17) which alternately associates different portions (21, 22) of the damping path with the displacement path of the driver (12), wherein the coupling element (17) fixes a cylinder (161) or a piston rod (162) of the linear damper (16) in at least two different positions in a housing (11) of the damping unit (10) depending on the setting of the coupling element (17).

2. Damping unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the coupling element (17) serves as a stop (171, 172) for the cylinder (161) or the piston rod (162) of the linear damper (16) or is connected to the cylinder (161) or the piston rod (162).

3. Damping unit (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coupling element (17) is rotatable or pivotable in the housing (11) into the at least two different positions.

4. Damping unit (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coupling element (17) is guided such that the coupling element (17) is longitudinally displaceable in the housing (11) and lockable in the at least two different positions.

5. The damping unit (10) according to claim 4, wherein the coupling element (17) is latched in the at least two different positions.

6. The damping unit (10) according to claim 4, wherein the coupling element (17) is coupled to a double-sided lever.

7. The damping unit (10) according to claim 6, wherein one side of the double-sided lever is formed as an actuation lever (182), the actuation lever (182) being externally operable on the housing (11).

8. Damping unit (10) according to claim 7, wherein the actuation lever (182) is part of an adjusting element (18), the adjusting element (18) being guided in a pivoting and/or sliding movement via at least one guide curve (115).

9. Damping unit (10) according to claim 8, wherein the adjusting element (18) is guided in a self-damping manner.

10. Damping unit (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coupling element (17) has a set screw to set the at least two different positions of the coupling element (17).

11. A damping unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein a channel or protrusion is partially formed in a side wall of the cylinder (161) of the linear damper (16) to achieve a damping characteristic that varies along the damping path.

12. Damping unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the sliding element (3) is a movable furniture part, a movable element of a household appliance, or a sliding or folding door.