CN111345615B

CN111345615B - Mounting device for the front of a drawer

Info

Publication number: CN111345615B
Application number: CN201811571508.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 克里斯蒂安施兰布什; 彼得欧斯缇姆
Original assignee: Viking Sanitary Group
Current assignee: Viking Sanitary Group
Priority date: 2018-12-21
Filing date: 2018-12-21
Publication date: 2022-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-21
Also published as: CN111345615A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mounting system (200) for mounting a first panel to a second panel at an angle. The mounting system (200) comprises: i) a bracket (210) having a mounting portion (211) and a head (215) connected to the mounting portion (211) by a narrowed neck; ii) a holder (220) having an opening (225), the holder (220) configured for mounting to the second panel; and iii) a locking member (230) for maintaining the bracket (210) in the locking position after inserting the bracket (210) into the holder (220) and sliding into the locking position the present invention also relates to the respective components of the mounting system and the furniture to which the mounting system is applied. The invention allows the use of a click-lock technique for mounting the panel. The present invention thus reduces assembly time, eliminates the use of tools and glue at this step of the assembly process, and overcomes the significant challenges associated with existing furniture mounting techniques.

Description

Mounting device for the front of a drawer

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a mounting system for mounting a first panel at an angle to a second panel. The invention also relates to the individual components of such a mounting system. The invention also relates to a piece of furniture comprising such a mounting system.

Background

Time is a crucial cost factor for professional furniture assembly, and there is a need to reduce the time required to assemble such products. Assembling parts together is one of the time consuming parts of the assembly process.

To date, some solutions have been disclosed that do not require screwing or gluing the parts together.

For example, the granted patent EP2,982,268B1 discloses a drawer for furniture or the like, comprising a bottom wall, a front wall, two side walls and a rear wall, wherein said bottom wall is provided with at least one protrusion and said front wall is provided with at least one support adapted to cooperate and connect with said protrusion.

Patent application US2011/0304249a1 discloses a modular drawer box structure, namely a plastic drawer box. The volume of the packaging material can be greatly reduced, thereby reducing the transportation and storage cost. The bottom plate and the two side plates of the drawer box can be integrated and folded, and a connecting part between the bottom plate and the two side plates is provided with a V-shaped folding groove for forming the two side plates in an upward overturning mode. The different inserts are separately expanded and installed. With these inserts, the additional faceplate and backplate insertion can be done independently. The insertion grooves are installed at both sides and lower sides of the inner surfaces of the face plate and the back plate, and the corresponding insertion holes are located at the outer sides of the insertion grooves, thereby connecting the bottom plate, the two side plates, the face plate, and the back plate.

A problem with existing screwless and glueless mounting solutions is that they still lack robustness, i.e. they do not result in a very strong connection between the parts. Another problem is that the way the parts are connected together is cumbersome for assembling furniture such as drawers.

In view of the above, there is a need to further develop a new screwless and glueless furniture installation technology.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to remedy or reduce at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative to the prior art.

This object is achieved by the features specified in the description below and in the subsequent claims.

The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the invention.

In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a mounting system for mounting a first panel to a second panel at an angle. The mounting system includes:

a bracket having a mounting portion and a head, the head connected to the mounting portion by a narrowed neck, the mounting portion configured to mount to the first panel;

a standoff having an opening configured for mounting to the second panel, wherein the opening comprises a first portion for receiving the cradle head in an unlocked position, the opening comprises a second portion adjacent to and narrower than the first portion, the second portion configured for receiving the narrow neck portion of the cradle in a locked position when the cradle is slid from the first portion to the second portion; and is

And a locking member for holding the holder at the locking position after the holder is inserted into the holder and slid into the locking position.

The effect of the features of the mounting system according to the invention is as follows. First, the holder is conveniently formed so as to be insertable into the opening of the holder portion. Since the width of the first portion of the opening is at least as wide as the head of the holder, smooth insertion of the holder into the opening is allowed. The opening of the holder is further formed with a second portion which is narrower than the first portion but still has a width at least comparable to the neck of the stent. Such a construction allows the holder to be inserted and slid from the unlocked position to the other position, and once slid to the other position, i.e. the locked position, the locking member achieves the purpose of locking the holder by the locking effect. In operational use of one embodiment of the present invention, the bracket is conveniently mounted on the first panel and the bracket and locking member are conveniently mounted on the second panel.

The invention allows the panel to be mounted using a click-lock technique. The present invention thus reduces assembly time, avoids the use of tools and glue during assembly, and overcomes the significant challenges associated with existing furniture mounting techniques. Rapid, safe and easy installation of furniture is an important advantage in the furniture industry. The invention results in quick and efficient assembly and locking of two panels together at an angle, such as a drawer front panel to a drawer bottom panel.

To facilitate an understanding of the present invention, one or more expressions are further defined below.

Wherever the term "panel" is used, it must be interpreted to be equivalent to a board, panel, (thin) sheet, layer, sheet, plate, flat plate and thick plate. In the present invention, all these terms generally refer to a sheet of material (planar or curved) defining the boundary or side of a drawer or piece of furniture. There may be holes, indentations or decorative grooves, slits and openings at the boundary. In one embodiment of the locking system according to the invention, the mounting portion of the bracket is wider than the head portion. The mounting portion is wider than the head portion to facilitate insertion of the holder into the rest such that the mounting portion can be pressed against the rest while the depth of insertion of the head portion is limited only by the size of the neck portion and the size of the head portion can be adjusted very easily to match the size of the holder.

In one embodiment of the locking system according to the invention, the locking member comprises a resilient member which, in operational use, is positioned within the opening and is configured to be pressed in when the bracket is slid from the unlocked position to the locked position; when the stand is fully in the locked position to provide stable support under the stand, its position is restored to its original position, with the resilient member arranged in a suitable configuration and placed in a suitable position so that the stand can be released by pressing with a finger or tool through the opening and allowed to slide back to its unlocked position. This design of the locking member in this embodiment constitutes a very convenient way of locking the holder in its locking position. It also allows for a very convenient method of unlocking the holder so that it can be moved to its unlocked position and removed.

In an embodiment of the locking system according to the invention, the locking member and the lug are formed as separate parts configured to be mounted together. This embodiment relates to a first main variant of the design of the locking system. In this embodiment, all components of the locking system may be manufactured separately and sold separately as components of a three-part locking system.

In an embodiment of the locking system according to the invention, the locking member and the lug are formed as one part. This embodiment relates to a second main variant of the design of the locking system. In this embodiment, all of the components of the locking system may be manufactured separately and sold separately as part of a two-piece locking system.

In all embodiments, all components of the locking system may be manufactured using a technique selected from the group consisting of: 3D printing, molding, CNC machining, casting, hand, engraving, cutting, extruding and stamping, assembly and/or combination by a number of the techniques mentioned above.

In a second aspect, the invention relates to a bracket in a mounting system according to the invention.

In a third aspect, the invention relates to a rest in a mounting system for a locking member in a mounting system according to the invention.

In a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a locking member in a mounting system according to the invention.

The bracket, the holder portion and the locking member according to the second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention are combined with each other in a relationship similar to a relationship of a plug and a socket. The holder and the locking member may be integrated into one component.

In a fifth aspect, the invention relates to a piece of furniture comprising a first panel and a second panel mounted together at an angle by means of a mounting system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first panel is provided with the bracket and the second panel is provided with a bracket and a locking member. It is clear that one of the main areas of application of the invention is furniture. Whereas the prior art requires time consuming tightening of screws and gluing of parts, the present invention provides an ultra fast and secure method of mounting panels together at an angle. One of the panels is provided with a bracket and the other with a bracket and a locking member (integral or two separate parts mounted together).

In an embodiment of the piece of furniture according to the invention, the first panel is further provided with side panels, wherein the second panel is arranged such that it abuts the first panel and the side panels to form a container or drawer. This embodiment relates to an advantageous field of application of the invention, wherein the second panel is mounted on the first panel already mounted with the side panels. The side panel conveniently determines the angle between the first panel and the second panel as the second panel will be leaned against the side panel when installed.

In an example application, the bottom of the drawer or box is the first panel and the second panel is the front panel. Additional mounting systems may be provided between the second panel and the side panels to establish a secure connection therebetween.

Drawings

Examples of preferred embodiments are described below, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a drawer according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the drawer of FIG. 1 with the front panel removed;

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a mounting system according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a bracket of the mounting system of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a standoff portion of the mounting system of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 illustrates a locking member of the mounting system of FIG. 3;

figures 7 to 9 illustrate a method of using the mounting system of figure 3; and

fig. 10 to 12 show a method of mounting two panels at an angle in furniture using the bracket of fig. 3.

Detailed Description

Various illustrative embodiments of the present subject matter are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, such a development effort might prove complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

The present subject matter will now be described with reference to the drawings. Various systems, structures and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and so as to not obscure the present disclosure with details that are well known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the present disclosure. The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase.

One field of application of the invention is the mounting of a front panel to a furniture drawer.

For furniture drawers that slide in with their front from the vertical, a slide-in connection between the drawer front panel and the bottom panel is not feasible. Thus, a common method of achieving this connection is currently to use screws or glue, sometimes tightened with an L-shaped bracket. The prior art is time consuming and requires the use of tools. This complicates the process and is not a friendly installation for the professional market. The present invention avoids the use of any tools to install and remove the drawer fronts on any type of vanities and cabinets. A lock is used to effectively prevent vertical deflection of the drawer bottom which may be caused by heavy loads within the drawer. Furthermore, horizontal deflection of the drawer front can be avoided if there is a heavy load in the drawer.

In the present invention, this part of the furniture assembly and installation process can be completed without any tools. It also allows easy replacement of one front panel with another during maintenance or desired design changes.

The furniture drawer of the present invention will be discussed in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a drawer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The drawer 100 is an example of a portion of a piece of furniture that may be applied to the present invention. The drawer 100 includes a first panel 100-1 (here, a bottom panel), a second panel 100-2 (here, a front panel), two side panels 100-3, and a back panel 100-4, as shown. In a typical drawer 100, the angle a12 between the front panel 100-2 and the bottom panel 100-1 is 90 degrees, as shown. However, this is not necessarily so. Some drawers (perhaps more stylish or modern) may have different angles between the panels 100-1,100-2, and the present invention is still effectively applied to such drawers.

In some applications, it is desirable to be able to quickly replace the front panel 100-2 with another panel, which may look better or because the old panel is damaged. This is where the present invention provides a convenient solution. Even though the present invention can be effectively used to mount or replace the front panel to the drawer, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any piece of furniture that includes panels mounted at an angle may benefit from the mounting system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the drawer 100 of FIG. 1 with the front panel 100-2 removed. Further, the view is changed so that a portion of an embodiment of a mounting system 200 according to the present invention is visible.

Fig. 3 shows a fully exploded view of the mounting system 200. In this example, the mounting system 200 includes three parts, namely a bracket 210, a lug 220 and a locking member 230, as shown. The bracket 210 includes a mounting portion 211 for mounting to a panel (not shown), and a head portion 215 as shown. The holder 220 is provided with an opening 225 for receiving the head 215 of the holder 210. The locking member 230 includes an elastic member 235, and the elastic member 235 plays an important role in locking the bracket 210 after insertion. This will be explained with reference to the other figures.

Fig. 4 shows a bracket 210 of the mounting system 200 of fig. 3. The bracket 210 includes the mounting portion 211 and a head 215. The mounting portion 211 is provided with a plurality of securing elements 217, here exemplified by pins, which are inserted into corresponding holes (not shown) in corresponding panels (not shown) of the mounting bracket 210. The mounting portion 211 is further provided with screw holes 219 so that the bracket 210 can be fixed to the panel by using screws extending through the screw holes 219 and into the panel. A neck 213 is provided between the head 215 and the mounting portion 211. The mounting portion 211 is sized and has a width WB1 to facilitate proper mounting to the panel. An important feature of the present invention is that the width WB2 of the neck 213 is less than the width WB3 of the head as shown.

Fig. 5 shows the cradle 220 of the mounting system 200 of fig. 3. It should be noted that the lug portion 220 in fig. 5 is viewed from the rear side thereof, as opposed to fig. 3, which is viewed from the front side. The reason for the change in viewing angle is to show some details of the standoff 220. The stand-off 220 comprises a mounting plate 221, the mounting plate 221 being provided with a plurality of pins 227 as described above, and further comprising two mounting holes 229 arranged to receive respective pins 227 (discussed with reference to fig. 6) from the locking member 230, the pins 227 being arranged to be inserted into corresponding holes (not shown) in a corresponding panel (not shown). The mounting plate 221 is provided with said opening 225 for receiving the head 215 of the bracket 210. The opening 225 has a particular form including a first portion having a first width WH1 and a second portion 225-2 adjacent the first portion having a second width WH2, as shown. Wherein the second width WH2 is less than the first width WH 1.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, the following is disclosed. The width WB3 of head 215 is designed to be less than or equal to the width WH1 of the first portion 225-1 of opening 225, but greater than the width WH2 of the second portion 225-2 of opening 225. Further, the width WB2 of the neck 213 is designed to be less than the width WH2 of the second portion 225-2 of the opening 225. Preferably, but not necessarily, as described in the introduction to this specification, the width WB1 of the mounting portion 211 is designed to be wider than the width WH1 of the first portion 225-1 of the opening 225.

Fig. 6 illustrates the locking member 230 of the mounting system 200 of fig. 3. The locking member 230 includes a mounting frame 230, and an elastic member 235 is mounted in the mounting frame 230, as shown. The mounting frame 230 is provided with a plurality of latches 237 as shown. These pins 237 will be inserted into the mounting holes 229 in the holder 220 shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7-9 illustrate a method of using the mounting system 200 of fig. 3. In fig. 7, a mounting system 200 is shown including all its

components

210, 220, 230. In fig. 7, the locking member 230 has been mounted on the rear end of the holder portion. It can be seen that the resilient member 235 is curved in the direction of the opening 225. In fig. 7, stent 210 is to be inserted into first portion 225-1 of opening 225, as indicated by the arrow. This position is also referred to in the claims as the unlocked position.

In fig. 8, the carriage 210 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. During this sliding movement of the carriage 210 relative to the carriage 220, the resilient member 235 is pressed in, as shown by the direction of movement D1.

In fig. 9, the bracket 210 is completely moved to the end of the second portion of the opening 225, which allows the elastic member 235 to move back to its original position (due to the elastic force) in the moving direction D2. When this occurs, a "click" may be heard. The result is that the bracket 210 is locked in its position, also referred to as the locked position in the claims. In operational use, the resilient member 235 not only holds the bracket 210 in place, but also forms a support for the bracket 210.

Figures 10 to 12 show a method of mounting two panels at an angle in a piece of furniture using the bracket of figure 3.

In FIG. 10, a drawer 100 is shown, the drawer 100 including a bottom panel 110-1 and side panels 100-3 similar to FIG. 2. The front plate 100-2 is to be mounted to the drawer 100. The front panel is provided with a standoff 220 and a locking feature 230 in the channel as shown. The base plate 110 is provided with a bracket 210. The bracket 210 is mounted to the base plate 110 by screws 99 as shown. As shown, each latch 217 extends into a respective hole 218. The reason for choosing the triangular arrangement of the three holes 218 is to avoid mounting the bracket 210 in the wrong orientation, e.g. upside down. The same applies to the holder 220. The front panel 100-2 is also provided with additional mounting connectors 150 configured to engage specially designed grooves in the edges of the side panels 100-3. These mounting connectors 150 do not form part of the present invention. In this figure, the front panel 100-2 is moved in the direction of the arrow toward the other panels 100-1, 100-3. Cradle 210 and lug 220 are positioned in their unlocked position P1 such that cradle 210 may enter opening 225. At the end of this step, the front panel 100-2 will be fully contiguous with the side panel 100-3 and the bottom panel 100-1.

In fig. 11, the front panel 100-2 is moved downward relative to the drawer 100 as indicated by arrow MD 1. During this movement, the holder 210 moves upward relative to the holder 220, and the locking member 230 is pressed into the elastic member 235.

In fig. 12, the front panel 100-2 has been moved fully downward towards its locked position P2, wherein the resilient member 235 has been moved to its original position, thereby creating a "click" and providing support for the stand in the vertical direction, as previously described in this specification.

Accordingly, as described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12, when the front panel 100-2 of the drawer 100 is installed, the front panel 100-2 slides in a vertical direction. When the front panel 100-2 is slid over the drawer 100, the mounting system 200 connects the bottom panel 100-1 and the front panel 100-2, and when the front panel 100-2 is in place, the mounting system 200 "clicks", the front panel 100-2 cannot be removed from the drawer 200 before opening the mounting system by pressing a finger on the resilient member 235, and the front panel 100-2 can be slid in the opposite direction when installed.

The invention can be widely applied to bathroom furniture cabinets, kitchen cabinets, dressing tables, wardrobes, clothes, cup boards, ornaments and the like. The invention is basically applicable to every product having a drawer with a separate drawer front and drawer bottom. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to areas other than the front drawer. Basically, any panel of a drawer or cabinet may be adapted for mounting in the manner disclosed in the present patent specification and claims.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as numerous modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. For example, there may be variations in the manner in which components are connected or coupled. The person skilled in the art can easily find alternative solutions for fastening, tensioning and mounting the components. The present invention covers all such variations as long as they are covered by the independent claims. No limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware.

Claims

1. A drawer front mounting system (200) for mounting a first panel (100-1) to a second panel (100-2) at an angle (a12), the drawer front mounting system (200) comprising:

a bracket (210) having a mounting portion (211) and a head (215) connected to the mounting portion (211) by a narrowed neck (213), the mounting portion (211) being configured for mounting on the first panel (100-1);

a holder (220) having an opening (225), the holder (220) being configured for mounting to the second panel (100-2), wherein the opening (225) comprises a first portion (225-1) for receiving the head (215) of the holder (210) in an unlocked position (P1), wherein the opening (225) further comprises a second portion (225-2) adjacent to the first portion (225-1) and narrower than the first portion (225-1), the second portion (225-2) being configured for receiving the narrow neck (213) thereof in a locked position (P2) when the holder (210) is slid from the first portion (225-1) to the second portion (225-2); and is

A locking member (230) for holding the stand (210) at a locking position (P2) after the stand (210) is inserted into the stand (220) and slid into the locking position (P2);

wherein said locking means (230) comprises elastic means (235) positioned in operational use within said opening (225) and configured to be pressed in when the carriage (210) slides from the non-locking position (P1) to the locking position (P2), the position of which returns to its original position when the carriage (210) is fully in the locking position (P2) to provide stable support under the carriage (210).

2. The drawer front mounting system (200) of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion (211) of the bracket (210) is wider than the head (215).

3. The drawer front mounting system (200) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the resilient member (235) is configured and positioned to be suitable such that the bracket (210) can be released and allowed to slide back to its unlocked position (P2) by being pressed at the opening (225) with a finger or tool.

4. The drawer front mounting system (200) of any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the locking member (230) and the standoff (220) are configured as separate components mounted together.

5. The drawer front mounting system (200) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the locking member (230) and the standoff (220) are formed as one piece.

6. A bracket (210) of a drawer front mounting system, which is the bracket (210) in the drawer front mounting system (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A holder (220) of a mounting system for a drawer front, which is the holder (220) in the mounting system (200) for a drawer front according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. A locking member (230) of a drawer front mounting system, which is the locking member (230) of the drawer front mounting system (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. Furniture (100) comprising a first panel (100-1) and a second panel (100-2) mounted together at an angle (a12) by means of a mounting system (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first panel (100-1) is provided with a bracket (210) and the second panel (100-2) is provided with a bracket (220) and a locking member (230).

10. Furniture (100) according to claim 9, wherein the first panel (100-1) is further provided with a side panel (100-3), wherein the second panel (100-2) is arranged such that it abuts the first panel (100-1) and the side panel (100-3) to form a container or a drawer.