EP2055209A1 - Drive assembly of a mobile furniture section - Google Patents

Abstract

The drive (7) for a furniture component, e.g. a sliding drawer (2) moving to and fro in a cabinet (1), has a motor rotating in two directions. The motor acts on flat ribbons strips (8,9) moving in C-profiled rails, around curved paths, fastened to the drawer side walls (4) by bolts (10,11) to move the drawer in and out. The motor drives a cogwheel, which meshes with the ribbon strips to give them movement.

Description

The innovation relates to a drive arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1.

A generic drive assembly is from the WO 2006/029894 A1 known.

In practice, there is a requirement to use the most economical components in the manufacture of furniture. The novelty is therefore based on the object to improve a generic drive arrangement to the effect that this is possible to produce inexpensive.

This object is achieved by a drive arrangement having the features of claim 1.

The innovation proposes, in other words, to use as power transmission means flat belts, which have sufficient inherent rigidity to transmit the required compressive forces, if the movable furniture part is both pushed and pulled. In some applications, this is not necessary because the movement of the furniture part, for example, is gravity assisted. This may for example be the case when a flat screen is to be lowered from a cabinet furniture down. In this case, the power transmission means need only transfer tensile forces to lower the flat screen in a controlled manner to be able to and then lift again, in a designated slot of the box furniture.

In other cases, when, for example, drawers are to be extended and retracted, it may be necessary for the force transmission means to transmit thrust forces in order to act on the drawer starting from the drive motor and to be able to push it out of a furniture frame. The flat bands can have a significantly larger cross-section than cables, so that higher forces can be transmitted. The flexibility to allow the drive means to curve is provided by the flat cross-sectional geometry of the band, similar to that known, for example, from metallic length measuring bands which can be rolled up into a measuring drum. It is particularly advantageous that only a very small footprint is required for such tapes, so that within a furniture frame only little space must be provided, which is not available as a usable space of the furniture available.

The leadership of the flat band in the curved area can be done for example by rollers, which rest against the belt. In order to avoid a breakage of the band in the transmission of shear forces, such rollers or other suitable guide elements may advantageously be arranged in the outer area of the band. In order to prevent when pulling in the drawer or other transmission of tensile forces through the tape that this "pulls into the curve" can be advantageously provided in the curve inside the belt rollers, sliding elements or similar guide elements.

The aforementioned roles are usually the surface of the tape on its inside or outside curve side. In the rectilinear region, the band can have sufficient intrinsic stability in order to be able to transmit compressive forces to a sufficient extent.

However, guiding means can be provided which comprise the band at its two edges. Such guide means may be provided, for example, to guide the band on its rectilinear sections. As a result, a breaking of the tape is prevented in the transmission of compressive forces, so that significantly higher compressive forces are transferable than the compressive forces that would be transferable solely due to the inherent rigidity of the tape. Such the edges of the band comprehensive guide means may be provided in addition to the aforementioned curve guide, for example in the form of rollers. Alternatively, it may be provided to provide such, the edge of the band comprehensive guide means in the area of the curves to describe the band, so that compared to the use of rollers, the guide means can be made considerably narrower and thus a particularly space-saving installation option for the proposed Drive arrangement is created.

The guide means, which comprise the two narrow edges of the band, can advantageously leave a free space between them, which leaves an access to the band. In such a case, the band can have connecting means with which it is fixed on the movable furniture part or otherwise connected to the furniture part. Since these connection means can extend through the free space of the guide means, the band can run together with the connection means through these guide means. Of Bowden cables, pitch cables and the like, it is known that these are connected via nipples or similar connection means with a component to be moved. In this case, such a drive element can be guided only within a veritable envelope, so that the path length can be transmitted via the pressure forces by means of such a drive element, is considerably limited by the fact that when pushing out the drive element from his Enclosure the inherent rigidity of the drive element, so for example, the Bowden cable or the pitch cable, due to the buckling load is limited, so that either a very limited distance is available or conversely, only very limited compressive forces can be transmitted. However, when the connecting means extend through the free space of the guide means and connect to the band, almost unlimited distances are possible over which the band can transmit compressive forces because the band over this entire distance between two points where the connection means are located, run within the guide means and is guided or supported by these guide means.

As a guide means profile rails can be used which have a C-shaped cross section in an advantageous manner. By the C-shaped profiling a high intrinsic stability of the guide means is effected and at the same time an optimal stabilization and guidance of the tape is effected, since this both on the two edges abut the guide means as well as on one of its two surfaces. The space between the two free ends of the C-profile allows the connection of the band via the connection means to the movable furniture part.

Advantageously, the band can be guided over almost its entire length in the guide means, which include its two edges, so that optimum support of the band and an optimal protection against breaking of the band and thus the transmission of the highest possible compressive forces is possible.

Advantageously, the belt can be moved by means of a drive wheel, which was at that time driven by the drive motor. For example, an electric motor may be provided, on whose shaft such a drive wheel is arranged. The tape can thereby run in a V-shaped groove of the drive wheel, so that a special processing of the tape to this example to provide with a toothing or the like, is not required. The V-shaped groove ensures a loading of the tape along one of its two edges, wherein the tape is detected and acted upon by the drive wheel from both sides, so that in this area a special guide or support of the tape is not required.

In this case, an automatic readjustment of the drive wheel can be provided, which is effective on the one hand at wear of the belt, in particular along its edge detected by the drive wheel, or at different manufacturing tolerances from the band on the one hand and the drive wheel on the other hand: The drive wheel may have two mutually movable discs, the each having an inclined surface and thus form the V-shaped groove between them. The two discs are spring-loaded in such a way that they are urged by the spring to each other and rest in this way the band. If the band has irregularities or if a band with a slightly larger material thickness than intended is mounted, then the two discs can deflect against the action of the spring, while conversely with a narrower band or with a wear-related thickness reduction of the band, the spring can automatically adjust the two Causes slices and thus always ensures a reliable system of the drive wheel on the belt.

If the band is designed as described above smooth, so without a dedicated teeth or other profiling, transmission of undesirably high forces can be excluded between the drive wheel and the belt by the drive wheel acts as a slip coupling. This can serve, for example, as accident protection if a user holds a hand or a finger in the drawer with a closing drawer. Thus, the transmitted from the drive motor to the drawer closing force by this slip clutch be limited to prevent personal injury, especially in children with small and appropriately sensitive limbs.

Alternatively, the opposite effect can be effected by the strip having a profiling on which the drive motor acts by means of a transmission means.

The transmission means may for example be designed as push rods, which are moved by a crank gear back and forth so that they act upon the belt during the forward movement and drive, while they are not drivingly acting on the tape during the return movement - fitting on the belt or free ,

Advantageously, the transmission means can be configured as a drive wheel, so that by a simple reversal of the direction of the drive wheel and the belt can be driven in the reverse direction. In particular, the drive wheel may be designed as a toothed wheel, which meshes with the belt. For this purpose, the band may be designed as a toothed belt, ie also have a toothing, or it may have a perforation, in which engage the teeth of the drive wheel. In this way, the transmission of high forces from the drive wheel on the belt is made possible, so that, for example, heavy loads can be raised. The already mentioned example of a lowerable from a furniture body screen is clear that by means of such high transferable forces particularly heavy elements can be moved, for example, a particularly large screen raised from its lowered position and can be reliably held in its raised position.

Advantageously, the combination of both drive principles can be provided, so that on the one hand a positive drive by means of a profiled band is made possible, and at the same time a slip clutch, which allows a smooth start or stop movements and accident protection by limiting the transmittable torque. For this purpose, can be advantageously provided to provide the slip clutch by means of one or more commercially available rotary damper, so with inexpensive components that have low installation dimensions.

Advantageously, two bands can be provided, so that the moving component is driven on both sides. Thus, for example, the two bands can be guided to two opposite sides of a drawer and allow the most uniform possible drive of the drawer so that it can be optimally guided against tilting. Depending on the planned installation situation, provision can be made to guide the two belts one above the other or one behind the other so that the demand for either the lowest possible structural depth or the lowest possible structural height can be met.

Advantageously, two bands may be provided which extend on both sides of the mentioned drive wheel. In this way, one belt is moved in opposite directions to the other band upon rotation of the drive wheel. This counter movement causes both bands to expand or contract at the same time, so that by simple means a synchronous movement of the two points is effected, at which connect the tapes to the component to be moved.

Due to the orientation of the drive wheel, z. B. lying or standing, can be influenced in a simple manner, whether the two bands are performed one above the other or behind each other, so that either a horizontal possible small depth or the lowest possible vertical height is achieved as needed.

Advantageously, the band may consist of a metallic material. Despite very high load capacity are such bands very economical. Alternatively, for example, the band consist of a reinforced plastic, for example of a fiber-reinforced plastic, so that both high tensile and compressive forces are transferable and a material can be used, which may for example have self-lubricating properties and is antimagnetic.

Advantageously, the proposed drive arrangement can be provided for driving a drawer, wherein the drive motor is arranged behind the drawer and the tape runs from the drive motor behind the drawer forth, then guided around a curve forward, towards the panel of the drawer, and thus extends laterally next to the drawer. The mentioned connection means are located to the side of the drawer and connect the drawer to the band.

Advantageously, a detection device can be provided which detects the position of the tape and is effectively connected to an evaluation circuit. Thus, a position and / or distance detection of the moving component is made possible on the belt, so that a precise control of the moving component is made possible, for example in the form of so-called start-up and deceleration ramps, ie distances in which the drive motor is driven in such a way the driven component is defined accelerated or decelerated.

Fig. 1

einen Schnitt durch ein Kastenmöbel mit einer Draufsicht auf eine Schublade,

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht auf ein Antriebsrad mit zwei Bändern,

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht in Längsrichtung der beiden Bänder, an einer der beiden Seiten der Schublade von Fig. 1, und

Fig. 4

eine Ansicht in Längsrichtung der beiden Bänder im Bereich des Antriebsrades.

An embodiment of the innovation will be explained in more detail below with reference to the purely schematic representations. It shows

Fig. 1

a section through a cabinet furniture with a top view of a drawer,

Fig. 2

a view of a drive wheel with two belts,

Fig. 3

a view in the longitudinal direction of the two bands, on one of the two sides of the drawer of Fig. 1 , and

Fig. 4

a view in the longitudinal direction of the two bands in the drive wheel.

In Fig. 1 a cabinet furniture 1 is shown, wherein in the body of the box furniture 1, a drawer 2 is provided which has a panel 3 and a frame of two side walls 4 and a rear wall 5. Behind the drawer 2, a comparatively small dimensioned space within the box furniture 1 is provided , wherein this void is completed by a rear wall 6 of the box furniture 1.

In the empty space between the rear wall 5 of the drawer 2 and the rear wall 6 of the box furniture 1, a schematically indicated drive unit 7 is provided, which acts on two purely schematically indicated power transmission means in the form of two bands 8 and 9. Both bands 8 and 9 extend from the drive unit 7 on both sides, are then guided around a curve and eventually extend a little way next to the side walls 4 of the drawer 2. The band 8 is designed with a pin 10 as connecting means with the Connected left side wall 4, while the belt 9 is connected by means of a likewise designed as a bolt 11 connecting means with the side wall 4 shown on the right.

Schematically, to illustrate the presence of both bands 8 and 9 are shown in FIG Fig. 1 , So in plan view, the two bands 8 and 9 arranged side by side.

In contrast clarifies Fig. 3 the actual arrangement of the two bands 8 and 9: they are arranged one above the other and each guided in a rail 12 with C-shaped cross-section. Both rails 12 are on a common Base plate 14 mounted so that the assembly of the two rails 12 is simplified within the furniture carcass that a prefabricated assembly can be arranged in the furniture body, namely consisting of the base plate 14 together with the attached two rails 12. The base plate 14 may, for example a partition 15 of the box furniture 1 are attached, and from the representation of Fig. 3 It can be seen that the upper of the two bands is the band 9, which connects by means of the bolt 11 to the right side wall 4 of the drawer 2.

Fig. 2 illustrates purely schematically that upon rotation of a drive wheel 16, the two belts are driven in opposite directions, since the one band 8 below and the other band 9 above the center of the drive wheel 16 extends.

Fig. 4 illustrates this drive in a viewing direction along the two belts 8 and 9: The drive unit 7 has a drive motor 17 which drives via a gear 18, the drive wheel either in one of two directions of rotation. The drive wheel 16 consists of two discs 19, which have mutually facing inclined surfaces and thus create a circumferential V-shaped groove 20 between them. The two discs 19 do not touch each other. Rather, they have a free space between them and are pressed together by a spring, not shown. In this way, it is ensured that they contact the two belts 8 and 9, so that upon rotation of the drive wheel 16, the two belts 8 and 9, as prescribed, are moved in opposite directions. Since neither the bands 8 and 9 nor the discs 19 are profiled, by means of in Fig. 4 7, a friction clutch is provided which, when overloaded, permits a relative movement between one or both of the belts 8 and 9 on the one hand and one or both of the pulleys 19 on the other hand.

Purely by way of example is in Fig. 4 the drive motor 16 shown in rectilinear extension of the central axis of the two discs 19. To allow within the available space behind the drawer 2 as small as possible drive unit 7 may be provided deviating from the illustrated embodiment that, for example, the transmission 18 is designed as an angle gear and the drive motor 17 extending in the longitudinal direction behind the drawer 2 Bands 8 and 9 is aligned.

The profile rails 12 may be the only guide means for the bands 8 and 9 and preferably extend over the entire length of the bands 8 and 9 to the area of the drive unit 7. In this way, a support of the bands 8 and 9 is possible both in their rectilinear areas as well as in the area of the curves, so that the bands 8 and 9 are optimally supported and can transmit high compressive forces, for example, a heavily loaded drawer 2 reliable to push out of the body of the cabinet furniture 1.

An electronic control can be provided to control the speed of the drive motor 17 during retraction and extension of the drawer 2, so that, for example, by means of corresponding "ramps" a gentle start or run of the drive unit 7 is effected and, accordingly, only comparatively small forces between the drive wheel 16 and the two belts 8 and 9 must be transmitted. In this way, a reliable drive of the drawer 2 is ensured without slipping occurs in this control mode and the function of the slip clutch of the drive unit 7 is effective. A possible low-friction running of the bands 8 and 9 is ensured by the fact that the rails 12 are made of a self-lubricating plastic and the bands 8 and 9 of a metallic material, so that without additional Lubricant over the entire life of a smooth running of the illustrated drive assembly is ensured.

Claims (17)

Drive arrangement of a movable furniture part,
with at least one drive motor,
and with power transmission means,
on the one hand acted upon by the drive motor, and on the other hand are connected to the movable furniture part,
such that upon rotation of the motor in a first direction of rotation the force transfer means move the movable furniture part in a first direction,
and in that, upon rotation of the motor in a second direction of rotation, the force transfer means move the movable furniture part in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
wherein the power transmission means are flexible and intrinsically stiff, compressive forces designed and guided around a curve,
characterized,
in that the force transmission means are designed as a flat band (8, 9) and guided in the curved area. Drive arrangement according to claim 1,
characterized,
in that guiding means are provided which comprise the band (8, 9) at its two edges. Drive arrangement according to claim 2,
characterized,
in that the guide means have a free space between two areas which comprise the two edges of the band (8, 9), in which they leave free access to the band (8, 9),
and in that the band (8, 9) has connection means by means of which it is connected to the movable furniture part, wherein the connection means extend through the free space of the Guide means extend. Drive arrangement according to claim 2 or 3,
characterized,
that the guide means are designed as a profile rail (12) with C-shaped cross section. Drive arrangement according to one of claims 2 to 4,
characterized,
that the band (8,9) is guided over almost its entire length in the guide means comprising its edges. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that a drive wheel (16) driven by the drive motor (17) acts on the belt (8, 9). Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the band (8, 9) has a profiling on which the drive motor (17) acts by means of a transmission means. Drive arrangement according to claim 7,
characterized,
in that the band (8, 9) has a perforation, in which the transmission means engages. Drive arrangement according to claim 7,
characterized,
in that the band (8, 9) is designed as a toothed belt, wherein the transmission means engages in the interdental spaces. Drive arrangement according to one of claims 7 to 9,
characterized,
that the transmission means is designed as a gear. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that the band (8, 9) runs in a V-shaped groove (20) of a drive wheel (16), and in that both the drive wheel (16) and the band (8, 9) are made smooth,
that acting in the manner of a slip clutch when a predetermined, between the drive wheel (16) and band (8.9) power is provided by a relative movement between the drive wheel (16) and band (8.9). Drive arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 10,
characterized,
in that a slip clutch in the form of a rotary damper is provided between the belt (8, 9) and an engine driving the belt (8, 9). Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
in that two bands (8, 9) are provided which run along a drive wheel (16) on both sides, such that the two bands (8, 9) are always moved in opposite directions in each direction of rotation of the drive wheel (16). Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the band (8,9) consists of a metallic material. Drive arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 11,
characterized,
that the band consists of a reinforced plastic. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the movable piece of furniture is designed as a drawer (2),
wherein the drive motor (17) behind the drawer (2) is arranged
and the band (8, 9) runs first from the drive motor (17) behind the drawer (2), then is guided around a curve, and finally extends laterally next to the drawer (2) and there with the drawer (2) connected is. Drive arrangement according to one of the preceding claims,
marked by,
a detection device, which detects the position of the belt (8,9) and is operatively connected to an evaluation circuit, such that a position and / or path detection of the drive belt is made possible.

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