EP2206863A1

EP2206863A1 - Movable holding tool

Info

Publication number: EP2206863A1
Application number: EP08835421A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Shinichi Ajiki; Kazuyoshi Oshima
Original assignee: Sugatsune Kogyo Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sugatsune Kogyo Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-10-03
Filing date: 2008-10-02
Publication date: 2010-07-14
Also published as: JP4823993B2; WO2009044814A1; JP2009084965A

Abstract

A movable holder includes first and second mount members 20 and 22 to be attached to a door 3 and a case 2, respectively and two link arms 30 and 32 pivotally supported between the first and second mount members, the door being held on the case 3 so as to movably move between a position where the door closes the case and a position where the door is opened from the case and the forward/backward position of the door can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the leading end of the one link arm 30 relative to the first mount member 20 in an expansible/contractible manner, independently from the adjustment of the position of the mount member and the door.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a movable holder such as a door opening/closing holder to move forward or backward a movable member such as a door relative to a stationary member such as an opened case to thereby move the movable member close to or far away from the stationary member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The movable holder of this kind comprises two parallel link arms attached between a door (movable member) and a case (stationary member) in order to move the door so as to be closer to a position where the door closes the opening of the case or move the door so as to be far away from the case to a position where the door opens the opening of the case. This movable holder comprises resilient urging means which resiliently urges these parallel link arms so that when the door is manually opened midway in a door opening direction (to one of neutral shift positions where the door is slightly shifted from a neutral position in the door opening direction), the door is automatically opened and when the door is manually closed midway in a door closing direction (to another neutral shift position where the door is slightly shifted in the door closing direction), the door is automatically closed.
In order to attach the door in a proper posture relative to the case when the movable holder is attached between the door and the case, the position of the door is adjusted in an upward or downward direction or in a leftward or rightward direction or adjusted in a forward or backward direction so that one end of the door is closer to the case or farther away than the other end thereof whereby the door is properly directed to the opening of the case.
The movable holder according to the prior art has mount members on the door and the case for attaching the two parallel links to the door and the case, respectively and a connection link attached to the door side ends of the link arms. The connection link is attached to the mount member on the door side while the position of the connection link is adjusted in an upward or downward direction or in a leftward or rightward direction. The forward or backward position of the door is adjusted by changing an inclination of the connection plate of the connection link relative to the mount member (see Patent Document 1).
However, since in the movable holder of such a construction, the connection plate of the connection link and the mount member are connected by adjustable screws to adjust them in the upward or downward direction or in the leftward or rightward direction and therefore since the adjustable screws for adjustment of the position in the upward or downward direction or in the leftward or rightward direction have to be loosened when the position of the door is to be adjusted in the forward or backward direction, the position of the door in the upward or downward direction or in the leftward or rightward direction will be possibly shifted when the position of the door in the forward or backward direction tries to be adjusted. Thus, since the position of the door cannot be adjusted in the forward or backward direction in a state where the mount member is secured to the door, the operation of adjustment is troublesome.
Patent document 1: JP 2005-240465A

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a movable holder adapted to adjust a position of a movable member in a forward or backward direction while the a mount member is secured to the movable member whereby an operation of adjustment can be easily made and therefore attach the mount member independently from the adjustment of the position of the movable member in the other direction so that they are not subject to be effected to each other.
The movable holder of the present invention includes first and second mount members to be attached to a movable member and a stationary member, respectively and two parallel link arms having both ends pivotally supported on said first and second mount members between them, said movable holder being provided with forward/backward position adjustment means to hold said movable member so as to movably move forward and backward between a first position where said movable member is close to said stationary member and a second position where said movable member is far away from said stationary member whereby a position of an end of said movable member can be adjusted in a forward or backward direction relative to said stationary member, said forward/backward position adjustment means including a connection portion which can adjust a distance between a leading end of an extension arm provided on one of said link arms and further extending from a pivotal support position on the side of said first mount member and said first mount member.
In the movable holder of the invention, the connection portion may be in the form of a longitudinally elongated groove (tan or fuku) provided in said first mount member (originally omitted) in a manner parallel to a lateral direction of said movable member and a fixture to fix said leading end of said extension arm to said first mount member at a predetermined position of said longitudinally elongated groove.
In the aforementioned form, the first mount member includes an auxiliary extension member extending toward one of the link arms, the elongated groove of the forward/backward position adjustment means is formed in either of the extension arm of the one link arm and the auxiliary extension member of the first mount member and the fixture may preferably comprise a fixture screw extending through the elongated groove to threadedly connect the extension arm or the auxiliary extension member to the auxiliary extension member or the extension arm.
In this case, the forward/backward position adjustment means may have switch means comprising a laterally elongated formed in the auxiliary extension member or the extension arm of the one link arm and an eccentric cam engaged in the laterally elongated groove and attached to the extension arm or the auxiliary extension member in an eccentric manner so as to move the extension arm along the longitudinally elongated groove.
In accordance with the invention, since the forward/backward position adjustment means to adjust the end of the movable relative to the stationary member forwardly or backwardly move relative to the first mount member the end of the extension arm provided on one of the two link arms and further extending from the pivotal support position thereof on the side of the movable member so as to allow expansion/contraction of the one link arm, the forward/backward position of the movable member can be adjusted while the first mount member is fixed to the movable member and therefore, an operation of adjustment can be easily accomplished. Thus, since the adjustment of the forward/backward position of the movable member never affects the adjustment of its position in other directions and therefore those adjustments of the position can be separately made, which allows the attachment of the movable holder to be easily made.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[FIG. 1] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cabinet using a movable holder of the invention;
[FIG. 2] Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1, but is a back view of the movable holder of the invention illustrating it in more details;
[FIG. 3] Fig. 3 illustrates transition of a state where a door is opened/closed by the movable holder of the invention;
[FIG. 4] Fig. 4 is a back view of the movable holder illustrating a state where the door is set at a proper forward/backward position relative to the case at the door closed position;
[FIG. 5] Fig. 5 is a back view of the movable holder illustrating an incorrect state where one end of the door is positioned to be far away relative to the case at the door closed position;
[FIG. 6] Fig. 6 is a back view of the movable holder illustrating another incorrect state where other end of the door is positioned to be far away relative to the case at the door closed position;
[FIG. 7] Fig. 7 illustrates a feature of second position adjustment means of the movable holder of the invention in an enlarged manner in which Figs. 7(A) and 7(A') are plane and cross sectional views of an extension arm in a state where it is connected to a first mount member with a middle length of the extension arm ; Figs. 7(B) and 7(B') are plane and cross sectional views of the extension arm in a state where it is connected to the first mount member with a length of the extension arm more than that of Figs. 7(A( and 7(A); Figs. 7(C) and 7(C') are plane and cross sectional views of the extension arm in a state where it is connected to the first mount member with a length of the extension arm less than that of Figs. 7(A( and 7(A); Fig. 7(D) is a plane view of an auxiliary extension member; and Figs. 7(E) and 7(E') are plane and cross sectional views of the extension arm; and
[FIG. 8] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram briefly illustrating the states of Figs. 4 through 6.

BEST MODE OF EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

There is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 a cabinet 1 using a movable holder 10 constructed in accordance with the mode of preferred embodiment of the invention. The cabinet 1 comprises a case (stationary member) 2 and a door (movable member) 3. The movable holder 10 is disposed within a space of a top board 4U and within a space of a floor board 4F and movably holds the door 3 on the case 2 so that the door 3 is opened or closed relative to the case 2.
As shown in Fig. 2, the movable holder of the invention comprises first and second mount members 20 and 22 to be attached to the door (movable member) 3 and the case (stationary member) 2, respectively and two parallel link arms 30 and 32 having both ends pivotally supported on the first and second mount members 20 and 22 between them whereby the door 3 is movably held on the case 2 so as to move forward and backward the door 3 between a first position where the door (movable member) 3 is close to the case (stationary member) 2 (the door closed position of Fig. 2(A) in the illustrated form) and a second position where the door (movable member) 3 is far away from the case (stationary member) 2 (the door opened position of Fig. 2(C) in the illustrated form).
Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 2 through 6, the movable holder 10 is further provided with resilient urging means 40 including an expansion/contraction spring 42 to urge the first and second parallel two link arms 30 and 32 to be automatically pivotally moved to either of the first and second positions when the two link arms 30 and 32 are even slightly shifted from the middle position (see Fig. 2(B) and Fig. 5) to the first or second position.
As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 through 6, the first mount member 20 may be formed of a mount plate 20B of L-shaped cross section attached to the back face of the door 3 by screws or any other appropriate means. One end 30EA of the first link arm 30 is pivotally supported by a pivotal pin 30PA to the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the mount plate 20B and one end 32EA of the second link arm 32 is pivotally supported by a pivotal pin 32PA on an extension arm 32EN, which is connected to the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the mount member 20B through second position adjustment means 60.
Similarly, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 through 6, the second mount member 22 may be formed of a rectangular plate 22B attached to the inner face of the case 2 by screws or any other appropriate means. The other end 30EB of the first link arm 30 is pivotally supported by a pivotal pin 30PB on the rectangular plate 22B and the other end 32EB of the second link arm 32 is pivotally supported by a pivotal pin 32PB on the rectangular plate 22B. As described later, since a part of the resilient urging means 40 is contained in the first link arm 30, the first link arm 30 is not in a flat plate form, but in a square-cylindrical form and therefore, the rectangular plate 22 has an auxiliary support 22BS integral to the rectangular plate 22B for supporting the end 30EB of the link arm 30 so as to be held around the auxiliary support 22BS in order to reinforce the support by the pivotal pin 30PB.
The resilient urging means 40 includes a swinging arm 44 pivotally supported by pivotal pins 44PA and 44PB on an extension 20BE on the horizontal plate portion of the mount member 20B of the first mount member 20 and the first link arm 30 between them, in the illustrated form of embodiment. The expansion/contraction spring 42 is disposed within the one link arm 30 so as to resiliently move the swinging arm 42 in accordance with the movement of the parallel link arms 30 and 32. In the illustrated form, the expansion/contraction spring 42 may be in the form of a gas spring, but may be in the form of conventional coil spring.
The pivotal pin 44PB on the side of movable end of the swinging arm 44 is adapted to slidably move along a linear guide 48 in the form of an elongated groove 48G provided in the link arm 30 and the expansion/contraction spring 42 is connected to the pivotal pin 44B to resiliently force the pivotal pin 44B in a leftward direction of Figs. 4 through 6.
Briefly explaining an operation of the movable holder 10 with reference to Fig. 3, in the state where the door 3 closes the opening of the case 2, the parallel link arms 30 and 32 are contained in the folded state within the spaces of the top board 4U and the floor board 4F of the case 2 as indicated by (A) of Fig. 3 and the parallel link arms 30 and 32 are maintained in this state through the swinging arm 44 by an expansion force of the expansion/contraction spring 42 of the resilient urging means 40. Thus, the door 3 is held in the position (the first position) where the door 3 closes the opening of the case 1.
Then, when the door 3 is manually opened from the closed position (A), the parallel link arms 30 and 32 pivotally move about the center of the pivotal pins 30PB and 32PB on the second mount member 22. Under the circumstances, the swinging arm 44 of the resilient urging means 40 pivotally moves the extension 20E of the first mount member 20 about the center of the pivotal pin 30PA of the link arm 30 while the expansion/contraction spring 42 is contracted whereby the extension 20EB moves toward the second mount member 22 while inclining the door 3. There reaches a mid-position (neutral position) of door half-closing where the pivotal pin 30PA of the link arm 30, the pivotal pins 44PA of the swinging arm 44 and the expansion/contraction spring 42 are aligned in a straight line (see (B) of Fig. 3). When the door 3 even slightly moves in the door opening direction from this position, the expansion force M of the expansion/contraction spring 42 acts on the swinging arm 44 in the clockwise direction of Fig. 3 whereby the link arms 30 and 32 automatically pivotally move until the door 3 reaches the opened position (the second position). Thus, the door 3 is automatically opened even though it is relieved from the hand.
Reversely, when the door 3 is to be closed, the door 3 is manually operated in the door closing direction against the expansion force of the expansion/contraction spring 42 from the second position (closed position) of (C) of Fig. 3 to the position slightly beyond the half-opened mid-position of (B) of Fig. 3. This causes the swinging arm 44 of the resilient urging means 40 to act in the counterclockwise direction of Fig. 3 due to the expansion force of the expansion/contraction spring 42 so that the link arm 30 is urged in the door closing direction. Thus, the door 3 is automatically closed even though it is relieved from the hand.
The movable holder of the invention further comprises first position adjustment means (upward/downward position adjustment means) 50 to set the mount position of the first mount member 20 relative to the door 3 to adjust the position of the door 3 relative to the case 2 in an upward or downward direction and second position adjustment means (forward/backward position adjustment means) 60 to adjust the position of either of ends of the door 3 relative to the case 2 in a forward or backward direction.
As shown in Fig. 2, the first position adjustment means 50 a plural of vertical elongated grooves 52 provided in the vertical plate portion 20BV of the L-shaped mount plate 20B of the first mount member 20 and a fixture screw 54 extending through the vertical elongated groove 52 and engaged into the back face of the door 3.
This first position adjustment means 50 sets the upward/downward position of the door 3 relative to the first mount means so that the fixture screw 54 in the state where it is loosened relatively slidably moves within the vertical elongated groove 52 and threadedly engaged into the door 3 in a predetermined vertical position thereof whereby the relative vertical position of the door 3 and the first mount member 22 is adjusted to adjust the upward/downward position of the door 3 relative to the case 2.
The second position adjustment means 60 includes a connection portion 60C provided on the second link arm 32 and adapted to be able to adjust the distance between the first mount member 20 and an end of the extension arm 32EN further extending from the pivotal support position of the link arm 32 on the first mount member side. As shown in Figs. 4 through 7, and especially in Fig. 7 in more details, in the illustrated form, the connection portion 60C longitudinal elongated groove 62 provided in a part of the first mount member 20 in a manner parallel to the latitudinal direction of the door 3 and a fixture 64 to adjust the position of the leading end of the extension arm 32EN of the second link arm 32 in a longitudinal direction to fix the extension arm 32E to the horizontal plate portion 20BH.
In the illustrated form, the mount plate 20B may have an auxiliary extension member 20BM secured by a screw 68 and extending from the horizontal plate portion 20BH. The longitudinal elongated groove 62 is formed in the auxiliary extension member 20BM.
In the illustrated form, the fixture 64 may comprise a fixture screw 64S having an enlarged head, extending through the longitudinal elongated groove 62 and threadedly engaged into the extension arm 32EN of the link arm 32.
In the illustrated form, the second position adjustment means 60 is further provided with a switch portion 66 including a lateral elongated groove 66G formed in the auxiliary extension member 20BM and an eccentric cam 66C provided in the auxiliary extension member 20BM in an eccentric manner and engaged in the lateral elongated groove 66G so as to move the extension arm 32EN along the longitudinal elongated groove 62. The eccentric cam 66C may have a driver engagement groove 66CG provided in a top face thereof and can rotate eccentrically by rotating a driver, an end of which is engaged in the driver engagement groove 66CG.
As the eccentric cam 66C in the loosened state is rotated so as to be positioned at one of edges of the lateral elongated groove 66G as shown in Figs. 7(A) and 7(A), the extension arm 32EN of the link arm 32 is located at a middle position of the longitudinal elongated groove 62. At this position, as the fixture screw 64S is tightened to fix the extension arm 32EN to the auxiliary extension member 20BM of the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the mount plate 20B B, the link arm 32 is secured to the horizontal plate portion w20BH of the mount plate 20B in the middle length state tjhereof (see Fig. 4 and Fig. 8(A)).
As the eccentric cam 66C is rotated from this position by 90 degree in a clockwise direction until it is positioned in the lateral elongated groove 66G so as to be at the middle position as shown in Figs. 7(B) and Fig. 7(B'), the extension arm 32E of the link arm 32 is forced in a leftward direction of Fig. 7 until the fixture screw 64S engages the left edge of the longitudinal elongated groove 62 and as the fixture screw 64S is tightened at this position so as to fix the extension arm 32EN to the auxiliary extension member 20BM of the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the mount member 20B, the link arm 32 is secured to the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the mount plate 20B in the longest state thereof. (see Fig. 5 and Fig. 8(B)).
Reversely, as the eccentric cam 66C is rotated from the position of Figs. 7(A) and 7(A') by 90 degree in a counter-clockwise direction and is positioned so as to engage the other edge of the lateral elongated groove 66G as shown in Figs. 7(C)a and 7(C'), the extension arm 32E of the link arm 32 is pulled in a rightward direction of Fig. 7 until the fixture screw 64S engages the right edge of the longitudinal elongated groove 62 and as the fixture screw 64S is tightened at this position so as to fix the extension arm 32EN to the auxiliary extension member 20BM of the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the mount member 20B, the link arm 32 is secured to the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the mount plate 20B in the shortest state thereof. (see Fig. 6 and Fig. 8(C)).
The relationship of the position of the second link arm 32 and the first mount member 20, that is the relatioship of forward/backward position of the door 3 relative to the case 2 is determined on the setting of the position of the second position adjustment means 60. By expanding or contracting the extension arm 32EN of the link arm 32 from the middle length of Fig. 7(A) to the longest or shortest length of Fig. 7(B) or Fig. 7(C), the posture of the first and second link arms 30 and 32 pivotally supported on the second mount member 22 by the pivotal pins 30PB and 32PB varies from Fig. 8(A) to Fig. (B) or Fig. 8(C) and therefore the one end (the right-side end of Fig. 5) or the other end (the left-side end of Fig. 6) of the the door 3 mounted on the first mount member 20 nmoves forwardly relative to the case 2 whereby the forward/backward position thereof is adjusted. Thus, if the door 3 is positioned relative to the case 2 so that one of ends of the door 3 is faw away backwardly as shown in Fig. 5 or Fig. 6, the eccentric cam 66C of the switch mechanism 66 is rotated in the counter-clockwise or clockwise direction by 90 degree so as to adjust the position thereof to the position of Fig. 4 whereby the door is set at a correct position relative to the case 2.
As aforementioned, since the forward/backward position of the ends of the door 3 relative to the case 2 is adjusted not by movement of the first mount member, but by expanding/contracting the leading end of the extension arm of one of the link arms relative to the mount member, the operation of adjustment can be made while the first mount member is secured to the door. Thus the forward/backward position adjustment can be made independently from the position adjustment of the door in the other direction and the forward/backward position adjustment never effects the position adjustment in the other direction. Furthermore, since the forward/backward position adjustment need not be made while confirming the adjusted position in the other direction, which causes the operation of adjustment t be easily made.
In the aforementioned form of embodiment, the expansion/contraction spring 42 may be in the form of the gas spring, but it may be other than the gas spring and it may be in the form of push spring, but it may be in the form of pull spring. In the latter case, the expansion/contraction spring 42 will be positioned in the opposite side relative to the linear guide 48.
Furthermore, in the illustrated form, the auxiliary extension member 20BM nay be secured to the horizontal plate portion 20BH of the L-shaped mount plate 20B, but may be integral with the horizontal plate portion 20BH.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In accordance with the invention, since the leading end of one of the link arms moves forwardly or backwardly relative to the first mount member and is fixed to the first mount member so that the one link arm is expanded or contracted, the forward/backward position of the movable member by the setting of the position of the first mount member independently from means to adjust the position of the movable member in the other direction and therefore, the adjustment of the forward/backward position of the movable member never effects the adjustment of the position thereof in the other direction. Thus these adjustments of the position can be separately made and the attachment of the movable holder can be easily made. Thus the invention has the higher industrial applicability.

Claims

A movable holder including first and second mount members to be attached to a movable member and a stationary member, respectively and two parallel link arms having both ends pivotally supported on said first and second mount members between them, said movable holder being provided with forward or backward position adjustment means to hold said movable member held so as to movably move forward and backward between a first position where said movable member is close to said stationary member and a second position where said movable member is far away from said stationary member whereby a position of an end of said movable member can be adjusted in a forward or backward direction relative to said stationary member, said forward/backward position adjustment means includes a connection portion which is provided on one of said link arms and can adjust a distance between a leading end of an extension arm further extending from a pivotal support position on the side of said first mount member and said first mount member.
A movable holder as set forth in claim 1, and wherein said connection portion may be in the form of an elongated groove provided in said movable member in a manner parallel to a lateral direction thereof and a fixture to fix said leading end of said extension arm to said first mount member at a predetermined position of said elongated groove.
A movable holder as set forth in claim 2, and wherein said first mount member includes an auxiliary extension member extending from one of the link arms, the elongated groove of the forward/backward position adjustment means is formed in either of the extension arm of the one link arm and the auxiliary extension member of the first mount member and the fixture may preferably comprise a fixture screw extending through the elongated groove to threadedly connect the extension arm or the auxiliary extension member to the auxiliary extension member or the extension arm.
A movable holder as set forth in claim 3, and wherein said forward/backward position adjustment means has switch means comprising a laterally elongated formed in the extension arm of the one link arm and an eccentric cam engaged in the laterally elongated groove and provided on the extension arm or the auxiliary extension member so as to move the extension arm along the laterally elongated groove.