EP2221438B1 - Cabinet, in particular security cabinet - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a cabinet, in particular safety cabinet, with at least two swing doors, and with a spring unit which kraftbeaufschlagt both swing doors in the closing operation in the direction of its closed position, the spring unit in normal operation, that is, at manually caused opening and closing movements of the swing doors, constantly their retains tensioned position and has a driver, which interacts with the swing doors only in the closing operation, for example in case of fire, the spring unit engages with its driver on at least one connecting element of the respective swing door in closing operation and the connecting element is mounted linearly displaceable in two-sided guides.

A cabinet, in particular safety cabinet of the above-described embodiment is in the EP 2 017 420 A1 presented. Here, two hinged to a cabinet body hinged doors are realized, which are connected together to a sliding in a guide connection element. As a result, a so-called one-handed opening can be realized. That is, the movement of a swing door leads over the common and displaceable in the guide connecting element to the fact that the other swing door undergoes a corresponding movement. The swing doors are opened and closed manually. Only in closed operation, regularly in case of fire, the spring unit comes into play. For this purpose, the spring unit keeps in normal operation, that is, in the manually caused opening and closing movements of the swing doors, constantly their cocked position.

Exclusively in the closing operation and here mostly in case of fire, the tensioned position of the spring unit is released by the spring unit triggered and now provides automatic, and not manual, closure of the swing doors. For this purpose, the spring unit is equipped with a fixing element, which ensures the tensioned position of the spring unit. In closing operation, for example in case of fire, the fixing element is opened, so that the spring unit can relax and transferred via its driver the swing doors (automatically) in the closed position.

The swing doors may be any doors with wing-like character and one-sided articulation to a cabinet body in such a cabinet, which in principle also folding doors are conceivable, as exemplified in the DE 200 19 307 U1 to be discribed.

In the thus-equipped cabinet is usually a safety cabinet, laboratory cabinet, environmental cabinet, tool cabinet, wardrobe or the like, in which it matters, especially in case of fire to protect stored in the cabinet items and fabrics or materials. This may be, for example, safety-related products such as chemicals, flammable liquids, etc. Closing in the event of fire prevents the fluids or chemicals from starting to burn.

The state of the art after the generic EP 2 017 420 A1 has proven itself overall, but is limited in terms of use range ago in some ways. Because it is pursued almost exclusively a one-handed opening. In addition, the spring unit acts on the common connecting element for the two swing doors laterally, which is not optimal from the introduction of force ago.

The invention is based on the technical problem of further developing a cabinet, in particular a safety cabinet, of the embodiment described at the beginning in such a way that the introduction of force by the spring unit into the swing doors is improved.

To solve this technical problem, the subject of the invention is a cabinet, in particular safety cabinet, according to claim 1.

The spring unit engages with its obligatory driver on the connecting element of the respective swing door in the closing operation. That is, each swing door is basically equipped with its own connection element. The two separately designed connecting elements of the driver are acted upon together in the closing operation, for example in case of fire. For this purpose, the two connecting elements may adjoin one another.

In any case, the interpretation is made so that the one (single) driver of the spring unit can act on both (separate) connecting elements together in the closing operation, so that the operatively connected to the connecting elements swing doors also learn together by means of the driver in the closing operation, the described automatic closure. - The separate design of the connecting elements for each swing door corresponds to the fact that both swing doors are manually closed and opened separately from each other (can). This includes the two-hand operation.

In any case, the two-sided guides the swing doors regularly serve to guide the two fasteners. The two swing doors are connected to the two connecting elements via a push rod connected. As soon as the driver acts on the two connecting elements, the spring unit in the closing operation ensures that the two connecting elements experience a force application in the closing direction. Since the swing doors are each connected via connecting rods to the respective connecting element, also experience the swing doors a corresponding application of force in the direction of its closed position. The application of force can be made available in total by a scroll spring which essentially forms the spring unit in conjunction with the driver.

The aforementioned roll spring assumes in its tensioned state and in normal operation an elongated arrangement. This is ensured by a fixing element, which holds the elongated roll spring in the tensioned state. Once the fixing element in the closing operation (for example, in case of fire) is triggered, the elongated scroll spring can relax and contract. In this process, the driver acts on the two connecting elements in the direction of the closed position of the swing doors as set forth.

The fact that the spring unit is arranged between the two-sided guides of the swing doors or the two connecting elements and otherwise has an axial arrangement compared to the two-sided guides and is arranged approximately centrally between them, a particularly favorable force is introduced into the two connecting elements observed. In fact, the spring unit in the closing operation ensures that the two connecting elements are usually moved linearly along the two-sided guides. Because the respective connecting element is mounted linearly displaceable in one of the two-sided guides. Since the introduction of force according to the invention takes place centrally between the two guides and, moreover, the spring unit generates a closing force in the closing operation, which essentially rectified to the two sides and parallel to each other arranged guides is created, a perfect functionality is given.

Because in the ideal case, the force applied by the spring unit in closing operation closing force evenly divided on the two mutually parallel and arranged on both sides of the spring unit guides. All the more so, as the closing force runs exactly in the direction of these guides and thus easily ensures that the two connecting elements along the two-sided guides are linearly displaced.

That is, the inventive construction of the cabinet, in particular safety cabinet, allows a two-handed operation. In this context, the introduction of force of the spring unit is optimized in the two connecting elements, so that in particular tilting of the respective connecting elements in the associated guides are not to be feared. It is thus ensured that the swing doors are closed reliably in the closing operation.

It should be emphasized that the fixing, which holds the elongated spring roll of the spring unit or generally the spring of the spring unit in normal operation in a stretched state, not only in case of fire is triggered or can be. Because in principle, the closing operation can be triggered independently of a fire, for example, by a switch, a magnet, etc., to provide the desired automatic - and not manual - closure. As a rule, the closing operation coincides with the fire.

Finally, it has proven useful if each connecting element has its own closing spring in both connecting elements. The closing spring regularly ensures that manual closing movements of the swing door or swing doors are damped shortly before reaching the closed position.

In addition, the attachment of the spring unit between the two-sided guides the swing doors optimizes the application of force in closing operation. That is, the closing forces exerted by the spring unit on the two swing doors closing forces engage optimally on the swing doors, so that they are reliably closed in the closing operation. In addition, the invention thereby ensures that the tensioned in normal operation spring or elongated spring roll of the spring unit reliably closes the swing doors even after years or even decades. Here are the main benefits.

Fig. 1

einen Schrank, insbesondere Sicherheitsschrank, in einer perspektivischen Übersicht,

Fig. 2

einen Blick auf das Kopfende eines zugehörigen Schrankkorpus perspektivisch mit geschlossenen Drehflügeltüren unter Berücksichtigung zweier verschiedener denkbarer Ausgestaltungen und

Fig. 3 und 4

den Gegenstand nach Figur 2 bei einseitig oder beidseitig geöffneten Drehflügeltüren.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a drawing showing only one exemplary embodiment; show it:

Fig. 1

a cabinet, in particular safety cabinet, in a perspective overview,

Fig. 2

a view of the head of an associated cabinet carcass in perspective with closed swing doors taking into account two different conceivable embodiments and

3 and 4

the object after FIG. 2 with hinged doors that are open on one or both sides.

In the figures, a cabinet is shown, which in the present case is designed as a security cabinet and for storing only in FIG. 1 indicated chemicals 1 is used. To accommodate the chemicals 1 comfortably inside the cabinet, 2 hinged doors 3 are struck on a cabinet body. The hinged doors 3 can be opened and closed synchronously with one hand (one-hand operation, not part of the invention) which also operate separately with two hands (two-hand operation). The swing doors 3 may in principle also be folding doors.

As usual, the cabinet body has 2 side walls 2a and a top or top wall 2b, a bottom wall 2c and finally a rear wall 2d. The swing doors 3 are each hinged to vertical axis 4 rotatable to the cabinet body 2. Both rotary doors 3 are connected to respective connecting elements 5, which in turn experience an arrangement in the region of the top wall 2b. In particular, based on the FIGS. 2 to 4 one recognizes that the respective connecting element 5 via Push rods 6 or generally links on the swing doors 3 works.

Two parallel guides 7 each transverse edge side of the two connecting elements 5 ensure that the (respective) connecting element 5 can perform linear movements in the transverse direction of the top wall 2b. This indicates a double arrow in the FIG. 2 at. The respective connected to the swing door 3 push rod 6 is connected to a boom 5a of the (respective) connecting element 5. In fact, the (respective) connecting element 5 essentially consists of the edge-side arm 5a and a strut 5b.

The two arms 5a have a triangular design, are designed here as a right-angled triangle. In this case, a catheter of this right triangle is connected to the strut 5b. At the apex of the other catheter, the respective push rod or the connecting member 6 is pivotally connected to the boom 5a.

Both swing doors 3 may be connected to a common connecting element 5, as the section in FIG. 2 shows and is not the subject of the invention. In this case, the strut 5b is designed to be continuous. That is, when resorting to a common connecting element 5 for the two swing doors 3 (one-handed operation), the strut 5b is designed in one piece and connects the two arms 5a together. In the same way, the connecting element 5 in this variant not belonging to the invention is a continuous component.

The strut 5b can also be divided, as this invention is provided and the overall representation in the FIG. 2 shows and also in the Figures 3 and 4 is expressed. In this case, the two connecting elements 5 adjoin one another. In fact, the then realized two struts 5b and the split strut 5b define a division area T.

As soon as a hinged door 3 is acted upon manually in the opening or closing sense, the associated push rod or the connecting member 6 ensures that this rotational movement of the associated swing door 3 is converted into a linear movement of the (respective) connecting element 5 along the associated guide 7 according to the invention. If the two swing doors 3 are coupled together by a common and not related to the invention connecting element 5, the described linear movement of the common connecting element 5 is in turn converted into a rotational movement of the associated other swing door 3. As a result, both rotary doors 3 can be pivoted synchronously by the same angle of rotation, by one-hand operation not belonging to the invention.

However, if two separately configured connecting elements 5 are realized according to the invention for the respective swing door 3, then a manual action of the swing door 3 only ensures that the associated push rod 6 or the connecting member this rotational movement of the associated swing door 3 in a linear movement of the connecting element 5 along the Leadership 7 implements. In both cases, the common connection element 5 or the two separate connection elements 5 are formed as relative to the top wall 2b of the cabinet body 2 movable carriage 5.

To the respective carriage 5 include the guides or slide guides 7, which provide the corresponding linear movement of the connecting element 5. The two connecting elements 5 are in the two-sided guides 7 linearly displaceable stored. In this case, a total mirror image interpretation of the two connecting elements 5, and in comparison to a purely in FIG. 3 indicated central plane Z with respect to the cabinet body 2.

In addition to the described manual opening and closing movements of the swing doors 3 (normal operation) they can also experience an automatic closure. This automatic closure of the swing doors 3 corresponds to the closing operation. For this purpose, the safety cabinet according to the invention is equipped with a spring unit 8, 9, 10. The spring unit 8, 9, 10 ensures that the two swing doors 3 are subjected to force in the closing operation in the direction of its closed position. This indicates the dashed representation of a driver 10 in the FIG. 2 at. Because this dashed representation of the driver 10 corresponds to the end position of the spring unit 8, 9, 10 in the closing operation.

In this case, the spring unit 8, 9, 10 is decoupled functionally from the two connecting elements 5 in normal operation. That is, the manual opening and closing movements of the swing doors 3 made in normal operation do not lead to an actuation of the spring element 8, 9, 10. The spring element 8, 9, 10 remains completely unaffected by associated movements of the swing doors 3, only in the closing operation provides the Spring unit 8, 9, 10 for the fact that the swing doors 3 are subjected to force in the direction of its closed position and thus experience an automatic closure.

In detail, the spring unit 8, 9, 10 in normal operation constantly maintains its cocked position, as in the FIGS. 2 to 4 can be seen. Corresponds to this tensioned spring unit 8, 9, 10 in normal operation that a scroll spring 8 or generally a spring 8 stretched their stretched respectively Condition takes. In addition, the spring unit 8, 9, 10 equipped with the already mentioned driver 10, which interacts with the two connecting elements 5 in the closing operation. The closing operation is characterized in that the scroll spring 8 leaves its longitudinal stretched state and curls up or contracts until the driver 10 the dashed position to FIG. 2 reached.

To the spring unit 8, 9, 10 next to the spring respectively roll spring 8 and the driver 10 is a holding element 9. With the help of this holding element 9, the spring unit 8, 9, 10 connected to the cabinet body 2 and undergoes a guide in detail and after Embodiment, the spring unit 8, 9, 10 is not restrictively connected to the top wall 2b. In principle, the spring unit 8, 9, 10 could also be connected to the bottom wall 2c. When the holding element 9 is a stop angle in conjunction with a guide rail, with the help of the scroll spring 8 is positioned opposite the top wall 2b. At the same time, the holding element 9 is equipped with a linear guide element, in this case the guide rail, soft for the leadership of the driver 10 and the scroll spring 8 provides.

Looking at the FIGS. 2 to 4 it can be seen that the spring unit 8, 9, 10 is arranged between the two-sided guides 7 of the swing doors 3. In fact, the scroll spring 8 of the spring unit 8, 9, 10 extends parallel to the two-sided guides 7 and is arranged approximately centrally between the guides 7. In the exemplary embodiment, the scroll spring 8 is in the already mentioned central plane Z of the cabinet body 2. This ensures a uniform application of force in the two connecting elements 5 in the closing operation.

The transition of the scroll spring 8 from its extended stretched state in the rolled-up relaxed position corresponds to the fact that the spring unit 8, 9, 10 is triggered. For this purpose, the driver 10 is connected via a connecting means 11 to a fixing element 12. The fixing element 12 is in turn fixed to the cabinet body 2 or according to the embodiment on the top wall 2b. In the context of the embodiment and not limiting, the fixing element 12 is composed of two interconnected by melting solder metal plates together (thermocouple).

In the context of an alternative procedure, the fixing element can also be designed as a two-piece metal cage stretched over a glass cartridge. When a triggering temperature is reached, the glass cartridge bursts and the cage divides into two halves. As in the case described above, this leads to the fact that the fixing element 12 when reaching or exceeding the release temperature, the spring unit 8, 9, 10 can no longer hold in a stretched state or the spring unit 8, 9.10 is triggered.

As a result, the driver 10 is released from the fixing element 12 and can roll up the scroll spring 8. In this process, the driver 10 is in its withdrawn and in FIG. 2 Dashed position shown in the cabinet body 2 automatically transferred. As a result, the rolling spring 8, which rolls up, exerts a closing force F on the two connecting elements 5 via the driver 10. This closing force F is with its associated force direction in the FIG. 3 indicated. It can be seen that the closing force F or its direction of force coincides with the longitudinal extent of the two guides 7. In this way, a particularly favorable force is observed in the guides 7 and consequently in the swing doors 3 in the closing operation.

The spring unit 8, 9, 10 engages over the two separately designed connecting elements 5. In fact, the design is such that the scroll spring 8 is arranged in a tensioned state above the strut 5b and the driver 10, the struts 5b engages behind, in the associated separation area As a result, the invention ensures that the two connecting elements 5 and consequently the hinged doors 3 pivotally connected thereto are closed synchronously in the closing operation by the one common spring unit 8, 9, 10 or the driver 10 acting on both struts 5b.

The driver 10 of the spring unit 8, 9, 10 is arranged in the open state of the swing doors 3 in the immediate vicinity of the two connecting elements 5. This can be seen in the FIG. 3 , In fact, at this point a distance in the centimeter or millimeter range is observed. That is, even with manually fully open swing doors 3, the two struts 5b do not hit the driver 10 in order not to affect the function of the spring unit 8, 9, 10 in the closing operation in any way.

Finally, it can be seen in the context of the embodiment, two closing springs 13, which ensure that a manual closing movement of the swing doors 3 is attenuated shortly before reaching the closed position. Of course, can also be dispensed with the two closing springs 13 according to the embodiment, because the movement of the swing doors 3 as described and in normal operation purely manually and the closing spring 13 primarily ensures that the closing process is not all too "hard" completed.

Claims (7)

1. A cabinet, in particular a safety cabinet, with at least two hinged-leaf doors (3) and with a spring unit (8, 9, 10), which applies a force upon both hinged-leaf doors (3) during the closing operation in direction of its closed position, wherein

   - the spring unit (8, 9, 10), in normal operation, i.e. during manually initiated opening and closing movements of the hinged-leaf doors (3), continues to retain its tensioned position and comprises a carrier (10) which interacts with the hinged-leaf doors (3) only during the closing operation, e.g. in case of fire, and wherein the carrier (10) of the spring unit (8, 9, 10), when the hinged-leaf doors (3) are opened, is to this end arranged in the immediate vicinity of connecting elements (5), wherein further

   - the hinged-leaf doors (3) each comprise their own connecting element (5) for a two-hand operation, which connecting element (5) acts upon the hinged-leaf door (3) via a push rod (6), wherein further

   - the spring unit (8, 9, 10) is arranged between guides (7) on both sides of the hinged-leaf doors (3), the guides serving to guide the connecting elements, and approximately central as well as parallel to the guides (7) of the hinged-leaf doors (3), and engages with their carrier (10) on the connecting element (5) of the respective hinged-leaf door (3) during the closing operation, and wherein

   - the respective connecting element (5) is mounted so as to be linearly movable in one of the guides (7) arranged on both sides.
2. The cabinet according to claim 1, characterised in that the two connecting elements (5) are arranged adjacent to each other (separating area T).
3. The cabinet according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the spring unit (8, 9, 10) during the closing operation generates a closing force (F) essentially extending in the same direction as the guides (7).
4. The cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the spring unit (8, 9, 10) is joined to a cabinet body (2) and straddles the two connecting elements (5).
5. The cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the spring unit (8, 9, 10), in the tensioned state, essentially comprises a roller spring (8) and the carrier (10) interacting with the connecting elements (5) during the closing operation.
6. The cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the respective connecting element (5) is configured as a linearly movable and possibly divided slide (5) relative to a floor (2c) or a ceiling (2b) of the cabinet body (2).
7. The cabinet according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the respective connecting element (5) is equipped with at least one closing spring (13) which dampens manual closing movements of the hinged-leaf doors (3) shortly before reaching the closed position.

Images