EP2378924B1 - Trigger sensor for a furniture drive - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a furniture with a furniture body and a relative to the furniture body movably mounted furniture part, a trigger sensor for triggering an electric furniture drive in response to a user caused movement of the furniture drive to be driven by the furniture part, the release sensor at least one in mounting position by the Furniture part having movable actuator, wherein the actuator cooperates via a drive with a potentiometer and each of at least two mutually orthogonal directions detected so movements of the furniture part along the at least two mutually orthogonal directions are detected by the trigger sensor and that the actuator in the form of a two mutually movable , Knick lever is formed on a pivot joint interconnected articulated arms, wherein the furniture drive by a movement of the furniture part, which non-zero components in Weni At least two mutually orthogonal directions, can be triggered.

Trigger sensors for a furniture with a furniture body and a relative to the furniture body movably mounted furniture part are available in various versions in the AT 413 472 B shown. For example, Fig. 17 shows a triggering sensor with a potentiometer operable by an actuator, the actuator being integrated with the ejection lever of the furniture drive. The ejection lever is designed for this purpose in two parts, wherein the two lever parts are biased to each other by a spring.

Fig. 18 shows another embodiment in which the trigger sensor is mounted separately from the furniture drive on the furniture body. Here, the actuator of the trigger sensor is designed as a spring-loaded plunger, which cooperates via a rack with a pinion of a potentiometer. The detailed structure of this trigger sensor is shown in FIG.

The trigger sensors discussed above have the disadvantage that they are sensitive in each case only for movements of the furniture part in a single predetermined direction. This direction is the direction in which the furniture part is movably mounted. If the furniture part designed specifically as a drawer, it comes just in very wide drawers, which have a small clear depth, the problem that a trigger sensor, which is sensitive only for the given direction of movement of the furniture part, no safe release of the furniture drive allowed before especially when it comes to a manual pressure on a front panel of the drawer in one of the edge areas. In this case, only a negligible depth movement of the furniture part parallel to the side walls of the furniture body is made possible by the externally applied force of the user. Instead, it comes primarily to a rotational movement of the furniture part, which is not detectable by the trigger sensor. This problem can also occur with other furniture parts, such as furniture doors or furniture flaps.

The DE 10 2006 008 505 A1 shows a trigger sensor with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The object of the invention is to ensure the safe release of a furniture drive in the cases discussed above, the trigger sensor over the DE 10 2006 008 505 A1 should be simpler and cheaper.

This object is achieved by a trigger sensor having the features of claim 1.

The use of a trigger sensor for a piece of furniture having a furniture body and a furniture body movably mounted relative to the furniture body which cooperates with a stopper disposed on the furniture piece to detect movements of the furniture piece along at least two directions orthogonal to each other allows to ensure the activation of the furniture drive even when using a single trigger sensor, without the use of complex multi-axis acceleration sensors.

For the special case that the movable furniture part is a drawer mounted extendable in a furniture body, it may even be sufficient, if only provided that a movement of the furniture part is monitored in a direction orthogonal to the pull-out. This can be done, for example, such that a trigger sensor according to the above-described prior art either on a Side wall of the furniture body is arranged or arranged on the back of the furniture body and cooperates in this case with a pull-extending, arranged on the furniture part stop.

The measures according to the invention are particularly suitable for use in all electrically driven furniture parts in which either a storage space for insertable and removable products is formed (for example, drawers) or closable open such a storage space (for example, flaps, doors).

Further advantageous embodiments are defined in the respective dependent claims.

A particularly simple embodiment of the actuator results when it is provided that the actuator is designed in the form of a two mutually movable articulated arms having buckling lever. In itself, it may be sufficient if the two articulated arms, for example, are movably supported in a limited manner by a flexible joint. Particularly preferably, however, it is provided that the articulated arms are connected to each other by a hinge.

In each of the embodiments described, it can be provided that the actuator cooperates via an output with a potentiometer. Of course, the triggering can also be done in a different way than by a potentiometer. Other examples are the use of optical or magnetic encoders, which may also be coupled to the output.

It can be provided in each embodiment that the furniture drive has a control or regulating device which is in signal communication with the at least one triggering sensor. The control or regulating device may have a drive module which serves to control or regulate the electric drive unit. The electric drive unit may be formed, for example, as an electric motor.

Other examples of movable furniture parts include drawers, furniture flaps and furniture doors.

Fig. 1

abschnittsweise eine perspektivische Ansicht der Rückseite eines Möbelkorpus mit einem darin bewegbar gelagerten Möbelteil,

Fig. 2a, 2b, 2c

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Auslösesensors,

Fig. 3a, 3b, 3c

ein zweites Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Auslösesensors,

Fig. 4

einen Auslösesensor, welcher mit einer schiefen Ebene zusammenwirkt,

Fig. 5

eine Gesamtansicht eines Möbels mit einem erfindungsgemäßen Auslösesensor und

Fig. 6a bis 6e

verschiedene Auslösesituationen.

Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the figures and the associated description of the figures. Showing:

Fig. 1

partially a perspective view of the back of a furniture body with a movably mounted therein furniture part,

Fig. 2a, 2b, 2c

A first embodiment of a trigger sensor according to the invention,

Fig. 3a, 3b, 3c

A second embodiment of a trigger sensor according to the invention,

Fig. 4

a trigger sensor which cooperates with an inclined plane,

Fig. 5

an overall view of a piece of furniture with a trigger sensor according to the invention and

Fig. 6a to 6e

different trigger situations.

In Fig. 1 one recognizes the front side and a side wall of a here designed as a drawer movable furniture part 3 with front panel 3 ', which is mounted in a likewise only partially shown furniture body 7 and pulled out. The coordinate system used below is shown as a tripod. That direction, along which the movable furniture part 3 is mounted on and pulled out, is referred to as the x-direction. Parallel to the back of the furniture body 7 runs the y-direction. Right angles to these two directions, that is, along the vertical extent of the furniture body 7, the z-direction runs.

As already stated, it was only possible with the previous trigger sensors to detect movements along the x-direction. The invention makes it possible to detect also those movements of the furniture part 3, which have components which are different from zero along two orthogonal directions x, y, z.

The Fig. 2 shows in three representations a first embodiment of the invention with an actuator designed as an articulated lever 4. The back of the furniture body 7 has been removed to allow the representation of the trigger sensor 1. The actuator 4 has two hingedly connected to each other via a hinge 5c articulated arms 5a, 5b, wherein the one articulated arm 5a arranged with a furniture part 3 stop. 8 cooperates and the other articulated arm 5b is integrally formed with an output 6. Via a drive wheel 9, the output 6 interacts with a potentiometer, not shown. The trigger sensor 1 is arranged here directly on the furniture drive 2.

In principle, two triggering functions can be provided. In one tripping functionality, the potentiometer triggers the furniture drive 2 already when the drive wheel 9 begins to move. In the other trip functionality, the potentiometer must first receive a predetermined number of revolutions of the drive wheel 9, before the release of the furniture drive 2 is effected. In this case, the triggering takes place only after covering a predetermined distance.

As in particular from the Fig. 2b and 2c shows, the two articulated levers 5a, 5b are acted upon each other by a spring 10. This causes the articulated lever 5 a is biased in a kinked position with respect to the articulated lever 5 b in such a way that it without external force, the in Fig. 2c represented position occupies.

By this bias is achieved that the actuator 4 on the one hand in a pure movement of the furniture part 3 in the x direction, is moved. On the other hand, it is achieved that a movement of the furniture part 3 in the y-direction causes a movement of the actuator 4, which improves the triggering sensitivity of the trigger sensor 1 according to the invention compared to the prior art. By both movements, therefore, the triggering of the furniture drive 2 can be effected.

In Fig. 2b is the furniture part 3 in its fully closed end position. Even in the fully closed end position still remains a Eindrückweg for the furniture part 3, which (not shown) can be ensured in a conventional manner by spring buffer. In Fig. 2c was compared to Fig. 2b the furniture part 3 manually pressed by a user (for example, as in Fig. 6b shown). The resulting movement of the actuator 4, which is transmitted via the output 6 to the drive wheel 9 of the potentiometer, is registered by the trigger sensor 1 and supplied to the furniture drive 2 for triggering.

The illustrated design of the actuator 4 causes a release of the furniture drive 1 can be registered not only in a movement in the x-direction, but also in a movement in the y-direction (see Fig. 6 ).

This in Fig. 3 illustrated embodiment of the invention differs from that of the Fig. 2 in that the actuator 4 is installed obliquely in the furniture body 7, that is not only in the x and y-direction, but also in the z-direction. By means of this embodiment, movements of the furniture part 3, which have a component in the z-direction, can also be detected. As in particular from Fig. 3b shows, this is the output 6 for the drive wheel 9 of the potentiometer formed kinked.

Unlike shown in the figures, an inventive trigger sensor 1 may also be arranged separately from the furniture drive 2 on the furniture body 7 or on the furniture part 3 and are in signal-transmitting connection with this. It can also be provided for driving the same furniture part 3 two or more furniture drives 2. The trigger sensor 1 and the stop 8 can also be arranged laterally on the furniture body 7 or on the movable furniture part 3. The furniture drive 2, for example, have a conventional electric motor and, for example, just like in one of Fig. 3a . 4a or 5a of the WO 2006/113947 A1 be educated. Other embodiments of the furniture drive 2, for example, in constant communication with the furniture body 7 and furniture part 3 standing (see, for example EP 1 374 732 A1 ), are conceivable.

Driving a furniture part 3 by a furniture drive 2 according to the invention can be limited to move the furniture part 3 only as far from the closed end position in or on the furniture body 7 that a user can grasp the furniture part 3 by hand and move on manually (start-up aid).

In Fig. 4 is a trigger sensor 1 is shown, which cooperates with a designed as an inclined plane stop 8, which is arranged here on the furniture part 3. The actuator 4 of the trigger sensor 1 is formed here in one piece. The inventive required sensitivity of the trigger sensor 1 along at least two directions x, y, z, which are mutually orthogonal, is here alone by the reached obliquely (having components in the x and y direction) extending part of the inclined plane.

On the representation of lines for the electrical power supply and the signal transmission has been omitted.

In general, it can be stated that the triggering sensor 1 according to the invention reacts sensitively with respect to at least two mutually orthogonal movement devices x, y, z of the furniture part 3.

Claims (6)

1. An article of furniture comprising a furniture carcass (7) and a furniture part (3) mounted movably relative to the furniture carcass (7), a trigger sensor (1) for triggering an electric furniture drive (2) in dependence on a movement caused by a user of the furniture part (3) to be driven by the furniture drive (2), wherein the trigger sensor (1) has at least one actuating member (4) movable in the mounted position by the furniture part (3), wherein the actuating member (4) cooperates with a potentiometer by way of an output drive (6), wherein movements of the furniture part (3) along at least two directions (x, y, z) which are orthogonal to each other can be detected by the trigger sensor (1), wherein the trigger sensor (1) has at least one actuating member (4) which detects each of the at least two directions (x, y, z), wherein the actuating member (4) is in the form of an articulated lever having two articulation arms (5a, 5b) movable relative to each other, wherein the articulation arms (5a, 5b) are connected together by a rotary joint (5c), characterized in that the furniture drive (2) is triggerable by a movement of the furniture part (3) which has components different from zero in at least two mutually orthogonal directions (x, y, z), characterized in that an actuating member (4) of a trigger sensor (1) of the furniture drive (2) cooperates with an abutment (8) arranged on the furniture part (3).
2. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that the axis of rotation of the rotary joint (5c) of an articulated lever of a trigger sensor (1) of the furniture drive (2) extends in orthogonal relationship with the direction of movement (x) of the furniture part (3).
3. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the axis of rotation of the rotary joint (5c) of an articulated lever of a trigger sensor (1) of the furniture drive (2) extends at an angle different from 90° relative to the direction of movement (x) of the furniture part (3).
4. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that the abutment (8) is flat.
5. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 4 characterized in that the abutment (8) is in the form of an inclined plane.
6. An article of furniture comprising a furniture carcass (7) as set forth in one of claims 1 to 5, and a drawer mounted extendably relative to the furniture carcass (7), characterized in that the furniture drive (2) is triggerable by a movement of the drawer, which has a component different from zero in a direction (y, z) which extends in orthogonal relationship with the extension direction (x).

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