EP2654508B1

EP2654508B1 - Suspension group for wall cupboards with anti-disengagement system

Info

Publication number: EP2654508B1
Application number: EP11712481.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carlo Cattaneo
Original assignee: Leonardo SRL
Current assignee: Leonardo SRL
Priority date: 2010-12-21
Filing date: 2011-03-29
Publication date: 2015-06-10
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-29
Also published as: ES2544811T3; CN103260471B; CN103260471A; RU2013126978A; JP5844381B2; IT1403596B1; PL2654508T3; ITMI20102339A1; WO2012084067A1; JP2014500107A; EP2654508A1

Description

The present invention relates to a suspension group for wall cupboards equipped with an anti-disengagement system.
Suspension groups, especially those of the hidden type (assembled on the rear side of the cupboard and therefore almost invisible when assembled) usually comprise a hanging bracket, to be fixed to the cupboard and a wall support, normally fixed to the latter with pegs and screws or similar items.
In these types of groups, the device comprises an adjustable hook in two directions perpendicular to each other (specifically, in height and depth, i.e. at a vertical height and distance from the wall) which extends behind the cupboard in the direction of the wall, said hook being engaged on the support fixed on the wall.
A common problem in these devices is that there is often no anti-disengagement functionality for preventing the accidental detachment of the cupboard from the wall.
The term "disengagement" indicates, in this description and following claims, any accidental disengagement of the device from the support.
In this sense, in fact, in the known devices, a force acting upwards on the cupboard could disengage the hook from the support, with the consequent falling of the cupboard.
For this purpose, suspension groups are known, which also comprise an anti-disengagement system for exerting this functionality.
One of these known solutions is described, for example, in European patent application published with the number EP2149316 in the name of FERRAMENTA LIVENZA S.r.l.
In this solution, the hanging bracket device of the group is equipped with a slide which carries both the hook and a threaded dowel, situated on the slide underneath the hook (in operative condition), and suitable for cooperating with a support fixed to the wall which has a substantially linear profile and which is engaged by the hook.
The disengagement functionality is obtained by the threaded dowel which, when the hook is engaged on the support, is extended in this direction until it causes friction which is such as to prevent the disengagement of the hook from the support.
Even if this solution is functional, it does not, however, prevent a side unhooking of the device from the wall support, which could be generated, for example, by an accidental side impact on the cupboard: said impact would in fact cause the hook to move sideways on the support, as far as the end of the support itself, causing the inevitable falling of the cupboard.
This solution, moreover, has a further drawback, deriving from the necessary positioning of the threaded dowel underneath the hook: the dowel in fact is engaged in the outer undercut (facing the direction opposite to the wall) defined by the form of the support.
This arrangement, in fact, causes a potential interference between the head of the dowel with one of the fixing screws used for fixing the support to the wall.
In order to avoid this interference (which would prevent a correct functioning of the anti-disengagement system), in EP2149316 the horizontal distance between the suspension point (in which the hook is resting on the support) and the fixing point to the wall of the support, is high.
This expedient, however, causes an increase in the turning moment of the weight force of the cupboard applied to the screw of the support, as it increases the arm.
As a consequence, due to high loads (for example heavy cupboards or carrying a considerable load), a plurality of suspension groups (to distribute the load), a large number of fixing screws to the wall or alternatively an extremely sturdy construction must be envisaged, with consequent high costs.
Alternatively, the dowel could be assembled in a point in which the fixing screws of the support are not present (for example as they are assembled at its sides); if, on the one hand, this limits the weight force moment on the plane perpendicular to the wall, a further one is created on a plane parallel to the wall, for which pairs of fixing screws to the wall, positioned on the support at equal distances from the suspension point, are necessary for opposing this: this requires a rather complex configuration and extreme accuracy in the assembly.
It would be convenient, on the other hand, for the fixing screws of the support to the wall and the suspension point to be aligned along a common vertical line, to nullify the arm of the weight force on a plane parallel to the wall and consequently each turning moment associated therewith.
It should be noted that the common approach in producing these suspension groups is to have great facility in the assembly, to allow non-expert users to effect the assembly alone, with a low cost of the groups.
It can therefore be said that, in order to guarantee the anti-disengagement functionality, the solution described in EP2149316 does not satisfy this approach, in view of the drawbacks described above.
Other known groups equipped with an anti-disengagement system generally also have relatively high construction or assembly difficulties.
From what is specified above, it is therefore particularly desirable to avail of a suspension group for wall cupboards having an anti-disengagement functionality but which is simple to construct and install and guarantees a coupling also in the presence of accidental side impact on the cupboard.
A general objective of the present invention is therefore to provide a suspension group for wall cupboards which achieves this objective.
This objective is obtained by a suspension group for wall cupboards having the characteristics specified in claim 1 and enclosed subclaims.
In short, the applicant has conceived a suspension group equipped with an anti-disengagement system in which the group comprises a hanging bracket device destined for being fixed to the cupboard and a wall support, said hanging bracket being equipped with a hook and wherein the support comprises a housing seat of the hook and the device comprises a pin or threaded dowel which, when the hook is engaged in the seat, can be inserted in the same seat as the hook to prevent the disengagement of the latter.
In this way, as can be better seen in the following detailed description, the drawbacks of the known art are overcome.
Further advantageous characteristics are object of the enclosed subclaims which should be considered as being an integrant part of the present description.
The structural and functional characteristics of the invention, and its advantages with respect to the known art, will appear more evident from the following description, referring to the enclosed drawings, which show a possible practical embodiment of the invention itself.
In the drawings:

figures 1 and 2 illustrate two perspective views of a suspension group for wall cupboards equipped with an anti-disengagement system according to the present invention;
figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate different views of a hanging bracket, part of the group of figures 1 and 2
figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate different views of a support, part of the group of figures 1 and 2;
figures 9A, 9B and 9C illustrate three consecutive moments of an assembly phase of the group of figures 1 and 2;
figures 10, 11 and 12 illustrate different views of a first variant of the support of figures 3-5;
figures 13A and 13B illustrate different views of a second variant of the support in two different assembly conditions;
figures 14A and 14B illustrate sections of the second variant of the support in two assembly conditions corresponding to those of figures 13A and 13B;
figure 15 illustrates a dimensioned detail of the group of figures 1 and 2;
figures 16A, 16B and 16C show a variant of the group of the previous figures in three moments of the assembly, and corresponding enlarged details of the same figures.

With reference to figures 1 and 2, these show a suspension group for wall cupboards equipped with an anti-disengagement system according to the present invention, indicated generically with 20.
The group 20 comprises a hanging bracket device 21 and a support 22 destined for being fixed to a vertical wall; the hanging bracket 21 is equipped with a hook 24 which cooperates with the support 22 to obtain the suspension of the wall cupboard; in figures 1 and 2, the group 20 is shown with the device 21 in an engaged position with the support 22.
The anti-disengagement system comprises a pin 25 or threaded dowel which protrudes from the device 21 and which can be moved between a first assembly position (visible in figure 9A), in which its free end 25A is close to the device 21 and a second engagement position (visible in figure 9B), in which its free end 25A is far from the device 21.
The support 22 is in turn provided with a seat 30 which in this example is delimited by continuous perimetric edges 27A,27B,27C,27D of which at least one is suitable for interfering with the pin 25 when it is in said second position and the hook 24 is engaged with said seat 30, so as to prevent the disengagement of the device 21 from the support 22.
More specifically and also with reference to figures 3-5, the device 21 comprises a substantially flat or plate-shaped body 41, on which linear guides 35 are envisaged, which guide a slide 23 which can be moved along at least part of the body 41.
The latter is equipped with assembly inserts 42 which extend sideways with respect to the body 41 and which allow its assembly on one of the side walls of a wall cupboard (often indicated as "shoulder" of the cupboard), which is usually provided with corresponding cavities in which the inserts 42 are housed.
The slide 23 carries both the hook 24 and the pin 25; the latter is assembled on the slide 23 in an upper position with respect to that of the hook, i.e. in a position which, when the device is assembled, is above the suspension point of the hook 24.
The pin 25 is therefore integral with the translation movement of the slide 23 and that of the hook 24, so that their linear movement on a plane parallel to that of the maximum extension of the device 21, is identical.
Both the pin 25 and the hook 24 are equipped with a threaded body, indicated respectively with 25B and 24B, which is engaged in corresponding threaded holes situated on the slide 23.
The free end 25A of the pin 25 can therefore be moved, with respect to the slide 23 (and consequently ultimately with respect to the device 21 itself) by simply screwing or unscrewing the pin 25, which is provided for this purpose with a notch for a tool (for example a screwdriver) situated on its head 25C opposite the free end 25A.
In particular, by screwing or unscrewing the pin 25, it can be moved in the two distinct positions (assembly and engagement) described above.
The pin 25 is preferably positioned on the slide 23 exactly above the hook 24, in line with the same, so that when assembled, they lie on the same substantially vertical line.
It should be noted that other reciprocal arrangements of the pin 25 and hook 24 can also be used, provided the pin 25 is arranged so as to be engaged in the same seat as the hook 24.
With respect to the pin 25, this, in addition to the threaded body 25B, preferably has a rotation stoppage means situated in correspondence with its head 25C, which is illustrated in the figures as an enlargement of the head 25A.
This stoppage means, which is optional, is suitable for preventing the user from erroneously screwing the pin 25 until it protrudes so far in the direction of the head of the hook 24, as to cause the disengagement of the pin 25 from its threading in the slide 23.
As can be seen more clearly further on, for the description of figures 9A-9C, this allows a greater intrinsic safety of the device 20.
With respect to the stopper, although this is illustrated as an enlargement of the head 25C, it can be analogously substituted by an interruption of the continuity of the threading of the leg 25B, which prevents its complete disengagement, for example by a flattening of the threading of the body 25B in its terminal part close to the head 25C, or by a welding point which interrupts the continuity of the threading or again by other solutions suitable for the purpose.
In this respect, it should be noted that, for analogous reasons, said stoppage means can also be similarly envisaged close to the terminal free end 25A of the pin 25, so that the latter can be moved axially inside its threaded seat of the slide 23, but cannot be disengaged by this.
The consequent advantages of this embodiment are described more clearly in the description of figures 9A-9C.
With respect to the hook 24, this comprises a free end provided with an enlarged head 24A, positioned at the end of the threaded leg 24B and suitable for being engaged on the support 22.
As for the slide 23, this can be moved along the linear guides 35 due to the presence of the threaded dowel 28, which is screwed into the slide 23 itself and is buffered against a fixed edge 45 part of the body 41 of the device 21: by screwing or unscrewing the threaded dowel 28, the slide 23 moves in the linear guides 35.
In the light of what is specified above, the regulation organs of the group can therefore be identified, as being distinct regulation organs in depth and in height, destined for acting in two directions perpendicular to each other, preferably horizontal and vertical.
The former comprise the threaded leg 24B of the hook 24, whereby the enlarged head 24A can be moved horizontally, ultimately obtaining a horizontal dislocation of the wall cupboard to which the device 21 is fixed.
The latter, on the other hand, comprise the slide 23 on which the hook 24 is assembled, the linear seats 35 along which the slide 23 runs and the threaded dowel 28 which, by acting on the fixed edge 45, causes the movement of the slide 23, consequently of the hook 24, and ultimately the vertical movement of the wall cupboard to which the device 21 is fixed.
The body 41 of the device 21 can also be optionally equipped with further fixing holes, destined for allowing it to be fixed to the rear side of the wall cupboard (normally called "cover").
As can be observed, the length of the threaded section of the pin 25 and that of the hook 24 is substantially the same, so that the free end 25A of the pin 25 and the enlarged head 24A of the hook 24 can be moved until they protrude from the slide at an equal distance, as shown in figure 5.
With respect to the support 22, a non-limiting example of this is shown in figures 6-8.
The support 22 is destined to be fixed to a vertical side or wall and for this purpose, is equipped with holes or assembly slits 31 in which the screws of the assembly pegs V (visible in figures 9A-9C), are housed.
In accordance with the disclosures of the present invention, the support 22 comprises a first and a second part of the body, marked respectively with reference numbers 22A and 22B.
The assembly holes 31 described above are positioned on the second part of the body 22B, and this, when assembled, is suitable for being put in contact with the vertical wall, as shown in figures 9A-9C.
Both the first 22A and second 22B part of the body each develop on a plane, respectively indicated with X and Z in figure 8; the two planes X and Z do not coincide but are substantially parallel to each other, situated at a certain distance.
The first part of the body 22A comprises a housing seat 30 for the head of the hook 24, which, in the example shown, is delimited by a peripheral closed frame which comprises the perimetric edges 27A,27B,27C,27D which act as buffer, as they are suitable for interfering with the pin 25 or with the hook 24 when the pin 25 is in said second position and the hook 24 is engaged in the seat 30; this aspect will be dealt with in more detail further on in the description of figures 9A-9C.
In the example illustrated, the perimetric edges 27A,27B,27C,27D form the sides of the frame which delimits the seat 30, which therefore substantially develops on the same plane X of the first part of the body 22A; more specifically, an upper edge 27A, a lower edge 27C and two side edges 27B and 27D can be distinguished.
The functioning of the group 20 described above and its anti-disengagement functionality are evident from examining figures 9A-9C which show three consecutive moments of an assembly phase, in which it can be seen how the support 22 is fixed to the vertical wall M by means of the pegs V and the corresponding screws, housed in the seats 31.
In this condition, the second part of the body 22B is put in contact with the wall, whereas the first part 22A is slightly distanced from the wall M.
From examining these figures, the safety function exerted by the stoppage means of the head 25C of the pin 25 is also evident.
In figure 9A, the enlarged head 24A of the hook 24 is inserted in the seat 30, until the undercut of the head 24A is buffered against the lower edge 27C of the seat 30, thus creating the coupling or hooking between the device 21 and the support 22; in this condition, the head 24A of the hook 24 is in an extracted position, far from the device 21, whereas the pin 25 is in the first position, i.e. its free terminal end 25A is close to the device 21. The free end 25A of the pin 25 and the enlarged head 24A of the hook are consequently not aligned at the same distance from the device 21, and this allows the head 24A to be inserted into the seat 30.
In figure 9B, on the other hand, the anti-disengagement system is functioning: the hook 24 has in fact descended into the seat 30 until its leg 24B is buffered against the lower edge 27C of the seat 30 itself; by acting on the pin 25, its free end 25A is moved forward, until it is substantially at the same distance as the enlarged head 24A from the device 21: in this way, the free end 25A of the pin 25 is also inserted in the same seat 30.
In this condition, the disengagement of the hook 24 from the support 22 is prevented in every direction: downwards by the interference of the body 24B of the hook against the lower edge 27C, upwards by the interference of the pin 25 against the upper edge 27A, at the sides by the interference of both the pin 25 and hook 24 against the side edges 27B and 27D.
Figure 9C shows a last moment of the assembly, in particular referring to an optional regulation of the group: in order to move the cupboard close to the wall, it is in fact necessary to reduce the distance of the head 24A of the hook from the device 21 (therefore regulating the depth).
In this phase, it is necessary to act on both the hook 24 and the pin 25, by screwing them or unscrewing them, so that the terminal end 25A of the pin 25 and the head 24A of the hook 24 substantially always remain at the same distance from the slide 23: if the head 24A is moved towards the slide, then the same equivalently occurs with the terminal end 25A, so that both are always engaged in the seat 30, thus guaranteeing the antidisengagement functionality.
In this sense, the advantage offered by the stoppage means of the head 25C can be appreciated: a non-expert assembler or user might, during the assembly or regulation phases, excessively screw or unscrew the pin 25, causing it to become disengaged from the threaded seat, removing it from this.
During the assembly phases, this could cause the pin 25 to fall and consequently be lost, with the result that the group would no longer have, in this case, the anti-disengagement functionality envisaged.
The presence of the stoppage means in correspondence with the head 25C of the pin 25 prevents this drawback, as the user, during the assembly, cannot be in a similar situation as that described above.
If, in addition to these stoppage means there are also those positioned at the terminal end 25A of the pin, the latter cannot therefore be removed from its threaded seat, even if it can be screwed and unscrewed therein, thus increasing the advantages discussed above.
In this sense, for example, the stoppage means could be as follows: the head 25C could be provided with the enlargement shown, whereas the end 25A could be provided with a flattening of the threading alone; in this way, the pin can be initially screwed so as to engage with its seat and then made irremovable from the same with a simple flattening operation of the threading, which can be manually effected simply by using an appropriate tool and without any excessive effort.
In order to understand how the group 20 should be dimensioned for obtaining the anti-disengagement functionality, reference should be made to figure 15 which shows a detail, in which it can be noted that:
with

"Y" the distance between the two longitudinal axes of the pin 25 and hook 24,
"r" the radius of the threaded leg 25B of the pin 25,
"R" the radius of the threaded leg 24B of the hook 24,
"D" the vertical dimension of the seat 30 equivalent to the distance between the lower edge 27C and the upper edge 27A,
"H" the radial dimension of the enlarged head 24A of the hook measured starting from the end of the threaded leg 24B

H > D - (r + R + Y)

seat

enlarged head

hook

lower edge

seat

It should be noted that a possible regulation of the height does not have any negative effect for the purposes of the anti-disengagement: by regulating the threaded dowel 28, in fact, the slide 23, which is integral with both the hook 24 and pin 25, is pulled in translation, the latter thus remaining in the same reciprocal position.
In this way the drawbacks of the known art are advantageously overcome, the anti-disengagement system is in fact also effective against possible side movements; its set-up, moreover, does not require particular attention and the position of the screws and dimensional heights in question do not create turning moments which are dangerous for the solidity of the group.
Numerous variants are obviously possible to what has been described so far; one of these is shown for example in figures 10-12 and relates to an alternative form of the support 122.
In these figures, the same parts, with the same function, are indicated with the same numbers increased by a hundred, this will consequently not be further discussed.
This variant shows a support 122 in which there are two adjacent windows 130' and 130'' for housing the hook 24; in this variant, the edges 127'A, 127'B, 127'C, 127'D, 127''A, 127''B, 127''C, 127''D of the windows 130' and 130'' do not develop as a continuous frame around the windows (as is the case, on the other hand, with the support 22), but the two external peripheral edges 127'B and 127''D are interrupted, and are only partially developed, extending around the respective windows 130' and 130'', which are therefore open on one of the side edges.
Also in this case, however, the side anti-disengagement functionality is maintained; the presence of the edge 127'B and 127''D, in fact, even if only partial, prevents a lateral detachment: for this purpose, it should be noted, in fact, that the distance between the axes of the hook 24 and pin 25 is fixed (both are assembled on the same slide and with substantially parallel longitudinal axes); in order to maintain the side anti-disengagement functionality, it is therefore sufficient, once the same quantities have been measured analogously to the definitions provided above and also with:

"d" the distance between the edge 127'B (or 127''D) and the upper edge 127'A (or 127''A),
the following relation is applied: $d < (Y + r + R) < D .$

Another variant of the support is shown in figures 13A and 13B and in two different assembly moments in figures 14A and 14B.
In this case, the support 222 differs from the previous ones, 22 and 122 in that it is not suitable for being fixed directly to the wall and is therefore not equipped with holes for the screws used for this purpose.
The support 222 is equipped, on the other hand, with a rear seat 225 in which a normal bar B is inserted, for example a metal section or similar item, which in turn can be fixed to the wall by screws or pegs.
The seat 225 substantially has a form which is complementary to that of the bar B; the support is also provided with a screw fixing means 250 with which it is removably fixed to the bar B.
The support 222, like the supports 22 and 122 described above, is equipped with a seat 230 in which the hook 24 and pin 25 are positioned.
The characteristics of the seat 230, with respect to the peripheral edges and the interaction of these with the hook and pin, are the same described above for the supports 22 or 122, and consequently will not be further described (the anti-disengagement system being completely analogous), it should be noted that this variant advantageously allows a user to adopt a bar B of the standard type on the market if is required for other functions and already operative (in the case of two different adjacent cupboards).
The objectives mentioned in the preamble of the description are therefore achieved.
Other alternatives, not illustrated, envisage, for example, that the hook 24 and/or pin 25 have no threading, and are provided instead with an extendable body, for example telescopic, elastic or the like; analogously, the pin could also more simply comprise a rigid body which can be clip-moved in a corresponding seat between two end positions.
Another alternative is shown in figures 16A to 16C.
In these figures, the same parts described above are indicated with the same numbers and consequently no further reference will be made to these.
It should be noted that this embodiment shows a variant of the pin, indicated with the reference number 250. The pin 250, in addition to the stoppage means provided in correspondence with its head 250C, has a total length which is approximately the same as that of the threaded leg 24B of the hook 24.
In short, it should be noted that in this solution it is not necessary for the free end 250A to extend as far as the head 24A of the hook 24, but, in order to obtain a good anti-disengagement functionality, it is sufficient for it to extend at least for a length equal to that of the threaded leg 24B of the hook 24.
In this way, moreover, a further safety condition is obtained: unlike the embodiment shown in figures 9A-9C, the assembler begins to couple the hook 24 with the support 22, as shown in figure 16A, by inserting it in the seat 30 until the leg 24B of the hook is buffered against the stop or lower edge 27 of the window 30 thus effecting the hooking, this situation being illustrated in figure 16B.
Finally, in figure 16C, the assembler screws the pin 250, which moves into its seat so as to bring the free end in the direction of the head of the hook and then inside the seat 30; the rotation of the pin 250 is then stopped in the position of the figure 16C, i.e. when the stoppage means, which, in the example, is the enlargement of the head 250C is buffered against the threading and/or body of the slide 23, preventing any further rotation and therefore ultimately the disengagement of the pin 250 from the slide 23.
As can be seen, the safety level is even greater in this case: the assembler in fact can know when the anti-disengagement system is functioning, as this condition corresponds to the moment in which the pin 250 no longer rotates in its seat due the engagement of the stoppage means.
The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.

Claims

A suspension group (20) for wall cupboards equipped with an anti-disengagement system, wherein said group (20) comprises a hanging bracket (21) destined for being fixed to said wall cupboard and a wall support (22), said hanging bracket (21) being equipped with a hook (24) said support comprising a housing seat (30) of said hook (24) and said hanging bracket (21) comprises a pin (25, 250) which, when the hook (24) is engaged in the seat (30), can be inserted in said seat (30) to prevent the disengagement of the hook (24); wherein said hanging bracket device (21) comprises a slide (23) and sliding guides (35) for guiding a translation of said slide (23) to allow a regulation in the height of said group (20), said hook (24) and said pin (25) being coupled with said slide (23); wherein said hook (24) comprises a threaded stem or leg (24B) destined for being engaged in a corresponding seat of said slide, to allow a regulation in the depth of said group (20); characterized in that said threaded stem (24B) of said hook (24) has a length substantially equal to or less than a threaded stem (25B) of the pin (25).
The group (20) according to the previous claim, wherein said pin (25, 250) is assembled on the same vertical plane as the hook (24) preferably in line with the latter.
The group (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said pin (25) is assembled above the hook (24) in an assembled condition of the device.
The group (20) according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said pin (25, 250) and said hook (24) extend from said slide (23) substantially parallel to each other.
The group (20) according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein with
"Y" the distance between the two longitudinal axes of the pin (25) and hook (24),
"r" the radius of the threaded leg (25B) of the pin (25), "R" the radius of the threaded leg (24B) of the hook (24),
"D" the vertical dimension of the seat (30) equivalent to the distance between the lower edge (27C) and the upper edge (27A), of the seat (30).
"H" the radial dimension of the enlarged head (24A) of the hook measured starting from the end of the threaded leg (24B)
the following relation is applied: $H > D - (r + R + Y) .$
The group (20) according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said seat (30) is defined by continuous perimetric edges (27A,27B,27C,27D).
The group (20) according to one or more of the previous claims from 1 to 6, wherein said seat (30) is defined by discontinuous perimetric edges.
The group (20) according to one or more of the previous claims, wherein said pin (25, 250) comprises stoppage means for stopping its rotation in a threaded seat of said slide.