EP4085796A1 - Drawer locking device - Google Patents

Abstract

In a drawer locking device, with a designed as a rocker bolt (9), and with a holder (8), and with a front panel (4), it is proposed that the panel (4) over the bottom (6) of the drawer (3) protrudes downwards, in the lower area of the panel (4) there is a height-adjustable lifter (14) which extends up to the front part (11) when the drawer (3) is pushed into the furniture compartment (1) and closed. of the bolt (9), above the lifter (14) a movable actuating element (17) is arranged on the panel (4), and that the lifter (14) is connected to the actuating element (17) via transmission means (15) in the manner is that by means of a movement of the actuating element (17) the lifter (14) can be moved from a lower rest position into a raised working position in which, when the drawer (3) is pushed into the furniture compartment (1) and closed, the front part (11) of the Bolt (9) is raised and the bolt (9) is ne release position occupies.

Description

The invention relates to a drawer locking device according to the preamble of claim 1.

A generic drawer locking device is known from practice. For example, on boats, in mobile homes and the like, it is desirable to keep drawers particularly reliably in their closed position, even if the vehicle in which the drawer is located assumes an inclined position and the drawer tries to get out of a piece of furniture and into its to drive open position. Therefore, drawer locking devices are known for such applications that secure the drawer particularly reliably in its closed position, with higher holding forces than are known, for example, by magnetic holding means or by the so-called "self-closing" furniture fittings used in household furniture.

In the generic locking device, a wedge is arranged under the bottom of the drawer, which tapers towards the rear, ie in the direction from the front or panel of the drawer to its rear. When the open drawer is moved to its closed position, this wedge gets against the upwardly projecting rear end of a rocker, which forms the latch for the drawer. The rocker is set so that in its rest position the rear end protrudes upwards, for example due to the force of gravity due to sections of the rocker of different size or weight on either side of its pivot axis, or by magnetic holding forces, by spring force or the like. This rest position, which the bolt automatically strives to assume, also represents its bolt position, in which the drawer can be locked. Against the restoring force acting in this way, the rocker can be pivoted when the drawer is closed, so that the bolt is moved from its rest or locked position into a release position and the wedge can be moved via the downwardly yielding rocker.

When the drawer is closed, the wedge reaches behind the rocker with its broader end - i.e. the end that protrudes further downwards - which, due to the restoring force, has automatically resumed its rest or locked position after the wedge is no longer acting on the rear end of the rocker. In its closed position, the drawer is now positively secured against unintentional opening. The wedge is therefore referred to as a holder, since it holds the drawer in its closed position in cooperation with the bolt.

In order to open the drawer, it is lifted so far that the lower edge of the wedge is higher than the upper edge of the bolt, i.e. the rear edge of the rocker. The drawer can now be moved forward into its open position. The drawer can only be lowered again during this opening movement when the front edge of the wedge that projects the furthest downwards is above the rear edge of the rocker that projects the furthest upwards, so that the wedge can now move from the rest or locked position into its position against its restoring force Release position is moved and the drawer can be moved further to its fully open position.

The drawer locking device of the generic type has proved to be excellent in practice due to its functional reliability. Depending on what the drawer is loaded with, however, due to the high drawer weight, lifting the drawer at the beginning of the opening movement can make handling the drawer more difficult. In addition, a free space is required in the furniture front above the drawer panel to enable the drawer to be raised when the opening movement begins. For aesthetic reasons, it may be desirable to allow the narrowest possible gaps between the individual panels of doors, drawers and the like in the furniture front.

From practice, a non-generic drawer locking device is also known from the field of interior fittings of boats, which has a spring-loaded locking hook behind the drawer panel, which engages behind the furniture body above the drawer. The locking hook can be moved against the spring action into a release position through a hole in the drawer panel, so that the drawer can be opened. Due to the hole, the drawer is not protected against the ingress of dirt, moisture or insects. In addition, the locking hook is visible when the drawer is open, which can be aesthetically undesirable, and so the locking hook and its spring mechanism are exposed to mechanical influences or the ingress of foreign bodies or dirt, which can endanger the mobility and thus the functional reliability of the locking hook.

The invention is based on the object of improving a generic drawer locking device in such a way that it enables the drawer to be opened without having to lift the drawer.

This object is achieved by a drawer locking device with the features of claim 1. Advantageous configurations are described in the dependent claims.

In other words, the invention proposes using a jack with which the front part of the seesaw which is hanging down can be lifted. The lifter is therefore designed and arranged so that it can be moved upwards when the drawer is in its closed position and to catch the front part of the rocker when the drawer is in its closed position. In the simplest case, the lifter can extend under the front, lower edge of the rocker. However, an opening can also be provided in the front part of the seesaw, or an eyelet or a bracket, a hook or the like can be arranged on this front part, so that in any case the lifter can act on the front part of the seesaw in such a way that when the lifter is raised, the front part of the rocker is also raised and accordingly the rear part of the rocker is lowered so far that during the opening movement of the drawer the holder, e.g. the mentioned wedge, can pass the rear part of the rocker.

The lifter extends so far backwards that when the drawer is opened it acts on the latch and keeps the front part of the rocker raised until the holder is over the rear end of the rocker during this opening movement, so that the automatic The bolt is prevented from returning to its locked position and the drawer can be opened further without any problems, even if the lifter is no longer acting on the bolt.

In order to be able to lift the lifter and in this way move the bolt into its release position, an actuating element is arranged on the panel above the lifter, which in the simplest case can be actuated manually, but possibly also by motor can. Transmission means run from this actuating element to the lifter, for example in the form of a cable pull, a linkage or the like, so that the movement of the actuating element is transmitted to the lifter and the lifter can be raised by means of the actuating element.

The actuation of the actuating element requires a comparatively small amount of force, even if the drawer is loaded with a great deal of weight, so that the handling of the drawer when opening it is simplified and facilitated. In addition, the drawer does not need to be able to move vertically, so that the panel of the drawer can be connected to adjacent sections of a furniture front, or to a worktop or the like, with a minimal gap or else without a gap.

The transmission means between the actuating element and the lifter can advantageously be designed as a pull element, so that in the sense of a constructive simplification without additional deflection elements or the like, the lifter can be raised from its rest position into its working position and the lifter can thus be pulled upwards by means of the transmission means.

The actuating element can advantageously be designed as a rotary fitting. In this case, the transmission means connect eccentrically to the rotary fitting, so that a pivoting movement of the rotary fitting can generate a compressive force acting downwards or a tensile force acting upwards, which can be transmitted to the lifter via corresponding transmission means.

If the operating element is moved by a motor, it can be moved between a home position and an operative position by means of the motor, and accordingly also by a motor be moved back to its original position. However, if manual actuation of the actuating element is provided, it can be advantageous to hold the actuating element in its initial position by means of spring force. If several drawers are arranged in a furniture front and accordingly several actuating elements are visible on this furniture front, an aesthetically advantageous appearance is achieved in that all actuating elements are aligned in the same way and are not at an angle to one another or otherwise arranged irregularly. In addition, the spring causes the actuating element to be automatically returned to its initial position, so that this movement does not have to be carried out manually and so that the actuation of the drawer locking device is simplified in this way.

An advantageous, space-saving and, in particular, flat design of the spring used for this can consist in configuring the spring as a coil spring that runs around the pivot point of the rotary fitting. In this way, a fitting can be created that can be accommodated in a pocket of the drawer front panel, i.e. in a milled recess that is made in the back of the front panel.

The transmission means can advantageously run in the panel of the drawer. In this way, the transmission means are optimally protected against external influences and, for example, unwanted deformations, so that the functional reliability of the drawer locking device is guaranteed over a long period of time.

Advantageously, the drawer can firstly have a front wall as a constructive element of the drawer itself, and secondly the aforementioned panel of the drawer, which is mounted as a decorative element in front of the front wall and forms a visible part of the furniture front. Accordingly, the drawers be manufactured in large numbers as identical parts, and the drawers can be adapted to the desired external appearance of the entire piece of furniture by means of different decorative elements, namely through different screens. In addition, this results in the possibility of arranging fittings and possibly also transmission means, which are provided for actuating the lifter, in the panel in an openly accessible manner, namely in recesses in the panel that are open to the rear. When the panel is mounted on the front wall of the drawer, such functional elements are protected all around, which is advantageous for their functional reliability and also for aesthetic reasons.

If manual operation of the operating element is provided, a movable handle accessible to a user is arranged on the visor, which can be operated manually by the user and which is associated with the operating element, such that movement of the handle causes movement of the operating element. The handle can be designed, for example, in the form of a slide, a lever or the like. In an advantageous embodiment, the handle can be pivotably mounted and configured, for example, as a rotary knob. In particular, if such a rotary knob is designed to be elongated, for example oval, easy handling of the drawer locking device is supported due to the leverage around the pivot point.

A damper can advantageously be assigned to the actuating element, so that a movement of the actuating element takes place in a correspondingly damped manner. In this way, a hard stop at the end of the movement path is avoided. Otherwise, there could be a risk that the two abutting components work into each other, so that, for example, the above-mentioned alignment of the handle visible on the furniture front in the Starting position would change and differ from others handle. This can be avoided by the cushioned movement.

One-way and two-way dampers are commercially available. In the case of a return of the actuating element supported by spring force, the use of a damper acting on one side can be provided, so that the actuating element can be moved from the starting position into the working position without having to overcome a damping resistance. If later the handle acting on the actuating element is released, the return movement of the actuating element to its initial position is damped, however, so that the above-mentioned hard stop is avoided, which as described could be functionally disadvantageous and could also be perceived as acoustically disturbing.

The damper can advantageously be designed as a rotary damper, since it has small dimensions and can be obtained economically.

Fig. 1

einen Vertikalschnitt durch einen vorderen, unteren Bereich eines Möbelfachs samt darin befindlichem Schubkasten,

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht von vorn auf ein Betätigungselement und einen darunter angeordneten, aus illustrativen Gründen um 90° gedrehten Heber, und die

Fig. 3 und 4

vergleichende Darstellungen des Betätigungselements von Fig. 2 in dessen Ausgangs- und Arbeitsstellung, wobei jeweils eine in dem Betätigungselement angeordnete Feder oberhalb des Betätigungselements separat dargestellt ist.

An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the purely schematic representations. while showing

1

a vertical section through a front, lower area of a furniture compartment including a drawer located therein,

2

a front view of an actuating element and a lifter arranged therebelow and rotated by 90° for illustrative reasons, and FIG

Figures 3 and 4

comparative representations of the actuating element of 2 in its initial and working position, with a spring arranged in the actuating element being shown separately above the actuating element.

In 1 a furniture compartment 1 is indicated, with a shelf 2 delimiting the furniture compartment 1 at the bottom. Inside the furniture compartment 1 there is a drawer 3 in its closed position, in which it has moved into the furniture compartment 1 as far as possible. In this case, a panel 4 of the drawer 3 rests against the front edge of the shelf 2 . The panel 4 represents part of the furniture front and is attached to the front of a front wall 5 of the drawer 3 . From this front wall 5, a bottom 6 and side panels 7 of the drawer 3 extend backwards to a rear wall of the drawer 3, not shown.

Under the bottom 6 of the drawer 3, a holder 8 is mounted, which is designed at least in sections wedge-shaped, namely in its rear area, on the right in the drawing. When the drawer 3 is in the closed position shown, the holder 8 engages behind a bolt 9, which is designed as a rocker that is movably mounted about a pivot axis 10 and accordingly divided by the pivot axis 10 into a front part 11 and a rear part 12 is. In the situation shown, the bolt 9 is in its rest position, which it automatically strives to assume and which is also referred to as the control position. The rear edge of the rear part 12 protrudes so far upwards that it collides with the holder 8 if the drawer 3 is to be opened from its closed position shown. In this way, the drawer 3 is secured in its closed position by means of the bolt 9 .

The bolt 9 has a stop so that the rear part 12 cannot be moved any further upwards and accordingly the lower edge of the front part 11 is also held at a distance above the shelf 2 . This distance allows an L-shaped lifter 14 to reach under the front part 11 of the bolt 9 when the drawer 3 is closed becomes. From the lifter 14, transmission means 15 extend upwards inside the panel 4. For this purpose, the panel 4 has a rearwardly open recess 16 which is covered or closed by the front wall 5 of the drawer 3 .

2 shows the lifter 14 and the transmission means 15 shown in broken lines, which run upwards from the lifter 14 to an actuating element 17, which is also arranged in the correspondingly widened recess 16 of the panel 4. While the jack 14 is in the same orientation as in FIG 1 is shown, the actuating element 17 is shown pivoted by 90° thereto. The actuating element 17 has a housing 18 in which a slide 19 is mounted so that it can move in height.

In 2 is the slide 19 - and thus the entire actuating element 17 - in its initial position or rest position, wherein the slide 19 occupies a lower position. Accordingly, the lifter 14 is also in a lower position, which can also be referred to as the rest position of the lifter 14 and off 1 is evident. By means of a spring 20, which is designed as a coil spring, the actuating element 17 is automatically held in this rest position. The spring 20 is supported on the one hand on a housing pin 21, which is arranged stationary on the housing 18, and on the other hand on an eccentric pin 22, which is arranged on a pivotally mounted eccentric 23.

3 shows the actuating element 17 in its initial position. Spring 20 is shown separate and above housing 18 for clarity. It is also in the same arrangement as in 2 . The slider 19 is in its lower position and rests with sections of an inner contour of the housing 18 that correspond to lower circumferential sections. The slider 19 is designed like a frame and surrounds an inner free space 24 in which the eccentric 23 is arranged. The eccentric 23 also surrounds a free space which is referred to as the axle opening 25 and serves to accommodate an axle which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, can be designed as a square rod. A handle is located on this axis in front of the panel 4, so that the eccentric 23 can be pivoted about the axis by means of a corresponding pivoting movement of the handle.

By turning the handle and the eccentric 23 to the right, the actuating element 17 can be moved out of position in 3 apparent starting position are brought into a working position that 4 is shown. Again, the spring 20 is shown separate and above the housing 18, and the arrows attached to the springs 20 point comparatively in FIGS Figures 3 and 4 , how the configuration of the spring 20 changes. While the end of the spring 20 resting against the housing pin 21 always remains stationary, the spring 20 is tensioned when its other end is moved clockwise together with the eccentric pin 22 . Below spring 20 is in 4 recognizable that the eccentric 23 has raised the slide 19 due to the pivoting movement mentioned.

Accordingly, the transmission means 15 and, as a result, the lifter 14 have also been raised, so that compared to the illustration in FIG 1 the front part 11 of the bolt 9 is raised and the bolt 9 is pivoted about the pivot axis 10 . As a result, the rear part 12 of the bolt 9 is moved downwards, so that the drawer 3 is now pulled forward, ie it can be opened. The holder 8 gets over the rear part 12 of the bolt 9, while the lifter 14 lifts the lower part 11 of the bolt 9. Accordingly, when the lifter 14 disengages from the latch 9, the latch 9 cannot return to its latched position but merely abuts the underside of the holder 8, so that the drawer 3 can be opened completely without any problems.

During a later closing process, the wedge-shaped section of the holder 8 first comes into contact with the rear part 12 of the bolt 9, so that this rear part 12 is lowered and the front part 11 of the bolt 9 is raised. While the holder 8 is still acting on the bolt 9, the lifter 14 moves under the front part 11 of the bolt 9 during the closing movement of the drawer 3. If the holder 8 then disengages from the bolt 9, the bolt 9 strives to automatically to assume its locking position and the front part 11 is lowered until the locking bar 9 reaches its stop or the front part 11 lies on the lifter 14, as in 1 shown.

References:

1

furniture compartment

2

Fold bottom

3

drawer

4

cover

5

front wall

6

floor

7

Side wall

8th

holder

9

bars

10

pivot axis

11

front part

12

Back part

14

lifter

15

means of transmission

16

recess

17

actuator

18

Housing

19

slider

20

Feather

21

housing spigot

22

eccentric pin

23

eccentric

24

free space

25

axle opening

Claims (12)

drawer locking device, • with a latch (9) designed as a rocker, which is intended to be mounted below a drawer (3) in the interior of a furniture compartment (1) and which is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis (10) between a locking position and a release position, and wherein the pivot axis (10) divides the bolt into a front part (11) and a rear part (12), • wherein the latch (9) in its latched position towards a front, open end of the furniture compartment (1) has its front part (11) which runs downwards and has its rear part (12) which rises towards the rear
and in its released position the front end of the front part (11) is arranged higher than in the locked position, • and wherein the bolt (9) tries to take its locked position, • and with a holder (8), intended to be mounted under a bottom (6) of a drawer (3), and which protrudes so far downwards that the holder (8) presses the rear part (12) of the bolt (9) downwards into the release position when the drawer (3) is pushed into the furniture compartment (1), and which is arranged so far to the rear that it engages behind the bolt (8) when the drawer (3) is pushed into the furniture compartment (1) and closed, • and wherein the drawer (3) has a front panel (4),
characterized, • that the panel (4) protrudes downwards beyond the bottom (6) of the drawer (3), • in the lower area of the panel (4) there is a height-adjustable lifter (14) which extends to the front part (11) of the bolt (9) when the drawer (3) is pushed into the furniture compartment (1) and closed, • a movable actuating element (17) is arranged on the panel (4) above the lifter (14), • and that the lifter (14) is connected to the actuating element (17) via transmission means (15) in such a way
that by means of a movement of the actuating element (17) the lifter (14) can be moved from a lower rest position into a raised working position in which, when the drawer (3) is inserted and closed, the front part (11) of the bolt ( 9) is raised and the bolt (9) assumes its release position. Drawer locking device according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the transmission means (15) are designed as a tension element. Drawer locking device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that
that the actuating element (17) is designed as a rotary fitting to which the transmission means (15) are connected eccentrically,
such that when the actuating element (17) rotates, the transmission means (15) are guided from a first to a different, second height. Drawer locking device according to claim 3, characterized, that the actuating element (17) is held by spring force in a starting position in which the lifter (14) assumes its position of rest, and that the actuating element (17) can be moved against the spring action from the initial position into an actuating position in which the lifter (14) assumes its working position. Drawer locking device according to claim 4,
characterized,
that the spring (20) is designed as a coil spring which runs around the pivot point of the rotary fitting. Drawer locking device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the transmission means (15) run in the panel (4). Drawer locking device according to claim 6,
characterized,
that the drawer (3) has a front wall (5), and the panel (4) is designed as an additional decorative panel mounted in front of the front wall (5), which has a recess (16 ) has, in which the transmission means (15) run. Drawer locking device according to claim 7,
characterized,
that the actuating element (17) is also arranged in the recess (16) of the screen (4). Drawer locking device according to claim 8,
characterized,
that a pivotably mounted handle is arranged in front of the screen (4) and with the actuating element (17) is connected. Drawer locking device according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized,
that the actuating element (17) is associated with a damper, such that a movement of the actuating element (17) is damped. Drawer locking device according to claims 4 and 10,
characterized,
that the damper is designed to act on one side, such that the actuating element (17) can be moved undamped from the starting position into an actuating position and can be automatically moved back into its starting position by spring force and damped. Drawer locking device according to Claim 10 or 11, characterized in that
that the damper is designed as a rotary damper.

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