EP4248099A1

EP4248099A1 - Connector for connecting, without tools, two panels at right angles to each other, and accompanying panel assembly

Info

Publication number: EP4248099A1
Application number: EP21786371.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Robert Birkner
Original assignee: Haefele Berlin GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Haefele Berlin GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2020-11-23
Filing date: 2021-09-29
Publication date: 2023-09-27
Also published as: WO2022106103A1; DE202020106708U1; US20230287918A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a connector (1) for connecting, without tools, two panels at right angles to each other, comprising: - a pot-shaped housing (10) having an expansion sleeve (11) that protrudes radially outward, - a tension lever (20), which is mounted in the housing (10) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (12) between a non-tensioned start position and a tensioned end position and has a tension contour (21) running eccentrically with respect to the pivot axis (12), and - a tension bolt (30) having a bolt shaft (33), a first bolt end in the form of a first bolt head (31) which is wider than the bolt shaft (33) and is arranged in the expansion sleeve (11), and a second bolt end in the form of a second bolt head (32) which is wider than the bolt shaft (33) and is arranged inside the housing (10), wherein the second bolt head (32), when the eccentric tension contour (21) of the tension lever (20) is in the tensioned start position, seen in the direction away from the expansion sleeve (11), is engaged from behind and pulled in the direction away from the expansion sleeve (11), and as a result the expansion sleeve (11) is expanded from the first bolt head (31).

Description

Connector for connecting two panels at right angles to one another without the use of tools and associated panel arrangement

The invention relates to an eccentric connector for the tool-free connection of two plates which are at an angle to one another, in particular at right angles, and an associated plate arrangement.

Eccentric connectors are well known and are used, for example, when connecting two furniture boards. Such an eccentric connector comprises a pot-shaped housing with a tightening element which is rotatably mounted therein and has a tightening contour which is eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation. Of the Eccentric connector is used with the housing in a surface bore in the one, first furniture panel and anchored the bolt in a frontal bore in the other, second furniture panel. The bolt is inserted with its bolt head into the housing of the eccentric connector and then the tightening element is twisted using a tool, whereby the bolt head is gripped by the eccentric tightening contour and pulled into the interior of the housing until the two furniture panels are braced against each other.

In contrast, it is the object of the invention to specify an eccentric connector that can be actuated without tools.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a connector for the tool-free connection of two plates standing at an angle to one another, in particular at right angles

- a pot-shaped housing with an expanding sleeve protruding radially outwards,

- a clamping lever, which is mounted in the housing between a non-clamped initial position and a clamped end position, pivotable about a pivot axis, with a tension contour running eccentrically to the pivot axis, and

- a tension bolt with a bolt shank, with a first bolt end in the form of a bolt shank widened, first bolt head, which is arranged in the expanding sleeve, and with a second bolt end in the form of a bolt shank widened, second bolt head, which is arranged inside the housing is, wherein the second bolt head in the clamped initial position of the eccentric Zugkontur of the clamping lever, viewed in the direction away from the expansion sleeve, behind and is pulled in the direction away from the expansion sleeve and thereby the expansion sleeve is spread open by the first bolt head.

According to the invention, the expansion sleeve is expanded by the first bolt head by manually pivoting the clamping lever. Optionally, the housing can also be spread open from the first bolt head. In the non-clamped initial position, the clamping lever preferably stands up from the top side of the housing, eg at right angles, and runs parallel to the top side of the housing in the clamped end position, eg flush with the top side of the housing.

The first bolt head is particularly preferably tapered in the direction of the second bolt head, in particular conically tapered, and the second bolt head is designed as a spherical or conical head or as a transverse bolt angled at right angles to the bolt axis.

Advantageously, the housing has at least one bearing opening in which the cylindrical lever end of the tensioning lever running transversely to the lever axis is pivotably mounted about the pivot axis. In the case of two bearing openings facing each other, the housing can have a middle wall in between, which can in particular close a slot of the tensioning lever in the end position of the tensioning lever. Furthermore, the middle wall can optionally have a guide contour for the second bolt head, which is preferably arranged on a spring tongue of the middle wall and is therefore designed to be elastically deflectable.

The eccentric tension contour is preferably arranged on the inside at a transverse opening of the housing-side lever end of the clamping lever in the circumferential or pivoting direction of the housing-side lever end. The transverse opening can be designed as a slit-shaped guide slot with the eccentric tension contour and an eccentric pressure contour for the second bolt head.

To expand the housing, the housing can have a central longitudinal slot and the tie bolt can have two opposite, sloping expansion projections between its two bolt ends.

In a further aspect, the invention also relates to an arrangement with two panels arranged at an angle, in particular at right angles, to one another, in particular furniture panels, and with a connector designed as above, the housing in a bore in one of the two panel sides of one panel and the expanding sleeve in a hole in an end face of the other plate are used and wherein the housing and the expansion sleeve are spread open by the clamping lever in the end position and are thereby braced in the bores. In the end position, the clamping lever is preferably flush with the first plate.

Further advantages of the invention result from the description, the claims and the drawing. Likewise, the features mentioned above and those listed below can be used individually or together in any combination. The embodiments shown and described are not to be understood as an exhaustive list, but rather have an exemplary character for the description of the invention.

Show it:

Figs. 1a, 1b a perspective view of the tool-free connector according to the invention in an unclamped starting position (FIG. 1a) and in a clamped end position (FIG. 1b);

Figs. 2a, 2b a housing of the connector shown in Fig. 1 in a perspective view (Fig. 2a) and in a plan view (Fig. 2b);

Figs. 3a, 3b a clamping lever of the connector shown in Fig. 1 in a perspective view (Fig. 3a) and in a side view (Fig.

3b); a pull bolt of the connector shown in Figure 1 in a perspective view; the connector in a non-stressed initial position in a perspective view (Fig. 5a) and in a longitudinal cross-section (Fig. 5b); the connector in a partially clamped intermediate position in a perspective view (Fig. 6a) and in a longitudinal cross-section (Fig. 6b); the connector in a clamped end position in a perspective view (Fig. 7a) and in a longitudinal cross section (Fig. 7b); a perspective view of an alternative tension bolt; Figs. 9a, 9b the connector according to the invention with the modified tension bolt in the non-tensioned starting position (FIG. 9a) and in the tensioned end position (FIG. 9b), each in a cross section;

Figs. 10a, 10b two further alternative tension bolts, each in a perspective view;

Figs. 11a-11c a second embodiment of the connector according to the invention starting from a non-clamped initial position (Fig.

11a) via a partially clamped intermediate position (FIG. 11b) into a clamped end position (FIG. 11c);

Figs. 12a-12c the connector of the second embodiment starting from the clamped end position (Fig. 12a) via the partially clamped intermediate position (Fig. 12b) back into the non-clamped initial position

position (Fig. 12c);

Figs. 13a-13c a third embodiment of the connector according to the invention starting from a non-clamped initial position (FIG. 13a) via a partially clamped intermediate position (FIG. 13b) into a clamped end position (FIG. 13c); and

Figs. 14a-14c the connector of the third embodiment starting from the clamped end position (Fig. 14a) via the partially clamped intermediate position (Fig. 14b) back to the non-clamped starting position (Fig. 14c).

The one in Figs. 1a, 1b shown connector 1 is used for tool-free connection of two mutually perpendicular plates.

Connector 1 has the following individual parts:

- a in Figs. 2a, 2b shown pot-shaped housing 10 with a radially outwardly projecting expansion sleeve 11,

- one in Figs. 3a, 3b, which is mounted in the housing 10 between a non-clamped starting position (Fig. 1a) and a clamped end position (Fig. 1b) so that it can pivot about a pivot axis 12, with an inner tension contour 21 and running eccentrically to the pivot axis 12 with a cylindrical lever end 22, and - A tension bolt 30 shown in Fig. 4 with a first bolt end in the form of a bolt head 31, which is arranged in the expanding sleeve 11, and with a second bolt end in the form of a bolt head 32, which is arranged within the housing 10 and in the cylindrical lever end 22 is.

The two bolt heads 31 , 32 are widened compared to the bolt shank 33 . The first bolt head 31 preferably tapers conically along the bolt axis 34 in the direction of the second bolt head 32 . The second bolt head 32 is designed, for example, as a transverse bolt which is angled at right angles to the bolt axis 34 and is aligned parallel to the pivot axis 12 in the housing 10 . The tie bolt 30 is thus T-shaped.

As in Figs. 2, 3, the housing 10 has two bearing openings 13 facing one another, in which the cylindrical lever end 22 of the clamping lever 20 running transversely to the lever axis is pivotably mounted about the pivot axis 12. Between the two bearing openings 13, the housing 10 has a central wall 14 with an inner inclined guide contour 14a (FIG. 5b) directed towards the expanding sleeve 11, and the clamping lever 20 has a central slot 23. The inclined guide contour 14a is formed on a free spring tongue of the central wall 14 and can thus be deflected in an elastically resilient manner. The cylindrical end of the lever 22 has a peripheral slot 24, the slot width of which corresponds to the bolt shank diameter of the clamping bolt 30 and which has a slot opening 25 corresponding to the cross section of the first bolt head 31 at one of its slot ends. The peripheral slot 24 opens into a transverse opening 26 with a transverse slot 27 that is open radially, preferably outwards. The clamping bolt 30 is guided through the slotted opening 25 with its first bolt end 31 in front until the transverse bolt 32 is accommodated in the transverse opening 26 .

The housing 10 (FIGS. 2a, 2b) has a plurality of circumferential ribs 16 between the housing top 15 and the housing bottom and a central longitudinal slot 17 between the expanding sleeve 11 and the bearing openings 13. The expansion sleeve 11 has

ADJUSTED SHEET (RULE 91) ISA/EP several, here by way of example four, arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the expansion sleeve 11, annular sleeve ribs 18 and several, here by way of example four, longitudinal slots 19 arranged equidistantly in the circumferential direction. As shown in Fig. 2b, the longitudinal slot 17 of the housing 10 and two longitudinal slots 19 of the expanding sleeve 11 are formed by a continuous slot.

The connector 1 is shown in Figs. 5a, 5b in the non-tensioned initial position, in Figs. 6a, 6b in a partially clamped intermediate position and in Figs. 7a, 7b shown in the tensioned end position.

As shown in FIG. 5b, in the non-tensioned starting position, the transverse bolt 32 is not engaged behind by the eccentric tension contour 21 of the cylindrical lever end 22 and the tensioning lever 20 is preferably perpendicular to the upper side 15 of the housing. The transverse bolt 32 does not rest on the guide contour 14a of the middle wall 14 .

As shown in Fig. 6b, in the partially clamped intermediate position, the transverse bolt 32 is partially gripped behind by the eccentric tension contour 21 of the cylindrical lever end 22, seen in the direction away from the expanding sleeve 11, and the tension bolt 30 is thereby pulled in the direction away from the expanding sleeve 11. whereby the expansion sleeve 11 is spread outwards by the conical first bolt head 31 . The housing 10 is also spread radially outwards due to the continuous slitting 17 .

As shown in Fig. 7b, in the tensioned end position, the transverse bolt 32 is completely engaged behind by the eccentric tension contour 21 of the cylindrical lever end 22 and as a result the tension bolt 30 further in the direction away from the expanding sleeve 11, if necessary with elastic upward pressure on the guide contour 14a of the free Spring tongue, pulled, whereby the expansion sleeve 11 are spread further outwards from the conical first bolt head 31 and also the housing 10 . In the clamped end position, the clamping lever 20 is preferably flush with the housing top 15 , for which purpose the central wall 14 engages in the central slot 23 of the clamping lever 20 . The modified clamping bolt 30 shown in FIG. 8 has two opposite, inclined expanding projections 35 between its conical first bolt head 31 and its transverse bolt 32 . As in Figs. 9a, 9b, these expanding projections 35 are in the starting position (FIG. 9a) inside the expanding sleeve 11 and in the end position (FIG. 9b) additionally expand the housing 10 outwards along the longitudinal slot 17. Instead of the spreading projections 35, the conical bolt head 31 can also extend into the housing 10 in order to spread the housing 10 open as a result.

To connect two furniture panels arranged at right angles to one another by means of the connector 1, the housing 10 is manually inserted into a hole in a panel side of one, first furniture panel and is secured by the peripheral ribs 16 from falling out of the hole. The expanding sleeve 11 is then inserted into a bore in one end face of the other, second plate and initially only slightly engages with the sleeve ribs 18 in the bore wall. The clamping lever 20 is then pushed down from the starting position by 90° into the end position. This rotary movement of the clamping lever 20 causes the expansion sleeve 11 and the housing 10 to be expanded and thus firmly anchored in the bores. In the end position, the clamping lever 20 is preferably flush with the first furniture panel and can be accommodated in a corresponding recess in the first furniture panel.

When the clamping lever 20 is opened back into the starting position, the expanding sleeve 11 and the housing 10 relax. By pressing down the free spring tongue of the central wall 14 and thus the inclined guide contour 14a directed towards the expanding sleeve 11, the tension bolt 30 can move in the direction towards the expanding sleeve 11 can be moved back to its original position, so that the connector 1 can be disassembled.

Instead of being a transverse bolt, the second bolt head 32 can alternatively also be designed as a conical head (FIG. 10a) or as a spherical head (FIG. 10b). The conical bolt head 31 can extend into the housing 10 in order to spread the housing 10 open. From connector 1 of Figs. 1 to 7 differs from that in Figs. 11a-11c and Figs. The connector 1 shown in FIGS. 12a-12c is characterized in that the guide contour 14a of the center wall 14 is concave and cannot be deflected. Starting from the non-clamped initial position (Fig. 11a), the second bolt head 32 is moved away from the tension contour 21 in the direction away from the expanding sleeve 11 into the partially clamped intermediate position (Fig. 11b) and after overcoming a contour or latching step by pivoting the clamping lever 20 down 28 further into the tensioned end position (Fig. 11c) pulled. The bolt head 32 is guided along the concave guide contour 14a of the middle wall 14 and the expanding sleeve 11 is spread outwards by the displaced first bolt head 31, which can be seen in FIGS. 11a-11c is not shown.

Starting from this clamped end position (Fig. 12a), the second bolt head 32 is moved from the tension contour 21 in the direction of the expansion sleeve 11 into the partially clamped intermediate position (Fig. 12b) and after overcoming the latching step 28 further into the non-clamped starting position by pivoting the clamping lever 20 upwards (Fig. 12c). The bolt head 32 is guided along the concave guide contour 14a of the central wall 14 and the expanding sleeve 11 is relaxed by the first bolt head 31 being moved back, which can be seen in FIGS. 12a-12c is not shown.

Instead of at the top on a one-sided guide contour 14a, the bolt head 32 can also be positively guided on both sides in a slot-shaped guide link (not shown) of the central wall 14 or of the housing 10 in the direction of and towards the expansion sleeve 11.

From connector 1 of Figs. 1 to 7 differs from that in Figs. 13a-13c and Figs. 14a-14c shown connector 1 in that here the central wall 14 has no guide contour for the second bolt head 32 and the transverse opening 26 is designed as an arcuate, slot-shaped guide slot with an eccentric tension contour 21 and an eccentric pressure contour 29 for the second bolt head 32. Starting from the non-clamped starting position (Fig. 13a), the second bolt head 32 is by pivoting the clamping lever 20 from the Zugkontur 21 pulled in the direction away from the expansion sleeve 11 in the partially clamped intermediate position (Fig. 13b) and further into the clamped end position (Fig. 13c). Here, the expansion sleeve 11 is spread outwards by the displaced first bolt head 31, which is shown in FIGS. 13a-13c is not shown.

Starting from this clamped end position (Fig. 14a), by pivoting the clamping lever 20 upwards, the second bolt head 32 is moved from the pressure contour 29 in the direction of the expanding sleeve 11 into the partially clamped intermediate position (Fig.

14b) and further into the non-tensioned initial position (Fig. 14c). Here, the expansion sleeve 11 relaxed by the first bolt head 31 shifted back, which is shown in Figs. 14a-14c is not shown.

Claims

Having a connector (1) for the tool-free connection of two plates that are at an angle to one another, in particular at right angles

- A pot-shaped housing (10) with a radially outwardly projecting expansion sleeve (11),

- a clamping lever (20), which is mounted in the housing (10) between a non-clamped initial position and a clamped end position, pivotable about a pivot axis (12), with a tension contour (21) running eccentrically to the pivot axis (12), and

- A tension bolt (30) with a bolt shank (33), with a first bolt end in the form of a bolt shank (33) widened, first bolt head (31), which is arranged in the expanding sleeve (11), and with a second bolt end in Shape of a second bolt head (32) which is wider than the bolt shank (33) and is arranged inside the housing (10), the second bolt head (32) being in the tensioned initial position supported by the eccentric tension contour (21) of the tensioning lever (20), seen in the direction away from the expansion sleeve (11), behind and in the direction away from the expansion sleeve (11) is pulled and thereby the expansion sleeve (11) from the first bolt head (31) is spread. Connector according to Claim 1, characterized in that the clamping lever (20) in the non-clamped starting position projects upwards from the housing top (15) and in the clamped end position runs parallel to the housing top (15), in particular is flush with the housing top (15).

3. Connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first bolt head (31) in the direction towards the second bolt head (32) is tapered, in particular is conically tapered.

4. Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second bolt head (32) is designed as a spherical or conical head or as a perpendicular to the bolt axis (33) angled transverse bolt.

5. Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (10) has at least one bearing opening (13), in which the cylindrical lever end (22) of the clamping lever (20) running transversely to the lever axis can be pivoted about the pivot axis (12 ) is stored.

6. Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (10) has two facing bearing openings (13) in which the cylindrical lever end (22) of the clamping lever (20) is pivotably mounted about the pivot axis (12). .

7. Connector according to claim 6, characterized in that the housing (10) between the two bearing openings (13) has a central wall (14) which in particular has a slot (23) of the clamping lever (20) in the end position of the clamping lever (20). closes.

8. Connector according to claim 7, characterized in that the central wall (14) has a guide contour (14a) for the second bolt head (32) of the tie bolt (30).

9. Connector according to claim 8, characterized in that the guide contour (14a) is arranged on a spring tongue of the central wall (14). Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the eccentric tension contour (21) is arranged on the inside at a transverse opening (26) of the lever end of the clamping lever (20) on the housing side. Connector according to Claim 10, characterized in that the transverse opening (26) is designed as a slot-shaped guide slot with the eccentric tension contour (21) and an eccentric pressure contour (29) for the second bolt head (32). Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expanding sleeve (11) has at least one sleeve rib (18) extending in the circumferential direction of the expanding sleeve (11), in particular a plurality of sleeve ribs (18) arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction. Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the expanding sleeve (11) has at least one longitudinal slot (19), in particular a plurality of longitudinal slots (19). Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (10) has a central longitudinal slot (17). Connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tension bolt (30) between its two bolt ends (31, 32) has two opposite, oblique spreading projections (35) for spreading the housing (10). Arrangement with two panels arranged at an angle, in particular at right angles to one another, in particular furniture panels, and with a connector (1) according to one of the claims, wherein the housing (10) in a bore in a panel side of one panel and the expanding sleeve (11) in a Bore are used in an end face of the other plate and being located in the end position by the clamping lever (20), the housing (10) and the Expanding sleeve (11) are spread and thus braced in the bores. Arrangement according to claim 16, characterized in that the clamping lever (20) in the end position flush with the plate side of the first

plate is.