EP4499961A1

EP4499961A1 - Lift-up door movement device

Info

Publication number: EP4499961A1
Application number: EP23713670.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antonio Giovannetti
Original assignee: Emuca SA
Current assignee: Emuca SA
Priority date: 2022-06-01
Filing date: 2023-03-27
Publication date: 2025-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2043-03-27
Also published as: IT202200011651A1; WO2023232308A1; CN117980578A; EP4499961B1; PL4499961T3; ES3053073T3; EP4499961C0

Abstract

Device (100) for moving a lift-up door (6) of a kitchen, bathroom or living room furniture item, or of any furniture item in general, comprising a container (10) that can be fixed to the frame of the furniture item, in particular to a side thereof (4), containing a mechanism that acts, by means of an arm (20), internally articulated to the container (10) with a fulcrum pin (13), directly or indirectly on the door (6), wherein said fulcrum pin (13) is integral with a cam (14) capable of engaging with an element (35) of a slide (30) slidably housed in the container (10), under the action of at least one spring (40) acting between said container (10) and said slide (30), in such a way as to exert a force in a direction opposite to said element (35), said cam (14) and the action of said at least one spring (40) balancing the weight of the door in each position during opening and closure, wherein inside the container (10) an arched seat (19) is provided, arranged around a seat (24) for housing said fulcrum pin (13), concentrically to the axis (r) of the pin, in which an arched plate (50), which reproduces the curved profile thereof, is housed, said arched plate (50) being driven by said cam (14) along the profile of the arched seat (19) during the final phase of rotation of the arm (20), at closure of the door, going to compress a damper (52), producing the damping of the door.

Description

LIFT-UP DOOR MOVEMENT DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a lift-up door movement device of a furniture item for the kitchen, bathroom, living area or of any item of furniture in general.

In the present context, a lift-up door movement device is understood to be any of the following examples:

- upward flap opening: the door is hinged to the top of the furniture item, as shown in the appended Fig. la;

- vertical opening: the door translates vertically, as shown in Fig. lb;

- pivoting opening: the door rotates-translates vertically, as shown in Fig. 1c;

- packet opening: a pair of doors rotate-translate together vertically, as shown in Fig. Id.

Various devices are known for the movement of doors of furniture items of the different types given above. These devices are capable of balancing the weight in each position that the door assumes during opening as a result of the user's action, without the door going to occupy its position of maximum opening (or closure) when this action is interrupted.

Examples of such devices are disclosed in EP 1507944B 1, EP 2821578B1, DE 202005020862U1.

In addition to the undoubted ergonomic advantages of not forcing the user to close the door from its maximum opening position, these devices also offer the fact of having the characteristic of perfectly balancing the weight of the door in every position. Therefore, the weight perceived by the user is practically zero, thus giving the sensation of lightness and ease of use.

Mechanisms that meet this requirement have the disadvantage of having large overall dimensions inside the storage compartment, thus occupying spaces that are useful for the effective use of an item of furniture. This is due substantially to the need to guide and keep inside their seats the elastic elements assigned to produce the energy for balancing the weight of the door. In the prior art, these devices, in addition to having specific cases for containing the elastic elements, have further containers designed to contain the device components and therefore also the cases themselves. Given the need to contain the device, the ideal condition is certainly that the device container is itself a guide and container for the elastic elements responsible for lifting the door.

Furniture design is constantly evolving, and the trend is increasingly towards hiding the mechanics required for door movement, and clearly a device that can be concealed within the side, either totally or partially, accommodates this need.

The object of the present invention is to provide a lift-up door movement device that eliminates the disadvantages of the mechanisms of the prior art disclosed above.

More particularly, an object of the invention is to propose such a device that has a reduced overall thickness dimension such as to occupy a minimum space inside the item of furniture, and therefore be almost hidden in the interior of the side.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device that ensures the balancing of the weight of the door in every position, both when opening and closing, and that avoids a sudden jerk during opening and provides a cushioning effect during closure.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble and mount.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a lift-up door movement device that can be used in all of the types of doors previously mentioned: upward flap opening, vertical opening, pivoting opening, packet opening.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved with the features of the appended independent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims.

Substantially, the device for lift-up opening of a door of an item of furniture according to the invention comprises a container that can be fixed to the frame of the furniture item, in particular to a side thereof, containing a mechanism that acts, by means of an arm, internally articulated to the container with a fulcrum pin, directly or indirectly on the door, wherein said fulcrum pin is integral with a cam capable of engaging with an element of a slide slidably housed in the container, under the action of at least one spring acting between said container and said slide in such a way as to exert a force in a direction opposite to said element, said cam and the action of said at least one spring balancing the weight of the door in each position during opening and closure, characterised in that inside the container an arched seat is provided, arranged around a seat for housing said fulcrum pin, concentrically to the axis of the pin, in which an arched plate, which reproduces the curved profile thereof, is housed, said arched plate being driven by said cam along the profile of the arched seat during the final phase of rotation of the arm, at closure of the door, going to compress a damper, producing the damping of the door.

Further features of the invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description, referring to one of its embodiments purely by way of a non-limiting example, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures la-ld schematically illustrate various types of lift-up doors to which the movement device according to the invention can be applied;

Figure 2 is a partial axonometric view, with parts removed and parts shown in transparency, of an item of furniture with a packet-opening door, provided with a device according to the invention shown in an intermediate opening condition of the door; Figure 3 is a side profile view of the furniture item of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the container of the mechanism of the device according to the invention, without cover, with the door movement arm in an intermediate position during the opening or closure phase;

Figure 5 is a blown-up axonometric view showing the components of the mechanism of the device according to the invention;

Figure 6 is a blown-up view of the slide shown in Figure 5;

Figures 6a, 6b and 6c are, respectively, a view from above, a front view and a view from the left side of the assembled slide of Figure 6;

Figure 7 is a blown-up axonometric view of the pivoting of the articulated arm shown in Figure 5;

Figures 7a, 7b and 7c are, respectively, a view from above, a front view and a view from the left side of the pivoting of Figure 7; Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 are plan views like that of Figure 4, without the articulated arm, showing the position of the various elements, in successive stages, starting from the condition of door completely open, up to the condition of door completely closed.

In Figures 2 and 3, merely by way of example, the device according to the invention is applied to an item of furniture with a folding lift-up door, of the type shown in Figure Id, it being understood that it can be used, without substantial modifications, for the movement of doors with a different lifting mode, as shown, for example, in Figures laic.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, an item of furniture is illustrated therein, denoted overall by reference numeral 1, comprising a fixed frame made up of a lower wall or shelf 2, an upper wall or shelf 3, two side walls or sides 4, one of which is removed to show the device according to the invention, denoted by reference numeral 100, and an optional back wall 5. The furniture item 1 has frontally a door 6, which in the present case is divided into two half-doors, an upper one 6a and a lower one 6b. The upper half- door 6a is hinged to the upper shelf 3 of the furniture item, and the two half- doors are articulated one to the other by means of a lever system 7, the whole substantially in itself known and therefore not described further.

The device 100 according to the invention, illustrated in greater detail in Figures 4 to 11, serves to balance the weight of the door 6 in any position during the movement of opening and closure, and comprises a box container 10 containing a mechanism that acts on the door by means of an arm 20, articulated to the lever system 7 or directly to the door.

The container 10 is fixed to the frame of the furniture item 1, in this case to a side wall or side 4, and comprises two suitably shaped half-shells, substantially identical one to the other, which, for convenience only, will be called base 10' and cover 10", between which the various components of the mechanism are housed, and to which the arm 20 is pivoted.

More particularly, referring to Figure 4, the arm 20 is made integral with a pin 13, mounted between the half-shells so as to be able to rotate freely with respect thereto. A suitably shaped cam 14 is integral with the pin 13, which is capable of receiving the force necessary for supporting the door, as will be described in greater detail here below. Referring to the blown-up view of Figure 5, between the two half-shells 10', 10" a slide 30 is arranged, in the shape of a rectangular frame, having a large window 31, delimited by two longer horizontal sides (with reference to the arrangement of Figure 4) 32, that are slidingly housed in corresponding longitudinal guides 15 of the container 10, and by two shorter vertical sides 33, 34, arranged respectively at the rear and the front part of the container 10, when viewed from the front part of the furniture item.

On the front side 34 of the slide 30 is mounted a roller 35 with which the cam profile 14 integral with the pin 13 interacts, as will be described in further detail below.

A pair of springs 40 are arranged in the window 31 of the slide 30, which are housed in respective seats 16 formed internally to the two half-shells 10', 10".

The springs 40 act on the one side against strikers 17 provided in the half-shells, at the front end of the seats 16, where an assembly for regulation of the preload of the springs is provided, and on the other side against the rear side 33 of the slide 30, by means of strikers 41.

The assembly for regulation of the preload of the springs comprises, for each spring, a screw 42 acting on a sliding element 43 screwed thereto. The screw 42 is axially fixed between the two half-shells and has a toothed head 44 in such a way that it can be adjusted with a common cross screwdriver orthogonally to its axis of rotation. The rotation of the screw 42 causes a translation of the sliding element 43 with consequent regulation of the preload of the corresponding spring 40.

The springs 40 act between the strikers 17, fixed, and the strikers 41 made integral with the slide 30 which, as mentioned, translates along the longitudinal guides 15 in one direction and in the other, causing the compression/distension of the springs 40.

During the rotation of the arm 20, the cam 14 of the pin 13 slides along the roller 35, imparting to the arm 20, by means of the sliding of the slide 30 along the guides 15, caused by the action of the springs 40, a torque variable according to the position of the cam 14.

The profile of cam 14 is designed in such a way as to give a perfect balancing of the door in all its positions along the arc of opening in such a way that if the action by the user is interrupted the door is balanced and does not continue its travel until complete opening. The same takes place in the phase of closure.

Inside the half-shells 10', 10" opposing arched seats 19 (only one visible in Fig. 5, and partially in Fig. 6) are provided, arranged around the seats 24 of the pin 13, concentrically to the axis (r) of the pin, in which respective arched plates 50 that reproduce the curved profile thereof are housed.

The plates 50 close in a sandwich the slide 30 and are driven by the cam 14 along the profile of the curved seats 19 during the rotation of the arm 20.

During the final phase of closure of the door, the plates 50 go to compress a damper 52 housed between opposing seats 53 of the half-shells 10', 10" and in a lower, or upper, recess 54 of the slide 30, by means of a stop element 55, sliding parallel to the longitudinal axis (s) of the device, and acting on the stem 56, producing the damping of the door.

Referring to Figures 6, 6a-6c, the particular embodiment of the slide 30 is described in greater detail.

It is formed by two identical plates 30', 30", substantially symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis (s), provided with: recesses 54', 54", forming said recess 54 of the slide 30 capable of accommodating the damper 52; distancing bosses 57', 57"; holes 58', 58" capable of accommodating a pin 37 supporting the roller 35; and facing planes 38', 38", such that, when the two plates 30', 30" are coupled to abut these planes, the roller 35 is free to rotate around the pin 37 parallel to the axis (r).

Referring to Figures 7, 7a-7c, the particular embodiment of the pin 13 and of the cam 14 integral therewith is described.

The pin 13 is made up of two portions: a portion 13' suitable for engaging integrally the articulated arm 20, illustrated herein by way of example in a square shape, and a cylindrical portion 13", integral with the cam 14, suitable for being housed in the halfshells 10' and 10" such that it is free to rotate around the axis (r). The cam 14 has a curved profile 11 which slides against the roller 35 and, having different distances from the axis (r), allows the springs 40 to assume predetermined lengths and thus transmit the correct torque to the arm 20 to support the weight of the door in the different positions it assumes during the opening/closure motion.

The wall of the cam 14 has a through hole 12 that widens on each of its faces with a respective eccentric recessed seat 12', in which a respective cylindrical pin 60 is housed, the axis whereof is eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation (e) of a cylindrical shaft 61 forcibly inserted in the hole 12, in such a way that it does not rotate freely, but only as a result of a torque impressed with a tool that engages, for example, a cross-shaped seat 62 provided on the pin 60.

The cylindrical shaft 61, carried by one of the two pins 60, has an axial hole with polygonal section 63 that engages a small shaft 63' having the same section, carried by the other pin 60.

The cylindrical pins 60 engage with the plates 50 during a portion of the motion of closure of the door, thereby activating the action of the damper 52, by means of the stop element 55. The eccentricity of the cylindrical pins 60 with respect to the axis of rotation (e) makes it possible to anticipate or delay impact of the same with the plates 50, thus anticipating or delaying the action of the damper 52.

Referring to Figures 8 to 11, the principle of functioning of the device according to the invention during the movement of closure of a door is now illustrated.

Figure 8 shows the device in the fully open position. The cam 14 interacts with the roller 35 such that the elastic elements 40 are in their maximum extension.

Moving on to Figure 9, a generic intermediate position of closure is illustrated, following an anticlockwise rotation of the arm 20, in which the cam 14 occupies a different position that determines a different position of the slide 30 and a different extension of the elastic elements 40 (which begin to compress), extension suitable for balancing the weight of the door in that specific position.

Figures 10 and 11 illustrate the phases of closure in the end part when the damper 52 intervenes, and more specifically Figure 10 shows the cam 14 that brings the eccentric pin 60 into contact with the corresponding plate 50, which, by means of the stop element 55, acts on the stem 56 of the damper 52.

The damping phase begins and the damper 52 is fully extended.

In the following Figure 11 the closure is completed and the damper 52 is fully compressed by the stop element 55.

It should be noted that in these illustrations the eccentric pin 60 is presented in its position of maximum anticipation of the action of the damper 52. By acting on the eccentric it is possible to delay its action and thus compress the damper itself less.

The opening of the door, starting from the condition of Figure 11, causes a clockwise rotation of the arm 20, with a path of the cam 14 inverse to the previous one, until moving into the configuration of Figure 8.

The device according to the invention, with the half-shells 10', 10" of the container 10, and the plates 30', 30" of the slide 30, is shaped in such a way that it can be mounted irrespectively on the left or right side of a furniture item, simply rotating it through 180° around its longitudinal axis and shifting the position of some components, such as the damper 52 and the elements that actuate it. The only component that must have a different conformation and therefore needs to be replaced is the pin 13 with the cam 14.

From what has been disclosed, the advantages of the device of the invention appear clear, whose components, rather than being arranged in a case, in turn arranged in an external container, as is the case in the prior art, are arranged directly in the container which, suitably shaped, itself acts as guide and container for the elastic elements assigned to the lifting of the door. In this way the overall dimensions of the device are considerably reduced, which can be concealed inside the side of the furniture item.

In the foregoing, the container (10) has been described as being realised in two halfshells, although it could theoretically be realised as a single shell.

Naturally the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but numerous detailed changes can be made thereto within the reach of the person skilled in the art, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Device (100) for moving a lift-up door (6) of a kitchen, bathroom or living room furniture item, or of any furniture item in general, comprising a container (10) that can be fixed to the frame of the furniture item, in particular to a side thereof (4), containing a mechanism that acts, by means of an arm (20), internally articulated to the container (10) with a fulcrum pin (13), directly or indirectly on the door (6), wherein said fulcrum pin (13) is integral with a cam (14) capable of engaging with an element (35) of a slide (30) slidably housed in the container (10), under the action of at least one spring (40) acting between said container (10) and said slide (30), in such a way as to exert a force in a direction opposite to said element (35), said cam (14) and the action of said at least one spring (40) balancing the weight of the door in each position during opening and closure, characterised in that inside the container (10) an arched seat (19) is provided, arranged around a seat (24) for housing said fulcrum pin (13), concentrically to the axis (r) of the pin, in which an arched plate (50), which reproduces the curved profile thereof, is housed, said arched plate (50) being driven by said cam (14) along the profile of the arched seat (19) during the final phase of rotation of the arm (20), at closure of the door, going to compress a damper (52), producing the damping of the door.

2. Device (100) according to claim 1, characterised in that said damper (52) is housed in a seat (53) of the container (10) and in a lower recess (54) of the slide (30).

3. Device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said cam (14) carries an eccentric pin (60) which engages with said arched plate (50) during the final phase of rotation of the arm (20), regulation whereof allows impact of the same with the arched plate (50) to be anticipated or delayed, anticipating or delaying the action of the damper (52).

4. Device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said arched plate (50) actuates the damper (52) by means of a stop element (55) acting on its stem (56).

5. Device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said slide (30) is in the form of a rectangular frame, having a large window (31), delimited by two horizontal sides (32), slidably housed in corresponding longitudinal guides (15) of the container (10), and by two vertical sides (33, 34), one of which (34) carries said element (35) against which the cam (14) acts.

6. Device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said element (35) against which said cam (14) acts is a roller.

7. Device (100) according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that said at least one spring (40) is placed in said window (31) of the slide (30), is housed in a seat (16) formed internally to the container (10), and acts, on one side on the other vertical side (33) of the slide (30) by means of a corresponding striker (41) and on the other side against a striker (17) of the container (10), where an assembly (42, 43) for regulation of the preload of the spring is provided.

8. Device (100) according to claim 7, characterised in that said assembly for regulation of the preload of the spring comprises a screw (42) acting on a sliding element (43) screwed thereto, the screw (42) being axially fixed with respect to the container (10) and having a toothed head (44) that can be adjusted with a tool orthogonally to its axis of rotation.

9. Device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said slide (30) is formed by two identical plates (30', 30"), substantially symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis (s).

10. Device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said container (10) is made in two substantially identical half-shells (10', 10").