ITPD20100310A1 - MECHANISM FOR THE MOVEMENT OF COPLANAR DOORS OF A FURNITURE - Google Patents

Description

"MECHANISM FOR HANDLING COPLANAR DOORS OF A FURNITURE.â €

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention falls within the field of mechanisms for moving the doors of furnishing articles such as furniture, shelves or the like. In particular, the present invention relates to a mechanism for moving two coplanar doors of a piece of furniture. The invention also relates to a piece of furniture comprising a mechanism for their movement according to the present invention.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE.

Over the last few years the market has seen an increase in the demand for furniture with coplanar doors in which the doors are opened by sliding rather than through the classic rotation around hinges with vertical axes. In most cases the doors are moved by mechanisms that allow them to move reciprocally from a closed position to an open position in correspondence with which the two leaves assume a mutually parallel and facing position. The known solutions usually provide for the use of an "upper" movement mechanism and of a "lower" movement mechanism, operatively connected respectively to the upper part and to the lower part of the doors to be moved. In some solutions the structure of the upper mechanism it coincides with that of the lower mechanism, while in other cases the two mechanisms are structurally different.

A first example of such mechanisms is described in patent application WO 07/074397. In this solution, a support bracket is provided for each door to be moved, which supports the door itself. This bracket moves, through a pair of roller elements, along movement guides fixed at the bottom and / or top of the piece of furniture. These guides (one more external and the other more internal to the cabinet) each comprise a central straight portion and two terminal portions, symmetrical with respect to the central portion, which have an inclined trend towards the inside of the cabinet. In particular, the guides are shaped in such a way that the sliding of the roller elements along the inclined portions determines a corresponding inclination of the support bracket or of the door connected to it. The opening movement of the door therefore includes a first phase in which the door itself tilts due to the sliding of the sliding elements along the terminal portions of the respective guides and a second phase in which the door slides parallel to the € ™ other door due to sliding along the central portion of the guides themselves.

Patent application EP1613831 describes another movement mechanism which comprises a pair of first carriages and a pair of second carriages. The latter are supported and guided by a longitudinal rail parallel to the opening of the cabinet intended to be closed by the two doors. The mechanism also includes in this case a support bracket suitable for connecting a door to the first carriages. Each of the latter can be moved in the direction of the depth of the cabinet transversely along a corresponding second trolley and relative to the other first trolley. In this case too, the mechanism comprises guides defined by two grooves obtained in a longitudinal guide element fixed to the top of the piece of furniture. A roller associated with one of said first carriages is inserted in each of these grooves. The grooves have a configuration substantially similar to that of the guides provided for the solution described in application WO 07/074397 described above (ie formed by a central portion and two curved end portions) so that the rotation-translation of the locking bracket with respect to to the carriage is determined by the position of the rollers inside the respective grooves.

A further example of a movement mechanism is described in the patent application PCT / IB2010 / 05219. In this case, the use of a main handling carriage is envisaged which moves along guides parallel to the opening of the cabinet closed by the doors. The support bracket of the mechanism is coupled to the main carriage through a pair of sliders, each of which is associated with an axle of the carriage itself. As in the previous solution, also in this case the mechanism comprises a guide element connected to the top of the piece of furniture and comprising a pair of grooves in each of which a movement roller associated with one of the two sliders is inserted. The door is therefore guided in opening / closing by the movement of the support bracket with respect to the main carriage while it moves longitudinally. The movement of the bracket is in turn determined by the position that the rollers assume in their respective grooves.

All the solutions described above, like many others conceptually similar, provide for the use of guide means of the support bracket in the form of guide rails and / or grooves obtained in a longitudinal prismatic element. It has been seen that the use of such guide means can be considered relatively convenient only for those mechanisms intended to move rather small doors, while it represents a really critical factor, in terms of costs and installation operations, when such dimensions become considerable. If, for example, guide grooves are used (as in the solutions described in EP1613831 and PCT / IB2010 / 05219), the prismatic element in which they are obtained must necessarily have a longitudinal extension corresponding to that of the cabinet opening closed by the doors. It is evident that increasing the width of this opening, or rather as the longitudinal dimensions of the doors increase, consequently increases the volume, weight and cost of the prismatic element which, in most cases, is made of metal (e.g. steel or aluminum). This means that the times and costs associated with mechanical machining on the prismatic element necessary to obtain the grooves also increase. To this must be added the increase in size and in the number of elements necessary to fix the prismatic element to the piece of furniture. Consequently, even invasive interventions on the furniture and installation operations become laborious requiring time and therefore considerable costs.

Based on these considerations, the need emerges to have new handling mechanisms that make it possible to overcome the drawbacks described above. In particular, the need emerges to have a new movement mechanism whose use can be advantageous regardless of the size of the doors that it must move.

SUMMARY

The main task of the present invention is therefore to provide a mechanism for moving coplanar doors of a piece of furniture which allows to solve the aforementioned drawbacks. Within the scope of this aim, a first object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for moving coplanar doors whose use is convenient regardless of the size of the doors to be moved. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for moving coplanar doors whose structure is easy to assemble and install. Not least object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for moving coplanar doors which is reliable and easy to manufacture at competitive costs.

The present invention therefore relates to a mechanism for moving a plurality of coplanar doors of a piece of furniture or another piece of furniture. The mechanism comprises at least one movement unit for moving a corresponding door of said piece of furniture. In particular, this movement unit comprises a support element movable along a longitudinal direction defined by longitudinal guide means connectable to the cabinet and a connection bracket supported by the support element and connectable stably to said first door. The support element and the connection bracket respectively comprise first guide means and second guide means which interact to guide the connection bracket between a first and a second operating position, respectively characteristic of a condition of coplanar and parallel wings. non-planar. The mechanism according to the invention also comprises means for hooking / unhooking said support element to / from the piece of furniture capable of hooking the supporting element to the piece of furniture during the movement of the connection bracket between the first and second operating positions and capable of unhooking the support element from the cabinet when the connection bracket occupies the second operating position. The support element and the connection bracket interact so that the support element remains integral with the bracket when it occupies the second operating position.

The mechanism according to the invention therefore provides for the use of a support element which assumes two operating conditions due to the presence of the hooking / unhooking means. Considering, for example, the opening movement of the door, according to the invention the support element remains fixed to the piece of furniture so as to guide the bracket from the first to the second operating position or as long as the door is connected to the bracket it passes from a position in which it occupies the same level as the other leaves (condition of coplanarity) to a condition in which it occupies a different level, but still parallel to that of the other leaves. When this last condition is reached, the support element becomes advantageously integral with the hooking bracket in order to be moved together with the bracket itself in order to complete the opening movement or in order to drag the second leaf up to a parallel position and facing another door. On the basis of this, it is evident that the mechanism according to the invention does not require guide elements of the bracket fixed to the piece of furniture, thus solving the problems of the prior art indicated above. LIST OF FIGURES

Further characteristics and advantages will be evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the movement mechanism according to the present invention illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a first perspective view of a piece of furniture with coplanar doors comprising a movement mechanism according to the present invention in a first operating configuration;

- figure 2 is a bottom projection of the cabinet and of the movement mechanism in figure 1;

- figures 3 and 4 are perspective views from different observation points of a movement unit of the mechanism in figures 1 and 2;

- figure 5 is a bottom projection of the handling unit in figure 4; - figure 6 is an exploded view of the handling unit in figure 4;

- figure 7 shows the piece of furniture of figure 1 in which the movement mechanism according to the invention has a different operative configuration with respect to what is illustrated in the same figure 1;

- figure 8 is a bottom projection of the cabinet and of the movement mechanism in figure 7;

- figures 9 and 10 are perspective views from different observation points of a movement unit of the mechanism in figures 7 and 8;

- figure 11 is a bottom projection of the handling unit in figure 10;

- figure 12 is an exploded view of the handling unit in figure 11; - figure 13 shows the cabinet of figures 1 and 7 in which the movement mechanism according to the invention has a further operative configuration with respect to what is illustrated in the same figures 1 and 7;

- figure 14 is a bottom projection of the cabinet and of the movement mechanism in figure 1;

- figures 15 and 16 are perspective views from different observation points of the handling unit of figure 13;

- figure 17 is a bottom projection of the handling unit in figure 16;

- figure 18 is an exploded view of the handling unit in figure 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a perspective view and a projection view from below of a piece of furniture 2 comprising a pair of doors 101, 102, in a coplanar position, which are suitable for closing a compartment V (indicated in Figure 3) defined from the piece of furniture 2. Said piece of furniture 2 comprises a movement mechanism according to the present invention which in turn comprises a first movement unit 10 and at least a second movement unit 20 connected respectively to a first door 101 and to a second door 102 for allow its handling. It has been seen that the mechanism according to the invention proves to be particularly advantageous when it is used as a â € œlowerâ € movement mechanism, meaning an operating configuration such that the movement units 10, 20 of the mechanism itself are operatively connected to a relatively lower portion of the respective wings 101, 102, with respect to a vertical observation plane. Figures 1 and 2 show precisely this lower movement mechanism. In any case, the possibility of using the mechanism described as a `` top '' movement mechanism, i.e. in a configuration such that the movement units 10, 20 are operationally connected to an upper portion, is to be considered as falling within the scope of the present invention. of the respective doors 101, 102.

In the rest of the description, the first handling unit 10 (also referred to simply as â € œfirst unit 10â €) will be described in detail, but the technical and functional characteristics that will be described are to be considered valid also for the second handling unit 20. first unit 10, comprises a support body 11 movable along a longitudinal direction defined by longitudinal guide means fixed to a connecting surface 300 of the furniture 2. When the mechanism is intended to be used as a â € œsuperâ € movement mechanism connection surface 300 can coincide, for example, with the ceiling or hat that defines the compartment V of the cabinet 2 intended to be closed by the doors 101, 102. As shown in the figures, the connection surface 300 can also coincide with the surface bottom of the compartment itself when the mechanism is intended to be used as a positioning mechanism or â € œlowerâ €.

The first unit 10 also comprises a connection bracket 140 (hereinafter also referred to simply as â € œbracket 140â €) supported by the support element 11 and stably connected to the first leaf 101. The connection bracket 140 is the support element 111 respectively comprise first and second guide means which interact with each other to guide the same bracket 140 between a first and a second operating position. In particular, the first operating position is characteristic of a condition of coplanar doors (as illustrated in figures 1 and 2) or a condition of closing the compartment V of the cabinet 2. The second operating position assumed by the bracket 140 is instead characteristic of a condition of wings 101, 102 parallel, but not coplanar (as shown for example in figures 13 and 14). Basically, when the bracket 140 occupies the second operative position then the two leaves 101, 102 are parallel, but lying on different planes.

According to the present invention, the first unit 10 also comprises means for hooking / unhooking the support element 111 to / from the cabinet 2. More precisely, these hooking / unhooking means are capable of hooking the support element 111 to the cabinet. 2 during the movement of the bracket 140 between the first to the second operating position. These coupling / release means are also capable of disengaging the support element 111 from the cabinet 2 when the bracket 140 reaches the second operating position or when the two leaves 101, 102 are mutually parallel, but not coplanar. The support element 111 and the bracket 140 interact reciprocally so that the support element 111 remains integral with the bracket 140 when this reaches the second operative position. In this way, upon reaching the second operating position, the bracket 140 can move in the longitudinal direction 200 together with the support element 111.

The technical solution indicated above, described in detail below, solves the problems that afflict traditional solutions in relation to the fixing of guide cams to the cabinet. In fact, the supporting element 111 also acts advantageously as a guide means for the bracket 140 as it is provided with guide means (above indicated as "second guide meansâ €) which interact with other guide means (above indicated as" first guide means) arranged on the bracket itself. At the end of the movement of the bracket 140 between the first and the second operating position, the support element 111, releasing itself from the cabinet 2 (by effect of the coupling / release means), can advantageously act as a means of translation for the bracket 140 in the direction longitudinal 200. This translates into the possibility of longitudinally translating the first leaf 101 as long as it overlaps the second leaf 102 (that is, up to the condition illustrated in figure 13). During this translation, the two wings 101, 102 in any case maintain a parallel position since the bracket 140 stably maintains the second operating position.

As already indicated, the mechanism according to the invention has longitudinal guide means which define the longitudinal direction 200 along which the support element 111 can move when it is released from the cabinet 2. In this regard figure 2 allows to observe a possible embodiment of such longitudinal means. In particular, they comprise a first rectilinear guide 105â € ™ and a second rectilinear guide 105â € mutually parallel to each other. Said rectilinear guides 105â € ™, 105â € are fixed to a connecting surface 300 which in the case illustrated coincides with the external side of the lower surface of the compartment V of the cabinet 2. According to a preferred embodiment, the rectilinear guides 105â € ™, 105â € are mutually adjacent and defined by a single profile in extruded metal material which is fixed to the piece of furniture through traditional connecting elements (for example screws).

Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating the first unit 10 from two different observation points. The support element 111 comprises a plurality of movement wheels suitable for allowing movement along the longitudinal direction 200. More precisely, the support element 111 comprises a first pair of front wheels 13T, 131â € and a second pair of rear wheels 132â € ™, 132â €. As illustrated, the support element 111 preferably has a substantially prismatic shape with a rectangular plan as can also be seen in Figure 5. In particular, the front movement wheels 13T, 131â € and the rear movement wheels 132 ', 132 "are respectively symmetrical with respect to to an axis of longitudinal symmetry X (indicated in figure 5). In this way a first front wheel 13T and a first front wheel 132â € ™ rotate guided by the first rectilinear guide 105â € ™, while a second front wheel 131â € and a second rear wheel 132â € rotate guided by the second straight guide 105â € Preferably, the front handling wheels 13T, 131â € and rear 132â € ™, 132â € are mounted on a first surface 111 of the support element 111 which faces to the connection surface 300 of the guides 105â € ™, 105â € In addition, the movement wheels have a rotation axis X1 substantially â € œ verticalâ € or orthogonal to a movement plane defined by the rectilinear guides 105â € ™, 105â €.

It has been seen that the use of rectilinear guides 105â € ™, 105â € adjacent with movement wheels 13T, 131 ", 132â € ™, 132â € with vertical axis allows to advantageously contain the dimensions of the support element 111 as well as its height with respect to the connection surface 300 of the cabinet 2.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of the first unit 10 and allows to observe in detail a preferred embodiment of the bracket 140. The latter is defined by a shaped body comprising a substantially straight edge 141 intended to be connected to a lower edge 101â € ™ (indicated in figure 1) of the first door 101. The shaped body of the bracket 140 also includes an operative surface 142 which extends on a plane substantially parallel to that in which the rectilinear edge 141 develops. The shaped body of the bracket 140 also includes a connecting surface 143 which connects the straight edge 141 and the surface 142.

The first guide means of the bracket 140 preferably comprise a first guide groove 171 and a second guide groove 172 which in the case illustrated are defined through the operating surface 142 of the same bracket 140. The second guide means associated with the driving element support 111 instead comprise a first guide pin 181 and a second guide pin 182 preferably arranged along the longitudinal axis of symmetry X of the support element 111, each in a position proximal to one of the ends of the same support element 111 . The first guide pin 181 is slidably inserted inside the first guide groove 171, while the second guide pin 182 is slidably inserted inside the second guide groove 172. The interaction between the guide pins 181, 182 and the relative grooves 171, 172 determine the roto-translation of the bracket 140 with respect to the support element 111. In other pa A precise position of the bracket 140 with respect to the supporting element 111 is determined for each relative position of the guide pins 181, 182 with respect to the grooves 171, 172.

It is observed that according to the invention, during the roto-translation of the bracket 140 (i.e. during the passage from the first to the second operating position or vice versa) the guide pins 181, 182 maintain a fixed position being the support element 111 fixed to the cabinet 2. The grooves 171, 172 therefore slide with respect to the guide pins 181, 182 which are preferably in the form of rollers to facilitate this sliding. It is also observed that the structure of the first and second guide means indicated above is particularly advantageous in that it allows the structure of the mechanism to be made extremely compact. Basically, the operative surface 142 of the bracket 140 is advantageously used to define the grooves 171, 172, while the guide pins 181, 182 are placed on the support element 111 which advantageously has a limited overall dimensions.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the cabinet 2 of Figures 1 and 2 during a first phase of opening movement of the first door 101. More precisely, these figures show a first phase of this movement corresponding to the passage of the first door 101 from a coplanar position to the second door 102 to a parallel position, but not coplanar to the same second door 102. In this phase the support element 111 is fixed to the cabinet 2 by effect of the coupling / release means which block its movement along the longitudinal direction 200. Following a force (indicated by the reference F in figure 8) applied to the first leaf 101, the bracket 140 moves with respect to the support element 111 guided by the interaction between the first guide means and the second means guide or by the interaction between the grooves 171, 172 and the relative guide pins 181, 182 as visible from the projection in figure 8.

Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views, from different observation points, of the first unit 10 shown in figure 8, while figure 11 is a corresponding projection view from below of the unit itself. In particular, the comparison between figures 5 and 11 shows the different relative position assumed by the pins 181, 182 in the respective grooves 171, 172. In fact in the condition in figure 5 the bracket 140 occupies the first operating position and each guide pin 181, 182 It is in contact with a first end 171â € ™, 172â € ™ (shown) of the relative grooves 171, 172. In the condition of figure 11, following the movement of the bracket 140, the grooves 171, 172 slide with respect to the pins 181, 182 which remain in a fixed position due to the coupling / release means.

Figures 13 and 14 show the cabinet 2 of Figures 1, 2, 7 and 8 at the end of the opening movement of the first door 101 or when the first door 101 is in a parallel position and substantially facing the second door 102. The movement when opening the first leaf 101 from the condition in figures 1 and 2 to that in figures 13 and 14 it therefore comprises a first phase in which the bracket 140 passes from the first to the second operating position so as to bring the first leaf 101 into an intermediate position ( dashed in figure 14) in which it is parallel, but no longer coplanar with the second leaf 102. In a second phase of opening the bracket 140 is dragged, together with the support element 111, along the longitudinal direction 200 until precisely under the condition illustrated in figures 13 and 14.

Figures 15 to 17 illustrate the first unit 10 in the condition illustrated in Figures 13 and 14 and more precisely in the condition in which the bracket 140 occupies the second operating position with respect to the support element 111. In this regard, it can be observed that the bracket 140 maintains the second operative position during the translation of the first leaf 101 from the intermediate position (dashed line in Figure 14) to the final opening position (solid line in Figure 14). With reference to figure 17, it is observed that the second operative position is established by the contact of the guide guide pins 181, 182 with a second end 171â €, 172â € of the respective grooves 171, 172 opposite to the first end 171â € ™, 172â € ™ above.

With reference to figures 5 and 17, the two grooves 171, 172 of the bracket 140 therefore have a shaped profile so that in passing from the first operating position (in figure 5) to the second operating position (in figure 17) the bracket 140 rotates and translates with respect to the support element 111. In this regard, the first unit 10 comprises synchronization means for synchronizing the interaction between the first and second guide means of the unit itself. Said synchronization means have the function of allowing the bracket 140 to move with respect to the carriage 111 without binding or without causing unwanted jamming between the first guide means (grooves 171, 172) and the second guide means (guide rollers 181, 182) above. In other words, these synchronization means are adapted to synchronize the movement of the first guide groove 171, with respect to the first guide pin 181, with the movement of the second groove 182, with respect to the second guide pin 182.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the synchronization means comprise a rectilinear opening 156 defined through the operating surface 142 of the bracket 140 and a pin 155 associated with the support element 111 and slidably inserted into the rectilinear opening 156. In particular the latter preferably develops according to a direction substantially orthogonal to the rectilinear edge 141 of the bracket 140. From the comparison between figures 5, 11 and 17 it can be observed how the relative position of the pin 155 with respect to the rectilinear opening varies continuously during the passage of the bracket 140 from the first to the second operating position. The interaction of the pin 155 with the opening 156 allows a continuous sliding of the grooves 171, 172 with respect to the relative guide pins 181, 182, avoiding any seizing and or jamming of these guiding means.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hooking / unhooking means of the support element 111 comprise a stop element 151 integral with the cabinet 2 and an operating element 152 pivoted to the support element 111 so as to rotate between at least a first angular position in which one of its hooking portion 143 remains hooked to the stop element 151 and a second angular position upon reaching which this hooking portion 143 releases from the stop element 151 making the element support 111 mobile along the longitudinal direction 200. The stop element 151 preferably comprises a base 151â € ™ adapted to be fixed to the cabinet (as visible for example from figure 2) and a pin portion 151â € which emerges from the base 151â € ™. The operating element 152 comprises a terminal part that defines the above indicated coupling portion 143. This latter has a seat 143â € ™ (indicated for example in figure 16) of a substantially U-shape or geometrically conjugated to the pin portion 151â € of the stop element 151.

The hooking / unhooking means also comprise means for activating the second operating element 152 adapted to rotate it from the first to the second angular position when the bracket 140 reaches the second operating position. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, these activation means comprise an activation body 162 slidingly coupled to the support element 111 and dragged by the bracket 140 between a first and a second dragging position, respectively characteristic of the first and second operating position of the bracket 140. The activation body 162 is also coupled to the operating element 152 through a coupling of such shape that the operating element 152 maintains the first angular position during the dragging of the body 162 between the first and the second dragging position is such that the same operating element 152 rotates from the first to the second angular position when the activation body 162 reaches the second dragging position or when the bracket 140 reaches the second operating position.

The exploded view of figure 6 allows to observe in detail a preferred embodiment of the hooking / unhooking means just indicated above. The activation body 162 (hereinafter also referred to as body 162) has a rectangular prismatic shape and is slidingly coupled to a second surface 111â € of the support element 111 opposite the first surface 111 to which the handling wheels 131â € ™, 131â €, 132â € ™, 132â €. In particular, the body 162 is connected to the second surface 111â € through a pair of support and guide profiles 128â € ™, 128â € which develop parallel to the longitudinal symmetry X axis of the support element 111. Each of the two support and guide profiles 128â € ™, 128â € houses an edge of the body 162 so as to allow the latter to slide with respect to the second surface 111â €. The body 162 is coupled to the operating element 152 through a shape coupling defined by a substantially L-shaped groove a first side 163â € ™ of which develops parallel to the support and guide profiles 128â € ™, 128â € and a second side 163â € of which it develops in an orthogonal direction to the profiles themselves. These sides 163â € ™ and 163â € are connected as evident for example from the exploded view of figure 6. The shape coupling in question also includes a pin end 151 integral with the operating element 152 and inserted inside this L-groove

Associated with the body 162 is the pin end 155 inserted in the rectilinear opening 156 defined through the operating surface 142 of the bracket 140. In particular, according to the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the synchronization means (i.e. pin ends 155 and the rectilinear opening 156) indicated above also perform the function of activating means for the coupling / release means. In fact, the pivot end 155 and the rectilinear opening 156 advantageously have a double function with considerable advantages in terms of ease of use. In any case, the possibility of realizing the synchronization means is to be considered as part of the present invention. structurally independent from the means for activating the hooking / unhooking means.

The operating principle of the coupling / release means just described above and shown in the figures is described below. In the condition of doors 101, 102 coplanar (figures 1 and 2), the operating element 152 assumes the first angular position clearly visible in figure 5. The coupling portion 143 interacts, through the seat 143â € ™, with the portion a pin 151â € making the operative element 152 and therefore the support element 111 integral with the cabinet 2. As is evident, in fact, the U-shape of the seat 143â € ™ prevents the movement of the support element 111 along the longitudinal direction 200. It is observed that in this condition the body 162 occupies the first dragging position for which the pin end 151 occupies a position inside the first side 163â € ™ of the L-shaped groove and close to the end of the same first side. The pin end 155 integral with the plate 165 occupies an internal position to the rectilinear opening 156 and also close to the relative end of the opening itself.

With reference to the projection view of figure 11, during the roto-translation of the bracket 140 with respect to the support element 11 (passage of the bracket 140 from the first to the second operating position) the coupling portion 143 of the operating element 152 is keeps stably attached to the pin portion 151â € of the stop element 151 keeping the support element 111 in a fixed position. The movement of the bracket 140 causes a dragging of the body 162 with respect to the support and guide profiles 128â € ™, 128â € that support it. The movement of the body 162 occurs in the direction indicated by the reference X1 in figure 11, that is in the direction in which the translation of the bracket 140 takes place. Following the dragging of the body 162, the position occupied by the pin end 151 inside the groove to L comes to be closer and closer to the second side 163â € as visible, for example, from the comparison between figures 5 and 11.

When the bracket 140 reaches the second operating position (Figures 15 to 18) the body 162 reaches the second dragging position. The pivot end 151 of the operating element 152 rapidly passes from the first side 163â € ™ to the second side 163â € of the L-groove. This passage causes a rotation of the operating element 152 around the axis of rotation 501 ( shown in figure 11) which results in the release of the hooking portion 143 from the stop element 151. This condition makes the support element 111 free to move guided by the rectilinear guides 105â € ™, 105â € fixed to the cabinet 2 In other words, the passage of the pivot end 151 from the first side 163â € ™ to the second side 163â € of the L-groove results in the rotation of the operating element 152 from the first to the second angular position.

Similarly to what is foreseen for the opening movement, the closing movement of the first leaf 101 involves a first step in which it is translated from the position visible in figure 13 to the intermediate position (dashed line in figure 14). The coupling portion 143 of the operating element 152 is shaped in such a way that, when the first leaf 101 reaches the intermediate position (dotted line in figure 14), the U-shaped seat 143â € ™ interacts again with the portion a pin 151â € to hook the support element 111 to the cabinet 2. In particular, the interaction between the U-shaped seat 143â € ™ and the pivot portion 151â € determines the rotation of the operating element 152 around the relative axis 501 thus determining the passage of the same element from the second to the first angular position. This rotation in turn determines the passage of the pin end 151 from the second side 163â € to the first side 163â of the L-shaped groove. In this way the driving body 162 becomes free to translate again (due to the subsequent movement of the bracket 140) with respect to the support element 111 from the second to the first dragging position until the first handling unit 10 is brought back to the configuration illustrated in Figures 3 to 7.

As previously indicated, the technical characteristics and operating modes described above for the first handling unit 10 are to be considered valid also for the second handling unit 20 designed for handling the second leaf 102. Obviously, the same can be advantageously used. longitudinal rectilinear guides 105 ', 105â € for the longitudinal movement of the two handling units 10, 20.

The described technical solutions allow to fully accomplish the intended aim and objects. In particular, the movement mechanism according to the invention allows an effective movement of two coplanar doors of a piece of furniture through an extremely limited number of components. The operating principle of the mechanism allows high reliability and a longer life than that of the movement mechanisms traditionally used. The mechanism according to the invention is characterized by its ease of installation and low construction costs.

The movement mechanism thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; furthermore, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent ones.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS 1) Mechanism for moving coplanar doors (101, 102) of a piece of furniture (2), said mechanism comprising at least one movement unit (10, 20) for moving a corresponding door (101) of said piece of furniture (2) , called at least one handling unit (10) comprising: - a support element (111) movable along a longitudinal direction (200) defined by longitudinal guide means connectable to said furniture (2); - a connecting bracket (140) supported by said support element (111) and connectable stably to said corresponding door (101); wherein said support element (111) and said connection bracket (140) respectively comprise first guide means and second guide means which interact to guide said connection bracket (140) between a first and a second operating position, respectively characteristic of a condition of coplanar doors and non-coplanar parallel doors, e wherein said mechanism comprises hooking / unhooking means of said support element (111) to / from said piece of furniture (2) capable of hooking said support element (111) to said piece of furniture (2) during the movement of said connection bracket (140) between said first and said second operating position and capable of releasing said support element (111) from said furniture (2) when said connecting bracket (140) occupies said second operating position, said support element (111) and said connecting bracket (140) interacting so that said support element (111) remains integral with said bracket (140) when it occupies said second operating position. 2) Mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said longitudinal guide means comprise a first rectilinear guide (105â € ™) and a second rectilinear guide (105â €) mutually parallel to each other, said rectilinear guides (105â € ™, 105â €) being fixed to a connecting surface (300) of said furniture (2). 3) Mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said support element (111) comprises a first pair of front wheels (131â € ™, 131â €) and a second pair of rear wheels (132â € ™, 132â €) to allow movement along said rectilinear guides (105â € ™, 105â €), said support element (111) having a substantially prismatic shape with a rectangular plan with a longitudinal axis of symmetry (X), said front wheels (131 131â €) and said wheels rear wheels (132 ', 132') being respectively symmetrical with respect to an axis of longitudinal symmetry X so that a first front wheel (131 ') and a first rear wheel (132') rotate guided by said first rectilinear guide ( 105â € ™), while a second front wheel (131â €) and a second rear wheel (132â €) rotate guided by said second straight guide (105â €). 4) Mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said rectilinear guides (105â € ™, 105â €) are adjacent and defined by a single profile in metallic material connectable to said connection surface (300) of said cabinet (2). 5) Mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first guide means comprise a first guide groove (171) and a second guide groove (172) defined by said connecting bracket (140) and wherein said second guide means they comprise a first guide pin (181) and a second guide pin (182) associated with said support element (111) and inserted respectively in said first guide groove (171) and in said second guide groove (172). 6) Mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said at least one movement unit (10, 20) comprises synchronization means (162, 156) to synchronize the interaction between said first and said second guide means during the movement of said bracket (140) between said first and said second operating position. 7) Mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said connecting bracket (140) comprises a shaped body comprising a rectilinear edge (141) adapted to be connected to an edge (101â € ™) of said first door (101), said body shaped comprising an operating surface (142) which defines said first guide groove (171) and said second guide groove (172). 8) Mechanism according to claim 1, in which said coupling / release means comprise a stop element (151) integral with said cabinet (2) and an operating element (152) hinged to said support element (111), said element operative (152) being able to occupy at least a first angular position in correspondence with which one of its hooking portion (143) remains hooked to said stop element (151) and at least a second angular position upon reaching which said hooking portion ( 143) releases from said stop element (151) making said support element (111) movable along said longitudinal direction (200). 9) Mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said hooking / unhooking means comprise means for activating said operative element (152) adapted to cause its rotation from said first to said second angular position when said hooking bracket (140) reaches said second operating position. 10) Mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said activation means comprise an activation body (162) slidingly coupled to said support element (111) and draggable between a first and a second dragging position by said connection bracket (140 ), said first and said second dragging position being respectively characteristic of said first and said second operating position of said connecting bracket (140), said activation element being coupled to said operating element (152) through a coupling of such shape whereby said operating element (152) maintains said first angular position when said activation body (162) slides between said first and said second dragging position and such that said operating element (152) rotates from said first to said second angular position when said activation body (162) reaches said second dragging position.