Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Horizontally movable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-15
2002-10-01
Hansen, James O. (Department: 3637)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Horizontally movable
C312S348100, C312S330100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06457791
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a fastening used to fasten front panels of drawers on a pull-out slide.
Filed contemporaneously herewith are six United States patent applications, commonly assigned to Paul Hettich GmbH & Co.:
INVENTOR(S)
TITLE
ATTY DOCKET
Müterthies, Rüter, et al.
Fastening Arrangement
824/36771
Müterthies, Rüter, et al.
Mounting Unit
824/36772
Müterthies, Rüter, et al.
Fastening Arrangement
824/36773
Müterthies, Rüter, et al.
Pull-out Slide Set
824/36774
Müterthies, Rüter, et al.
Partitioning System
824/36775
Müterthies, Rüter, et al.
Fastening Arrangement
824/36785
The claims, drawings and specification of each of the foregoing applications is hereby specifically incorporated by reference into this specification as if set forth verbatim herein.
German Patent Document DE 79 00 396 U1 shows a fastening arrangement for a drawer in which a drawer front plate is provided with a fitting part used for fastening the front plate on a drawer. The fitting part has a surface with a vertical ribbing and another surface with a horizontal ribbing. These ribbings interact with corresponding ribbings on a fastening body arranged on the drawer. By means of the ribbings, after the establishment of the horizontal and vertical position with respect to the drawer, the front plate can be locked by means of an eccentric bolt Although this fastening device permits a variable fastening of the front plate on the drawer, it has the disadvantage that the mounting is difficult to carry out because the fitter must, on the one hand, hold the front plate in the desired position and, on the other hand, check the correct aligmnent in order to then lock the front plate in the desired position.
German Patent Document DE 94 07 813 U1 shows a fastening arrangement for adjustable front panels for drawers in which the front panel is prefixed at least in the vertical direction, so that the fitter can vertically adjust the front panel without having to hold the front panel in place during the entire time. For this purpose, a holding part is fastened directly on the front panel and interacts with a supporting part which is connected with a pull-out slide. The holding part and the supporting part are each provided with mutually engaging, horizontally extending teeth which mesh in the mounted position. As a result of the flexible construction of the toothing on the supporting part, the front plate can be adjusted in the vertical direction, the meshing teeth being offset with respect to one another. For locking the front plate, the toothings are pressed upon one another by means of an eccentric device so that vertical adjustment is prevented.
Although the fastening device provides the fitter with a certain mounting aid, a prefixing in the horizontal direction cannot be achieved by means of this fastening arrangement. The alignment of the front plate in the horizontal direction takes place by a displacement of the holding part relative to the supporting part to the extent that this is possible. However, since the supporting part is preadjusted to a center position, a horizontal displacement can take place only by the application of a certain prestress by the fitter. This approach is uncomfortable because the fitter must simultaneously carry out the prestressing for the horizontal alignment and the checking of the correct position. This difficulty during the assembly can result in faulty alignments. The known fastening arrangement is therefore unsuitable particularly when high quality-related demands are made on the mounting precision.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a fastening arrangement having a fastening element and a holding part, in the case of which a simple alignment of the holding part relative to the fastening element can be achieved in at least two directions. As a result, by means of a corresponding prefixing, the mounting of a furniture part, such as a front panel of a drawer, is to be facilitated.
This object is achieved by means of a fastening arrangement having a fastening element attached to a rail of a pull-our slide and a holding element attached to a front drawer panel and cooperating with the fastening element such that it is adjustable in both a horizontal and vertical direction. If the holding part is prefixed with respect to the fastening element such that it can be adjusted horizontally as well as vertically into the desired mounting position, the mounting operation will be considerably simplified. The fitter must only align the holding part into the desired position without holding the front plate or similar components. The prefixing will provide the holding part with the necessary stability so that it cannot easily be moved. As soon has the holding part is aligned in the desired position relative to the fastening element, the holding part will be locked on the fastening element.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and the second direction extend parallel to a front plate plane and the holding part can be adjusted separately into the first or second direction. This permits, for example, a simple alignment of the individual end edges of a drawer front plate.
If a snap-type device is provided which holds the holding part on the fastening element in the prefixed position, the fastening arrangement can easily be mounted without the requirement of tools for the mounting.
A catch device is preferably provided which prefixes the holding part on the fastening part at least in one direction. This permits a step-by-step adjustment of the holding part on the fastening element, in which case, the catching noises can be used as an orientation aid during the mounting. The catch device can, for example, be constructed of several ribs, one tip respectively engaging between these ribs.
According to another embodiment, an eccentric device is provided by means of which the holding part is held on the fastening element so that it is movable in one of the directions. The eccentric device permits a continuous adjustment of the holding part. A particularly stable prefixing of the holding part on the fastening element is achieved when a combination of a snap-type device, a catch device and an eccentric device is provided so that the advantages of these devices supplement one another. In this case, the eccentric device can displace the holding part with respect to the fastening element preferably in the vertical direction because then a particularly stable prefixing is achieved by means of clamping forces in this direction and the vertical weights usually represent the highest stress for the prefixing.
A simple eccentric device, which can be produced at reasonable cost, can be obtained when a rotatable disk is provided on the fastening element, on which disk a pin is arranged eccentrically with respect to the pivot, which pin engages in a slot in the holding part. In this case, the disk can consist of a plastic material and can be cast onto a metal section of the fastening element.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the snap-type device has two side flanges on the holding part which are applied to the fastening element, particularly to a head of the fastening element. If the side flanges have projections which extend diagonally to the interior, a clamping force can be generated by the snap-type device, which clamping force, for example, presses the components of the catch device on one another. In this case, the elasticity of the snap-type device can ensure a good prefixing of the catch device.
A good guidance of the holding part on the fastening element is obtained if the holding part can be displaced along the ribs of the catch device by means of the eccentric device.
A simple form of locking the holding on the fastening element is achieved by a second eccentric device which presses the catch device together so that the holding part and the fastening element are held together by means of clamping forces.
This eccentric device is preferably formed by a removable component which has a pivot and an eccentric
Aufderheide Jörg
Mertes Rolf
Meyer Carsten
Müterthies Ralf
Rüter Stefan
Barnes & Thornburg
Hansen James O.
Paul Hettich GmbH & Co.
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