Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Horizontally movable
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-11
2003-10-07
Wilkens, Janet M. (Department: 3637)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Horizontally movable
C312S319100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06629738
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a closing device for sliding portions of pieces of furniture, such as drawers and the like, consisting of a housing fastened to the fixed or to the sliding portion of the piece of furniture, a mechanical energy accumulator, an actuation member that slides in a guide of the housing, and a pulling member that is fastened to the other portion of the piece of furniture and that interacts with the actuation member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Closing devices mounted on guides for drawers or to hinges for pieces of furniture are known, having deceleration systems for damping the speed of the portions of pieces of furniture just before they reach their closed position, so as to prevent annoying shocks and noise.
DE 198 35 466 discloses a deceleration device for drawers or the like, consisting of a housing with a mechanical energy accumulator and of a sliding actuation member interacting with a pulling pin housed at the other side of the piece of furniture, where between the energy accumulator and the actuation member there is interposed a deceleration device connected to the latter so as to increase friction when it is pushed by the same pulling pin.
Known deceleration devices exhibit a complex structure and also require a high precision of implementation. They are therefore relatively expensive.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
Thus, the object of the invention is to create a closing device of the previously described type which has a cost-effective deceleration system that is easy to implement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, this object is achieved in a first embodiment, in that the movement of the actuation member of the closing system is directly or indirectly slowed by a high-viscosity grease.
The grease used according to the invention is a known damping grease and can consist of high-viscosity base oils, of a tackier polymer and of synthetic hydrocarbons having a very high viscosity so as to provide a high resistance to motion.
According to a preferred embodiment, the high-viscosity grease is mounted on a guide wall of the housing so as to exert its damping or decelerating function in the space between the walls of the guide and the actuation member sliding inside it.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the actuation member has a projecting part sliding in a special guide of the housing provided with grease.
The walls of the housing guide can be suitably provided with small projecting parts or grooves that prevent undesired movement of the grease.
As an alternative or in addition to the guide walls, the walls of the actuation member can also be provided with grooves or surface irregularities.
DE 299 13 854 discloses a deceleration device consisting of a piston that slides in a cylinder against the force of an ejection spring, where high-viscosity grease is mounted on the cylinder walls.
DE 298 21 364 discloses a deceleration device consisting of toothed rods sliding in a housing and engaging a toothed wheel connected to the shaft of a rotation decelerator containing high-viscosity oil or grease.
These known deceleration devices are separate parts that can be autonomously mounted on the fixed and sliding portions of pieces of furniture.
A further embodiment of the invention provides for the high-viscosity grease to be in a second housing, such as for example a decelerator of the known type, inside which a piston slides or a propeller rotates. The piston or propeller are stressed by a member directly or indirectly connected to the pulling member of the closing device.
Similarly to this last embodiment, it is also possible to provide for the piston or propeller to be stressed by a member directly connected to the actuation member sliding in the guide of the housing of the closing device rather than to the pulling member.
In a preferred embodiment, the member consists of a bar pivoted on the actuation member and sliding in a longitudinal groove of the housing of the closing device through projecting guide strips. The bar is suitable held in the groove by a cover fastened to the housing and that at least partly covers it.
The closing device according to the invention is particularly adapted for the application to portions of pieces of furniture extendible from the body of the piece of furniture through sliding guides, such as for example drawers or the like. It consists of a housing fastened to one of the fixed or mobile portions of the guides, a mechanical energy accumulator, an actuation member sliding into a guide of the housing, and a pulling member fastened to the other portion of the sliding guides, which is stressed in the closing direction by the actuation member in the proximity of the introduced portion of the extendible portion of piece of furniture.
A deceleration system coupled to the closing device is provided by simply applying a deceleration device of known type on a side projecting part of the housing, which in the action zone of the closing device brakes a member integrally connected to the pulling member.
Such oil deceleration devices are known, for example, from DE 200 10 282.6, to which reference should be made for a more detailed description.
The decelerator can be fastened bus a cover with inverted U-section that winds it up and is hooked through spring tabs at the edges of recesses arranged on the housing of the closing device. In order to allow the application on the guides both on the right and on the left of the drawer, the member consists of an angled plate which carries on one side the pulling pin and on the other side two parallel tabs protruding symmetrically with respect to the pulling pin.
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patent: 5580138 (1996-12-01), Grabher
patent: 6007036 (1999-12-01), Rosen
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Arturo Salice S.p.A.
Dubno Herbert
Wilford Andrew
Wilkens Janet M.
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