EP2247811B1 - Actuating drive for a furniture flap having a mounting securing mechanism for the empty actuating arm - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an actuator with at least one actuating arm for driving a flap of a piece of furniture and with a spring device for acting on the actuating arm, wherein a mounting fuse for the empty actuating arm - on which no flap is mounted - to limit the opening speed of the empty actuating arm is provided, wherein the mounting fuse has at least one movably mounted, first locking element.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a piece of furniture with an actuator of the type to be described.

Such actuators serve, for example, to adjust a hinged hinged furniture arm furniture flap between a cabinet compartment in a furniture body closing vertical position and an upwardly moved open position. To compensate for the flap weight, a spring device or a gas pressure accumulator is provided, wherein the torque acting on the actuating arm can be selectively adjusted to the weight of the flap to be moved. For heavy furniture flaps so a very high torque is to provide biasing force for the actuator arm. If, however, no furniture flap is still articulated on the actuating arm, then there is the considerable risk that the actuating arm will be massively deflected by the spring device acting on it, thereby seriously injuring the assembly personnel. From the WO 2006/069412 A1 the applicant is already a mounting safeguard for the "empty" arm - on which no furniture flap is mounted - has become known, which has a locking device or a braking device for limiting the opening speed of the empty actuator arm.

Object of the present invention is to propose an actuator with a mounting fuse of the type mentioned, which is characterized by a reliable function and by reducing the design effort.

This is inventively achieved in an advantageous embodiment, characterized in that the first locking element below a predetermined pivoting speed of the actuating arm along a cam is feasible, wherein the actuating arm is substantially free to move and wherein the first locking element when exceeding the predetermined pivoting speed of the actuating arm at least partially from the Control cam lifts, whereby the first locking element with a second locking element is releasably locked, so that the actuating arm is fixable in its relative pivot position.

The basic idea of the present invention therefore consists in displacing a movably mounted, first locking element-for example, with a guide pin assigned to the locking element-during the pivotal movement of the actuating arm along a control cam, provided that the pivoting speed of the actuating arm is below a predetermined pivoting speed. When exceeding the predetermined pivoting speed of the actuating arm, however, the first locking element - preferably the guide pin - due to the shape of the control cam and due to the inherent inertia of the locking element of the predetermined shape of the control curve no longer follow, whereby the first locking element lifted from the control cam and thereby a locking of the first locking element takes place with a second locking element. In this way, the too fast moving actuator arm is locked with immediate effect in its relative pivotal position, whereby the risk of serious injury to the assembly personnel and any property damage can be largely minimized.

The first locking element may comprise a pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation lever which is provided according to an embodiment with at least one locking element - for example in the form of a locking tooth. This locking tooth can be releasably locked when exceeding the predetermined pivoting speed of the actuating arm with a counter-toothing arranged or formed on a second locking element.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the control cam is at least partially approximately sawtooth-shaped or approximately is formed wavy. In this context, it may be expedient if the first locking element executes a lift-off movement by the tips formed by the sawtooth-shaped or wavy control cam when a predetermined pivoting speed of the actuating arm is exceeded.

When the actuator arm is moved below the critical opening speed, the guide pin is substantially displaced in contacting contact along the control cam. When exceeding the critical opening speed of the actuating arm, however, the guide pin is lifted by the arranged on the control cam tips or "jumps" of the cam and a lock with a corresponding, second locking element-brought about.

In principle, it may be sufficient if the first locking element bears only gravity-loaded on the control cam. For realizing a defined switching behavior, however, it may also be advantageous if the first locking element can be pressed against the control cam by the action of a mechanical spring or a spring-shaped element. However, the force of the spring is to be dimensioned relatively small, so that an immediate locking between the locking element and actuator arm can be produced.

The furniture according to the invention is characterized in that it has an actuator of the type described.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Möbels mit einem Stellantrieb zum Verstellen einer hochbewegbaren Klappe,

Fig. 2

ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen Stellantriebs in einer Seitenansicht,

Fig. 3a, 3b

eine perspektivische Darstellung des Stellantriebs gemäß Fig. 2 sowie eine vergrößerte Detaildarstellung hierzu,

Fig. 4a, 4b

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Möbels mit einem Stellantrieb im unverrasteten Zustand sowie eine vergrößerte Detaildarstellung hierzu,

Fig. 5a, 5b

analoge Darstellungen zu Fig. 4a, 4b mit dem Stellantrieb im verrasteten Zustand,

Fig. 6a, 6b

ein Ausführungsbeispiel des Stellantriebs mit einem gedämpften Lager für das Arretierelement im unverrasteten Zustand,

Fig. 7a, 7b

das Ausführungsbeispiel gemäß Fig. 6a, 6b im verrasteten Zustand,

Fig. 8a, 8b

eine kinematische Umkehrlösung des Stellantriebs im unverrasteten Zustand,

Fig. 9a, 9b

das Ausführungsbeispiel gemäß Fig. 8a, 8b im verrasteten Zustand,

Fig. 10

ein Ausführungsbeispiel eines Stellantriebs mit einer Steuerkurve als integraler Teil der Steuernocke,

Fig. 11a, 11b

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines alternativen Stellantriebs mit einem Hebelwerk, wobei das Arretierelement zwischen zwei Hebeln des Hebelwerks wirksam ist.

Further details and advantages of the present invention will be explained with reference to the following description of the figures. It shows or show:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a piece of furniture with an actuator for adjusting a highly movable flap,

Fig. 2

An embodiment of an actuator according to the invention in a side view,

Fig. 3a, 3b

a perspective view of the actuator according to Fig. 2 as well as an enlarged detailed representation for this,

Fig. 4a, 4b

a perspective view of a piece of furniture with an actuator in the unlocked state and an enlarged detail illustration of this,

Fig. 5a, 5b

analog representations too Fig. 4a, 4b with the actuator in the locked state,

Fig. 6a, 6b

An embodiment of the actuator with a damped bearing for the locking element in the unlocked state,

Fig. 7a, 7b

the embodiment according to Fig. 6a, 6b in the locked state,

Fig. 8a, 8b

a kinematic reversal solution of the actuator in the unlocked state,

Fig. 9a, 9b

the embodiment according to Fig. 8a, 8b in the locked state,

Fig. 10

An embodiment of an actuator with a control cam as an integral part of the control cam,

Fig. 11a, 11b

a perspective view of an alternative actuator with a lever mechanism, wherein the locking element between two levers of the lever mechanism is effective.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a cupboard-shaped piece of furniture 1 in a perspective view, wherein an actuator 4 according to the invention is provided for driving a highly movable flap 3. The actuator 4 is attached to the inside of opposite vertical side walls of the furniture body 2 respectively. For moving the flap 3 from a closed to an open position or in the reverse direction at least one actuating arm 5 is provided, which is pivotally mounted on the one hand on a base body of the actuator 4 and on the other hand is hingedly connected to the flap 3. The flap 3 assumes a substantially vertical position in the closed end position.

Fig. 2 1 shows a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a steering drive 4. The actuator 4 comprises a spring device 6 which is movably mounted on the base body A at a pivot point B. The spring device 6 acts on an intermediate lever 7 mounted on the pivot point S, the engagement point 8 on the Intermediate lever 7 is displaceable via an adjusting device 9. By a change in the distance between the point of engagement 8 and the pivot point S of the intermediate lever 7, changed leverage conditions result in addition to the changed preload the adjusting device 9, the acting torque to the actuator arm 5, not shown here are selectively adjusted according to the respective weight of the flap to be moved 3, so that the flap 3 is held automatically in any pivotal position against gravity automatically. At the intermediate lever 7, a pressure roller 10 is mounted, which can run on a control contour 11a of a pivot point P mounted on the control cam 11 during the pivoting movement of the actuating arm 5. The in Fig. 1 shown actuator arm 5 for moving the flap 3 is connected via a coupling part 13 of the control cam 11 with this releasably connectable, preferably latched.

An essential component of the subject invention forms a first locking element 14 in the form of a lever 14a, which is pivotally mounted on a rotation axis M. The lever 14a has a laterally projecting guide pin 15, which is slidably mounted during the pivoting movement of the actuating arm 5, not shown here along a arranged on the rotatable control cam 11, arcuate cam 16. It can be seen that the control cam 16 has an approximately sawtooth or wave-shaped course, the guide pin 15 lifts off by the formed by the sawtooth or wavy cam 16 peaks when exceeding a predetermined pivoting speed of the actuator arm 5 of the cam 16, whereby the lever 14a with its locking element 18 with a second locking element 19 - in particular with the toothing 19 a thereof - can be latched, so that the movement of the rotatable control cam 11 (and thus of the actuating arm 5) is stopped. In a slow, controlled movement of the actuating arm 5 (which is the case in particular with articulated flap 3), the guide pin 15 of the lever 14 slides along the control cam 16, without significantly lifting. Consequently, no latching between the first locking element 14 and the second locking element 19 is produced at a low pivoting speed of the actuating arm 5.

Fig. 3a shows a perspective view of the actuator 4 according to Fig. 2 , while Fig. 3b an enlarged view of the in Fig. 3a marked area illustrated. Fig. 3a shows a spring device 6 with parallel-connected compression springs, which acts on the point of application 8 a mounted about the rotation axis S intermediate lever 7. To adjust the on the arm 5 acting torque is an adjusting device 9 is provided, through which the position of the point 8 on the intermediate lever 7 is variable. The intermediate lever 7 has a pressure roller 10 which can run during the pivotal movement of the actuating arm 5 on the control contour 11a of the control cam 11. The control contour 11a is formed in the exemplary embodiment shown by an outer peripheral surface of the control cam 11.

In Fig. 3b For reasons of clarity, a cover of the control cam 11 has been removed. Coaxially to the axis of rotation P of the rotatable control cam 11, the second locking element 19 supports with its teeth 19a. Evident is also provided for locking lever 14a with its integrally molded locking element 18, which has a plurality of locking teeth in the illustrated embodiment. Also clearly visible is the control cam 16 with an approximately sawtooth-shaped course, so that the laterally projecting guide pin 15 of the lever 14a can rise above the opening speed of the actuating arm 5 from the formed tips 17a, 17b, whereby the locking element 18 of the lever 14a with the teeth 19a of the second locking element 19 can be latched.

Fig. 4a shows a perspective view of a piece of furniture 1 with a mounted on the furniture body 2 actuator 4, wherein the actuating arm 5 acting on the spring device 6, the intermediate lever 7 and the actuating arm 5 associated rotatable control cam 11 can be seen. If - as in Fig. 4a shown - no flap 3 is articulated on the actuator arm 5, the actuator arm 5 can rocket solid by the spring device 6 acted upon. To avoid this uncontrolled opening movement the mounting fuse is provided with the locking mechanism described. The guide pin 15 of the lever 14a is guided during the movement of the actuating arm 5 along a control cam 16 with tips 17a, 17b. If the control arm 5 is moved slowly and in a controlled manner, there is no latching between the lever 14a and the toothing 19a of the second locking element 19.

Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b show Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b analogous representations with the difference that now the actuator arm 5 has been blocked in the course of its opening movement. When exceeding a predetermined pivoting speed of Stellarmes 5 of the guide pin 15 of the pivotally mounted lever 14a jumps from the tips 17a, 17b, 17c of the control cam 16, whereby the locking teeth of the lever 14a with the teeth 19a of the second locking element 19 latch. To release the lock, the actuator arm 5 must be pressed by the user in the direction of the closed position, whereby the lever 14a releases again from the locking element 19 due to gravity.

Fig. 6a shows a way to prevent accidental rebounding of the locking element 18 of the toothing 19a of the second locking element 19. Evident is the axis of rotation M of the lever 14a, which is movably mounted within a slot guide. In the slot guide and a damping element 20 is arranged, which is formed in the embodiment shown as a hard plastic. Fig. 6b shows an enlarged detail of the in Fig. 6a circled area. In the figure shown there is no blocking of the actuating arm 5.

Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b show the embodiment according to the Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b , wherein a latching between the pivotally mounted lever 14a and the control point 11 mounted around the pivot point P is present. It is especially made Fig. 7b It can be seen that the damping element 20 was compressed hard plastic in this latched state. In this way, an unintentional rebound of the locking element 18 of the lever 14a of the teeth 19a of the second locking element 19 can be effectively prevented. Of course, the damping element 20 can also be replaced by at least one mechanical spring element, which allows a movable and damped mounting of the axis of rotation M of the lever 14a.

Fig. 8a and the detailed presentation Fig. 8b show the kinematic reversal solution of the locking mechanism. In contrast to the Fig. 2 to Fig. 7 the first locking element 14 is arranged in the form of the lever 14a with the axis of rotation M in the region of the rotatable control cam 11. The sawtooth-shaped control cam 16, however, is now arranged or formed on a preferably immovable part 21 on the main body A of the actuator 4. The guide pin 15 of the lever 14a slides in a controlled, slow movement in touching contact with the saw teeth of the cam 16. When the coupling part 13 can be arranged on the actuating arm 5 exceeds the critical swing speed, so the guide pin 15 jumps from the control cam 16, whereby the locking element 18 of the lever 14a with a counter-toothing of the stationary part 21 can be latched. The enlarged detail according to Fig. 8b shows the lever 14a in the unlocked state.

In Fig. 9a and Fig. 9b the latched position of the lever 14a is shown, wherein the locking element 18 is in engagement with the counter-toothing of the stationary part 21.

Fig. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of an actuator 4. To recognize the provided for locking lever 14a, which in turn is mounted at the pivot point M. At the free end of the lever 14a, a laterally projecting guide pin 15 is arranged, which is guided along the control cam 16, unless the critical pivoting speed of the actuating arm 5 is reached. It can be seen that the control cam 16 is formed as an integral part of the control cam 11. The control cam 16 can be punched out of the control cam 11 in a simple manner. The second locking element 19 is formed in the embodiment shown as a superimposed on the cam 16 locking curve. This locking curve has a plurality of deflections 22a-22d, in which the guide pin 15 can retract when exceeding the critical pivot speed, whereby the actuating arm 5 can be locked.

Fig. 11a and the detailed representation according to Fig. 11b show an alternative embodiment of an actuator 4. Instead of the previously used rotatable control cam 11 is a pure lever mechanism 24 for moving the actuator arm 5 is provided. The hinged at the pivot point B spring device 6 acted on the point 8 a mounted around the axis C, two-armed lever 23. The point 8 on the lever 23 is changed by the adjustment device 9. The lever 23 acts on a lever 23a a four-bar linkage. The four-bar linkage comprises articulated levers 25a and 25b, which are mounted at pivot points D and E. With both articulated arms 25a and 25b, a longitudinally extended main lever 26 is connected to the joint axes F and G. The longitudinally extended main lever 26 is moved out in the course of the opening movement and thereby displaced parallel to itself. The basic function of this actuator 4 is According to the prior art known and need not be described in detail at this point. It is essential that between the articulated lever 25b and the control lever 27, a locking element 14 is effective. The locking element 14 in the form of the lever 14 a is mounted on the pivot lever 25 b at the pivot point M. From the enlarged detail according to Fig. 11b is the guide pin 15 can be seen, which is feasible along a substantially sawtooth-shaped cam 16. The second locking element 19 is formed in the form of a latching cam with Dodge for the guide pin 15, in which the guide pin 15 can retract when exceeding the predetermined opening speed of the actuating arm 5, whereby the actuating arm 5 is latched in its relative position relative to the main body A of the actuator 4 , The operating principle of the cam 16 with the superimposed latching cam and the Dodge 22a-22d is basically with the in Fig. 10 identical embodiment described.

The present invention is not limited in principle to the illustrated embodiments, but includes and extends to all variants and technical equivalents that may fall within the scope of the following claims. Also, the location information chosen in the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc. based on the usual installation position of the components used as well as on the figure shown and are to be transferred to a new position in a change in position. The proposed mounting fuse is designed so that it works in each pivot position of the actuator 4 (also laterally and upside down). This is of considerable relevance, since the furniture body 2 is very often rotated or tilted with the actuator 4 pre-assembled in the course of the assembly process of the furniture 1. Since the furniture flap 3 is not hinged to the actuating arm 5 at this stage, the injury potential is considerable. The first locking element 14 may also have the shape of a hammer, wherein the main arm of the hammer is mounted on the rotation axis M and the two hammer ends on the one hand with the control cam 16 and on the other hand with the second locking member 19 can be brought into abutment. By such a construction, the arrangement of the guide pin 15 can be omitted.

Claims (18)

1. An actuating drive having at least one actuating arm for moving a flap of an article of furniture and a spring device for acting on the actuating arm, wherein there is provided an assembly securing device for the vacant actuating arm - which has not yet been fitted with a flap - for limiting the opening speed of the vacant actuating arm, wherein the assembly securing device has at least one movably mounted first arresting element, characterised in that the first arresting element (14) can be guided along a control curve (16) below a predetermined pivotal speed of the actuating arm (5), whereby the actuating arm (5) is substantially freely movable and wherein the first arresting element (14) lifts at least region-wise off the control curve (16) when the predetermined pivotal speed of the actuating arm (5) is exceeded, whereby the first arresting element (14) can be releasably arrested with a second arresting element (19) so that the actuating arm (5) can be fixed in its relative pivotal position.
2. The actuating drive according to claim 1, characterised in that the first arresting element (14) comprises a lever (14a) mounted about an axis of rotation (M).
3. The actuating drive according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the first arresting element has at least one latching element (18), preferably a latching tooth, which is releasably latchable to the second arresting element (19).
4. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the first arresting element (14) has at least one guide projection (15) mounted movably along the control curve (16).
5. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the control curve (16) is at least portion-wise of an approximately sawtooth-shaped or approximately wave-shaped configuration.
6. The actuating drive according to claim 5, characterised in that the first arresting element (14) performs a lifting-off movement when a predetermined pivotal speed of the actuating arm (5) is exceeded due to the crests (17a, 17b, 17c) formed by the sawtooth-shaped or wave-shaped control curve (16).
7. The actuating drive according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the control curve (16) is at least portion-wise of a curved configuration.
8. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the control curve (16) is provided or arranged at an immobile part (21) of the actuating drive (4).
9. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the control curve (16) is provided or arranged on a movable, preferably rotatably mounted, part (11) of the actuating drive (4).
10. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised in that associated with the actuating arm (5) is a control cam arrangement (11) which is mounted about a pivot axis (P) and which has a setting contour (11a), wherein the control curve (16) is arranged or provided on the control cam arrangement (11).
11. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the actuating drive (4) comprises a lever mechanism (24) for moving the actuating arm (5), wherein the control curve (16) is provided or arranged on one of the levers (27) of the lever mechanism (24).
12. The actuating drive according to claim 11, characterised in that the first arresting element (14) is operative between two movably mounted levers (25b, 27) of the lever mechanism (24).
13. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 12, characterised in that the second arresting element (19) is provided or arranged on a movable part of the actuating drive (4).
14. The actuating drive according to claim 13, characterised in that the second arresting element (19) is provided or arranged on a control cam arrangement (11) associated with the actuating arm (5).
15. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 14, characterised in that the actuating drive (4) has a lever mechanism (24) for moving the actuating arm (5), wherein the second arresting element (19) is provided or arranged on one of the levers (27) of the lever mechanism (24).
16. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the second arresting element (19) has a tooth arrangement (19a) by which the first arresting element (14) can be releasably arrested when the predetermined pivotal speed of the actuating arm (5) is exceeded.
17. The actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 16, characterised in that the second arresting element has a latching cam which is - preferably superposed with the control curve (16) - and which has turnouts (22a-22d) which can be latched with the first arresting element (16).
18. An article of furniture comprising an actuating drive according to one of the claims 1 to 17.

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