EP2001328B1 - Device for influencing the displacement of several displaceable furniture parts, method for configuring said type of device and associated furniture - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device according to claim 1 or a furniture according to claim 10 and a method according to claim 11.

Devices for influencing the movement of a plurality of furniture parts movable relative to a stationary furniture part are known from the prior art, the movable furniture parts being driven by means of a drive unit and a control unit for controlling the movement of the movable furniture parts. An example of such a device is from the document EP 1 374 732 A1 to recognize. For example, movably guided or hinged to fittings furniture parts, such as drawers, flaps, doors and the like over a furniture body mechanically or electrically supported, for example, are driven by an electric motor to be moved. In particular, in modern furniture that may provide additional functions or a relatively high ease of use, the installation or commissioning costs can not be negligible. This depends essentially on the number of driven movable furniture parts or on the complexity of the movement possibilities to be set up of the movable furniture parts. Today, in furniture with driven movable furniture parts in particular a high level of user comfort is desired, with safety aspects to be considered.

Purpose and advantages of the invention

The object of the present invention is to keep the installation or commissioning effort comparatively low for a device for influencing the movement of driven movable furniture parts or for corresponding furniture, whereby a high degree of user comfort and relevant safety requirements are to be met.

This object is solved by the claims 1, 10 and 11. In the dependent claims advantageous embodiments of the invention are shown.

The invention is initially based on a device for influencing the movement of a plurality of movable furniture parts, which are driven by a drive unit via a control unit for controlling movement of the movable furniture parts relative to a fixed furniture part movable. An essential aspect of the invention is that the control unit is designed to keep the relative speed between the two movable furniture parts under a predetermined value, which is smaller than a maximum between the two movable furniture parts in the simultaneous driven movement of two movable furniture parts occurring relative speed by their driven movement. The device for influencing the movement of a plurality of movable furniture parts, depending on the basic configuration made a driven movement of two or more driven furniture movable parts simultaneously enable. On the one hand, this can increase the ease of use or bring about time advantages, but on the other hand can provoke a risk of injury or collision. In particular, a pinching or crushing risk can occur due to the brief movement of the movable furniture parts past one another, in particular in the case of movable furniture parts adjacent to one another. These risks can be eliminated or minimized via the control unit.

With the proposed procedure, high safety standards according to the valid standards or guidelines or according to the specifications of test centers (for example LGA) can be easily met.

If two pieces of furniture move in the opposite direction, the relative speed results from the addition of the two individual speeds, or, for the same direction of movement of the two furniture parts, by subtracting the two individual speeds.

For example, drawers, doors, flaps, pull-out trays, wire baskets, pharmacy cabinets, bogies, carousels or the like come into question as movable furniture parts, which are designed in particular displaceably or movably, rotatably and / or pivotably on the furniture.

The control unit for movement control, which is, for example, a central or higher-level unit or consists of several sub-units, may in particular comprise a computer unit or a computer unit. By means of the drive unit, the movable furniture part can be moved by means of the drive unit from a standstill position into a further standstill position, at least over a partial path. In this case, the furniture to be moved after a brief initial acceleration of the Standstill often driven at a nearly constant speed and decelerated accordingly before reaching the next standstill position. In particular, the driven movement of a movable furniture part therefore essentially comprises a short acceleration or deceleration phase, in particular at the beginning and end of a driven movement, and in between a movement phase with a maximum or constant speed.

Now, if two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts considered, it is advantageous to set the occurring between the two furniture parts relative speed so that it remains below a desired value or optionally maximum reaches this value, which can be particularly effective with the control unit, the all relevant Movement variables influenced by the movement of the driven furniture parts. This can advantageously be achieved that an undesirably high relative speed, which represents an unacceptable risk potential, in particular due to the kinetic energy of the moving furniture parts, does not occur. An otherwise resulting risk potential for a particular person in the vicinity of the considered furniture parts is thereby avoidable or a risk of injury to a person, for example, by pinching or squeezing a body part, for example, the arm, the hand or the finger between the two furniture parts excluded.

This is particularly important for adjacent or mutually approaching movable furniture parts of importance. The relative speed is kept for a given value for two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts. Also a more complex control with the control unit to the effect that more than two furniture parts are driven simultaneously driven and the Relative speed between each two of the several moving furniture parts is limited, is conceivable.

Depending on the desire or risk potential of the driven movement of two driven furniture parts moving the predetermined value can be set individually or controlled by the control unit. In order to achieve the predefinable value, in particular, a braking process with corresponding brake means can take place. Also, by inhibiting the driving effect due to e.g. Frictional losses reducing the speed of the movable furniture part be sufficiently high.

Further, it is proposed that the control unit is designed to hold the relative speed at least as long under the predefinable value for the simultaneous driven movement of two movable furniture parts, such as edge portions of the two furniture parts, in particular front parts, are in a vicinity to each other. With this arrangement, the fact is taken into account that, for example, the driven movement of adjacent movable furniture parts, e.g. Furniture draws in practice a significant risk of accidents in itself by a person who on the furniture parts, for. Schübe accesses or handles on this, the hand or fingers between edge portions of the furniture parts can pinch. In this case, parts of the hand or fingers can come in a variable when moving the furniture parts gap region between in particular front parts of the driven furniture parts and cause injuries such as bruises.

Advantageously, the control unit is formed, the predetermined value of the relative speed between the two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts to a Specify speed, which is in the range of a maximum occurring speed, which is achieved by the driven movement of one of the two furniture parts. In general, a maximum occurring speed in the driven movement of a movable furniture part is chosen so that no or no appreciable risk potential results from it. Therefore, the maximum speed thus designed is to be used as a guide for a maximum occurring relative speed between two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts meaningful. As a result, the relative velocity thus limited can generally not pose any significant potential for injury to an operator.

In the case of two furniture parts driven individually, each with the same maximum speed v _max , the predetermined value of the maximum permitted relative speed in the opposite direction of movement would then be, for example, the maximum individual speed v _max .

In principle, it is of course also possible that two driven movable furniture parts are moved at different maximum speeds of the drive unit. In such a case, a predeterminable relative speed, which may not be exceeded, is individually selected for two driven, movable furniture parts considered, for example the lower maximum achievable single speed of the two relevant furniture parts.

It is further proposed that the control unit is designed to decelerate the two simultaneously driven furniture parts to the same extent to bring the relative speed between the two furniture parts below the predetermined value. In this way, the predetermined value of the relative speed can be achieved comparatively quickly and safely. Preferred is this one in particular provided by the control unit controlled deceleration of the driven movable furniture parts, for example by means of suitable braking means or a suitably designed drive unit. The braking movement of the furniture parts can for example be linear or non-linear.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the subject invention, the control unit is designed to decelerate the two simultaneously driven furniture parts differently strong, to bring the relative speed between the two furniture parts below the predetermined values. This can improve the ease of use or realize a time savings for opening or closing of movable furniture parts.

In particular, the control unit may be designed to decelerate the furniture part moving in the closed position more strongly than when moving in the movement of two furniture parts moving simultaneously, one of which moves into a closed position and another furniture part is moved into an open position open position moving furniture part to bring the relative speed between the two furniture parts below the predetermined value. This can provide an asymmetry of the deceleration processes of the movable furniture parts.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the control unit is designed in such a way, in the simultaneous driven movement of the two furniture parts after a phase of movement of the two furniture parts, in which the relative speed between the two furniture parts was kept below the predetermined value, at least one furniture part of the two furniture parts driven to accelerate. This allows different or relatively complex movement patterns for the driven movable furniture parts set.

In particular, individually tailored to customer requirements, a desired high level of user-friendliness can be realized.

For example, in a movement phase in which at least one movable furniture part has been braked, its speed can be increased to reach a desired maximum drive speed and the speed before braking, respectively. With this approach, simultaneous opening and closing movements of driven furniture parts can be done relatively quickly without having to ignore safety requirements. In particular, the predetermined relative speed value is adjusted only for certain movement phases of the moving furniture parts.

In principle, both driven movable furniture parts, if both were previously braked to achieve the predetermined value, can be accelerated again.

In addition, it is proposed that the control unit is designed in the simultaneous driven movement of the two furniture parts after a phase of movement of the two furniture parts, in which the relative speed between the two furniture parts was kept below the predetermined value, at least one furniture part of the two furniture parts with the same Speed driven to move. This allows an economic approach to the movement of the two moving furniture parts simultaneously. For example, it may be advantageous to move one of the furniture parts or both furniture parts after the movement phase, in which the furniture parts were braked in particular, with the then reached drive speed on. This may preferably be of interest in the closing furniture part. For example, as a quiet course of movement or not jerky expiration of the driven movements of the furniture parts can be achieved, which is often perceived as pleasant becomes.

In addition, the energy requirement or the wear for the driven movement is positively influenced in an otherwise possibly realized acceleration.

In a further preferred embodiment of the subject invention, the control unit is designed to assign a first driven movable furniture part at least one further driven movable furniture part for fixing the two furniture parts when an undesirable condition occur by the simultaneous driven movement of the first furniture part and the at least one further furniture part can. With this embodiment, the fact is taken into account that a seized movable furniture part from a plurality of further driven movable furniture parts, in the simultaneous movement of the picked out furniture part with at least one of the other furniture parts poses a potential danger. In order to keep the corresponding furniture parts in their simultaneous movement as proposed below a predetermined value of the relative speed, it is therefore necessary to previously define the respective movable furniture parts or assign each other. This can be done for example in a special configuration process. The configuration or assignment of driven movable furniture parts can be made in different ways. For each driven movable furniture part in each case at least one, driven movable furniture parts can be assigned, in particular all directly adjacent.

If, for example, a drawer driven by a plurality of adjacent drawers moves, above, below, right, left side or diagonally thereof or opposite or over-arranged adjacent movable drawer a pinching or

Risk of crushing. This must be noted or determined in the configuration that at least when edge portions of the two driven movable furniture parts are in close proximity to each other, the relative speed of the two considered moving furniture parts remains below the predetermined value. Superordinate to this specification, it is sensibly determined that a collision of two movable furniture parts certainly can not take place.

The invention also relates to a piece of furniture with a stationary furniture part and driven furniture parts, in particular drawers, with a device as explained above. Thus, the advantages shown for a corresponding furniture part can be realized.

Finally, the invention also relates to a method for configuring a device for influencing the movement of a plurality of movable furniture parts, which are driven by a drive unit via a control unit for controlling movement of the movable furniture parts relative to a fixed furniture part, in particular for configuring a device as described above. The central aspect of the method according to the invention lies in a configurable mode that can be switched on and off, whereby an assignment of a movable furniture part to another movable furniture part is carried out when the configuration mode is switched on and the configuration mode is switched off after the allocation has been made, taking into account the assignment for the movement control of the movable furniture parts becomes. In this way, in a defined predetermined configuration mode, an association of the movable furniture parts with one another can take place.

The assignment or its change is preferred only in the configuration mode or when the configuration state is active movable furniture parts possible. After configuration, the configuration mode is exited, thus ensuring that no unwanted deletion of settings or reconfiguration can take place.

figure description

Figur 1

zeigt ein schematisiertes Möbel in perspektivischer Frontansicht schräg von oben.

A highly schematically illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown in the single figure and described in more detail with further advantages and details.

FIG. 1

shows a schematic furniture in a front perspective view obliquely from above.

In FIG. 1 is a piece of furniture 1 with a fixed furniture part or a furniture body 2 and on this movably guided furniture drawers 3 with several drawers 4 to 14 shown. An outer drawer 11 can cover the front part 9a of an inner drawer 9 and the front part 10a of an inner drawer 10 with its front part 11a. In the closed state of the furniture drawers 3, the furniture 1 shows a cuboid shape. The furniture body 2 comprises two outer side walls 2a and 2b, an upper part 2c, a bottom part 2d and also an in FIG. 1 unrecognizable back wall. The furniture body 2 also has inside the furniture body parallel to the side walls 2a, 2b extending inner walls 2e and 2f.

In the furniture body 2 are not shown drawer guides the furniture drawer 3 on the side walls 2a, 2b and the inner walls 2e, 2f moved, for example, on known full extension. The furniture drawers 3 can be inserted or extended according to the double arrow P relative to the furniture body 2. The drawers 4 to 9 and 12 to 14 are each in the closed position, whereas the inner drawer 10 is approximately half and the outer drawer 11 is completely open relative to the furniture body 2.

The front of the furniture 1 with front parts of the furniture drawers 3 represent an operating page for the operation or use of furniture drawers 3 by a person.

The arrangement of the drawers facing the front of the furniture 1 according to FIG. 1 consists of three columns each with several drawers positioned one above the other. The left column, seen from the front, comprises between the side wall 2b and the inner wall 2f the similar drawers 4 to 7 and the middle gaps between the inner walls 2e and 2f the drawers 8 to 11 and the right column between the inner wall 2e and the side wall 2a Drawers 12 to 14.

For the driven movement of each particular furniture thrust 4 to 14 relative to the furniture body 2 is a device, not shown, for example, according to one of the in the WO 2006/029894 A1 featured devices, provided for influencing the movement of the furniture drawers 3, wherein the driven movement takes place with a drive unit or a control unit for controlling movement of the furniture drawers 3. Also not shown are connecting lines or the like for supplying the device for influencing movement.

The drawers 4 to 6 are provided at their drawer fronts each with a handle element 15 to 17 or the drawer 7 with an unrecognizable further handle element to manually grab the drawer in question and in particular to pull on the drawer. Therefore, it is basically possible that the drawers 4 to 7 are not driven by the drive unit but only manually operated are movable. It is also conceivable that the Drawers 4 to 7 are driven and manually movable, for example, to assist in their manually performed by a person movement with the drive unit, especially when opening.

The other drawers are movable in particular with the drive unit, and it is conceivable that a driven movable drawer can be moved manually with or without assistance from the drive unit. For example, the drawers 4 to 7 can be manually mounted on the handle elements, wherein the drive unit in particular as a support for the user applies a drive effect. The drive unit can be designed in many ways and can be connected to electrical means, e.g. work with the help of an electric motor or not electrically by mechanical means or work with a combination of these means. The opening and / or closing movement can be wholly or partially driven, e.g. when ejection means are provided for ejecting the movable furniture part from a closed position to an at least partially open position.

In the case of the furniture 1, the operating plane, which is formed in particular by the closed drawer fronts, is ideally located in one plane, but according to the invention also includes furniture whose operating sides or the front sides of the closed movable furniture parts lie in two or more different planes, for example in case of cross-over or counter arrangements. Arrangements with folding flaps or doors are also included, which are positioned one above the other, for example in an upper cabinet and a lower cabinet, wherein at least one folding flap or door can be moved upwards and another downwards. In such movements, according to the invention, an occurring trapping risk can be avoided.

The drawers 8 to 14 are provided at their front parts 8a to 14a without contour or without a handle element or other assistance for pulling on the respective furniture part. The drawers 4 to 14 may be with or without e.g. be provided in particular ejector or touch-latch functionality. The drawers 8 to 14 can be triggered, for example, by tapping on the front of a drawer or open or close.

To avoid unwanted conditions in the furniture part 1 or to exclude a possible pinching, risk of collision or risk of collision for a person driven by moving drawers, the control unit, not shown, or with this cooperating elements is designed to take place simultaneously taking place Movement of two movable drawers of the furniture drawers 3 to keep the relative speed between the two movable drawers below a predetermined value, which is smaller than a maximum occurring between the two movable drawers relative speed by the driven movement.

Particularly relevant in practice are the cases in which two drawers associated with one another, in particular adjacent drawers, are simultaneously driven in the opposite direction. This may in particular be when a drawer is closed from an open position and at the same time an associated or directly adjacent drawer is opened from a closed position and the two drawers pass each other. This could also apply to drawers in which no collision of the two furniture parts can take place.

Movement states where a collision of two could occur simultaneously movable furniture parts are excluded by the control unit from the outset in particular by higher-level stored control mechanisms. In the example according to FIG. 1 are therefore simultaneously running opposite movements of the drawers 9 and 11 or 10 and 11 at least not possible such that the front part 11a collides with one of the front parts 9a and 10a.

In the case of the furniture 1, for example, the drawer 8 can be assigned to all other drawers 4 to 7 and 9 to 14 or the drawers 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 13. Thus, e.g. For the latter case, a critical relative velocity between the driven drawer 8 and at least one further simultaneously driven drawer is avoided by the drawers 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12 and 13, by the relative speed to the given Limit is limited, the respective drawers so comparatively slowly pass each other. A pinching or crushing danger, in particular between the moving front part 8a and at least one of the front parts 9a, 11a, 12a and 13a or the drawers 4, 5 and 6 can be excluded.

In this case, the remaining drawers of the furniture body 1, so the drawers 7, 10 and 14 can be moved simultaneously with the driven drawer 8, without a predetermined value of the relative speed between the drawer in question and the drawer 8 is observed.

For example, an intelligent solution can define a group of assigned drawers for each individual drawer, which can also be stored in the control unit. For the outer drawer 11, for example, for which, as explained above, control mechanisms for avoiding collisions with the drawers 9 and 10 are valid, the drawers 5, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14 could additionally be assigned, for example.

Basically, the control unit can be designed so that even movable furniture parts of other fixed furniture carcasses in the assignment for a considered driven movable furniture part is taken into account, including opposite, superimposed or over-arranged furniture parts such as drawers, flaps or doors.

The embodiment according to FIG. 1 shows a furniture with several drawers. However, the invention also relates to other furniture with driven movable furniture parts such as doors, flaps, folding doors or flaps, tray drawers, wire baskets, pharmacy cabinets, bogies, carousels or the like.

Here too, superordinate control mechanisms are possibly valid in order to avoid collisions, that is to say that relative velocities for these furniture parts are not or only to be defined via limited permissible movement phases of the entire possible movement.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Furniture

2

furniture body

2a

Side wall

2 B

Side wall

2c

top

2d

the bottom part

2e

inner wall

2f

inner wall

3

furniture drawer

4

drawer

5

drawer

6

drawer

7

drawer

8th

drawer

8a

front section

9

inner drawer

9a

front section

10

inner drawer

10a

front section

11

exterior drawer

11a

front section

12

drawer

12a

front section

13

drawer

13a

front section

14

drawer

14a

front section

15

handle element

16

handle element

17

handle element

Claims (11)

1. Device for influencing the movement of a plurality of movable furniture parts 3 which are movably driven by means of a drive unit via a control unit for controlling the movement of the movable furniture parts 3 relative to a fixed furniture part 2, characterized in that the control unit is configured in such a manner as to keep the relative speed between the two movable furniture parts below a predefined value during the simultaneous driven movement of two movable furniture parts, said value being smaller than a maximum relative speed occurring between the two movable furniture parts due to the driven movement thereof.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured in such a manner as to keep the relative speed during the simultaneous driven movement of two movable furniture parts below the predefinable value, at least while the peripheral sections of the two furniture parts, in particular front parts, are proximate to one another.
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit is configured to indicate the predefinable value of the relative speed between the two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts as a speed which lies in the region of a maximum speed that is achieved by the driven movement of one of the two furniture parts.
4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit is designed in such a manner that the two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts can be slowed down to the same extent, in order to bring the relative speed between the two furniture parts below the predefined value.
5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit is configured to slow down the two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts to different degrees, in order to bring the relative speed between the two furniture parts below the predefined value.
6. Device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the control unit is configured to slow down the furniture part moving into the closed position to a greater degree than the furniture part moving into the open position during the movement of two simultaneously driven moving furniture parts, whereof one furniture part is moved into a closed position and a further furniture part is moved into an open position, in order to bring the relative speed between the two furniture parts below the predefined value.
7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit is configured in such a manner as to increase the driven speed of at least one furniture part of the two furniture parts during the simultaneous driven movement of the two furniture parts, following a movement phase of the two furniture parts in which the relative speed between the two furniture parts was kept below the predefinable value.
8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit is designed in such a manner as to move at least one furniture part of the two furniture parts by driving at a constant speed during the simultaneous driven movement of the two furniture parts, following a movement phase of the two furniture parts in which the relative speed between the two furniture parts was kept below the predefinable value.
9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit is configured, in order to fix the two furniture parts, to assign to a first driven movable furniture part at least one other driven movable furniture part, if the simultaneous driven movement of the first furniture part and the at least one other furniture part can result in an undesirable state.
10. Furniture having a fixed furniture part and driven movable furniture parts, in particular drawers, having a device according to one of the preceding claims.
11. Method for the configuration of a device for influencing the movement of a plurality of movable furniture parts which are movably driven by means of a drive unit via a control unit for controlling the movement of the movable furniture parts relative to a fixed furniture part, for the configuration of a device according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that in a configuring mode that can be turned on and off, when the configuring mode is turned on an assignment of a movable furniture part to another movable furniture part is carried out and once the assignment has been made the configuring mode is turned off, wherein the assignment that has been made is taken into account when controlling the movement of the movable furniture parts.

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