EP2004011B1 - Device for displacing a first furniture part in relation to a second furniture part - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for moving a first furniture part relative to a second furniture part according to the preamble of claim 1 and a piece of furniture with such a device.

State of the art

An arrangement with a movable furniture part in the form of a drawer is from the European patent application EP 1 323 363 A1 known. The arrangement comprises a drive unit for the drawer and a control device for controlling the drive unit. The arrangement also has a force measuring device. The force measuring device generates a force applied from the outside to the movable furniture part forces characteristic force signal which can be fed to the control device. Another arrangement with at least one movable furniture part, in particular with a drawer or the like is from the European patent application EP 1 374 732 A1 known.

Purpose and advantages of the invention

The invention has for its object to provide an arrangement of the type described in the introduction, in which a improved position of the first piece of furniture to the second furniture part is realized.

This object is solved by the features of claim 1 and 10.

The invention is based on a device having a drive unit and a control unit for moving a first furniture part relative to a second furniture part, wherein by means of the device, the control unit for movement control of the first furniture part this is driven relative to the second furniture part movable. The essence of the invention lies in the fact that the control unit is designed, after a movement of the first furniture part to a position which is defined by a mechanical stop, to specify a movement of the first furniture part away from the mechanical stop by a predefined distance first furniture part in the reached position remains as the final position.

This approach is based on the finding that with driven furniture parts an exact position determination of the movable furniture part, in particular with respect to a fixed furniture part for many applications with a comparatively high accuracy is required. In the application example of kitchens, for example, a comparatively slight misalignment of the fronts of drawers relative to one another in a complete front is already recognizable and produces an optically undesired, restless image. This is especially true for handleless, operated by touch-latch drawers, which regularly special attention is on the fronts. By starting a mechanical stop and the related end position can be on the one hand achieve an accurate positioning of the first furniture part and preferably a front of the first furniture part. On the other hand, this realizes a buffer area which is responsible for the triggering of control actions can be used. After the movable furniture part has moved against the mechanical stop, it is, for example, moved away by a few millimeters, for example 0.5 to 10 mm from the mechanical stop and stopped in this position. This operation can be performed by referring to the mechanical stop with comparatively high accuracy. The pushing back of the first furniture part to the mechanical stop can trigger a control action of the control unit, for example opening the first furniture part and / or activating a lighting. A differentiation between the manner of pressing back can be made, for example, by a brief tapping initiating an opening process, whereas a slightly longer pressing backwards controls a light source.

The drive can be used to record a control action. For example, a pushing back of the first furniture part in the direction of the mechanical stop is detected by an increase in current in the drive. However, it is also conceivable to detect the movement via an incremental encoder and / or additional elements, such as additional sensors.

The mechanical stop is preferably the second furniture part, e.g. a furniture body front.

A relative movement of the furniture parts to each other can e.g. with guide means in the form of drawer linear guides or fittings for a furniture door or furniture flaps.

To calibrate the system, it is in principle sufficient if the control unit causes a start of the mechanical stop in a basic setting and in relation to this a scaling is determined, for example that of an incremental encoder, on the basis of which all further positioning can be carried out.

Preferably, however, the mechanical stop is approached at least during each power failure in order to make a new adjustment to an absolute value can. This increases the safety and accuracy of the movement of the movable furniture part. Because during a power failure, there may be movements between furniture parts that are not detected by the system and then cause incorrect positioning.

In order to further increase the position accuracy and reliability of the device, it is proposed that the control unit is designed in a manner to specify a start of the mechanical stop and the end position removed therefrom in each closing operation of the first furniture part on the second furniture part. As a result, even the smallest mechanical changes can be corrected, which can already occur during a movement of the first furniture part within an opening and closing operation. An exact positioning of the first furniture part is guaranteed.

The control unit may e.g. a micro-control control, which contains the monitoring device for controlling and controlling the movement of the first furniture part. It can be integrated in the drive. It is inexpensive to manufacture (mass-produced) and can be programmed for the existing system.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the distance to the mechanical stop, so the predetermined distance to which the first furniture part moves away from the mechanical stop, set, in particular program.

This makes it easy to compensate for mechanical inaccuracies in furniture fronts and individual fronts exactly on one Set front level.

As drive for the first movable furniture part, an electric motor is preferably used. However, it is also conceivable to use a hydraulic or pneumatic drive. In particular, in a hydraulic or pneumatic drive unit can be used with a central drive, with a corresponding pressurization to the first furniture part is required by only supply lines.

The invention also relates to a piece of furniture with furniture parts which are movable relative to one another and which comprises one of the aforementioned devices. This can be achieved with the respective device achievable advantages for a piece of furniture with relatively movable furniture parts. In particular, the furniture comprises movable furniture parts such as e.g. Drawers, doors, flaps and the like, which are guided via suitable guide means on a second furniture part, in particular a furniture body movable. As guide means come for drawers in particular guide rails or doors or flaps in particular fittings or hinges in question.

drawings

Figur 1

in perspektivischer Ansicht einen Korpus, in dem eine Schublade über eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung aufgenommen ist und

Figur 2

in einer stark schematisierten Seitenansicht ein weiteres Ausführungsbeispiel eines Korpus mit drei erfindungsgemäß angetriebenen Schubladen.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and are further explained below, indicating further advantages and details. Show it

FIG. 1

in a perspective view of a body in which a drawer is received via a device according to the invention and

FIG. 2

in a highly schematic side view of another embodiment of a body with three inventively driven drawers.

Description of the embodiments

FIG. 1 shows obliquely from above a piece of furniture which comprises a body 1 and a drawer 2 movably guided therein. The arranged in the lower part of the body 1 drawer 2 is shown in the open or retracted state, wherein the mutually movable furniture parts 1 and 2 via a pull-out or a drawer slide 3 are mutually displaceable, which by a drive (in FIG. 1 not apparent, see in particular FIG. 2 ) is pressed. In the body 1, a further, not shown drawer can be accommodated in the same way via a further drawer slide 3a. The drawer 2 is movable according to the double arrow P1 relative to the body 2. For holding or guiding the movement of the drawer 2, the drawer guide 3 or 3a is accommodated in the lower region of drawer bottoms 2a projecting upwards on both sides in a drawer bottom 2c, wherein FIG. 1 only one body inside the drawer slide 3 or 3a is visible. The drives preferably act directly on the drawer slides 3, 3a. However, it is also conceivable that a drive on the drawer, here the drawer rear attacks, as in FIG. 2 symbolically represented. Then, a conventional drawer slide 3 can be used.

According to the invention, a front 2b of the drawer 2 when closing against an end face la of the body 1 by eg pulled an electric drive and for an exact positioning of the front 2b this moves for example 3 mm from the front side 1a again forward. This then represents the closed position. The drawer, not shown, can be positioned in a corresponding manner or, if geometric requirements make it necessary, a distance from the end wall la such that the front 2b and the front of a drawer arranged above exactly aligned ,

The inventive principle is in FIG. 2 further illustrated. In a body 20 drawers 21, 22, 23 via guides 24, 25, 26 are arranged. By way of example, the guides 24, 25, 26 are full extensions, as shown in the drawer 21, the drawer is completely withdrawn from the body 20. The drawers 21, 22, 23 are driven by drives, in this case electric motors 27, 28, 29, which are associated with the respective drawer 21, 22, 23. Every electric motor can, as in FIG. 2 shown schematically, via a drive element 30, 31, 32, for example, a train-pressure cable with the respective drawer 21, 22, 23 are mechanically connected to the drawer 21, 22, 23 driven so fully extend and retract.

The electric motors are controlled by control units, which can be integrated in the respective drive. It is also possible to control all drives via a control unit. For feedback of the position of the respective drawer 21, 22, 23 an incremental encoder is preferably provided, which is for example in communication with a drive shaft of the respective electric motor or is arranged directly on this. The information from the incremental encoders is transmitted to the respective control unit. For drawers in a carcass, it is important for a visually appealing image that fronts 21a, 22a, 23a of the drawers 21, 22, 23 are aligned in the closed state as possible in a plane aligned. For this purpose, when closing the drawers, these are initially moved against a mechanical stop, which in the present case is provided by the end face 20a of the body 20 (shown here with drawer 22). From the position of the fronts 21a, 22a, 23a on the front side 20a, these are again moved away from the end face 20a by a predetermined distance 33 (shown here with drawer 23). The predetermined distance 33 is preferably individually matched to the respective drawer 21, 22, 23, so that a planar alignment of the fronts 21a, 22a, 23a is achieved. The distance 33 of the fronts 21a, 22a, 23a to the front side 20a can be used to integrate a touch-latch function. In this case, the control unit via the electric motors 27, 28, 29 open the respective drawer, if the drawer was pushed back within the path 33 in the direction of the end face 20a. A corresponding push-in movement can be detected, for example, via the respective incremental encoder on the motor or other sensors.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

corpus

1a

front

2

drawer

2a

drawer

2 B

front

2c

drawer base

3

drawer guide

3a

drawer guide

20

corpus

20a

front

21

drawer

21a

front

22

drawer

22a

front

23

drawer

23a

front

24

guide

25

guide

26

guide

27

electric motor

28

electric motor

29

electric motor

30

driving element

31

driving element

32

driving element

33

path

Claims (10)

1. Device comprising a drive unit and a control unit for moving a first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) relative to a second furniture part (1, 20), wherein by means of the device the control unit can be driven for controlling the movement of the first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) relative to the second furniture part (1, 20), wherein the control unit is configured after a movement of the first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) into a position which is defined by a mechanical stop (1a, 20a) to predefine a movement of the first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) away from the mechanical stop (1a, 20a) by a predefined path (33), wherein the first furniture part remains in the reached position as an end position, characterised in that the control unit is designed to define the movement to the mechanical stop (1a, 20a) and the end position remote from the latter with each closing process of the first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) on the second furniture part (1, 20).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the mechanical stop (1a, 20a) is a closed position of the first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) relative to the second furniture part (1, 20).
3. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the definable path (33) by which the first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) is moved away from the mechanical stop (1a, 20a) is sufficiently great that pushing back the first furniture part (2, 21, 22, 23) in the direction of the mechanical stop (1a, 2a) can trigger a control action of the control unit.
4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control action can be triggered by the drive (27, 28, 29).
5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control action can be triggered by additional elements, in particular sensor elements.
6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control unit is designed to only specify the movement to the mechanical stop (1a, 20a) for a basic setting.
7. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control unit is configured to initiate movement to the mechanical stop (1a, 20a) after each power failure.
8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the predefined path (33) is adjustable, in particular programmable.
9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the drive unit comprises an electric motor.
10. Piece of furniture with mutually movable furniture parts comprising a device according to any of the preceding claims.

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