Multi-link hinge with damping

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-link hinge for furniture, with a fastening element which can be secured indirectly or directly to a furniture body and is connected to a pivotable door bearing via a plurality of link levers connected to one another in a scissors-like manner, wherein a linear damper which damps both a closing movement and an opening movement of the door bearing is provided. The multi-link hinge is distinguished in that the linear damper is ineffective in a central portion of the pivoting range of the door bearing.

Claims

1. A multi-link hinge for a piece of furniture, comprising: a fastening element configured to be secured indirectly or directly to a furniture body and which is connected to a pivotable door bearing via a plurality of link levers that are connected to one another in a scissors configuration, an L-shaped lever pivotable about a shaft on the fastening element; a first one of the plurality of link levers comprising a first driver; a second one of the plurality of link levers comprising a second driver; and a linear damper connected to the L-shaped lever; wherein during a closing movement, the first driver engages the L-shaped lever which actuates the linear damper for dampening the closing movement, wherein during an opening movement, the second driver engages the L-shaped lever which actuates the linear damper for dampening the opening movement, and wherein the linear damper is ineffective in a central portion of the pivoting range of the door bearing.

2. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the first driver and the second driver are in engagement with the L-shaped lever only outside of the central non-dampened portion of the pivoting range.

3. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second drivers is formed integrally on the respective one of the first and second link lever.

4. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second drivers is arranged as a control cam.

5. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, comprising at least one first energy storage unit which pretensions the multi-link hinge in a closed position.

6. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, comprising at least one second energy storage unit which moves the linear damper back to its initial position.

7. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the damping of the closing movement is effective at an opening angle of less than 50°.

8. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the damping of the opening movement is effective at an opening angle which is at most 35° less than a maximum opening angle of the multi-link hinge.

9. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the central portion of the pivoting range extends over an angular range of at least 30°.

10. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, comprising seven shafts, on which the plurality of link levers are connected to each other.

11. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the central portion of the pivoting range extends over an angular range of at least 60°.

12. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the first driver is formed on a separate first actuating element which is fixed to the first one of the plurality of link levers.

13. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the second driver is formed on a separate second actuating element which is fixed to the second one of the plurality of link levers.

14. A multi-link hinge according to claim 12, wherein the second driver is formed on a separate second actuating element which is fixed to the second one of the plurality of link levers.

15. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the first driver is formed on a separate first actuating element which is releasably fixed to the first one of the plurality of link levers.

16. A multi-link hinge according to claim 1, wherein the second driver is formed on a separate second actuating element which is releasably fixed to the second one of the plurality of link levers.

17. A multi-link hinge according to claim 15, wherein the second driver is formed on a separate second actuating element which is releasably fixed to the second one of the plurality of link levers.

Description

(1) FIGS. 1 to 4 show a multi-link hinge in a first embodiment in different opening positions, and

(2) FIGS. 5 to 8 show a multi-link hinge in a second embodiment in different opening positions.

(3) The following described illustrations of FIGS. 1 to 8 show two embodiments of a multi-link hinge in accordance with the disclosure, each in a schematic sectional view. In all illustrations, the same reference numerals relate to similar or similarly acting elements.

(4) FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of a multi-link hinge, which will be referred to below for reasons of simplicity as hinge 1. In FIG. 1, the hinge 1 is shown in a closed position, in FIG. 2 in a central opening position with an opening angle of approximately 90°, in FIG. 3 with an opening angle of approximately 130°, and in FIG. 4 with a maximum opening angle of 165°.

(5) The hinge 1 comprises a fastening element 2 which can be fixed to a furniture body. Latching means 3 are provided for this purpose on the fastening element 2, which can be latched onto a fastening plate which is not shown here and which can be fixed by means of screws to the furniture body. The hinge 1 further comprises a door bearing 4 which is connectable to a furniture door. The door bearing 4 is conventionally arranged as a pot bearing. Alternative embodiments are possible, e.g. for screwing onto the furniture door.

(6) The door bearing 4 is connected to the fastening element 2 via a plurality of different link levers 5a to 5f, such that it performs relative to said fastening element a combined rotational and pivoting movement upon actuation of the hinge 1. The fastening element 2 is arranged in an approximately U-shaped manner and is open in the direction of the fastening plate (not shown).

(7) A linear damper 6 is arranged in the enclosed region, in which a damper rod 7 travels into a cylinder. The cylinder is pivotably connected at its end facing away from the damper rod 7 to the fastening element 2. The damper rod 7 is subjected to damping when travelling into the cylinder of the linear damper 6.

(8) A lever kinematic system 8 is further arranged on the fastening element 2, which kinematic system may simply comprise a shaft and a lever limb. In the present case, a lever kinematic system 8 is used in form of a substantially L-shaped deflection lever. A lever kinematic system 8 with several levers and shafts can be necessary depending on the used damper (traction or pressure damper) or hinge configuration in order to temporarily produce the coupling between the damper movement and the link lever movement.

(9) The damper rod 7 is connected at its end to a limb of the deflection lever. The deflection lever is also pivotably mounted on the fastening element 2, wherein a second energy storage unit 14 (a leg spring in this case) is provided, which acts on the deflection lever in such a way that the damper rod 7 travels out of the cylinder of the linear damper 6 when the second free limb of the deflection lever is not subjected to a force.

(10) A roller 9 or alternatively a protruding cross bolt is attached to the free limb of the deflection lever. If said deflection lever is moved at its free end on the roller 9 or the cross bolt in the direction of the fastening plate (downwardly in the drawings), the damper rod 7 travels into the cylinder of the linear damper 6.

(11) In order to produce a damping effect during the closing of the furniture door, a first actuating element 10 is attached to one of the link levers (5a to 5d), and in this case the link lever 5d, which comprises a driver 11 which comes into engagement with the roller 9 of the deflection lever beneath a specific opening angle of the hinge 1. In an embodiment, which is also implemented in the illustrated embodiment, the driver 11 is formed as a control cam. Both the starting point of the closing damping and also its force progression can be determined by the shape of the control cam. The starting point of the closing damping describes the opening angle of the hinge from which a rotational movement of the flexible lever and consequently a movement of the damper rod 7 and thus an effective damping commences during a closing movement. The roller 9 is not in contact with the control cam above said opening angle, as can be seen, for example, in the open position of approximately 90° in FIG. 2. In alternative embodiments of the hinge 1, the driver 11 can also consist of a coupling mechanism which temporarily connects to the lever kinematic system 8 in the opening and closing range to be dampened.

(12) When the furniture door is opened beyond said starting point of the closing damping, it can subsequently be moved in a respectively free manner in a central portion of the pivoting range. Said central portion extends over a few tens of degrees, and more than 60° in the present case.

(13) During further opening of the furniture door, opening damping commences at an opening angle which in the illustrated case lies approximately 35° before the maximum opening position. FIG. 3 shows the hinge 1 at an opening angle at which the opening damping has just started.

(14) The opening damping is also realised by means of the linear damper 6. A second actuating element 10′ is provided for this purpose, which in the present case is fixed to the link lever 5b. Said second actuating element 10′ comprises a driver 11′, which is also arranged in this case as a control cam which comes into contact with the roller 9 at the starting angle for the opening damping and moves said roller—as in the case of damping for the closing movement—in the direction of the fastening plate of the hinge 1 (downwardly in the drawings), through which the damper rod 7 is moved into the cylinder of the linear damper 6. In the illustrated case, the further control cam is substantially straight. As a result of the interaction of the second actuating element 10′ with the deflection lever, damping is achieved up to the maximum opening position of approximately 165° in this case, as shown in FIG. 4.

(15) The actuating elements 10 and 10′ for the closing and opening damping may be arranged on different link levers 5a to 5f. In the case of suitable kinematics of a link lever, it is also possible to arrange both actuating elements 10 and 10′ on this one link lever.

(16) FIGS. 5 to 8 show an alternative embodiment of the multi-link hinge 1 represented in FIGS. 1 to 4. The multi-link hinge 1 shown in these drawings does not differ with respect to its basic configuration from the one shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

(17) The hinge 1 is again shown in different opening positions. The hinge 1 is shown in a closed position in FIG. 5, and in FIG. 6 in a central opening position with an opening angle of approximately 90° in which the roler 9 is not in contact with any of the control cams 11 and 11′. FIG. 7 shows the hinge 1 at an opening angle of approximately 130°, and FIG. 8 at a maximum opening angle of 165°.

(18) In contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the shaping of the further actuating element 10′ differs in this case, via which the linear damper 6 is actuated during the opening of the multi-link hinge 1. The further actuating element 10′ is formed in both cases in such a way that it can be retrofitted in a simple way and preferably without tools. The second actuating element 10′ is an integral shaped part made of plastic for example, which can be clipped in a snap-on fashion onto or into the respective link lever 5b. Openings in the link levers or also the inserted rotational shafts can be used for fixing.

(19) It is also possible in alternative embodiments to rigidly connect the actuating element 10 and/or 10′ to the respective link levers 5a to 5d. It is also possible to use the link levers 5a to 5d as actuating elements 10 and/or 10′ themselves, in that one of their surfaces or edges of the driver 11 or 11′ is arranged as a control cam.