Connector and furniture part

Abstract

A connector by way of which two frame elements of a frame of a furniture part can be connected, wherein the connector includes a corner-connecting mechanism for connecting respective end portions of the two frame elements in a corner region of the furniture-part frame. An attachment portion for attachment to a pivoting device is integrated on the corner-connecting mechanism, wherein the furniture part can be accommodated on a basic structure of a piece of furniture such that it can be pivoted by means of the pivoting device.

Claims

1. A connector, by way of which two frame elements of a frame of a furniture part can be connected, the connector comprising: a corner-connecting mechanism for connecting respective end portions of the two frame elements in a corner region of the frame; and an attachment portion, for attaching the corner-connecting mechanism to a latching portion of a pivoting device, integrated on the corner-connecting mechanism, wherein the attachment portion comprises two projecting contact portions on the corner-connecting mechanism, wherein the two projecting contact portions extend in a perpendicular direction with respect to an attachment plane of the attachment portion, wherein the two projecting contact portions can be releasably latched to the latching portion of the pivoting device, and wherein the furniture part can be accommodated on a basic structure of a piece of furniture such that it can be pivoted by means of the pivoting device.

2. The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is fitted in a releasable manner on the corner-connecting mechanism.

3. The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corner-connecting mechanism comprises a main body, on which the attachment portion is accommodated.

4. The connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the attachment portion is fitted on a side of the main body that is oriented parallel to an inner side of the frame.

5. The connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the frame is formed by the frame elements.

6. The connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main body comprises a first elongate arm and a second elongate arm, wherein the first elongate arm is oriented at an angle to the second elongate arm.

7. The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the corner-connecting mechanism is configured to be accommodated in an inner volume of the two frame elements of the frame.

8. The connector as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adjuster, for adjusting a height position and/or a lateral position of the attachment portion, present on the corner-connecting mechanism.

9. The connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the adjuster comprises a screw-connection element, which can be screwed into a main body of the corner-connecting mechanism and which engages through a guide portion in the attachment portion.

10. The connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein the guide portion is a slot.

11. The connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the attachment portion is designed in the form of an elongate angular element with two limbs located at an angle to one another, wherein a first limb of the angular element has two projecting contact portions, and the adjuster is active on a second limb of the angular element.

12. A furniture part having a frame, which is formed from at least two frame elements and surrounds a surface-area region of the furniture part, wherein the frame elements are connected by a connector as claimed in claim 1.

13. The furniture part as claimed in claim 12, wherein the frame elements have hollow-profile portions, wherein the connection of the frame elements by the connector is established in the region of the hollow-profile portions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features and advantages of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated schematically in the figures, in which, specifically:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a piece of furniture having a frame-type furniture part according to the present invention with a furniture-part frame;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration of the region A, which is outlined in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view, as seen obliquely from above, of an example of a corner-connecting mechanism of the connector according to the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the corner-connecting mechanism from FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective detail of a corner region of the frame of the furniture part from FIG. 1 with two frame elements, which are connected by the corner-connecting mechanism from FIG. 3;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the corner region of the furniture-part frame according to FIG. 5; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows an inner-side view of an alternative furniture part according to the present invention, which is illustrated in cut-away form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) In some cases the same reference signs will be used hereinbelow for corresponding elements of different exemplary embodiments.

(10) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a piece of furniture or of a wall unit 1 in a use position, having a box-like basic furniture structure 2 and a furniture part according to the present invention, which is accommodated on a basic furniture structure and is designed in the form of a top-mounted flap 3, which is shown in an open position relative to the basic furniture structure 2. The furniture part or the top-mounted flap 3 has a furniture-part frame 16 made up of four frame elements, for example, made of aluminum, the frame elements preferably being of identical profile shape. The furniture-part frame 16 is of frame-type construction or the frame elements thereof are put together as a frame construction. In addition, the top-mounted flap 3 has an inner element 17, for example, a glass panel, accommodated on the furniture-part frame 16, wherein the inner element 17 is surrounded or enclosed by the furniture-part frame 16.

(11) The basic furniture structure 2 comprises two upright side walls 4 and 5, which are located opposite one another and are connected, at the bottom, to an underside 6 and, at the top, to an upper side 7. On the rear side, the basic furniture structure 2 is closed by a rear wall 8.

(12) A movement device configured in the form of a top-mounted-flap fitting 9 is provided in order to move the top-mounted flap 3 relative to the basic furniture structure 2, about a horizontal pivot axis, from the open position, which is shown in FIG. 1, into a closed position (not shown), in which the flap is in contact with the front side of the basic furniture structure 2, and back. The top-mounted-flap fitting 9 has, on the side wall 4, a first fitting unit 10 and, on the side wall 5, a second fitting unit 11, which are constructed in a similar way, but specifically for functionally correct arrangement on the respective side wall 4 or 5.

(13) Each fitting unit 10 and 11 comprises a basic unit 12, a guide 13 having a pivoting-arm arrangement 14, and also an attachment portion, which is designed, for example, in the form of an installation unit 15. The attachment portion or the installation unit 15 is integrated on a corner-connecting mechanism 22 (see FIGS. 3-6), which will be explained in detail hereinbelow. The basic unit 12 is connected to the installation unit 15 via a plurality of articulated pivoting arms of the pivoting-arm arrangement 14. The installation unit 15 is fastened in a fixed, but releasable, manner on the inner side of the top-mounted flap 3 or the furniture-part frame 16.

(14) The basic unit 12 is preferably formed from a sheet-metal component and comprises a planar, flat and thin baseplate and a flat, thin housing element, which is located opposite the baseplate. The housing element is covered by a covering element 18 or a cover plate.

(15) The basic unit 12 also has, on its end side, an end portion 19, of which the outer side is oriented transversely to the plane of the baseplate. The relevant pivoting arms of the pivoting-arm arrangement 14 engage through a rectangular aperture 20 in the end portion 19. The width of the end portion 19, which is designed in the form of a plug-on component, corresponds to a conventional width a of the side wall 4 of, for example, 16 millimeters. The overall width or thickness of the fitting units 10 and 11 is approximately 12 millimeters, and therefore, accordingly, a respective rectangular-surface-area aperture in the side walls 4 and 5 has a depth of approximately 12 millimeters, which results in a residual base thickness of the side walls 4, 5 in the region of the respective aperture of approximately 4 millimeters.

(16) FIG. 3 is an illustration solely of a corner-connecting mechanism 22 of the connector 21 according to the present invention. Two frame elements 23, 24 (see FIGS. 2, 5 and 6) of the furniture-part frame 16 can be connected by the connector 21. The relevant corner regions of the furniture flap 3 are located at the top, as seen in relation to the closed, use state of the furniture flap 3 on the wall unit 1, or form a right-hand upper corner region and a left-hand upper corner region. The respective fitting unit 10, 11, or the corresponding respective pivoting-arm arrangement 14, acts there in the region of the first lateral frame element 23, or of an opposite, second lateral frame element, of the furniture flap 3, wherein the upper frame element 24 is present between the lateral frame elements.

(17) The two frame elements 23, 24 are cross-sectionally quadrilateral profiles or hollow profiles, for example, hollow aluminum profiles, for example, extruded profiles.

(18) The corner-connecting mechanism 22 is preferably likewise made of a metal material and has a single-piece main body 25, which is preferably made of a solid material and has two elongate arms 26 and 27 oriented at right angles to one another.

(19) In FIGS. 3-6, an attachment portion 34 is fitted on the corner-connecting mechanism, which will be explained hereinbelow.

(20) The arms 26, 27 are connected to one another to form a single part. The outer contour of the arms 26, 27 is more or less quadrilateral, or in other words rectangular or square, depending on the inner shape or inner contour of the hollow frame elements 23, 24. At least upper longitudinal edges of the arms 26, 27 are rounded or chamfered.

(21) The arm 26, without the attachment portion 34, is smooth and can be pushed or plug-fitted into the end portion of the frame element 23 possibly with a slight amount of frictional resistance. Correspondingly, for the purpose of connecting the frame elements 23, 24, the arm 27 can be plug-fitted into the hollow end portion of the frame element 24.

(22) An inner planar side 26a of the arm 26, as seen in relation to the use state of the top-mounted flap 3, is provided with an internally threaded screw-in opening 28 which, in the case of the arm 26 being properly plug-fitted in the frame element 23, is aligned in its position with an opening 30 on an inner side 23a of the frame element 23, and, therefore, a fastening screw 32 can be screwed in and, in the process, engages through the opening 30 and into the screw-in opening 28, or the internal thread thereof, in order to fix the corner-connecting mechanism 22 to the frame element 23.

(23) Correspondingly, an inner side 27a of the arm 27, as seen in relation to the use state of the top-mounted flap 3, is provided with an internally threaded screw-in opening 29 which, in the case of the arm 27 being properly plug-fitted in the frame element 24, is aligned in its position with an opening 31 on an inner side 24a of the frame element 24, and, therefore, a fastening screw 33 can be screwed in and, in the process, engages through the opening 31 and the screw-in opening 29, or the internal thread thereof, in order to fix the corner-connecting mechanism 22 to the frame element 24.

(24) The respective end regions on the end sides of the two frame elements 23 and 24, it being possible for the end regions to be connected to one another with gap-free abutting contact by way of a mitre joint, are oriented in each case at an angle of 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the respective frame elements 23, 24.

(25) In the state in which the two frame elements 23 and 24 are connected to one another by the main body 25 of the corner-connecting mechanism 22, the attachment portion 34 is integrated on the corner-connecting mechanism 22. For this purpose, the attachment portion 34 is screwed on the arm 26 by means of two screws 35 and 36. For the introduction of the attachment portion 34, a window-like cutout 42 is present on the inner side 23a, in the region between the opening 30 and the oblique end region on the end side of the frame element 23.

(26) The inner side 26a of the arm 26 has a lower-level region with a planar base 37. The base 37 is oriented parallel to the adjacent, or remaining, regions of the side 26a and has two screw-connection holes which are offset or spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the arm 26 and are concealed, and, therefore, cannot be seen, in FIGS. 3-6.

(27) The screws 35 and 36 are provided for fastening the attachment portion 34 and are part of adjuster for adjusting a height position and a lateral position of the attachment portion 34 on the corner-connecting mechanism 22. It is, therefore, possible, when the piece of furniture or wall unit 1 is in the finished state, to adjust the height position and the lateral position of the furniture part or of the top-mounted flap 3 relative to the basic furniture structure 2.

(28) The attachment portion 34 is produced, by way of example, from a bent sheet-metal material and is configured in the form of an elongate angular element with two limbs 38 and 39 located at right angles to one another. The limb 38, which has its underside supported on the base 37, has two through-holes 40, 41 for the screws 35 and 36. The through-holes 40, 41, each designed in the form of a slot, and the screws 35, 36, each configured in the form of eccentric screws, are configured for the purpose of adjusting the height position and the lateral position of the attachment portion 34 on the corner-connecting mechanism 22.

(29) The screw 35 and the through-hole 40 provide for a first eccentric arrangement, which makes it possible, by the screw 35 being turned in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, to adjust the height position of the attachment portion 34 in the two height directions in accordance with the double arrow P1.

(30) The screw 36 and the through-hole 41 provide for a second eccentric arrangement, which makes it possible, by the screw 36 being turned in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, to adjust the lateral position of the attachment portion 34 in the two lateral directions in accordance with the double arrow P2.

(31) The limb 39, which is located transversely to the opening of the cutout 42, comprises two contact portions 43 and 44, which project on the same side, or outward, and are configured for latching in a releasable manner to appropriately fitting mating portions (not illustrated) at the furniture-part end of the pivoting-arm arrangement 14. For this purpose, both contact portions 43 and 44 project outward on the side 23a. The two contact portions 43 and 44 each have a latching contour, such as an undercut contour or a hook contour.

(32) On the other side of the furniture-part frame 16, where the pivoting-arm arrangement of the further fitting unit 11 of the top-mounted-flap fitting 9 acts on the top-mounted flap 3, the corner region between the upper frame element 24 and the associated further lateral frame element is provided with a corresponding connector having a corner-connecting mechanism which corresponds to the corner-connecting mechanism 22, and, therefore, contact portions for latching in a releasable manner to the pivoting-arm arrangement are likewise available there.

(33) FIG. 7 shows an alternative furniture part according to the present invention or an alternative top-mounted flap 3, which has a furniture-part frame 16 with an inner element 17. In its two upper corner regions, the furniture-part frame 16 has respective connectors 21 according to the present invention having a corner-connecting mechanism 45, which can have its two right-angled arms plug-fitted into an end portion of an upper frame element 46, and into an end portion of a lateral frame element 47, and fixed therein. In a manner corresponding to the corner-connecting mechanism 22, an attachment portion 34 with two contact portions 43 and 44 is formed on the corner-connecting mechanism 45, wherein the contact portions 43 and 44 project through a cutout 48 in the frame element 47. It is also the case that adjusters are provided for adjusting the attachment portion 34 on the corner-connecting mechanism 45, the adjusters comprising a screw 49 for height-position adjustment, a screw 50 for lateral-position adjustment, each of these screws preferably being provided in an eccentric arrangement, and a screw 51 for depth-position adjustment in the direction perpendicular to the image plane.

(34) The cut-away illustration in FIG. 7 means that a corresponding arrangement on the opposite side of the top-mounted flap 3, in the upper corner region on the inside of the top-mounted flap 3, is not visible.

(35) TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Signs  1 Wall unit  2 Basic furniture structure  3 Top-mounted flap  4 Side wall  5 Side wall  6 Underside  7 Upper side  8 Rear wall  9 Top-mounted-flap fitting 10 Fitting unit 11 Fitting unit 12 Basic unit 13 Guide 14 Pivoting-arm arrangement 15 Installation unit 16 Furniture-part frame 17 Inner element 18 Covering element 19 End portion 20 Aperture 21 Connector 22 Corner-connecting mechanism 23 Frame element 23a Side 24 Frame element 24a Side 25 Main body 26 Arm 26a Side 27 Arm 27a Side 28 Screw-in opening 29 Screw-in opening 30 Opening 31 Opening 32 Fastening screw 33 Fastening screw 34 Attachment portion 35 Screw 36 Screw 37 Base 38 Limb 39 Limb 40 Through-hole 41 Through-hole 42 Cutout 43 Contact portion 44 Contact portion 45 Corner-connecting mechanism 46 Frame element 47 Frame element 48 Cutout 49 Screw 50 Screw 51 Screw