Abstract
A fitting for a folding door arranged on a furniture carcass has at least one first door leaf and a second door leaf connected thereto in a jointed manner. The fitting has a contact part arranged on the first or second door leaf, and the contact part is movably arranged between a contact position and a rest position on the first or second door leaf. In a closed position of the folding door, the contact part in the contact position can be brought into contact with the furniture carcass or a component of the furniture carcass and, in an open position of the folding door, the contact part in the rest position is movable in an intermediate chamber between the first and the second door leaf.
Claims
1. An article of furniture comprising: a furniture carcass; a folding door arranged on the furniture carcass, the folding door including a first door leaf and a second door leaf hingedly connected to the first door leaf; and a fitting mounted on the folding door, the fitting including a contact portion arranged at one of the first door leaf or the second door leaf so as to be moveable between a contact position and a rest position, wherein the fitting is configured such that, in a closed position of the folding door, the contact portion in the contact position contacts an element of the furniture carcass, and in an open position of the folding door, the contact portion in the rest position is in an intermediate space between the first door leaf and the second door leaf, and wherein the fitting is configured such that the contact portion extends in a perpendicular direction relative to the one of the first door leaf or the second door leaf in the contact position.
2. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the fitting further comprises a base body mounted to one of the first door leaf or the second door leaf, the contact portion being pivotably mounted hingedly about an axis of rotation on the base body to allow movement between the contact position and the rest position.
3. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the fitting is configured such that, upon pivotal movement of the folding door into the open position, the fitting is folded together, and upon pivotal movement and unfolding of the folding door into the closed position, the fitting is opened up with subsequent abutment of the contact portion against the element of the furniture carcass.
4. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the fitting is configured such that, upon pivotal movement of the folding door into the open position, the fitting is folded together and the door leaves are arranged in a substantially mutually parallel relationship, and the folding door in the open position can be inserted into a retraction compartment on the furniture carcass.
5. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion in the contact position establishes a spacing between the folding door and the furniture carcass at a fixed value defined by a length of the contact portion.
6. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is moveable from the rest position into the contact position by a force storage member.
7. The article of furniture according to claim 6, wherein the fitting further comprises a base body, the force storage member being arranged between the contact portion and the base body or between the contact portion and the one of the first door leaf or the second door leaf.
8. The article of furniture according to claim 6, wherein the force storage member is a spring.
9. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is mounted pivotably so as to pivot between the rest position and the contact position through an angle of between 0° and 90°.
10. The article of furniture according to claim 9, wherein the contact portion is mounted pivotably so as to pivot between the rest position and the contact position through an angle of between 0° and 75°.
11. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion has a free end with a contact part to be brought into contact with the element of the furniture carcass.
12. The article of furniture according to claim 11, wherein the contact part of the contact portion in the contact position projects further from the one of the first door leaf or the second door leaf than in the rest position.
13. The article of furniture according to claim 11, wherein the contact part is a rotatable rolling body mounted at the free end of the contact portion, and the rolling body has a peripheral surface to be brought into contact with the element of the furniture carcass in the contact position.
14. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein a length of the contact portion is adjustable by an adjustment portion.
15. The article of furniture according to claim 14, wherein the adjustment portion is a slot, and the fitting portion further includes an arresting member and a corresponding fixing portion for arresting a length of the contact portion.
16. The article of furniture according to claim 15, wherein the arresting member is a screw, and the corresponding fixing portion is a counterpart thread.
17. The article of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the fitting further includes an abutment portion arranged on the first door leaf and a guide portion arranged on the second door leaf.
18. The article of furniture according to claim 17, wherein the contact portion is arranged on the abutment portion and is moveable from the contact position into the rest position by a displacement of the first door leaf and the second door leaf between the open position and the closed position by the guide portion.
19. The article of furniture according to claim 17, wherein the guide portion includes a ramp along which the contact portion is displaceable.
20. The article of furniture according to claim 19, wherein the ramp has a curved configuration in the form of a curving convex relationship with the door leaf.
21. An article of furniture comprising: a furniture carcass; a folding door arranged on the furniture carcass, the folding door including a first door leaf and a second door leaf hingedly connected to the first door leaf; and a fitting mounted on the folding door, the fitting including a contact portion arranged at the first door leaf or second door leaf so as to be moveable between a contact position and a rest position, wherein the fitting is configured such that, in a closed position of the folding door, the contact portion in the contact position is brought into contact with an element of the furniture carcass, and in an open position of the folding door, the contact portion in the rest position is moved into an intermediate space between the first door leaf and the second door leaf, and wherein the fitting further includes an adjustment portion for adjusting a length of the contact portion.
22. A fitting comprising: a base body to be mounted to a first door leaf of a folding door such that a longitudinal axis of the base body is parallel to a plane of the first door leaf; an abutment portion mounted on the base body; a guide portion pivotably connected to the abutment portion, the guide portion to be mounted to a second door leaf of the folding door; and a contact portion pivotably connected to the base body and the abutment portion so as to be pivotable between a contact position and a rest position, wherein the fitting is configured such that, in a closed position of the folding door, the contact portion is in the contact position and extends in a perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the base body, and in an open position of the folding door, the contact portion is in the rest position and located in an intermediate space between the abutment portion and the guide portion, and wherein the contact portion extends in a perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the base body in the contact position.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Further details and advantages of the present invention are described more fully hereinafter by means of the specific description with reference to the embodiments by way of example illustrated in the drawings in which:
(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article of furniture with folding doors in the closed position,
(3) FIG. 2 is a plan view of an article of furniture with folding doors in the closed position,
(4) FIG. 3 shows a fitting in the contact position,
(5) FIG. 4 shows an article of furniture in the open position,
(6) FIG. 5 shows a fitting in the rest position,
(7) FIG. 6 shows a fitting in the open position of the folding door,
(8) FIG. 7 shows a fitting in the closed position of the folding door,
(9) FIG. 8 shows the adjustability of the fitting,
(10) FIG. 9 is an exploded view illustrating components of the fitting, and
(11) FIG. 10 shows a variant with a damping device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(12) FIG. 1 shows an article of furniture 100 with a furniture carcass 40, in which there are fitted at least one folding door 3, comprising a first door leaf 3a and a second door leaf 3b. The door leaves 3a, 3b are mounted moveably along a guide 50. FIG. 1 shows the closed position S in which the at least one folding door 3 is closed and thus the door leaves 3a, 3b are in a coplanar position.
(13) FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the article of furniture 100. At least one retraction compartment 41 is arranged laterally on the article of furniture 100 or on the furniture carcass 40. The compartment 41 serves to receive the folding door 3 when moved into the open position O. The term folding doors 3 is also used to denote a folding-sliding door as that is not only folded but can also be displaced along the guides 50 shown in FIG. 1. Disposed in the region between the furniture carcass 40 and the at least one folding door 3 is at least one fitting 1 having a contact portion 2. In the closed position S of the at least one folding door 3, the contact portion 2 of the fitting 1 contacts a component of the furniture carcass 40 or the furniture carcass 40 itself. This, therefore, ensures that the folding door 3 is positioned relative to the furniture carcass 40 in the closed position S. The gap configuration between the individual door leaves 3a, 3b and/or the folding doors 3 is thus correctly set. It can be seen that the gap X between the folding door 3 and the furniture carcass 40 is bridged over by the fitting 1. In the closed position S of the folding door 3, the contact portion 2 in the contact position K can be brought operatively in a non-yielding relationship against the furniture carcass 40 or a component of the furniture carcass 40. In an open position O of the folding door 3, the contact portion 2 is moveable in a rest position R yieldingly into an intermediate space Z between the first and second door leaves 3a, 3b. Positioning of the folding doors 3 is therefore implemented not just by the folding hinges 42 but also by the fitting 1. For the sake of simplification, the guides 50 in the upper region of the article of furniture 100 have been omitted from the drawing in FIG. 2. Besides the fittings 1 at the gap between the door leaves 3a, 3b, there is also an unfolding aid which is triggered upon over-pressing of the door leaves 3a, 3b and supports opening pivotal movement of the folding doors 3 from the closed position S in the direction of the open position O. Therefore, the contact portion 2 must also be slightly yielding in order to be able to compensate for that over-pressing effect. That is effected, for example, by a force storage means arranged in or at the fitting 1. Upon over-pressing out of the coplanar position into an over-pressing position of the folding door 3, the contact portion 2 on the fitting 1 can thus slightly yield in order to be able to ensure triggering of the ejection aids. The ejection aids are not visible in FIG. 2, they are disposed in a region above or below the fitting 1 at the door gap between the door leaves 3a, 3b.
(14) FIG. 3 shows the door leaves 3a, 3b in the closed position S. The door leaves 3a, 3b are connected together by a hinge 43 having a hinge axis SX. The hinge 43 can also include the ejection aid which is extended in FIG. 2 in order to promote opening of the door leaves 3a, 3b from the closed position S into the open position O. That ejection aid, however, can also be implemented by an independent component which is disposed along the door gap between the door leaves 3a, 3b. Besides the hinge 43, there is the fitting 1 having an abutment portion 1a on the door leaf 3a. Disposed on the door leaf 3b is the corresponding guide portion 1b of the fitting 1, which can be brought into contact with the abutment portion 1a and which cooperates with the contact portion 2 in a certain position of the door leaves 3a, 3b. FIG. 3 shows the closed position S, the contact portion 2 is supported with the contact part 5 by a part of the furniture carcass 40 (i.e., is brought into contact with an element of the furniture carcass 40) and thus serves as an abutment. In that arrangement, the contact portion 2 is mounted rotatably or pivotably about an axis of rotation D to the base body 6 of the fitting 1. The cooperation between the guide portion 1b and the abutment portion 1a or the contact part 5 of the contact portion 2 is effected by way of a ramp 7. That ramp 7 is in one piece with the guide portion 1b.
(15) FIG. 4 shows the article of furniture 100 in the open position O, wherein the fitting 1 with its contact portion 2 is disposed in the folded-together state in the intermediate region Z between the door leaves 3a, 3b. The door leaves 3a, 3b which are almost parallel or substantially parallel do not allow such a large spacing relative to each other that the fitting 1 can retain its dimensioning, as shown in FIG. 2. The fitting 1 must be yielding in order to be able to move the door leaves 3a, 3b into the open position O in order to be able subsequently to position the door leaves 3a, 3b for example in the retraction compartment 41. FIG. 4 thus shows the rest position of the fitting 1. By virtue of a guide 50, the arrangement of the door leaves 3a, 3b can be introduced in the open position O into the retraction compartment 41. The article of furniture 100 is thus opened forwardly, with the retraction compartment 41 being occupied by the folding door 3.
(16) FIG. 5 shows how the door leaves 3a, 3b of the folding door 3 have been pivoted relative to each other and are in the open position O. The pivotal movement is effected by way of the pivot axis SX. In that case, the contact part 5 of the contact portion 2 is displaced along the ramp 7 of the guide portion 1b into the rest position R. That movement takes place against a force storage member 4. The force storage member 4 is disposed between the abutment portion 1a and the contact portion 2 and assists with a return movement of the contact portion 2 out of the rest position R into the contact position K. Instead of a force storage member 4, it would also be possible for example to use the force of gravity to promote positioning of the contact portion 2 in the contact position K. The ramp 7 would have to act against the force of gravity in order to move the contact portion 2 into the rest position R. In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, however, the contact portion 2 is displaced about the axis of rotation D against the ramp 7 by the force storage member 4.
(17) FIG. 6 shows the fitting 1 for simplification purposes without the door leaves 3a, 3b. In this case, the fitting 1 is in the rest position R. That corresponds to the open position O of the door leaves 3a, 3b (not shown). The components forming the fitting 1, comprising the abutment portion 1a and the guide portion 1b, are connected to the door leaves 3a, 3b by a fixing member 8. The force storage member 4, which is in the form of a tension spring, is under tension in the rest position and endeavors to retract the contact portion 2, together with the contact part 5, into the contact position K (see FIG. 7). By virtue of the fact that the door leaves 3a, 3b, however, are in the open position, that movement cannot take place and is blocked. It is only when the door leaves 3a, 3b are moved into the closed position S that the force storage member 4 can pull or move the contact portion 2 together with the contact part 5 into the contact position K. It will also be seen from FIG. 6 that the contact portion 2 is fitted rotatably about an axis of rotation D, consisting of a pin or a screw, on the base body 6. The contact part 5 is in the form of a rolling body which is disposed rotatably at the free end of the contact portion 2 and with the periphery of which the contact with the component of the furniture carcass 40, that is not visible in FIG. 6, can be made. The ramp 7 is adapted to the geometry of the contact part 5. This means that the contact part 5 in the form of the rolling body can move along the ramp 7. In that case, the ramp 7 which is convexly curved relative to the door leaf 3b facilitates the movement of the contact portion 2 out of the rest position R into the contact position K and vice-versa.
(18) FIG. 7 shows the fitting 1 in the contact position K corresponding to the closed position S of the door leaves 3a, 3b. Here too, the door leaves 3a, 3b have been removed from the drawing for the purposes of simplicity. The force storage member 4 has thus pulled or moved the contact portion 2 into the contact position K.
(19) FIG. 8 shows that the contact portion 2 comprises two elements which are moveable relative to each other. In that arrangement, the contact portion 2 has a carrier portion 9 which can be connected to the base body 6 rotatably via the axis of rotation D (see FIG. 7). The carrier portion 9, in this case, has an adjustment portion 10, along which the displacement portion of the contact portion 2 is longitudinally moveably mounted. The adjustment portion 10 is in the form of a slot extending along the carrier portion 9. The adjustment portion 21 is fixed in its position relative to the carrier portion 9 by at least one arresting member 12 or a corresponding fixing portion 12′. The mounting member for the contact part 5 is also disposed on the adjustment portion 21. In this case, there are also apertures for receiving a rotary pin or fault, to which the rolling body forming the contact part 5 is fitted. For simplification purposes, the contact part 5 has not been shown in FIG. 8. The relative position between the folding door 3 and the furniture carcass 40 can be adjusted by the adjustment portion 10.
(20) FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of the abutment portion 1a of the fitting 1. It comprises the base body 6, the fixing member 8 with which the base body 6 can be fixed to a door leaf 3a, 3b. The base body 6 further has the receiving member for the axis of rotation D, in the form of a rotary pin 11. The carrier portion 9 is subsequently moveably mounted thereto. The force storage member 4 is fixed between the base body 6 and the carrier portion 9. That is effected by way of the attachment member 13 and 13′. They can be in the form of pins, screws or bolts. The contact part 5 is fitted to the adjustment portion 21 of the contact portion 2 by way of a further attachment member 14. The arresting member 12 with the corresponding fixing portion 12′ arranged in the adjustment portion 21 are in the form of screws with a corresponding counterpart thread. It is also possible here to use only one screw with a corresponding counterpart thread. Instead of a tension spring providing the force storage member 4, it would also be possible to use an elastomer, a pneumatic or a hydraulic damper or something comparable, which causes the return movement of the contact portion 2.
(21) FIG. 10 shows a diagrammatic view of a contact portion 2 having a damping device 55. The damping device 55 provides for damping upon contact of the contact portion 2 and the furniture carcass 40 or a part of the furniture carcass 40 like for example a worktop, a base panel, a shelf or a cover panel. The damping device 55 can be provided by a spring, a hydraulic or pneumatic damper or an elastic element, the spring force or the return force of which is less than the closing force of the door leaves 3a, 3b moving them into the closed position S. The damping device 55 thus has no influence on the spacing La between the door leaves 3a, 3b and the furniture carcass 40 as the damping device 55 is completely pushed through in the closed position of the door leaves 3a, 3b. The damping device 55 supports the contact part 5 which is shown in FIG. 10 in the form of a roller and which is carried on a spring plunger. Instead of a roller, it is also possible to provide a simple, spring-mounted pin or a simple elastic element on the contact portion 2. In the closed position S, the overall length Ld of the contact portion 2 changes into the spacing La which corresponds to the gap X between the furniture carcass 40 and the folding door 3 (see FIG. 2) as the entire damping device 55 is over-pressed by the closing force. In spite of the damping device 55 non-yielding, hard firm abutment of the contact portion 2 against the furniture carcass 40 or a part thereof is achieved, whereby the relevant spacing La is exactly established in that way.
