Spreading connector

Abstract

A spreading connector for connecting two furniture parts, including a built-in pot having a pot bottom, the pot being pressable, pot bottom first, into a housing bore of a first of the furniture parts. The pot further has a hollow-cylindrical pot wall that has a wall opening and at least one spreading tab that is cut free in the hollow-cylindrical pot wall and is pivotable about an axis running tangentially to the hollow-cylindrical pot wall. A tightening element is rotatably mounted inside the built-in pot for tightening a fastening bolt of a second of the furniture parts which passes through the wall opening. The tightening element has an outer eccentric surface for spreading the at least one spreading tab. The at least one spreading tab has a free tab end that extends in an axial direction away from the pot bottom.

Claims

1. A spreading connector for connecting two furniture parts, comprising: a pot having a pot bottom, the pot being pressable, pot bottom first, into a housing bore of a first of the furniture parts, the pot further having a hollow-cylindrical pot wall that has a wall opening and at least one spreading tab that is cut free in the hollow-cylindrical pot wall and is pivotable about an axis running tangentially to the hollow-cylindrical pot wall; and a tightening element, rotatably mounted inside the pot, for tightening a fastening bolt of a second of the furniture parts which passes through the wall opening, the tightening element having an outer eccentric surface for spreading the at least one spreading tab, wherein the at least one spreading tab has a free tab end that extends in an axial direction away from the pot bottom and is configured to be spread by the outer eccentric surface of the tightening element.

2. The spreading connector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spreading tab is attached at an end region of the hollow-cylindrical pot wall facing the pot bottom.

3. The spreading connector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spreading tab is attached to the hollow-cylindrical pot wall so as to be spaced apart axially from the pot bottom.

4. The spreading connector according to claim 1, wherein the free tab end of the at least one spreading tab is spaced apart axially from a stop edge of the pot that protrudes outwards beyond the hollow-cylindrical pot wall.

5. The spreading connector according to claim 4, wherein the free tab end of the at least one spreading tab is spaced apart from the stop edge by at least 1 mm.

6. The spreading connector according to claim 5, wherein the free tab end of the at least one spreading tab is spaced apart from the stop edge by at least 2 mm.

7. The spreading connector according to claim 4, wherein the hollow-cylindrical pot wall is cut out between the free tab end and the stop edge.

8. The spreading connector according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spreading tab is cut free in the hollow-cylindrical pot wall by a U-shaped cut.

9. The spreading connector according to claim 1, wherein the hollow-cylindrical pot wall has at least two spreading tabs which are cut free and face one another with respect to the tightening element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) In the drawing:

(2) FIGS. 1a-1c show the spreading connector according to the invention in two perspective views (FIGS. 1a, 1b) and in a side view (FIG. 1c);

(3) FIGS. 2a, 2b show two different exploded views of the spreading connector according to the invention; and

(4) FIGS. 3a, 3b show a built-in pot of the spreading connector according to the invention in a perspective view (FIG. 3a) and in a side view (FIG. 3b).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) The spreading connector 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 serves to connect two furniture parts (not shown). The spreading connector 1 is shown in the assembled state in FIGS. 1a-1c and in an exploded view in FIGS. 2a, 2b.

(6) The spreading connector 1 comprises a built-in pot 2 (e.g. of plastics material), which is pressed, pot bottom 3 first, into a housing bore of one furniture part until at the other end it abuts the furniture part with a stop edge 4 that protrudes outwards beyond the hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7, as well as a tightening element 5 (e.g. zinc die-casting) which is rotatably mounted inside the built-in pot 2 and which is inserted in a locking manner into the built-in pot 2 via an opening 6 on the pot bottom side.

(7) The built-in pot 2 has in its hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7 a wall opening 8 which is open into the stop edge 4 and through which a fastening bolt 9 of the other furniture part engages through and into the tightening element 5. The tightening element 5 has an inner eccentric surface 10 so that, by rotation of the tightening element 5, it engages beneath the head of the fastening bolt 9 and thereby tightens the fastening bolt 9. The tightening element 5 has on its side remote from the pot bottom 3 a tool receptacle (not shown), for example a cross-slot, in order to allow the tightening element 5 to be rotated when the spreading connector 1 has been pressed in.

(8) Two spreading tabs 11 which face one another with respect to the tightening element 5 are cut free in the hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7, which spreading tabs 11 are attached to the hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7 at the end region of the hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7 facing the pot bottom 3spaced apart from the pot bottom 3and are each pivotable about an axis 12 running tangentially to the hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7 and parallel to the pot bottom 3. The two spreading tabs 11 extend with their free tab end 13 in the direction towards the stop edge 4 and are spaced apart therefrom axially, preferably by about 1 to 3 mm. The edges of the free tab ends 13 facing the stop edge 4 thereby each form an undercut which acts contrary to the insertion direction of the built-in pot and which digs into the wood material of a bore wall and provides additional anchoring.

(9) As is shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b, the two spreading tabs 11 are cut free by a U-shaped cut 14, whereby the hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7 is cut out between the free tab end 13 and the stop edge 4.

(10) The tightening element 5 has two outer eccentric surfaces 15 for spreading the two spreading tabs 11, in order, by rotation of the tightening element 5, to spread the two spreading tabs 11 outwards out of the hollow-cylindrical pot wall 7.

(11) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.