Closing device, extension runner having a closing device as well as furniture item having an extension runner

Abstract

A closing device for closing a movably mounted drawer relative to a furniture carcass, including a catch piece releasably couplable with an entrainment mechanism of the drawer and mounted to be movable along a displacement portion, and an energy storage mechanism which is chargeable by a displacement movement of the catch piece. The catch piece includes a hold state at the end of and at the beginning of the displacement portion and the catch piece is locked in the hold state at the end of the displacement portion, holds the energy of the energy storage mechanism and allows the drawer to be decoupled. The catch piece is pivotable and carries out a pivoting movement along the displacement portion between the two holding states over a path of more than 20% of the displacement portion when the catch piece is displaced.

Claims

1. A closing device for closing a movably mounted drawer into a closed end position relative to a furniture carcass, said closing device comprising: a curved element having an outer peripheral surface with a curved track defined thereon, the curved track including a beginning position proximate an upper portion thereof, and an ending position proximate a lower portion thereof; a catch piece, the catch piece having an outer surface, an abutment element, and a curved slot, the curved slot having a first end defining an opening in the outer surface of the catch piece, a second end defined within the catch piece at a position spaced away from the first end, and an arcuate portion defined between the first end and the second end, and being releasably couplable with an entrainment element of the drawer, the catch piece being mounted so as to be movable along the curved track; an energy storage mechanism which is chargeable by means of a movement of the catch piece along the curved track, wherein the catch piece comprises a hold state at the ending position of the curved track, and a hold state at the beginning position of the curved track, wherein the catch piece is arranged so as to be pivotable and to carry out a pivoting movement along the curved track between the hold states over a path of more than 20% of the curved track when the catch piece is displaced, wherein the pivoting movement is forcibly actuated by the curved track, wherein the pivoting movement is predetermined by the abutment element of the catch piece abutting against the curved track; and wherein the entrainment element is received in the second end of the curved slot when the catch piece is located at the beginning position, is configured to move past the arcuate position of the curved slot when the catch piece moves along the curved track, and is configured to reach the first position of the curved slot and exit through the opening in the surface of the catch piece when the catch piece reaches the ending position, thereby freeing the drawer to move.

2. The closing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the abutment element is supported against the curved element during the pivoting movement.

3. An opening device having a closing device as claimed in claim 1.

4. A furniture item having an opening device as claimed in claim 3.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Several exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by way of the following figures whilst specifying further advantages and details, in which figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a curved element with a catch piece in a position in which a drawer is fully closed, that is to say at the beginning of a displacement portion of the catch piece;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the components from FIG. 1 with a position of the catch piece between the beginning of the displacement portion from FIG. 1 and a holding state at the end of the displacement portion;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a state of the components from FIG. 1 with a catch piece in a position in which an entrainment means is able to be uncoupled;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a force-distance diagram of a conventional closing device and of a closing device according to the invention with a pivotable catch piece; and

(6) FIGS. 5-8 show the closing mechanism from DE 20 2004 006 410 U1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIGS. 1 to 3 show the components catch piece entrainment means 2 and curved element 3 of a closing device with different positions of the catch piece 3 along a displacement path.

(8) The catch piece 1 has a pivot axis 4, a curved slot 5 for receiving the entrainment means 2 as well as an abutment element 6. The abutment element 6 slides along a curved track 7 of the curved element 3 with the catch piece 1 being displaced along a displacement portion out of a start position according to FIG. 1 into an end position according to FIG. 3.

(9) A user encounters the following conditions when the catch piece is displaced as a result of, for example, displacing a drawer (not shown) with regard to the force that he has to expend:

(10) A force F.sub.B of a user acts on the entrainment means 2 by means of the drawer which is coupled with the entrainment means 2. On the other side, the energy of an energy storing means which pulls the drawer closed, for example, a spring force F.sub.F according to the force marked in FIG. 1, abuts against the pivot axis 4.

(11) Normally, the opening force increases corresponding to the spring force according to Hooke's law F.sub.F=D.Math.s, wherein D is the spring constant and s the opening path. A user must then apply an opening force F.sub.B which corresponds to the spring force F.sub.F.

(12) The curved element 3 with the abutment element 6 of the catch piece 1 which is moved along the same results, however, in other conditions for the user with regard to the opening force F.sub.B.

(13) In FIG. 1, the user starts with a force F.sub.B which corresponds substantially to the spring force F.sub.F. In this case, the spacing between the entrainment means, on which the force F.sub.B acts, and the pivot axis comprises the value a.

(14) Along the path (on the right-hand side in FIGS. 2 and 3) the abutment element 6 slides on the curved track 7 which slopes downward, as a result of which the catch piece 1 is pivoted clockwise. The abutment element 6, in this case, remains fixedly in the abutment on the curved track 7 as a result of the force conditions which the entrainment means generates in the slot 5. The result of the sloping curved track is that a larger and larger proportion of the restoring forces of a spring (not shown) are able to be supported on the curved element 3 by means of the abutment element 6, as a result of which the force F.sub.B which is decisive to the user is not increased in a linear manner as expected, but as shown in the force-distance diagram according to FIG. 4 increases initially somewhat, then even falls slightly and at the end, when the curved track is more clearly sloping, where applicable up to the vertical, falls away severely, possibly to zero, which is not shown, however, in the force-distance diagram. A conventional closing device, as is disclosed, for example, in German Utility Patent No. 20 2004 006 410 U1, is shown as curve 8 in the force-distance diagram. Corresponding to Hooke's law, the curve is a substantially straight line. The force-distance diagram for the closing device according to the invention is represented by the curve 9 which certainly does show a linear force increase at the beginning, but then falls away slightly and finally reflects a sharply decreasing force progression.

(15) The situation is symbolized by an end point in FIG. 3. The catch piece 1 has been pivoted so far that the entrainment means 2 is able to move out of the slot 5, which is open on one side, which results in the drawer, from this point in time, then being able to move freely further in the opening direction. The catch piece 1 has preferably arrived, as a result of the curved track, in a position such that the catch piece is held there itself, that is to say the forces of the spring F.sub.F do not succeed in allowing the catch piece to snap back along the curved track.

(16) In the position of the release, the entrainment means 2 is at a spacing c from the pivot axis of the catch piece when viewed in the opening direction.

(17) All in all, the path 5 of the entrainment means has been lengthened by a distance c-a by the pivoting movement up to the release position. Such lengthening of the path does not normally take place in the case of a conventional closing device. For, in this case, the catch piece is simply pivoted right at the end along a very short path portion of a displacement path of the catch piece in order to move the catch piece into a locked position, and to release an entrainment means. However, the longer displacement path as result of pivoting the catch piece 1 means that the force required by the user on the entrainment means 2 when opening is reduced. The opening movement for a drawer is then more pleasant for the user.

(18) A closing device according to the invention can be used, for example, in an automatic closing mechanism which is described in German Utility Patent No. 20 2004 006 410 U1. Reference is hereby made explicitly to the features and details provided therein.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(19) 1 Catch piece 2 Entrainment means 3 Curved element 4 Pivot axis 5 Slot 6 Abutment element 7 Curved track 8 Curve 9 Curve 12 Guide rail 14 Drawer rail 20 Catch component 22 Catch housing 24 Catch component 26 Entrainment means 38 Receiving means 36a Transmission means 40 Helical spring 44 Damping device CW Carcass wall D Drawer