Abstract:
A fastening device for releasably mounting a front cover on a drawer, in particular on a side wall of the drawer, includes a furniture fitting preassembled on the front cover; a catching mechanism associated with the drawer and which automatically retains the furniture fitting when the furniture fitting is inserted. The fastening device also includes a movable catching element having a positioning contour; and a locking mechanism for the catching mechanism. The locking mechanism prevents the furniture fitting from being accidentally released from the catching mechanism, and is equipped with a positioning member which can move within a guide track and rests against the positioning contour of the catching element.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a fastening device for releasably fastening a front panel to a drawer, in particular to a drawer side wall. In particular, the fastening device includes at least one furniture fitting pre-mounted to the front panel, and a catching device associated with the drawer. The catching device automatically holds the furniture fitting when it is pushed in, and the catching device has a moveable catching element having a control contour. A locking device for the catching device prevents unintentional release of the furniture fitting from the catching device. 
     The invention further concerns a drawer having at least one such fastening device for releasably fastening a front panel to the drawer and also an article of furniture having such a drawer or drawers. 
     Fastening devices for releasably fastening the front panel to the drawer are already known from the state of the art. An aim in that respect is generally inter alia to provide for rapid fitment of the front panel to the drawer in order to keep down both the assembly times and also the assembly costs. 
     Thus, for example, WO 2009/006651 dated Jan. 15, 2009 shows a drawer side wall having a fastening device for releasably and preferably adjustably fastening a front panel to the drawer side wall. A furniture fitting is pre-mounted to the front panel, and arranged in the drawer side wall is a spring-loaded catching element which, when the furniture fitting is introduced, automatically pulls it towards the drawer side wall. A locking device is provided for the catching element, and the locking device is in the form of a clamping device. 
     EP 0 740 917 B1 dated Nov. 25, 1998, shows a device for fastening the front panel of a drawer to preferably double-wall drawer side walls. This device includes a furniture fitting which is fastened to the front panel and which projects therefrom, and a carrier portion which is associated with a drawer side wall and which carries a moveable arresting portion and which bears therewith entirely behind the front end edge of the drawer side wall. The arresting portion which couples the furniture fitting to the carrier portion is acted upon by a spring, and the arresting portion is in the form of a tilt lever which is rotatable about a horizontal axis. When the furniture fitting is pushed in automatically, the tilt lever latches under the spring force and pulls the furniture fitting towards the carrier portion. The tilt lever has a lateral receiving means for a screwdriver or the like with which it is rotatable out of the arresting position, against the spring action, thus releasing the furniture fitting. 
     DE 20 2009 014 811 U1 dated Mar. 25, 2010 discloses a furniture fitting for releasably connecting a first furniture part to a second furniture part. This fitting has a receiving element and at least two fastening elements. The receiving element is associated with the first furniture part, and the at least two fastening elements are associated with the second furniture part, or vice-versa. The receiving element has an arresting device for releasably holding the at least two fastening elements, and the at least two fastening elements can be jointly arrested in the receiving element. The arresting device of the receiving element has at least two arresting elements which are or can be acted upon by a force storage means, preferably a spring, and which are latchable to the fastening elements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to provide a fastening device for releasably fastening a front panel to the drawer, which device is improved over the state of the art. 
     By virtue of a control body which is moveable in a guide path and which bears against the control contour of the catching element, that moveable control body, when the furniture fitting is pushed in, can move automatically—for example due to gravity—in the guide path and slide along the control contour. Thus, a locking action can be achieved as an opposite movement of the furniture fitting (that is to say pulling it out) by the catching element that the moveable control body is jammed between the guide path and the control contour. 
     Even after jamming has occurred, however, the furniture fitting can be still further pushed into the fastening device, that is to say jamming is effected only in one direction. It is always still possible for the furniture fitting to be further pushed in, but it cannot be pulled out, as the moveable control body would jam with the control contour of the catching element when the attempt is made to pull it out. 
     It has proven to be particularly advantageous if the catching element is mounted pivotably about an axis of rotation. The catching element can follow the furniture fitting during the pushing-in movement, by virtue of the pivotal movement about the axis of rotation of the catching element. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the control contour of the catching element has different radial spacings relative to the axis of rotation of the catching element. The provision of different radial spacings of the control contour relative to the axis of rotation of the catching element makes it possible to provide for locking of the furniture fitting exclusively in the pulling-out direction and not in the pushing-in direction of the furniture fitting. 
     Further preferably, the control body is mounted positively guidedly displaceably in the—preferably curved—guide path. 
     It has proven to be particularly advantageous if the control body is in the form of a loose pressure roller and/or in one piece and/or substantially bolt-shaped and/or made from steel. Specifically, by virtue of the control body being in the form of a loose pressure roller, it can be easily moved in the guide path and it can even automatically move itself—as it is a loose roller—in the guide path. The structure made of steel can provide for particularly preferred strength for the control body. The one-piece and bolt-form configuration can also be preferable in terms of production engineering. 
     Particularly preferably, the guide path can be at least partially of a curved configuration with a—preferably continuously—decreasing radius. A curved configuration for the guide path means that it is possible to positively influence the pushing-in characteristics and the ejection characteristics of the fastening device in interacting mode with the furniture fitting. 
     In that respect, it has proven to be particularly advantageous if the fastening device has a feed path for the furniture fitting, wherein the feed path is of a substantially straight configuration, and the locking device automatically holds the furniture fitting against unintentional release at at least two different positions on the feed path. By virtue of the provision of a feed path having a substantially straight configuration, the furniture fitting can be relatively easily fitted on that feed path and pushed thereon, which can contribute to a mode of operation that is to be preferred. In addition, the furniture fitting can remain locked in a first position in the pull-out direction on that feed path on the one hand, while on the other hand it can also be further pushed in and can remain locked at a second position. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the locking device can hold the furniture fitting against unintentional release at least region-wise on any positions on the feed path. The furniture fitting can thus be locked in the fastening device—independently of the depth of insertion of the furniture fitting in the fastening device. 
     It has further proven to be advantageous if the fastening device has a pull-in device for the furniture fitting, wherein the pull-in device has a pivotal lever which is loaded by a spring and which displaces the moveable control body in the guide path, pivots the catching element and pulls the furniture fitting under a spring loading towards the drawer. The provision of a spring-loaded pivotal lever which displaces the moveable control body in the guide path makes it possible to achieve automatic retraction of the furniture fitting by pulling it in towards the drawer. 
     It has proven to be advantageous if the fastening device has an unlocking device for the catching device, which permits intentional release of the furniture fitting from the catching device. The unlocking device lifts the control body off the control contour of the catching element and thereby releases the catching element and the furniture fitting. By virtue of the provision of an unlocking device, the furniture fitting can be unlocked from the fastening device again and can subsequently be removed from that fastening device. 
     Preferably, the unlocking device can have an ejector which permits ejection of the unlocked furniture fitting, and the ejector pivots the unlocked catching element and thereby repels the furniture fitting from the drawer. Because the unlocking device has an ejector, the furniture fitting does not have to be pulled out of the fastening device but the movement of the furniture fitting out of same can be actively effected by the ejector of the unlocking device. 
     In a possible embodiment, the unlocking device can have a tool receiving means for a tool, which is accessible from the exterior and by way of which the unlocking device and/or the ejector is actuable. The unlocking device can be easily actuated by the provision of an externally accessible tool receiving means. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the fastening device can have a height adjusting device and/or a lateral adjusting device for the front panel. The front panel can be adjusted in height relative to the drawer by the provision of a height adjusting device for the fastening device, while the front panel can be laterally oriented relative to the drawer by the provision of a lateral adjusting device for the front panel. 
     Protection is also claimed for a drawer having at least one fastening device for releasably fastening a front panel to the drawer in accordance with at least one of the described embodiments. 
     Protection is also specifically claimed for an article of furniture having a drawer as described. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further details and advantages of the present invention are described more fully hereinafter by the specific description with reference to the embodiments by way of example illustrated in the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1   a  is a perspective front view of an article of furniture with drawers, 
         FIG. 1   b  is a perspective rear view of an article of furniture with drawers, 
         FIG. 2   a  is a perspective view of a drawer side wall with a fastening device and a furniture fitting, 
         FIG. 2   b  is a perspective side view of a drawer side wall with a cut-out at the fastening device, 
         FIG. 3   a  is a perspective side view of a fastening device in its housing, 
         FIG. 3   b  is a perspective side view as in  FIG. 3   a  without housing, 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective exploded view of a fastening device, 
         FIGS. 5   a  through  5   c  ae side views of the fastening device in various stages during insertion and displacement of the furniture fitting, 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the fastening device with the furniture fitting locked and the furniture fitting not entirely pushed in, 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of the fastening device with the furniture fitting automatically pulled in, 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the fastening device with activated unlocking, 
         FIGS. 9   a  through  9   c  are side views of the fastening device with unlocked and ejected furniture fitting, and 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of a variant of a fastening device with catching element, pivotal lever, control body and control contour. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following specific description of  FIGS. 3   a  through  10  refers to a large number of devices and units which often have components which are used by a plurality of such devices. To give an overview of the components of the different devices that are described in this preferred embodiment, reference is to be made to the following list: 
     The components of the catching device  10  that are essential for operation thereof are:
         the catching element  11     the axis of rotation A of the catching element  11     the receiving portion  13  of the catching element  11     the feed path  6 .       

     The components of the locking device  20  that are essential for operation thereof are:
         the control body  4  or the pressure roller  5     the guide path  3     the control contour  12     the catching element  11     the axis of rotation A of the catching element  11 .       

     The components of the pull-in device  30  that are essential for operation thereof are:
         the pivotal lever  31     the axis of rotation B of the pivotal lever  31     the guide  33  of the pivotal lever  31     the spring  32     the thrust element  34     the control body  4  or the pressure roller  5     the control contour  12     the catching element  11     the guide path  3 .       

     The components of the unlocking device  40  that are essential for operation thereof are:
         the unlocking element  43  of the pivotal lever  31     the guide  33  of the pivotal lever  31     the control body  4  or the pressure roller  5     the guide path  3     the ejector  41 .       

     All the devices  10 ,  20 ,  30  and  40  just mentioned above are provided in a compact structure on the main plate  73  of the fastening device  1  and are displaced together with the main plate  73  vertically by the height adjusting device  50  and horizontally by the lateral adjusting device  60 . 
       FIG. 1   a  shows a perspective front side view of an article of furniture  110 . That article of furniture  110  has three drawers  102  in a furniture carcass  103 . The drawers  102  are mounted moveably in the furniture carcass  103  on a drawer extension guide  105 , and each has two drawer side walls  100 , a front panel  101  and a drawer rear wall  104 . The front panel  101  is fixed to the two side walls  100  of the drawer  102  by way of the fastening devices  1  (not shown here: see  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 1   b  shows a perspective side rear view of an article of furniture  110  with again three drawers  102 , as just shown in  FIG. 1   a . The front panel  101  is not yet fitted to the uppermost drawer  102 . For that reason, the two furniture fittings  2  can be seen, by way of which a connection is made to the drawer side walls  100 . 
       FIG. 2   a  shows a perspective view of a right-hand drawer side wall  100  of an article of furniture  110  (not shown here: see  FIG. 1   a  or  1   b ). The fastening device  1  for a front panel  101  (not shown here) can be seen at the front end of the drawer side wall  100  in this preferred embodiment, in the drawer side wall  100 . The furniture fitting  2  of the front panel  101  (not shown here) is already latched in the fastening device  1 , as can be clearly seen from  FIG. 2   b.    
     It will be appreciated that the fastening device  1  could equally not be provided on the drawer side wall  100 , but also on any other part of the drawer  102  (not shown). 
       FIG. 3   a  shows a perspective side view of a fastening device  1  and the furniture fitting  2  to be fastened thereto. The fastening device  1  has a housing  70  with a right-hand side cover  71  and a left-hand side cover  72 . At the left-hand side cover  72 , it is possible to see the adjusting elements for the height adjusting device  50  (its height adjusting screw  51 ), for the lateral adjusting device  60  (its lateral adjusting screw  61 ) and for the unlocking device  40  (or its tool receiving portion  42 ). 
       FIG. 3   b  shows a perspective side view of a fastening device  1 , as just described with reference to  FIG. 3   a , without the left-hand side cover  72 . The height adjusting device  50  and the lateral adjusting device  60  are also not shown here. 
     This view clearly shows the catching device  10  and its catching element  11  serving to catch the furniture fitting  2  on the feed path  6  and to lock the furniture fitting  2  to the fastening device  1 , for which the locking device  20  is provided (see in that respect the specific description of  FIG. 6 ). 
     The fastening device  1  here also has the pull-in device  30  and also the unlocking device  40 . 
     All the above-mentioned devices  10 ,  20 ,  30  and  40  and the operational movements thereof are described more precisely in detail in the following parts of the specific description:
         catching device  10 :  FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b  and  5   c      locking device  20 :  FIG. 6     pull-in device  30 :  FIG. 7     unlocking device  40 :  FIG. 8     ejection operation:  FIGS. 9   a  through  9   c          

       FIG. 4  shows a perspective exploded view of the fastening device  1  for the furniture fitting  2  as a side rear view. The right-hand side cover  71  and the left-hand side cover  72  serve as a housing for the fastening device  1 . Arranged between those two side covers  71  and  72  is the main plate  73  on which the essential components of the fastening device  1  are disposed. Main plate  73  is adjustable in height relative to the left-hand and right-hand side covers  71  and  72  by the height adjusting screw  51 . 
     In this arrangement, the main plate  73  has a guide path  3  in which the movable control body  4 —which in this preferred embodiment is in the form of a loose pressure roller  5 —is displaceably mounted. The main plate  73  also has the feed path  6  for the pin  7  of the furniture fitting  2 . The pin  7  of the furniture fitting  2  is introduced into the fastening device  1  along that feed path  6 . 
     For stability reasons, the components that are essential for functioning—the catching element  11  and the pivotal lever  31 —are each duplicated, wherein a respective one of the pair of these duplicated components is provided at the left and the right of the main plate  73 . 
     The catching elements  11  and  11 ′ each have a receiving portion  13  for receiving the pin  7  of the furniture fitting  2 . The control contour  12  is also provided on both catching elements  11  and  11 ′ in this preferred embodiment. 
     In addition, provided on the catching element  11  is the unlocking lever  14  for unlocking or ejecting the furniture fitting  2 . 
     Formed on the pivotal levers  31  and  31 ′ is the guide  33  which in this embodiment is in the form of an elongate hole. The pivotal lever  31  further has the ejector  41  which together with the unlocking lever  14  of the catching element  11  implements ejection of the furniture fitting  2 . The pivotal lever  31  or  31 ′ is actuated by way of the unlocking element  43  having a tool receiving portion  42 . 
     The two pivotal levers  31  and  31 ′ are spring-loaded by way of the spring  32  and its thrust element  34 , this being necessary for the pulling-in movement of the furniture fitting  2  (see the specific description of  FIG. 7 ). 
     The fastening device  1  can be laterally adjusted by way of the lateral adjusting screw  61 . 
       FIGS. 5   a  through  9   c  each show a section through a side view of a fastening device  1  and a furniture fitting  2  in various situations. Those situations reflect the insertion of the furniture fitting  2  into the fastening device  1  ( FIGS. 5   a  through  5   c ), locking of the furniture fitting  2  in the fastening device  1 ( FIG. 6 ), pulling in the furniture fitting  2  in the fastening device  1  ( FIG. 7 ), unlocking of the furniture fitting  2  in the fastening device  1  ( FIG. 8 ) and ejection of the furniture fitting  2  from the fastening device  1  ( FIG. 9   a  through  9   c ). 
     For reasons of clarity, not all components of the fastening device  1  are always provided with references in the individual views in  FIGS. 5   a  through  9   c . The components which are crucial for the respective step and the references thereof are, however, included. 
       FIG. 5   a  shows the furniture fitting  2  and its pin  7 , as it is not yet connected to the fastening device  1 . The catching element  11  is “waiting” with its receiving portion  13  at the feed path  6  for the pin  7  of the furniture fitting  2 . The control body  4  or pressure roller  5  is not or is not yet bearing against the control contour  12  of the catching element  11 . 
       FIG. 5   b  shows the same situation as  FIG. 5   a , but now the pin  7  of the furniture fitting  2  has already been fitted into the feed path  6 . However, rotation of the catching element  11  has not yet taken place. For that reason, the pressure roller  5  has also not yet moved. 
       FIG. 5   c  shows the fastening device  1  into which the furniture fitting  2  or its pin  7  has already been inserted. That insertion movement took place along the feed path  6 . In this case, the pin  7  of the furniture fitting  2  has penetrated into the receiving portion  13  of the catching element  11 . The catching element  11  is mounted pivotably about its axis of rotation A, and insertion of the pin  7  thus resulted in a rotational movement of the catching element  11  about the axis of rotation A. In this preferred embodiment, the control contour  12  is formed or mounted on the catching element  11 . That control contour  12  of the catching element  11  involves different radial spacings relative to the axis of rotation A of the catching element  11 . The control body  4 , which in this preferred embodiment is in the form of a pressure roller, already bears at this time against the control contour  12 . At this time, it would still be possible for the furniture fitting to be pulled out of the fastening device  1  as the control body  4  is not yet jammed to the control contour  12 . It can still escape “upwardly” in the guide path  3 , if rotation of the catching element  11  about the axis of rotation A in the clockwise direction should occur. 
     Locking of the catching element  11  and therewith the furniture fitting  2  only takes place in a situation as shown in  FIG. 6 . The furniture fitting  2  or its pin  7  has now been inserted into the fastening device  1  in the feed path  6  to such an extent that the locking device  20  was activated. That was achieved by clamping of the pressure roller  5  (control body  4 ) together with the control contour  12 . If the attempt were made to pull the furniture fitting  2  out of the fastening device  1  and thus to pivot the catching element  11  about the axis of rotation A in the clockwise direction, the pressure roller  5  would be jammed in the guide path  3  by the control contour  12 . The furniture fitting  2  is thus prevented from being pulled out. 
     On the other hand, it is still very well possible for the catching element  11  to be moved in the counter-clockwise direction about the axis of rotation A, which would result in a further downward movement of the control body  4  (pressure roller  5 ) in the preferably curved guide path  3 . 
     In this respect, it should be noted that the pivotal lever  31  and its guide  33  are not necessary for the locking device  20 . Locking of the catching element  11  is effected simply and solely by the control contour  12 , the guide path  3 , and the control body  4 . That is possible because the control body  4  would follow the guide path  3  or the control contour  12  solely by virtue of gravity. 
     It is now possible to see here a great advantage of this locking device  20 . More specifically, locking of the furniture fitting  2  is effected on the guide path  6  at any locations in the insertion directions. In other words, locking occurs independently of the depth of insertion of the furniture fitting  2  into the fastening device  1 . Even after locking has occurred, further insertion of the furniture fitting  2  into the fastening device  1  is possible, that is to say locking is effected only in the pull-out direction but not in the push-in direction. It is therefore possible to achieve different insertion depths, whereby it is also possible to correct tolerances in manufacture in respect of the furniture fitting  2  or the drawer  102  (not shown). 
     In this preferred embodiment, the control body  4  is in the form of a loose pressure roller  5  both in one piece and also of substantially bolt-shaped configuration and made from steel. 
     The guide path  3  at least partially has a curved configuration with a—preferably continuously—decreasing radius. 
       FIG. 7  now shows how the pull-in device  30  becomes operational. After the furniture fitting  2  is pushed into the catching device  10  or its catching element  11  and displacement on the feed path  6 , at the moment shown in  FIG. 6  the spring  32  is no longer in the dead-center point position with the axis of rotation B of the pivotal lever  31  and thus pivots that pivotal lever  31  in the counter-clockwise direction about the axis of rotation B, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     The result of this is that the pressure roller  5  or the control body  4  is urged along the guide path  3  downwardly in the guide  33 —which is in the form of an elongate hole—of the pivotal lever  31 . That pressure downwardly means that the control body  4  moves downwardly under a spring loading in its guide path  3  and in that case—by virtue of the provision of the control contour  12  on the catching element  11 —the catching element  11  is also pivoted in the counter-clockwise direction about its axis of rotation A. In that way, the furniture fitting  2  is pulled further into the fastening device  1  by that roller-control contour actuating assembly. 
     The pull-in characteristics can thus be controlled—by virtue of a suitable configuration of the control contour (slow or fast pulling-in movement, accelerated or decelerated pulling-in movement). 
     In this position, the locking device  20  is again or is always still active as the control body  4  still bears against the control contour  12  and would become jammed thereto, if the attempt were made to pivot the catching element  11  in the clockwise direction. 
     To unlock the fastening device  1  again there is provided the unlocking device  40 , the functioning of which will now be described with reference to  FIG. 8 . Unlocking can be effected manually by way of the unlocking element  43  which is provided on the pivotal lever  31 . Rotation of the pivotal lever  31  in the clockwise direction provides that the control body  4  in the guide  33  is lifted off the control contour  12  and thus the catching element  11 , whereby the catching element  11  is no longer blocked. 
     The furniture fitting  2  could already be pulled out of the fastening device  1  at that moment. To make ejection more user-friendly, however, an ejector  41  is provided on the pivotal lever  31 , which—as is already apparent in this view—presses against the unlocking lever  14  of the catching element  11  and thus rotation of the pivotal lever  31  in the clockwise direction leads to rotation of the catching element  11  in the clockwise direction, whereby the furniture fitting  2  is ejected from the fastening device  1 , as is shown in  FIG. 9   a . It can be clearly seen in this respect that the control body  4  is always still lifted off the control contour  12  of the catching element  11  and the furniture fitting  2  has already moved a distance away from the fastening device  1 , this having been effected by the displacement of the unlocking lever  14  by the ejector  41 . 
     If at that moment the operator should release the unlocking lever  43 , then that would involve the furniture fitting  2  being pulled in again—as is shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     If in contrast the operator further rotates the unlocking lever  43  in the clockwise direction then—as shown in FIG.  9 —this involves complete ejection of the pin  7  of the furniture fitting  2  on the feed path  6 . 
     The operator can release the unlocking element  43  again in that position as the spring  32  is disposed with its thrust element  34  in a dead-center point position relative to the axis of rotation B of the pivotal lever  31  and thus the control body  4  and the control contour  12  no longer bear against each other under a spring loading. 
     Thus the furniture fitting  2  can be removed from the fastening device  1 , as shown in  FIG. 9   c.    
       FIG. 10  shows a further embodiment of a fastening device  1  having a furniture fitting  2  and its pin  7  arrested in the fastening device  1 . 
     The fastening device  1  once again has the above-mentioned height adjusting device  50  and the lateral adjusting device  60 . The pivotal lever  31  again has the tool receiving means  22  for unlocking the fastening device  1 . 
     In this variant, the control contour  12  is provided on the pivotal lever  31  and not on the catching element  11 , as in the preceding embodiment. The control contour  12  however also again cooperates with the control body  4  which in this embodiment is on the catching element  11 . 
     That therefore represents the kinematic reversal of the preceding embodiment. The considerations referred to in the preceding specific description correspondingly apply. 
     LIST OF REFERENCES 
     
         
           1  fastening device 
           2  furniture fitting 
           3  guide path 
           4  control body 
           5  pressure roller 
           6  feed path 
           7  pin 
           10  catching device 
           11  catching element 
           12  control contour 
           13  receiving means 
           14  unlocking lever 
           20  locking device 
           30  pull-in device 
           31  pivotal lever 
           32  spring 
           33  guide (elongate hole) 
           34  thrust element 
           40  unlocking device 
           41  ejector 
           42  tool receiving means 
           43  unlocking element 
           50  height adjusting device 
           51  height adjusting screw 
           60  lateral adjusting device 
           61  lateral adjusting screw 
           70  housing 
           71  right-hand side cover 
           72  left-hand side cover 
           73  main plate 
           100  drawer side wall 
           101  front panel 
           102  drawer 
           103  furniture carcass 
           104  drawer rear wall 
           105  drawer extension guide 
           110  article of furniture 
         A axis of rotation A of the catching element  11   
         B axis of rotation B of the pivotal lever  31