Abstract:
The invention relates to an ejecting device for ejecting a cover element movably mounted on a piece of furniture, in particular a folding door or folding/sliding door, from a closed position into an open position. The cover element can be moved at least in one direction perpendicular to the closing plane, on which the cover element is arranged in the closed position, and in one direction parallel to the closing plane. The ejecting device comprises an energy accumulator, which is to be charged manually by a user, and an ejecting element, on which the energy accumulator acts, and the energy accumulator can be charged by moving the cover element substantially in a direction parallel to the closing plane, preferably during an ongoing cover element opening process following the ejection process, particularly preferably immediately following the ejection process.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention concerns an ejection device for ejecting a folding-sliding door mounted movably to an article of furniture from a closed position into an open position, wherein the folding-sliding door is movable at least in a direction perpendicularly to the closing plane in which the folding-sliding door is arranged in its closed position and in a direction parallel to the closing plane. And finally the invention concerns an arrangement comprising an article of furniture, a folding-sliding door mounted movably to the article of furniture, and an ejection device according to the invention. 
         [0002]    Ejection devices are known from DE 91 05 187 U1. A disadvantage in that respect is that this involves technically complicated and expensive solutions which are thus susceptible to trouble and costly and which for example require the provision of an electric motor. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Therefore the object of the present invention, while avoiding the disadvantages known from the state of the art, is to provide an improved ejection device which in particular is technically uncomplicated and inexpensive. 
         [0004]    It is therefore provided that the ejection device includes a force storage means to be loaded manually by a user and an ejection element which can be acted upon by the force storage means, and the force storage means can be loaded by a sliding movement of the folding-sliding door substantially in the direction parallel to the closing plane, preferably in the course of continued opening of the folding-sliding door following the ejection, particularly preferably immediately. 
         [0005]    It can be provided that the ejection device has a locking device for releasably locking the ejection element against the force applied by the loaded force storage means and the locking device can be unlocked when the ejection device is fitted in place by applying pressure to the folding-sliding door. 
         [0006]    Alternatively or supplemental thereto a further development provides that the folding-sliding door includes at least two hingedly interconnected portions, the portions can be foldably opened by means of the ejection element from the closed position in which they are arranged in a common closing plane into an open position in which they include an angle different from 180° relative to each other, and the opening folding movement is effected substantially in the direction perpendicular to the closing plane. 
         [0007]    If a locking device is provided and if the folding-sliding door includes at least two hingedly interconnected portions, a further structure provides that the locking device is unlockable by applying pressure to the folding-sliding door in the region in which the at least two portions are hingedly interconnected. 
         [0008]    As stated in the opening part of this specification the invention also seeks protection for an arrangement comprising an article of furniture, a folding-sliding door mounted movably to the article of furniture, and an ejection device according to the invention. 
         [0009]    In that case it is advantageously provided that the article of furniture has an in particular shaft-shaped cavity for receiving the folding-sliding door and the arrangement preferably has a particularly preferably mechanical drive device for moving the folding-sliding door between a position of being retracted in the cavity and a position outside the cavity. It should be mentioned that the retracted position in the cavity preferably involves a completely retracted position in the cavity. Moving the folding-sliding door into and out of the cavity is significantly facilitated by the provision of the drive device. 
         [0010]    It has also proven to be particularly advantageous if the ejection device is adapted to move the folding-sliding door upon opening folding movement or ejection thereof at least partially in the direction of the in particular shaft-shaped cavity. 
         [0011]    For the situation where the folding-sliding door includes at least two hingedly interconnected door leaves and the door leaves can assume a folded-together position and a spread-open position, handling of the arrangement can further be facilitated for a user in that the arrangement includes a spreading device for spreading the door leaves or the portions from the folded-together position into the spread-open position. 
         [0012]    And finally it can be provided that there are provided one or more damping devices for damping the movement of the folding-sliding door directly before reaching one or more defined positions relative to the article of furniture. Those defined positions relative to the article of furniture can involve: 
         [0013]    the closed position in which the at least two door leaves of the folding-sliding door are arranged in a common closing plane, 
         [0014]    the open position in which the at least two door leaves of the folding-sliding door include an angle different from 180° relative to each other, 
         [0015]    the completely opened position of the folding-sliding door in which the interior of the article of furniture is freely accessible, and/or 
         [0016]    for the situation where the article of furniture has an in particular shaft-shaped cavity for receiving the folding-sliding door , the position outside the cavity and/or the retracted position in the cavity, wherein the interior of the article of furniture is also freely accessible in those positions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    Further advantages and details of the invention will be apparent from the drawings, in which: 
           [0018]      FIGS. 1 a  through 12 c    which illustrate the mode of operation of the ejection device in accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, with  FIGS. 1 a , 1 b , 2 a , 2 b , 3 a , 3 b , 4 a , 4 b , 5 a , 5 b , 6 a   ,  6   b ,  7   a ,  7   b ,  8   a ,  8   b ,  9   a ,  9   b ,  10   a ,  10   b ,  11   a ,  11   b ,  12   a , and  12   b  each showing a view of the ejection device looking from the interior of the article of furniture, wherein a series of components of the ejection device have been omitted in  FIGS. 1 b , 2 b , 3 b , 4 b , 5 b , 6 b , 7 b , 8 b , 9 b , 10 b , 11 b   , and  12   b  to give a clear view of the locking device, and  FIGS. 1 c , 2 c , 3 c , 4 c , 5 c , 6 c , 7 c , 8 c , 9 c , 10 c , 11 c   , and  12   c  each show a complete article of furniture with a folding-sliding door; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 13  shows an exploded view of the ejection device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    The basic structure of the ejection device according to the particularly preferred embodiment of the invention can be understood by reference to that exploded view: 
         [0021]    The ejection device (provided with reference numeral  1  in the other Figures) includes a base element  21  which can be arranged stationarily on a carcass of an article of furniture. 
         [0022]    The base element  21  has a plurality of guide tracks  53 ,  54  and  59 . In that respect the guide track  53  is provided for guiding a stud  47  arranged on an entrainment member  16 , the guide track  54  serves for guiding a pin  62  arranged on a locking element  9  and the guide track  59  is provided for guiding a slider  23  on which the locking element  9  is pivotably arranged. It should also be noted that the guide track  54  includes a cardiod curve-shaped locking contour  8  against which the locking element  9  or the pin  62  of that locking element can be supported. 
         [0023]    The base element  21  can be provided with a cover  50 , that cover serving to hold the slider  23  and the entrainment member  16 . The guide tracks  48  and  51  provided in the cover  50  ensure that the entrainment member  16  and the slider  23  respectively are substantially linearly displaceable with respect to the base element  21 . 
         [0024]    The ejection device further includes a force storage means  7  in the form of a traction spring having a first end  60  and a second end  61 . In this case the first end  60  is stationarily connected to the base element  21  by way of an intermediate element  20 . The second end  61  of the spring is connected to a spring holder  22  movable relative to the base element  21 . The movable spring holder  22  is provided on an intermediate lever  24  which on the one hand is mounted pivotably to the slider  23  (for that purpose suitable fixing locations  46  and  58  are provided on the intermediate lever  24  and the slider  23 ). On the other hand the intermediate lever  24  is connected pivotably to an ejection element  5  by way of fixing locations  45  and  57 , wherein the fixing location  45  is provided on the intermediate lever  24  and the fixing location  57  on the ejection element  5 . 
         [0025]    The ejection element  5  has a lever  17  having a free lever end  18  at which a rotatably mounted rolling body  19  is arranged for contacting the folding-sliding door or an element connected thereto, at least in the opening folding movement. The lever  17  is connected pivotably to the base element  21  (for that purpose fixing locations  43  and  52  are provided on the lever  17  and on the base element  21 ). 
         [0026]    The ejection device further also includes a loading device for loading the force storage means  7 . Essential components of that loading device are a control contour  15  which on the one hand is connected pivotably by way of a force transmission element  25  to the ejection element  5 . For that purpose the lever  17  of the ejection element  5  has a fixing location  42 , the control contour  15  has a fixing location  41  and the force transmission element  25  has fixing locations  39  and  40 . On the other hand the control contour is mounted pivotably to the base element  21 . For that purpose a fixing location  44  is provided on the control contour  15  and a fixing location  56  is provided on the base element  21 . Fixing means which ensure pivotal mounting can pass through an opening  49  in the cover  50 . An essential component of the loading device is further a control element  14  which is in the form of a rolling body and is arranged on the entrainment member  15 . The control element  14  is guided displaceably in the guide track  48  of the cover  50 . 
         [0027]    With regard to the entrainment member  16  it should also be noted that it serves for motional coupling of the folding-sliding door to the loading device at least upon loading of the force storage means  7 , and has a recess  55  for temporarily receiving a portion of a carriage  29  connected to the folding-sliding door (see for example  FIG. 1 a   ). 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 through 12  the mode of operation of the ejection device  1  will now be discussed in detail:  FIGS. 1 a  through 1 c    relate to the closed position of a cover element  2  mounted movably to an article of furniture  13 , in the form of a folding-sliding door including two hingedly interconnected door leaves  3  and  4 . In that closed position the two door leaves  3  and  4  are disposed in a common closing plane. In addition in that closed position the folding-sliding door closes off the interior of the article of furniture  13 . 
         [0029]    The article of furniture  13  includes a furniture carcass formed from a top panel  27 , a bottom panel  35 , a rear wall  36  and a plurality of side walls  30 ,  31  and  33  which are arranged substantially parallel to each other and spaced from each other (see also the other sub-Figures c of  FIGS. 1 through 12 ). The article of furniture  13  further includes a shaft-shaped cavity  26  for receiving the folding-sliding door  2 , that cavity being defined by boundary surfaces in the form of two side walls  31  and  33  and in the form of a portion  32  of the rear wall  36  of the article of furniture  13 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 1 a    shows the ejection device  1  for the folding-sliding door in that closed position of the folding-sliding door and  FIG. 1 b    shows a part of the ejection device, namely the locking device for releasably locking the ejection element in the form of the cardiod curve-shaped locking contour  8  and the locking element  9  which can be supported against the locking contour  8 . Stated more precisely, the locking element  9  is a pivot lever, at the free end of which is arranged a pin  62  which in the closed position of the folding-sliding door is arranged in the recess of the cardiod curve  8 . The locking element  9  is mounted pivotably to the slider  23  which in turn is connected to the movably mounted end  61  of the spring  7  by way of the intermediate lever  24  which includes the movable spring holder  22 . In the closed position of the folding-sliding door the force storage means  7  or the spring is loaded. This means that the locking device, in that state, ensures that the energy stored in the force storage means cannot become free. 
         [0031]    Unlocking of the locking device is effected by applying pressure to the folding-sliding door  2  in the region  10  in which the two door leaves  3  and  4  are hingedly interconnected. In that case the folding-sliding door  2  is moved out of the closed position into an over-pressed position which is behind the closed position. That over-pressed position is shown in  FIGS. 2 a    through  2   c.    
         [0032]    If  FIGS. 1 b  and 2 b    are compared it becomes apparent that, in the transition from the closed position into the over-pressed position the control pin  62  is moved out of the recess in the cardiod curve-shaped locking contour  8 , more specifically in such a way that, when the folding-sliding door  2  is released, the energy stored in the force storage means  7  can become free. In that case the tension spring  7  contracts, in other words the movably mounted end  61  of the spring moves towards the stationarily arranged end  60  of the spring. In that case the movable spring holder  22  and therewith the entire intermediate lever  24  is also moved in positively guided relationship, positive guidance being effected by way of the slider  23  and the guide tracks  54 ,  59  and  61 . 
         [0033]    The movement of the intermediate lever  24  is converted into a pivotal movement of the ejection element  5 , more precisely the lever  17 , as a comparison of  FIGS. 2 a  and 3 a    shows, wherein  FIGS. 3 a  through 3 c    relate to the position of the ejection device  1  in which the force storage means  7  is substantially completely unloaded. 
         [0034]    The pivotal movement of the lever  17  is converted into an opening folding movement of the folding sliding door  2  by way of a rolling body  19  mounted rotatably at the free end  18  of the lever  17 . In that case the rolling body  19  is supported against a running contour  28  arranged on the folding-sliding door. 
         [0035]    As a comparison of  FIGS. 2 c  and 3 c    shows the folding-sliding door  2  was moved by the ejection device in the course of the opening folding movement from the closed position in which the two door leaves  3  and  4  are disposed in a common closing plane into an open position in which the two door leaves  3  and  4  include an angle  6  different from  180 ° relative to each other. The opening folding movement was thus effected substantially in a direction  11  perpendicular to the closing plane. It can be seen from  FIG. 3 b    that the control pin  62  on the locking element  9 , in the unloaded state of the force storage means  7 , has reached the end of the guide track  54 , that is opposite to the cardiod-shaped locking contour  8 . 
         [0036]    Finally it should also be noted that the ejection device  1 , in the folding opening movement, has also moved the folding-sliding door  2  in a direction  12  parallel to the closing plane, more precisely in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity  26 . In that case the carriage  29  on which the door leaf  3  is pivotably mounted has moved a distance along a guide device  34  arranged on the top panel  26  of the article of furniture  13 . That guide device  34  is of such a configuration that the carriage  29  can be displaced as smoothly as possible. 
         [0037]    By virtue of its inertia, following the opening folding movement implemented by the ejection device  1 , the folding-sliding door  2  moves still somewhat further, even if the force storage means  7  is already unloaded. In that case the door leaf  3  of the folding-sliding door  2  lifts off the rolling body  19 . At the same time the angle  6  which the two door leaves  3  and  4  include relative to each other is also further reduced. 
         [0038]    When the energy has been dissipated the folding-sliding door  2  comes to a stop. In that case it assumes approximately a position as shown in  FIGS. 4 a    through  4   c.    
         [0039]    Apart from the fact that the rolling body  19  is no longer in contact with the running contour  28 , a comparison between  FIGS. 3 a  and 4 a    shows that the carriage  29  has moved still further in the direction  12  parallel to the closing plane and still further in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity  26 . 
         [0040]    In the region of the carriage  29  in which the carriage  29  is coupled to the folding-sliding door  2  the carriage  29  is coupled to the entrainment member  16 . The entrainment member has the recess  55  for the purposes of that temporary coupling. The entrainment member  16  is also moved in positively guided relationship in the direction  12  parallel to the closing plane and in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity  26 , by virtue of the motional coupling, wherein in this case positive guidance is implemented by way of the guide tracks  53  and  48  (see  FIG. 13 ). In the position in  FIG. 4 a    the entrainment member  16  in this case has reached a position in which the control element  14  arranged on the entrainment member, in the form of the rolling body, contacts for the first time the control contour  15  of the loading device for loading the force storage means  7 . 
         [0041]    A user now intervenes for further opening of the folding-sliding door  2 , preferably by gripping behind the free edge of the door leaf  3  and exerting a force in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity  26 , that is to say in the direction  12  parallel to the closing plane of the folding-sliding door  2 . In that case the folding-sliding door  2  is moved beyond the intermediate positions shown in  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7  into a folded-together position (see  FIG. 8 ). 
         [0042]    A part of the energy transmitted to the folding-sliding door  2  by the user is in that case used for loading the force storage means  7 , more specifically in the course of continued opening of the folding-sliding door  2 , which directly follows the opening folding movement. 
         [0043]    In detail the force storage means  7  is loaded by the entrainment member  16  being moved in the direction  12  parallel to the closing plane or in the direction of the shaft-shaped cavity  26 , by the coupling to the carriage  29 . That movement is converted by way of the rolling body  14  on the entrainment member  16  into a pivotal movement of the control contour  15  which in turn, by way of the force transmission element  25 , moves the lever  17  of the ejection element  5  and thus the intermediate lever  24  back into the original closed position shown in  FIG. 1  again. In that case the spring  7  is drawn apart, that is to say energy is transmitted to the force storage means  7 . 
         [0044]    The control contour  15  is of such a configuration that the user initially experiences a slight resistance and that then increases. That is advantageous as generally the user has to first accelerate the folding-sliding door  2  out of the stopped condition. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 5 a  through 5 c    show an intermediate position during loading of the force storage means  7 . 
         [0046]      FIGS. 6 a  through 6 c    show the state of the ejection device  1  in which the force storage means  7  is again completely loaded. In this state the control pin  62  on the locking element  9  is again disposed in the recess in the cardiod curve-shaped locking contour  8 , that is to say the ejection element  5  is again locked means of the locking device against the force applied by the loaded force storage means  7 . 
         [0047]    Upon termination of the loading process the entrainment member  16  pivots. For that purpose there is provided a curved portion in the guide track  53 . By virtue of the pivotal movement the motional coupling to the folding-sliding door  2  or the carriage  29  is nullified. The folding-sliding door  2  can now be further moved into the folded-together position shown in  FIG. 8 c    unimpededly by way of the intermediate position shown in  FIGS. 7 a  through 7 c   . In that case the ejection device  1  remains in the position shown in  FIGS. 6 a    through  6   c.    
         [0048]    Starting from that folded-together position it is now possible for the user to stow the folding-sliding door  2  in the cavity  26 . For that purpose he exerts a force on the folding-sliding door  2  in the folded-together position, that is to say on the door pack assembly in the direction of the rear wall  36  of the article of furniture  13 . In that case the door leaf  4  of the folding-sliding door  2  is preferably arranged by way of hinges  38  on a carrier element  36  which in turn is mounted displaceably in the longitudinal direction of the shaft cavity  26  by way of guide elements  63  arranged on the side wall  31 . 
         [0049]    To support the movement of the folding-sliding door  2  out of a preferably completely retracted position in the cavity  26  into the position outside the cavity, there can be provided a drive device which, after initialisation by a user, automatically moves the folding-sliding door  2  out of the cavity  26 . 
         [0050]    In addition there can also be provided a spreading device for spreading open the door leaves  3  and  4  from the folded-together position into the spread-open position, the spreading device becoming operative immediately after the position outside the cavity  26  is reached as shown in  FIG. 8 c    so that the folding-sliding door  2  is not only moved automatically out of the cavity  26  but is then also moved into a slightly spread position so that a user has a better option of gripping the door in order to move the folding-sliding door  2  again into its closed position in which the two door leaves  3  and  4  are disposed in the common closing plane. 
         [0051]    The transition into the closed position, starting from the completely opened position as shown in  FIGS. 8 a  through 8 c   , is shown in  FIGS. 9 through 12 , wherein  FIG. 12  again shows the closed position which is also illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0052]    Firstly the folding-sliding door  2  or the carriage  29  is moved in the direction  12  parallel to the closing plane, but this time away from the cavity  26 , more specifically until the carriage  29  contacts the entrainment member  16  (see  FIG. 10 ). Until then nothing has changed in the position of the ejection device  1 . 
         [0053]    Now, as a comparison of  FIGS. 10 and 11  shows, the entrainment member  16  is entrained by the carriage  29 , more specifically until it has again reached its original position. That does not change anything in terms of the position of the other parts of the ejection device  1 .