Pull-out guide for a movable furniture part

The invention relates to a pull-out guide for a movable furniture part, including at least one rail horizontal in the installed position, and a drive element for a drive device for the movable furniture part, and the drive element can be fastened on the rail, in particular detachably fastened. The driver element can be brought from a release position in a fixing position with the rail by a fastening movement of the drive element, the fastening movement being carried out in the horizontal plane.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns an extension guide for a movable furniture part, comprising at least one rail which is oriented horizontally in the mounting position and an entrainment member for a drive device for the movable furniture part. The entrainment member can be detachably fastened on the rail, and the entrainment member can be brought from a release position in a fixing position with the rail by way of a fastening movement of the entrainment member. Moreover, the invention concerns an arrangement comprising such an extension guide, and a drive device for the movable furniture part. The invention further concerns an item of furniture comprising the previously-mentioned extension guide and the previously-mentioned arrangement respectively. Furthermore, the invention concerns a method for fastening an entrainment member on a rail of an extension guide for a movable furniture part, in which the entrainment member is brought from a release position in a fixing position with the rail by way of a fastening movement.

In the industrial sector of furniture fittings, miscellaneous mechanic devices for moving a movable furniture part, as for example a drawer or a flap, have already been known for many years. Especially with drawers, so-called ejection devices are known with which an unlocking of the ejection device is effected by pressing on the movable furniture part situated in the closing position, whereupon the movable furniture part is ejected in opening direction. In a reverse manner, however, retracting devices are also known by which the movable furniture part is automatically retracted into a closing position, in particular in the last closing section. Examples of various kinds of drive devices for movable furniture part are disclosed in WO 2014/008519 A1 or in WO 2010/129971 A1.

Now, such drive devices mostly have in common that a movement transmission between the movable furniture part and the furniture carcass has to be carried out somewhere. Especially if such drive devices are applied with a drawer, these drive devices are arranged in the area of the extension guide. Mostly, the drive device is assembled in a housing, wherein a movable component of this drive device can be coupled with an entrainment member for the execution of the opening of closing movement. This entrainment member can be arranged, e.g., on a carcass rail or on a drawer rail.

Now it is already known to not a priori build such entrainment members in a fixed connection with the respective rail, but to detachably fasten this entrainment member on the respective rail. For this purpose the entrainment member is brought from a release position in a fixing position with the rail by a fastening movement of the entrainment member. An example for such a catch-connectable activator or entrainment member is disclosed in WO 2009/047139 A1. This activator or entrainment member can here be coupled with a self-retracting device and a retracting device respectively and is not a part of an ejection device.

A problem with such entrainment members which can be retrofitted especially occurs when the extension guide is already mounted to the furniture carcass. In that case, it is actually difficult with the entrainment member to reach the areas designated for retrofitting. Therefore, it is often the case that an extension guide has to be removed, subsequently the entrainment member has to be fastened accordingly, and then the extension guide has to be mounted again to the furniture carcass.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention therefore is to establish an improved extension guide compared to the prior art. In particular, a retrofitting of the entrainment member should be carried out in an uncomplicated, simple, easily-reachable manner, and with little space requirement.

This object is attained by an extension guide according to the invention, in which the fastening movement is carried out in a horizontal plane. As there is little space available especially for movements in height direction in the case of an already mounted extension guide, an uncomplicated and fast mounting is also guaranteed by this fastening movement in a horizontal plane in the case of an already attached extension guide. Thus, the fastening movement generally enables that the entrainment member can also be fastened, preferably detachably fastened, to the rail in the case when the extension guide is pre-mounted to the furniture carcass.

Basically, it is possible that at least a short section of the fastening movement also comprises a vertical component. For example, the fastening movement can also partly be carried out in a space above the horizontal plane—in which substantial movement sections of the fastening movement take place or which is located in a plane adjacent to the underside of the rail. Preferably, if the fastening movement also comprises at least a vertical movement section, this vertical fastening movement component can be carried out only above the horizontal plane. The fastening movement generally starts with the first contact of the entrainment member with the rail when fastening.

Particularly preferred, however, the fastening movement is carried out only in the horizontal plane. According to that, every further relative movement between the entrainment member and the rail only takes place in the horizontal plane starting from a first contact of the entrainment member with the rail. In this case, the large advantage is therein that as a result, the entrainment members on the lowest extension guides of an item of furniture can also be attached in a simple way. The lowest extension guides are mostly attached only a few millimeters above the floor of the furniture carcass. Thus, a retrofitting of an entrainment member is very difficult in this case, especially if larger movements in height direction ought to be carried out while retrofitting. With this present fastening and retrofitting possibility respectively of an entrainment member, now an entrainment member can be fastened in an easy manner also in the case of the lowest extension guides—where there is very little space—without a complex demounting of the extension guide.

In principle, the entrainment member only has to have the possibility to take one single fixing position on the rail. This fixing position can be irreversible. During the fastening movement, for example, clutches can extend which serve for a fixed and undetachable connection between the entrainment member and the rail. Preferably, however, the entrainment member in combination with the rail can be formed in such a way that the entrainment member is detachably fastened to the rail. Thus, by a release movement, the entrainment gets from the fixing position again in the release position.

For this kind of fastening movement, different variants are possible. This fixing position between the entrainment member and the rail can be reached, for example, by a translational relative movement, by a rotary movement, or by a mixed form of these movements. According to a preferred embodiment, the entrainment member is supported movably on the rail. In this case, a first embodiment provides that the entrainment member is supported pivotably about a vertical axis on the rail. Especially if a pivotable movement about a vertical axis is given, the fastening movement is guided or predefined in a simple way. A second embodiment provides that the fastening movement is carried out linearly. In this case, this fastening movement is guided by at least one guiding element. In this second variant for an easy reachability, it is particularly preferred that the fastening movement is carried out transverse to the longitudinal direction of the rail. For example, this fastening movement is carried out in an angle region between 45° and 135° to the longitudinal direction. Particularly preferred, the fastening movement is carried out in an angle of 90° to the longitudinal direction of the rail.

The entrainment member per se only has to be formed in such a way that a coupling with the drive device for the movable furniture part is possible. As quite large forces are transmitted in the area of the entrainment member, the entrainment member preferably comprises an entrainment bolt and a holding plate. In this case, the actual fixation of the entrainment member on the rail is carried out by the holding plate.

The connection of fixation between the entrainment member and the rail can be carried out by connecting parts. For this purpose, generally only one connecting part has to be present on the entrainment member, and one connecting counterpart has to be present on the rail, respectively. These connecting parts and connecting counterparts can be formed, e.g., in the form of screw connections or also by magnetic connections. Preferably, however, in the fixing position there is a friction-type and/or form-locking connection between the at least one connecting part and the at least one connecting counterpart.

According to a preferred embodiment, at least two, and preferably three, connecting parts are provided on the entrainment member, and at least two, and preferably three, connecting counterparts are provided on the rail.

In this case, preferably a first connecting part, preferably in the form of a pivot axis, is formed on the entrainment member, preferably on its holding plate, and a first connecting counterpart, preferably in the form keyhole-like recess, corresponding to the first connecting part is formed on the rail. The first connecting part in the form of a pivot axis can be inserted into this keyhole-like recess. Here, according to an embodiment, the first connecting part comprises a narrower, vertically oriented neck region, and a broader head region, and in the fixing position the first connecting part rests on the first connecting counterpart via the head region.

For the fixation of the entrainment member on the rail, preferably a second connecting part, preferably in the form of a lug which is bent L-shaped, is formed on the entrainment member, preferably on its holding plate, and a second connecting counterpart, preferably in the form of a recess, corresponding to the second connecting part is formed on the rail.

For a guided fasting movement, during the fastening movement, the second connecting part can be inserted, preferably by a swiveling movement in the horizontal plane, into the second connecting counterpart. This swiveling movement is preferably carried out about the first connecting part which is form as a pivot axis. For a good linkage, it is provided that in the fixing position, the second connecting part is in a friction-type connection, preferably by way of a jamming, with the second connection counterpart.

In addition, according to a preferred embodiment, a third connecting part, preferably in the form of a nub, is formed on the entrainment member, preferably on its holding plate, and a third connecting counterpart, preferably in the form of a recess or a punching, corresponding to the third connecting part, is formed on the rail. An elongated hole or a similar recess can be formed in the holding plate of the entrainment immediately in the vicinity of this nub, whereby a slightly elastic locking of the nub in the third connecting counterpart is enabled.

If the rail is formed from a bent sheet metal with a specific sheet metal thickness, and the entrainment member, preferably its holding plate, is attached to the underside of the rail in the fixing position, then—in order to optimize the space utilization of the extension guide in the item of furniture—preferably the entrainment member projects for maximal three, preferably for maximal one, sheet metal thicknesses in vertical direction from the underside of the rail. This means, the distance of the underside of the rail to the floor of the furniture carcass can, thus, be only very little and can only be three, two or even only one sheet metal thickness(es), and also with this little distance it is still guaranteed that an entrainment member can be retrofitted without the necessity of demounting the extension guide. This is also because of the reason that the entrainment member does not project more than three times, preferably never more than one time, the sheet metal thickness from the underside of the rail also during the whole fastening movement. In order to guarantee a stable linkage, preferably the holding plate abuts the underside of the rail in a zonally planar configuration.

As already mentioned, the entrainment member can also be retrofitted on the drawer rail or if applicable also on the center rail of an extension guide. Preferably, however, it is provided that the rail, with which the invention is described so far, is a carcass rail.

In an arrangement comprising an extension guide according to the invention and a drive device for the movable furniture part, the drive device can be, e.g., a retraction device. Preferably, this drive device is an ejection device, and the ejection device can be unlocked by over-pressing of a movable furniture part into an over-pressing position located behind a closed position. The movable furniture part is movable in an opening direction by an ejection force storage member. If the drive device is such an ejection device, preferably the entrainment member is an ejection entrainment member which can be contacted with the ejection device at least during a section of an ejection movement. Such an ejection device can be fastened to the movable furniture part, to the furniture carcass, or to a drawer rail of the extension guide.

An item of furniture comprises a furniture carcass, at least one movable furniture part, and at least one extension guide according to the invention for the movable furniture part.

The object of the present invention is also attained by a method in which the fastening movement is carried out in a horizontal plane. Particularly, this fastening movement is only carried out in this horizontal plane, hence only in a plane which is directly below the underside of the rail.

In order to guarantee an intuitive and secure fastening or fixation of the entrainment member on the rail, preferably during the fastening movement the entrainment is initially moved from the release position in a pre-mounting position, in which the entrainment member contacts the rail, and the entrainment member is subsequently moved from the pre-mounting position in the fixing position. Both movements of the entrainment member—from the release position in the pre-mounting position and from the pre-mounting position in the fixing position—are carried out in the same horizontal plane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1shows an article of furniture18with a furniture carcass19and two movable furniture parts2in form of drawers arranged in the furniture carcass19. The upper drawer is in an open position OS, whereas the lower drawer is in a closed position SS. By over-pressing the movable furniture part2in an over-pressing position located behind the closed position SS, an ejection device15(here not shown) is unlocked and the movable furniture part2is subsequently ejected into opening direction OR by an ejection force storage member. During this ejection movement the ejection device15(not shown) repels from an entrainment member4which is in a fixed relation to the furniture carcass19. The drawers or movable furniture parts2are each movably supported on the furniture carcass19of the item of furniture18via extension guides1.

Corresponding thereto,FIG. 2shows a (right) side of an extension guide1seen from the underside. The extension guide1comprises on the one hand a rail system21and on the other hand the entrainment member4. The rail system21in turn comprises a rail3(carcass rail), if applicable a center rail2and a drawer rail17. The drive device5in the form of a retraction device22is mounted to this drawer rail17. The movable furniture part2can be retracted from an open position OS into the closed position SS via this retraction device22. This retraction movement can be damped by a damping device23. The retraction device22can be coupled via an entrainment member (retraction entrainment member27), which in turn is mounted to the carcass rail33. This retraction entrainment member27can also be formed in such a way that a fastening movement B according to the invention is possible. In this embodiment, however, it is already fixedly pre-mounted. The drive device5in the form of an ejection device15is fastened either directly to the drawer rail17or to an underside (not shown) of the movable furniture part2. This ejection device15can be coupled to the rail3, preferably the carcass rail, via the entrainment member4, whereby the ejection device15together with the movable furniture part2can repel from the carcass-fixed entrainment member4. The arrangement14is formed by at least one of these drive devices5together with the extension guide1. According to thisFIG. 2a, the entrainment member4is still in a release position L in which the entrainment member4does not yet contact the rail3.

FIG. 2bshows a detail fromFIG. 2a, in which it is recognizable that a first connecting part8in the form of a pivot axis is formed on the entrainment member4and on its holding plate7respectively, a second connecting part12is formed as a lug which is bent L-shaped, and a third connecting part24is formed as an elevation or a nub. Moreover, an elongated hole26is also formed in the holding plate7beside this third connecting part24. Counterparts corresponding to these connecting parts8,12and24are formed in the rail3. For that, a first connecting counterpart9in the form of a keyhole-like recess is formed or punched out in the rail3. Further, there is also a second connecting counterpart13for the second connecting part12. Moreover, a third connecting counterpart25in the form of a punching out is also formed on the underside U of the rail3.

FIG. 2cshows the arrangement seen from above in an oblique angle. Also here, the entrainment member4is still in the release position L. The entrainment bolt6and the holding plate7, which together form the entrainment member4, are recognizable in thisFIG. 2c. The connecting parts8,12and24are arranged on this holding plate7.

FIG. 2dshows a front view of the arrangement in a viewing direction against the opening direction OR. In this view according toFIG. 2d, the horizontal plane H—in which the fastening movement B takes place—is well recognizable. Also, here the entrainment member4is still in the release position L, in which there is still no contact between the entrainment member4and the rail3. It is, however, recognizable that the second connecting part12comprises a slightly inclined or over-pressed lug, whereby subsequent during fastening, a pretensioning or jamming of the rail3between the holding plate7and this lug is possible. It is also recognizable that the first connecting part8comprises a narrower cylindrical neck portion10and a broader head portion11. The transition between the neck portion10and the head portion11is provided with a slight rounding. Thereby, the entrainment member4can be retrofitted in the case of differently thick rails3, wherein also in the case of these differently thick rails3, a good connection without play is guaranteed. The sheet metal thickness D of the rail3is also illustrated in thisFIG. 2d.

FIGS. 3ato 3dagain correspond to the views shown in theFIGS. 2ato 2d, wherein the entrainment member4though is now in the pre-mounting position M. Especially inFIGS. 3cand 3d, it is apparent that the entrainment member4has already carried out a part of the fastening movement B which has begun with the contact between the entrainment member4and the rail3. This first part of the fastening movement B is preferably carried out along a straight line. In this fastening movement B, the first connecting part8is inserted into the first connection counterpart9. There, the neck portion10of the first connecting part8is just so narrow that this neck portion10fits through the narrow section of the keyhole-like recess (see especiallyFIG. 2b) till the neck portion10laterally abuts the edge of the recess which forms the connecting counterpart9. As apparent inFIG. 3d, the head portion11now rests on the rail3and, thus, holds the entrainment member4already without jamming on the rail3. Hence, the pre-mounting position M is reached.

TheFIGS. 4ato 4dagain correspond to the views shown in theFIGS. 2ato 2d, wherein the entrainment member4is already in the fixing position F. For the fastening movement B,FIGS. 4cand 4dare especially referred to. This fastening movement B is effected as a swiveling movement about the pivot axis (vertical axis V) formed by the first connecting part8. During this swiveling movement, on the one hand the second connecting part12reaches contact with the second connecting counterpart13, and on the other hand the third connecting part24reaches contact with the third connecting counterpart25. Also, this fastening movement B in turn is carried out—as recognizable well inFIG. 4d—only in the horizontal plane H. As also apparent inFIG. 4d, the entrainment member4does not project more than the sheet metal thickness D in the vertical direction from the underside U of the rail3. This especially leads to the advantage that—if the rail3is attached in the lowest region of a furniture carcass19—an easy retrofitting of the entrainment member4without movement in the height direction is possible.

With this fastening movement B from the pre-mounting position M in the fixing position F, a stable fixation of the entrainment member4on the rail3is carried out in three ways. An important component forms the second connecting part12which engages into the second connecting counterpart13. By the pretensioning of the lug forming the second connecting part12, a jamming of the rail3is effected between this lug and the holding plate7. Thereby, a good friction-type connection between the entrainment member4and the rail3is already reached.

Moreover, the slightly convex nub—which forms the third connecting part24—projects into the third connecting counterpart25formed by a recess or punching out in the rail3. During insertion or drive over a slight bending or bulging of the holding plate7in the area of the third connecting part24, an elongated hole26is formed in the holding plate7. In this way, the area about the third connecting part24can be slightly bent during the fastening movement B by the contact with the rail3, and can then again relax when reaching the third connecting counterpart25, whereby a good connection is ensured.

Thirdly, a fixation and good connection is well reached in that the neck portion10of the first connecting part8comprises a rectangular cross section with rounded corners. By the rotation of this first connecting part8in the connecting counterpart9, the connecting part8—as long as it is in the position according toFIG. 4b—cannot be moved out anymore from the constriction of the connecting counterpart9, because the neck portion10is broader in the area of the diagonal line than the narrowest spot of the first connecting counterpart9.

In the comparison between theFIGS. 5 and 6, the fastening movement B between the pre-mounting position M and the fixing position F is again clarified. In this case, the lug forming the second connecting part12engages in the rail3through the second connecting counterpart13, whereby a jamming of the rail3between the lug and the holding plate7is effected (see especiallyFIG. 6).

FIGS. 7aand 7bagain clarify the connecting parts8,12and24of the entrainment member4. There, the first connecting part8forms a vertical axis V for the swiveling movement of the entrainment member4. It is also apparent that the neck portion10of the first connecting part8is not circular cylindrical, but instead in the form of a cylinder with a substantially quadrangular base area. The holding plate7of the entrainment member4is preferably built of metal, whereas the entrainment bolt6is formed of plastic material. The first connecting part8can be welded onto the holding plate7. In contrast, the second connecting part12and the third connecting part24can be bent out or punched out of the holding plate7. The same applies for the elongated hole26.

FIG. 8again shows the fastening movement B along a straight line when inserting the entrainment member4into the rail3. There, the neck portion10in this position of the entrainment member4exactly fits through the constriction of the first connecting counterpart9.

As soon as this insertion is complete, the pre-mounting position M according toFIG. 9is reached. Then, the second part of the fastening movement B in the horizontal plane H is carried out by a fastening movement B in the form of a swiveling movement about the vertical axis V formed by the first connecting part8.

Towards the end of the swiveling movement, the second connecting part12reaches a friction-type connection with the second connecting counterpart13, and also the third connecting part24reaches a friction-type connection with the third connecting counterpart25, whereby the fixing position F according toFIG. 10is reached.

With respect to the first embodiment, it shall conclusively be mentioned that—besides the first connecting part8—also only the second connecting counterpart12or only the third connecting part24can be provided. Further, it shall be mentioned that in the first embodiment, the fastening movement B is always carried out only along the horizontal plane H. However, a part of the fastening movement B can certainly comprise a vertical fastening movement component which is carried out above the horizontal plane H. So it could certainly be the case that the first connecting part8is mounted “from above”—thus vertically—in or on the first connecting counterpart9during the fastening movement B from the release position L in the pre-mounting position M. Afterwards, the fastening movement B from the pre-mounting position M in the fixing position F is again carried out only in the horizontal plane H.

The illustrations shown so far describe a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In contrast to this preferred embodiment, however, another kind of fastening movement B in a horizontal plane H can be carried out. This fastening movement B is illustrated in theFIGS. 11 to 13.

In this embodiment, connecting counterparts13in the form of U-shaped lugs are formed on the underside U of the rail3. These connecting counterparts13form guiding elements for the entrainment member4. Slightly bent connecting parts12are formed or punched out on the holding plate7of the entrainment member4. By insertion or sliding of the entrainment member4during the fastening movement B, the slightly bent connecting parts12arrive between the connecting counterparts13and the underside U of the rail3(seeFIG. 12). The fastening movement B is therefore substantially carried out in an angle of 90° to the longitudinal direction of the rail3. Thereby the fixing position F is reached without the necessity of a swiveling. InFIG. 13and in detail A, it is apparent that a ribbed surface28is formed on both the bottom side of the connecting counterpart13and on the upper side of the connecting part12. This ribbed surfaces28tooth or interlock with each other so that a form-fit connection between the entrainment member4and the rail3is guaranteed. In principle, it would also be possible that only one single connecting part12and one single connecting counterpart13is provided. By the double implementation, there is indeed a better support. In this embodiment according toFIGS. 11 to 13, each connecting counterpart13is formed in one piece with the rail3. Here, the connecting counterparts13can also be pre-mounted on the rail3as separate parts.

Although the invention is described in these illustrations especially in regards to an entrainment member4in the form of an ejection entrainment member which is attached to a rail3in the form of a carcass rail, the same ideas according to the invention of course also apply for other entrainment members4(e.g., for a retraction entrainment member27) or for the attachment of the entrainment member4on another rail3than the carcass rail.

With the present invention, thus, a simple way for the retrofitting of an entrainment member4on a rail3without a complex demounting is established.