Abstract:
A damping device ( 14 ) for movable furniture parts comprising a fluid damper which is in the form of a rotational damper ( 20 ) and which includes two members which are rotatably movable relative to each other, namely a housing and a drum disposed in the housing. A damping fluid, for example a silicone oil, is disposed in the housing. During the damping action one of the two members is rotated by an actuating member and the other member is held fast. The rotational damper ( 20 ) is radially displaceably mounted and during the damping action is pressed by the actuating member against a retaining element ( 17 ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a damping device for movable furniture parts comprising a fluid damper which is in the form of a rotational damper and which is radially displaceably supported and which includes two members which are rotatably movable relative to each other, namely a housing and a drum disposed in the housing, wherein disposed in the housing is a damping fluid, for example a silicone oil, and during damping one of the two members is rotated by an actuating member and the other member is held fast. 
     Damping devices of that kind are used in modern articles of furniture so that, when closing a door or a drawer, the door or a front panel of the drawer is prevented from hitting against the body of the article of furniture with excessive force. 
     Advantageously, damping devices of that kind are provided with a freewheel so that they move unimpededly into their readiness position when the door or the drawer is opened. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to provide a damping device of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification with an improved and structurally simple freewheel arrangement. 
     The object in accordance with the invention is attained in that the rotational damper is pressed against a retaining element by the actuating member during the damping action. 
     It is advantageously provided that the drum is in the form of a rotor which, in the damping action, is rotated by the actuating member and that the housing is held by the retaining element. 
     The retained member can advantageously be held by frictional engagement or by a directional tooth locking means. 
     An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the rotational damper is mounted pivotably by means of a rocker member fixed to a carrier. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the rotational damper is mounted with a mounting axis in at least one and preferably two mutually opposite inclined elongate holes in a carrier. 
     In order to ensure, also in the case of a drawer or door which is closed very slowly, that the damping action of the damping device does not nullify the action of the device pulling the drawer or door shut so that the door or drawer would not be completely closed, a further preferred embodiment of the invention has a spring which lifts the rotational damper or the member of the rotational damper which is retained during the damping action off the retaining element. 
    
    
     Various embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic side view of a pull out guide assembly for a drawer, equipped with a damping device according to the invention during a closing movement, 
     FIG. 2 shows the same side view as in FIG. 1 during an opening movement, 
     FIG. 3 shows a side view of a pull out guide assembly, equipped with a damping device according to the invention in a further embodiment, during closure of the drawer, 
     FIG. 4 shows the same side view as that of FIG. 3 during opening of the drawer, 
     FIG. 5 is a view in section taken along line A—A in FIG. 3, 
     FIG. 6 shows a side view of a pull out guide assembly, equipped with a further embodiment of the damping device according to the invention, during closure of the drawer, 
     FIG. 7 shows the same view as that in FIG. 6 during opening of the drawer, 
     FIG. 8 shows a side view of a pull out guide assembly for a drawer, equipped with a further embodiment of the damping device according to the invention, during closure of the drawer, 
     FIG. 9 shows the same side view as in FIG. 8 during opening of the drawer, and 
     FIG. 10 is a view in section taken along line A—A in FIG.  8 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Drawers are guided slidably in a body  1  of an article of furniture with side walls  1 ; by means of pull out guide assemblies. The drawers have, at each of two sides respective drawer side walls  3  which cover rails  4 ,  5 ,  6  of the pull out guide assembly as far as a fixing limb  4 ′ of the support rails  4 . The drawer side walls  3  likewise covers a damping device  14  according to the invention. 
     Fixed on pull out rail  6  is a carrier  7  of the damping device  14 , which carries a rotational damper  20 . A pinion  10  is mounted on the spindle of the rotational damper  20 . 
     The carrier  7  is provided with a groove  15  in which a slider  8  is horizontally slidably mounted. The slider  8  has a rack profile  16  meshing with the pinion  10 . A tension spring  12  is fixed on the one hand to the slider  8  and on the other hand to the carrier  7 . 
     The slider  8  further has a slider abutment  9  which projects through a slot in the pull out rail  6 . An abutment  11  is provided, for the slider  8 , on the support rail  4  at the body side. 
     When a drawer  2  is opened, the tension spring  12  pulls the slider  8  into the damping position. When now the drawer  2  is closed the slider abutment  9  strikes against the abutment  11  at the body side, whereupon no further relative movement occurs between the slider  8  and the body rail  4 . The pull out rail  6  however is moved further rearwardly together with the housing  7  and thereby the pinion  10  which rolls against the rack profile  16  is rotated and the rotational damper  20  supported on the carrier  7  comes into action. 
     When the drawer  2  is opened the slider  8  is moved by the tension spring  12  into the initial position again, that is to say into the damping position. 
     Disposed in the carrier  7 , at the side which is towards the front panel member  2  of the drawer, is a retaining element or holding jaw  17  which, for example, is formed from a rubber or a plastic material involving a high degree of friction. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the rotational damper  20  is mounted slidably with the pinion  10  in longitudinal slots  13  in the carrier  7 . 
     The longitudinal slots  13  are oriented to incline upwardly in a direction towards the front panel member  2  of the drawer and lie in the resultant of the forces which act in the damping operation on the rotational damper  20 . The rotational damper  20  is therefore pressed with a sufficient force against the retaining element  17 . 
     When the drawer  2  is closed, after the abutment  9  of the slider  8  has hit against the abutment  11  at the body side, then as stated above relative movement occurs between the carrier  7  and the slider  8 . By virtue of that relative movement, the rotational damper  20  is urged against the retaining element  17  and thereby a housing of the rotational damper  20  is held non-rotatably in the housing  7  by the retaining element  17 . In other words, the pinion  10  rotates a rotational drummer piston disposed in the housing of the rotational damper  20  and the damping device  14  is in action. 
     When, in contrast, the drawer  2  is opened, the rotational damper  20  slides in the longitudinal slots  13 , as shown in FIG. 2, downwardly and thus rearwardly relative to the carrier  7 . The housing of the rotational damper  20  is thus disposed at a spacing from the retaining element  17 , and the entire rotational damper  20  is rotated together with its housing when the relative movement occurs between the slider  8  and the pinion  10 . No damping or braking action thus takes place. 
     In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 to  10  the rotational damper  20  is mounted on the carrier  7  by means of a rocker member  21 . The rocker member  21  is tiltable about an axis  18 . The axis  18 , by means of which the rocker member  21  is supported on the carrier  7 , is set back, with respect to the depth of the article of furniture, in relation to a spindle  19  by means of which the rotational damper  20  is mounted with the pinion  10  on the rocker member  21 . 
     When unloaded, therefore, the rocker member  21  with the rotational damper  20  will assume the position shown in FIG. 4, that is to say the housing of the rotational damper  20  is disposed at a spacing from the retaining element  17 . However, as soon as the abutment  9  of the slider  8  hits against the abutment  11  at the body side upon closure of the drawer  2 , a relative movement again occurs between the slider  8  and the carrier  7  and the rocker member  21  is urged with the rotational damper  20  in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 3 against the retaining element  17 , whereby the housing of the rotational damper  20  is held non-rotatably and the damping action of the rotational damper  20  comes into effect. The rotational damper  20  is moved upon movement of the rocker member  21  in approximately parallel relationship with the direction of movement of the slider  8 . 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to  5  the retaining element  17  is a rubber or plastic member which holds the housing of the rotational damper  20  by frictional engagement. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 the retaining element  17  and the housing of the rotational damper  20  are provided with a directional tooth locking means  23 . The function of the damping device  14  is the same as in the above-described embodiment. The housing of the rotational damper  20  is held fast by the retaining element  17 ; by means of the directional tooth locking means  23 ; instead of by frictional engagement. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to  10 , a spring  22 , which is in the form of a leg spring, is mounted on the carrier  7  and urges the rocker member  21  in the direction of the arrow B in FIG.  9 . In other words, if no, or only a slight, pressure is applied to the pinion  10  by the slider  8 , the rocker member  21  is urged in the direction of the arrow B by the spring  22  and the housing of the rotational damper  20  is certain to be moved away from the retaining element  17  so that the drawer can move into the closed position unimpeded by the damping device  14 . 
     What is common to all embodiments is that the pinion  10  of the rotational damper  20  and the rack profile of the actuating member are constantly in engagement with each other. 
     The pull out guide assembly according to the invention is preferably provided with a drawer retraction device as is described for example in EP 0 391 221 B1. In that case the spring of the drawer retraction device must be stronger than the tension spring  12  so that the drawer  2  is certain to be closed.