Patent Publication Number: US-11391076-B2

Title: Rail for guiding a carriage of a furniture door

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a rail for guiding a carriage of a furniture door and a piece of furniture with at least one such rail. 
     In addition, the invention relates to a method for producing such a piece of furniture. 
     Rails for guiding a carriage of a furniture door which are arranged as a complete package on a side panel of a piece of furniture are already known. This means that the rails are fastened to the side panel for example by means of screws. This has the disadvantage that the entire rail has to be unscrewed again in the event of maintenance work or other repairs. Furthermore, after the maintenance work or repairs have been carried out, the rail has to be fastened to the side panel again, with the result that new fastening holes may be necessary in order to guarantee a secure hold of the rail, and thus of the furniture door. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to avoid the above-described disadvantages and to specify an improved rail compared with the state of the art and an improved piece of furniture, with the result that carrying out maintenance work or other repairs is made easier. 
     A further object of the invention is to specify an improved method for producing such a piece of furniture, in order in turn to make it easier to carry out maintenance work. 
     An essential idea with respect to the rail according to the invention is that the rail has at least one installation part, wherein the at least one installation part is fastenable to a furniture part, which is formed by a side panel of a piece of furniture, and releasably connectable to a guide part, wherein the guide part has at least one guide for the carriage. In other words, it is thus possible to connect only the installation part fixedly to the piece of furniture, wherein a guide part can be arranged on this installation part. Thus, an important advantage is that the rail according to the invention can also be arranged in narrow slots. The installation part needs to be fastened to a furniture part only once, wherein only the connection between installation part and guide part needs to be released to carry out maintenance work or other repairs, with the result that the installation part can remain on the furniture part. 
     In order that the above-named work is additionally made easier, it can moreover be provided that the at least one installation part is formed as a, preferably profiled, installation rail, wherein the guide rail is displaceably mounted on the installation rail. The guide rail can thus be displaced along the installation rail, with the result that the connection between the guide part and the installation part can be released by a displacement of these two parts relative to each other. 
     In the case of a piece of furniture with at least one furniture door, in particular a folding-sliding door, at least one rail and at least one carriage arranged on the at least one furniture door, it can be provided that the piece of furniture has at least two rails arranged one over the other and at least two carriages. Larger furniture doors can thereby be guided with the aid of the rails. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages and details of the invention are revealed by the figures and the associated description of the figures, wherein the method according to the invention is also explained in more detail with reference to the description of the figures. There are shown in: 
         FIGS. 1 a -1 c    perspective views of a piece of furniture with two folding-sliding doors, wherein the folding-sliding doors are represented in different positions, 
         FIG. 2  a side panel and two rails in a perspective view, 
         FIG. 3  a side panel with two rails arranged thereon in a perspective view, 
         FIGS. 4 a -4 d    detail representations of the side panel and the rails, 
         FIGS. 5 a -5 d    detail and sectional representations of the side panel and the rails, 
         FIG. 6  a side panel with installed installation part and guide part displaced thereon in a perspective view, and 
         FIG. 7  a side panel with installed installation part in a perspective view, wherein the connection between installation part and guide part has been fully released. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1 a , 1 b  and 1 c    show a piece of furniture  10 , with a fixed part  12 , two furniture parts  5  formed by the side panels  18  and two furniture doors  3 . These two furniture doors  3  are formed as folding-sliding doors with a first door leaf  3   a  and a second door leaf  3   b , wherein the two door leaves  3   a ,  3   b  can be folded via the folding door hinge  19 . The piece of furniture  10  furthermore has a receiving area  14  and two laterally arranged receiving slots  17  or “pockets”. It is thus provided that the piece of furniture  10  has a receiving area  14  for receiving components of a kitchen  15  (for example electrical devices such as hob, oven, etc.), a clothes-storage device  16  (for example drawers, clothes hangers, boxes, etc.), or the like. 
     In addition, it is provided that the piece of furniture  10  has at least one receiving slot  17 , which is preferably arranged laterally in or on the piece of furniture  10  and into which the at least one furniture door  3  is retractable. Thus either the receiving slot  17  can be arranged on the piece of furniture  10  from the outside or else the receiving slot  17  is formed in the piece of furniture  10 , for example by the arrangement of an additional panel. In the receiving slots  17  or, more precisely, on the side panels  18  the rails  1  (not visible) are arranged for guiding the carriages  2  of the furniture doors  3 , with the result that the furniture doors  3  are retractable into these receiving slots  17 . The two receiving slots  17  have a clear width of from 10 to 30 cm and/or a height of from 100 to 250 cm and/or a depth of from 60 to 100 cm. 
     The representation shown in  FIG. 1 a    corresponds to the parked position of the furniture doors  3  and that in  FIG. 1 c    corresponds to the closed position of the furniture doors  3 . The second door leaf  3   b  is in each case coupled to a slide mechanism  25 , wherein the slide mechanism  25  is displaceable along a slide mechanism rail  24 . This slide mechanism rail  24  is arranged substantially transverse to the rails  1  on the piece of furniture  10 . In addition, a bar  27  is provided which either is part of the slide mechanism rail  24  or is designed as a component separate therefrom. The movement of the furniture doors  3  between the parked position and the closed position is thus made possible by the rails  1  and the slide mechanism rail  24 . Starting from the parked position of the furniture doors  3 , in which the door leaves  3   a ,  3   b  are aligned substantially parallel to each other, the furniture doors  3  can thus be moved into the position in  FIG. 1 b   , which can be seen with reference to the furniture doors  3  represented on the left. In the process, the furniture doors  3  are displaced along the rails  1 . Subsequently, the furniture doors  3  are brought into the substantially coplanar position according to  FIG. 1 c   . For this, in each case the door leaf  3   b  is displaced with the aid of the slide mechanism  25  along the slide mechanism rail  24 , until the closed position of the furniture doors  3  is reached, in which the two door leaves  3   a ,  3   b  are aligned substantially coplanar. The same process is passed through in reverse order to move the furniture doors  3  from their closed position into their parked position. 
       FIG. 2  shows the furniture part  5  which is formed by the side panel  18 . Furthermore, the two rails  1  can be seen, which in each case comprise the guide part  6 . Moreover, two of the many passage openings are provided with the reference number  20 . A carriage  2  is coupled in each case to the two rails  1 , wherein the vertical supporting structure  13  and the connecting piece  26  for the slide mechanism rail  24  are arranged on these two carriages  2 . The connecting piece  26  is formed as a support. In order to make it possible to displace the furniture doors  3  along the rail  1 , the slide mechanism  25  is displaced on this connecting piece  26 , with the result that the door leaves  3   a ,  3   b  are aligned substantially parallel to each other. A hinge  11 , which is connectable to a furniture door  3  or to the first door leaf  3   a  of the furniture door  3 , is arranged on the supporting structure  13 . In the case of a piece of furniture  10 , at least one hinge  11  can thus be provided for the movable mounting of the at least one furniture door  3  relative to at least one fixed part  12  of the piece of furniture  10 , preferably wherein the piece of furniture  10  has at least one, preferably vertical, supporting structure  13  and at least one hinge  11  is arranged on the at least one supporting structure  13 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the rails  1  installed on the side panel  18 . 
       FIG. 4 a    shows a sectional representation of the side panel  18  with rails  1  installed thereon, wherein the carriages  2  are displaced along the guide  7  of the guide parts  6  in the direction away from the front face  23  of the side panel  18 .  FIG. 4 b    shows a detail view of the area A of  FIG. 4 a   . The rail  1  can be seen here, which has the guide part  6  and the two installation parts  4 . The two installation parts  4  are formed as profiled installation rails. Furthermore, the guide part  6  has a guide  7  for the roller  21  of the carriage  2 . The carriage  2  is thereby movable along the guide  7  with the beam  13  and the furniture doors  3  arranged thereon (not represented). In addition, the two passage openings  20  of the guide part  6  can be seen more precisely. 
       FIGS. 4 c  and 4 d    show a detail representation of the area B of  FIG. 4 b   . In contrast to  FIG. 4 c   , in  FIG. 4 d    a fastener  22  is represented which serves to arrange the rail  1  on the side panel  18 . For example screws are suitable as fasteners  22 . It is provided that the at least one installation part  4  formed as an installation rail is formed substantially T-shaped in a side view. Alternatively, the at least one installation part  4  formed as an installation rail could be formed substantially dovetail-shaped in a side view. The passage openings  20  additionally ensure that the guide part  6  is displaceable along the installation parts  4 . The fasteners  22  are namely screwed through these passage openings  20 , with the result that the fastener  22  does not prevent the displacement of the guide part  6  along the installation parts  4  (i.e., does not directly contact guide part  6 ). 
       FIG. 5 a    shows a section of the side panel  18 , wherein the representation of the beam  13  and the carriage  2  connected thereto have been dispensed with in the area of the upper rail  1 . The releasable locking mechanism  8  is thereby recognizable.  FIG. 5 b    shows a detail representation of the area A of  FIG. 5 a   . The locking screw  9  is shown here, which is a component of the releasable locking mechanism  8 . For example knurled screws or grub screws are suitable as locking screw  9 . The rail  1  thus has a releasable locking mechanism  8 , with which the mutual position of the at least one installation part  4  and the guide part  6  can be set. It can be provided that the releasable locking mechanism  8  has at least one locking screw  9 . 
       FIG. 5 c    shows the side panel  18  with the rails  1  arranged thereon in a top view.  FIG. 5 d    shows the section C-C according to  FIG. 5 c   . It is recognizable here that the installation parts  4  of the rail  1  are connected to the side panel  18  by the fastener  22 . The fastener  22  has thus been guided through the passage opening  20  and is not in direct contact with the guide part  6 , with the result that the guide part  6  is displaceable along the installation parts  4 . In the lower area of the representation, the releasable locking mechanism  8  is shown, which is in connection only with the installation part  4  and the guide part  6 . This releasable locking mechanism  8  comprises the locking screw  9 , the external thread of which cooperates with a corresponding internal thread on the guide part  6 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the side panel  18  with the installation parts  4 , which are formed as profiled installation rails, arranged thereon. Three installation parts  4  arranged one over another are provided. The two upper installation parts  4  are releasably connectable to the guide part  6  of the upper rail  1  and the lower installation part  4  is releasably connectable to the guide part  6  of the lower rail  1 . The guide parts  6  of the rails  1  are displaced along the installation rails in the representation. 
       FIG. 7  shows a development of  FIG. 6 . The guide parts  6  of the rails  1  have been fully released from the installation parts  4  formed as profiled installation rails. 
     The method according to the invention is explained with reference to  FIGS. 4 a  to 4 d , 5 a  to 5 d    and with reference to  FIG. 6 .
         Providing a piece of furniture  10  with at least one side panel  18 ,   Installing the at least one rail  1  on the at least one side panel  18  of the piece of furniture  10  via the at least one installation part  4 ,   Providing at least one furniture door  3 ,   Providing at least one carriage  2 , and   Arranging the at least one carriage  2  on the at least one furniture door  3  and coupling the at least one carriage  2  to the at least one guide  7  of the guide part  6  of the rail  1 .       

     To carry out maintenance work, the following steps are carried out:
         Releasing a releasable locking mechanism  8 , with which the mutual position of the at least one installation part  4  and the guide part  6  is set,   Displacing the guide part  6  relative to the at least one installation part  4  in the direction of a person carrying out the maintenance work, and   Carrying out the maintenance work.       

     In relation to the embodiment example, it is pointed out that the locking screw  9  is released to release the releasable locking mechanism  8 , with the result that the locking screw  9  no longer cooperates with the installation part  4  of the rail  1 . 
     After the maintenance work has been carried out, the following steps are carried out:
         Displacing the guide part  6  relative to the at least one installation part  4  into the original position of the guide part  6 , and   Locking the mutual position of the at least one installation part  4  and the guide part  6  by means of the releasable locking mechanism  8 .       

     For the locking, in the embodiment example shown, the locking screw  9  is turned back in the direction of the installation part  4 , until the locking screw  9  cooperates with the installation part  4  again and prevents a displacement of the installation part  4  relative to the guide part  6 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           1  rail 
           2  carriage 
           3  furniture door 
           3   a  first door leaf 
           3   b  second door leaf 
           4  installation part 
           5  furniture part 
           6  guide part 
           7  guide 
           8  releasable locking mechanism 
           9  locking screw 
           10  piece of furniture 
           11  hinge 
           12  fixed part of the piece of furniture 
           13  supporting structure 
           14  receiving area 
           15  components of a kitchen 
           16  clothes-storage device 
           17  receiving slot 
           18  side panel 
           19  folding door hinge 
           20  passage opening 
           21  roller 
           22  fastener 
           23  front face 
           24  slide mechanism rail 
           25  slide mechanism 
           26  connecting piece 
           27  bar