Patent Publication Number: US-2009229077-A1

Title: Absorption mechanism for furniture doors

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/186,700, filed Aug. 6, 2008, which claims priority to German Application 10 2008 013 986.6, filed Mar. 13, 2008, the disclosures of both of which are incorporated by reference. 
     The invention relates to a damping device for furniture door leaves comprising a damping housing that accommodates a damping cylinder, with the housing being connected to a damping carrier that is fastened to a front frame of a piece of furniture . . . (Patent Application 10 2008 013 986.6) 
     Such damping devices dampen the closing motion of furniture door leaves to prevent sudden, forceful contact of the door leaf with the body of the piece of furniture or its front frame. It is known to connect door hinges of the door leaves with the damping devices. However, this design does not allow for retrofitting door hinges that initially do not have any damping devices. Furthermore, this design requires that all door hinges be equipped with damping devices regardless of whether or not damping devices are needed. If it is necessary to subsequently retrofit a door leaf with a damping device, the entire door hinge must be replaced. 
     To avoid these disadvantages, it is known to fasten the damping devices so that they can be removed from door hinges or so that the door hinges can be retrofitted with them. To this end, however, it is necessary to install the required fastening elements for a damping device to the door hinges (U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,454 B2). If door hinges are not designed in this manner for retrofitting purposes for a damping device, it is not possible to retrofit the hinge. 
     It is desirable to provide a damping device as described in the introduction that can be attached independent of the door hinges that are used. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a damping carrier accommodates the edge of the front frame between an outside retaining leg and an inside clamping leg and in that the clamping leg is clamped against the front frame by way of a clamping device. 
     The resulting clamping connection between the damping carrier of the damping device and the front frame of the furniture piece makes it possible to easily install the damping device either during the initial assembly of the furniture piece or as part of a retrofit without requiring any bores or screws. 
     Clamp fitting the damping carrier to the front frame of the furniture piece results in a stable connection that is suitable for transferring even high damping forces. The damping device can be removed from the furniture piece again without leaving any screw holes or other damage. 
     The damping device can easily be retrofitted to furniture pieces with any kind of door hinge. 
     It also is possible to subsequently remove or move damping devices. 
     The simple fastening manner of this damping device also allows for an adjustment to different damping requirements of a furniture piece. For example, it is possible to use multiple damping devices for large and heavy furniture door leaves, while a single damping device suffices for light and small furniture door leaves. For cost saving reasons or for adjusting to different uses, it is possible to remove the originally installed damping devices from individual furniture door leaves, or to not install them at all. 
     According to the additional patent the embodiment of the inventive thought of the original patent requires that the damping carrier be comprised of a carrier main component that forms the outside retaining leg and of a spring component that forms the inside clamping leg and that the spring component comprises a fastening leg that is offset at a right angle from the clamping leg and is inserted into a fastening guide of the carrier main component and locks positively on the carrier main component. 
     This two-part embodiment of the damping carrier provides for an easier installation. Since the carrier main component forms the outside retaining leg, the damping force is supported directly by the carrier main component by way of the retaining leg on the furniture body or its front frame respectively. 
     The spring component that forms the clamping leg is inserted into the fastening guide of the carrier main component during the pre-installation of the damping device and then is locked positively on it. This provides for the required cohesion of the two components of the damping carrier that is necessary for transferring the clamping force. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastening leg of the spring component is inserted into the fastening guide in clamping direction and comprises a resilient locking latch that latches with a latch indentation of the carrier main component and locks the fastening leg so it cannot be pulled out. 
     The damping device can easily be installed by inserting the fastening leg of the spring component into the carrier main component until there is a positive lock. 
     The fastening guide preferably comprises two guide beads that project in opposite direction and that overlap the side edges of the fastening leg. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is explained in more detail based on exemplary embodiments that are shown in the drawing. The following is shown: 
         FIG. 1  shows a section of a damping device for furniture door leaves, 
         FIG. 2  shows the damping device according to  FIG. 1  before it is installed, 
         FIG. 3  shows the damping device according to  FIG. 1  before it is clamped on, 
         FIG. 4  shows a section along line IV-IV in  FIG. 3 , 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view of the spring component of the damping device according to  FIG. 1-3 , 
         FIG. 6  shows a section of a modified embodiment of a damping device when it is installed, 
         FIG. 7  shows a damping device according to  FIG. 6  before it is clamped on, 
         FIG. 8  shows a section of the carrier main component of the damping carrier of the damping device according to  FIG. 6 , 
         FIG. 9  shows the spring component of the damping carrier of the damping device according to  FIG. 6 , 
         FIG. 10  shows a top view in the direction of arrow X in  FIG. 9 , 
         FIG. 11  shows another modified embodiment of the damping device in a presentation according to  FIG. 7 , 
         FIG. 12  shows the damping device according to  FIG. 11  when it is installed according to  FIG. 6 , 
         FIG. 13  shows a section according to  FIG. 8  through the carrier main component of the damping device according to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , and 
         FIG. 14  shows a section according to  FIG. 9  through the spring component of the damping carrier of the damping device according to  FIGS. 11 and 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The damping device  1  shown in  FIG. 1 through 3  is used to dampen the closing motion of a door leaf  2  and that is arranged in a pivoting manner on a front frame  3  of a furniture body  4  by way of a door hinge. 
     A damping cylinder  5 , comprising a damping piston and a piston rod  6 , is inserted into a location hole  7  of a damping housing  8  so it can be longitudinally displaced. The cylinder end  9  that extends from the location hole  7  on the side of the door constitutes a stop for the door leaf  2 . Right before the end of its closing motion, the door leaf  2  makes contact with the cylinder end  9  that extends from the location hole  7  and moves the damping cylinder  5  towards the face end of the location hole  7 , with the damping cylinder  5  resting on an adjusting screw  10  of the damping housing  8  by way of its piston rod  6 . In doing so the damping force, which is determined by speed, counteracts the closing motion of the door leaf  2 . 
     The damping housing  8  is fastened to a two-component damping carrier  11 . The damping carrier  11  comprises a carrier main component  12  which is integrally formed with the damping housing  9  and forms a retaining leg  13  that rests on the outside of the front frame  3 , and of a spring component  14  that forms an inside clamping leg  15 . An eccentric  17  is arranged in a pivoting, manner on two lateral bearing journals  18  between lateral cheeks  16  of the spring component  14 . The eccentric  17  is integrally connected to a pivoting lever  19  that extends into the inside of the furniture body. 
     As is shown in  FIG. 1 , the damping device is assembled and clamped to the front frame  3  of the furniture body  4 . The outside retaining leg  13  as well as the inside clamping leg  15  have teeth  20 ,  21  that protrude towards the front frame  3  and penetrate the front frame  3 . 
     When the eccentric  17  is pivoted counterclockwise from the pre-installed position shown in  FIG. 3  into the final position shown in  FIG. 1  by means of the pivoting lever  19 , the eccentric  17  pushes the resilient elastic clamping leg  15  against the inside of the front frame  3  so that the two-component damping carrier  11 , together with the damping housing  8  that is fastened to it, rests tightly against the front frame  3 . 
     As can be seen clearly in  FIG. 2 , the spring component  14  comprises a fastening leg  22  that is offset at a right angle from the clamping leg  15  and that is inserted into a fastening guide  23  of the carrier main component  12  and locks positively on it. 
     In the installation process shown in  FIG. 2  the fastening leg  22  of the spring component  14  is inserted into the fastening guide  23  in clamping direction, i.e. to the left in  FIG. 2 . The fastening guide  23  comprises two guide beads  24  that project in opposite direction and that overlap the side edges of the fastening leg  22  when installed. 
     To fasten the fastening legs  22  positively in the carrier main component  12 , a resilient locking latch  25  extends upward from the fastening leg  22  and inclines against the insertion direction of the fastening leg  22  to a locking edge  26 . After the fastening leg  22  is inserted into the carrier main component  12 , the locking latch  25  latches with the latch indentation  27  of the carrier main component  12  as is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3  and locks the fastening leg  22  so it cannot be pulled out. 
     The pre-installation of the damping device thus does not require any tools. The components of the damping device are secured against loosening. In this preinstalled state the damping device  1  is placed on the furniture piece and is clamped on. 
     The carrier main component  12  has two lateral cheeks  28  from the inside of which the guide beads  24  protrude. The lateral cheeks  28  simultaneously form the lateral guides for the cheeks  16  of the spring component  14  that are arranged between them. 
       FIG. 6-10  shows a modified embodiment of a damping device  1 ′. It is different from the above-described embodiment substantially in that the damping housing  8  pivots relative to the damping carrier  11 . The damping housing  8  is connected to an eccentric  30  by way of a connecting piece  29  with the eccentric pushing onto the resilient clamping leg  15  when the damping housing  8  is pivoted by 90° from the position shown in  FIG. 7  into the position shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Deviating from the above-described exemplary embodiment, the spring component  14 , when installed, rests on the connecting piece  29 . The fastening leg  22  comprises an insertion section  31  ( FIG. 10 ) whose width is smaller than the inside width between the guide beads  24 . 
     Since it is not possible to insert the spring component  14  as described above due to a bearing shell  32  for the connecting piece  29  that is arranged on the carrier main component  12 , the spring component  14  is inserted through a slot  33  with the free end  32  of the fastening leg  22 , with said slot being arranged on the bottom of the retaining leg  13 . In this position the insertion section  31  fits between the two guide beads  24 . Then the spring component  14  is moved to the right until its clamping leg rests against the connecting piece  29  or its bearing sleeve  32 , respectively. In this position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  the two lateral edges  22   a  of the fastening leg  22  are disposed over the guide beads  24 . The free end  32  of the fastening leg  22  is located in slot  33 . The fastening leg  22  of the spring component  14  thus is inserted into the fastening guide against the clamping direction until it hits a stop. A resilient locking latch  34  that extends from the fastening leg  22  inclines upward in the direction of the free end  32  up to a locking edge  35 . Once the fastening leg  22  is brought into its final position as described, the locking latch  34  latches behind a latch edge  36   a  comprised of a latch indentation  36  of the carrier main component  12  and locks the fastening leg  22  in clamping direction so that the spring component  14  is fastened in its preinstalled position. 
     In this preinstalled position according to  FIG. 7  the damping device  1 ′ can be placed on the front frame  3  of the furniture body  4  and can be clamped in the position shown in  FIG. 6  by turning the damping housing  8 . 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 11-14  is different from the damping device according to  FIG. 6-10  in that a fastening screw  37  is screwed into the front frame  3  through a screw bore  38  of the carrier main component  12  and a screw bore  39  of the fastening leg  22  of the spring component  14 . 
     Deviating from the above-described embodiment the resilient locking latch  34  extends from the bottom near the free end of the fastening leg  22  of the spring component  14 . A latch edge  40  in which the locking latch  34  latches, is formed at the edge of the slot  33  on the upper edge of the outside retaining leg  13 . 
     The damping device is placed onto the front frame  3  as is shown in  FIG. 11 . The damping housing  8  is pivoted so that it extends parallel to the front frame  3  and thus at a right angle to the longitudinal direction of the carrier main component  12 . In this position the screw bores  38  and  39  are accessible from the top and the fastening screw  32  can be screwed into the front frame  3  as is shown in  FIG. 11 . Then the damping housing  8  is pivoted into the final position shown in  FIG. 12 . As already described for  FIG. 6 , the front frame  3  is clamped between the outside retaining leg  13  and the clamping leg  15 . At the same time, the fastening screw  37  is covered. 
     The fastening screw  37  secures the damping device  1 ′ on the front frame when high damping forces occur. This relieves the clamping of the damping device. 
     The resilient locking latch  34  that latches behind the latch edge  14  secures the spring component  13  in its position on the bottom of the carrier main component  12  even before it is installed.