Abstract:
Dowels holding a mounting plate, e.g. for furniture hinges, include relatively soft dowel parts and a hard expansion member.

Description:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a mounting plate or the like, particularly for furniture hinges, having at least one, preferably two dowel parts and one expansion member for each dowel part. 
     It is the object of the invention to provide a mounting plate with dowels which can easily and quickly be mounted. 
     According to the invention this is achieved by fastening each expansion member to the mounting plate or by providing that the expansion members are a part of the mounting plate and by constructing the dowel part as separate element with respect to the mounting plate. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a mounting plate that has dowels, e.g. for fastening a hinge, and that gives way from the dowel when the door is opened slightly past an abutment position and that is drawn back again after the strain on the door has ceased. When the plate is forced away from the furniture side wall where it is mounted, the dowel should be spread, whereby it is clamped more securely in a furniture side wall. 
     According to the invention this is achieved by an expansion member with at least one, preferably two truncated cone sections whose surfaces converge in the extracting direction of the dowel or with sections having at least two lateral faces converging in the extracting direction of the dowel, such sections corresponding to inclined faces on the internal side of the dowel part to be anchored in the furniture part, whereby the dowel part is preferably divided into dowel segments by axial separating slots. 
     A preferred embodiment is characterized by a projecting ring at the free end of the expansion member. By means of this projecting ring the shock-absorbing portion between the actual dowel part being anchored in the piece of furniture and the expansion member carrying the mounting plate can be limited. 
     Moreover, it is preferably provided that the projecting ring extends into a recess of the dowel part, such recess being disposed at the front end of the dowel part with respect to the inserting direction, and that the internal surface of the dowel part conically diverges from the recess to the rear end of the dowel part. 
     A further embodiment of the invention provides that the separating slots are alternately open towards the opposite edges of the dowel part. 
     In order to secure the dowel segments safely on the expansion member a further embodiment provides that the lateral portions of the dowel segments are provided with plugs and holes into which the plugs are inserted, whereby the holes are preferably disposed on one side and the plugs on the other side of each dowel segment. 
     Advantageously two dowel segments are connected with each other by a web, the two dowel segments being half a dowel. 
     Another embodiment provides that the expansion member has lateral projections extending towards the bore wall and into the dowel segments, preferably made of plastics, so that the dowel segments are fixed to the expansion member and that each expansion member is provided with two dowel segments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following various embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail by means of the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a hinge with a mounting plate according to the invention, wherein parts of the mounting plate and one dowel are shown in section; 
     FIG. 1a is an enlarged view of the portion within the circle of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a dowel according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic view of half a dowel according to a further embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of a mounting plate; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a dowel of a mounting plate according to FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a view in the direction of arrow C of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line VII--VII of FIG. 5; and 
     FIGS. 8 through 11 are each sectional views of further embodiments of a mounting plate according to the invention, in the area of the dowel. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As can be seen in FIG. 1, the dowel 1 of a mounting plate 5 comprises a dowel part 3 to be anchored in a part of the piece of furniture, e.g. a side wall 2, and an expansion member 4 which, according to the illustrated embodiment, forms a part of the mounting plate 5 carrying a hinge arm 6. 
     As can also be seen in FIG. 1a, the expansion member 4 has truncated cone sections 7 and surfaces 7&#39; corresponding to inclined faces 3&#39; of the dowel part 3. 
     The free end of the expansion member 4 has a projecting ring 8 extending into a recess 9 of the dowel part 3. The axial height B of the recess 9 is greater than the axial height b of the projecting ring 8. 
     As can particularly be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dowel part 3 is provided with longitudinal slots 10 each being open towards one edge 11 of the dowel part 3. In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 the longitudinal slots 10 are alternately open towards the opposite edges 11. 
     These longitudinal slots 10 divide the dowel part 3 into separate dowel segments 12. This embodiment facilitates the spreading of the dowel part 3. 
     The dowel segments 12 can have plugs 13 and holes 14, the plugs 13 of one segment 12 being plugged into the holes 14 of the adjacent dowel segment 12. 
     In the embodiment according to FIG. 3 the dowel part 3a consists of two halves, each half being formed by two dowel segments 12. The two halves are kept together by the plugs 13 and the holes 14 or by a web at one end of the dowel segments 12. 
     If the furniture door 15 having a hinge whose mounting plate 5 is anchored to the side wall 2 by means of dowels 1 according to the invention is opened and turned in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 slightly beyond the abutment of the hinge stop, the hinge arm 6 is lifted from the mounting plate 5 in the direction of arrow K. The expansion member 4 is pulled in the same direction. By means of truncated cone sections 7 the dowel segments 12 are laterally pressed into the bore wall in the directions of arrows S, whereby the dowel 1 is anchored more securely in the side wall 2 of the piece of furniture. 
     The expansion member 4 can be pulled out until the projecting ring 8 abuts against the stop face 9&#39; of the recess 9. If the door 15 is relieved of strain, the expansion member 4 and thus the mounting plate 5 are automatically pulled toward the side wall 2 and into the bore of the dowel hole. 
     The expansion members 4 and the mounting plate 5 are preferably made of zinc die-castings or hard plastics. The dowel parts 3 of the dowel 1 anchored in the side wall 2 of the piece of furniture are preferably made of soft plastics. 
     When fastening the mounting plate 5 the dowel part 3 is placed on the expansion member 4, whereupon both parts are pressed into the pre-drilled fastening hole in the furniture part. 
     In the case of conventional dowels the dowel part made of plastics is first inserted into the hole, and only then is the expansion member hammered into the dowel part. 
     The assembling method according to the invention provides the advantage that holes of different depths do not influence the fit of part 3 and, therefore, the co-acting of the dowel part 3 and the expansion member 4. 
     In the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 through 7, the dowel 1 also comprises an expansion member 4 directly linked to the mounting plate 5 and dowel jaws or dowel segments 12 of plastics. 
     As can particularly be seen in FIG. 7, the expansion member 4 has projections 16 which extend into longitudinal holes 17 of the dowel segments 12. Projections 16 have enlarged heads 16&#39; which extend outwardly behind inwardly directed portions 17&#39; in the longitudinal holes 17, thus holding the dowel segments 12 on the expansion member 4. 
     As can particularly be seen in FIG. 6, the expansion member 4 differs in width s over its height h, and the dowel segments 12 have corresponding recesses e and protrusions a which are complementary to variations in width s. If the expansion member 4 is pulled out from the side wall 2 in the direction of arrow K, this embodiment also provides still faster anchoring of the dowel 1 in the side wall 2, as the dowel segments 12 are pressed into the bore wall in the directions of arrows S. 
     If pressure is exerted on the expansion member in the direction of arrow K, the dowel segments 12 are compressed or stressed in the direction of height h. If the pressure stops, the dowel segments 12 expand or counter such stress and pull the expansion member 4 into the bore. 
     As in all other embodiments the dowel segments 12 are provided with conventional external saw-tooth shaped ribs to provide better anchoring in the side wall 2. 
     In the embodiment according to FIGS. 8 and 9 the free end of the expansion member 4 also has a projecting ring 8. Before mounting the projecting ring 8 rests against the inside surface 18 of the dowel part 3 near the upper edge 11 of the dowel part 3b (FIG. 8) in such a way that the dowel part 3b is held on the expansion member 4 by means of the clamping effect of its elastic material. 
     If the dowel part 3b and the expansion member 4 are driven into the side wall 2 the projecting ring 8 engages with the recess 9 of the dowel part 3b. 
     If the expansion member 4 and the mounting plate 5 are pulled out of the dowel part 3b, the truncated cone section 7 adjacent to the projecting ring 8 presses on the inclined surface 3&#39; of the dowel part 3b and the dowel part 3b which according to this embodiment, is divided into two halves, is pressed against the wall of the bore into which it is inserted. 
     The mounting plate 5 has a ring-shaped recess 22 surrounding the expansion member 4 and adapted to receive the end 11 of the dowel part 3b on the side of the mounting plate so that a particularly secure and close fit of the dowel part 3b on the mounting plate 5 is provided. 
     In the embodiment according to FIG. 10, the central aperture 23 of the dowel part 3c receiving the expansion member 4 is not continuous. Thus, when the expansion member 4 is inserted, the front face 4&#39; of the expansion member 4 rests against a corresponding bottom face 3&#34; of the dowel part 3c. The inclined surfaces 7&#39; on the conic expansion member 4 is immediately adjacent to the projecting ring 8. The expansion member 4 forming a part of the mounting plate 5 pushes the lower portion of the dowel part 3c into the side wall 2. If the mounting plate 5 is pulled out, the upper teeth of the dowel part 3c spread outwardly as in the other embodiments and improve the hold of the dowel part 3c and thus of the expansion member 4 in the side wall 2 of the piece of furniture. 
     In the embodiment according to FIG. 11, the truncated cone section 7 is a spiral portion extending over the entire length of the expansion member 4 and into a corresponding recess 25 of the dowel part 3c.