Patent Document

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a method and an assembly aid tool for assembling a sliding door fitting, via which an appliance door of an installed appliance, which is installed in a furniture body, is coupled to a furniture door of the furniture body. 
         [0002]    To be able to design a kitchen having uniform furniture fronts, installing installed appliances having a separate appliance door, for example, refrigerators, in a furniture body having a separate door, the furniture door, is known. In this case, both doors typically have different rotational and/or pivot axes. For the sake of convenient operation, both doors are coupled to one another, so that opening and/or closing of the appliance door is performed by moving the furniture door. European patent document EP 0 565 900 A1 disclose a sliding door fitting for this purpose via which the two doors are coupled to one another with regard to their pivot movement, and which compensates for a displacement of the end faces, which are opposite to the hinges, of the two doors, which results from the different rotational and/or pivot axes. The sliding door fitting is fastened on the inner side of the furniture door and on the outer side of the appliance door. 
         [0003]    German patent document DE 10 2012 103 629 A1 discloses a sliding door fitting in which, in addition to the function of coupling the two doors, a damping and/or self-retraction function for the doors is integrated. The sliding door fitting has a low structural height, so that it can be arranged in a similar manner as the above-mentioned sliding door fitting between the furniture door and the appliance door. For this purpose, the sliding door fitting has a plate-shaped base housing, and a slide, which is guided in this base housing and is displaceable in relation thereto. The base housing is fastened on the inner side of the furniture door. The slide protrudes out of the base housing in the direction of the free end face of the furniture door, which is opposite to the hinges, and is angled on its end. With this angled end, the slide engages on the free face, i.e., again opposite to the hinges of the installed appliance, of the appliance door and is fixed thereon. The fixing is performed via a screw, which is already preinstalled in the end face of the appliance door. The position of this screw, which can vary, inter alia, in the scope of the available installation range from the positioning of the installed appliance inside the furniture body, determines the fastening position of the base housing of the sliding door fitting on the inner side of the furniture door. However, this position may only be ascertained with the appliance door and furniture door being closed. As a result of the concealed installation of the sliding door fitting, simple holding, marking, and assembly thereof is not possible. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an assembly aid tool for assembling such a sliding door fitting. 
         [0005]    A method according to the invention of the type mentioned at the outset has the following steps: after the installed appliance is installed in the furniture body, an assembly aid tool is fixed on the appliance door of the installed appliance. The furniture door is then closed and pressed in, whereby markings are applied to an inner surface of the furniture door by spikes on the assembly aid tool. The furniture door is opened and the assembly aid tool is detached and removed. A base housing of the sliding door fitting is then position on the basis of the markings and fastened on the furniture door. Finally, a slide of the sliding door fitting is fixed on the appliance door. 
         [0006]    In the method according to the invention, an assembly aid tool fixed on the appliance door is therefore used to apply one or more markings on the inner surface of the closed furniture door by way of at least one spike. The marking is thus performed in the closed state of both doors, in which the doors have the correct position in relation to one another for the positioning of the sliding door fitting, but in which the inner surface is not accessible from the outside. 
         [0007]    In one preferred embodiment of the method, the assembly aid tool and the slide are fixed on the appliance door using the same fastening means, in particular a preinstalled fastening screw. If the same fastening means is used for the assembly aid tool which is later also used for fixing the slide of the sliding door fitting, the correct positioning of the assembly aid tool is automatically provided. 
         [0008]    The assembly aid tool—like the slide of the sliding door fitting—is preferably fixed on an end face of the appliance door. Alternatively, however, fastening can also be performed on the front outer surface, also called the front face, of the installed appliance. 
         [0009]    In one preferred embodiment of the method, before the removal of the assembly aid tool, a spacing dimension between the outer surface of the appliance door and the inner surface of the furniture door, with the appliance door and furniture door being closed, is transferred to the assembly aid tool with the aid of a displaceable tab of the assembly aid tool. The spacing dimension, which can only be determined when the doors are closed, is acquired in this manner. Before fixing of the slide of the sliding door fitting, this spacing dimension is then preferably transferred from the assembly aid tool back to the spacing of the doors in relation to one another during the fixing of the slide on the appliance door. 
         [0010]    An assembly aid tool according to the invention of the type mentioned at the outset is distinguished in that the assembly aid tool is formed as angled having a first leg and a second leg, wherein the first leg has at least one spike for applying at least one marking to the furniture door, and wherein the second leg has a fastening opening for fixing the assembly aid tool on an end face of the appliance door. The advantages described above in conjunction with the method result. 
         [0011]    In one advantageous embodiment of the assembly aid tool, a displaceable tab is formed on the second leg, using which a spacing dimension between the outer surface of the appliance door and the inner surface of the furniture door can be acquired with closed appliance door and closed furniture door. With the aid of the tab, the spacing dimension, which can only be determined with closed doors, can initially be acquired and later transferred again to the position of the doors in relation to one another during the assembly. 
         [0012]    In a further advantageous embodiment of the assembly aid tool, the at least one spike is an integral component of the first leg. Alternatively, the first leg can have at least one spike receptacle, in which the at least one spike is removably fixed. In this case, for example, a screw, optionally even the screw used later for fastening the sliding door fitting, can be used as the spike. The at least one spike receptacle is preferably formed as springy, so that the at least one spike can be clipped in. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0013]    The invention will be explained in greater detail hereafter on the basis of figures. In the figures: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an installed appliance inserted into a furniture body; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a detail view from  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows an assembly aid tool attached to the installed appliance in a perspective view; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a view similar to  FIG. 1  with attached assembly aid tool; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of the attached assembly aid tool of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of an assembly aid tool with extended tab; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  shows a side view in partial section of the assembly aid tool, which is fixed on the appliance door, with closed furniture door for spacing dimension determination. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  shows a top view of a furniture door with fixed sliding door fitting; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  shows a side view of the appliance door and/or furniture door during the fixing of the sliding door fitting on the appliance door; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  shows a side view of furniture door and appliance door with fully-assembled sliding door fitting. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective schematic view of a furniture body  10  having an open furniture door  11 . The door inner surface  12  and the free, movable end face  13  are visible of the open furniture door  11 . The furniture door  11  is fixed so it is pivotable on the furniture body  10  using hinges  14 . 
         [0025]    An installed appliance  20 , for example, a refrigerator or a refrigerator-freezer combination, is installed in the furniture body  10 . The installed appliance  20  has an appliance door  21 , which is also attached so it is pivotable, and which is shown in a slightly open state in the figure. The appliance door  21  has an outer surface  22 , also called the front face, and a free, movable end face  23 , which is opposite to the hinges (not visible) of the installed appliance  20  in this figure. 
         [0026]    With regard to height, a preinstalled fastening screw  24  is screwed in approximately in the middle region of the free end face  23  of the appliance door  21 . The fastening screw is used for fixing a part, for example, a slide, of a sliding door fitting to be installed. This screw can be, for example, a flow-form screw, which has embossed a thread in the appliance door  21  during the pre-installation. However, it can also be provided that a self-tapping sheet-metal screw is used as the fastening screw  24 . Alternatively, a nut or threaded plate, which is fixedly connected, for example, welded, to the appliance door  21 , can be arranged in the interior of the appliance door  21 , so that a screw having machine thread can be used as the fastening screw  24 . Furthermore, not only fastening with the aid of an additional, separate fastening means such as the mentioned fastening screw  24  is possible, but rather also fastening with the aid of recesses or protrusions on the appliance door  21 , which enable direct fastening, for example, a snap connection, of a correspondingly designed part of the sliding door fitting to the appliance door  21 . 
         [0027]    It is even possible, with appropriate structural design of the sliding door fitting, or of the part of the sliding door fitting to be connected to the appliance door, to displace the fastening point to the outer surface  22  (front face) of the appliance door  21 . In comparison to a fastening point provided on the end face  23  of the appliance door  21 , which faces toward the user and is therefore visible, a fastening point provided on the front face can make the cleaning option of the end face  23  easier. 
         [0028]    The region of the fastening screw  24  is shown once again in the enlargement in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0029]    To achieve coupling of the furniture door  11  and the appliance door  21 , a sliding door fitting is installed between the two doors  11 ,  21 , which preferably not only couples the movement of the two doors  11 ,  21 , but rather also offers a damping and/or self-retraction function for the doors  11 ,  21 . The sliding door fitting is fastened using a base housing on the inner surface  12  of the furniture door  11  and has an angled slide, which rests with one angled section on the end face  23  of the appliance door  21  and is fixed thereon by the fastening screw  24 . A method for installing such a sliding door fitting is explained and an assembly aid tool used in the scope of this method is described in conjunction with the following figures. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  shows such an assembly aid tool  30 , which is attached to the appliance door  21  and fixed with the aid of the assembly screw  24 . The assembly aid tool  30  is formed as angled with respect to its basic design, having a first leg  31 , which rests in the position shown on the outer surface  22  of the appliance door  21 . This first leg is therefore designated hereafter as the surface leg  31 . The assembly aid tool  30  has a second leg  32 , which is aligned perpendicularly to the surface leg  31  and rests on the free end face  23  of the appliance door  21 . This second leg is therefore designated hereafter as the end face leg  32 . 
         [0031]    The surface leg  31  is designed as approximately trapezoidal, so that cantilevers pointing outward—upward and downward in the position shown—are formed. Spike receptacles  311  are formed onto the end of the cantilevers, into each of which one spike  312  is inserted. The spike receptacles  311  are preferably embodied so that the spike  312  is easily insertable and removable and at the same time is held without play if possible in the spike receptacle  311 . The spike receptacles  311  are designed as c-shaped, for example, so that the spike  312  can be clipped in laterally. 
         [0032]    In the illustrated example, a self-tapping wood screw having pronounced tip is used in each case as the spike  312 . However, a spike manufactured especially for this purpose can alternatively also be used. In a further alternative embodiment, it is conceivable to provide a spike which is fixedly connected to the assembly aid tool  30  instead of a spike receptacle. 
         [0033]    The assembly aid tool  30  is preferably produced from plastic in an injection molding method. If permanently integrated spikes are used, a plastic body can be injection molded onto corresponding spikes. 
         [0034]    In addition, arranging further spike receptacles  313  on the surface leg  31  can additionally be provided, which are not relevant for the example shown here, but are usable in conjunction with other embodiments of a sliding door fitting. Thus, for example, by attaching the assembly aid tool  30  in another height position on the appliance door  21  with insertion of a spike  312  into the spike receptacle  313 , a marking can be created for the fastening of a slide rail having central fastening point (not shown in the figures) in the height on the furniture door  11 . 
         [0035]    A fastening slot  321 , which is open toward the free side of the end face leg  32 , is introduced into the end face leg  32 . The assembly aid tool  30  can be pushed under the screw head of the fastening screw  24  using the fastening slot  321 . This movement is shown in  FIG. 3  by the movement arrow  1 . When the surface leg  31  rests flatly on the appliance door  21 , the assembly aid tool  30  is fixed on the appliance door  21  by tightening the fastening screw  24 . The spikes  312  are then positioned at a position, which is fixed by the geometry of the assembly aid tool  30  and is specified with regard to the sliding door fitting used, on the outer surface  22  of the appliance door  21 , wherein this position is determined in relation to the position of the fastening screw  24 . 
         [0036]    Furthermore, a tab  322  is displaceably fixed on the end face leg  32  of the assembly aid tool  30 . The tab  322  can be displaced in parallel to the surface of the end face leg  32  and therefore perpendicularly to the surface of the surface leg  31 . In  FIG. 3 , the tab  322  is shown in a retracted position, in which a stop  323  of the tab  322 , which is located on the right in the figure, protrudes only slightly beyond the surface leg  31 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows the furniture body  10  with inserted appliance  20  and applied assembly aid tool  30  in the same perspective as  FIG. 1 . As indicated by a movement arrow  2 , as a next step in the assembly process, first the appliance door  21  is closed and then the furniture door  11  is also moved into a closed position and pressed in enough that the tips of the spikes  312  penetrate into the inner surface  12  of the furniture door  11 . After the furniture door  11  is opened again, which is symbolized by the movement arrow  3 , the spikes  312  have left markings  121  on the inner surface  12  of the furniture door  11  with their tips. 
         [0038]    The process of pressing the spikes  312  into the furniture door  11  is shown once again in a sectional illustration in  FIG. 5 , wherein the illustrated plane of section extends in parallel to the end face  23  of the appliance door  21 . 
         [0039]    In a next assembly step, the spikes  312  are removed from the spike receptacles  311 . The tab  322  of the assembly aid tool  30  is then extended, so that when the appliance door  21  is closed, it protrudes beyond the stop edge of the furniture body  10 , on which the furniture door  11  stops. This is shown in  FIG. 6  in a perspective illustration. 
         [0040]    The furniture door  11  is thereupon closed, so that its inner surface  12  stops against the stop  323  of the extended tab  322  and pushes it in in the direction of the furniture body  10  until reaching the completely closed position of the furniture door  11 . 
         [0041]    The final position reached by the tab  322  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The movement arrow  4  symbolizes the movement of the tab  322 . The tab  322  is guided in the assembly aid tool  30  such that it may be displaced with acceptable application of force, wherein it maintains its displaced position in relation to the legs  31 ,  32  of the assembly aid tool  30  without greater force action, however. A spacing dimension d has therefore resulted from the contact surface of the surface leg  31  up to the outer edge of the stop  323 , which reflects the correct spacing between the outer surface  22  of the appliance door  21  and the inner surface  12  of the furniture door  11  in the closed state of the furniture door  11  and the appliance door  21 . The assembly aid tool  30  is now removed after opening the doors  11 ,  21  and after loosening and/or unscrewing the fastening screw  24 , without the tab  322  being displaced. 
         [0042]    In a further assembly step, the markings  121  are used to position a sliding door fitting  40  on the furniture door  11 . This is shown in  FIG. 8 . The sliding door fitting  40  has a base housing  41 , which has four fastening holes  42  for screws  43  in the present case. The sliding door fitting  40  furthermore comprises a slide  44  having a head part  45  designed as an angled section. 
         [0043]    The markings  121  identify the positions of the screws  43  used for fastening the base housing  41  (in  FIG. 8 , the two screws located in the right half of the sliding door fitting  40 ). To find the position of the other two fastening screws, drawing auxiliary lines  122 , which extend perpendicularly to the end face  13 , through the markings  121  and drawing on markings for the further screws  43  on the basis of the spacing of the fastening holes  42  can optionally be provided. 
         [0044]    The base housing  41  of the sliding door fitting  40  is then screwed tightly onto the furniture door  11  with the aid of the fastening screws  43 . Self-tapping screws can be used as the screws  43 . It can optionally be provided that assembly holes are predrilled at the markings  121  and/or the further marked positions in the furniture door  11 . Two of the screws  43  can be the two designated screws used as the spikes  312 . 
         [0045]    In a further assembly step, the head part  45  of the slide  44  of the sliding door  40  is then laid on the free end face  23  of the appliance door  21  in a partially or entirely open position of the furniture door  11  and the appliance door  21 . 
         [0046]    In this case, the assembly aid tool  30  is held partially between the appliance door  21  and the furniture door  11  such that the contact side of a cantilever of the surface leg  31  rests on the outer surface  22  of the appliance door  21  and the furniture door  11  presses against the stop  323  of the assembly aid tool  30 . In this manner, the previously acquired spacing dimension d is transferred to the position of the doors  11 ,  21  in relation to one another. In this position of the doors  11  and  21 , the fastening screw  24  is then guided through an oblong hole  46  provided in the head part  45  and screwed back into the appliance door  21 . 
         [0047]    By tightening the fastening screw  24 , the head part  45  of the sliding door fitting  40  is fixed on the free end face  23  of the appliance door  21 . The assembly aid tool  30 , which is held between the two doors  11 ,  21  to set the spacing dimension d, is now removed, whereupon the assembly of the sliding door fitting  40  is finished.  FIG. 10  shows the two doors  11 ,  21  with the fully-assembled sliding door fitting  40  once again in a side view. 
         [0048]    Although the present invention has been described above by means of embodiments with reference to the enclosed drawings, it is understood that various changes and developments can be implemented without leaving the scope of the present invention, as it is defined in the enclosed claims.

Technology Category: 2