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(11) | EP 1 621 107 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Telescopic guide for drawers |
| (57) Telescopic guide (10) for drawers of the type comprising a sliding guide (20) on
which a drawer (11) is fitted resting upon it, and a fixed guide (12) on which said
sliding guide (20) slides, said telescopic guide (10) also comprising a vertical adjustment
device of the drawer and one or more stops (40, 50) to prevent the disengagement of
the drawer. According to the invention, said vertical alignment device comprises a
monoblock (30) that can be engaged in a first seat (21) made along the horizontal
top side of the sliding guide (20) and equipped with a spiral adjustment mechanism.
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[0001] The present invention refers to an improved telescopic guide for drawers, of the type comprising a device for adjusting the position of the drawer with respect to both its seat and the other drawers.
[0002] In this way, the horizontal and vertical sides of the front, of forward-facing, wall of all of the drawers can be respectively positioned parallel to each other, and parallel to the sides of the furniture.
[0003] Guides of this type are, for example, described in patents AT-400660 B, US-5,439,283 and EP-0761132 B1.
[0004] Such guides according to the prior art are generally equipped with a device, suitable for laterally lifting the drawer so as to allow its level to be adjusted and to allow it to be correctly distanced from the other drawers and from the sides of the furniture.
[0005] In addition, as is well known to men skilled in the art, the drawer is fixedly connected to the guides through stop means that prevent it from being disengaged in the vertical direction and its withdrawal and further stop means of the rear wall of the drawer with respect to the guides are also foreseen.
[0006] In the guides according to the prior art, the adjustment device is either complex to construct and bulky - extending laterally outside the guide, without moreover ensuring that the drawer rests correctly -, or else it is made in many parts that require many processes to be carried out in succession and are therefore burdensome.
[0007] Indeed, in guides according to the prior art, the stop means against the vertical disengagement of the drawer are separate from the height adjustment device thereof, and the stop means of the drawer against its withdrawal and the rear stop are welded to the respective guide.
[0008] A first purpose of the present invention is, therefore, that of making a guide of the type quoted above in which the support device of the drawer portion to be lifted to carry out its alignment has a relatively large surface.
[0009] Another purpose of the present invention is that of making a guide of the type quoted above in which the bulk of the adjustment device is substantially contained within the bulk of the guide itself.
[0010] Another purpose of the present invention is that of making a guide in which said adjustment group consists of a monoblock also incorporating first stop means against the vertical disengagement of the drawer from the guides.
[0011] Yet another purpose of the invention is that of making a guide in which said monoblock also acts as an attachment member of second stop means against the disengagement of the drawer from the guides, in the horizontal withdrawal direction of the same drawer from its seat.
[0012] A further purpose of the invention is that of making a guide provided with third rear stop means of the drawer with respect to the guide itself, which are fixedly attached to the guide without the help of weldings and which also carry out the function of limit switch of the sliding roller-carrying trolley of the guide.
[0013] The last but not least purpose of the invention is that of making a guide in which the aforementioned second stop means are also provided with an arming member of the automatic closing device of the drawer, so-called "self-closing" device, fixed without the need for any welding.
[0014] The aforementioned purposes are accomplished by a guide having the characteristics outlined in the main claim and in the dependent claims.
[0015] The structural and functional characteristics of the invention and its advantages compared to the prior art shall become clear from an examination of the following description, referring to the attached drawings, which show a practical example embodiment of the invention itself. In the drawings:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a guide according to the invention.
- Figure 2 is a plan view from above of the guide of figure 1.
- Figure 3 is a top view of the guide of figure 1.
- Figure 4 is a plan view from above of the guide of figure 1 with annexed drawer.
- Figure 5 is a section according to the line V-V of figure 4.
- Figure 6 is a section according to the line VI-VI of figure 4.
- Figure 7 is a section according to the line VII-VII of figure 4.
- Figure 8 is a section according to the line VIII-VIII of figure 4.
- Figure 9 is a perspective view from below of a guide according to the invention with annexed drawer.
- Figure 10 is a perspective view of a detail of the guide according to the invention.
[0016] With reference to the figures, a telescopic guide 10 for drawers 11 comprises a sliding guide 20 onto which the drawer 11 is fitted resting upon it, in particular along one of the two sides parallel to the direction of withdrawal thereof, and a fixed guide 12 that is fixed to the side of the furniture or set of drawers in general.
[0017] The guide 20 is made so that it can slide on the fixed guide 12 through a trolley 17 with rollers 18.
[0018] For the correct operation of the system, it is suitable for there to be two guides 10 suitable for slidably supporting the two sides of the drawer parallel to the direction of withdrawal, however, since such right and left guides have mirroring and/or symmetrical parts we describe and illustrate just one of them for exemplifying purposes.
[0019] The fixed guide 12 is substantially U-shaped with a first wall 13 intended for attachment to the furniture to which a base 14 is fitted intended to bear some locking and moving mechanisms.
[0020] From said base 14 rises a second wall 15 that terminates at a horizontal edge 16 suitable for bearing the rollers and for providing support and guidance, together with the second wall 15, for the sliding guide 20.
[0021] The sliding guide 20 has a partially open box-shaped profile so as to be able to be inserted and slide along the second wall 15 and the edge 16 of the fixed guide 12.
[0022] Close to the withdrawable end, the sliding guide 20 has, along its horizontal upper side, a first seat 21 engaging the upper base and the vertical walls of the box-shaped profile, and suitable for engageably receiving a vertical adjustment and stop monoblock 30 of the height of the drawer.
[0023] At such a seat 21, the sliding guide 20 also has a first notch 22 formed along the edge of the vertical wall that faces the wall 12 of the fixed guide.
[0024] Such a notch is suitable for engageably housing a front positioning stop 40 of the drawer, shaped so as to be kept in position by the monoblock 30 itself when it is inserted in the first seat.
[0025] Such a front positioning stop 40 has a projection 41 extending upwards to avoid the withdrawal of the drawer and a tooth 42 facing downwards and suitable for arming a self-closing mechanism 70.
[0026] The self-closing mechanism 70 is of the spring-operated type and is integral with the base of the fixed guide and acts so as to pull the drawer back until it is completely closed and keep it in such a position when this is pushed a distance of a few centimetres from such a closed position.
[0027] The monoblock 30 comprises a spiral adjustment mechanism of the drawer, in turn comprising a disc 31 actuated into rotation about a vertical pin 32 by a small lever 33 so as to constitute a substantially circular plane to support the drawer.
[0028] The disc 31, at the bottom, has spiral-shaped surfaces suitable for coupling with corresponding actuation surfaces that are also helix shaped made in the monoblock 30 and suitably arranged around the vertical pin 32. In such a way, by rotating the disc 31 through the small lever 33, in one direction or the other, it goes up or down allowing the drawer's height to be adjusted.
[0029] The disc also has radial toothing 35 suitable for allowing it to rotate in clicks for better retention of the adjustment position.
[0030] The monoblock 30 is made of a length substantially equal to the width of the sliding guide 20 so as to not project from it, and incorporates, at the end opposite the disc 31, a transversal channel 36, intended to slidably receive a peg 37 suitable for avoiding the undesired disengagement of the drawer 11 from the guide 10.
[0031] At the inner end with respect to the direction of withdrawal of the drawer, the sliding guide 20 has a second seat 23 made in its base and a second notch 24 made at the seat at the end of the vertical wall that faces the wall 12 of the fixed guide.
[0032] Such openings have the function of receiving a shaped rear positioning stop 50 that is inserted in the second seat 23 to then be punched for its locking in the notch 24.
[0033] The purpose of such a stop is that of constituting a further engagement element of the drawer on the guide beyond a bottom limit switch for the drawer itself.
[0034] Through such a type of attachment welding of the rear positioning stop 50 to the sliding guide 20 is advantageously avoided, which as well as constituting an additional operation in the assembly of the guide, obliges the use of a weldable metal material to make the rear positioning stop 50.
[0035] With reference to figure 10, the rear positioning stop 50 has a body 55 from which an engagement tooth 51 extends, facing towards the bottom of the drawer and intended to be inserted in a seat suitably foreseen therein.
[0036] The rear positioning stop 50 also has a limit switch abutment 52 of the trolley 17 carrying the sliding rollers of the sliding guide 20.
[0037] At the base of the body 55, a fold 53 is also made intended to be housed in the second notch 24 to be punched so as to make incisions 54 in such a fold 53, which allow the deformation and engagement of the fold in the second notch.
[0038] From that which has been described above with reference to the figures, it is clear how a telescopic guide according to the invention is particularly useful and advantageous. The purpose mentioned in the preamble of the description is thus achieved.
1. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers of the type comprising a sliding guide (20) on which
a drawer (11) is fitted resting upon it, and a fixed guide (12) on which said sliding
guide (20) slides, said telescopic guide (10) also comprising a vertical adjustment
device of the drawer and one or more stops (40, 50) to prevent the disengagement of
the drawer, characterised in that said vertical alignment device comprises a monoblock (30) that can be engaged in
a first seat (21) made along the horizontal top side of the sliding guide (20) and
equipped with a spiral adjustment mechanism.
2. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 1, characterised in that said monoblock (30) incorporates a transversal channel (36), intended to slidably
receive a peg (37) suitable for avoiding the undesired disengagement of the drawer
(11) from the guide (10).
3. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 2, characterised in that said spiral adjustment mechanism comprises a disc (31) actuated into rotation about
a vertical pin (32) by a small lever (33) so as to constitute a substantially circular
plane to support the drawer, and having, at the bottom, spiral-shaped surfaces suitable
for coupling with corresponding actuation surfaces that are also spiral-shaped made
in the monoblock (30) and suitably arranged around the vertical pin (32), said disc
(31) also having a radial toothing (35) suitable for allowing its rotation in clicks
for better retention of the adjustment position.
4. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a front positioning stop (40) of the drawer coming out from a first
notch (22) made at the first seat (21), said front positioning stop (40) having a
projection (41) extending upwards to avoid the withdrawal of the drawer.
5. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 1, characterised in that said front positioning stop (40) comprises a tooth (42) facing downwards suitable
for arming a self-closing mechanism (70).
6. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 4, characterised in that said front positioning stop (40) is shaped so as to be kept in position by the monoblock
(30) itself when it is inserted in the first seat (21).
7. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 1, characterised in that said sliding guide (20) has a second seat (23) and a second notch (24) made at the
seat suitable for receiving in engagement a shaped rear positioning stop (50) that
is inserted in the second seat (23) to then be punched for it to be locked in the
notch (24).
8. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 7, characterised in that said rear positioning stop (50) has a body (55) from which an engagement tooth (51)
extends facing towards the bottom of the drawer and intended to be inserted in a seat
suitably foreseen in the drawer itself.
9. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 8, characterised in that said rear positioning stop (50) has a limit switch abutment (52) of the trolley (17)
carrying the sliding rollers (18) of the sliding guide (20).
10. Telescopic guide (10) for drawers according to claim 9, characterised in that said rear positioning stop (50) has, at the base of the body (55), a fold (53) intended
to be housed in the second notch (24) to be punched so as to make incisions (54) that
allow the deformation and engagement of the fold in the second notch.