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(11) | EP 3 006 659 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | OPENING/CLOSING DEVICE HAVING AN ELASTIC PISTON FOR FURNITURE DOORS |
| (57) The present invention is related to an opening/closing device having an elastic piston
for door wings of furniture complements. In particular, the invention is related to
an opening/closing device that makes it possible to open and close door wings of wall
units without the aid of handles and other gripping elements. The device is provided
with a simple construction, easy to install and to adjust, wherein a fixing mounting
plate to a piece of furniture is hinged to a supporting shell of a strike element.
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TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to an opening/closing device having an elastic piston for doors of furniture complements. In particular, the invention is related to an opening/closing device which allows to open and close storage furniture doors without the aid of handles or other gripping elements. The device has a simple construction, easy to install and to adjust.
PRIOR ART TECHNIQUE
[0002] In the furniture field, since long it has been known opening/closing devices having an elastic piston which allow to open and close furniture door wings. These devices can be of two types: the first one envisages the insertion of a cylinder with the respective piston into a suitable seat formed in the thickness of the edge defining the compartment opening of a piece of furniture, whereas the second one envisages the positioning of said elastic piston with the respective cylinder in the inner surface of said compartment by means of a suitable support. Irrespective of the type of device, the elastic piston has a retracted position wherein its free surface of abutment with the door is slightly protruding with respect to the plane defined by the compartment opening, and a protruding position with respect to said plane. In the retracted position, the closing door of the piece of furniture almost abuts against the compartment edge, therefore the piece of furniture is substantially closed. With a slight pressure on the wing in the vicinity of the opening/closing device, the pin further retracts and, thanks to traditional elastic blocking/unblocking mechanism, it is unblocked so as to allow its exit from the respective cylinder by means of an elastic element. The exit makes it possible to distance the compartment door to allow the grip thereof and the complete opening of the piece of furniture. The closing is realized by simply repositioning the wing in the closing position and pushing it against the pin so as to make it retract until it activates the elastic blocking/unblocking mechanism in a blocking position.
[0003] In regard to the second type, the opening/closing devices are generally constituted of a supporting and fixing element to an inner surface of a wall of the piece of furniture and of an elastic piston. In its turn the piston comprises a cylinder for the slidable and elastic housing of a rod for the matching with the door.
[0004] First of all, the assembly of these devices requires the positioning of the supporting on the inner surface of the compartment, usually in the vicinity of the edge defined by the compartment opening, and its fixing by means of a pair of screws. Subsequently, the elastic piston is mounted on the respective supporting element. The positioning operation of the supporting element is to be realized with great attention since if you are mistaken by only few millimeters, when it is mounted the piston could be too internally or too externally with respect to said edge. Consequently, the opening and the closing of the compartment through the respective door wing might not be correct. In other words, in the closing position the piston might protrude too much from the edge or might not protrude at all, both situations being unacceptable. It results that in case of incorrect assembling, the strike element must be disassembled, then the supporting element removed unscrewing the screws and repositioned correctly and then fixed again correctly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The technical problem at the basis of the present invention is therefore that of providing an opening/closing device which can be mounted in the most precise possible way, and anyway should there be imprecision or misalignments, its repositioning could be simplified avoiding to completely disassemble the device in its entirety.
[0006] This problem is solved by an opening/closing device comprising a supporting element and an elastic piston provided with structure so as to make its assembling and disassembling easier and more precise.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] Further characteristics an advantages of the opening/closing device of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment described for exemplification only but not limited to with reference to the following figures, wherein:
- figure 1 shows a schematic axonometric and exploded view of the opening/closing device according to the present invention;
- figures 2A and 2B show, respectively, a top and a bottom axonometric view of a shell with the fixing mounting plate of the supporting and fixing element of the device according to the present invention;
- figures 3A and 3B show, respectively, a top and a bottom axonometric view of a supporting shell of the supporting and fixing element of the device according to the present invention;
- figures 4A-4C show three partially cutaway side views of three different moments when assembling the device of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In figure 1, the reference number 1 shows the opening/closing device of the present invention in its entirety. This device comprises a supporting and fixing element 2 and an elastic piston 3.
[0009] The supporting and fixing element 2 comprises a fixing mounting plate 4 to a wall (not shown) of a piece of furniture and a shell 5 for supporting the elastic piston 3 for its support and connection to the fixing mounting plate 4.
[0010] Advantageously, the supporting shell 5 is hinged on the fixing mounting plate 4 so that the supporting and fixing element 2 is a sort of containing casing for the piston 3. Preferably, this casing is reversibly closed by means of hooking means.
[0011] In particular, the mounting plate 4 and the shell 5 extend along a longitudinal axis X-X and comprise hinged means 6 that allow the supporting shell 5 to rotate with respect to the fixing mounting plate 4.
[0012] Preferably, the fixing mounting plate 4 is made up of a plate having a bottom 42, basically flat, for fixing to the inner wall (not shown) of a compartment of a piece of furniture (not shown), and of two lateral walls 43 extending from said bottom basically parallel and orthogonal to the same bottom (figures 1 and 2A). The bottom is provided with a series of holes 44 engageable by screws (not shown) for fixing to the mounting plate 4. The hole 44 located in the centre portion of the bottom can be as an elongated eyelet to allow the adjustment of the mounting plate 4 before its final fixing, as it will be explained hereinafter.
[0013] Further, in correspondence of a first end 45 of the fixing mounting plate 4 there are provided first hinged means 61, shown in figure 2B. Said first means 61 are preferably constituted of a cylindrical bridge extending between said lateral wall 43 in the vicinity of the bottom 42 of the fixing mounting plate 4. As described hereinafter, said first hinged means 61 cooperate with second hinged means to allow the opening and closing of the containing casing of the elastic piston 3 (figures 4A-4C).
[0014] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixing mounting plate 4 has first reversible blocking means 7 (figures 2B, 4A, 4B) that cooperate with second blocking means for the reversible blocking of the supporting shell 5 on the fixing mounting plate 4. Preferably, said first blocking means 7 comprise an undercut 71 (figures 4A, 4B) snap engageable by a corresponding elastic tooth formed on the supporting shell 5, as described later.
[0015] In particular, the blocking means 7 are realized in correspondence of a second end 46 of the fixing mounting plate 4. Further, said means 7 can comprise a step 72 (figures 2A, 4A and 4B) against which a rib formed in the supporting portion abuts, as described later.
[0016] It is also to note that preferably the two side walls 43 gradually lower from the first end 45 towards the second end 46, basically zeroizing themselves before said undercut 71.
[0017] The supporting shell 5 (figures 3A, 3B) comprise a first end 51 and a second end 52 connected en bloc by an intermediate portion 53. The intermediate portion 53 is basically flat and has an outer surface 53A and an inner surface 53B. On the inner surface 53B, that is the one accommodating the piston 3, there are ribs 8 apt at engaging said piston 3 by interference. From the first end 51 a plate 9 extends en bloc bent towards the inner surface 53B of the intermediate portion 53.
[0018] Advantageously, the plate 9 is provided with second hinged means 62 apt at cooperating with the above mentioned first hinged means 61 of the mounting plate 4 of the supporting element 2. Said second hinged means 62 are preferably constituted of a canal having a C section wherein at least a portion of the C section is elastically flexible in order to allow the joint in the inside thereof of the cylinder of the first hinged means 61.
[0019] The second end 52 of the shell 5 has a cylindrical sleeve-like shape so as to receive suitably the above said elastic piston 3. Preferably, the sleeve comprises the free edge 54 (figure 3B) against which a retaining ring of the elastic piston 3 carries out a stop.
[0020] In accordance with the aforementioned preferred embodiment of the invention, the second end 52 further comprises second blocking means 10 apt at cooperating with the above said first blocking means 7 so as to reversibly block the shell 5 on the mounting plate 4. Preferably, (figures 3A, 4A, 4B) said second means 10 comprise an elastic tooth 11 apt at snap engaging the undercut 71 of the first blocking means 7 of the mounting plate 4. More preferably, the second means 10 also comprise a rib 12 apt at abutting against the step 72 of said first means 7.
[0021] The elastic piston 3 is a traditional elastic piston (figure 1). Generally, said piston 3 comprises a cylindrical housing 31 within which a corresponding rod 32 can slide. The housing 31 accommodates an elastic element, for example a spring (not shown), against which the rod operates. Further, inside the same housing there are formed traditional blocking/unblocking means of the retracted position and of the extracted position of the rod 32. Preferably, the cylindrical housing 31 comprises a flange 33 to stop against the free edge 54 of the shell 5 of the supporting element 2.
[0022] The assembly of the opening/closing device 1 of the present invention comprises a first step wherein the piston 3 is inserted in the shell 5 until its flange 33 abuts against the free edge 54 of the same shell. At the same time, the outer surface of the cylindrical housing 31 crosses the sleeve of the second end 52 of the shell 5 and its opposed portion with respect to the flange 33 makes a joint by interference with the ribs 8 formed on the inner surface 53B of the shell 5.
[0023] At this point, the assembly of the piston 3 and of the shell 5 can be mounted on the mounting plate 4 in the following way.
[0024] The plate 9 of the above said assembly is made to approach the first end 45 of the mounting plate 4 so that the first hinged means 61 of said mounting plate are on the same plane as the second hinged means 62 of the shell 5, as shown in figure 4A.
[0025] In this position, it is simply sufficient to elastically force the shell 5 against the mounting plate 4 so that the first hinged means 61 engage the second hinged means 62, as shown in figure 4B. Once the engagement snap between said means has been made, shell and mounting plate will be hinged in correspondence of the respective first ends 51 and 45.
[0026] Now the device 1 of the present invention is ready to be mounted on a piece of furniture. The mounting operation requires the positioning of the device on the inner surface of the compartment of piece of furniture in a conventional way and that is so that the piston is in the working position. Generally, this position occurs when the rod 32 retracted in its housing 33 protrudes of only few millimeters with respect to the edge of the compartment.
[0027] Once that position has been adjusted, the shell 5 is lifted with respect to the mounting plate 4 thanks to the previously described hinge so as to make the engagement holes 44 accessible for the screws for fixing to the piece of furniture. The fixing may also be temporary when the elongated eyelet centre hole 44 is engaged, thus allowing further fine-adjustments. Once the correct position has been confirmed, it is fixed at least a further screw into one of the corresponding holes beside the centre hole. Whenever the positioning is simple and quick, the temporary fixing can be avoided and the lateral screws are directly fixed.
[0028] At this point, the shell 5 can be lowered and the tooth 11 thereof elastically snap inserted in the undercut 71 of the mounting plate 4. Meanwhile, the rib 12 of the shell 5 abuts against the step 72 of the mounting plate 4.
[0030] In case it is necessary to disassemble the device for example in order to replaces parts or in order to reposition the elastic piston with respect to the compartment of the piece of furniture, it is sufficient to force the rod 32 away with respect to the mounting plate 4 so as to overcome the elastic engagement between the tooth 11 of the shell 5 and the respective undercut 71 of the mounting plate 4. Thus, the shell 5 disengages from the mounting plate 4 in correspondence of the respective second ends 52 and 46 and, thanks to the hinged means 6, shell and mounting plate remain engaged in correspondence of the respective first ends 51 and 45. Therefore, also the piston 3 is lifted allowing an easy access to the fixing screws of the mounting plate 4.
[0031] Once the adjustment or the replacement of the parts of the device 1 of the present invention has been carried out, it is possible to lower again the shell 5 on the mounting plate 4 realizing the above said snap between the tooth 11 and the undercut 71.
[0032] From the foregoing, it is apparent that the opening/closing device with elastic piston for furniture doors is particularly easy to assemble and disassemble thanks to its constructive simplicity.
[0033] In fact, the coupling between the mounting plate 4 for fixing the device to the piece of furniture and the supporting shell 5 of the piston 3 allows to open the containing casing of the same piston without being forced to disassemble the device or anyway to remove parts thereof.
[0034] Furthermore, the device 1 can be pre-assembled as previously described with the advantage of having only one piece to handle both while mounting it and while storing it. In other words, when mounting it, it is sufficient to open the shell and the mounting plate to access the fixing holes of the mounting plate 4, to fix said mounting plate with the screws and then to close the shell on the mounting plate again. While stored, there is only one piece already ready to be mounted without the inconvenience of having a number of parts to manage separately and assemble before or during its installation.
[0035] Furthermore, as the fixing element is already assembled with the piston, it is possible to position the device more accurately because the reference of the elastic piston is already on the same device. In other words, if the fixing element or mounting plate 4 were separated from the other components of the device, as it occurs in the prior art, it is necessary to first fix this element approximately and then to mount the piston on said fixing element, hoping the fixing element is positioned correctly.
[0036] On the contrary, with the device of the present invention, there is already a precise reference allowing a correct fixing.
[0037] Anyway, as previously outlined, should the fixing not be perfect, the adjustment operation would be all the same simple and easy since it is only necessary to disengage the shell 5 lifting it with respect to the mounting plate 4 so as to access the fixing screws engaging the holes 44. Thanks to the hinged means 6, shell and mounting plate do not separate one from the other but they simply rotate one with respect to the other remaining herein joined.
[0038] Finally, the reversible blocking means 11 and 71 make the device safe since they avoid unwanted movements between the shell and the mounting plate. At the same time, they protect the piston 3 and conceal the fixing screws.
[0039] It is also to keep in mind that the forms and dimensions of the single parts of the device of the present invention can vary according to preferences or specific requirements.
[0040] Materials, too, usually made of plastic, can vary according to particular requirements or preferences.
[0041] Furthermore, it is possible to invert the position of the undercut 71 of the mounting plate 4 with the tooth 11 of the shell 5 and, similarly, to provide the canal C not on the shell 5 but on the mounting plate 4 and the respective cylindrical bridge not on the mounting plate 4 but on the shell 5.
[0042] The previously described hinge can alternatively be made of a closed canal and of a pin axially engaging said canal.
[0043] Further modifications or changes of the present invention are within the means of the skilled in the art and anyhow comprised in the field of the protection of the appended claims.
[0044] Furthermore, it is to note that the aforementioned device can be applied to open and close wall units having flap doors, but also pieces of furniture resting on floors wherein the doors are vertically hinged. In the second case, the strike surface of the strike element is provided with a magnet element apt to cooperate with a corresponding metal element mounted on the door wing or vice versa.
1. Opening/closing device (1) having an elastic piston for doors of furniture complements,
comprising a supporting and fixing element (2) and an elastic piston (3) characterized in that said supporting and fixing element (2) comprises a fixing mounting plate (4) to a
wall of a piece of furniture hinged to a supporting shell (5) of said piston (3) for
its support and connection to the fixing mounting plate (4).
2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein said mounting plate (4) and said shell (5)
extend along a longitudinal axis (X-X) and comprise hinged means (6) which allow the
supporting shell (5) to rotate with respect to the fixing mounting plate (4).
3. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said fixing mounting plate (4) is constituted
of a plate provided with a bottom (42) having a series of holes (44), and of two lateral
walls (43) extending from said bottom basically parallel and orthogonal to the same
bottom, and wherein said shell (5) comprises a first flat end (51) wherefrom a bent
plate (9) extends and a second end (52) connected en bloc to said first end by means
of an intermediate portion (53), said second end having a cylindrical sleeve-like
shape to receive suitably said piston (3).
4. Device (1) according to any of claims from 1 to 3, wherein in correspondence of a
first end (45) of said fixing mounting plate (4) there are provided first hinged means
(61) apt at cooperating with second hinged means (62) formed on the plate (9) of the
shell (5).
5. Device (1) according to claim 4, wherein said first hinged means (61) are constituted
of a cylindrical bridge extending between said side walls (43) in the vicinities of
the bottom (42) of the fixing mounting plate (4) and said second hinged means (62)
are constituted of a canal having a C section wherein at least a portion of the C
section is elastically flexible so as to allow in the inside thereof the joint of
the cylindrical bridge of the first hinged means (61).
6. Device (1) according to any of the claims from 1 to 5, wherein said fixing mounting
plate (4) has first reversible blocking means (7) that cooperate with second blocking
means (10) of the shell (5) for the reversible blocking of the mounting plate (4)
on said shell (5).
7. Device (1) according to claim 6, wherein said first blocking means (7) are formed
in correspondence of a second end (46) of the mounting plate (4) and said second blocking
means (10) are formed in correspondence of a second end (52) of the shell (5).
8. Device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said first blocking means (7) comprising
an undercut (71) and said second blocking means (10) comprise an elastic tooth (11)
apt at snap engaging the undercut in a reversible way.
9. Device (1) according to any of the claims from 6 to 8, wherein said first blocking
means (7) also comprise a rib (12) apt at abutting against said step (72).
10. Furniture complement comprising at least an opening/closing device (1) having an elastic
piston according to any of the previous claims.