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(11) | EP 1 375 806 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Articulated parallelogram mechanism for doors, for opening/closing thereof |
| (57) The mechanism comprises a block (12) for fixing to the mobile structure, a main arm
(14), a transport arm (16), and a distal element (18). The components are configured
so as to be able to be disposed with the arms very close together in the closed position.
Arms of different lengths are interchangeable to adapt the device to various sizes
of doors. A cam head (43) of the main arm interacts with a feeler (32) to determine
the closed position with a snap action. |
[0001] The present invention refers to a movement mechanism for doors, for example for the doors of a wardrobe, door or the like, of the articulated parallelogram type. Articulated parallelogram devices are already known to the art, but present some drawbacks which the present invention proposes to overcome.
[0002] An object of the present invention is to create a device for moving the doors of the articulated parallelogram type that is particularly simple and compact, and yet robust. A further object is to create such a device that renders the closed position and the maximum opening position stable by means of a snap action in proximity thereto. A further object is to create such a device that is particularly easy to assemble.
[0003] The objects have been achieved with a device or mechanism as stated in claim 1. Further new and useful characteristics are stated in the subsequent claims.
[0004] In other words, the device of the invention comprises an articulated parallelogram mechanism, one side (the proximal side) whereof is provided with a mounting base or block, provided with means of constraint to a fixed structure, said block having axes for pivoting of two arms, one main arm and one transport arm, which form two parallel sides of the parallelogram. The distal side of the parallelogram is provided with a distal L-shaped element, pivoted on the distal ends of the arms, said element having means to enable it to be constrained to the door. The main arm carries a circular cam in the proximal part thereof and said cam cooperates with a spring biased wheel carried on the base, to define a stable closed position and a stable open position.
[0005] According to another peculiarity of the invention, the main arm comprises a proximal end component, which comprises the cam and the seat for the proximal articulation pivot, a distal end component which comprises the seat for the distal articulation pivot, and an intermediate component interchangeable on the end portions according to the width of the door whereto the device must be applied. Accordingly, the transport arm on the proximal and distal pivoting axes is also interchangeable.
[0006] According to another peculiarity of the invention, the device comprises brackets for attachment to the door, cooperating with the distal element of the quadrilateral, so as to facilitate assembly.
[0007] The new device achieves the present objects, is compact, can be adapted to doors of different sizes, is easy to mount and use and lends itself to be made in aesthetically pleasing shapes. Furthermore, it can be made as a device for right-hand doors and for left-hand doors using the same basic elements.
[0008] An exemplary embodiment of the invention, purely for non-limiting illustration, will be described hereunder with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the device of the invention, made for a left-hand door, in the closed door condition; the illustration comprises the bracket for application to the door;
Figure 1A is a section along the plane indicated by A-A in Fig. 1;
Figure 2 is a broken off front view of a wardrobe with a left-hand door provided with two devices according to the invention, one top and one bottom; the door is drawn with a dashed line, the wardrobe structure and devices are drawn with a solid line;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1 (that is, of the bottom device in Figure 2) in a condition with the door open;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a base plate or box of a base or block for mounting of the device;
Figure 4A is a plan view from below of the cover of the block;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the proximal end component of the main arm;
Figure 6 is a plan view of the device, in the closed condition of Figure 1; the cover of the block has been removed and the distal element is sectioned along a horizontal plane;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a distal component of the main arm;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the transport arm, seen from the inner side thereof, namely from the side facing toward the main arm;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the distal component of the device;
Figure 10 is a perspective view from below of a bracket of the device for attachment to the door.
[0009] With reference to the figures, a door movement device or mechanism according to the invention is designated as a whole with reference numeral 10. It comprises a proximal element 12, hereinunder called a block or base, a main arm element 14, a transport arm element 16, and a distal element 18.
[0010] The block element 12 defines (Fig. 6) a pivot axis a1 for the main arm 14 and a pivot axis a2 for the transport arm 16. The distal element 18 defines a pivoting axis a3 between the main arm 14 and the distal element and a pivoting axis a4 between the transport arm 16 and the distal element. The axes a1, a2 define a proximal side (p1, 2 in Figure 6) of the articulated parallelogram, the axes a3, a4 define a distal side (p3, 4 in Figure 6) of the parallelogram, said sides being parallel to each other for each position of the mechanism. The axes a1, a3 define a side of the main arm having as its track p1,3 on the drawing of Figure 1, the axes a2, a4 define a side of the transport arm designated by the line p2,4. The device forms the parallelogram with sides p1,3,p3,4;p2,4;p1,2.
[0011] The block element preferably has a symmetrical shape with respect to a median longitudinal plane, with the axis a1 on the median plane, the axis a2 and its corresponding axis a'2 disposed symmetrically with respect to the median longitudinal plane. This allows the same block to be used for a bottom left device, that is for a left hand door, like that in the figures, or for a bottom right device, for a right hand door, or for a top right or top left device.
[0012] With reference now more in particular to the embodiment of the block illustrated in the figures, it can be noted that it is composed of a box or base 20 and a cover 22. The box 20 can be seen more clearly in Figure 4. It has fixing holes, designated by 23, 23', 24, 24', 25, 25', a collar with a vertical axis 26 which defines the axis a1, two holes 27, 27' which define the axes a2, a'2, disposed symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal plane through the axis a1. It also has a central raised part 28 which partially defines a central housing 30 extending in a longitudinal direction and open on the side to the left in the figures. The cover (Fig. 4A) also has a raised central portion 29, so as to completely define, together with the box, the housing 30. This receives a slidable cylindrical body 31 which bears a wheel 32 serving as cam feeler. The body 31 is biased in an extended condition towards the axis a1, wherein the wheel protrudes from the housing 30, by means of a spring 33, and is possibly retained in the extreme position by stop strikes (not visible). An adjustment screw 34 allows the action exerted by the spring to be adjusted. The cover is mounted on the box and retained thereon by means of screws which engage through holes in the box (for example the through hole 35 in the collar 26 and threaded hole 36 in the cover).
[0013] The main arm 14 comprises a proximal component 38, an intermediate component 40, and a distal component 42. The proximal component 38, seen better in Figure 5, comprises a cam head 43 and a tang 44. The cam head has a hole 45, a cam surface 46 coaxial with the hole, two coaxial side surfaces 47 on one side and the other of the cam surface. The cam surface has an offset 48 in a position corresponding to closure, and a flattened part 48' in the position of maximum opening. The side surfaces 47 have interrupted parts defined by flat corresponding surfaces, 49. The distal component 42, seen better in Figure 7, has a body 50, a tang 51 for the intermediate component, and a tang 52 transverse thereto. The body 50 has a through hole 53. The intermediate component 40 is made up essentially by a bar that is hollow or at least provided with engagement holes for the tangs at its extremities. The main arm 14 can thus be assembled in a chosen length by mounting an intermediate component 40 of a suitable length on the end components 38 and 42. The arm is then mounted on the block 12 with the hole 45 rotatable around the axis a1 and on the distal element with the hole 53 on the axis a3. It should be noted that to allow savings in space in the closed condition, the side p1,3 of the parallelogram is at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the main arm.
[0014] A preferred mode of assembly of the component 38 on the axis a1 is by means of thrust bearings (not illustrated). The main arm thus mounted can rotate form the closed position of figure 1 to the open position of Figure 3, and vice versa; during rotation, the wheel 32 engages the cam surface 46, and passes with a snap action on to the surface 48, when the arm reaches the closing position, rendering said position stable, or passes with a snap action to the surface 48' in the maximum opening position, rendering the position stable.
[0015] The transport arm 16 (Figure 8) is generally a single bar-shaped casting, with a staggered offset distal portion 55 and a cavity 56 in the proximal portion facing the main arm, to allow a position closer to the main arm. Reference numerals 57, 57 designate pivots for rotatable mounting along the axis a2. The transport arm can be provided in various lengths, so as to correspond to the main arm. The interchangeability of the arms 16 and of the components 40 allows the same device to be adapted to different door sizes.
[0016] The distal element 18, Figure 9, is preferably in the form of an L-shaped element in a plan view, with a body 60 wherefrom opposite facing tongues 61 extend.
[0017] The tongues have coaxial through holes 62, 62. The body 60 has at the cavity bottom 63, 64, fixing and adjustment holes for the door: in particular vertical adjustment holes 65, 65, horizontal adjustment holes 66,66 and depth adjustment holes 67, 67 can be seen. A pair of coaxial holes 68 defines the axis a4. The element 18 is mounted with the tongues 61 on the body of the element 42, with the holes 62, 53 coaxial to define the axis a3. A pair of upper projections 81, 81 are placed approximately level with the holes 65, 66, 67.
[0018] With reference now to Figure 2, it can be noted that the two devices 10, cooperating and of the same size, are mounted one on the base B of the structure S of the item of furniture and the other on the top C of the structure. A letter F indicates the side of the structure. The two devices are rigidly connected by means of a vertical rod 70, in engagement on the facing tangs 52 of the distal elements 42 of the devices.
[0019] Lastly, Figure 10 illustrates a bracket 71 of the device, designed to be mounted on the door to be assembled, in one of two positions, spaced apart, corresponding to the positions of the distal elements. The bracket 71 has two horizontally elongated slots 72, for adjustment of the horizontal position of the door on the device, and holes 74 for fixing of the mechanism to the door. Two slots 82, 82 are for engagement of the above-mentioned projections 81, 81 of the distal element. The brackets 71 are first mounted on the door, and then the door can be hung precisely on the device through engagement of the slots 82 on the projections 81, so that assembly can be completed by a single operator.
[0020] With reference to figures 1 and 3, it can be noted that the device allows a very wide movement of the door parallel to itself. In particular, in the retracted or closed condition illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, the offset form of the transport arm, the presence of the cavity 56 and of the bevels 49 allows the arms to be disposed close together or, in other words, the plane p1,2 to be disposed with large angles with respect to the plane p 1,3.
1. A device for opening/closing doors, of the articulated parallelogram type, comprising
a proximal element (12) for fixing on a part of a structure (S) with respect to which
the door (A) must be moveable, a distal element (18) moveable parallel to itself with
respect to the proximal element and provided with means for making it integral with
the door (A), a main arm (14) and a transport arm (16) both articulated on the proximal
element (12) and on the distal element (18), characterised in that it comprises a cam head (43) integral with an arm (14) and a cam feeler (32) positioned
on the proximal element (12) and biased by a spring (33) to carry out the last part
of the closing movement of the door (A) with a snap action.
2. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the proximal element (12) is a block which defines the pivoting axes (a1, a2) of the arms (14, 16), the cam (43) is integral with the main arm (14), the feeler
(32) is a wheel biased by the spring (33) received in a housing (30) of the block
(12).
3. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that it further comprises cam means to define an open position with a snap action.
4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the cam (43) itself has means (48) for defining
the closed position and means (48') for defining the open position in the form of
flat surfaces (46) or offsets (49).
5. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the longitudinal axis of the main arm (14) is at an angle with respect to the side
(p1, p3) of the articulated parallelogram defined by the main arm (14).
6. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the main arm (14) comprises a proximal component (38), an intermediate rod component
(40) and a distal component (42), the intermediate component being interchangeable
to vary the length of the main arm (14), and in that the transport arm (16) is also interchangeable.
7. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the transport arm (16) has a configuration with a portion (55) staggered in a plan
view, and/or has a recess (56) in the surface facing towards the other arm (14), so
as to be able to dispose the arms (14, 16) close to each other.
8. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises at least one bracket (71) for fixing to the door (A), the distal element
(18) and the bracket (71) having cooperating means (81, 82) such as slots and projections,
to support the door (A) on the device in a predefined position during assembly, and
fixing and adjustment holes (65, 66, 67, 72, 74) for the door (A).
9. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the distal element (18) is L-shaped in a plan view, with the pivoting axes on the
arms of the L.
10. A device according to claim 1, characterised in that the block (12) is made symmetrical with respect to a median vertical plane, with
the pivoting axis (a1) of the main arm (14) on the median plane and means for defining
the pivoting axis (a2, a2') of the transport arm (16) in symmetrical positions from
one side to the other of the median plane, so as to be able to be used to make both
a top device and a bottom device for a door (A), and both a device for a right hand
door (A) and a device for a left hand door (A).
11. A structure provided with an openable door, in the field of furniture, characterised in that it preferably comprises two devices (10) according to any one of the preceding claims,
each applied with a block element (12) on the structure (S) and with the distal element
(18) on the door (A), and joined to each other by means of a rod (70) extending between
the main arms (14) of the devices.