A furniture door with an opening mechanism and a touch latch device

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a door, in particular for furniture, of the type provided with a pressure opening system as defined in the preamble of Claim 1. Such a door is known e.g. from DE-A-101 52 699.

[0002] Applications are known in which use of doors without a handle is preferred. In this case often suitable ratchets are mounted that are known as "pull-push" devices and that, by pushing the door against the ledge, alternatively retain the door in a closed position or release it to enable opening of same. An example of such devices is illustrated in US 4,215,884.

[0003] Selection of these mechanisms can be suggested both for aesthetic reasons (possibility of making doors without handles) and for practical reasons such as the possibility of opening the door by mere pressure without needing to have the hands free, for example. The last mentioned feature is for example convenient when heavy articles lifting of which must be made with both hands are to be stowed in a piece of furniture; should a traditional closing system be used, it would be necessary to lay the object down in order to open the door, lift the object again and put it into the piece of furniture; on the contrary, if the door is provided with a pull-push mechanism it is sufficient to exert pressure on the door, with an elbow for example, to enable release of the opening mechanism. Unfortunately, in traditional doors provided with pull-push mechanisms the release spring with which the mechanism is provided moves the door only few millimeters from the closed position and full opening is not at all ensured. In addition, if traditional furniture hinges are used that are provided with a spring which, over at least one given angle, acts to keep the door closed, the hinge and the opening spring of the pull-push mechanism produce opposite forces and opening of the door must always be completed through manual pulling of the door itself. Particularly in the case of doors with an edge that is substantially flush with the ledge, displacement of few millimeters towards the open condition which is caused by release of the pull-push device can also be insufficient to show the door edge to such an extent that gripping of same with one hand and full opening of the door is enabled.

[0004] In addition to the disadvantage of not succeeding in fully opening the door, there is also the opposite disadvantage consisting in that release of the pull-push mechanism may pass unnoticed and the door may remain only set ajar and not closed.

[0005] DE-A-101 52 699 discloses an articulated hinge with a spring indirectly acting for opening movement onto the hinging pin of the hinge outer connecting rod, thereby causing rotation of this rod.

[0006] It is a general aim of the present invention to obviate the above mentioned drawbacks by providing a door having a pull-push mechanism of cheap and strong manufacture and with a reliable opening movement.

[0007] In view of the above aim, in accordance with the invention a door with a pressure opening has been conceived having the features recited in claim 1.

[0008] For better explaining the innovative principles of the present invention and the advantages it offers over the known art, a possible embodiment applying said principles will be described hereinafter by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

• Fig. 1 is a top view of a door made in accordance with the invention;
• Fig. 2 is a more detailed side view of a particular of the door in Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a section view of a particular of the hinge for the door in accordance with the invention;
• Fig. 4 is a possible alternative embodiment of the hinge in Fig. 3.

[0009] With reference to the drawings, shown in Fig. 1 is a door for furniture, generally denoted at 11, with a pressure opening. The door is hinged to the piece of furniture to be movable between a closed position and an open position by means of articulated hinges 12 and is also provided with a "pull-push" closing device 13 of known type, with release by manual thrust of the door towards the inside. As better shown in Fig. 2, the device 13 comprises one portion that is fixed to the piece of furniture and is provided with a coupling element 14 to be fitted into a complementary hooking element 15 fastened to the door. According to known operation of these mechanisms, by pushing the door towards the furniture ledge, alternatively the mechanism hooks and unhooks the coupling element 14 to and from the hooking element 15 (in Fig. 2 the hooked position is shown in chain line). This mechanism, usually provided with a release spring 16, is well known to a person skilled in the art and will not be further described or shown, as it can be easily imagined.

[0010] As shown still in Fig. 1, hinges 12 are advantageously of the quadrilateral type comprising a wing 17 for fastening to the piece of furniture and a bowl 18 for fastening to the inside of the door.

[0011] As viewed from Fig. 3, the quadrilateral hinge comprises an outer connecting rod 19 and a more internal connecting rod 20 the ends 21, 22 and 23, 24 of which are pivotally mounted to the wing and the bowl, respectively.

[0012] At least one of the hinges 12 comprises a spring 25 acting for its movement from the closed position to the open position in the way of pushing the door to the open position against the retaining action in the closed position performed by the pull-push device. In this manner, upon release of the pull-push device the hinge helps in opening the door in a substantial manner.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment described, the internal connecting rod 20 has an extension 26 on which an arm 27 of the spring exerts pressure starting from the closed position, so as to rotate the connecting rod in the opening direction of the hinge. The spring has a second feedback arm 28 exerting pressure on the inside of the wing.

[0014] Advantageously, the spring is spiral wound around a pin (that can be the articulation pin of the connecting rod 19 on the wing) and has an arm 27 (that can be a U-bent central region of the double-spiral spring) exerting pressure on the projection starting from the closed position to at least an important stretch of the opening stroke.

[0015] In the embodiment in Fig. 3, towards the end of the opening stroke the spring does no longer exert pressure on the extension 26 and the hinge becomes neutral. This is apparent from Fig. 3 itself.

[0016] Still advantageously, the extension of the internal connecting rod on which the spring exerts pressure is formed with a tab that is cut out and bent outwards relative to the portion 29 of the connecting rod 20 that is wound up around its pivoting point 22 on the wing.

[0017] Shown in Fig. 4 is an alternative embodiment according to which the opening thrust substantially goes on until the end of the opening stroke of the hinge. In order to enable the spring to go on bearing against the extension 26, the connecting-rod portion 29 that is wound around the pivoting point on the wing comprises a cut-away region 30 so that it does not interfere with the spring itself. The cut-away region is advantageously obtained from the same cut-out forming the extension 26. The spring is also wound on a pin 31 that is located more towards the back of the wing relative to pin 21. This technique promotes the action of the spring towards the position close to complete opening of the hinge.

[0018] At this point it is apparent that the intended purposes have been achieved. Opening of he door in accordance with the invention takes place always and in any case upon release of the pull-push device by virtue of the opening thrust of the hinge. The door costs are not however increased, since separated thrust devices are not used.

Claims

1. A door with a pressure opening, comprising hinges (12) for hinging to the piece of furniture and a "pull-push" closing device (13) to be released by manual thrust of the door towards the inside, the hinges (12) being articulated hinges and at least one articulated hinge (12) being of the quadrilateral type having a wing (17) for fastening to the piece of furniture and a bowl (18) for fastening to the inside of the door, with an outer connecting rod (19) and a more internal connecting rod (20) that are pivotally mounted at their ends to the wing and to the bowl, and comprising a spring (25) acting for its movement from the closed position to the open position, in the way of pushing the door to the open position against the retaining action in the closed position performed by the pull-push device in order to help in opening the door upon release of the pull-push device, characterized in that the internal connecting rod (20) has an extension (26) on which an arm (27) of said spring exerts pressure to rotate the connecting rod in the opening direction of the hinge starting from the closed position, said extension being formed with a tab (26) cut out and bent outwards relative to the portion (29) of this connecting rod that is wound around its pivoting point (22) on the wing.

2. A door as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the spring (25) has a second feedback arm (28) exerting pressure on the inside of the wing.

3. A door as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the spring (25) is wound around a pin (21, 31) supported in the wing.

4. A door as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the winding pin of the spring also embodies the pivoting point (21) of the external connecting rod (19) on the wing.

5. A door as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said portion (29) of the connecting rod (20) that is wound around its pivoting point (22) on the wing comprises a cut-away region (30) so that it does not interfere with the spring (25) exerting pressure on the extension (26) when the hinge is in a position close to full opening.

Ansprüche

1. Tür mit Drucköffnung, die Scharniere (12) zum Anlenken an das Möbelteil und eine "Pull-Push"-Schließeinrichtung (13) umfasst, die durch manuellen Druck der Tür nach innen freizugeben ist, wobei die Scharniere (12) Gelenkscharniere sind und mindestens ein Gelenkscharnier (12) vom vierseitigen Typ ist, der einen Flügel (17) für die Befestigung am Möbelteil und einen Topf (18) für die Befestigung an der Innenseite der Tür und eine äußere Verbindungsstange (19) und eine weiter innen gelegene Verbindungsstange (20), die an ihren Enden drehbar an den Flügel und an den Topf montiert sind, aufweist und eine Feder (25) umfasst, die für ihre Bewegung von der geschlossenen Stellung zur geöffneten Stellung derart wirkt, dass sie die Tür entgegen der von der Zug-Schub-Einrichtung in der geschlossenen Stellung ausgeübten Rückhaltewirkung zur geöffneten Stellung drückt, um die Tür bei Freigabe der Zug-Schub-Einrichtung beim Öffnen zu unterstützen, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die innere Verbindungsstange (20) einen Fortsatz (26) aufweist, auf den ein Schenkel (27) der Feder Druck ausübt, um die Verbindungsstange ausgehend von der geschlossenen Stellung in die Öffnungsrichtung des Scharniers zu drehen, wobei dieser Fortsatz mit einer Zunge (26) ausgebildet ist, die ausgeschnitten und bezogen auf den Abschnitt (29) dieser Verbindungsstange nach außen gebogen ist, der um seinen Drehpunkt (22) an dem Flügel gewunden ist.

2. Tür nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Feder (25) einen zweiten Reaktionsschenkel (28) aufweist, der Druck auf die Innenseite des Flügels ausübt.

3. Tür nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Feder (25) um einen Zapfen (21, 31) gewunden ist, der in dem Flügel gelagert ist.

4. Tür nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Wicklungszapfen der Feder außerdem den Drehpunkt (21) der äußeren Verbindungsstange (19) auf dem Flügel verkörpert.

5. Tür nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Abschnitt (29) der Verbindungsstange (20), der um seinen Drehpunkt (22) auf dem Flügel gewunden ist, einen weggeschnittenen Bereich (30) umfasst, so dass er nicht die Feder (25) stört, die Druck auf den Fortsatz (26) ausübt, wenn sich das Scharnier in einer Stellung nahe der vollständigen Öffnung befindet.

Revendications

1. Porte avec une ouverture à pression, comprenant des charnières (12) pour articulation à l'élément de meuble et un dispositif de fermeture « pousser-tirer » (13) destiné à être libéré par une poussée manuelle de la porte vers l'intérieur, les charnières (12) étant des charnières articulées et au moins une charnière articulée (12) étant du type quadrilatéral ayant une aile (17) pour la fixation à l'élément de meuble et une cuvette (18) pour la fixation à l'intérieur de la porte, avec une tige de connexion extérieure (19) et une tige de connexion plus interne (20) qui sont monté de manière pivotante au niveau de leurs extrémités sur l'aile et sur la cuvette, et comprenant un ressort (25) agissant pour son mouvement de la position fermée à la position ouverte, en poussant la porte vers la position ouverte contre l'action de retenue dans la position fermée exercée par le dispositif pousser-tirer de manière à assister l'ouverture de la porte lors de la libération du dispositif pousser-tirer, caractérisée en ce que la tige de connexion interne (20) a une extension (26) sur laquelle un bras (27) dudit ressort exerce une pression pour faire tourner la tige de connexion dans la direction d'ouverture de la charnière à partir de la position fermée, ladite extension étant formée avec une languette (26) découpée et pliée vers l'extérieur par rapport à la portion (29) de cette tige de connexion qui est enroulée autour de son point de pivot (22) sur l'aile.

2. Porte selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que le ressort (25) a un deuxième bras de retour (28) exerçant une pression sur l'intérieur de l'aile.

3. Porte selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que le ressort (25) est enroulé autour d'un axe (21, 31) supporté dans l'aile.

4. Porte selon la revendication 3, caractérisée en ce que l'axe d'enroulement du ressort constitue également le point de pivot (21) de la tige de connexion externe (19) sur l'aile.

5. Porte selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que ladite portion (29) de la tige de connexion (20) qui est enroulée autour de son point de pivot (22) sur l'aile comprend une région de découpe (30) de manière qu'elle n'interfère pas avec le ressort (25) exerçant une pression sur l'extension (26) quand la charnière est dans une position proche de l'ouverture totale.

Drawing