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EP 0 371 937 B1 |
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EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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Mention of the grant of the patent: |
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17.07.1996 Bulletin 1996/29 |
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Date of filing: 29.09.1989 |
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International Patent Classification (IPC)6: A47B 88/20 |
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Improvements in or relating to a partition wall
Trennwand
Paroi de séparation
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Designated Contracting States: |
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DE FR GB NL SE |
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Priority: |
05.10.1988 SE 8803539
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Date of publication of application: |
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06.06.1990 Bulletin 1990/23 |
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Proprietor: PLASTUNION AB |
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S-334 00 Anderstorp (SE) |
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Inventors: |
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- Armstrong, Bo
S-412 62 Göteborg (SE)
- Söderblom, Kjell-Ake
S-334 00 Anderstorp (SE)
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Representative: Bjelkstam, Peter |
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Radjursvägen 11 131 42 Nacka 131 42 Nacka (SE) |
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References cited: :
CH-A- 298 092
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DE-U- 8 808 466
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Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European
patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to
the European patent
granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall
not be deemed to
have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent
Convention).
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[0001] The present invention relates to a partition wall, preferably in a drawer included
in office furniture, where the drawer has at least one partition wall which is optionally
insertable in the drawer, said partition wall is of the kind defined in the preamble
of claim 1.
[0002] Drawer structures with loose, insertable partition walls known up to now have a problem
in that the wall can be difficult to get into its intended position in the drawer
and also that it can be difficult to get the wall to remain in its position after
assembly. In use, it happens that the wall comes loose from the drawer because the
wall has fixing means which function poorly in coaction with the drawer.
[0003] Document DE-2 944 683 represents the closest prior art and discloses a partition
wall which is fixable in a drawer with aid of coacting lug means projecting out from
end parts of the partition wall for coaction with recesses situated in the casing
of said drawer both at the bottom part and the upper part of the drawer.
[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a device in such partition walls,
which completely eliminates the disadvantages to be found in structures now on the
market, and which allows a partition wall to be readily fastened at a desired place
in a drawer using extremely simple hand movements, such that the partition wall cannot
loosen from this place, while at the same time it can be easily freed for movement
to another place in the drawer or for being completely removed. The distinguishing
features characterizing the invention are disclosed in claim 1.
[0005] Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims 2-4.
By means of the invention, there has now been provided a device which fills its purpose
excellently, simultaneously as it is simple and cheap to manufacture. Since in their
unactuated state the lug means of the wall engage in recesses in the drawer casing
for positional fixation at the partition wall, it cannnot come loose from its inserted
position by fatigue in the resiliency of the material used for the wall.
[0006] The invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of a preferred embodiment
and with reference to the accompanying drawing, where
- Fig. 1
- is a side view, partially in cross section, of a partition wall mounted in a drawer,
- Fig. 2
- is a view from above of the wall of Fig. 1 in an unassembled state,
- Fig. 3
- is a view from below of the wall illustrated in Fig. 2 and
- Fig. 4
- is an end view of the wall illustrated in Fig. 2.
[0007] Fig. 1 of the drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of a partition wall 1 in
accordance with the present invention, when it is fitted in a drawer 4 included in
such as office furniture. In the illustrated example, both the drawer 4 and partition
wall 1 are manufactured from a plastics material. The wall 1 is removable and in the
depth and/or lateral direction of the drawer 4 is optionally fixable with the aid
of lug means 6,7 projecting from the end parts 2,3 of the wall and coacting with recesses
8,9 in the casing 5 of the drawer 4. One lug means 6 is situated on a resilient tongue
element 10 extending in height at either end part 2,3 of the wall 1, while a second
lug means 7 consists of an extension of each end wall 11 of the wall 1 such as to
coact with recesses 9 made in the bottom of the drawer 4.
[0008] In a view from above in Fig. 2 the wall 1 is illustrated before fitting, and from
this figure will be seen how a recess 13 is situated in the upper edge part 12 of
the wall for enabling retraction of the tongue element 10 with its lug means 6 on
fitting or removing the wall 1 in, or from, a drawer 4.
[0009] In Fig. 3 the partition wall 1 is illustrated in a view from below before being fitted,
and it will be seen here, as is also the case in Fig. 2, that the tongue element 10
is reinforced on its inward side with the aid of a ridge 14 extending a distance downwards
on the end wall 11 such as to constitute reinforcement of the springing properties
of the element 10 and to increase its durability.
[0010] In Fig. 4 the wall 1 is illustrated in an end view before fitting, and it will be
seen here how long a distance of the end wall the tongue element 10 occupies. In the
illustrated example, the tongue element 10 is integral with the end wall 11 itself,
and is defined laterally by two longitudinal slots 15,16, of which one slot 15 extends
somewhat lower down on the end wall 11, in order to avoid the formation of a stress
concentration in the material, which could otherwise occur for repeated bending of
the element 10. For facilitating manual operation of the element 10, it is provided
with an extension 17 a short distance above the upper edge part 12 of the wall 1.
It will also be clearly seen from Fig. 4 that the other lug means 7, intended for
coaction with a recess 9 in the bottom of a drawer 4, consists of a downward extension
of the end wall 11.
[0011] Fitting or removing the wall 1 to, or from, a drawer 4 is accomplished in the following
way. The wall 1 is suitably held in the vicinity of its upper end part 12, using both
hands side by side while pressing the tongue elements 10 towards each other, e.g.
with the aid of the little fingers, thereby allowing the wall 1 to be put in place
in, or freed from, its preferred position in a drawer 4. For fitting, the grip on
the extensions 17 of the tongue elements 10 is released as soon as the wall 1 has
assumed its proper position in the drawer 4 with the other lug means 7 situated in
the recesses 9 in the bottom of the drawer 4, the first means 6 then engaging in the
recesses 8 in the casing 5 of the drawer 4 by the tongue elements 10 automatically
springing backwards to their original position due to the resiliency of the material,
i.e. the position the tongue elements 10 had before actuating the extensions with
the little fingers. The wall 1 is thus locked in place until a later removal is carried
out in a similar manner, i.e. the extensions 17 are acted on so that they are bent
towards each other, whereby the wall 1 can be removed.
1. Partition wall of a drawer included in office furniture, said wall (1) can be moved
into the drawer (4) and which is removable and optionally fixable in the drawer (4)
with the aid of coacting lug means (6,7) projecting out from end parts (2,3) of the
wall for coaction with recesses (8,9) situated in the casing of the drawer (4), of
said lug means (6,7) at least one means (6) situated upwards in each end part (2,3)
being manually actuable to and from a locking engagement with recesses (8) in the
casing (5) of the drawer (4), and of which at least one lug means (7) downwardly situated
in the respective end part (2,3) is adapted for coaction with recesses (9) in the
casing (5) at the bottom of the drawer (4), said lug means (6,7) are integrally formed
in the end parts (2,3) of the wall (1), whereby at least one of said lug means is
situated on a tongue element (10) extending resiliently in the height direction of
the wall (1) and a free end part of the tongue element (10) comprises a gripping means
(17) for manual actuation of the lug means (6) on the tongue element (10) during attachment
and/or removal of the partition wall (1), characterized in that the tongue element (10) departs in the height direction of the wall (1) from
the bottom section of each end part (2;3) in order to project in an upwards direction,
that said tongue element (10) is defined laterally with the aid of two longitudinal
slots (15,16) departing from the bottom section of each end part (2;3) in the same
said upwards direction.
2. Partition wall as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the gripping means of the tongue element (10) consists of an extension (17)
extending a short distance above the upper end part (12) of the wall (1).
3. Partition wall as claimed in 1, characterized in that the tongue element (10) is formed in the end wall (11) of the partition wall
(1) and that said two longitudinal slots (15,16) are mutually parallel and extend
from a distance substantially corresponding to half the height of the partition wall
(1) and up to the upper edge part (12) of the wall (1).
4. Partition wall as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that one (15) of the slots (15,16) defining the tongue element (10) is somewhat longer
than the other (16).
1. Trennwand einer Schublade, die in ein Büromöbel eingegliedert ist, wobei die Wand
(1) in die Schublade (4) hineinbewegt werden kann und entfernbar ist sowie in der
Schublade (4) wahlweise befestigbar ist mittels zusammenwirkender Ansatzmittel (6,7),
die von Endteilen (2,3) der Wand für ein Zusammenwirken mit Aussparungen (8,9) vorstehen,
die in dem Gehäuse der Schublade (4) angeordnet sind, wobei unter den Ansatzmitteln
(6,7) wenigstens ein Mittel (6), das in jedem Endteil (2,3) aufwärts angeordnet ist,
manuell betätigbar ist für einen und aus einem Verriegelungseingriff mit den Aussparungen
(8) in dem Gehäuse (5) der Schublade (4) und von denen wenigstens ein Ansatzmittel
(7), das in dem betreffenden Endteil (2,3) abwärts angeordnet ist, für ein Zusammenwirken
mit Aussparungen (9) in dem Gehäuse (5) an dem Boden der Schublade (4) angepasst ist,
wobei die Ansatzmittel (6,7) in den Endteilen (2,3) der Wand (1) integriert ausgebildet
sind, wobei eines der Ansatzmittel an einem Zungenelement (10) angeordnet ist, das
in der Höhenrichtung der Wand (1) elastisch-nachgiebig verläuft, und ein freies Endteil
des Zungenelements (10) eine Greifeinrichtung (17) für eine manuelle Betätigung des
Ansatzmittels (6) an dem Zungenelement (10) während der Befestigung und/oder der Entfernung
der Trennwand (1) aufweist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Zungenelement (10) in
der Höhenrichtung der Wand (1) von dem Bodenbereich jedes Endteils (2;3) abgeht, um
in einer Aufwärtsrichtung vorzustehen, und daß das Zungenelement (10) mittels zweier
Längsschlitze (15,16) seitlich definiert ist, die von dem Bodenbereich jedes Endteils
(2;3) in derselben Aufwärtsrichtung abgehen.
2. Trennwand nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Greifeinrichtung des Zungenelements
(10) aus einer Verlängerung (17) besteht, die oberhalb des oberen Endteils (12) der
Wand (1) über eine kurze Entfernung verläuft.
3. Trennwand nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Zungenelement (10) in der
Endwand (11) der Trennwand (1) ausgebildet ist, und daß die beiden Längsschlitze (15,16)
wechselseitig parallel sind und aus einem Abstand im wesentlichen entsprechend der
halben Höhe der Trennwand (1) bis hin zu dem oberen Kantenteil (12) der Wand (1) verlaufen.
4. Trennwand nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß einer (15) der Schlitze (15,16),
welche das Zungenelement (10) definieren, etwas länger ist als der andere (16).
1. Cloison de séparation d'un tiroir compris dans un meuble de bureau, ladite cloison
(1) pouvant être déplacée dans le tiroir (4) et étant amovible et pouvant être fixée
à volonté dans le tiroir (4) à l'aide de moyens (6,7) à pattes de coopération faisant
saillie de parties extrêmes (2,3) de la cloison pour coopérer avec des cavités (8,9)
situées dans la carcasse du tiroir (4), au moins l'un (6) desdits moyens (6,7) à pattes,
situé à la partie supérieure dans chaque partie extrême (2,3), pouvant être actionné
à la main pour venir en et hors de coopération de verrouillage avec les cavités (8)
de la carcasse (5) du tiroir (4), et au moins l'un desdits moyens (7) à pattes, situé
inférieurement dans la partie extrême respective (2,3), étant agencé pour coopérer
avec les cavités (9) de la carcasse (5) à la partie inférieure du tiroir (4), lesdits
moyens à pattes (6,7) étant formés d'une seule pièce dans les parties extrêmes (2,3)
de la cloison (1), au moins l'un desdits moyens à pattes étant situé sur un élément
en languette (10) s'étendant élastiquement dans la direction de la hauteur de la cloison
(1), et une partie extrême libre de l'élément en languette (10) comportant des moyens
d'agrippage (17) pour l'actionnement manuel du moyen à pattes (6) de l'élément en
languette (10) lors de la fixation et/ou de l'enlèvement de la cloison de séparation
(1), caractérisée en ce que l'élément en languette (10) s'éloigne dans la direction
en hauteur de la cloison (1) de la section inférieure de chaque partie extrême (2,3)
de manière à faire saillie vers le haut, et en ce que ledit élément en languette (10)
est défini latéralement à l'aide de deux fentes longitudinales (15,16) s'éloignant
de la section inférieure de chaque partie extrême (2,3) dans ladite même direction
vers le haut.
2. Cloison de séparation telle que revendiquée dans la revendication 1, caractérisée
en ce que les moyens d'agrippage de l'élément en languette (10) sont constitués par
un prolongement (17) s'étendant sur une faible distance au-dessus de la partie extrême
supérieure (12) de la paroi (1).
3. Cloison de séparation telle que définie dans la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce
que l'élément en languette (10) est formé dans la paroi extrême (11) de la cloison
de séparation (1), et en ce que lesdites deux fentes longitudinales (15,16) sont mutuellement
parallèles et s'étendent à partir d'une distance correspondant sensiblement à la moitié
de la hauteur de la cloison de séparation (1) et jusqu'à la partie marginale supérieure
(12) de la cloison (1).
4. Cloison de séparation telle que revendiquée dans la revendication 3, caractérisée
en ce que l'une (15) des fentes (15,16) définissant l'élément en languette (10) est
quelque peu plus longue que l'autre (16).