Device for guiding current cables

Abstract

A device for guiding a current cable (6') along a movement direction (19) of a pull-out element (32) that is similar to a drawer, having at least one current cable (6') and at least one cable guide (6) for the at least one current cable (6'), which is preferably linearly movable, wherein at least one releasable plug connection (4, 5, 7, 8) is provided, by means of which the at least one current cable (6') can be brought into electrically conductive contact with stationary power supply means (1) or with an energy extraction station (10) arranged in or on the pull-out element (32), preferably wherein a first releasable plug connection (4, 5) and a second releasable plug connection (7, 8) are provided, by means of which the at least one current cable (6') can be brought into electrically conductive contact with the stationary power supply means (1) and by means of which the at least one current cable (6') can be brought into electrically conductive contact with the energy extraction station (10) arranged in or on the pull-out element (32).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for guiding a current cable along the direction of movement of a pull-out element resembling a drawer, and to a piece of furniture having at least one pull-out element resembling a drawer and at least one device for guiding a current cable along the direction of movement of the pull-out element. Background Technology

[0002] Electrical appliances are often stored in drawers. This is often due to their very short usage time and location near the drawer. Therefore, it's convenient for the user if the appliance is already connected to the power supply in the drawer and doesn't need to be disconnected from the outlet after use. A hair dryer can be used in this way. Pull-out trays are similar in technical design to furniture drawers. The only difference is the lack of vertical borders. This type of pull-out tray is ideal for various heavier kitchen appliances. Such appliances are simply removed from the cabinet for use, rather than from the tray. Examples include kettles, blenders, toasters, and coffee makers. What all these applications have in common is convenience if the user doesn't have to worry about their power supply every time.

[0003] Devices with low current consumption can also be powered by a storage device that simultaneously performs drawer movement. DE202019101563U1 relates to an electric drawer lighting unit incorporated into such an energy storage device.

[0004] The core theme of DE1944858U is the structure of the cable guide that follows the movement of the drawer. In this design, the significant loss of storage space in the rear area of ​​the drawer proves to be particularly disadvantageous. Furthermore, accessibility to the rear of the drawer may also be required for the installation of the cable guide.

[0005] Previously, drawer guides were typically placed on the outside of the drawer. For visual reasons, in the past few decades, most drawer guides have been placed under the drawer. This means that structural space exists under the drawer, which is unusable as storage space by the user under any circumstances. Modern accessory systems utilize this area to house functional components such as eject mechanisms or parallel runners, and more.

[0006] Cable guides for linear motion are known and widely used in mechanical manufacturing. This invention does not primarily concern this subject. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for guiding a current cable along the direction of movement of a pull-out element resembling a drawer, relative to the prior art, wherein at least partially eliminating the disadvantages known in the prior art, and this is ensured in particular by, on the one hand, simple and retrofittable installation options, and on the other hand, prevention of damage due to accidental removal of the pull-out element. Furthermore, an improved piece of furniture, having at least one pull-out element resembling a drawer and at least one device for guiding a current cable along the direction of movement of said at least one pull-out element, is proposed, characterized in particular by a space-saving structural design.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention, the device has at least one current cable and at least one cable guide for the at least one current cable, preferably linearly movable, wherein at least one releasable plug-in connection is provided, through which the at least one current cable can make conductive contact with a fixed power supply device or with an energy extraction station arranged in or on the pull-out element, preferably wherein a releasable first plug-in connection and a releasable second plug-in connection are provided, through which the at least one current cable can make conductive contact with the fixed power supply device, and through which the at least one current cable can make conductive contact with an energy extraction station arranged in or on the pull-out element.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the invention, the device includes at least one releasable plug-in connection, wherein the device or the plug-in connection is configured to be placed in the movable pull-out element after coupling with a fixed power supply device and before being connected to an energy extraction station, and wherein a preferably linearly movable cable guide is provided with a retaining element and a plug-in connection, wherein the retaining element and / or plug-in connection of the cable guide is releasably, preferably attachedly, or securely fastened.

[0010] Based on these two aspects, the device can be installed in a simple manner and can also be retrofitted into existing systems. Furthermore, the releasable, preferably attached, fastening of the at least one releasable plug-in connector and the retaining element and / or the plug-in connector, provided according to the second aspect, reduces the risk of damage to the device in the event of unintentional removal of the pull-out element, because in the event of overload, the at least one plug-in connector may loosen and / or the fastening of the retaining element and / or the plug-in connector may loosen.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment, the current guide for a drawer and similar linearly movable pull-out element is essentially composed of a filled cable chain, with suitable drawer-specific retaining elements fastened to the ends of the cable chain. These retaining elements have plug-in connections at both ends of the cable.

[0012] It has proven advantageous to provide at least one drawer guide, preferably a bottom drawer guide. Regardless of whether the drawer guide is partially or fully extended, the guide assembly consists at least of a main body rail fixedly mounted on the main body and a movable drawer rail. In older roller guide systems, the drawer rail is fixedly mounted on the pull-out element. Such a drawer guide is only suitable for the applications of this invention in a limited way. In its standard embodiment, the drawer guide does not provide structural space for the cable chain below the pull-out element.

[0013] The new bottom-mounted drawer guides are a preferred application area. In these systems, the fixed and movable guides are interconnected and therefore inseparable from the body. To remove the drawer, the connection between the drawer guides and the drawer is loosened. All guides remain on the furniture body. The drawer itself, in the removed state, almost always has no guides.

[0014] It can be specified that the power cable guides electrical energy from the power source to the first retaining element, where it terminates at a socket into which the plug of the first retaining element is inserted. Regardless of the type of pull-out element, in a preferred current delivery configuration, the first retaining element is attached to a fixedly mounted main body rail. A movable cable connection to this first retaining element begins with a plug secured to the first retaining element and is guided from that fixed position via a cable chain to a second retaining element, which is in turn attached to a linearly movable drawer rail. The movable cable to this second retaining element enters a socket secured to it. Here, when the drawer is properly removed, the current delivery to the drawer itself is cut off. Both retaining elements and the cable chain then remain connected to the drawer guide.

[0015] When the pull-out element is constructed as a drawer, a socket can be installed on the drawer itself, for example, in its rear wall. This socket itself has a delivery section with a plug, which is received by a socket secured to a second retaining element. The selection of the corresponding plug variant is influenced by the electrical data of the current to be transmitted. Many widely used types can be selected. The actual device is plugged into the socket fixedly installed in the drawer.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the magnet is suitable for attachment when the retaining element and / or the plug-in connection is securely fastened to the drawer slide, since the drawer slide is preferably made of steel. If the drawer is improperly removed, i.e., when the user forgets to release the plug-in connection between the drawer and the second retaining element in time, the cable chain can no longer follow the drawer's movement. In this case, the attachment of the second retaining element loosens before it causes damage to the cable chain. In another improper handling, the first retaining element also loosens from its position on the fixed main body slide. Finally, the plug-in connection of the delivery cable or the plug-in connection of the drawer socket can also be pulled apart. Importantly, improper handling of the device does not lead to damage to the components.

[0017] Technically, it is recommended to spatially separate lines with high energy transfer from fast data lines and sensitive signal lines. Because the device with two drawer guides according to the preferred embodiment is placed on only one of the two drawer guides, a second device of the same nature can be additionally placed on the opposite drawer guides. Therefore, two media can be provided to the pull-out element. It is possible that, instead of electrical energy, liquid or gas can also be supplied to the pull-out element in the same manner.

[0018] As stated at the beginning, protection is also claimed for a type of furniture having at least one pull-out element resembling a drawer and at least one device for guiding a current cable along the direction of movement of the at least one pull-out element, wherein at least one energy extraction station is arranged in or on the at least one pull-out element, preferably on the rear wall of the at least one pull-out element, the at least one pull-out element having a bottom, and the at least one device for guiding the current cable having at least one current cable, wherein at least the main portion of the at least one current cable is arranged below the bottom of the at least one pull-out element. In this way, the at least one cable can be arranged in a space-saving manner without having to provide additional structural space in the furniture body for this purpose, which would be lost when designing the at least one pull-out element.

[0019] Further preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims, which may be implemented individually or in combination with each other. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Other details and advantages of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown herein:

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the drawer guide section on the bottom plate is shown.

[0022] Figure 2A schematic diagram showing the lower side of the bottom drawer guide section is provided.

[0023] Figure 3 The system components of a preferred embodiment of the device and their arrangement relative to each other are shown.

[0024] Figure 4 The illustration shows an installed device according to another preferred embodiment.

[0025] Figure 5 A partial illustration showing the back of the drawer together with a portion of the device according to another preferred embodiment, and...

[0026] Figure 6 The furniture, schematically illustrated according to a preferred embodiment, is shown in a cross-sectional view from above. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Figure 1 The bottom drawer guide 31 on the right is shown, which includes a main guide rail 14 and a drawer guide rail 13. An intermediate guide rail can be arranged between the main guide rail 14 and the drawer guide rail 13. The hole 17, shown for reference, is used to fasten the main guide rail 14 to the cabinet side, for example, by means of screws.

[0028] On the linearly movable drawer slide 13, a hook 15 can be provided in the rear region. This hook is inserted into a blind hole in the rear wall 25 of the drawer 32 and can thus be used to secure the drawer 32. A second retaining element 12 (see the following figures) can also be inserted into the hook 15 in addition to being attached and secured, and is also pulled out of the hook 15 in the direction of movement 19 when the drawer 32 is not properly removed.

[0029] Drawer 32 may have a coupling element communicating with drawer slide 13. The coupling element is typically located on the front side near the bottom 26 of the drawer for good accessibility. When the coupling is manipulated, for example, the latch disengages from notch 16 and thus allows the drawer 32 to be pulled out beyond its limited functional travel in the direction of movement 19.

[0030] On the rear end of the drawer guide rail 13, the second attachment area 22 for the second retaining element 12 is preferably characterized by a shaded line.

[0031] Similarly, the linear movement direction 19 of the drawer guide is shown, which also corresponds to the drawer removal direction.

[0032] Figure 2The lower side 27 of the same drawer guide 31, consisting of the main guide rail 14 and the drawer guide rail 13, is shown. In addition to the preferred second attachment area 22 for the second attachment element 12 arranged on the vertical tab 28 of the drawer guide rail 13, the preferred first attachment area 21 for the first attachment element 11 is also visible in this view and is indicated by a shaded line.

[0033] Figure 3 An overview of the arrangement and sequence of the connectors and cables is shown, beginning with a fixed power supply device 1 configured as a power socket, which supplies power to the entire system. A delivery section with a delivery plug 2, a delivery cable 3, and a delivery socket 4 is schematically shown as the second group. A chain assembly is then arranged. The chain assembly begins with a first retaining element 11, on which a chain plug 5 of a chain cable 6' is mounted. The front end 29 of a cable guide 6 with a cable chain 34 is also fastened to the first retaining element 11, which accommodates and guides the chain cable 6'. The rear end 30 of the cable guide 6 is fastened to a second retaining element 12. Similarly, the chain socket 7 of the chain cable 6' is fastened to the second retaining element 12. The final group forms the charging cable 9 configured for the drawer 32, which begins with a charging plug 8 and ends in an energy extraction station 10 configured as a drawer socket.

[0034] Figure 4 The components of the device mounted on the drawer guide 31 are shown. A first retaining element 11 is attached to the drawer rail 13 from below. Starting with a chain plug 5 fixed thereon, a cable chain 34 with a chain cable 6' inside it leads to a second retaining element 12, which is preferably attached to the rear region of the drawer rail 13. The chain cable 6' leads to a chain socket 7, which is also fixed to the second retaining element 12. It is evident that the direction of the cable guide 6 or the cable chain 34 can also be selected in a mirror-reversible manner. The direction of movement 19 is also shown.

[0035] Suitablely, a releasable first plug-in connection 4, 5 and a releasable second plug-in connection 7, 8 are provided. The first plug-in connection allows the current cable 6' to make conductive contact with the fixed power supply device 1, and the second plug-in connection allows the current cable 6' to make conductive contact with the energy extraction station 10 arranged in or on the pull-out element 32. The two plug-in connections 4, 5, 7, 8 are arranged in a first order with respect to the direction of movement 19 in the first position of the pull-out element 32, and in a second order with respect to the direction of movement 19 in the second position of the pull-out element 32, opposite to the first order. The first position corresponds to the closed position of the pull-out element 32, and the second position corresponds to the maximum open position of the pull-out element 32. Figure 4The closed position of the pull-out element 32 (not shown) is shown if the pull-out element is arranged on the drawer guide 31.

[0036] The first end 29 of the current cable 6' is arranged substantially parallel to the direction of movement 19, and the second end 30 of the current cable 6' is arranged substantially transverse to the direction of movement 19 of the pull-out element 2.

[0037] Figure 5 A portion of the drawer pull-out element 32, constructed as a rear section, is shown, with the right drawer side 23, left drawer side 24, rear wall 25, and bottom 26 schematically illustrated. Similarly, the right drawer guide rail 13, along with the attached second retaining element 12 and chain cable 6', extends into the chain socket 7. A hollow wall socket 18 passes through the central region of the rear wall 25, in which a charging socket 10 is mounted from the front and is accessible. The charging cable 9, also shown and connected to the charging socket 10, preferably has a length reserve before it is inserted into the charging plug 8. This length reserve facilitates the separation of the charging plug 8 from the chain socket 7 during proper drawer removal and prevents premature detachment of the attaching elements 11 and 12.

[0038] Figure 6 Furniture 35 is shown, having a pull-out element 32 resembling a drawer, movably supported on the furniture body 33 of furniture 35 via two spaced-apart drawer guides 31. A device is provided for guiding a current cable 6' along the direction of movement 19 of the pull-out element 32, wherein at least one energy extraction station 10 is arranged in or on the pull-out element 32, preferably on the rear wall 25 of the pull-out element 32. The pull-out element 32 has a bottom 26. The device for guiding the current cable 6' has at least one current cable 6', the majority of which is arranged below the bottom 26 of the at least one pull-out element 32. Figure 5 In the image, for clarity, the at least one current cable 6' is shown next to the bottom 26.

[0039] The at least one current cable 6' is continuously connected to the at least one energy extraction station 10 during operation.

[0040] As in the illustrated embodiment, a means for guiding the current cable 6' may be arranged on a first side of the pull-out element 32, and a means for guiding the signal line 36 and / or the fluid line 37 may be arranged on a second side of the pull-out element 32, wherein the means are configured to have the same meaning. The means for guiding the signal line 36 and / or the fluid line 37 may in particular include an extraction station 38 for the signal and / or fluid and / or a coupling part 39 for coupling the signal line 36 or the fluid line 37 to a signal source or fluid source.

[0041] List of reference numerals

[0042] 1. Fixed power supply devices, including power sockets

[0043] 2. Delivery plug

[0044] 3. Transmission cable

[0045] 4. Releasable plug-in connectors, including delivery sockets.

[0046] 5. Releasable plug-in connectors, including chain plugs.

[0047] 6. Cable guide, including cable chain

[0048] 6' current cable, including chain cable

[0049] 7. Releasable plug-in connectors, including chain sockets.

[0050] 8. Releasable plug-in connectors, including the charging cable plug.

[0051] 9 charging cables

[0052] 10 energy extraction stations, including charging sockets

[0053] 11 First holding element

[0054] 12 Second holding element

[0055] 13 drawer slides

[0056] 14 main guide rails

[0057] 15 hooks

[0058] 16-coupling embedding

[0059] 17 mounting holes

[0060] 18 Hollow Wall Socket

[0061] 19 Direction of Motion

[0062] 21 First attachment zone

[0063] 22 Second Attachment Zone

[0064] 23 Left drawer side

[0065] 24 Right drawer side

[0066] 25 drawer back wall

[0067] 26 bottom

[0068] 27 lower side

[0069] 28 vertical splice

[0070] 29 First end

[0071] 30 Second end

[0072] 31 Drawer Guide

[0073] 32 pull-out components

[0074] 33 furniture body

[0075] 34 cable chain

[0076] 35 Furniture

[0077] 36 signal lines

[0078] 37 Fluid Circuit

[0079] 38 Extraction Station

[0080] 39 Coupling section

Claims

1. A device for guiding a current cable along the direction of movement of a pull-out element resembling a drawer, the device comprising at least one current cable and at least one cable guide for said at least one current cable, characterized in that, The cable is provided with at least one releasable plug-in connector, through which the at least one current cable can make conductive contact with a fixed power supply device or with an energy extraction station arranged in or on the pull-out element. The drawer guide is provided with at least one drawer guide configured as a bottom drawer guide, wherein the at least one drawer guide has a main guide rail to be mounted on the furniture body, and the first retaining element of the cable guide can be loosely fastened or fastened to the underside of the main guide rail and / or loosely fastened or fastened to the furniture body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The at least one cable guide can move linearly.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The device is provided with a releasable first plug-in connection and a releasable second plug-in connection. The first plug-in connection allows the at least one current cable to make conductive contact with a fixed power supply device, and the second plug-in connection allows the at least one current cable to make conductive contact with an energy extraction station arranged in or on the pull-out element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The at least one releasable plug-in connection is provided for placement in a movable pull-out element after coupling with a fixed power supply device and before being connected to an energy extraction station, wherein the cable guide is provided with a retaining element and a plug-in connection, wherein the retaining element and / or plug-in connection of the cable guide can be releasably fastened or can be fastened.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein, The retaining element and / or plug-in connection of the cable guide are securely attached.

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, A releasable plug-in connection is located behind the cable guide and facing the pull-out element.

7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The first retaining element of the cable guide is attached to the lower side of the main body guide rail and / or attached to the furniture body.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The releasable fastener includes at least one magnetic connection.

9. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The at least one drawer guide has a drawer rail to be connected to the pull-out element, and the second retaining element of the cable guide can be loosely fastened or fastened to the drawer rail, and / or can be loosely fastened or fastened to the pull-out element.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The second retaining element of the cable guide can be loosely fastened or fastened to the vertical tab of the drawer rail.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, The second retaining element of the cable guide is attached to the drawer rail and / or attached to the pull-out element.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, The second retaining element, which can be released, includes at least one magnetic connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, The drawer slide has a hook, and the second retaining element is engaged in the hook of the drawer slide.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The cable guide has at least one cable chain, and the at least one current cable is arranged at least partially in the cable chain.

15. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The cable guide has at least one current cable.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, A releasable plug-in connection is provided at at least one end of the at least one current cable.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, A releasable plug-in connection is provided at both ends of the at least one current cable.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein, The at least one current cable has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the current cable is fastened to the first retaining element, and the second end of the current cable is fastened to the second retaining element.

19. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, A first releasable plug-in connection and a second releasable plug-in connection are arranged in a first order with respect to the direction of movement in the first position of the pull-out element and in a second order with respect to the direction of movement in the second position of the pull-out element, the first position corresponding to the closed position of the pull-out element and the second position corresponding to the maximum open position of the pull-out element.

20. The apparatus of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The first end of the at least one current cable is arranged substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the pull-out element, and / or the second end of the at least one current cable is arranged substantially transversely to the direction of movement of the pull-out element.

21. A piece of furniture having at least one pull-out element resembling a drawer and at least one means for guiding a current cable along the direction of movement of the at least one pull-out element, wherein, At least one energy extraction station is arranged in or on the at least one pull-out element, the at least one pull-out element having a bottom, and the at least one device for guiding the current cable has at least one current cable, characterized in that the at least one device is constructed according to any one of claims 1 to 20, and at least the main portion of the at least one current cable is arranged below the bottom of the at least one pull-out element.

22. The furniture of claim 21, wherein, The at least one energy extraction station is arranged on the rear wall of the at least one pull-out element.

23. The furniture of claim 21, wherein, The furniture has a furniture body, and the at least one pull-out element is movably supported on the furniture body via the drawer guide, wherein the at least one drawer guide has a main guide rail mounted on the furniture body and a drawer guide rail connected to or capable of being connected to the pull-out element.

24. The furniture of claim 21, wherein, It has two drawer guides.

25. The furni ture of any of claims 21-24, wherein, The at least one current cable is continuously connected to the at least one energy extraction station during operation.

26. The furni ture of any of claims 21-24, wherein, At least one transmission cable is provided, which, in operation, conductively connects the at least one current cable to a fixed power supply device.

27. The furni ture of any of claims 21 to 24, wherein, At least one means for guiding a current cable is arranged on a first side of the at least one pull-out element, and means for guiding signal lines and / or fluid lines is arranged on a second side of the at least one pull-out element.

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