Cup hole insert, panel fastening element and cup hinge

Abstract

Pot hole insert for insertion into a pot hole bore (2) of a furniture part, comprising a pot-shaped base body (10), wherein a fastening ring (20) is provided which at least partially surrounds the base body (10) and has outwardly facing projections (24) which can be pressed outwards for fastening the pot hole insert in the pot hole bore (2), wherein the base body (10) has a cylindrical basic shape, characterized in that the base body (10) is provided with a thread (18) all around, at least in sections.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cup hole insert according to the preamble of claim 1, which can be inserted into a cup hole drilled into a furniture part and which serves for fastening, for example, fitting components to the furniture part. The invention further relates to a panel fastening element and a cup hinge.

[0002] Cup hole drillings are used in furniture construction to recess furniture fittings or parts of furniture fittings into a piece of furniture and to secure them to the piece. Door hinges, for example, often have a cup hole insert, which is used to insert a first hinge element into the inside of a door and to attach the hinge to the door. These hinges are also called cup hinges. The cup hole inserts used for this purpose usually have two radially protruding tabs that rest on the surface of the furniture door and are screwed in place to secure the cup hole insert in the cup hole.

[0003] Cup hole inserts are also used to attach a front panel to a drawer. In this case, the cup hole insert has a tenon that projects perpendicular to the panel and is inserted into a corresponding hole in a drawer side frame. At the end of the tenon is a grippable head, with the help of which the tenon and thus the front panel can be pulled towards the side frames. Such cup hole inserts are provided with radial, circumferential locking projections with which they clamp themselves - if necessary supported by adhesive - in the cup hole of the panel. Cup hole inserts with cut machine threads are also used. These are used to attach fittings or similar items to a (wooden) furniture part using machine screws.Furthermore, US Pat. No. 5,839,164 A discloses a hinge cup for a door hinge, which is provided with an external thread on sections of its outer surface. The hinge cup is pressed into the cup hole, with the external thread clamping itself into the door material, similar to the aforementioned locking projections.

[0004] The listed fastening methods for the cup hole inserts in or on the furniture part are disadvantageous for various reasons. Screwing the protruding tabs is labor-intensive and cannot be used, for example, for panel fastening, where the panel must lie flush against the frame. Fastening via a locking / clamping mechanism is not very strong and therefore only suitable for some applications in combination with adhesive. However, this is often undesirable due to the increased labor required during installation. Furthermore, with glued cup hole inserts, separate recycling of the metal and wood components is not possible. Likewise, the cup hole insert cannot be reused after a panel has been replaced.

[0005] DE 24 57 181 A1 and AT 401 794 B describe hinge cups with two clamping jaws that spread apart when a hinge housing is inserted into the hinge cup. This actively reinforces the possibility of the hinge cup jamming in the cup hole.

[0006] The documents DE 15 54 254 A and DE 15 54 259 A show variations of this principle, in which, instead of a clamping jaw being pushed outward, projections are pressed outward into the surrounding material. This is achieved by rotating the cup, with the projections located on a separate ring moving along a cam-like slope on the cup and being projected outward by this.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative cup hole insert that can be used universally in connection with furniture fittings and that can be securely and highly resiliently mounted in a cup hole with minimal assembly effort. A further object is to provide a panel fastening element and a cup hinge that can also be easily mounted in a cup hole.

[0008] This object is achieved by a cup hole insert or a hinge and a panel fastener having the respective features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] In a cup hole insert according to the invention, a fastening ring is provided that at least partially surrounds the base body and has outward-facing projections that can be pushed outward to secure the cup hole insert in the cup hole. The projections are pressed outward into the material of the furniture part into which the cup hole is drilled by being pushed out laterally in the cup hole, thus securely fixing the cup hole insert in the furniture part without the need for additional screws, adhesive, or other fastening means. When the cover is replaced, at least the base body can be reused.

[0010] According to the invention, the base body of the cup hole insert has a cylindrical basic shape and is provided with a thread around its circumference, at least in sections. In this case, the fastening ring preferably has at least two, particularly preferably at least three, threaded sections to allow the base body to be screwed into the fastening ring. In this embodiment, the fastening ring is pre-assembled in the cup hole of the furniture part, and the base body is screwed into the fastening ring.

[0011] Preferably, the projections are positioned between the threaded sections, wherein the fastening ring, in an unassembled state, is twisted around a tangential axis in the region of the projections such that the outward-facing projections do not extend beyond the radius of the fastening ring in the region of the threaded section cuts. Thus, the fastening ring can be inserted into the cup hole before the projections are pushed outward. This can be done, for example, using an assembly tool that is inserted into the fastening ring and deforms the fastening ring in the region of the projections using sliders that can be pushed radially outward.

[0012] In a further advantageous embodiment of the cup hole insert, the fastening ring is manufactured from metal in a stamping / bending process. The base body can be a single-part or multi-part plastic injection-molded part. Both options allow for cost-effective production of the cup hole insert. The fastening ring is preferably made of spring steel. In this case, the entire cup hole insert can be reused after disassembly, as the projections of the fastening ring spring back to their original position after the base body is removed, and the fastening ring can be removed from the cup hole. This also allows for easy recycling of the furniture part by separating the materials: wood (furniture part) and metal (fastening ring).

[0013] In a further advantageous embodiment of the cup hole insert, a tool holder is formed in the base body, in particular in the form of a polygonal opening. This polygonal opening, for example a hexagonal opening, can be used to exert the torque required to rotate the base body relative to the fastening ring or to screw the base body into the fastening ring.

[0014] A panel fastening element and a cup hinge according to the invention are characterized by the use of such a cup hole insert. This results in the advantages described above.

[0015] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments and figures. The figures show: Fig. 1a, b a perspective and a side view of a furniture panel with inserted panel fastening elements; Fig. 2 an isometric view of a panel fastening element not according to the invention; Fig. 3 an isometric representation of a base body of a pot hole insert of the panel fastening element not according to the invention of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 an isometric view of a fastening ring of the pot hole insert of the panel fastening element not according to the invention of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 a sectional view of the panel fastening element not according to the invention inserted into the panel; Fig. 6 an enlarged view of a section of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 a detailed view of the panel fastening element not according to the invention inserted into the panel in an isometric oblique view; Fig. 8a, b each show an isometric view of a panel fastening element according to the invention in an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 9a to 9e various schematic representations to illustrate the assembly process of the panel fastening element according to the invention of Fig. 8a, b; and Fig. 10a, b each show a side view of a cup hinge with a cup hole insert.

[0016] Fig. 1a shows an isometric view of the rear side of a panel 1 facing a drawer. Such a panel 1, also called a front panel, closes off a drawer at the front and is usually attached to the drawer's side frames. For this purpose, cup hole bores 2 are drilled into the panel 1 in the outer lateral area on both sides, in each of which a panel fastening element according to the invention is mounted. The panel fastening element according to the invention has a cup hole insert with a base body 10 that is countersunk flush in the cup hole bore 2 and is fastened in the cup hole bore 2 in a manner described in more detail below. The base body 10 centrally supports a pin 30 that projects perpendicularly to the upper side of the base body 10 and via which a fastening to the respective side frame of the drawer takes place.

[0017] Fig. Figure 1b shows the cover 1 in a side view. This side view clearly shows that the base body 10 is completely recessed into the cup hole 2 and does not protrude above the surface of the cover 1 at any point. Furthermore, it can be seen that the pin 30 has a thickened, cylindrical portion that ensures a precise fit in a corresponding hole in the side frame. Furthermore, the pin 30 has a shaft 31 that is thinner than the cylindrical central portion and has a thickened head 32 at the end. The head 32 engages behind the side frame, allowing the cover 1 to be pulled toward the side frame.

[0018] It is understood that the precise design of the pin 30 for the panel fastening is purely exemplary and may differ from that shown here in other embodiments. The panel fastening element shown represents merely one possible application for the cup hole insert described in more detail below.

[0019] Fig. 2 shows an isometric drawing of a panel fastening element not according to the invention prior to installation in the panel 1. This figure shows the essentially disc- or cup-shaped design of the base body 10, which has an upper plate 11 in which a polygonal opening 12, in this case a hexagonal opening, is arranged centrally. The design of the central opening is purely exemplary and can also have a different shape. Furthermore, the base body 10 has a lower plate 13, which - not visible in this figure - is essentially flat on its underside. In the central region between the two plates 11, 13, a fastening ring 20 is placed around the base body 10. The pin 30 can, for example, be screwed into a screw dome formed on the lower plate 13 of the cup hole insert.

[0020] The two components of the pot hole insert, the base body 10 and the fastening ring 20, are in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 each enlarged in an isometric drawing and shown separately.

[0021] Out of Fig. 3 it can be seen that the base body 10 has a waisted area 14 in the middle area between the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 13, around which the ring 20 (cf. Fig. 2). The central tapered region 14 has a smaller diameter than the upper and lower plates 11, 13, with the plates 11, 13 projecting beyond the central region 14 at every point along the circumference. This forms a frame for the fastening ring 20.

[0022] Furthermore, the central tapered region 14 is not cylindrical, but has varying distances from the center point along its circumference due to indentations and protrusions. In particular, a section of the circumference is formed as a run-on bevel 15, along which the radius continuously increases. The central tapered region 14 has repeating contours, repeated four times in the example shown. The run-on bevel 15 is thus located four times along the circumference of the central tapered region 14, offset by 90 degrees.

[0023] The run-on bevel 15 is initially followed by an area of ​​constant circumference, followed by a step 16 at each of which the radius decreases from its largest value to the smaller value at the beginning of the next adjoining run-on bevel 15. Furthermore, a guide groove 17 is recessed centrally between the upper and lower plates 11, 13 into each of the run-on bevels 15, extending into the adjacent area of ​​constant radius. The guide groove 17 has an approximately trapezoidal profile, the width and depth of which decrease along the run-on bevel 15 and the adjacent area.

[0024] Fig. Figure 4 shows details of the fastening ring 20. This also has a fourfold symmetry, corresponding to the central waisted area 14 of the base body 10. In each of the four sections, there is firstly an outwardly flared spring tongue 21 and a sloped area 22 corresponding to the run-on bevel 15. Accordingly, there are also steps 23 corresponding to the step 16 of the base body 10. In the area of ​​each step 23, there is an outwardly projecting projection 24, here in the form of a claw. Finally, in the area of ​​the run-on bevel 22, a guide nose 25 is formed inwards, which interacts with the guide groove 17 of the base body 10 and tapers in its profile in a similar way to the guide groove 17.

[0025] The fastening ring 20 is slit at one point along its circumference so that it can be easily bent open and placed around the base body 10. In the Fig. 4, the slotted area on the right side can be seen. The fastening ring 20 is preferably made of metal, for example, steel. It is particularly preferably manufactured as a one-piece stamped / bent part. Alternatively, the fastening ring 20 can be made of a resilient material, e.g., spring steel. This allows for non-destructive disassembly of the fastening ring 20 when the base body 10 is removed, since the projections 24 spring back to their original position.

[0026] Fig. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the panel fastener inserted into the cup hole 2 of panel 1. The cut is parallel to the surface of panel 1 at approximately the midpoint of the cup hole insert.

[0027] When inserting the pot hole insert into the pot hole 2, initially only the extended spring tongues 21 protrude beyond the radius of the upper and lower plates 11, 13. When inserting the pot hole insert into the pot hole 2, the spring tongues 21 press against the circumferential side surface of the pot hole, thus pre-fixing the fastening ring 20 by force. Fig. 5 it can be seen that the projections 24, which are flared in the area of ​​the steps 23, are still located with their tips within the radius of the pot hole 2 and thus do not yet touch the material of the panel 1.

[0028] Fig. Figure 6 illustrates the assembly process for the cup hole insert. To finally secure the cup hole insert in the cup hole 2, the base body 10 is rotated relative to the fastening ring 20. For this purpose, the base body 10 has a polygonal opening 12 in the upper plate. A suitable polygonal wrench is inserted into this opening, which can be used to apply torque to the base body 10. The polygonal wrench is preferably hollow on the inside so that it can be inserted over the pin 30.

[0029] The spring tongues 21 pre-fix the fastening ring 20 in the cup hole 2, so that rotation of the fastening ring 20 in the cover 1 is prevented. Turning the base body 10 with the polygonal wrench therefore leads to a relative rotational movement of the base body 10 with respect to the fastening ring 20. Due to this relative movement of the two elements to each other, the run-on bevel 15 of the base body runs up the bevel 22 of the fastening ring 20, whereby the area adjacent to the step 23 of the fastening ring 20 is pushed outwards. The projection 24 is arranged in this area, which is consequently also pushed outwards and thus into the material of the cover 1. A projection 24 pressed outwards into the cover 1 in this way is, after the completion of the rotation of the base body 10 with respect to the fastening ring 20, in Fig. 6. The cup hole insert is thus firmly anchored in the cup hole bore 2 by positive locking. The guide lug 25 is axially secured in the guide groove 17 by the special shape of the guide groove 17, in this case a prism. To prevent over-tightening of the base body 10 in the fastening ring, an additional stop can be provided at the end of the guide groove 17. Over-tightening of the base body 10 could be disadvantageous, since the projections 24 would then no longer be pushed outwards and could become detached from the material of the cover 1.

[0030] Fig. 7 finally shows the panel fastening element not according to the invention fixed in the panel 1 in this way again in a detailed view.

[0031] In the following described Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 shows an embodiment of a panel fastening element according to the invention. The same or equivalent elements are provided with the same reference numerals as in the Fig. 1 to 7 illustrated embodiment.

[0032] Fig. Figure 8a initially shows a perspective view of the panel fastening element according to the invention. As in the non-inventive embodiment, a cup hole insert with a base body 10 and a fastening ring 20 is provided. A pin 30, which serves to connect a panel to a drawer, protrudes from the base body 10. In this regard, reference is made to the explanation of the first embodiment. In contrast to the non-inventive embodiment, in the present example, the fastening ring 20 is not pre-assembled to the base body 10. The base body 10 is also not inserted together with the fastening ring 20 into a cup hole drilled in the panel; rather, the fastening ring 20 is pre-assembled in such a cup hole. This is described in more detail in connection with Fig. 9 described.

[0033] The base body 10 in turn has an upper plate 11 with a central polygonal opening 12, which here is again designed as a hexagon and into which a corresponding polygonal key can be inserted in order to exert a torque on the base body 10.

[0034] In its basic form, the base body 10 is again cylindrical, but it does not have a protruding lower plate. A (screw) thread 18 is formed on the base body 10 below the upper plate 11.

[0035] The base body 10 is screwed into the fastening ring 20 using the thread 18; for this purpose, the fastening ring 20 has threaded sections 26. In the present case, three such threaded sections 26 are provided, distributed around the circumference of the fastening ring 20. In the area of ​​these threaded sections 26, the fastening ring 20 has a height that essentially corresponds to the depth of the cup hole and also to the height of the base body 10.

[0036] In the areas between the threaded sections 26, the fastening ring 20 is only approximately half as high. The lower area is bent outwardly into projections 24 in a central section between the threaded sections 26. The lower area of ​​the fastening ring 20 remains free between the projections 24 and the threaded sections 26. Although the projections 24 are bent outwardly, in the area of ​​the projections 24, the wall of the fastening ring 20 is twisted around a tangential axis such that the tips of the projections 24 do not extend beyond the outer radius of the fastening ring 20.

[0037] Fig. 8b shows the panel fastening element according to the invention of the Fig. 8a also in an isometric view, with the base body 10 screwed into the fastening ring 20. In this state, the projections 24 are pressed outward, whereby they protrude significantly beyond the usual radius of the fastening ring 20. This pushing apart of the fastening ring 20 and the extension of the claw-like projections 24 is utilized to secure the panel fastening element according to the invention in a panel.

[0038] The assembly process of the panel fastening element according to the invention is based on Fig. 9 in five partial images. As already mentioned, in this exemplary embodiment, the fastening ring 20 is pre-assembled in a cup hole. For this purpose, an auxiliary assembly tool, hereinafter referred to as the driving tool 40, is used.

[0039] The driving tool 40 consists of a guide cylinder 41, which provides a cylindrical receptacle 42 at a lower end, onto which a fastening ring 20 can be placed. Above the cylindrical receptacle 42, a ring with a larger diameter is formed, the lower side surface of which represents a support surface 43 for the driving tool 40. A driving mandrel 44 is guided centrally in the guide cylinder 41, which is guided by a Fig. 9c, acts on three slides 46. These slides 46 are inserted into radially outwardly extending grooves of the receptacle 42. The projections 24 of the fastening ring 20 rest on the end of the slides 46.

[0040] As in Fig. As can be seen in Fig. 9b, the driving tool 40 with the fastening ring 20 attached is placed onto a cup hole 2 of a panel, so that the cylindrical receptacle 42 with the fastening ring 20 is inserted into the cup hole 2 and the driving tool 40 rests flat with the support surface 43 on the upper side of the panel 1.

[0041] Fig. Figure 9c shows this situation in a sectional view, where the cutting plane runs perpendicular to the surface of the aperture 1 through the center of the pot hole 2. Fig. Figure 9d shows the situation in a cross-sectional view in which the cut is made parallel to the surface of the aperture 1 through the pot hole 2.

[0042] Fig. Figure 9c also illustrates the function of the driving tool 40. The driving mandrel 44 rests with its cone 45 against the likewise beveled surfaces of the slides 46. To fix the fastening ring 20 in the cup hole 2, the driving mandrel 44 is driven in the direction of the aperture 1, for example, using a hammer. The movement of the driving mandrel 44 toward the aperture 1 causes the cone to move the slides 46 radially outward. This movement pushes the fastening ring 20 outward in the area of ​​the projections 24, and the projections 24 are driven into the material of the aperture 1. The driving tool 40 is then removed from the cup hole 2.

[0043] Fig. 9e shows the result of the assembly process in a sectional view analogous to Fig. 9d. It can be seen how the claw-like projections 24 are pressed into the material of the panel 1, whereby the fastening ring 20 is positively secured in the cup hole 2. For the final assembly of the panel fastening element according to the invention, the base body 10 with its thread 18 is screwed into the threaded sections 26 and thus into the fastening ring 20. This then results in the Fig. 7 shown final assembled state.

[0044] In the two previously described embodiments, the cup hole insert, consisting of the base body 10 and the fastening ring 20, served to secure the pin 30 for a panel fastening in a panel. However, the possible uses of the described cup hole insert are not limited to this application of a panel fastening element. Rather, the cup hole insert can be used for all fitting elements that are attached to a furniture part by means of a cup hole.

[0045] In the Fig. 10 a and b each show a so-called cup hinge 50, which is typically used in conjunction with furniture doors, in particular cabinet doors, or furniture flaps. In both cases, the cup hinge 50 has a base element 51 that can be fastened to a base plate 52 that can be mounted on a furniture body. The base element 51 can be fastened to the base plate 52, for example, using screws or locking means, wherein a position and / or angle adjuster 53 can be provided. Articulated arms 54 connect the base element 51 to a cup hole insert according to the invention. In the cup hinges 50 shown, articulated arms 54 of the respective hinge are articulated in the base body 10.

[0046] The concealed hinge 50 is based in the example of Fig. 10a on the Fig. 1 to 7, in which the base body 10 is inserted into a pot hole together with the fastening ring 20. The embodiment of the Fig. 10b is based on the Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 described pot hole insert according to the invention, in which the fastening ring 20 is pre-assembled and the base body 10 is then screwed into the pre-assembled fastening ring 20.

[0047] Both cup hinges 50 can be attached to a furniture door or flap using the cup hole insert. For this purpose, a tool holder can be formed in the base body 10 in order to rotate the base body 10 relative to the fastening ring 20 (in the embodiment of the Fig. 10a) or to screw the base body 10 into the pre-assembled fastening ring 20 (in the embodiment of the Fig.10b). Alternatively, the torque for twisting or screwing in can be applied via the articulated arms 54 by using the base element 51 as a lever.

[0048] After the pot hole insert has been fixed in the furniture door or flap, it can then be mounted on the furniture body by fastening the base element 51 to the base plate 52. List of reference symbols 1 aperture 2 pot hole drilling 10 Base body of the pot hole insert 11 upper plate 12 polygonal opening 13 lower plate 14 middle waisted area 15 Starting slope 16th level 17 Guide groove 18 threads 20 mounting ring 21 Spring tongue 22 slopes 23 Level 24 lead 25 Guide nose 26 threaded section 30 cones 31 shaft 32 heads 40 impact tool 41 guide cylinders 42 recording 43 contact surface 44 impact mandrel 45 cone 46 sliders 50 Concealed hinge 51 Basic element 52 base plate 53 Position and / or angle adjusters 54 Articulated arm

Claims

[1] Pot hole insert for insertion into a pot hole (2) of a furniture part, comprising a pot-shaped base body (10), wherein a fastening ring (20) is provided which at least partially surrounds the base body (10) and has outwardly directed projections (24) which can be pressed outwards for fastening the pot hole insert in the pot hole (2), wherein the base body (10) has a cylindrical basic shape, characterized by that the base body (10) is provided with a thread (18) all around, at least in sections. [2] Pot hole insert according to claim 1, wherein the fastening ring (20) has at least two, preferably at least three threaded sections (26) in order to be able to screw the base body (10) into the fastening ring (20). [3] Pot hole insert according to claim 2, wherein the projections (24) are positioned between the threaded portions (26), wherein the fastening ring (20) in a non-assembled state is twisted about a tangential axis in the region of the projections (24) such that the outwardly facing projections (24) do not project beyond the radius which the fastening ring (20) has in the region of the threaded portions (26). [4] Pot hole insert according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fastening ring (20) is made of metal in a punching / bending process. [5] Pot hole insert according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the base body (10) is a one-part or multi-part plastic injection-molded part. [6] Pot hole insert according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which a tool holder is formed in the base body (10), in particular in the form of a polygonal opening (12). [7] Panel fastening element, comprising a pin (30) for fastening a panel (1) to a drawer, characterized by that the panel fastening element has a pot hole insert according to one of claims 1 to 6. [8] Concealed hinge (50), in particular for fastening a furniture door or furniture flap to a furniture body, characterized by that the cup hinge (50) has a cup hole insert according to one of claims 1 to 6.

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