Locking device for movable furniture parts and method for locking at least one movable piece of furniture

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking device for movable furniture parts, comprising a guide rail with a plurality of locking elements which are held displaceably along the guide rail, and comprising a plurality of activators, wherein each locking element has a run-on slope which can be contacted by an activator which can be attached to a movable furniture part, and each locking element has a wall which can form a stop for the activator in order to lock the movable furniture part with the activator in a closed position, wherein the guide rail with the locking element is movable between an anti-tilt position in which all activators are arranged adjacent to a run-on slope on different locking elements, and a locking position in which all activators arranged in the closed position are arranged adjacent to a wall on different locking elements,wherein in the anti-tilt position, upon movement of an activator against a ramp, the guide rail is displaceable into the locking position and is held in the locking position by a holding device and the locking elements are pretensioned into a raised position by a force accumulator, and a method for locking at least one movable furniture part to a furniture body with a locking device.

[0002] DE 20 2009 000 050 U1 (EP 2 210 525) discloses a locking system for extendable furniture parts, in which a locking bar is provided with a plurality of sliding parts. A movable furniture part acts on a driver, which engages with one of the sliding parts to move the sliding parts from an unlocked position to a locked position. The driver is slidably mounted on a housing and can be coupled to a movable furniture part over a short distance. The interposition of such a driver between the movable furniture part and the locking bar results in increased manufacturing and assembly costs.

[0003] DE 10 2005 054 006 B4 discloses a pull-out safety device for pull-out furniture elements, in which a plurality of locking elements can be moved along a linear guide. The locking elements can be moved by a bolt attached to a movable furniture element.

[0004] The latch is strip-shaped and extends almost the entire length of the furniture element. Here, too, the construction effort is disadvantageous due to the great length. Furthermore, the pointed ends of the latches can be easily damaged.

[0005] DE 10 2004 050 619 B3 discloses a piece of furniture with a drawer locking device, in which locking elements arranged on drawers can be locked or released to a locking bar. The locking elements can move the locking bar.

[0006] EP 2 862 993 A2 discloses a central locking fitting in which several lifting elements are movable along a lifting rod. The lifting elements have an inclined surface and can engage with a locking pin to create a pull-out stop.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a locking device for movable furniture parts and a method for locking at least one movable furniture part to a furniture body, which is of simple construction and enables effective locking of the furniture parts in a closed position when one of the movable furniture parts is in an open position.

[0008] In the locking device according to the invention, a plurality of locking elements are slidably mounted along a guide rail, each locking element having a ramp that can be contacted by an activator attached to a movable furniture part. Each locking element also has a wall that can form a stop for the activator in order to lock the movable furniture part with the activator in a closed position. The guide rail with the locking elements can be moved between an anti-tilt position, in which all activators are arranged adjacent to a ramp on different locking elements, and a locking position in which all activators arranged in the closed position are arranged adjacent to a wall of different locking elements.According to the invention, in the anti-tip position, when an activator moves against a ramp, the guide rail can be moved into the locked position, in particular in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and can then be held in the locked position by a holding device. This eliminates the need to hold the locking elements via the activator throughout the entire opening movement of the movable furniture part. Instead, when the activator moves against the ramp, the guide rail can move into a locked position in order to lock all other movable furniture parts in a closed position. The holding device holds the guide rail in this locked position until the furniture part in the open position is moved back into the closed position and the guide rail is unlocked by the holding device so that the guide rail is returned to the anti-tip position.This eliminates the need for a driver between the movable furniture part and the locking elements, which is coupled to the movable furniture part over a specific distance. The activator can be moved together with the movable furniture part; in particular, the activator can also be attached directly to the movable furniture part. This reduces the number of components required for the locking device and enables simple operation, allowing the activator to be designed in a compact manner.

[0009] Preferably, the holding device holds the guide rail in the locked position with a positive and / or non-positive fit, particularly by clamping or locking. This allows for easy fixation of the guide rail using clamping elements or locking elements, such as locking webs, locking receptacles, or locking projections. The use of magnetic holding devices is also possible here to create a virtually wear-free holding device.

[0010] In one embodiment according to the invention, the guide rail can be moved from the locked position to the anti-tip position via an activator, which is moved from the opening position in the closing direction with the movable furniture part. The activator can then be moved along a guide bevel on a locking element. The locking element can then release the guide rail from the locked position via the guide bevel and then move it into an anti-tip position. The guide bevel can be arranged on the side of a locking element opposite the guide bevel, whereby the term "opposite" refers to the direction of movement of the activator, which is moved against the guide bevel during a movement on the movable furniture part in the opening direction and against the guide bevel during a movement in the opposite direction in the closing direction.

[0011] According to the invention, the locking elements are preloaded into a raised position by an energy storage device. When the guide rail moves from the locking position to the anti-tip position, the activator can move at least some of the locking elements against the energy storage device into a lowered position by an activator that can be moved along the guide bevel. The energy storage device can preload the locking elements against an end stop on the guide rail, so that the locking elements are moved along the guide rail via the activator, regardless of whether the activator is moved against the starting bevel or the guide bevel. This allows at least some of the locking elements to be moved, forming a gap through which the activator can then be passed.Once the activator is disengaged from the locking elements, the energy storage device can automatically move the locking elements back to a closed position and close the gap created by the activator. The energy storage device can be supported on one side by a stop fixed to the guide rail and on the opposite side by one of the locking elements or by a component between the locking elements and the other end of the energy storage device. The energy storage device can be designed as a separate spiral, shaped, or leaf spring, or integrally as an elastic element attached to a stop on the guide rail.

[0012] Preferably, a locking mechanism is provided, by means of which the guide rail is locked in a raised position. This leads to greater safety during operation. The locking mechanism can, for example, comprise a heart-shaped curve or a locking bar, which ensures that the guide rail is secured in a raised, locked position.

[0013] Each locking element preferably comprises a channel-shaped receptacle through which an activator can be passed without displacing the locking elements. This channel-shaped receptacle can be used to move the locking device into a release position in which all activators are arranged adjacent to a channel-shaped receptacle, so that all movable furniture parts are also moved simultaneously in the opening direction. This release position is useful when the movable furniture parts are to be removed for disassembly, for example, during assembly, for cleaning, or for moving.

[0014] A switching mechanism, in particular a lock, on the locking device can therefore have three positions: the release position in which all movable furniture parts can be moved in the opening direction, the anti-tilt position in which only one of the movable furniture parts can be moved in the opening direction at the same time, and a locking position in which all movable furniture parts are locked in the closing position.

[0015] Preferably, each activator is designed as a pin that can be secured to the movable furniture part. The pin can, for example, be directly secured in a side panel or side frame of the movable furniture part. Alternatively, the movable furniture part and the activator can also be secured to each other via brackets or other components, for example, via the drawer guide.

[0016] Workshop, practice or laboratory equipment for which the use of movable drawers or drawer elements is intended is also understood as furniture according to the invention.

[0017] In the method according to the invention for locking at least one movable furniture part to the furniture body, a first movable furniture part is first moved from a closed position into an opening direction, wherein an activator held on the furniture part is moved against a bevel on a locking element held on a guide rail, wherein the locking element moves the guide rail from an anti-tilt position into a locking position in which all other movable furniture parts, except for the first furniture part, are locked in the closed position. The guide rail is then held in the locking position by a holding device, wherein the locking elements block movement of at least a second furniture part, in particular all others except for the first furniture part, from the closed position in the opening direction.The holding device can hold the guide rail in the locking position in a form-fitting and / or force-fitting manner, in particular by clamping or latching. In a next step, the first furniture part is moved back into the closed position, wherein the activator on the first furniture part is moved against a guide bevel on a locking element in order to release the guide rail from the locking position and move it into the anti-tip position, in which a movable furniture part can be moved in the opening direction. The movement of the locking elements via the activator is thus used to move the guide rail from an anti-tip position into a locking position and to hold it there, which makes it possible to move the activator in an opening area independently of, in particular at a distance from, the locking device.Only when the activator moves in the closing direction shortly before the closing position can the activator move the guide rail from the closing position to the anti-tilt position via a locking element.

[0018] According to the invention, when the activator on the first furniture part moves toward the ramp, at least some of the locking elements are displaced against a force accumulator along the guide rail. The locking elements can thus form a gap to guide the activator through two adjacent locking elements. This movement of the locking elements toward the force accumulator can allow a temporary gap to form between two adjacent locking elements to guide the activator through. During this movement, the guide rail is simultaneously moved into a locking position and can be held there in a latching or clamping manner until the activator is moved back in the closing direction.

[0019] Furthermore, when the activator on the first furniture part moves against the guide bevel, i.e., during a closing movement, at least some of the locking elements are displaced against a force accumulator along the guide rail, in order to then move the guide rail from the locking position to the anti-tip position. Even when the activator is returned from the opening position in the closing direction, a gap can be formed between two adjacent locking elements via the guide bevel, through which the activator can be passed. When the locking elements move, the locking or clamping fastening of the guide rail is released, in order to move it into the anti-tip position.

[0020] The invention will be explained in more detail below using several exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a piece of furniture with a locking device according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a view of the piece of furniture of the Figure 1 without drawer; Figure 3 a side view of the furniture of the Figure 1 ; Figure 4 an exploded view of the furniture of the Figure 2; Figures 5A and 5B show two detailed views of the locking device in an anti-tilt position; Figure 6 shows a view of the locking device when an activator is moved in the opening direction; Figure 7 shows a view of the locking device with the guide rail in a locked position; Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the locking device when the activator is moved against a guide bevel; Figure 9 shows a view of the locking device in the anti-tilt position; Figure 10 shows a view of the locking device in a release position; Figures 11 to 13 show several views of modified locking devices; Figure 14 shows a view of a further embodiment of a locking device with a locking mechanism for holding the guide rail; Figure 15 shows an exploded view of the locking device of Figure 14, and Figure 16 shows a view of a modified locking device.

[0021] A piece of furniture 1 comprises a furniture body 2, to which drawer guides 4 are attached to opposite side walls. Each drawer guide 4 comprises a stationary rail 5 and a movable rail 6, between which at least one center rail can optionally be provided to extend the drawer. A self-closing mechanism 7 and / or an ejection device, also in combination with damping systems, can be provided on the drawer guide 4 to retract or eject a movable furniture part 3 in the form of a drawer.

[0022] On at least one side wall of the furniture body 2, a locking device 10 for movable furniture parts 3 is provided, by means of which it can be controlled whether a movable furniture part 3 can be moved into an opening position via the pull-out guide 4 or not.

[0023] The locking device 10 comprises a guide rail 11, which is inserted into a groove 12 on the side wall of the furniture body 2 and which is movable in the vertical direction via a switching mechanism 15. The guide rail 11 extends over several pull-out guides 4, as shown in the Figures 2 and 3 Only two pull-out guides 4 are shown, although more than two pull-out guides 4 can be mounted on one side wall of the furniture body 2.

[0024] As in Figure 4As shown, the stationary rails 5 of the pull-out guide are not mounted directly on the side wall, but via the interposition of a spacer 13, in particular a plate. The spacer 13 has a recess in the region of a groove 12 for the guide rail 11. A plurality of locking elements 20, which are made, for example, as molded bodies made of plastic or metal, are slidably held in the guide rail 11. The locking elements 20 are movable in the mounted position, and the spacers 13 prevent the stationary rail 5 from blocking the locking elements 20. It is also possible to dispense with the spacers 13 by making the groove 12 deeper or by using flat locking elements 20 in the region of the stationary rails.In addition, a groove 12 can be dispensed with if the guide rail 11 is guided via other guide elements in the area of ​​the side wall of the furniture body 2, in particular linear bearings, instead of in a groove 12.

[0025] The switching mechanism 15 comprises a rotatable knob, by means of which a connecting element 14, which is mounted on a pin 19 in a slot 18, can be moved in the vertical direction. The guide rail 11 can be raised or lowered via the connecting element 14. A stop 30 is provided in the lower area of ​​the guide rail 11 ( Figure 3 ), which ensures that the locking elements 20 are moved together with the guide rail 11.

[0026] A pin-shaped activator 16 is directly or indirectly attached to each movable furniture part 3 and can be brought into engagement with a locking element 20. The activators 16 are moved together with the movable furniture part 3. Not every locking element 20 is assigned an activator 16, so some of the locking elements 20 are designed only as spacers and can optionally also be designed with a different shape than the locking elements 20 that can be coupled with an activator.

[0027] A stop 30 is fixed to the lower section of the guide rail 11, supporting a force accumulator 32 in the form of a spring. The force accumulator 32 and the stop 30 are secured by a clamp 31 that is fixed to the side wall of the furniture body 2. The stop 30 and the force accumulator 32 are arranged so that they can be moved relative to the clamp 31.

[0028] In the Figures 5A and 5BThe locking device 10 is shown in detail, arranged in an anti-tip position for the piece of furniture 1. In the anti-tip position, all activators 16, which can be fixed to a movable furniture part 3, for example, to a side wall of a drawer, are located adjacent to a ramp 23 on a locking element 20, with each activator 16 being assigned a different locking element 20. In the anti-tip position, only one of the movable furniture parts 3 can be moved in the opening direction at a time.

[0029] If one of the movable furniture parts 3 is moved in the opening direction, as shown in Figure 6As shown, the activator 16 presses the associated locking element 20 upwards against the run-on bevel 23, which is pushed against the web 17 fixed to the guide rail 11. This raises the guide rail 11, so that the lower stop 30, together with the energy accumulator 32, is displaced relative to the clamp 31. The connecting element 14 is also displaced in the elongated hole 18 along the pin 19. The locking elements 20 arranged below the activator 16 are pressed downwards against the energy accumulator 32, so that a gap is created between two adjacent locking elements 20, through which the activator 16 can be passed.

[0030] The activator 16 can now be moved further in the opening direction, as shown in Figure 7is shown. When the activator 16 no longer has contact with the locking elements 20, the energy accumulator 32 pushes the lower locking elements 20 upwards in order to close the previously existing gap between two locking elements 20 for the passage of the activator 16. The guide rail 11 remains in the raised position because the connecting element 14 is held on the pin 19 by means of two clamping webs 40. Additional locking projections 41 can be formed on the clamping webs 40, which lock onto the pin 19 in the locking position of the guide rail 11. In the raised locking position of the guide rail 11, the activators 16 of the further movable furniture parts 3 are in the closed position adjacent to a wall 22, which blocks movement of the activator 16 and thus also of the movable furniture part 3 connected to it in the opening direction.All other movable furniture parts are thus blocked in the closed position, and only the furniture part 3 moved in the opening direction can be moved freely.

[0031] If the movable furniture part 3 arranged in the opening direction is moved in the closing direction, the activator 16 comes into contact with a guide bevel 25 which, with respect to the direction of movement of the activator 16, is arranged on the opposite side to the starting bevel 23. In addition, the guide bevel 25 is inclined in the opposite direction, thus pressing the locking elements 20 downwards and not upwards like the starting bevel 23. The activator 16 contacts the guide bevel 25 on the locking element 20 and presses all locking elements 20 below the activator 16 downwards against the energy accumulator 32 to form a gap through which the activator 16 can be passed. As the locking elements 20 move downwards, the energy accumulator 32 presses against the stop 30, which presses the guide rail 11 downwards accordingly and thus releases the locking or clamping of the guide rail 11, which is held on the pin 19.This moves the guide rail 11 from the raised locking position to a lowered position.

[0032] In Figure 9 The anti-tip position is shown, which is reached again when the activator 16 has moved the locking elements 20 downwards by a movement against the energy storage device 32 and the guide rail 11 has moved from the raised locking position to the lowered anti-tip position. This position corresponds to the Figure 5A .

[0033] In Figure 10Another position of the locking device 10 is shown, in which it is in a release position. The switching mechanism 15 has raised the connecting element 14 so far that all activators 16 are arranged adjacent to a channel-shaped receptacle 24 formed on each locking element 20. Each activator 16 can now be easily moved in the opening direction through the channel-shaped receptacle 24. This allows all movable furniture parts 3 to be moved in the opening direction, for example, to remove and disassemble the movable furniture parts 3.

[0034] In Figure 11A locking device with a modified connecting element 14' is shown, in which an elongated hole 18 is provided on opposite sides of the connecting element 14', which is guided by a pin 19. Clamping webs 40 are provided on each elongated hole 18, which have a locking projection 41. By guiding the connecting element 14' on both sides, the guide rail 11 can be better guided and locked in the raised locking position. In the previous embodiment, only one pin 19 was provided on the connecting element 14 to fix it in the raised position.

[0035] In Figure 12A modified embodiment of the connecting element 14' is shown, in which a rack 71 is additionally provided in a central region, which engages with a rotation damper 70 having a pinion. The rotation damper 70 is secured in the groove 12 on the side wall of the furniture body 2. This allows a movement of the guide rail 11 relative to the furniture body to be slowed down. Alternatively or additionally, locking devices or other holding means can also be provided on the rotation damper 70 to fix the guide rail 11 in the raised position if necessary.

[0036] In Figure 13A further embodiment of the locking device 10 is shown with a modified connecting element 14", which has an elongated hole 18 with a pin 19 on one side, as described in the previous embodiments. On the opposite side, a connecting piece 60 is formed, which can be connected to a lock or another component.

[0037] In the Figures 14 and 15 The locking device 10 is shown with an additional locking device 50, which has a holder 51 fixed to the furniture body, which serves to lock the guide rail 11 in the raised locking position. As in Figure 15As shown, the locking device 50 comprises a control element 52 which is connected to the connecting element 14'. The control element 52 is movable in a housing with a curved guide 53 and acts on a plunger 54 which is pretensioned towards the guide rail 11 by a spring 55. The spring 55 is inserted into a housing 56 of the holder 51. The locking mechanism can lock the control element 52 to the curved guide 53, for example by designing the curved guide as a heart-shaped curve with a locking receptacle to which a section of the control element 52 can be locked against the force of the spring 55. Other locking mechanisms can also be used to lock the guide rail 11.

[0038] In Figure 16The guide rail 11 is shown in a lower area, in which, instead of a separate force accumulator 32, a force accumulator 34 is used, which is formed integrally with the web 33 of the stop 30. As a result, the locking elements 20 can be supported via the integrally formed force accumulator 34, which can be displaced against the force accumulator 34 when one of the activators is to be moved between two locking elements 20.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, only two movable furniture parts 3 are provided as thrust elements, each of which moves an activator 16. It is, of course, possible to use the locking device 10 for more than two movable furniture parts 3.

[0040] The locking device 10 can be moved into at least one of three positions, namely the anti-tip position, the locking position, and / or the release position, via a single switching mechanism 15. It is also possible to switch the release position via a separate lever or actuating element, so that only the locking position and the anti-tip position can be adjusted via the switching mechanism 15. List of reference symbols

[0041] 1 Furniture 2 Furniture body 3 Movable furniture part 4 Drawer guide 5 Stationary rail 6 Movable rail 7 Self-closing mechanism 10 Locking device 11 Guide rail 12 Groove 13 Spacer 14, 14', 14" Connecting element 15 Switching mechanism 16 Activator 17 Bar 18 Slotted hole 19 Pin 20 Locking element 22 Wall 23 Bevel 24 Receptacle 25 Guide bevel 30 Stop 31 Clamp 32 Energy storage device 33 Bar 34 Energy storage device 40 Clamping bar 41 Locking projection 50 Locking device 51 Holder 52 Control element 53 Curved guide 54 Plunger 55 Spring 56 Housing 60 Connecting piece 70 Rotation damper 71 Rack

Claims

1. Locking device (10) for movable furniture parts (3), with a guide rail (11) with a plurality of blocking elements (20) that is held displaceably along the guide rail (11), and having a plurality of activators (16), wherein each blocking element (20) comprises a run-up slope (23) which can be contacted by one of the activators (16) which can be attached to a movable furniture part (3), and each blocking element (20) comprises a wall (22) which can form a stop for the activator (16) in order to lock the movable furniture part (3) with the activator (16) in a closed position, wherein the guide rail (11) with the blocking element (20) can be moved between an anti-tipping position, in which all activators (16) are arranged adjacent to a run-up slope (23) on different blocking elements (20), and a blocking position in which all activators (16) arranged in the closed position are arranged adjacent to a wall (22) on different blocking elements (20), wherein in the anti-tipping position, when an activator (16) is moved against a run-up slope (23), the guide rail (11) is displaceable into the blocking position and is held in the blocking position by a holding device (40, 41, 50) and the locking elements (20) are biased into a raised position by a force accumulator (32), characterised in that the guide rail (11) is movable from the blocking position into the anti-tipping position via an activator (16), which is movable along a guide slope (25) on a blocking element (20), and during a movement of the guide rail (11)from the blocking position into the anti-tipping position by an activator (16) which is movable along the guide slope (25), at least a part of the blocking elements (20) can be moved into a lowered position against the force accumulator (32).

2. Locking device according to claim 1, characterised in that the holding device (40, 41, 50) holds the guide rail (11) in the blocking position in a formlocking and / or force-locking manner, in particular in a clamping and / or latching manner.

3. Locking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the guide slope (25) is arranged on the side of the blocking element (20) opposite the run-up slope (23).

4. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a lower stop (30) is fixed to the guide rail (11), on which the force accumulator (32) is supported, which supports the blocking elements (20) on the opposite side.

5. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a latching mechanism (50) or a latching element (41) is provided by means of which the guide rail (11) can be latched in the raised position.

6. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each blocking element (20) comprises a channel-shaped receptacle (24) through which an activator (16) can be moved from a closed position in the opening direction without displacing the blocking elements (20).

7. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each activator (16) is designed as a pin which can be fixed to a movable furniture part (3).

8. Locking device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the locking device (10) comprises at least one switching mechanism (15), in particular a lock, by means of which the guide rail (11) can be moved between the locking position, the anti-tipping position and the release position.

9. Method for locking at least one movable furniture part (3) to a furniture body (2) with a locking device (10), wherein a plurality of movable furniture parts (3) are held on the furniture body (2), with the following steps: - Moving a first furniture part (3) from a closed position into an open position, wherein an activator (16) held on the furniture part (3) is moved against a run-up slope (23) on a blocking element (20) which is held on a guide rail (11) and the blocking element (20) moves the guide rail (11) from an anti-tipping position into a locking position in which all the other movable furniture parts (3) are locked in the closed position, wherein when the activator (16) of the first furniture part (3) moves against the run-up slope (23), at least some of the blocking elements (20) are displaced against a force accumulator (32) along the guide rail (11); - Holding of the guide rail (11) in the locking position by a holding device (40, 41, 50), wherein the blocking elements (20) block a movement of at least a second furniture part (3) from the closed position in the opening direction; - Moving the first furniture part (3) into the closed position, wherein the activator (16) on the first furniture part (3) is moved against a guide slope (25) of a blocking element (20) in order to move the guide rail (11) from the locking position into the anti-tipping position, in which one of the movable furniture parts (3) can be moved in the opening direction, characterised in that at least some of the blocking elements (20) are displaced along the guide rail (11) by the activator (16) during a movement against the run-up slope (23) or the guide slope (25) in order to form a gap between two blocking elements (20), through which the activator (16) is then passed, wherein the force accumulator (32) after the activator (16) is disengaged from the blocking elements (20) automatically moves the blocking elements (20) again to a closed position and the gap created by the activator (16) is closed.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that when the activator (16) is moved by the first furniture part (3) against the guide slope (25), the blocking elements (20) are first displaced along the guide rail (11) against a force accumulator (32) and then the guide rail (11) is displaced from the locking position into the anti-tipping position.