FRONT PANEL FOR A FURNITURE CARCASE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a front panel for a furniture body which is accommodated in a recess and which allows the gripping behind a front side of movable furniture parts such as doors, drawers or the like, which is provided with a handle bar, and which has a chamber for accommodating a light source

[0002] Since ancient times, handles on furniture have not only been used to operate drawers, doors, flaps, and the like, but also as a stylistic device for visually enhancing a furniture front. Today, the appearance of a furniture front is often enhanced by the use of handle strips, which extend across the entire width of such a movable piece of furniture.

[0003] In addition to handles directly connected to movable furniture parts such as doors, drawers, or the like for operating them, illuminated front panels recessed relative to the front wall of a furniture body have become known, allowing the user to reach behind a front side of these movable furniture parts equipped with a handle bar. Relevant prior art can be found in KR200457121Y1, WO2019 / 197092A1, DE102005027200A1, WO2013 / 126946A1, EP1219206A1, DE202014102179U1, or US2019210521A1.

[0004] The invention provides a front panel of the type described above for the operation of movable furniture parts, in which according to claim 1 it is based on the fact that the one-piece front panel has a base plate which is positioned opposite the front and which has a preferably right-angled bend at a first end, to which a front wall is connected for forming the chamber which remains visible in a front view of the furniture body and which has a light exit opening which is spaced from a base of the recess and which is substantially perpendicular to the base plate.

[0005] The front panel according to the invention is primarily intended for vertical installation, particularly for operating doors. From a manufacturing perspective, the front panel is accommodated in a single recess, which can be inserted into the front face of a partition wall or a stud in one go.

[0006] The one-piece design of the front panel allows for cost-effective production by the meter, for example from a plastic, but also from a metal, for example from high-quality aluminum.

[0007] Through the light exit opening, which is essentially vertical on the base plate, the light falls onto the front of the base plate, creating a light band that extends over the entire height of the furniture part, and in particular over an entire piece of furniture.

[0008] By positioning the base plate relative to the furniture front, the light falling through the light exit opening of the chamber is guided along the base plate towards the handle bar, thus reliably illuminating the space between the handle bar of the movable furniture part and the base plate.

[0009] Conventional joining techniques such as screwing, gluing, or similar methods are perfectly suitable for attaching the front panel to the furniture body. Preferably, however, the rear of the front panel is provided with locking and / or spacer elements for securing it to the furniture body at a distance, e.g., with an L-shaped and / or T-shaped cross-section. Locking, for example, by inserting the front panel into corresponding grooves in the furniture part, or possibly one or more mounting plates, is not only secure but also invisible. Designed as spacer elements, these elements define the position of the front panel, e.g., in a groove in the body. Furthermore, locking or spacer elements with an L-shaped and / or T-shaped cross-section stiffen the front panel.

[0010] Opposite the chamber, an end section is connected to the base plate by a side part, whereby the end section can preferably be curved in an S-shape to increase stability.

[0011] If the front wall of the chamber has an extension with a side part, the front panel is preferably finished on both sides, which can also remain visible if necessary.

[0012] This can be advantageous if the locking elements, spacers, and side panels keep the front panel spaced from the curved base of the recess. Optimal hold can be achieved if a spring that locks into the furniture body is connected to the angled portion, thus approximately in the center of the front panel.

[0013] The light guidance along the wall is further improved by the measure if the light exit opening of the chamber, which is perpendicular to the wall, is closed by a strip of a transparent material which has a triangular cross-section.

[0014] The strip, made of a transparent material, protects the bulbs from dirt and is still easy to clean, for example, when used in the kitchen, to ensure optimal light output. Thanks to its triangular cross-section, the strip also acts as a light guide, focusing the outgoing light.

[0015] In a structural design, it can be provided that the strip and / or an LED strip is / are held in grooves in opposite walls of the chamber and / or that lugs protrude from the opposite walls, which engage in grooves of the strip and / or the LED strip.

[0016] Even if LED strips are used as light sources, which have a comparatively long service life, replacement via the end faces of the front panel according to the invention is still easily possible, if necessary after removing a cover cap.

[0017] The same applies to the strip made of transparent material, for example, after it has been scratched or dented. A color change is also possible without much effort by replacing the LED strip and / or the strip.

[0018] For the operation of oppositely hinged doors, a second, mirror-inverted front panel is connected to a first front panel. This creates a shared, illuminated gap between the two doors for their opening.

[0019] In particular, this front panel is mirror-symmetrical to a central plane if the connection creates a common front wall for the two chambers. Only one central, common spring is then required for securing it.

[0020] The furniture thus obtained with a front panel according to the invention with a handle strip made of a solid profile having a recessed grip, which is inserted into a rectangular corner recess in one end face of the movable furniture part, which further overlaps the end face with a nose and which engages in the furniture part with a locking element on the underside, meets the highest demands.

[0021] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, which shows only exemplary embodiments. The drawing shows: Fig. 1: a front view of a front panel according to the invention, Fig. 2: an isometric view of the front panel, Fig. 3: a front view of another front panel and Fig. 4: an isometric view of the front panel according to Fig. 3 .

[0022] The one-piece front panel 1 shown in the drawing is set back in a recess 4 relative to a front 2 of a furniture body 3 to such an extent that a solid handle bar 6 with a recessed grip 7 can be engaged behind it for the operation of a movable furniture part 5 such as a door, a drawer or the like.

[0023] The front panel 1 is particularly suitable for vertical installation.

[0024] The front panel 1 has a base plate 8 which forms a backbone, so to speak, and which is positioned relative to the front 2 in such a way that it extends from the interior of the furniture body 3 towards the movable furniture part 5.

[0025] At a first end, a chamber 9 for accommodating lighting means 10 is provided on the base plate 8, said chamber remaining visible in a front view of the furniture body 3.

[0026] For this purpose, an angled portion 11 is provided at the first end of the base plate 8, essentially at a right angle, to which a front wall 12 of the chamber 9 is connected.

[0027] The walls of the chamber 9 are opaque and leave a light exit opening 15 perpendicular to the base plate 8, which is closed by a strip 16 of triangular cross-section made of a transparent material.

[0028] Thus, the light from the illuminants 10 falls exclusively through the transparent strip 16 onto the base plate 8 and illuminates the space between the handle bar 6 and the base plate 8 with an attached, S-shaped end section 17. This creates a light band extending the length of the front panel 1.

[0029] In chamber 9, the strip 16 is held by a lug in a groove in the base plate 8 or by a lug on the front wall 12 in a recess in the strip 13. The LED strip carrying the illuminants 10 at the end of the chamber 9 opposite the light exit opening 15 is also held in grooves.

[0030] In the front panel 1, a side part 18 is connected to the S-shaped profiled end section 17, which can also remain visible, cf. Fig. 1Right half of the image. Opposite, another side part 19 is provided, which is connected to an extension 20 of the front wall 12 of chamber 9.

[0031] In addition to the bent side parts 18, 19, an L-shaped, possibly T-shaped locking or spacer element 23 protrudes in front of an arcuate bottom 21 of the recess 4 of the rear side 22 of the base plate 8 for securing the front panel 1 at a distance.

[0032] The side parts 18, 19 or the locking or spacer elements 23 can be inserted into corresponding grooves in the furniture body, if necessary into a separately designed fastening plate.

[0033] Here, a sawtooth-shaped profiled spring 24 is provided for fastening the front panel 1 to the angled portion 11 of the chamber 9, which locks securely in a groove in the bottom 21 of the recess 4.

[0034] The front panel 30 acc. to the Fig. 3 and 4It is particularly suitable for installation between two oppositely hinged doors 31, 32. The front panel 30 essentially consists of a first and a second front panel 33, 34 of the type described above, connected in a mirror-image manner, without extending the front sides with side panels. The connection is made in such a way that a common front wall 35 is formed for the chambers 36, 37. A common spring 38 is provided between the chambers 36, 37 for securing the front panel 30. This results in a front panel 30 structure that is mirror-symmetrical to a central plane.

[0035] The Fig. 1The handle strip 6 shown, made of a solid profile having the grip recess 7, is inserted into a rectangular corner recess in an end face of the movable furniture part 5 facing the furniture body 3 and engages over the end face of the furniture part 5 with a nose 40. A locking element 41 protrudes from the underside of the handle strip 6 and engages in the furniture part 5, for example in the form of a sawtooth-shaped profiled spring which engages in a front-side groove in the furniture part 5 in a pull-out-proof manner.

Claims

1. A front panel (1) received in a recess of a furniture body (3), which allows access from behind to an end side, which is provided with a handle strip (6), of movable furniture parts (5) such as doors, drawers or the like and which comprises a chamber (9) for receiving a light source (10), wherein the front panel (1) formed in one piece (1) comprises a base plate (8) positioned opposite to the front (2), which comprises an angled section (11) at one end, wherein an end section (17) with a side part (18) is connected to the opposite end of the base plate (8), wherein a front wall (12) is connected to the angled section (11), for forming the chamber (9), which remains visible in a front view of the furniture body (3) and which, spaced from a bottom (21) of the recess (4), comprises a light outlet opening (15) standing vertically on the base plate (5).

2. The front panel according to claim 1, characterized in that rear locking and / or spacing elements (23) are provided for spaced fixing to the furniture body (3).

3. The front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that an end section (17), which is opposite to the chamber (9), with a side part (18) is connected to the base plate (8).

4. The front panel according to claim 3, characterized in that the end section (17) is curved in an S-shape.

5. The front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front wall (12) of the chamber (9) comprises an extension (20) with a side part (19).

6. The front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking elements, the spacing elements (23) and the side parts (18, 19) hold the front panel (1) spaced from an arcuate bottom (21) of the recess (4).

7. The front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a spring (24) locking in the furniture body (3) is connected to the angled section (11).

8. The front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light outlet opening (15) of the chamber (9) is closed by a strip (16) made of a transparent material, which comprises a triangular cross section.

9. The front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the strip (16) and / or an LED strip is / are held in grooves in opposite walls of the chamber (9) and / or that lugs project from the opposite walls and engage in grooves of the strip and / or the LED strip.

10. The front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second, mirror-image front panel (34) is connected to the first front panel (33).

11. The front panel according to claim 10, characterized in that a common front wall (35) of the two chambers (36, 37) is formed by the connection.

12. The front panel according to claim 10 or 11, characterized by a common spring (38).

13. A furniture with a front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by a handle strip (6) from a full profile having a recessed grip (7), which is inserted into a right-angled corner recess in an end side of the movable furniture part (5), which engages the end side with a nose (40) and which engages into the furniture part (5) with a locking element (41) on the underside.