FRONT PANEL FOR A FURNITURE BODY

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a front panel for a furniture carcass, which allows access to the rear of an end face of movable furniture parts such as doors, drawers or the like, which is provided with a handle strip, and which has a chamber for receiving a light source.

[0002] Since ancient times, furniture handles have served not only as mechanisms for operating drawers, doors, flaps, and the like, but also as stylistic elements for visually enhancing a furniture front. Today, the appearance of a furniture front is frequently improved by the use of handle strips, which often extend across the entire width of such a movable piece of furniture.

[0003] In addition to handles that are directly connected to movable furniture parts such as doors, drawers or the like for operation, illuminated front panels recessed from the front of a furniture carcass have become known, which allow reaching behind an end face of these movable furniture parts equipped with a handle strip.

[0004] A generic front panel is known from WO 2019 / 197092 A1.

[0005] The invention provides a front panel of the type described above for the actuation of movable furniture parts, wherein, according to claim 1, the one-piece front panel has a multiply curved wall which carries the chamber with a light emission opening on a first end section, and which has a base attached to the other end of the wall which, together with a second end section of the curved wall and a mounting plane, at least forms a channel.

[0006] The one-piece design of the front panel allows for cost-effective production as a continuous piece of material, e.g., from a plastic, but also from a metal, e.g., high-quality aluminum.

[0007] The light from the light source falling on the front of the wall creates a band of light that extends across the entire width of the furniture section, and in particular across the entire piece of furniture.

[0008] In this process, the light falling through the light outlet of the chamber for the light source is guided along the wall towards the handle strip by the multiply curved wall, thus ensuring that the space between the handle strip of the movable furniture part and the wall is safely illuminated.

[0009] Since the front panel is at least partially recessed from the furniture front, the second end section of the wall, which initially extends from the movable furniture part towards the interior of the cabinet, largely prevents light from entering the interior of the furniture or from backlighting the movable furniture part. It is advantageous that this second end section is supported against a mounting surface via the floor. This ensures sufficient mechanical stability. The resulting channel can also be used in a variety of ways, for example, for wiring.

[0010] Conventional fastening techniques such as screwing, gluing, or similar methods are suitable for securing the front panel to the furniture carcass. However, locking and / or spacer elements, extending from the wall at the mounting surface, are preferred for securing the panel to the furniture carcass. These elements, for example, are L-shaped and / or T-shaped in cross-section. Locking, for instance by sliding the elements into corresponding grooves in the furniture component, or possibly one or more mounting plates, provides not only a secure but also an invisible fastening. Designed as spacers, these elements define the position of the front panel, for example, within a groove in the carcass. Furthermore, such L-shaped and / or T-shaped locking or spacer elements stiffen the wall.

[0011] The channel above the floor can also be easily closed using a locking and / or spacer element.

[0012] In the front panel according to the invention, a channel can also be formed on the upper side if it is provided that a vertically rising wall section is connected to a top side of the chamber, which is provided with a right-angled bend that ends in the mounting plane.

[0013] If the wall section is connected at a corner between the top side and a front wall of the chamber, a furniture front can be formed by the wall section.

[0014] Stability in the chamber area can be increased by having the top of the chamber extend down to the mounting level.

[0015] The light guidance along the wall is further improved by this measure, so that a light exit opening of the chamber, positioned perpendicular to the wall, is closed by a strip of a transparent material, which preferably has a triangular cross-section.

[0016] The strip, made of a transparent material, protects the light source from dirt and is still easy to clean, for example when used in kitchens, to ensure optimal light output. Furthermore, its triangular cross-section allows the strip to act as a light guide, focusing the emitted light.

[0017] In its design, it may 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.

[0018] Even when LED strips are used as light sources, which have a comparatively long lifespan, replacement via the front panels is still easily possible according to the invention, if necessary after removing a cover cap.

[0019] The same applies to the strip made of transparent material, for example after scratching or denting. Changing the color is also easily possible by replacing the LED strip and / or the LED strip itself.

[0020] Such measures ensure a closed, front-facing appearance and achieve high mechanical stability.

[0021] The resulting piece of furniture, with a front panel according to the invention, comprising a handle strip made of a solid profile having a recessed handle, which is inserted in a right-angled corner recess in an end face of the movable furniture part, which further extends over the end face with a nose and engages in the furniture part with an underside locking element, meets the highest standards.

[0022] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, which only illustrates exemplary embodiments. The drawing shows: Fig. 1: a representation of the installation situation of a front panel according to the invention, Fig. 2: an isometric representation of the front panel and Fig. 3: a front view of the front panel.

[0023] The one-piece front panel 1 shown in the drawing is set back from a front 2 of a furniture carcass 3 to such an extent that a solid handle strip 5 with a recessed grip 6 can be gripped from behind for the operation of a movable furniture part 4 such as a door, a drawer or the like.

[0024] The front panel 1 is particularly suitable as a horizontal intermediate profile between a top and a bottom of a furniture body.

[0025] The front panel 1 has a multiply curved wall 7, forming a kind of backbone, which, on a first end section 8, carries a chamber 9 for receiving light sources 10, which remains visible in a front view of the furniture carcass 3. The back wall 11 of the chamber 9 is formed by the wall 7.

[0026] The walls of chamber 9 are opaque and leave a light exit opening 12, which is closed by a strip 13 of triangular cross-section made of a transparent material.

[0027] According to the invention, the light from the light source 10 passes exclusively through the transparent strip 13 onto the wall 7 and illuminates the space between the handle strip 6 and the wall 7. Thus, in a given view, a band of light appears along the length of the front panel 1. A second end section 14 prevents light from entering the furniture body 3 or from backlighting the movable furniture part 4.

[0028] In chamber 9, the strip 13 is held in a groove in the wall 11 or by a lug of the front wall 15 in a recess in the strip 13. The LED strip carrying the light source 10 at the end of chamber 9 opposite the light outlet opening 12 is also held in grooves.

[0029] To fix the front panel 1 to the furniture carcass 3, L-shaped, possibly T-shaped locking or spacer elements 18,19 are provided on the rear 17 of the wall 7, which end in a common mounting plane 20 and can be inserted into corresponding grooves in a transverse piece of such a furniture carcass, possibly into a separately designed mounting plate.

[0030] In the front panel 1, a base 22 is connected to a second, S-shaped profiled end section 14 of the wall 7. The base 22, which rests against the mounting surface 20, provides sufficient stability to the wall 7 and, in particular, to the second end section 14. Furthermore, the base 22 and the end section 14 form a channel 23, which is closed off from the mounting surface 20 by the spacer element 19.

[0031] The first end section 8 of the wall 7 terminates with a cover 25 at the chamber 9 which houses the light source 10. Adjoining the cover 25, here at the corner between the cover 25 and the front wall 15 of the chamber 9, is a vertically rising wall section 27, which terminates with a right-angled bend 28, if the front panel 1 is installed horizontally. The angled end of the bend 28 lies, like the other spacer elements 18, 19, in the common mounting plane 20.

[0032] Such a vertically rising wall section 27 is suitable for forming a furniture front, cf. Fig. 1. In addition, a top channel 30 is formed by the wall section 27, the angled section 28 and an extension 29 of the cover side 25 as well as the mounting level 20.

[0033] The in Fig. 1The handle strip 6 shown, made of a solid profile with a handle recess 5, is inserted into a right-angled corner recess facing the furniture body 3 in an end face of the movable furniture part 4 and overlaps the end face of the furniture part 5 with a lug 31. A locking element 32 projects from the underside of the handle strip 4 and engages in the furniture part 5, e.g., in the form of a sawtooth profiled spring that engages securely in an end-face groove in the furniture part 4.

Claims

1. Front panel (1) for a furniture carcass, which permits reaching behind an end face of movable furniture parts (4), such as doors, drawers or the like, provided with a handle strip (5), and which comprises a chamber (9) for accommodating an illuminant (10), characterized in that the integrally formed front panel (1) comprises a multiply curved wall (7) which, on a first end section (8), carries the chamber (9) with a light exit opening (12), from which the light falls exclusively through a transparent strip (13) onto the curved wall (7), and illuminates the intermediate space between the handle strip (5) and the wall in order to form a strip of light on the curved wall (7), so that a band of light appears over a length of the front panel, wherein a second end section (14) prevents light from entering the furniture carcass (3) and / or backlighting of the movable furniture part (4), and in that, at the other end of the wall (7), a bottom (22) is connected, which at least jointly forms a channel (23) with the second end section (14) of the curved wall (7) and a mounting plane (20).

2. Front panel according to claim 1, characterized in that locking and / or spacer elements (18, 19), ending at the mounting plane (20), project on the rear side of the wall (7) for fastening to the furniture carcass (3).

3. Front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the channel (23) above the bottom (22) is closed by a locking and / or spacer element (19).

4. Front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a vertically upwardly extending wall section (27) is connected to a top side (25) of the chamber (9), said wall section being provided with a right-angled bend (28) which ends in the mounting plane (20).

5. Front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall section (27) is connected at a corner between the top side (25) and a front wall (15) of the chamber (9).

6. Front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the top side (25) of the chamber (9) has an extension (29) reaching as far as the mounting plane (20).

7. Front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a light exit opening (12) of the chamber (9), standing perpendicular to the wall (7), is closed by the strip (13) of transparent material, which has a triangular cross section.

8. Front panel according to claim 7, characterized in that the strip (13) and / or an LED strip is / are held in grooves in opposite walls (11, 14) of the chamber (9) and / or that projections protrude from the opposite walls (11, 14), which engage in grooves of the strip and / or of the LED strip.

9. Furniture with a front panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized by a handle strip (5) made of a solid profile having a handle recess (6), which is inserted into a right-angled corner recess in an end face of the movable furniture part (4), which overlaps the end face with a projection (31), and which engages into the furniture part (4) with an underside locking element (32).