Folding door hinge and functional unit comprising a folding door
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023730474
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-07-01
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-01
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-07
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-06-01
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Folding door hinge and functional unit with a folding door
[0002] The invention relates to a folding door hinge and a functional unit, in particular a piece of furniture or a room segment, with a folding door, in particular a folding sliding door, which is provided with at least one folding door hinge.
[0003] To close off functional units, such as openings in room segments or pieces of furniture, folding doors, or folding sliding doors if necessary, are often used. After the opening has been released, these doors are preferably pushed into a door compartment or a parking space so as not to cause a disturbing appearance.
[0004] A functional unit with a folding sliding door is known, for example, from US8336972B2.
[0005] US9284761B2 discloses a piece of furniture with a sliding device by means of which a mounting profile connected to a folding sliding door can be moved within a door compartment. The folding sliding door comprises two door elements, of which the first door element is connected at the rear by stop hinges to a mounting profile and at the front by folding door hinges to the rear of a second door element. The second door element is connected at the front to a carriage that can be moved along a running track having two rail sections aligned perpendicular to one another and connected by a curved section, of which a first rail section runs into the door compartment and a second rail section runs along the front of the piece of furniture. The mounting profile is held in a vertical orientation by a support device and is provided on the top and bottom with guide carriages that are slidably mounted in guide rails.
[0006] To close the piece of furniture, the folding door is extended from the door compartment and unfolded. In the closed position, the door elements are aligned flush with each other. To open the piece of furniture, the folding door is folded closed again, with the door elements preferably aligned parallel to each other when retracted into the door compartment in the open position.
[0007] In the closed position, the folding door must be held in a planar alignment to prevent a folding process from being triggered automatically. After the folding door has been opened from the closed position, it would be desirable for the folding process to be carried out automatically. DE202018100262U1 discloses a pressure-actuated holding device that supports both holding the folding door in the closed position and the folding process after the folding door has been released from the closed position. This device comprises a first fitting part connected to the first door element of the folding door and a second fitting part connected to the second door element of the folding door. Between the first fitting part and a coupling device arranged on the second fitting part is an ejection element, which is movably connected to the first fitting part and the coupling device.Adjustment of the first fitting relative to the coupling device is achieved via a force accumulator, which is manually loaded by the user and acts against the ejection element. A release mechanism is connected to the second door leaf via a connecting cable. The locking device is unlocked by applying pressure to the planarly aligned door elements, which pushes them further out of planar alignment in the closing direction.
[0008] This device has a complex structure and requires numerous components, a first group of which is to be connected to the first door element and a second group to the second door element. Furthermore, components are provided which connect the two fitting parts and thus the two door elements to one another. The first components of which are mechanically guided with considerable effort, while the second components are held loosely, which is generally undesirable. The door elements of the folding door are also held in the closed position solely by the holding device, which is why measures are required to prevent accidental unlocking. Due to the use of two fitting parts, it is also important to ensure that these are connected to the first and second door elements at the correct distance from one another and in the correct mutual alignment and height.It should also be noted that this device takes up a lot of space, which is disadvantageous given the limited space within the piece of furniture and especially within a door compartment.
[0009] US3846868A discloses a folding door hinge provided with a spring, by means of which hinged door elements are rotated either into the open or closed position after exceeding a central position. The folding door hinge is complex and requires fittings that are mounted on the upper edges of the door elements. DE3104275A1 discloses hinges provided with a drive spring.
[0010] Folding door hinges, by means of which hinged door elements can be automatically rotated relative to one another. Shown are folding door hinges with hinge levers connected by coil springs or leaf springs, which require a correspondingly large amount of space. When the folding door hinge is opened and / or closed, the coil spring is stretched, preventing a favorable force distribution. In particular, hinges equipped with such a drive spring only develop the desired rotational force over a very small rotation range.
[0011] If the coil spring is intended to exert high forces, a correspondingly high spring constant is required. Coil springs with high spring constants typically require more space, resulting in larger folding door hinges.
[0012] In addition, coil springs with high spring constants are more difficult to install. If the coil spring with a high spring constant is pre-assembled, the folding door hinge is extremely difficult to install on two door elements of the folding door. Subsequent installation of the spring with a high spring constant at the installation site, however, is hardly possible or only possible with the appropriate tools.
[0013] KR102137007B1 discloses a folding door hinge with two drive springs, each held in a cup and pierced by a hinge shaft with a reduced diameter in the area of the springs. This folding door hinge requires greater manufacturing effort. The effect of the two springs, each with only a few coils, is limited.
[0014] US721A discloses a folding door hinge with a first and a second plate-shaped hinge lever and with a drive spring which has two spring assemblies which are connected to one another by a spring center piece and which each have a spring end piece on the sides facing away from one another. The spring end pieces lie on the first hinge lever and the spring center piece lies on the second hinge lever. After assembly of this folding door hinge, it is ready for use. As described above, fitting the ready-to-use folding door hinge to the door elements of a folding door is difficult. Fitting the folding door hinge is particularly difficult if a particularly powerful drive spring is used. The present invention is therefore based on the object of creating an improved folding door hinge which is equipped with a drive spring.Furthermore, a functional unit, in particular a piece of furniture, is to be created with a folding door which is equipped with at least one such folding door hinge.
[0015] Folding door hinges according to the invention should be easy to mount on the door elements of a folding door.
[0016] The folding door hinge, which features two hinge levers connected by a drive spring, is designed to take up minimal space, resulting in minimal additional space requirements compared to conventional hinges. The folding door hinge is therefore designed to be visually unobtrusive and to be optimally integrated into a door system.
[0017] Despite its small footprint, the drive spring must be able to transmit high forces to the hinge levers. In particular, it must be able to transmit high forces over a wide range of rotation of the hinge levers.
[0018] The folding door hinge equipped with the drive spring should be simple in design and preferably differ only slightly from conventional hinges, which have two hinge levers connected by a hinge axis. In particular, no or only very simple structural components should be required to accommodate the drive spring.
[0019] The folding door hinge should ideally operate frictionlessly, so that it is noise-free and shows no signs of wear even after extended use. Maintenance requirements should be kept to a minimum.
[0020] The use of the drive spring should not impair the design freedom of the other parts of the hinge as far as possible, so that the folding door hinge equipped with the drive spring can still be designed as desired and is hardly restricted to structural features that could impair the design of the other hinge parts.
[0021] The drive spring should be easy to install and connect to the hinge levers. In particular, a drive spring with a very high spring constant should be easy to install. The drive spring should be able to be installed without the use of tools. In particular, the drive spring should be able to be installed with minimal manual effort, preferably automatically.
[0022] By means of a folding door hinge according to the invention or by means of several folding door hinges according to the invention, a foldable door which is held in a closed position, for example by means of a holding device and released from the closed position by manual action, should be able to be folded preferably automatically and completely.
[0023] A door gap between the door elements of the folding door, which are connected to one another by hinges, should preferably be coverable with a panel which is correctly aligned after the folding of the door elements and prevents manual intervention between the door elements and also provides a visual barrier which gives the partially or fully folded folding door an aesthetically advantageous appearance.
[0024] This object is achieved with a folding door hinge according to claim 1 and a functional unit, optionally a piece of furniture or a room segment, with a folding door according to claim 12, which is equipped with at least one such folding door hinge. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in further claims.
[0025] The folding door hinge comprises a first hinge lever which has a first lever end piece with at least one bearing opening and a second lever end piece which is connected or connectable to a first mounting part; a second hinge lever which has a first lever end piece with at least one bearing opening and a second lever end piece which is connected or connectable to a second mounting part; a hinge axis which is held in the bearing openings of the hinge levers and connects the two hinge levers to one another in an articulated manner; and a drive spring which bears on the one hand against the first hinge lever and on the other hand against the second hinge lever.
[0026] The first lever end piece of the first hinge lever comprises two first and second inner bearing arms, which are spaced apart from one another and provided with associated bearing openings, and between which the first end piece of the second bearing arm is held. Furthermore, the first lever end piece of the first hinge lever comprises two first and second outer bearing arms spaced apart from the inner bearing arms.
[0027] The drive spring comprises two spring assemblies which enclose the hinge axis and which are connected to each other by a spring center piece which rests on the second hinge lever.
[0028] The first spring assembly, which is arranged between the first inner bearing arm and the first outer bearing arm, comprises, at an end facing away from the spring center piece, a first spring end piece which bears against the first outer bearing arm.
[0029] The second spring assembly, which is arranged between the second inner bearing arm and the second outer bearing arm, comprises a second spring end piece at an end facing away from the spring center piece, which rests against the second outer bearing arm.
[0030] According to the invention, the first hinge lever has a holding element for each of the spring end pieces, into which the associated spring end piece is or can be hooked, or that the second hinge lever has a holding part into which the spring center piece is or can be hooked, or that the first hinge lever has a holding element for each of the spring end pieces, into which the associated spring end piece can be hooked, and that the second hinge lever has a holding part into which the spring center piece is or can be hooked.
[0031] The folding door hinge according to the invention, which is provided with a drive spring, can therefore be easily mounted on the door elements of a folding door or folding sliding door.
[0032] Preferably only after the folding door hinges have been mounted on the door elements of the folding door or folding sliding door, the drive spring is activated and the spring end pieces are hooked into the holding elements and / or the spring center piece is hooked into the holding part.
[0033] It is preferably provided that the holding elements are designed as locking elements into which the spring end pieces can snap into place, or that the holding part is designed as locking elements into which the spring middle piece can snap into place, or that the holding elements are designed as locking elements into which the spring end pieces can snap into place, and that the holding part is designed as locking elements into which the spring middle piece can snap into place.
[0034] By designing the holding elements and / or the holding part as locking elements, the spring end pieces can be advantageously connected to the holding elements and / or the spring center piece can be advantageously connected to the holding part. As described below, the activation of the drive spring, in a preferred embodiment, can also advantageously be achieved by actuating the folding door.
[0035] The invention thus makes it possible to advantageously integrate a strong drive spring with two spring assemblies into the folding door hinge without any difficulties during installation. The two spring assemblies are capable of exerting high forces on the hinge levers, so that the folding door folds automatically after being released from a closed position.
[0036] The spring assemblies of the drive spring preferably have helical or thread-shaped windings which lie against one another or are at least partially spaced from one another from winding to winding, so that the spring assemblies are axially compressible.
[0037] The helical design of the drive spring allows it to exert a high spring force on the hinge levers within a large rotation range of approximately 180°. The drive spring can also be preloaded if desired.
[0038] The helical design of the drive spring allows for a virtually coaxial alignment of the spring assemblies with respect to the hinge axis and thus the hinge's rotation axis, thus requiring very little space. Even if the coils of the spring assemblies are given a larger diameter, the folding door hinge still has a very slim design.
[0039] The compressibility of the spring assemblies facilitates their coupling to the first hinge lever. The compression of the spring assemblies causes the spring end pieces to be axially displaced and can be more easily guided over a retaining element provided on the first and second outer bearing arms using a tool or automatically when operating the folding door hinge. Blockage can therefore be avoided.
[0040] In preferred embodiments of the folding door hinge, the drive spring coupled to the second hinge lever can be easily coupled to the first hinge lever by rotating the second hinge lever relative to the first hinge lever. A tool for coupling the drive spring to the hinge levers is therefore unnecessary.
[0041] Preferably, the first and the second outer bearing arm each comprise a holding element which has a ramp or an inclined flank which preferably faces the second hinge lever and via which the associated first or second spring end piece can be introduced into a holding channel located behind the holding element, in which the associated first or second spring end piece is held after the folding door hinge has been put into operation.
[0042] The drive spring can therefore be easily coupled to the first hinge lever by turning the second hinge lever with the drive spring against the first hinge lever. The spring end pieces, which are at the height of the holding elements, hit the ramp of the holding elements and are guided along this ramp over the holding elements until they can fall into a holding channel behind the holding elements. This process can be easily carried out by mounting the hinges on the door elements and then folding the door elements until the spring end pieces are guided over the holding elements and engage in the corresponding holding channel.
[0043] The spring center piece is preferably held on the second hinge lever by a retaining element when the second hinge lever is rotated away from the first hinge lever and the drive spring is tensioned. For example, the retaining element is hook-shaped or nose-shaped, so that the spring center piece is reliably held.
[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the spring center piece is held on the second hinge lever between the retaining element and a driver, which holds the spring center piece when the second hinge lever is rotated against the first hinge lever and the spring end pieces are coupled to the retaining elements. A locking recess is thus formed between the retaining element and the driver, in which the spring center piece is always securely held, regardless of the direction of rotation of the second hinge lever.
[0045] The hinge axis is held friction-free in the bearing openings of the hinge levers, preferably by means of plastic bearing elements, for example, a low-friction thermoplastic such as POM. By avoiding contact between the metal hinge axis and the metal hinge levers, unwanted friction and wear, as well as noise, are prevented. The bearing elements preferably fulfill additional functions. To secure the hinge axis against axial displacement, it is preferably pressed into one of the hinge arms. However, axial displacement of the hinge axis can also be prevented by means of at least one retaining ring.
[0046] Preferably, within the spring assemblies of the drive spring, a bearing roller is held by the hinge axis, the outer diameter of which is at least smaller than the inner diameter of the spring assemblies. The bearing rollers preferably have an axial bore whose inner diameter corresponds approximately to the outer diameter of the hinge axis. The bearing rollers are therefore held by the hinge axis, preferably rotatably, with little play and are able to follow the movements of the spring assemblies and keep them in axial alignment. If, however, the bearing rollers are held firmly, their sliding properties still keep the spring assemblies in the correct alignment. The spring assemblies are therefore always optimally aligned and cannot deform or jam. The movements of the spring assemblies occur friction-free or largely friction-free, without causing noise and / or signs of wear.
[0047] The bearing openings of the first and second outer bearing arms preferably have an inner diameter that allows one of the bearing rollers to be inserted through each of them and into the corresponding spring assembly. This allows for easy assembly of the folding door hinge.
[0048] Preferably, the bearing openings of the first and second outer bearing arms have an inner diameter that allows one of the bearing rollers to be inserted through each of them and into the associated spring assembly and further into a bearing opening portion of the facing first or second inner bearing arm. In this embodiment, the bearing rollers are held on both sides and form bearing elements for the hinge axis. The hinge axis can therefore hold the bearing rollers, or the bearing rollers can optimally support the hinge axis and the spring assemblies.
[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the hinge axis projects beyond the first hinge lever on one side or on both sides, so that one end piece of the hinge axis or both end pieces of the hinge axis can be easily connected to a cover device. If no cover is provided, an extension of the hinge axis beyond the hinge lever is preferably omitted.
[0050] The panel device preferably comprises a panel profile having two profile side pieces connected to one another by a profile center piece. Within the panel profile, at least one holding module is held in a form-fitting, displaceable, and lockable manner, said holding module having a connecting element which is fixedly or detachably connected to the hinge axis. The connecting element is preferably a holding clip which can be placed onto the associated end piece of the hinge axis and which snaps into place thereon. After the folding door has been installed, the panel profile can therefore be installed easily by connecting the holding modules to the folding door hinges.
[0051] The hinge arms of the folding door hinge are preferably designed such that the cover device is held behind the folding door when the door elements are in the closed position, and on the front side between the door elements after the door elements have been folded. The door elements can be guided against each other at the ends without leaving an annoying gap. However, after the folding door is opened, it is ensured that the door gap is covered by the cover profile, thus creating an aesthetically pleasing visual barrier and preventing manual intervention in the door gap.
[0052] Preferably, the first lever end piece of the first hinge lever is provided with at least one first stop element, and the first lever end piece of the second hinge lever is provided with at least one second stop element. The first and second stop elements are arranged on the first and second hinge levers in such a way that, after the two hinge levers have rotated, they are aligned in opposite directions relative to one another and form stop surfaces for the panel profile. After the folding door has been opened, the panel profile is thus always held in a desired orientation by means of the folding door hinge or the stop elements, in which the door gap is correctly covered.A functional unit according to the invention, for example a piece of furniture, such as a cupboard, or a room segment, is provided with at least one folding door with two door elements which are connected to one another with a folding door hinge according to the invention or with several folding door hinges according to the invention.
[0053] The folding door hinges preferably hold a cover device with a cover profile, by means of which the door gap between the door elements is closed when they are folded against each other.
[0054] Preferably, the folding door can be locked in a closed position by means of a holding device and can be released again from the closed position, after which the folding door can be automatically transferred into a folded state by the folding door hinge or the folding door hinges.
[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the functional unit, it is provided that the first door element is connected to a mounting profile by stop hinges at an edge remote from the folding door hinges, which mounting profile is displaceable within a door compartment of the functional unit.
[0056] It is further preferably provided that the second door element is connected at an edge remote from the folding door hinges to a guide carriage which is guided in a guide rail which runs along the front side of the functional unit.
[0057] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Herein:
[0058] Fig. 1 shows a functional unit 1 according to the invention in the design of a piece of furniture with a folding door 11 with two door elements 111, 112, which are connected to one another by a folding door hinge 3 according to the invention or by several folding door hinges 3 according to the invention and can be folded and inserted into a first door compartment 10, and with a door 11' with only one door element 111, which can be inserted into a second door compartment 10;
[0059] Fig. 2 shows the rear side of the folding door 11 of the piece of furniture 1 of Fig. 1 with the first door element 111, which is connected at the trailing edge by stop hinges 13 to a mounting profile 12 and at the leading edge by one or more folding door hinges 3 according to the invention to a second door element 112, and on which, in this preferred embodiment, a holding device 2 is mounted, which has a holding magnet 28, which in the closed position of the folding door 11 interacts with a magnetic or ferromagnetic closure element 20, which is held stationary by a part of the piece of furniture 1;
[0060] Fig. 3 shows a part of the folding door 11 of Fig. 2 shortly before reaching the
[0061] Closed position or shortly after release from the
[0062] Closed position, with the folding door hinge 3, which has two hinge levers 31, 32, which are connected to one another on the one hand by mounting parts 39 with the associated door element 111, 112 and on the other hand by a hinge axis 33 and interact with parts of a drive spring 34, from which opposing torques are exerted on the hinge levers 31, 32;
[0063] Fig. 4 the folding door 11 of Fig. 3 with the first door element 111 in
[0064] Sectional view and the second door element 112 in a parallel orientation, in which the folding door 11 can be inserted into a door compartment 10 and in which the hinge levers 31, 32 of the folding door hinge 3 are rotated relative to one another and the drive spring 34 is completely or partially discharged;
[0065] Fig. 5a shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 2 connected to two mounting parts in the form of hinge cups 39, with the drive spring 34, which has two helical spring assemblies 341, 342 which enclose the hinge axis 33 and which bear against the first hinge lever 31 with spring end pieces 3411, 3421 and which are connected to one another by a spring center piece 343 which is suspended in a holding part 324 of the second hinge lever 32;
[0066] Fig. 5b the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 5a without the hinge cups 39 in exploded view;
[0067] Fig. 6a shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 2 in a preferred embodiment with the drive spring 34 of Fig. 5b, the spring center piece 343 of which is hooked into the holding part 324 of the second hinge lever 32, but the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 of which are not yet coupled to the first hinge lever 31, and with a cover device 4 which is held by the hinge axis 33;
[0068] Fig. 6b shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 6a in a preferred embodiment with the drive spring 34, the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 of which are coupled to the first hinge lever 31, but the spring middle piece 343 of which is not yet hooked into the holding part 324 of the second hinge lever 32;
[0069] Fig. 7a shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 6a of the drive spring 34 during the process of coupling the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 to the first hinge lever 31, in which the second hinge lever 32 is rotated against the first hinge lever 31 or the first and second hinge levers 31, 32 are rotated against each other;
[0070] Fig. 7b the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 7a after completion of the process of coupling the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 to the first
[0071] Hinge lever 31;
[0072] Fig. 7c shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 7b with the drive spring 34, which is coupled to the first and second hinge levers 31, 32 and is partially tensioned after a counterclockwise rotation of the second hinge lever 32;
[0073] Fig. 8a shows a section along the line A--A through the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 7a with the first spring end piece 3411 of the drive spring 34, which, when the second hinge lever 32 is rotated clockwise, is guided over a ramp 3141 of a holding element 314 on the first lever end piece 311 of the first hinge lever 31 until it engages behind the holding element 314 in a holding channel 3140;
[0074] Fig. 8b shows the first lever end piece 311 of the first hinge lever 31 of Fig. 8a with the holding element 314, which has an inclined flank or ramp 3141 and which adjoins the holding channel 3140, which is delimited on one side by the holding element 314 and on the other side by a preferably provided holding cam 315 and in which the spring end piece 3411 is held;
[0075] Fig. 9 shows the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig. 6a or Fig. 6b in an exploded view;
[0076] Fig. 10 the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig. 6a or Fig. 6b in the closed position of the folding door 11;
[0077] Fig. 11 shows the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig. 10 with the door elements 111, 112 folded against each other, between which the cover device 4 is held precisely aligned by the folding door hinge 3; and
[0078] Fig. 12 the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig. 11 viewed from above.
[0079] Fig. 1 shows a functional unit 1 according to the invention in the form of a piece of furniture 1 with a folding door 11 that can be inserted into a first door compartment 10, and with a one-piece door 11' that can be inserted into a second door compartment 10. The folding door 11 and the one-piece door 11' are preferably each provided with a holding device 2 by means of which they can be held in the closed position. Any holding devices 2 can be used. A holding device 2 as described below is particularly advantageous.
[0080] The piece of furniture 1 preferably has side walls 1A, a top shelf 1B, a bottom shelf IC, an intermediate shelf IE and partition walls ID on both sides, which delimit the door compartments 10 with the side walls 1A.
[0081] The folding door 11 has a first door element 111, which is connected on one side to a mounting profile 12 by stop hinges 13, and on the other side to a second door element 112 by folding door hinges 3 according to the invention, the dimensions of which preferably correspond to the dimensions of the first door element 111. The folding door 11 is slightly unfolded and can either be fully folded and retracted into the door compartment 10 with the door elements 111, 112 aligned parallel to one another, or fully unfolded and transferred to a closed position in which the two door elements 111, 112 are at least approximately aligned in one plane.To ensure that the folding door 11 remains held in the closed position and can be easily released from the closed position, one of the two door elements 111, 112, preferably the first door element 111, is provided with a holding device 2 which, in the closed position, is located opposite a locking element 20. An arrow symbolizes that the holding device 2 of the folding door 11, provided with a magnetic element, is guided against the locking element 20 upon rotation of the first door element 111 and is magnetically held by the latter in the closed position.
[0082] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the doors 11, 11' are each connected by stop hinges 13 to a mounting profile 12, which is held in a vertical alignment by a sliding device 9 and can be moved within the associated door compartment 10. The doors 11 are aligned parallel to the side wall 1A in front of the associated door compartment 10 and can subsequently be moved into the door compartment 10. For movement within the door compartment 10, the mounting profile 12 can also be provided with drive devices. Preferably, the mounting profile 12 is connected on the top side to a support carriage 5A, which can be moved along an associated support rail 15A into the door compartment 10. The mounting profile 12 can also be connected on the bottom side to a carriage guided in a support rail.
[0083] In this preferred embodiment, the leading edge of the second door element 112 of the folding door 11 is connected to a guide mechanism 5B, which is guided in a guide rail 15B that runs along the front of the piece of furniture 1 and along a curve into the door compartment 10. The folding door 11 is therefore held at the front by means of the guide mechanism 5B, which can be moved along the front of the piece of furniture 1 when the folding door 11 is unfolded and into the door compartment 10 when the folding door 11 is folded closed. The guide mechanism 5B always runs ahead of the second door element 112 in the sliding direction. By using the guide mechanism 5B, the folding door 11 can be unfolded and folded closed with little effort.
[0084] Fig. 2 shows the rear of the folding door 11 of the piece of furniture 1 from Fig. 1 with the first door element 111, which is connected at the trailing edge to the mounting profile 12 by the stop hinges 13 and at the leading edge to the second door element 112 by folding door hinges 3 according to the invention, on the front side of which the guide carriage 5B is mounted. The guide carriage 5B comprises support rollers 51, which can roll on a support element 151 of the guide rail 15B, and guide rollers 52, which are guided in a guide channel 152 of the guide rail 15B. It is shown that the guide rail 15B runs along the front side of the piece of furniture 1 and around a curve into the door compartment 10 of the piece of furniture 1. In order for the guide carriage 5B to be able to follow this curve, it is connected to the second door element 112 by parts 53, 54 of a carriage body which are connected to one another in an articulated manner.
[0085] The mounting profile 12 is connected at the upper end to a support carriage 5A, which can be moved along a support rail 15A into the door compartment 10. In Fig. 2, the support carriage 5A is guided up to a stop device 7 on the front of the door compartment 10. In this position, which is also shown in Fig. 1, the folding door 11 is fully extended from the door compartment 10 and can be unfolded to close the furniture opening 100 (see Fig. 1). In Fig. 2, the folding door 11 has almost reached the closed position and can be brought into the closed position by manual pressure on the folding door 11, preferably on the leading edge 111, in which the holding device 2 mounted on the back of the separating element 111 can magnetically interact with the locking element 20, which is connected to the front of the guide rail 15B.
[0086] The holding device 2 comprises a mounting part 21, which is preferably connected by screws to the first door element 111 and by means of a lever shaft 23 in an articulated manner to a holding lever 22. At the front end piece, the holding lever 22 is provided with a holding magnet 28 and preferably with one or more spacer rollers 29.
[0087] The spacer rollers 29 can roll on the locking element 20 and / or the guide rail 15B during the closing process without the retaining lever 22 touching the locking element 20 or the guide rail 15B. The retaining lever 22 is rotated, and the retaining magnet 28 is aligned almost frontally against the locking element 20, so that it can magnetically couple to the magnetic or ferromagnetic locking element 20 in the closed position of the folding door 11.
[0088] After being released from the closed position, the two door elements 111, 112 are preferably folded automatically. This folding process is carried out automatically or at least assisted by folding door hinges 3 according to the invention, which connect the two door elements 111, 112 to each other.
[0089] The folding door hinge 3 comprises two hinge levers 31, 32, which are each connected to the associated door element 111, 112 at their opposite ends by mounting parts, preferably hinge cups 39, and which are connected to one another at the mutually facing lever end pieces by a hinge axis 33. Furthermore, a drive spring 34 is provided, which acts with spring end pieces on the first hinge lever 31 and with a spring center piece on the second hinge lever 32, as described below. The drive spring 34 thus acts on the two hinge levers 31, 32 and attempts to rotate them relative to one another and fold the door elements 111, 112.
[0090] Fig. 2 also shows a spacer plate 200, which has no function in the closed position of the folding door 11. In the folded position of the folding door 11, with the door elements 111, 112 aligned parallel, the front piece of the retaining lever 22 with the spacer rollers 29 rests against the spacer plate 200 and is pressed against the mounting part 21 and preferably aligned parallel to it, so that it takes up as little space as possible when inserted into the door compartment 10 (see Fig. 4).
[0091] Fig. 3 shows a portion of the folding door 11 of Fig. 2 shortly before reaching the closed position or shortly after being released from the closed position. The door elements 111, 112 of the folding door 11 are not yet aligned in one plane, and the holding magnet 28 is not yet in contact with the locking element 20. The holding lever 22 is inclined relative to the mounting part 21 and faces the locking element 20, and will first contact it with the spacer rollers 29. The spacer rollers 29, preferably made of plastic, will hardly make any noise during this process.
[0092] The holding magnet 28 is sunk into a magnetic chamber and is partially enclosed by a magnetic cup and projects beyond it at the front, for example by 0.2 mm - 2 mm, so that the holding magnet 28 cannot strike the closure element 20.
[0093] One hand symbolizes that the holding device 2 can be locked in the closed position of the folding door 11 by a first manual pressure application and can be released again by a second manual pressure application.
[0094] To lock the holding device 2, the holding device 2 comprises a locking unit 24 with a force transmitter 241, which in the locking unit 24 is cyclically moved by pressure action between a locking position, in which the holding device 2 reaches a holding position, and a release position, in which the holding device 2
[0095] The locking unit 24 with the force transmitter 241 is shown schematically. The force transmitter 241, supported by a setting spring 243, is axially displaceable and actuates a switching mechanism 242 in which a locking element is cyclically moved between a locking position and a release position.
[0096] The folding door hinge 3 comprises a drive spring 34, which is tensioned in this position of the folding door 11 and attempts to fold the door elements 111, 112 against each other, counteracting the force applied by the user. Therefore, the holding device 2 must be magnetically coupled to the locking element 20 in the closed position and locked by means of the locking unit 24 so that the folding door 11 is held in the closed position. The drive spring 34 is therefore charged by manual force and subsequently serves to automatically fold the folding door 11 as soon as it is released from the closed position.
[0097] Fig. 4 shows the folding door 11 of Fig. 3 with the first door element 111 in a sectional view and the second door element 112 in parallel alignment thereto, in which the folding door 11 can be inserted into the associated door compartment 10. The front piece of the retaining lever 22 rests against the spacer plate 200 with the spacer rollers 229 and holds the retaining lever 22 at least approximately parallel to the mounting part 21.
[0098] The hinge levers 31, 32 of the folding door hinge 3, which are connected to one another by the hinge axis 33, have been rotated relative to one another, which is why the hinge spring 34 is relaxed or largely relaxed.
[0099] Fig. 5a shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 2, which comprises a first hinge lever 31 and a second hinge lever 32, which are connected to one another by a hinge axis 33. Furthermore, the folding door hinge 3 comprises a drive spring 34 with two spring assemblies 341, 342, which are connected to one another by a spring center piece 343 and on which spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are provided. In this position of the hinge 3, the drive spring 34 is tensioned and, together with the spring assemblies 341, 342, encloses the hinge axis 33. Furthermore, the drive spring 34 rests with the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 on the first hinge lever 31 and with the spring center piece 343 on the second hinge lever 32.
[0100] The first hinge lever 31 comprises a first lever end piece 311 with four bearing arms 3111, 3112, 3113, 3114 (see Fig. 5b), two outer bearing arms 3111, 3114 and two inner bearing arms 3112, 3113, which are pierced by the hinge axis 33, and a second lever end piece 312 which is connected to an associated mounting element or hinge cup 39.
[0101] The second hinge lever 32 comprises a first lever end piece 321, which is held between the two inner bearing arms 3112, 3113 of the first hinge lever 31 and pierced by the bearing shaft 33, and a second lever end piece 322, which is connected to an associated mounting element or hinge cup 39.
[0102] On the outer bearing arms 3111, 3114, holding elements 314 are provided, in which the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 of the spring assemblies 341, 342 are suspended and held. The second bearing arm 32 has a holding part 324 in which the spring center piece 343 is suspended. The spring assemblies 341, 342 attempt to rotate the first hinge lever 31, which is held by the spring end pieces 3411, 3421, clockwise around the hinge axis 33, and the second hinge lever 32, into which the spring center piece 343 is suspended, counterclockwise around the hinge axis, which defines a rotation axis x.
[0103] Within each of the spring assemblies 341, 342, a preferably sleeve-shaped bearing roller 35 with an axial bore 350 is also held, through which the hinge axis 33 passes. Movements of the spring assemblies 341, 342 are therefore absorbed by the bearing rollers 35, which is why the spring assemblies 341, 342 are always held in axial alignment and unwanted deformation of the spring assemblies 341, 342 and friction of the spring assemblies 341, 342, for example, on the hinge axis 33, are avoided.
[0104] The diameter of the bearing rollers 35 is preferably selected such that there is always a clearance between the bearing rollers 35 and the spring assemblies 341, 342, even if their inner diameter changes when the folding door hinge 3 is actuated.
[0105] Mounting elements, such as hinge cups 39, can be connected in any manner with a force-locking and / or form-locking connection to the facing lever end pieces 312, 322. As shown, the mounting elements 39 are preferably movable or adjustable relative to the lever end pieces 312, 322 and can be fixed in a suitable location.
[0106] Fig. 5b shows an exploded view of the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 5a in a preferred embodiment. It is shown that in this embodiment, the inner bearing arms 3112 and 3113 have smaller bearing openings 31120, 31130, which can only accommodate the hinge axis 33, but not the bearing rollers 35. The bearing rollers 35 each have an axial bore 350 in which the hinge axis 33 is held, preferably rotatably but largely free of play. The outer bearing arms 3111 and 3114, on the other hand, have larger bearing openings 31110, 31140, into which the bearing rollers 35 can be inserted. The first end piece 321 of the second hinge lever 32 is also provided with a bearing opening 3210, into which the hinge axis 33 is already inserted.
[0107] The folding door hinge 3 can therefore be easily assembled by inserting the first lever end piece 321 of the second hinge lever 32 between the two inner bearing arms 3112, 3113 of the first hinge lever 31 and inserting the spring assemblies 341, 342 of the drive spring 34 between an outer and an inner bearing arm 3111, 3112 and 3114, 3113, respectively. The bearing rollers 35 are then inserted through the bearing openings 31110, 31140 of the outer bearing arms 3111, 3114 and into the corresponding spring assembly 341 or 342. Finally, the hinge axis 33 is guided through the lever end pieces 311, 321, the bearing rollers 35, and the spring assemblies 341, 342. Preferably, in one of these steps, the spring center piece 343 is connected to the retaining element 324 of the second hinge lever 32. Furthermore, the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are to be hooked into the retaining elements 314 on the outer bearing arms 3111, 3114.Optionally, the hinge levers 31, 32 are connected with mounting elements 39.
[0108] As a result, the folding door hinge 3 is in the configuration shown in Fig. 5a, in which the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are suspended in the retaining elements 314 on the outer bearing arms 3111, 3114. In Fig. 5a, the retaining elements 314 are cuboid-shaped, which is why the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 must be lifted over the retaining elements 314 using a tool. In the preferred embodiments of the folding door hinge 3 described below, this process is significantly simplified by a preferred design of the retaining elements 314, so that the coupling process can be carried out practically automatically.
[0109] In all embodiments of the folding door hinge 3, the drive spring 34 takes up hardly any space and yet develops a very high spring force, allowing the door elements 111, 112 to be powerfully rotated from the closed position, in which they are aligned in one plane, preferably to the folded position, in which they are aligned parallel to one another. In the folded position, the force exerted by the drive spring 34 is reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, the movement of the door elements 111, 112 in this area is preferably dampened by means of a damping element or a damping device, so that no impact noises are generated.
[0110] The spring assemblies 341, 342, supported by the bearing rollers 35, remain coaxially aligned with the hinge axis 33 during this rotation process and can operate frictionlessly. A particularly advantageous feature is that the spring assemblies 341, 342 do not have to be arranged and held within a hinge housing, but can be arranged virtually exposed, resulting in a simple design with minimal space requirements. The drive spring 34 is therefore almost completely integrated into the folding door hinge 3, resulting in an optimal solution both visually and functionally.
[0111] The drive spring 34, with its two spring assemblies 341, 342, exerts high forces on the hinge arms 31, 32, allowing it to follow the movements of the hinge arms 31, 32 without friction. A particularly advantageous feature is that a powerful drive spring 34 can be integrated into the folding door hinge 3 without requiring significantly more space.
[0112] Fig. 6a shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 2 in a preferred embodiment with the drive spring 34 of Fig. 5b, whose spring center piece 343 is hooked into the holding part 324 of the second hinge lever 32, but whose spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are not yet coupled to the first hinge lever 31. In this configuration of the folding door hinge 3, in which the drive spring 34 is not yet coupled to the first hinge lever 31, the folding door hinge 3 has only a hinge function, but not a drive function. In this state, the folding door hinge 3 can therefore be conveniently mounted on the door elements 111, 112.
[0113] However, no tools are required to hook the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 into the retaining elements 314. Instead, the door elements 111, 112 are moved toward each other with minimal effort, as symbolized by two arrows. When the first door element 111, and thus the second hinge lever 32, rotates clockwise, the spring center piece 343 is carried along, and the drive spring 34 is rotated clockwise about the hinge axis 33. In this process, the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are guided toward the retaining elements 314, which are no longer cuboid-shaped, but instead have a ramp or inclined flank 3141 on the side facing the spring end pieces 3411, 3421. In Fig. 6a, the spring end piece 3411 is still in front of the ramp 3141, which is designed to be stepless so that the spring end piece 3411 can slide over it during rotation.Upon further rotation of the drive spring 34, the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are guided over the ramp or the inclined flank 3141 until they have overcome the holding elements 314 and can each enter a holding channel 3140 in which they are firmly held.
[0114] Preferably, the windings of the spring assemblies 341, 342 are spaced apart from one another, so that the spring assemblies 341, 342 can be compressed during the process of coupling the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 and the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 can therefore more easily overcome the ramps 3141 of the holding elements 314.
[0115] So that the second hinge lever 32 can carry the spring center piece 343 during a clockwise rotation, the hinge lever 32 is preferably provided with a driver 325 which lies opposite the holding part 324. The spring center piece 343 is therefore held in a detent recess 328 (see Fig. 9) between the holding part 324 and the preferably provided driver 325. During a clockwise rotation of the second hinge lever 32, during which the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are coupled to the first hinge lever, the spring center piece 343 rests on the driver 325, and during a subsequent counterclockwise rotation of the second hinge lever 32, during which the drive spring 34 is tensioned, the spring center piece 343 rests on the holding part 324.
[0116] Fig. 6a further shows a panel device 4 with a panel profile 41, in which a holding module 42 is held in a form-fitting but axially displaceable and fixable manner. To fix the holding modules 42, these have a threaded bore 420, into which a threaded bolt can be screwed up to the panel profile 41 and clamped to it. To connect to the folding door hinge 3, the holding modules 42 have a connecting element, preferably in the form of a holding clip 423, which can be coupled to the hinge axis 33, which projects beyond the first hinge lever 31 on both sides and is thus led out of the folding door hinge 3 on both sides. The panel device 4 can therefore be easily connected to the folding door 11 or be coupled to the folding door hinges 3 in order to cover or close the opening between the two door elements 111, 112 when they are folded against each other.On the one hand, this covers the aesthetically disturbing door gap. On the other hand, it prevents manual intervention in the door gap, which could result in injuries when operating the folding door 11. Fig. 6a further shows an optional function of the two hinge levers 31, 32, which hold the panel device 4 or the panel profile 41 in a desired orientation within the open door gap between the first and second door elements 111, 112. For this purpose, the first lever end piece 311 of the first hinge lever 31 facing the hinge axis 33 has a first stop element 316 on at least one of the outer lever arms 3111, 3114, and the first lever end piece 321 of the second hinge lever 32 facing the hinge axis 33 has a second stop element 326.When the two hinge levers 31, 32 rotate relative to one another, the first stop elements 316 of the first hinge lever 31 and the second stop element 326 of the second hinge lever 32 are guided forward to one side of the cover profile 41, which is thereby automatically aligned parallel to the front of the functional unit 1. This ensures that the cover device 4 or the cover profile 41 can actually perform the intended function and cover the door gap between the folded door elements 111, 112.
[0117] The process of coupling the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 to the first hinge lever 31 is illustrated in Figures 7a, 7b, and 7c with a view of the first spring end piece 3411. The coupling of the second spring end piece 3421 takes place simultaneously in the same manner.
[0118] Fig. 6b shows the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 6a in a preferred embodiment with the drive spring 34, the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 of which are coupled to the first hinge lever 31, but the spring center piece 343 of which is not yet hooked into the holding part 324 of the second hinge lever 32. In this embodiment, the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are therefore preferably already hooked onto a holding element 314 of the first hinge lever 31, while the second hinge lever 32 is not yet coupled to the drive spring 34 or to the spring center piece 343 before the folding door hinge 3 is put into operation for the first time. The folding door hinge 3 can therefore be easily mounted on the door elements 111, 112 in this state.
[0119] The holding part 324 is preferably designed as a locking element, so that the spring center piece 343 can slide over the holding part 324 and lock behind it when the hinge arms 31, 32 are rotated together. For example, the holding part 324 is designed in a nose-shaped, hook-shaped, or sawtooth-shaped manner.
[0120] For coupling the drive spring 34 or spring center piece 343 to the second
[0121] The two hinge levers 31, 32, or the door elements 111, 112, are again rotated relative to each other by means of the hinge lever 32. During this process, the spring center piece 343 is guided over the holding part 324 and, due to its elasticity, may be slightly bent until it can engage behind the holding part 324.
[0122] Preferably, the designs of the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b are combined with each other, so that the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 can be automatically coupled to the preferably ramp-shaped holding elements 314 and the spring middle piece 343 of the drive spring 34 can be automatically coupled to the holding part 324 when the two hinge levers 31, 32 are rotated against each other for the first time.
[0123] In Fig. 7a, the second hinge lever 32 has been rotated slightly clockwise compared to the position in Fig. 6a. During this process, in which the driver 325 rotates the spring center piece 343 clockwise, the spring end piece 3411 or the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 have been guided onto the ramp 3141 of the associated holding element 314 and, if necessary, slightly bent and / or raised by compression of the spring assembly 341.
[0124] In Fig . 7b the spring end piece 3411 or the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 have overcome the ramp 3141 and have locked behind the holding elements 314.
[0125] In Fig. 7 c, the spring end pieces 3411, 3421 are held by the holding elements 314, while the second hinge lever 32 has been rotated back counterclockwise. During this process, the spring center piece 343 was carried counterclockwise by the holding part 324 of the second hinge lever 32, and the drive spring 34 was partially tensioned.
[0126] Fig. 8a shows a section along the line A--A through the folding door hinge 3 of Fig. 7a with the first spring end piece 3411 of the drive spring 34, which is guided over the ramp 3141 of a holding element 314 on the first lever end piece 311 of the first hinge lever 31 when the second hinge lever 32 rotates clockwise until it engages behind the holding element 314 in a holding channel 3140.
[0127] Fig. 8b shows the first lever end piece 311 of the first hinge lever 31 of Fig. 8a with the holding element 314, which has an inclined flank or ramp 3141, and which adjoins the holding channel 3140, which is delimited on one side by the holding element 314 and on the other side by a preferably provided holding cam 315. It is illustrated that the schematically shown spring end piece 311 is securely held within the holding channel 3140 between the holding element 314 and the preferably provided holding cam 315.
[0128] Fig. 9 shows the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig. 6a in an exploded view. Essential elements of the folding door hinge 3 have already been explained with reference to Fig. 5b of Fig. 6a. In Fig. 9, the outer bearing arms 3111, 3114 of the first lever end piece 311 of the first hinge lever 31 are provided with the preferably designed retaining elements 314, which have a ramp.
[0129] The inner bearing arms 3112, 3113 preferably have designed bearing openings 31120, 31130, with an inwardly directed first bearing opening part 31120A, 31130A, whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the hinge axis 33, and an outwardly directed second bearing opening part 31120B, 31130B, whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the bearing rollers 35. In this preferred embodiment, the bearing rollers 35 are therefore held on both sides by an outer and an inner bearing arm 3111, 3112 or 3114, 3113, if necessary rotatably, and are always aligned coaxially to the rotation axis x. The bearing pins 36 can be in the first or second bearing opening part 31120A, 31130A; 31120B, 31130B or in an intermediate transition part or a receiving bore which is partially guided into the first bearing opening part 31120A, 31130A.
[0130] In addition, bearing pins 36 directed towards one another are placed on the hinge axis 33 and can engage in the bearing openings 3210 of the first lever end piece 321 of the second hinge lever.
[0131] The bearing rollers 35 and / or the bearing pins 36 are preferably made of metal, for example high-quality steel, or of a plastic, in particular a resistant and lubricious plastic, for example a thermoplastic such as POM / polyoxymethylene, which ensures the optimal bearing of the hinge axis 33 and / or the spring assemblies 341, 342 in the long term.
[0132] To prevent the hinge axis 33 from axially displacing itself, it is preferably held pressed within one of the bearing arms 3111, 3112, 3113, 3114 of the first hinge lever 31 or within the first lever end piece 321 of the second hinge lever 32. However, other means, such as retaining rings, in particular snap rings, can also be provided to secure the hinge axis 33. For example, a slot is provided in the first lever end piece 321 of the second hinge lever 32, into which slot a retaining ring 331 is inserted. This retaining ring can engage in a circumferential groove 330 in the hinge axis 33 in order to hold the hinge axis 33 preferably loosely but axially immovably. In this case, the hinge axis 33 can be inserted into the two hinge levers 31, 32 and secured by means of just one retaining ring.
[0133] Furthermore, the panel device 4 is shown with the panel profile 41, which comprises two profile side pieces 412 that are connected to one another by a profile center piece 411. The panel profile 41 has an approximately C-shaped cross-section and an inner cross-section that at least approximately corresponds to the cross-section of the holding modules 42. As illustrated, the holding modules 42 can be inserted into the panel profile 41, so that they are held therein in a form-fitting but axially displaceable manner and can be fixed by means of a threaded element 424, optionally a threaded bolt, which is screwed into the threaded bore 420.
[0134] The holding module 42 has a module body 421 with the threaded bore 420 and anchor elements 422 provided on both sides and running parallel to each other. The anchor elements 422 can engage the profile side pieces 412 of the cover profile 41, which are preferably claw-shaped.
[0135] Fig. 10 shows the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig. 6a or Fig. 6b in the closed position of the folding door 11, in which the door elements 111, 112 rest against one another at the end faces and close the door gap between them. The cover device 4 has been guided back behind the folding door 11 by the hinge levers 31, 32 and is thus no longer visible. Advantageously, the observer of the functional unit or piece of furniture 1 only sees the folding door 11 with the planarly aligned door elements 111, 112 in the closed position. The functional unit 1 is therefore reliably closed, and access between the door elements 111, 112 is no longer possible.
[0136] If an obstructive door gap remains, the mounting screws 391 connecting the hinge levers 31, 32 to the mounting elements 39 can be loosened, and the mounting elements 39 can be moved relative to the hinge levers 31, 32 until the door gap reaches the desired size. It is illustrated that a screwdriver can be inserted into the left hinge cup 39 to achieve the desired adjustment. The mounting screws 391 are then retightened.
[0137] Fig. 11 shows the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig.
[0138] 10 with the door elements 111, 112 folded against each other, between which the cover device 4, which covers the door gap, is held by the folding door hinge 3.
[0139] Fig. 12 shows the folding door hinge 3 and the cover device 4 of Fig.
[0140] 11 viewed from above. The stop elements 316, 326 hold the panel profile
[0141] 41 in the desired position. Furthermore, it can be seen that the inner cross-section of the cover profile 41 corresponds at least approximately to the cross-section of the inserted holding module 42, which is connected to the hinge axis 33 by the holding clip 423. Furthermore, it is shown that the spring center piece 343 of the drive spring 34 is held between the holding part 324 and the driver 325 of the second hinge lever 32.
[0142] Reference symbol list:
[0143] 1 functional unit, piece of furniture, especially cupboard
[0144] 1A side walls
[0145] IB Topsoil
[0146] 1C Underbody
[0147] ID partition
[0148] 10 first or second door compartment 10 or parking space
[0149] 100 Interior of functional unit 1
[0150] 11 Folding door
[0151] 111 first door element
[0152] 112 second door element
[0153] 11 ' one-piece door
[0154] 12 Mounting profile
[0155] 13 hinges
[0156] 15A support rail for the support carriage 5A
[0157] 15B Guide rail for the guide drive 5B
[0158] 151 Support element
[0159] 152 guide channel
[0160] 2 holding device
[0161] 20 magnetic or ferromagnetic locking element
[0162] 200 spacer plate
[0163] 21 Assembly part
[0164] 22 Holding lever
[0165] 23 Lever shaft
[0166] 24 locking unit
[0167] 241 power transformer
[0168] 242 switching mechanism
[0169] 243 return spring
[0170] 25 coupling unit
[0171] 28 Holding magnet
[0172] 29 Distance rolls
[0173] 3 folding door S hinge
[0174] 31 first hinge lever
[0175] 311 first lever end piece of the first hinge lever 31
[0176] 3111 first bearing arm
[0177] 3110 first warehouse opening
[0178] 3112 second bearing arm
[0179] 31120 second warehouse opening
[0180] 31120A, 31120B second bearing opening parts
[0181] 3113 third bearing arm 31310 third bearing opening point
[0182] 31310A, 31310B third bearing opening
[0183] 3114 fourth bearing arm
[0184] 31140 fourth warehouse opening
[0185] 312 second lever end piece of the first hinge lever 31
[0186] 314 holding elements
[0187] 3140 holding channel
[0188] 3141 Ramp, inclined flank
[0189] 315 retaining cams
[0190] 316 first stop elements, stop lugs
[0191] 32 second hinge lever
[0192] 321 first lever end piece of the second hinge lever 32
[0193] 3210 Bearing opening in the first lever end piece 321
[0194] 322 second lever end piece of the second hinge lever 32
[0195] 324 Holding part
[0196] 325 carriers
[0197] 326 second stop element, stop nose
[0198] 328 recess
[0199] 33 Hinge axis
[0200] 330 circumferential groove in the hinge axis (optional)
[0201] 331 Retaining ring, especially snap ring (optional)
[0202] 34 Drive spring
[0203] 341 first spring package
[0204] 3411 first spring end piece
[0205] 342 second spring package
[0206] 3421 second spring end piece
[0207] 343 spring center piece
[0208] 35 bearing rollers
[0209] 350 axial bore
[0210] 36 bearing journals
[0211] 39 Mounting part, hinge cup
[0212] 4 aperture device
[0213] 41 aperture profile
[0214] 410 Internal cross-section of the panel profile 41
[0215] 411 profile center piece
[0216] 412 profile side pieces
[0217] 42 Holding module
[0218] 420 threaded hole
[0219] 421 module body
[0220] 422 Anchor elements 423 Connecting element, preferably retaining clip
[0221] 424 threaded element, threaded bolt
[0222] 5A Supporting chassis
[0223] 5B Guide track 51 support rollers
[0224] 52 guide rollers
[0225] 53 first drive body part
[0226] 54 second drive body part
[0227] 9 Sliding device x hinge rotation axis
Claims
Patent claims 1. Folding door hinge (3) with a first hinge lever (31) which comprises a first lever end piece (311) with at least one bearing opening (31110, 31120, 31130, 31140) and a second lever end piece (312) which is or can be connected to a first mounting part (39); with a second hinge lever (32) which comprises a first lever end piece (321) with at least one bearing opening (3210) and a second lever end piece (322) which is or can be connected to a second mounting part (39); with a hinge axis (33) which is held in the bearing openings (31110, 31120, 31130, 31140; 3210) of the hinge levers (31, 32) and connects the two hinge levers (31, 32) to one another in an articulated manner; and with a drive spring (34) which bears on the one hand against the first hinge lever (31) and on the other hand against the second hinge lever (32), wherein the first lever end piece (311) of the first hinge lever (31) has two first and second inner bearing arms (3112, 3113),which are spaced apart from one another and provided with associated bearing openings (31120, 31130) and between which the first end piece (321) of the second bearing arm (32) is held, wherein the first lever end piece (311) of the first hinge lever (31) has two first and second outer bearing arms (3111, 3114) spaced apart from the inner bearing arms (3112, 3113), and wherein the drive spring (34) has two spring assemblies (341, 342) which enclose the hinge axis (33) and which are connected to one another by a spring center piece (343) which bears against the second hinge lever (32), and of which the first spring assembly (341), which is arranged between the first inner bearing arm (3112) and the first outer bearing arm (3111), is connected at an end facing away from the spring center piece (343) a first spring end piece (3411) which bears against the first outer bearing arm (3111), and of which the second spring assembly (342),which is arranged between the second inner bearing arm (3113) and the second outer bearing arm (3114), on a spring middle piece (343) has a second spring end piece (3421) which rests on the second outer bearing arm (3114), characterized in that the first hinge lever (31) has a holding element (314) for each of the spring end pieces (3411, 3421) into which the associated spring end piece (3411, 3421) is or can be hooked, or that the second hinge lever (32) has a holding part (324) into which the spring middle piece (343) is or can be hooked, or that the first hinge lever (31) has a holding element (314) for each of the spring end pieces (3411, 3421) into which the associated spring end piece (3411, 3421) can be hooked, and that the second hinge lever (32) has a holding part (324) into which the Spring center piece (343) is or can be hooked in.Folding door hinge (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding elements (314) are designed as latching elements into which the spring end pieces (3411, 3421) can latch, or that the holding part (324) is designed as latching elements into which the spring middle piece (343) can latch, or that the holding elements (314) are designed as latching elements into which the spring end pieces (3411, 3421) can latch, and that the. The holding part (324) is designed as a locking element into which the spring center piece (343) can engage. Folding door hinge (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spring center piece (343) is or can be held on the second hinge lever (32) between the holding element (324) and a driver (325). Folding door hinge (3) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the drive spring (34) is coupled to the first hinge lever (31) and can be coupled to the second hinge lever (31) by rotating the hinge levers (31, 32) relative to one another; or that the drive spring (34) is coupled to the second hinge lever (32) and can be coupled to the first hinge lever (31) by rotating the hinge levers (31, 32) relative to one another; or that the drive spring (34) can be coupled to the first hinge lever (31) on the one hand and to the second hinge lever (32) on the other hand by rotating the hinge levers (31, 32). Folding door hinge (3) according to claim 4, characterized in that the first and the second outer bearing arm (3111, 3114) each have one of the holding elements (314) which has a ramp (3141) via which the associated first or second spring end piece (3411, 3421) can be inserted into a holding channel (3140) located behind the holding element (314), in which the associated first or second spring end piece (3411, 3421) is held after the folding door hinge (3) has been put into operation;or that the first lever end piece (321) of the second hinge lever (32) has the holding part (324) designed as a locking element, over which the spring middle piece (343) can be guided and locked behind the holding part (324); or that the first and the second outer bearing arm (3111, 3114) each have one of the holding elements (314), which has a ramp (3141) via which the associated first or second spring end piece (3411, 3421) can be introduced into a holding channel (3140) located behind the holding element (314), in which the associated first or second spring end piece (3411, 3421) is held after the folding door hinge (3) has been put into operation, and that the first lever end piece (321) of the second hinge lever (32) has the holding part (324) designed as a latching element, over which the spring middle piece (343) can be guided and latched behind the holding part (324). Folding door hinge (3) according to one of claims 1 - 5, characterized in that within the spring assemblies (341, 342) of the; Drive spring (34) from the hinge axis (33) is held by a bearing roller (35) rotatably and largely free of play, the outer diameter of which is smaller than the minimum inner diameter of the spring assemblies (341, 342). Folding door hinge (3) according to claim 6, characterized in that that the bearing openings (31110, 31140) of the first and second outer bearing arms (3111, 3114) have an inner diameter which allows one of the bearing rollers (35) to be pushed through and into the associated spring assembly (341, 342), or that the bearing openings (31110, 31140) of the first and second outer bearing arms (3111, 3114) have an inner diameter which allows one of the bearing rollers (35) to be pushed through and into the associated spring assembly (341, 342) and further into a bearing opening part (31120B, 31130B) of the facing first or second inner bearing arm (3112, 3113). Folding door hinge (3) according to one of claims 1 - 7, characterized in that the spring assemblies (341, 342) of the drive spring (34) have helical or thread-shaped windings which abut one another or are at least partially spaced from one another from winding to winding, so that the spring assemblies (341, 342) are axially compressible.Folding door hinge (3) according to one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the hinge axis (33) projects beyond the first hinge lever (31) on one or both sides with an end piece, which end piece of the hinge axis (33) is connected to a cover device (4). Folding door hinge (3) according to claim 9, characterized in that the cover device (4) has a cover profile (41) that has two profile side pieces (412) connected to one another by a profile center piece (411), that at least one holding module (42) is held within the cover profile (41) in a form-fitting, displaceable, and lockable manner, and that this holding module (42) has a connecting element (423) that is fixedly or detachably connected to the hinge axis (33).Folding door hinge (3) according to claim 10, characterized in that the first lever end piece (311) of the first hinge lever (31) is provided with at least one first stop element (316), and that the first lever end piece (321) of the second hinge lever (32) is provided with at least one second stop element (326), wherein the first and second stop elements (316, 326) are arranged on the first and second hinge levers (31, 32) in such a way that they are arranged after the. Rotation of the two hinge levers (31, 32) against each other are aligned in opposite directions and form stop surfaces for the panel profile (41). Functional unit (1), piece of furniture or room segment, with a folding door (11) with two door elements (111, 112) which are connected by at least one Folding door hinge (3) according to one of claims 1-11. Functional unit (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that a cover device (4) is held by the folding door hinge (3), which is provided for covering a door gap between the door elements (111, 112). Functional unit (1) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the folding door (11) can be locked in a closed position by means of a holding device (2) and can be released again from the closed position, after which the folding door (11) can be at least partially converted into the folded state by the force applied by the folding door hinge (3) or the folding door hinges (3).Functional unit (1) according to claim 12, 13 or 14, characterized in that the first door element (111) is connected at an edge remote from the folding door hinges (3) by stop hinges (13) to a mounting profile (12) which is displaceable within a door compartment (10) of the functional unit (1), and in that the second door element (112) is connected at an edge remote from the folding door hinges (3) to a guide carriage (5B) which is guided in a guide rail (5B) which runs along the front side of the functional unit (1).