Panel carrier, drawer, method for assembling a drawer

Abstract

The invention relates to a panel carrier which can be fastened to a front panel for mounting the front panel on a side wall (3) of a drawer (1) which has an insert element (10) for insertion in a receptacle of the side wall (3). The panel carrier is characterised in that the insert element (10) has a first portion adjacent to the front panel (5) when the panel carrier is in the installed state, and a second portion facing away from the front panel in the installed state, wherein the insert element (10) has, in the second portion, a guide element (126) which protrudes in the push-in direction and which has, in the installed state, a smaller extent in a horizontal direction than the insert element (10) in the first portion and which is arranged in the horizontal direction off-centre with respect to the first portion of the push-in part (10). The invention also relates to a drawer (1) having at least one side wall (3) to which a front panel (5) is attached with the aid of a panel carrier, and to a method for assembling such a drawer (1).

Description

[0001] Panel support, drawer and method for assembling a drawer

[0002] The invention relates to a panel support that can be attached to a front panel for mounting the front panel on a side frame of a drawer, comprising an insertion element for insertion into a receptacle of the side frame. The invention further relates to a drawer with a front panel secured to at least one side frame via a panel support, as well as to a method for assembling such a drawer.

[0003] Panel supports of this type for drawer front panels are known, for example, from the documents DE 10 2010 060 720 A1 or EP 3 681 346 B1. Typically, two such panel supports are attached to the front panel, each of which is inserted into a corresponding receptacle in the side frame with its insert element protruding from the front panel. Within each side frame is a locking mechanism, for example in the form of a spring-loaded snap mechanism, which grips the inserted insert element and pulls the front panel towards the end faces of the side frame. In order to achieve a uniform gap in the area of ​​the front panel, the panel support or the snap mechanism has an adjustment mechanism that generally allows lateral and / or vertical adjustment of the front panel relative to the side frame on the respective side.

[0004] To assemble the drawer, the front panel, which is already equipped with the panel supports, must be correctly positioned so that the insert elements of the panel supports can be inserted into the holder of the respective side frame. In the vertical direction, the side frame usually has a sufficient installation height to allow insertion even with a tolerance in the vertical direction. In the lateral, i.e. horizontal direction, such a tolerance range can currently only be achieved by making the frame as wide as possible and the panel support as narrow as possible. A wide frame is undesirable in terms of the space available in the drawer, and a narrow panel support is not optimal in terms of stability and the installation space required for the adjustment mechanism.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a panel support, a drawer equipped therewith and a method for assembling the drawer, in which the insertion process can be simplified and reliably automated without the side frame having to be significantly widened compared to the panel support or the panel support having to be narrower than the side frame.

[0006] This object is achieved by a panel support, a drawer, and an assembly method having the respective features of the corresponding independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] A panel support according to the invention is characterized in that the insertion element has a first section adjacent to the front panel in the installed state of the panel support and a second section facing away from the front panel in the installed state, wherein the insertion element in the second section has a guide element protruding in the insertion direction, which guide element has a smaller extent in a horizontal direction in the installed state than the insertion element in the first section and which is arranged eccentrically to the first section of the insertion part in the horizontal direction.

[0008] The guide element can be advantageously used to correctly position the panel support laterally during assembly of the front panel, so that it can then be inserted into the receptacle of the side frame. Unlike, for example, a conically shaped insert element, the guide element according to the invention does not restrict the installation space available in the insert element, e.g. for the adjustment mechanism. Since the guide element is narrower in the horizontal direction, also referred to below as the lateral direction, than the insert part in the first section facing the front panel, it can be used as a type of protruding sensor to adjust the lateral position of the panel support relative to the receptacle so that the subsequent complete insertion process is carried out reliably without damaging the components.

[0009] In an advantageous embodiment of the panel support, the guide element is formed flush on one side with the adjacent section of the insertion element. A guide element positioned in this way can be used to feel the inside of the recess of a side frame and then insert the guide element without a laterally protruding shoulder between the guide element and the side frame hindering the insertion process.

[0010] In a further advantageous embodiment of the panel support, the insert element comprises two side parts, which are arranged horizontally spaced from one another at least in the first section of the insert element. An insert element constructed in this way is lightweight, stable, and offers a space between the side parts that can be used for the adjustment mechanism and / or a snap-in mechanism for connecting to the side frame. The side parts are preferably stamped and bent parts made of sheet metal, which allows for cost-effective production. Further preferably, the side parts are aligned substantially parallel to one another.

[0011] In a further advantageous embodiment of the panel support, the insert element is designed as a U-shaped profile, with each free leg of the U-shaped profile forming one of the side panels. An insert element constructed in this way is lightweight, stable, easy to manufacture, and offers space between the tabs that can be used for the adjustment mechanism and / or the snap-in mechanism. In a particularly inexpensive variant, a base of the U-shaped profile can be mounted directly onto the front panel, e.g., using a screw connection or dowel or tenon connection.

[0012] In a further advantageous embodiment of the panel support, the side parts are connected to one another in the front area by at least one engagement element. The engagement element can be formed by a rivet or bolt, particularly if the side parts are stamped and bent parts made of sheet metal. In an alternative embodiment, the insert element, including the side parts and the engagement element, can also be manufactured from a single plastic part using an injection molding process.

[0013] Preferably, one of the side parts is longer than the other and protrudes further forward in the insertion direction, thereby forming the guide element. The guide element can thus be manufactured integrally with the side part with little effort and without an additional process step.

[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment of the panel support, the insert element for adjusting the front panel is mounted on a support part so that it can be adjusted in at least one spatial direction by means of an adjustment mechanism. In this embodiment, the front panel is therefore not attached directly to the insert element. Instead, the front panel is attached to the support part, which is adjustable relative to the insert element. This allows adjustability for adjusting the front panel in order to achieve a uniform gap around the front panel. The support part can, for example, have pins as fastening means for the front panel. Furthermore, elongated holes for guiding the insert element can advantageously be formed in the support part.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment of the panel support, the side parts are aligned substantially parallel to one another, whereby almost the entire volume of the insert element is available as installation space for the adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism can, for example, comprise an adjustment wheel and / or an adjustment spindle, which is / are arranged between the side parts and is, in particular, rotatably mounted by the side parts.

[0016] A drawer according to the invention comprises at least one side frame to which a front panel is secured by means of such a panel support. This results in the advantages described in connection with the panel support.

[0017] A method according to the invention for assembling such a drawer comprises the following steps:

[0018] A front panel with at least one mounted panel support is positioned in front of at least one side frame of a drawer and the front panel is moved towards the side frame until the guide element partially penetrates into a recess in the side frame for the panel support.

[0019] The front panel is then moved sideways until the lateral distance of the guide element to the inside of the holder is smaller than a specified maximum distance. The front panel is then moved further in the lengthwise direction of the side frame until the guide element is fully inserted into the holder and the front panel can be secured to the side frame. For the initial insertion of the guide element into the side frame holder, a wide tolerance range for positioning is available laterally, as the guide element is narrower than the adjacent section of the insert element. The guide element is then used to get as close to the inside of the holder as possible, specifically so close that a specified maximum distance is reached or undercut. This ensures correct positioning for the subsequent complete insertion of the insert element into the side frame holder.The maximum distance can be specified, for example, from a range greater than 0 and less than 1 millimeter (mm), e.g., 0.5 mm. Alternatively, a maximum distance of 0 mm can be specified, which means that the front panel is moved until the guide element rests against the inside of the mount.

[0020] The partial penetration and / or the distance of the guide element from the inside of the holder can advantageously be detected optically. To prevent lateral contact of the guide element against the inner wall of the holder, a force measurement can be performed alternatively or additionally.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment of the method, the front panel is moved sideways away from the inside of the receptacle before being fully inserted into the receptacle. Preferably, the front panel is moved far enough away that the insert element is positioned as centrally as possible within the available space within the receptacle. This ensures that the front panel is mounted centrally on the drawer and that an equal amount of clearance is available on both sides for adjusting the gap pattern.

[0022] In a further advantageous embodiment of the method, at least two panel supports are provided on the front panel, which are horizontally spaced from each other when installed, with the guide element for each panel support being arranged off-center in the same horizontal direction. This ensures that, even in the event of tolerances in the manufacture of the drawer or during the assembly of the panel supports to the front panel, none of the insertion elements of the two panel supports collide with the corresponding side frame during the complete insertion step.

[0023] In a further advantageous embodiment, the insertion element has two side parts that are arranged laterally spaced from one another, with the guide element being arranged or formed on one of the side parts. The side parts are preferably connected to one another by at least one engagement element, with a snap mechanism within the side frame engaging the engagement element in a further method step. This additional method step completes the assembly of the front panel.

[0024] The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments and figures. The figures show:

[0025] Fig.1 a is a plan view of a drawer with the front panel removed;

[0026] Fig. 1 b is a plan view of the drawer from Fig. 1 a with the front panel mounted;

[0027] Fig. 2a-c different views of a first embodiment of a panel carrier;

[0028] Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the panel carrier of Figures 2a-c;

[0029] Fig. 4a-d each show a section of the drawer of Figures 1a, b in different stages of its assembly;

[0030] Fig. 5a-c different views of a second embodiment of a panel carrier.

[0031] In all figures, identical reference symbols identify identical or equivalent elements. For reasons of clarity, however, not all elements are provided with reference symbols in all figures.

[0032] If relative terms such as "left" or "right" are used in the description, these refer to the figures described. Only the terms "front", "rear", "top", "bottom" and "side" refer to the natural orientation of a drawer in its installed state, in which a base of the drawer is horizontal and the drawer is pulled out of a piece of furniture with the front panel projecting forward towards a user. Figures 1a and 1b each show a plan view of a drawer 1 with a base 2 located between two laterally arranged side frames 3. At a rear end of the drawer 1, facing away from a user, there is a rear wall 4 that is connected to the side frames 3. On the front side facing the user, a front panel 5 is arranged that projects laterally beyond the side frames 3.In the area of ​​the rear wall 4, the ends of two pull-out guides 6 can be seen, on which the drawer 1 is slidably mounted in the furniture or furniture body.

[0033] Fig. 1 a shows the drawer 1 before the front panel 5 is mounted. Two panel supports are visible. These are connected to the front panel 5 and have the insert elements 10. These insert elements 10 are inserted into corresponding receptacles formed on the end walls of the side frames 3 during the assembly of the front panel 5. The insert elements 10 are guided into the receptacles and fixed there, thereby securing the front panel 5 to the side frames 3. The resulting assembled state of the drawer 1 is then shown in Fig. 1 b.

[0034] A first embodiment of the panel carrier shown in Fig. 1 is shown in more detail in various views in Figs. 2a-2c and Fig. 3. Fig. 2a shows the panel carrier in a three-dimensional view. Figs. 2b and 2c show two different side views, and Fig. 3 shows a three-dimensional exploded view.

[0035] In this example, the panel support has a support part 11, which can be manufactured from plastic using an injection molding process. It comprises a base body 111 which rests on the surface of the front panel 5 to be mounted and to which two pins 112 are integrally formed. The pins 112 serve to fasten the support part 11 and thus the panel support to the front panel 5. They are provided with a barb-like structure that clamps easily into a (blind) hole in the front panel 5. In addition, the pins 112 are cut so that they can be spread open by screwing or pressing a fastening means 17 into an opening 113 leading centrally through the pins 112. The fastening means 17 is designed here as an impact screw. The fastening means 17 comprises a fastening means head 18 which has a tool engagement.The insert element 10, which in the example shown has a first side part 12 and a second side part 13, is slidably mounted on the support part 11. In the illustrated embodiment, both side parts 12, 13 are manufactured from sheet metal using a stamping and bending process. They are essentially parallel and spaced apart from each other. Their outer surfaces 121, 131 are spaced apart by an outer dimension BA (see Fig. 2c). This outer dimension BA is at most equal to the clear inner width of the side frame receptacle into which the insert element 10 is inserted, minus any adjustment travel.

[0036] Furthermore, the side parts 12, 13 have bevels 122, 132 that interlock and connect both side parts 12, 13. Furthermore, the side parts 12, 13 have openings 124, 125 and 134, 135, respectively, into which rivets 14 and an engagement element 15 are inserted. In this exemplary embodiment, the engagement element 15 is also designed as a rivet. The rivets 14 penetrate elongated holes 114 in the base body 111, whereby the insertion element 10 is mounted vertically displaceably on the support part 11. The engagement element 15, which is arranged in the region of the free end of the side parts 12, 13, stabilizes the insertion element 10 in this region. The engagement element 15 also forms an engagement which offers the possibility of engaging behind the panel support during assembly in the side frame 3 and thus fixing the panel support in the side frame 3.

[0037] Furthermore, a receptacle 123, 133 is formed in the side parts 12, 13 for an adjusting wheel 16 arranged between the side parts 12, 13 as an adjusting element. The adjusting wheel 16 is rotatably mounted in the receptacles 123, 133. It has a circumferential notch in the center, with which it engages in a mouth-shaped recess 115 of the base body 111. The adjusting wheel 16 is eccentrically shaped in the notch, whereby the adjusting wheel 16 and thus the insert element 10 are displaced vertically relative to the support part 11 of the panel support when the adjusting wheel 16 is rotated. With the help of the adjusting wheel 16, the height of the front panel 5 can be balanced on the corresponding side of the drawer 1.

[0038] According to the invention, the panel support has a guide element 126 which is arranged off-center at the front end of the insertion element 10 and whose width is less than the remaining width BA of the insertion element 10. In the present example, the guide element 126 is formed in that the first side part 12 is longer than the second side part 13 and accordingly protrudes beyond the second side part 13 in the insertion direction of the panel support 10 into the side frame 3.

[0039] The guide element 126 can be advantageously used to correctly position the panel support 10 during assembly of the front panel 5 in order to insert it into the receptacle of the side frame 3. Unlike, for example, a conically shaped insert element, the guide element 126 according to the invention does not lead to a restriction of the installation space available in the insert element 10, e.g., for the adjustment wheel 16, or to a widening of the insert element 10 and thus to a restriction of the adjustment path.

[0040] Figure 2c shows a top view of the panel support. The insert element 10 has, in the section adjacent to the front panel 3, the external dimension BA and an internal dimension Bi. The fastener head 171 has an external dimension KA. The external dimension BA of the insert element 10 is larger than the external dimension KA of the fastener head 171. The internal dimension Bi of the insert element 10 is, in this example, smaller than the external dimension KA of the fastener head 171, which is possible because the fastener head 171 is not positioned between the side parts 12, 13.

[0041] Fig. 4a-4d show in four sequences the sequence of an assembly process for the front panel 5 in the side frame 3, for example in the drawer 1 shown in Fig. 1a and 1b, in more detail.

[0042] In a first step of the method, which is shown in Fig. 4a, the front panel with mounted panel supports, of which only one is visible in the section in Fig. 4a, is moved towards the side frame 3. The movement of the panel 5 towards the side frame 3 is symbolized by a movement arrow 7 for the insertion movement. The lateral position of the front panel 5 relative to the side frame 3 is adjusted or corrected if necessary so that the guide element 126 is aligned as centrally as possible to the receptacle into which the insertion element 10 of the panel support is to be inserted. The receptacle is not visible in the example shown; it extends in the lateral direction approximately centrally to the outer dimension of the side frame 3. The lateral movement that may be necessary for alignment is shown by a further movement arrow 8 in Fig. 4a.The front panel 5 is moved in the direction of the side frame 3 until the guide element 126 has at least partially penetrated into the receptacle, but the remaining part of the insert element 10 has not yet penetrated.

[0043] The resulting position is shown in Fig. 4b. Starting from this position, a further lateral movement occurs, as indicated by the movement arrow 8, with which the front panel 5 is moved laterally toward the center of the drawer.

[0044] The lateral movement takes place in a controlled manner during the movement of the front panel 5 by determining a relative position of the guide element 126 to the recess in the side frame 3, for example optically or via a force measurement or also electrically, e.g. via a capacitance measurement.

[0045] In one possible embodiment, a stop or contact of the side surface 121 of the guide element 126 against the inside of the receptacle is detected, and the lateral movement is stopped as soon as the guide element 126 contacts it. In an alternative embodiment, the lateral movement can be stopped as soon as the side surface 121 of the guide element 126 is located just before the inside of the receptacle. For this purpose, a maximum distance between the side surface 121 of the guide element 126 and the inside of the receptacle can be defined, for example 0.5 mm, with the lateral movement being stopped as soon as the maximum distance is reached or undershot. In this embodiment, an optical or capacitive determination of the lateral position of the guide element 126 is particularly suitable.

[0046] The resulting position of the front panel 5 and the panel support is shown in Fig. 4c. Starting from this detected and controlled relative lateral position of the front panel 5 to the side frame 3, the insertion element 10 of the panel support can be inserted into the side frame 3 without further corrections or obstructions, as indicated by the movement arrow 7 in Fig. 4c.

[0047] The final position of the front panel 5 shown in Fig. 4d can then be easily assumed by simply pushing it in along the movement arrow 7. The described assembly process is reliable because the approach to the side frame 3 can take place with a relatively large margin of tolerance in the lateral positioning. It is only necessary to ensure, visually or with the help of other position detectors, that the guide element 126 is located laterally in the area of ​​the side frame holder. Since the lateral dimensions of the guide element 126 are significantly narrower than the opening of the holder, a wide tolerance range can be exploited for positioning. In contrast, the lateral positioning can be carried out with high precision by contacting the guide element 126 with the edge of the holder, whereby the insert element 10 of the panel carrier is also aligned with this high precision for the further insertion process.

[0048] In Figs. 5a-5c, a second embodiment of a panel carrier according to the invention is shown in the same way as in Figs. 2a-2c. The basic structure of the panel carriers of the first and second embodiments is identical.

[0049] In contrast, the panel support of the second embodiment is taller and has four pins 112 instead of two. The insertion element 10 is formed, similarly, from two side parts 12 and 13, which in turn are sheet metal elements manufactured using a stamping and bending process. Also analogous to the first embodiment, the first side part 12 is longer than the second side part 13. As a result, the first side part 12 protrudes relative to the second side part 13, forming the guide element 126.

[0050] Unlike the first embodiment, the guide element 126 in this example extends over substantially the entire height of the side part 12 at the transition to the guide element 126. In the embodiment of Figs. 2a-c, the guide element 126 occupies only a small portion of the height of the side part 12 at the transition to the guide element 126. List of Reference Symbols

[0051] 1 drawer

[0052] 2 floor

[0053] 3 side frames

[0054] 4 Rear wall

[0055] 5 Front panel

[0056] 6 Drawer guide 7 Movement arrow (insertion movement)

[0057] 8 Movement arrow (lateral movement)

[0058] 10 Insert element

[0059] 11 Support part 111 Base body 112 Pin 113 Bore 114 Slot 115 Recess

[0060] 12 first side part 121 side surface 122 chamfer 123 holder 124, 125 opening 126 guide element

[0061] 13 second side part 131 side surface 132 bevel 133 holder 134, 135 opening

[0062] 14 Rivet 15 Engagement element 16 Adjustment element 17 Fastener 18 Fastener head

[0063] BA external dimension BI internal dimension KA external dimension

Claims

Claims 1. A panel support for mounting a front panel (5) on a side frame (3) of a drawer (1), comprising an insert element (10) for insertion into a receptacle of the side frame (3), characterized in that the insert element (10) has a first section adjacent to the front panel (5) in the installed state of the panel support and a second section facing away from the front panel in the installed state, wherein the insert element (10) in the second section has a guide element (126) protruding in the insertion direction, which guide element has a smaller extent in a horizontal direction in the installed state than the insert element (10) in the first section and which is arranged eccentrically in the horizontal direction relative to the first section of the insert part (10).

2. A panel support according to claim 1, wherein the guide element (126) is formed on one side flush with the first portion of the insertion part (10).

3. Panel support according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the insertion element (10) comprises two side parts (12, 13) which are arranged spaced apart from one another in the horizontal direction at least in the first section of the insertion element (10).

4. Panel support according to claim 3, wherein one of the side parts (12, 13) is longer than the other and, in the installed state, protrudes further in the insertion direction from the front panel (5), whereby the guide element (126) is formed.

5. Panel support according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the side parts (12, 13) are stamped and bent parts made of sheet metal.

6. A panel support according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the side parts (12, 13) are aligned substantially parallel to one another.

7. A panel support according to one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the side parts (12, 13) are connected to one another in the first section by at least one engagement element (15).

8. Panel support according to one of claims 3 to 7, in which the insertion element (10) is designed as a U-shaped profile, wherein a free leg of the U-shaped profile represents one of the side parts (12, 13).

9. Panel support according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the insertion element (10) for adjusting the front panel (5) is adjustably mounted on a support part (11) by means of an adjusting mechanism.

10. A panel support according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises an adjustment wheel (16) arranged between the side parts (12, 13). 11 . Panel support according to one of claims 1 to 10, comprising pins (112) for fastening the front panel (5).

12. Drawer (1) with at least one side frame (3) to which a front panel (5) is fixed by means of a panel support, characterized in that the panel support is designed according to one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A method for the automated assembly of a drawer (1) with at least two side frames (3), to which a front panel (5) can be fixed by means of at least two panel supports, wherein at least one of the panel supports has an insertion element (10) with a protruding guide element (126), comprising the following steps: - positioning a front panel (5) with at least one mounted panel support in front of at least one of the side frames (3) of the drawer (1); - moving the front panel (5) in the direction of the side frame (3) until the guide element (126) partially penetrates into a receptacle of the side frame (3) for the insertion element (10) of the panel support; - moving the front panel (5) sideways until a lateral distance of the guide element (126) to an inner side of the receptacle is less than a predetermined maximum distance; and - Continue moving the front panel (5) towards the side frame (3) until the insert element (10) is fully inserted into the holder.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the partial penetration and / or the lateral distance of the guide element (126) from the inside of the receptacle is optically detected.

15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein a force measurement is used to detect whether the guide element (126) rests against the inside of the receptacle.

16. Method according to one of claims 13 to 15, wherein before the front panel is fully inserted into the receptacle, the front panel (5) is moved sideways away from the inside of the receptacle.

17. Method according to one of claims 13 to 16, in which at least two panel supports which are horizontally spaced apart from one another are provided on the front panel (5), the guide element (126) being arranged off-center in the same horizontal direction in each panel support.

18. Method according to one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the insertion element (10) has two side parts (12, 13) which are arranged laterally spaced from one another, wherein the guide element (126) is arranged or formed on one of the side parts (12, 13).

19. Method according to claim 18, wherein the side parts (12, 13) are connected to one another by at least one engagement element (15), wherein in a further method step a snap mechanism within the side frame (3) engages in the engagement element (15).

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