Piece of furniture having a movement fitting and a drive assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a piece of furniture (1), comprising a furniture body (2), a movable furniture part (7, 9) mounted relative thereto by means of a movement fitting (6, 8), a drive assembly having a drive unit (10) with an electric drive motor (31), by means of which the movable furniture part (7, 9) can be moved for opening and / or closing purposes and which releases a storage space (40, 41) during the opening process, a control unit (20), which has a motor driver (22) for the drive motor (31) of the drive unit (10), and a sensor unit and / or an operating element (36) which is connected to the control unit and can detect an operating action such that the movable furniture part (7, 9) can be drivingly moved on the basis of an operating action associated with the furniture part (7, 9), the control unit (20) having a power supply connection for supplying an operating current for the drive motor (31) at a first voltage (U1). The piece of furniture (1) is characterized in that the control unit (20) has a clocked DC-to-DC converter (23) to which the first voltage (U1) is applied and which converts said first voltage into a second voltage (U2) for supplying components of the control unit (20), at least one component of the control unit (20) being a microcontroller (24) and the second voltage (U2) being lower than the first voltage (U1).

Description

[0001] Furniture with a motion fitting and a drive arrangement

[0002] The invention relates to a piece of furniture comprising a furniture body, a movable furniture part mounted opposite the body by means of a motion fitting, and a drive arrangement with a drive unit including an electric drive motor. The movable furniture part can be moved by the drive unit to open and / or close, and when opened, it reveals a storage space. The furniture further comprises a control unit, which includes a motor driver for the drive motor of the drive unit, and a sensor unit and / or a control element connected thereto, which can detect an operating action, so that the movable furniture part can be moved depending on an operating action associated with the furniture part. The control unit has a power supply connection for supplying an operating current to the drive motor at a first voltage.

[0003] Drive units are used in furniture manufacturing, either inside or attached to a furniture carcass, to open and / or close movable furniture components within the carcass. For example, it is known to conveniently eject drawers housed within a furniture carcass. The drive unit can operate as a push-to-open mechanism, where a light press on the drawer is sufficient to trigger the drive unit, which then moves the drawer out of the furniture carcass, for example, by ejecting it. Flap mechanisms are also known that automatically extend to their final position after pressing a button or after an initial slight manual opening. This is particularly helpful for large and heavy flaps, as well as for flaps attached to wall cabinets that are difficult or impossible for shorter individuals to open fully.The flaps are then usually closed by operating an easily accessible control element.

[0004] The drive motors are typically operated at the operating voltage supplied to the control units, which is usually 12, 24, or 48 volts (V). Control elements within the control unit, such as a microcontroller or the aforementioned sensors, are often operated at a lower voltage, in the range of 3 to approximately 6 volts. This is usually generated from the supplied operating voltage using a linear regulator within the control units. While the power requirement for the drive motor of the drive unit may be high during operation, the total amount of energy required is low, as energy is only needed for the actual, and usually brief, actuation event.In contrast, while the power consumption of the control unit, which monitors a sensor and / or a control element and controls a motor driver accordingly, is low, the energy consumption adds up to a considerable amount due to the constant standby state required to monitor the control element or sensor. This is particularly true, for example, in kitchens, where a large number of drawers and / or other movable furniture components with drive mechanisms can be located in a small space.

[0005] To reduce the energy consumption of such drive arrangements, it is known from publication EP 2 704279 A1 to automatically de-energize the control unit using switching devices when no user action is detected by a control unit. For example, it may be possible to optically detect the presence of a user in the room by a control unit and, based on the presence signal, to supply power to or disconnect from the power supply to all control units of drive units.

[0006] Even though the control unit itself consumes a certain amount of energy, switching off all or many of the control units simultaneously can result in overall energy savings. In another embodiment, only some control units, those assigned to frequently used drive units, are permanently powered, while other control units are only supplied with power intermittently after one of the permanently powered units detects a user action. However, this approach has the disadvantage of requiring an additional control unit and a separate switching unit to de-energize the control units. Furthermore, a certain loss of convenience may occur if only specific drive units are permanently operational.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to create a piece of furniture with a drive arrangement in which the energy requirements of the control units are reduced without any loss of comfort.

[0008] This problem is solved by a piece of furniture of the type mentioned above, having the features of the independent claim. A piece of furniture of the type mentioned above according to the invention is characterized in that the control unit has a switched-mode DC-DC converter which is supplied with the first voltage and converts it into a second voltage for supplying components of the control unit, wherein at least one component of the control unit is a microcontroller and wherein the second voltage is lower than the first voltage. The second voltage thus serves to supply a microcontroller and can optionally also serve to supply other components, e.g., a communication module and / or an integrated sensor of the control unit.The microcontroller preferentially evaluates the sensor unit and / or the control element and controls the drive motor of the drive unit via the motor driver to execute a movement of the movable furniture part linked to the operating action. To implement the movement, the drive motor is supplied with the first voltage at least temporarily. When no operating action is executed, the drive motor is disconnected from the first voltage supply.

[0009] The linear regulators used up to now to provide the supply voltage for the microcontroller and, if applicable, other components of the control unit that operate at the lower second voltage, generate power losses. The magnitude of these losses is calculated by multiplying the voltage difference between the first and second voltages by the operating current for these components. With the typical power consumption of these components, this results in several watts of power loss, which is dissipated as heat by the linear regulators. The use of the switched-mode DC-DC converter according to the invention largely prevents this power loss, so that essentially only the actual power requirements of the components supplied with the lower second voltage need to be met, which is approximately ten times smaller than the power loss.The switched-mode DC / DC converter works particularly effectively when it is designed as a synchronous step-down converter.

[0010] In addition to energy savings, the reduced heat generated in the control unit is also advantageous, as it eliminates design constraints associated with heat dissipation, such as providing sufficient space for air convection. This allows the control unit to be built smaller and more easily integrated into the drive unit. The first voltage can, for example, range from 10 to 60 volts (V) and, in particular, be nominally 12, 24, or 48 V. "Nominal" in this context means that, due to tolerances and potentially load-related factors, the first voltage may not exactly match the specified value during operation. The second voltage can, for example, range from 3 to 6 V and, in particular, be nominally 3.3 or 5 V. Microcontrollers and sensors are often designed to operate at the aforementioned voltages of 3.3 or 5 V.

[0011] In an advantageous embodiment of the furniture, the control unit is configured to control the drive motor via the motor driver, depending on a signal or data from the integrated sensor, an external sensor, and / or an external operating element. This drive arrangement is therefore particularly well-suited for use as an auxiliary furniture drive, as the integrated or external sensor is positioned to detect an initial manual actuation of the movable furniture part, and the control unit then actuates the drive motor to automatically initiate an opening and / or closing movement. Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that actuation of the operating element triggers the automatic opening and / or closing movement.

[0012] A particularly advantageous feature of the control unit is its output connection, which provides the second voltage for supplying the external sensor and / or an external control element. This also makes integrating the external sensor or control element easy, as no separate power supply is required. The control unit's output connection can be part of a data bus connection. This data bus can include power supply lines in addition to data lines, preferably power supply lines for the second voltage. Alternatively, the data bus can consist of power supply lines that also transmit data in the form of modulated signals. The external sensor or control element can then be connected to the control unit via a single connection and a single cable, which provides both the supply voltage and transmits data.

[0013] Furthermore, it is conceivable to establish a wireless data connection between the external sensor or the external control element using the communication module in the control unit. Communication connections based on the Bluetooth protocol, particularly the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, are suitable for this purpose. In this case, the external sensor or the external control element can also be powered by an integrated battery, which further reduces the wiring effort for these components.

[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture, the motor driver of the control unit has at least one relay or a semiconductor switch as a switching element. The drive motor can be operated as needed via this switching element and de-energized in the standby state. If a relay with a changeover contact is used, a braking function, also known as electromotive force (EMF) braking, can be easily implemented by short-circuiting the drive motor in the standby state. A semiconductor switch, e.g., a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Transistor), a bipolar transistor, and / or an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), offers the advantage of silent switching and a long service life. Furthermore, speed control via pulse-width modulation (PWM) can be easily implemented. Preferably, the motor driver can have switching elements in an H-bridge arrangement. The H-bridge arrangement allows the motor not only to be switched on and off, but also to be de-energized.It can not only be switched off or speed-controlled, but its direction of rotation can also be changed.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture, the drive assembly includes a power supply designed as a switched-mode power supply that provides the operating current at the first voltage. The switched-mode power supply design results in a small and lightweight form factor and enables energy-efficient conversion of a mains voltage, e.g., 230 V AC, into the operating current at the first voltage. Preferably, the drive assembly comprises at least one distribution board for distributing the operating current at the first voltage to at least two drive units and / or control units. In addition, at least one sub-distribution board may be present, connected downstream of the at least one distribution board. By means of the distribution board and sub-distribution board, a single power supply can advantageously be used to supply several drive units and / or control units. The first operating current is, if necessary,Cascaded and distributed, this also allows for neat and organized wiring of larger drive systems with numerous drive units and / or control units. Such larger drive systems can be used, for example, in kitchens with multiple base and / or wall cabinets. In addition to distributing the operating current, the at least one distribution board and / or the at least one sub-distribution board can also transmit a data bus. Preferably, the data bus includes supply voltage lines for the secondary voltage. External sensors and / or control elements can also be easily integrated into the system via the data bus without additional wiring, including, if necessary, those external sensors and / or control elements that require an active supply of the secondary voltage for operation.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the furniture, the drive unit is a separate, retrofittable assembly that is mounted directly onto the motion fitting to drive it directly. The drive unit and the motion fitting each have at least one coupling interface that establishes a mechanical connection for transmitting kinetic energy to the motion fitting. The motion fitting can thus be used with or without the drive unit. Furthermore, one type of drive unit can be coupled with different motion fittings if they have the same coupling interface. This creates a system solution and reduces development effort.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment, the drive unit is a separate, retrofittable assembly, independent of the motion fitting. It is mounted on the furniture and acts on the movable furniture part, thus indirectly driving the motion fitting. The drive unit includes, for example, an ejection element designed as an ejection lever or slider, whereby the movable furniture part can be moved from a closed position to at least a partially open position by means of the ejection element.

[0018] In both alternatives, the motion fitting can comprise several components, wherein the motion fitting mounted on the furniture has at least one spring and one fluid damper and at least one selection of the following components: rolling element, rolling element cage, profile rail, pivot axis or pivot lever.

[0019] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying figures. The figures show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a furniture body with a drive unit, the components of which are illustrated in a block diagram;

[0020] Fig. 2 shows another example of a furniture body with a drive unit analogous to Figure 1;

[0021] Fig. 3 shows a separate block diagram of a control unit of a drive unit with external components;

[0022] Fig. 4 shows a block diagram of a system for operating multiple drive arrangements;

[0023] Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the furniture body from Figure 1;

[0024] Fig. 6a, b the furniture body according to figure 5 with inserted drawer in two different operating positions;

[0025] Figs. 7, 8 show a furniture carcass with two mounted drive assemblies from two different viewing directions; and

[0026] Fig. 9 shows another embodiment of a furniture body with two drive arrangements.

[0027] The invention is explained in the figures using various embodiments in different representations. In all figures, identical reference numerals denote identical or equivalent elements. Terms such as "top," "bottom," "right," and "left" refer to the respective figure.

[0028] Figure 1 schematically shows, on the left, a furniture carcass 2 of a piece of furniture 1, in which a drive unit 10 with an integrated control unit 20 and a power supply 30 are arranged. The drive unit 10 with the integrated control unit 20 is shown again in an enlarged view on the right side of the figure. Below the drive unit 10, the structure of the control unit 20 is shown as a circuit board 21. In the middle part of the figure, the structure of the control unit 20 is shown as a block diagram, and it is shown how the control unit 20 is connected to external components, specifically the power supply 30 and a drive motor 31 of the drive unit 10. Figure 1 is thus a combination of a representational diagram and a block diagram.

[0029] The exemplary piece of furniture 1 is a cabinet, for example, a kitchen base cabinet. The cabinet body 2 has side walls 3, a base 4, and a back wall 5. In the upper part of the cabinet body 2, two drawer slides 6 are mounted laterally, which, in the fully assembled cabinet 1, guide a drawer (not shown here) (see, for example, drawer 7 in Figures 4 and 6a, b).

[0030] The drive unit 10 is mounted on supports (not further specified) in the area of ​​the rear wall 5 at the level of the drawer slides 6. It is electrically connected to the power supply unit 30, located in the base below the illustrated floor 4, by a cable running along the rear wall 5. A power cable for the power supply unit 30, which connects the unit to a household electrical grid and provides it with power, is not shown.

[0031] In the illustrated example, the drive unit 10 is designed as an ejection unit for the drawer. It contains a drive motor 31 (not visible here) housed in a casing 11, which acts on an ejection lever 12 via a gear arrangement. When the drive unit 10 is actuated, the ejection lever 12 pivots, ejecting the drawer towards the user.

[0032] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the control unit 20, which controls the drive motor 31, is integrated into the drive unit 10. In alternative embodiments, the control unit 20 can also be arranged separately from the drive unit 10 and mounted inside the furniture 1.

[0033] As shown in the block diagram, the control unit 20 has a connection to the power supply 30, through which an operating current is supplied to the control unit 20 and the drive motor 31. This operating current is provided by the power supply 30 at a first voltage U1. The first voltage U1 is a low voltage, i.e., a voltage of a level that is safe even when the conductors are touched, preferably a DC voltage of nominally less than 60 volts, in particular of nominally 12, 24, or 48 V. Preferably, the DC voltage U1 is smoothed, and especially preferably a stabilized DC voltage with only a small residual ripple. The power supply 30 is advantageously designed as a switched-mode power supply to enable energy-efficient conversion and a compact design.

[0034] The control unit 20 comprises a motor driver 22, to which the drive motor 31 is connected and which supplies the drive motor 31 with operating current. The motor driver 22 and, apart from voltage drops, also the drive motor 31, are operated at the first voltage U1. In the figures, the motor driver 22 is symbolically represented by a switch symbol. In one implementation of the control unit 20, the motor driver 22 can have relays as switching elements; however, semiconductor switching elements are preferably used, and, with regard to a small voltage drop, MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors) in particular. Alternatively, bipolar transistors or IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) can also be used as switching elements. Depending on the mechanical design of the drive unit 10, it may be sufficient to operate the drive motor 31 in only one direction.In this case, a single switching element is sufficient as a motor driver 22 for the drive motor 31. If the drive motor 31 is to be operated in both directions of rotation, or if this is required for the function of the drive unit 10, the motor driver 22 can include a polarity reversal switch or be configured as an H-bridge with two bridge arms, each with two semiconductor switches. The design of the motor driver 22 also depends on the operating principle of the drive motor 31. The aforementioned configurations, using a simple switch, a polarity reversal switch, or an H-bridge, are used together with a DC brushed motor as the drive motor 31.If a brushless DC motor with multiple, in particular three, winding strands is used as the drive motor 31, a so-called “DC (Direct Current) brushless” motor, the motor driver 22 has a bridge branch with two semiconductor switches for each winding strand. In this case, the drive motor 31 can be designed as an internal or external rotor.

[0035] The motor driver 22 is controlled by a microcontroller 24, which exchanges data with an optional communication module 25 and also with an optional internal sensor 26, which is also shown in the diagram of the drive unit 10. During operation, the sensor 26 detects manually initiated movement of the drawer, such as a slight push or the beginning of its extension. The internal sensor 26 can be an optical sensor, such as a reflective light barrier, or a magnetic sensor, such as a Hall sensor or a reed switch, which interacts with a magnet located on the back of the drawer, or an inductive sensor that interacts with a metal element at the end of the drawer.A capacitive sensor or an acceleration and / or gyroscope, particularly designed as a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) sensor, or a displacement sensor in the form of a potentiometer or using a lidar (light detection and ranging) or radar (radio detection and ranging) sensor, is also conceivable. When a manually initiated movement of the drawer is detected by the internal sensor 26, the microcontroller 24 initiates the operation of the drive motor 31 via the motor driver 22, so that the ejection lever 12 of the drive unit 10 is actuated and the drawer is conveniently ejected by the drive unit 10. It can be provided that, after the successful detection of an intended trigger, the ejection lever 12 is only activated after a predetermined waiting period has elapsed.

[0036] The microcontroller 24, the communication module 25 (if present), and / or the internal sensor 26 (if present) are supplied with operating current within the control unit 20 by a second voltage U2, which is lower than the first voltage U1. Typically, voltages in the range of approximately 5 volts or 3.3 volts are required for the operation of these components.

[0037] To provide the second voltage U2 within the control unit 20 as energy-efficiently as possible, the control unit 20, according to the invention, comprises a switched-mode DC / DC converter 23, hereinafter also referred to as a DC / DC converter, which generates the second voltage U2 as a buck converter from the first voltage U1. The DC / DC converter 23 can, for example, be designed as a synchronous converter with two switched-mode switching elements, or it can be constructed with one active switching element and a diode. An inductor or a capacitor can be used as the energy storage device. Galvanic isolation is generally not required, but could be implemented if necessary. Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a piece of furniture 1, similar to Figure 1, comprising a drive unit 10, a control unit 20, and a power supply 30.Reference is hereby explicitly made to the description of the first embodiment, and the differences to the first embodiment will be discussed in detail below.

[0038] In the second embodiment, the furniture 1 is a cabinet, specifically a kitchen wall cabinet, with a hinged flap 9 that can be swung upwards. In the illustrated case, the flap 9 is designed as a two-part flap; in alternative embodiments, it could also be a single-piece flap. The flap 9 is guided by flap fittings 8, which are mounted on the side walls 3 of the furniture body 2. The flap 9 closes or opens access to a storage compartment 40 within the furniture 1. The flap fitting 8 is also shown again on the right side of the figure. A drive unit 10 is mounted on one side of the flap fitting 8. This drive unit engages in a corresponding receptacle on the flap fitting 8 by means of output cams (not visible in the figure), allowing the flap fitting to be moved by the drive unit 10 in a motorized manner.As in the first embodiment, the control unit 20 is integrated into the drive unit 10, which in turn is symbolized in terms of the physical representation of the circuit board 21 and in terms of its function by the block diagram shown in the upper part of Figure 2.

[0039] Unlike the embodiment shown in Figure 1, this embodiment includes an external sensor 32 located externally from the control unit 20. This sensor is integrated into the lower part of the side wall 3 or mounted on the inside of the furniture body 2, and detects an initial opening movement of the flap 9. Detection can be optical, magnetic, inductive, or mechanical.

[0040] As in the first embodiment, after the detection of an initial movement of the movable furniture part, in this case the flap 9, the motor driver 22 is controlled via the microcontroller 24 so that the drive motor 31 continues to open the flap 9 via the flap fitting 8. The external sensor 32 is connected to the control unit 20. For example, a signal and / or data output of the external sensor 32 could be evaluated directly by the microcontroller 24. In the illustrated example, the external sensor 32 is coupled to the internal sensor 26 either wired or wirelessly, which means that an evaluation circuit for the internal sensor 26 is also used for evaluating the external sensor 32. To reduce the number of variants, the control unit 20 can also be equipped with the internal sensor 26, even if it is used for operation with the external sensor 32.During operation, when the external sensor 32 is connected, the internal sensor 26 is switched off and only the associated evaluation electronics are used for the external sensor 32 if necessary.

[0041] As in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the microcontroller 24, the optional communication module 25 and / or the optional internal sensor 26 or the external sensor 32 are supplied via the control unit 20 itself by a second voltage U2, which is provided by the DC-DC converter 23. Reference is also made to the illustration in Figure 1.

[0042] Figure 3 shows the block diagram of the control unit 20 and the connections to external components, specifically the power supply 30, the drive motor 31 and the external sensor 32, enlarged again.

[0043] Figure 4 shows a possible overall structure of a system that can operate multiple drive units, in the form of a block diagram. This system can be used, for example, to equip a complete kitchen or a kitchen unit with multiple pieces of furniture 1, such as several base cabinets or wall cabinets, with drive units.

[0044] A piece of furniture 1 is indicated in the dashed box at the top right. A drive unit 10 with an integrated control unit 20 is shown there, which acts on a drawer 7 via an ejection lever 12. The ejection lever 12 is not depicted figuratively, but only as an action arrow symbolizing the action of the drive unit 10 on the drawer 7. Conversely, a manually induced movement of the drawer 7, symbolized in Figure 4 by another action arrow, is detected by the internal sensor 26, which then triggers the operation of the drive unit 10 and the movement of the ejection lever 12. The internal sensor 26 can be configured in various ways. It is also possible that the ejection lever 12 itself forms part of the internal sensor 26 and serves as a sensing lever.The figure also shows that the drive unit 10 with the integrated control unit 20 is supplied with operating current at the first voltage U1 from a sub-distribution board 34.

[0045] In a larger system, it is not practical to equip each drive unit separately with a power supply 30, as illustrated in Figures 1-3. Instead, a shared power supply 30 is preferably used for the entire system, as shown in Figure 4, bottom right.

[0046] The power supply is provided by a mains voltage U0, typically an AC voltage of, for example, 230 V, and supplies the first voltage U1. This is distributed via distributor 33 and the described sub-distributor 34 to a plurality of drive units 10 or control units 20. For example, the sub-distributor 34 can be used to supply operating current to several drive units 10 or control units 20 in a furniture carcass 2. The distributor 33 can supply blocks of several adjacent furniture units 1, such as several adjacent base cabinets or several adjacent wall cabinets.

[0047] In addition to distributing the first voltage U1, it may also be provided to exchange signals and data via the distributors 33 or the sub-distributors 34, which in the example shown is done via a data bus 35, which is formed between the distributors 33 and the sub-distributors 34 and which is also led to individual drive units 10 or control units 20 if required.

[0048] The data bus 35 can, for example, be used as l 2The data bus 35 can be configured as a C-bus. For example, external sensors 32 can be integrated via the data bus 35 and evaluated by one or more of the drive units 10 or control units 20. The data bus 35 can be configured to include power supply lines in addition to data lines, preferably power supply lines for the second voltage U2, so that the connected external sensors 32 are also supplied with the necessary operating current. Alternatively, the data bus 35 can also consist of power supply lines via which data in the form of modulated signals is transmitted.

[0049] In addition to external sensors 32, control elements 36 can also be connected to the distributors 33, whereby the control elements 36 are also evaluated via the data bus 35 and supplied with the second voltage U2 via the data bus 35. If necessary, the first voltage U1 can also be supplied to the control elements 36, for example if they have a higher power requirement, for example because they are equipped with a lighting device or are coupled.

[0050] In summary, the distribution of the first voltage U1, potentially in multiple stages, using the distributors 33 and optionally the sub-distributors 34, allows a single power supply 30 to power multiple drive units 10 or control units 20 and, if necessary, to connect them to each other for data transmission. Using only one power supply 30 is energy-efficient because standby losses occur only once during the conversion of the mains voltage U0 to the voltage U1. The conversion of the voltage U1 to the second voltage U2 in the control units 20 using the switched-mode DC-DC converter 23 also results in an energy-efficient supply for components of the control unit 20, the external sensors 32, and / or the operating elements 36.

[0051] The communication module 25 of the control unit 20 can include one or more wireless data interfaces to enable communication via, for example, WLAN, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, Thread, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Matter, EnoCean, Homematic IP, DECT ULE, or KNX. Communication on the frequencies 433 MHz (megahertz) or 868 MHz is also possible. Through the communication module 25, the drive assembly can, as already described, read information from external sensors 32 or external control elements 36, or communicate with external devices, thus enabling, for example, "smart home" functionality and voice control.

[0052] In an application within the context of a smart home system, it may be intended, for example, that in the event of certain events, such as the ringing of a doorbell, the furniture parts coupled with drive units are moved into predetermined positions.

[0053] The external sensor 32 can be wirelessly connected to the control unit 20, using the same wireless protocol as the communication module 25. Alternatively, the external sensor 32 can use a different wireless protocol than the communication module 25. This can result in a longer lifespan for the energy storage device in the external sensor 32. In this case, the external sensor 32 is connected to the control unit 20, and the communication module 25 is connected to the external smart home environment or an alternative end device such as a smartphone.

[0054] Figures 5-9 show arrangements of drive units 10 in a piece of furniture 1 in different configurations. Figure 5 shows the piece of furniture 1, or rather the furniture body 2 from Figure 1, again in a larger view.

[0055] Figures 6a and 6b show this furniture carcass with the inserted drawer 7 in two different operating states. Figure 6a shows the drawer 7 in its rest position, in which the ejection lever 12 of the drive unit 10 is also retracted. Figure 6b shows the ejection of the drawer 7 using the ejection lever 12 with the drive unit 10 activated. In the open position of the drawer 7, access to a storage compartment 41 is provided.

[0056] Figures 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of a piece of furniture 1 with a furniture carcass 2 from two different perspectives. This embodiment corresponds to a further development stage of the furniture 1 according to Figure 5, specifically such that, in addition to the drive unit 10 and the drawer slides 6 shown in Figure 5, another drive unit 10 with a control unit 20 is arranged in the rear area of ​​the furniture carcass 2. This can, for example, be used to extend a second drawer 7, although the associated drawer slides 6 are not yet mounted. The two drive units 10 with the integrated control unit 20 are connected via connecting cables to a distribution box 34, which is mounted on the rear of the back panel 5 of the furniture carcass 2, as shown in Figure 8.

[0057] Figure 9 shows a variant of the example shown in Figures 7 and 8, in which two drive units 10, each with an integrated control unit 20, are also arranged in the furniture carcass. Here too, a sub-distribution board 34 is present, which is electrically connected to both drive units 10.

[0058] Unlike the embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8, the sub-distributor 34 is not located on the rear of the back panel 5, but is U-shaped and mounted on one of the two drive units 10, in this case the upper of the two drive units 10. The electrical connection with the drive unit 10 on which the sub-distributor 34 is mounted can preferably be wireless, by directly connecting a connector of the sub-distributor 34 to a socket of the drive unit 10. The second drive unit 10 is then connected to the sub-distributor 34 via a cable. Additional connectors can be provided on the sub-distributor 34 to connect further drive units 10 or control units 20. In an alternative embodiment, the drive units 10 can themselves have connection points for connecting to a further drive unit 10.In this case, a chain of drive units 10 can be coupled together, wherein the drive unit 10, which forms the beginning of the chain, is in turn connected to the sub-distributor 34 or a distributor 33 not shown here.

[0059] Reference symbol list

[0060] 1 piece of furniture

[0061] 2 furniture carcass

[0062] 3 side wall

[0063] 4 floors

[0064] 5 Back panel

[0065] 6 Extraction guide

[0066] 7 drawers

[0067] 8 flap fittings

[0068] 9th flap

[0069] 10 Drive unit

[0070] 11 cases

[0071] 12 Ejection levers

[0072] 20 Control unit

[0073] 21 circuit boards

[0074] 22 Motor drivers

[0075] 23 DC / DC converters

[0076] 24 microcontrollers

[0077] 25 Communication module

[0078] 26 internal sensors

[0079] 30 Power supply

[0080] 31 Drive motor

[0081] 32 external sensor

[0082] 33 distributors

[0083] 34 sub-distribution boards

[0084] 35 Data bus

[0085] 36 Control element

[0086] 40 storage space

[0087] 41 storage space

[0088] U0 Mains voltage

[0089] U1 first voltage

[0090] U2 second voltage

Claims

Claims 1. Furniture (1) comprising a furniture body (2), a movable furniture part (7, 9) mounted opposite it by means of a motion fitting (6, 8), and a drive arrangement comprising a drive unit (10) with an electric drive motor (31) by which the movable furniture part (7, 9) can be moved to open and / or close and which, when opened, releases a storage space (40, 41), a control unit (20) comprising a motor driver (22) for the drive motor (31) of the drive unit (10), and a sensor unit and / or a control element (36) connected thereto, which can detect an operating action, so that the movable furniture part (7, 9) can be moved depending on an operating action assigned to the furniture part (7, 9), wherein the control unit (20) has a power supply connection for supplying an operating current for the drive motor (31) at a first voltage (U1), characterized in thatthat the control unit (20) has a clocked DC-DC converter (23) which is supplied with the first voltage (U1) and converts it into a second voltage (U2) to supply components of the control unit (20), wherein at least one component of the control unit (20) is a microcontroller (24) and wherein the second voltage (U2) is smaller than the first voltage (U1).

2. Furniture according to claim 1, wherein the second voltage (U2) serves to supply a communication module (25) and / or an integrated sensor (26) of the control unit (20).

3. Furniture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit (20) has an output terminal at which the second voltage (U2) is provided to supply an external sensor (32) and / or an external control element (36).

4. Furniture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output terminal of the control unit (20) is part of a terminal for a data bus (35).

5. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit (20) controls the drive motor (31) depending on a signal or data from the sensor unit via the motor driver (22).

6. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the motor driver (22) of the control unit (20) has at least one relay or a semiconductor switch as a switching element.

7. Furniture according to claim 6, wherein the motor driver (22) has switching elements in an H-bridge arrangement.

8. Furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the clocked DC voltage converter (23) is a synchronous step-down converter.

9. Furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first voltage (U1 ) is in a range of 10 to 60 volts and in particular is nominally 12, 24 or 48 volts.

10. Furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second voltage (U2) is in a range of 3 to 6 volts and in particular is nominally 3.3 or 5 volts.

11. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit (20) is integrated into the drive unit (10).

12. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 11, comprising a power supply (30) which is designed as a switching power supply and provides the operating current at the first voltage (U1).

13. Furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the drive unit (10) is a separate assembly that can be retrofitted to the motion fitting (6, 8) and is mounted directly on the motion fitting (6, 8) to drive the motion fitting directly.

14. Furniture according to claim 13, wherein the drive unit (10) and the motion fitting (6, 8) have at least one coupling interface which establishes a mechanical connection for the transmission of kinetic energy to the motion fitting (6, 8).

15. Furniture according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the drive unit (10) is a retrofittable separate assembly separate from the movement fitting (6, 8), which is mounted on the furniture (1) and on the movable The furniture part (7, 9) acts and thus indirectly drives the movement fitting (6, 8).

16. Furniture according to claim 15, wherein the drive unit (10) comprises an ejection element (12) designed as an ejection lever or ejection slider, wherein the movable furniture part (7, 9) can be moved from a closed position to an at least partially open position by means of the ejection element (12).

17. Furniture according to one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the motion fitting (6, 8) comprises several components, the motion fitting mounted on the furniture (1) having at least one spring and one fluid damper and having at least one selection of the following components: rolling element, rolling element cage, profile rail, pivot axis or pivot lever.

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