The object of the present invention is a furniture element having a work surface, comprising at least one through opening and at least one movable door for closing/opening said opening according to the pre-characterising portion of the main claim.

In the present context, furniture element is to be construed as meaning any element suitable to be placed in public or private premises, such as for example tables or office desks.

In known table work surfaces and office desks an opening is usually provided for the passage of cables and/or for reaching devices, such as for example electric or electronic devices, housed below the work surface itself and supported for example by a shelf constrained to the lower surface of the work surface .

In order to close said openings provided in work surfaces, a door is usually provided, which is generally connected with an edge of the work surface opening so as to be rotatable relative to one side of the door itself and movable upwards relative to an upper surface of the work surface .

Doors are also known which in their opening position are at least partially arranged below the work surface. In this kind of doors, it is however comparatively difficult to manually handle the door itself, above all when it is brought back from the opening position to the closing position .

For example, DE 101 50 013 A1 describes a door for a desk work surface wherein the door in its opening position is partially arranged below said work surface and for its handling avails itself of guiding fixed side elements comprising a duly shaped guiding slit wherein moving pins can slide. The door guiding elements described in DE 101 50 013 A1 do not allow the door to be arranged in its opening position completely below the work surface.

Other prior documents showing furniture elements having a work surface, comprising at least one through opening and at least one movable door for closing/opening said opening, are: DE 94 02 481 Ul, CA 2 809 544 Al, WO 2012/117625, EP 2 570 048A2.

The purpose of the present invention is to implement a furniture element having a work surface, comprising at least one through opening and at least one movable door for closing/opening said opening, according to the pre characterising portion of the main claim, which is easy and simple to use and does not need particular efforts to manually handle the door itself in its two customary use positions .

A further purpose is to implement a furniture element wherein the door guiding and handling elements are simple to implement and assemble.

These and other purposes which will be apparent for those skilled in the art are achieved by a furniture element having a work surface, comprising at least one through opening and at least one movable door for closing/opening said opening, according to the characterising portion of the appended claims .

For a better understanding of the present invention, drawings are attached hereto by way of non-limiting example, wherein:

- fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a work surface of a furniture element (not represented in its entirety) according to the invention,

- fig. 2 and fig. 3 show two magnified views of two details of fig. 1,

- fig. 4 shows a schematic bottom view of the portion of the work surface of fig. 1 comprising an opening and the relevant closing/opening door, - fig. 5 shows a partial schematic perspective view of the closing door of fig. 4,

- fig. 6 and fig. 7 show a schematic side and top view, respectively, of only the door handling and guiding (the door not being represented) ,

- fig. 8 shows a schematic perspective view like the one of fig. 5, wherein however the components referenced as 11 and 4 in fig. 5 are not represented,

- figs. 9-13 show schematic side views of the door, wherein only some handling and guiding components thereof are represented, the door being represented in different handling positions thereof.

With reference to figure 1, it shows a work surface 1, comprising :

- an upper surface 1A and a lower surface IB (fig. 4), as well as a through opening 2 (fig. 2 represents a work surface with two openings) ,

- at least one movable door 3 for closing said opening 2, having an upper surface 3A (fig. 2) and a lower surface 3B (fig. 4),

- wherein in its closing position C (fig. 2) said movable door 3 closes said opening 2 of the work surface 1 and the upper surface 3A of said movable door 3 and the upper surface 1A of said work surface 1 are substantially coplanar with each other (in the present context, coplanar is to be construed as meaning that the height difference between the two upper surfaces ranges for example from 2 cm to 2 mm) ,

- and wherein in its opening position A (fig. 3) said movable door 3 leaves said opening 2 substantially free and is arranged below the lower surface 3B of said work surface 1 (in the present context, substantially free opening is to be construed as meaning that at least 70% of the opening is free, more preferably at least 90% is free) . In this closing position the upper surface 3A of the door 3 is preferably parallel to the lower surface IB of the work surface 1 (in a variation which is not represented, the two surfaces might however be inclined relative to each other) and the two surfaces are in contact with each other, or else are spaced from each other by a value ranging for example from 1 mm to 5 cm, more preferably ranging from 1 mm to 1cm and even more preferably ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm.

According to the invention, the guiding device 4 comprises: at least two lever linkages 5-8; 5' -8', in particular each lever linkage comprising at least two connecting rods, wherein the two lever linkages are rotationally connected:

- respectively with a first side 3M, 3M' and with a second side 3N, 3N' , opposing the first, of said door 3,

- and respectively with a first and with a second support element 9, 9' rigidly constrained to the lower surface IB of the work surface 1, provided in proximity to the opening 2,

- wherein said at least two lever linkages are sized and shaped so that they guide said door between said opening position A (fig. 13), intermediate position I (fig. 11) and closing position C (fig. 9), and vice versa .

Preferably, the two lever linkages have a first end 5A-8A (fig. 4); 5A'—8A' which is rotationally connected with the door 3 in correspondence with its lower surface 3B and respectively with two sides 3M 3N; 3M' 3N' , opposing each other, of said door, and a second end 5B-8B; 5B' 8B' which is rotationally connected with a first and with a second support element 9, 9 ^r rigidly constrained to the lower surface IB of the work surface 1, provided in proximity to the opening 2.

In the present context, lever linkage is to be construed as meaning a member guiding the door movement, rotationally connected with the door itself and with the support element 9, comprising one or more rods or levers, in particular connecting rods (rods with two hinges at the ends) , as debated in details hereinafter; accordingly, in the present context, even a single connecting rod and/or pair of connecting rods is to be construed as being suitable to form a lever linkage.

The work surface according to the invention also comprises, below the work surface 1, a device 4 (fig. 4) for guiding said movable door, suitable to guide said door between said closing position C and said opening position A.

Additionally, according to the invention, handling means 10 (fig. 4) for handling the door 3 are provided, comprising a member 10A suitable to at least partially brake the door 1 in its movement from the closing position C to the intermediate position I and to at least partially push the door upwards in its movement from the intermediate position I to the closing position C, wherein said member 10 A is preferably of a spring-type, more preferably of a gas spring-type .

It is to be highlighted that the work surface 1 is preferably the work surface of a usual table or of a usual office desk and the opening 2 is the usual opening provided in this type of furniture elements for the passage of cables of electronic equipment provided on the work surface itself and/or for housing electronic devices (such as for example power plugs or plugs for internet connection or connection with projection systems) . In the present context, work surface is however to be construed as meaning the work surface or the part of a work surface of any furniture element which is of a customary type for those skilled in the art. Generally, in correspondence with the opening 2 of the work surface and below its lower surface 1 B, usual support elements such as baskets (not represented, but conventional for those skilled in the art) are provided, constrained to said lower surface and suitable to support the cables and/or the devices required for the devices provided above the work surface itself. The work surface 1 may have one or more openings 2, which may be provided in any position on the work surface itself, particularly both in central positions of the work surface (such as opening 2 of fig. 1) and on the edges 1C—IE of the work surface, as in the case of opening 2' (represented as a dashed line in fig. 1) . The opening 2 may therefore be fully delimited by its own edges 2A-2D (fig. 3) or, as represented by means of a dashed line in fig. 1, one (or more) of the edges of the opening 2 may be formed by a segment 2D' of one of the table outer edges 1C-1E.

Advantageously the edges 2D and 2B (fig. 11) of the opening 2 relative to which the two portions 3C and 3D the door 3 rotate have a groove 2E 2F which is opened towards the lower surface IB of the work surface 1, suitable to reduce the thickness SI (fig. 11) of said edges 2D 2B compared to the overall thickness S2 of the work surface 1, thus allowing the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 to be moved from the closing position C wherein they are coplanar with the work surface 1 to a position PI wherein they start to rototranslate below the upper surface 1 of the work surface 1 (fig. 10), as will be explained in more detail hereinafter .

Advantageously, the edge 3E 3F (fig. 12) of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 which is closest to the edges 2D and 2D of the opening 2 relative to which the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3 rotate also has a groove

3G 3H which is opened towards the lower surface 3B of the door 3 and which is suitable to reduce the thickness S3 (fig. 12) of said edges 3E 3F compared to the overall thickness S4 of the door 3, thus favouring the movement of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 from the closing position C wherein they are coplanar with the work surface 1 to the position PI (fig. 10) wherein they start to rototranslate below the upper surface 1 of the work surface 1, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.

The movable door 3 for closing the opening 2 may consist of a single piece, but preferably it is formed by two portions 3C 3D (fig.2) which preferably have the same size, so that either portion closes half the opening 2.

Advantageously, the edge 3E 3F (fig. 12) of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 which is closest to the edges 2D and 2D (fig. 3) of the opening 2 relative to which the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3 rotate has a groove 3G 3H which is opened towards the lower surface 3B of the door 3 and which is suitable to reduce the thickness S3 (fig. 12) of said edges 3E 3F compared to the overall thickness S4 of the door 3, thus favouring the movement of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 from the closing position C wherein they are coplanar with the work surface 1 to the position PI (fig. 10) wherein they start to rototranslate below the upper surface 1 of the work surface 1, as will be explained in more detail hereinafter.

It is highlighted that the grooves 2E 2F in the edges 2 and the grooves 3G 3H in the edges of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 may have a stepwise shape (surfaces being perpendicular to one another) , as reproduced in figures 9- 13, or else may have any different shape which is however fit for the purpose, such as for example the shape of a slide having a single inclined surface.

Advantageously, the two portions 3C and 3D in their closing position do not fully close the opening 2, but they leave an open longitudinal space L (fig. 2) having a length, for example, ranging from 1 mm to 2 cm, more preferably ranging from 5 mm to 1 cm, for the passage of cables even when the door is in its closing position C (fig. 2) . As is usual for those skilled in the art, the space L can be partially closed by conventional brush-like closing elements or closing elements with a folding blade constrained to the opposing edges 3J and 3K (fig. 12) of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3. However, it is highlighted that the opening L is not essential for the movement of the two portions 3 C and 3D of the door 3. Preferably, the guiding device 4 comprises, for each of the two portions 3C and 3D of the door, four connecting rods 5, 6, 7, 8, two of which 5, 6, 7, 8 are associated to one edge 3M 3M' (fig. 4), whereas two 5' , 6', 7', 8' are associated to the parallel and opposing side 3N, 3N' .

Preferably the ends of the connecting rods 5, 6, 7, 8 and 5', 6' , 1', 8' are not directly connected with the lower face 3B of the two portions of the door 3, but are connected with said face by a connecting element 11, suitable to lower the connection point of the connecting rods, in the example represented by an L-shaped bracket comprising a wall 11A departing from the lower face 3B of the two portions of the door 3. The connecting element allows the connection point Z1-Z4 of the connecting rods 5-8 to be spaced from the lower surface 3B of the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3 to an extent D (fig. 9), namely allows the connecting rods to be connected at a height Q1 (fig. 9) which, with reference to the lying plane of the work surface 1, is higher than the height Q2 of the lower surface of the portions 3C, 3D of the door 3, when said portions 3C 3D are in their closing position C (fig. 9) . It is highlighted that the connecting element 11 might also be integral with the portions 3B, 3C of the door 3.

The connecting rods 5, 6, 7, 8, 5', 6', 7', 8' in the illustrated form of embodiment preferably have all the same shape and length L (as shown in figure 6) and preferably have all the hinge points Z1-Z4 of one first end of the connecting rods 5-8 lying on the same straight line R1 (fig. 11) and the hinge points Z5-Z8 of the other end of the connecting rods lying on a second straight line R2. Furthermore, the two straight lines R1 and R2 where the hinge points Z1-Z8 lie are preferably also parallel to each other .

However, according to the invention the connecting rods might also not have the same length and/or have hinge points not belonging to the same straight lines. Preferably, the connecting rods along with the sides 3M 3N 3M' 3N' of the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3 (namely with the relevant connecting element 11 provided in correspondence with said sides 3M 3N 3M' 3N' ) to which the first ends Z1-Z4 of said connecting rods are hinged and along with the support element 4 to which the second ends Z5-Z8 of said connecting rods are hinged form, on each of said sides of the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3, a connection of the four-bar linkage type, preferably a four- bar rhomboid parallelogram (with parallel sides having a different length) .

The connecting rods 5, 6, 7, 8, 5', 6', 7', 8' have at their ends through holes suitable to house a first freely rotating end segment of customary pivots 13, 13 ^f (fig. 7), second end segments 13A, 13A' (some of which are partially visible in fig. 8) of said pivots engaging with relevant seats provided in the wall 11 A of the connecting elements 11 and in the connecting element 4, respectively.

It is highlighted that the connecting rods might also have a different length, for example the outermost connecting rods 5 and 8 might be longer than the innermost connecting rods 6 and 7.

It is also highlighted that the connecting rod pairs might be replaced by a different kind of lever linkage, for example comprising more than two segments, hinged to one another, at any rate of a conventional type for those skilled in the art, to perform rototranslational movements. The support element 4 is for example shaped as a parallelepiped bar and has customary plates 4B (fig. 4 and 5) allowing the bar to be rigidly constrained to the lower surface IB of the work surface 1 by means of screws driven through holes provided in said plates 4B and engaging with said work surface 1.

Along the face 4C (fig. 5) which is closest to the door 3, the support element 4 has threaded holes 4D (fig. 7) wherein the pivots 13, 13' of one end of the connecting rods 5 and 8, 5' and 8' engage.

The support element 4 also has a central pocket 4E (fig. 5- 7) which is open in correspondence with a lower face 4F of the support element itself and which is suitable to house a synchronising member 12 (fig. 8) for synchronising the movement of the pairs of connecting rods 7 and 8 of a first portion 3C of the door 3 with the corresponding pair of connecting rods 5 and 6 of the second portion 3D of the door. The synchronising member 12 comprises a plurality of toothed wheels (in the example, four toothed wheels) : two central idler wheels 12C and two end wheels 12B, the latter being rigidly constrained to the pivot 13', which is also constrained to one end of the central connecting rods 6 and 7 (fig. 7) . The central idler wheels are by contrast constrained each to a customary pivot 12D (fig. 7), driven through holes 4H (fig. 5) provided in the side walls 4C (fig. 5) and 4K (fig. 6) of the support element 4 and constrained to said side walls in the customary manner.

The synchronising member 12 is suitable to convey the motion of one of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 to the other portion as well, so that if a force acts on one of said two portions, moving it or braking it, the other portion as well is simultaneously and equally moved or braked, as explained in details hereinafter.

It is highlighted that the synchronising member may be of any type which is customary to those skilled in the art and must not necessarily have a toothed wheel gear.

To the support element 4 are also constrained the handling means 10 for handling the door 3, namely, according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the member 10A suitable to at least partially brake the movement of the door 3 in its movement from the closing position C and from the opening position A to an intermediate position I (fig. 12) between them, as well as to at least partially push the door 3 upwards when it must be moved from the intermediate position I to the closing position C and from said intermediate position I to the opening position A, depending on whether the door 3 is to be closed or opened. Said handling member 10A is for example of spring-type, more preferably of a gas spring-type, and comprises, as is usual for those skilled in the art, a cylinder 10D (fig. 7) containing pressurised gas and a stem IOC sliding in the cylinder through a sealing ring. The free end 10M (fig. 6) of the cylinder 10D is connected with the outer side wall 4K of the support element 4 through a pivot 10E (fig. 7) and in such a way that the cylinder can rotate (as shown by the arrow F of fig. 6) . The end ION of the stem IOC is connected by a connecting lever linkage, for example a coupling-connecting rod 10F, with the pivot 13' (fig. 6), with which:

- one of the central connecting rods of one of the two portions 3C or 3D of the door 3 (in the drawing of fig. 7, the connecting rod 7),

- and one of the toothed wheels of the synchronising gear 12 (in the represented example, the wheel 12B) are also connected.

In this way, as better explained hereinafter, the braking or pushing action exerted by the spring member 10A is conveyed at the same time both to a pair of connecting rods 7 and 8 connected with a first portion 3C of the door 3 and to the other pair of connecting rods 6, 7 connected with the other portion 3D of the door.

The coupling-connecting rod 10F is connected both with the pivot 13' and with the pivot 10P for the connection with the end 10N of the stem IOC of the member 10A in a swivelling manner, so as to be enabled to rotate relative to both said pivots (as shown in figures 9-13) .

The handling means 10 (fig. 4) for handling the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3 described so far (gas spring member 10A and coupling-connecting rod 10F) are dimensioned and shaped so that, when the door 3 is in a closing position C or in an opening position A, the stem IOC is at its maximum stretching (fig. 6 and fig. 9) .

As shown in figure 9, when the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3 are in a closing position C, the two connecting rods of one portion are oriented according to a first direction R1 and the two connecting rods of the other portion are oriented according to a direction R2 which vertically mirrors the first and both these directions form an angle Gl, G2 (fig. 9) between +20° and -45° with an axis parallel to that of the work surface 1. For example in fig. 9, according to a first preferred starting position of the connecting rods 5-8, the angle Gl, G2 is about -30° (meaning that the end of the connecting rods which are connected with the portions 3C 3D of the door are at a higher height Q1 (fig. 9) than the other ends of the connecting rods), whereas in fig. 6, according to a different possible starting position of the connecting rods, said angle Gl ^r and G2 is about +10° (meaning that the end of the connecting rods which are connected with the portions 3C 3D of the door are at a lower height than the other ends of the connecting rods) .

When the two portions 3C 3D of the door are in a closing position C, the handling means 10 convey the maximum braking force, whose component acting perpendicularly to the work surface 1 is referenced as FI in fig. 9, to said two portions 3C 3D through the coupling-connecting rod IOC, the gears 12 and the connecting rods 5-8; this braking force opposes the downward movement, namely the opening movement, of said two portions 3C 3D of the door 3. When the door 3 is in its closing position C, this force ensures that the door 3 cannot accidentally be opened, for example by placing an object on the door itself. Said maximum braking force exerted by the gas spring ranges, for example, from 30N to 100N and preferably amounts to about 50N (said values of course depend on the weight of the door and on its size) . In this closing position the stem IOC (fig. 6) of the gas spring is at its maximum stretching and the coupling-connecting rod 10F is in a position FI (fig. 6) above the end of the relevant connecting rod 7 of the portion 3C of the door 3 to which said coupling-connecting rod 10F is connected by the pivot 13' . In order to open the door 3 it is only necessary to exert on one of the two portions 3D, 3C of the door a force F2 (fig. 9) which is stronger than and opposed to the force exerted by the handling means 10 (namely by the gas spring) , in other words to push one of the two portions 3D 3C of the door 3 downwards .

Said downward push of the door 3 initially brings about :

- a first substantially vertical lowering (without rotations) of the two portions 3C 3D, allowing the sides 3F 3E (fig. 12) of the two portions of the door 3 to move below the corresponding sides 2B 2D of the opening 2 of the work surface 1; this situation is shown in fig. 10; it is highlighted that the reduced thickness of the above sides 3F 3E and 2B 2D (namely the steps 3G 3H (fig. 12) and 2E 2F (fig. 11, respectively) allows and favours said first lowering of the two portions of the door;

- a downward rotation of the connecting rods 5-8 (in the direction of the arrow R3 fig. 10), entailing that their ends being constrained to the portions 3C 3D of the door 3 are at a higher height Q4 (fig. 10) than the height Q3 of the corresponding ends constrained to the support element 4.

- a first backward movement of the stem IOC of the gas spring member, which at any rate still acts as a brake on the door 3.

Pushing further downwards one of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3, said two portions translate and rotate downwards, as shown in fig. 11, until the connecting rod 10F of the stem IOC of the gas spring 10A is aligned with the stem itself (fig. 11) in a standstill position VI. In this position, the torque exerted by the handling means on the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 is null and the latter is in a steady position. Said position of the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3, referenced as I in fig. 11, is also the position wherein said two portions 3C 3D are at their height Q5 (fig. 11) which is lower than the lower surface IB of the work surface 1.

Pushing further downwards one of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3, said two portions keep on rotating in the direction of the arrows R4, R4' and at first keep on lowering (until the ends 25-28 (fig. 11) of the connecting rods 5-8 reach their maximum distance from the lower surface IB of the work surface 1), then they start to rise towards the lower surface IB of the work surface 1, pushed by the action of the gas spring 10A.

Once the position of fig. 11 is overcome, the gas spring 10A starts to exert a pushing force on the connecting rod 10F, since the stem IOC starts to perform a pushing rather than a compressing movement and accordingly acts as an element which can move the two portions 3C and 3D, automatically pushing them upwards, after the ends 25-28 of the connecting rods have reached and overcome their position of maximum distance from the lower surface IB of the work surface 1, until they reach their final position against the inner surface IB of the work surface 1 (as shown in fig. 13) .

In order to bring the two portions 3C 3D from the opening position A back to the closing position C, one of the two portions 3C 3D need to be pushed, as shown by the arrow F5 (fig. 13), downwards and towards the centre of the opening 2 up to the position of fig. 11, wherein the connecting rod 10F of the handling means 10 reverts to the standstill position VI .

This first step of return movement of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 opposes the force exerted by the handling means 10 (namely by the gas spring 10A) , which accordingly exert a braking action at this stage. Once the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 are brought back to the position of fig. 11, a further, very slight push of one of the two portions 3C 3D towards the centre of the opening 2 is sufficient to automatically reverse the action of the handling means 10, so that they automatically start to push the two portions 3C and 3D of the door upwards until they reach the closing position C (fig. 9) .

It is highlighted that, in order to handle the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3, it is sufficient to use a finger of one hand and exert an action always and exclusively on the upper surface 3A of one of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3. As a matter of fact, it is not necessary to grasp one of the edges 3J 3K (fig. 3 and fig. 12) of one of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 to bring it back from the opening position A to the closing position C.

Moreover, since in order to bring the door 3 back to the closing position it is desirable to be able to act always and exclusively on the upper surface 3A of one of the two portions 3C or 3D of the door, a segment of said two portion advantageously remains projecting into the opening 2 also when the door 3 is in its complete opening position A (as shown in figure 2) .

It is highlighted that in the exemplary embodiment illustrated so far the handling means 10 consist of a single gas spring 10A, however the latter might be replaced by one or more devices of a different type, at any rate conventional for those skilled in the art, in particular a device can be provided which is only suitable to brake the motion of the two portions 3C and 3D of the door 3 from the closing position C to the intermediate position I (fig. 11) and a different device can be provided which is suitable to push said two portions from said intermediate position I to the opening position A and at the time of door closing from the intermediate position to the closing position C.

It is also highlighted that preferably, as shown in figure 4, the same identical components for guiding and handling one side 3M of the two portions 3C 3D of the door 3 are also used on the other side 3N of said two portions 3C, 3D of the door 3, wherein on one side (3M) the gas spring 10A is connected with the connecting rod 7 which in its turn is connected with the portion 3C, whereas on the other side (3N) the gas spring 10A is connected with the connecting rod 7' which in its turn is connected with the other portion 3D of the door.