DESCRIPTION

The object of the present invention is an improved guide device for the opening and the support of doors of furniture.

More particularly the present invention relates to a guide and support device, suitable for being applied to furniture provided with openable doors for the purpose of guiding and supporting the movement thereof both during opening and during closing.

As is known, in furniture such as cupboards, shoe racks, bathroom or kitchen cabinets and similar items of furniture provided with openable doors of the fall-front type, the movement of opening and closure of said doors is typically permitted by a hinge mechanism placed in connection between the frame of the furniture and the door itself which allows a fall-front opening.

The user acts manually on the door to perform the movement of opening and, typically, again manually, accompanies the same during the entire movement of closure.

However it may be the case that the user acts on the door with excessive force or loses grip or does not accompany it, causing a varyingly violent impact of the door against the frame of the item of furniture or an incomplete closure of the door itself. This may entail wear or damage to the furniture and, in the case of a door remaining partially open, may create problems of safety (the user may run the risk of hitting against the door) and/or of unsightly visual defects, etc.

To avoid this disadvantage some hinge connections are of the damped type or are provided with guide devices comprising, for example, gas springs suitable for facilitating and shock-absorbing both the movement of opening and of closing of the door or, more generally, of mechanisms suitable for allowing a gentle return of the door into position of closure. Other constructional solutions use hinge mechanisms provided with levers or jointed systems (for example with articulated quadrilateral) with damped regulation means for the control of the movement of opening/closing of the door. However these constructional solutions too involve some significant disadvantages related to the complexity of construction and the bulky dimensions due to the presence of levers and to the correlated costs.

Other constructionally simpler solutions perform the guided movement of opening/closing of the door by means of a cable connected to the same door and to a support structure attached to the frame and wherefrom the aforesaid cable projects (see, for example, EP 1691016 Al of the same Applicant and DE-202008002232 Ul).

However these devices too, even if constructionally simpler with respect to those described above, have some major disadvantages linked to the overall length dimensions of the structure and to the need to have to calculate with accuracy the length of the cable as a function of the dimensions of the door and of the slant of opening of the same. As a consequence thereof they cannot be used for the guiding in movement of doors of furniture having particularly reduced depth dimensions such as for example shoe racks which do not allow the application on one side of the device of collection of the cable.

A further disadvantage of said last traditional guide devices is linked to the fact that they are made specifically for an application with respect to a single side of the furniture (right or left side) and a single orientation and, as a consequence thereof, it is necessary to have several stocks in the warehouse with correlated increase in costs.

The object of the present invention is that of obviating the disadvantages stated above. More particularly, the object of the present invention is that of providing an improved guide device for the opening and the support of doors of furniture, which has particularly contained overall dimensions in such a way as to be able to be used on different types of furniture, also characterised by reduced depths such as, for example, shoe racks or bathroom cabinets or the like without limiting the useful space inside the furniture.

A further object of the present invention is that of providing a guide device which can be used irrespectively on the right or left side of the furniture and with different orientations. A further object of the present invention is to make available to users an improved guide device for the opening and the support of fall-front doors of furniture suitable for ensuring a high level of resistance and reliability in time and such, moreover, as to be easily and economically produced.

A further object of the device of the invention is that of allowing a reduction in the material of the guide device, in particular of the cable for support of the door and, consequently, reducing the costs of production of the same device. These and other objects are achieved by the invention which has the features as claimed in claim 1.

According to the invention an improved guide device is provided for the opening and the support of furniture doors suitable for guiding and supporting the movement thereof both during opening and closing phases, comprising a container body of substantially rectangular shape attached on the inner face of a lateral shoulder of a frame of an item of furniture provided with a door fall-front openable via at least one hinge attached to the frame of the furniture and operatively connected to the container body by means of a cable attached to said door via a fastening element constrained to an inner face of the same door, said device which likewise comprises a body-slide sliding inside said container body and comprising means roto-translating with respect to a cogged profile or rack of the container body for a movement of said body-slide and an unwinding/winding of said cable from/on said roto-translating means whereto the cable is attached, in contrast to or assisted by a return spring.

Damping means are also present, suitable for absorbing the end-of-stroke impact of the body-slide.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims.

The constructional and functional features of the improved guide device for the opening and the support of doors of furniture of the present invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings which represent a preferred and non-limiting embodiment thereof, in which:

Figure 1 shows schematically a side view in transparency of the guide device of the invention applied to the frame of an item of furniture with closed fall-front door; Figure 2 shows schematically a front view from the interior of the furniture of the same device applied to an inner side or shoulder of an item of furniture with closed fall-front door;

Figure 3 shows schematically a side view in transparency of the device of the invention in a configuration with open fall-front door;

Figure 4 represents schematically an enlarged detail of a portion of device of the invention indicated by the circle X in Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 represents schematically an enlarged detail of a portion of the device of the invention indicated by the circle Y in Figure 3;

Figure 6 shows on a schematic level a blown-up axonometric view of the device of the invention;

Figures 7 and 8 show, schematically and respectively, a side view and a front view from the interior of the device of the invention applied to the frame of an item of furniture according to a different orientation with respect to that of the preceding drawings;

Figure 9 represents schematically a view of a component of the container element of the device of the invention;

Figures 10 and 11 show two sectioned views of the container element as per the preceding drawing, respectively along section planes A-A and B-B;

Figures 12 and 13 show schematically a side view and a front view of a constituent component of the device of the invention.

Referring to the aforesaid drawings, the improved guide device for the opening and the support of furniture doors of the present invention, denoted overall by 10, comprises a container body 11 of substantially rectangular shape attached on the inner face of a lateral shoulder 12 of a frame of an item of furniture 14 provided with an openable door 16 of the fall-front type and attached to said furniture via at least one hinge 18 and connected to said container body 11 by means of a cable 20 which projects from the container body 11 of the guide device 10 (according to the methods detailed here below) and which engages with a fastening element 22 rigidly constrained with respect to the inner face of the openable door 16.

The container body 11, in whose interior the means of actuation of the guide device of the invention are housed, is defined by two symmetrical half-shells, respectively a first half- shell 24 and a second half-shell 26, made in aluminium or alloys thereof, in plastic material or in another material suitable for the purpose and are shaped internally in order to house the means of actuation or functional components described here below. With particular reference to Figures 6, and 9 to 11, the first half-shell 24 (taking account of the fact that the second half-shell 26 has the same structure it is not described further) comprises, at its lower portion, a pocket 28 with rectangular section, developed from an inner face 21 of said half-shell and in the direction of an outer face 23 of the same, longitudinally extended and centrally whereto a recess 30 with rectangular section is formed, likewise longitudinally extended and provided, along the lower edge, with a cogged profile 32 or rack.

The upper portion of the first half-shell 24 comprises a seat 34 of bilobed shape, longitudinally extended for a length substantially corresponding to that of the pocket 28 and provided with a first lobe 36 and with a second lobe 38 superimposed one in relation to the other.

The lower portion of the first half-shell 24, at one of the ends, has a circular pocket 40, whose function will be described here below.

In a similar manner the upper portion of each half-shell, at the end portion turned in the direction of the circular pocket 40, has a further seat 42 of bilobed shape, comprising a further first lobe 44 and a further second lobe 46 adjacent one to the other and two through openings 41 formed in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the aforesaid lobes, at one end of said further seat 44 opposite the seat 34 and turned in the direction of the outer face of the first half-shell 24.

The upper portion of the half-shell 24, at an end vertex opposite the position of the further seat 42, has a shoulder or abutment 45 whose function will appear clearer here below.

The pocket 28 has the function of housing a sliding body-slide 48 defined by two half- shells 48' and 48", equal and symmetric one to the other, whose lower portion comprises a circular compartment 50, centrally hollow, suitable for allowing the housing of a cogged wheel 52 and whose upper portion comprises a bilobed compartment 54 provided with two superimposed and adjacent lobes 54' and 54" (respectively an upper lobe 54' and a lower lobe 54") whose diameter corresponds to that of the first lobe 36 and of the second lobe 38 of the seat 34. Said upper lobe 54' and lower lobe 54" are, respectively, suitable for housing a damping element 56 and an elastic element defined, for example, by a helical spring 58; said damping element 56 comprises a damper 56' on which a housing 56" is coaxially fitted, substantially cylindrical and sliding inside the upper lobe 54'.

The cogged wheel comprises two opposite hubs 52' and 52" with cogged outer profile suitable, respectively, for coupling with the cogged profile or rack 32 of the first half- shell 24 and of the second half-shell 26 of the container body 11 and an outer profile provided with two coupled cogged crowns 53 and 53' angularly staggered one in relation to the other by a portion of round angle and, in particular, a cog of the cogged crown 53 is, for example, placed in an intermediate position between two cogs of the cogged crown 53'.

The two cogged crowns 53 and 53' coupled in this way define a channel 57 circumferentially extended inside whereof the cable 20 is wound which has one end attached to said cogged wheel 52 at a hole 59 formed eccentrically with respect to the axis of the cogged wheel and the opposite end attached, as already defined previously, to the attachment element 22 of the openable door 16 of the furniture 14.

The circular pocket 40 of the container body 11 is suitable for housing an optional pulley 60 or jockey pulley rotatably idle whereon the cable 20 slides, as detailed here below.

The further first lobe 44 and the further second lobe 46 of the further seat 42 have the function of housing slidingly, respectively, a first pusher 62 and a second pusher 64, provided with inner axial threading and coaxially whereto a first pin 66 and a second pin 68 are inserted, each one provided with an end cylindrical crown 70 (on the opposite side with respect to the pushers 62 and 64) with cogged profile circumferentially developed along a plane perpendicular to the axis and placed at the through openings 41 of the further seat 42 in such a way as to be able to co-operate with a tool of the screwdriver or punch type or the like for the function described here below. The first half-shell 24 and the second half-shell 26, comprising the internal components described above, are joined one to the other by means of screws, pins, retaining elements with deformation of the snap-fit type or similarly known and suitable for the purpose. The functioning of the improved guide device for the opening and the support of doors of furniture of the present invention, described in detail above with reference to the constructional features, is explained here below. Referring to Figure 1 the condition of furniture with door 16 closed is schematised.

In this condition the body-slide 48 finds itself in a fully backward position with the cable 20 wound on the cogged wheel 52, the helical spring 58 in conditions of rest and the rear portion of the damping element 56 in contact with the shoulder or abutment 45.

When a user performs the action of opening the door 16 (as indicated in Figure 3 by the arrow A - Figure 3 shows the configuration of door completely open), the cogged wheel 52, due to the action of pulling of the cable 20 connected to the door 16, roto-translates with respect to the cogged profile or rack 32 winding the cable 20 and imposing, at the same time, the translation of the body-slide 48 in the direction of the pulley 60 and the compression of the helical spring 58.

The possible impact at end of stroke, during the phase of opening of the door, is damped by the action of the damping element 56, wherein the housing 56" of the damper 56' with its front end or portion comes into contact with the first pusher 62 placed inside the further first lobe 44 and, compressing the damper, achieves the absorption of the impact.

In a similar way, when the door 16 is moved during closure, due to the effect of the action of return of the helical spring 58, the cogged wheel 52 roto-translates with respect to the cogged profile or rack 32 in a direction opposite to the starting one, causing the translation of the same body-slide 48 which houses said cogged wheel and the simultaneous rewinding of the cable 20 on the cogged wheel.

In this case the damping element 56, coming into contact with the shoulder or abutment 45, causes absorption of the impact of the body-slide 48 during said phase of return.

Moreover, by introducing a tool, for example, the tip of a screwdriver, in the through openings 41 of the container body 11, the user can act on the cogged profile of the end cylindrical crown 70 of the first pin 66 and/or of the second pin 68 rotating the same and causing the roto -translation of the first pusher 62 and/or of the second pusher 64 to regulate the preload of the helical spring 58 and/or the action of the damping element which also has the function of allowing the limitation of the opening of the door, useful for determining with precision the slant of the opening of the door and, likewise, for positioning the mechanism lower down should it be necessary. With reference to this construction and assembly configuration, the jockey pulley 60 might not be present.

The guide device of the invention can likewise be attached to the furniture rotated through 90°, i.e. in vertical position with respect to the horizontal position described previously, as schematised in Figures 7 and 8. In this configuration, particularly suitable for application on furniture characterised by a reduced depth, the functioning of the guide device is wholly similar to what was described previously. In this case the jockey pulley 60 is always present in order to guarantee a correct guide and tensioning of the cable 20.

As can be seen from the above the advantages that the device of the invention achieves are clear.

The improved guide device for the opening and the support of doors of furniture of the present invention, thanks to the roto-translating movement of the cogged wheel with respect to the rack, allows advantageously a reduction in the diameter of the same cogged wheel whereon the cable 20 is wound and one in the length of the same cable. This is in that a portion of the length of the cable is compensated by the displacement of the cogged wheel along the aforesaid rack.

Further advantageous is the fact that the guide device of the invention is provided with damping means suitable for allowing damping of the impact both during the phase of opening of the door (opening end of stroke) and in the phase of closure (closure end of stroke).

A further advantage is represented by the presence of the elastic element or helical spring of the compression type which allows compensation of the weight of the door during the opening phase and, at the same time, reduces the effort which the user has to make for the raising of the same during the closure phase.

A further advantage is represented by the possibility of limiting the roto-translating movement of the cogged wheel with respect to the rack by acting on the pin for regulation of the damping system, so as to allow a precise determination of the slant of opening of the door and a precise positioning of the guide device with respect to the furniture. Further advantageous is the fact that the guide device of the invention can also be mounted vertically, i.e. rotated through 90° with respect to the typical horizontal mounting configuration (with reference to the direction of sliding of the body-slide 48) so as to be able to adapt also to furniture with reduced depth such as shoe racks, bathroom cabinets and the like without the need for structural alterations.

A further advantage is represented by the fact that, the two half-shells defining the container body of the guide device of the invention being equal one to the other and symmetrical, mounting of the same device is possible both on the right shoulder and on the left shoulder of the frame of the furniture without the need to have a right and a left guide device.

Although the invention has been described above with particular reference to one of its embodiments given solely by way of a non-limiting example, numerous changes and variations will appear clear to a person skilled in the art in light of the description given above. The present invention intends, therefore, to embrace all the modifications and the variations that fall within the scope of the following claims.