MEANS FOR FURNITURE DOOR Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a buffer device for absorbing the closing impact of a furniture door, and more particularly, to a buffer device having a built-in tension adjustment means for a furniture door, which can improve precision of the adjustment of tension thereof and minimize the volume thereof. Background Art

[2] In general, a buffer device (hereinafter, also referred to as "fixing bracket" for a furniture door is installed at a path where a door of the furniture such as drawers, sinks or the like is opened or closed. Mounted in a hollow space of such a fixing bracket is a fluid damper as means for absorbing an external load or an impact noise generated in the course of closing the furniture door.

[3] For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a fixing bracket (Korean Registration No.

10-731336) which is a prior application invention filed by the present applicant includes a fixing plate 10 installed at a path where a furniture door is closed, a damper housing 20 coupled to the fixing plate 10, and a contact member 30 slidably coupled to the damper housing 20 so as to accommodate a fluid damper 35 therein. Thus, in the case where the fixing bracket 1 is installed at the closed path of the furniture door, an external load exerted to the contact member 30 upon the closing of the furniture door is absorbed by a damping force of the fluid damper 35 during the rearward movement, i.e., retraction of the contact member 30, so as to reduce an impact or a noise due to the external load exerted to the contact member 30 in the course of closing the furniture door.

[4] In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 2, in case of a fixing bracket 1 as an improvement of the fixing bracket 1, a tension adjustment bolt 40 is fastened to a rear end of the damper housing 20, so that the contact member 30 received in the damper housing 20 can advance or retract upon the forward or reverse rotation of the tension adjustment bolt 40 so as to adjust the tension of the fluid damper 35 as shown in FIG. 1.

[5] However, the fixing bracket 1 of FIG. 2 entails a problem in that it includes merely the tension adjustment bolt 40 fastened to the rear end of the damper housing 20, but not suitable means for preventing the idle rotation of the tension adjustment bolt 40, such that when an external load is applied to the fixing bracket 1, the tension adjustment bolt 40 is gradually released and loosened.

[6] In addition, the fixing bracket 1 also encounters a drawback in that since it is con- structed such that the tension adjustment bolt 40 is fastened to the rear end of the damper housing 20, it is impossible to check the tension adjustment state of the tension adjustment bolt 40 with naked eye, and as a result, there is caused an inconvenience in the turning of the tension adjustment bolt 40 as well as precision of the adjustment of tension of the fluid damper 35 is deteriorated.

[7] Moreover, the fixing bracket 1 has a shortcoming that when the tension adjustment bolt 40 is loosened and falls down due to a worker's carelessness during the tension adjustment of the fluid damper 35, there is a risk of losing the fallen tension adjustment bolt 40.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the aforementioned problems associated with the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a buffer device having a built-in tension adjustment means for a furniture door, which can improve precision of the adjustment of tension of a fluid damper and minimize the volume thereof. Technical Solution

[9] To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a buffer device having built-in tension adjustment means for a furniture door, including: a fixing plate 10 bolt-coupled to a path where a furniture door is closed; a damper housing 20 coupled to the fixing plate 10 so as to accommodate a fluid damper 35 therein; a contact member 30 adapted to reciprocate by the fluid damper 35 and to be brought into direct contact with the furniture door; a dial shaft 50 mounted in a width direction in an inner space of the damper housing 20 and including a spiral screw portion 55 having thread grooves formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof; and a movable body 60 including a spiral screw portion 61 having thread grooves formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof, the movable body being screwably fitted into the dial shaft 50 in such a fashion that the spiral screw portion 61 is screw-engaged with the spiral screw portion 55 of the dial shaft 50 so that the movable body reciprocates in a screw engagement manner with the fluid damper 35 being accommodated at one end thereof in the movable body and interposed between the movable body and the contact member 30, whereby the tension of the fluid damper 35 is adjusted by using the movable body 60 advancing or retracting in the course of the forward or reverse rotation of the dial shaft 50.

Advantageous Effects

[10] As described above, the buffer device for a furniture door according to the present invention has the following advantageous effects. [11] First, since a rotational mechanism as the tension adjustment means is provided at an upper portion of the fixing bracket, convenience and precision of the adjustment of tension of the fluid damper are improved. [12] Second, since the tension adjustment means provided at the fixing bracket is not moved by any external load, there is no risk of losing the tension adjustment means, and the tension of the tension adjustment means is maintained constantly. [13] Third, since the tension adjustment means provided at the fixing bracket is easily checked with naked eye, convenience of the adjustment of tension of the fluid damper is improved. [14] Fourth, since an externally controllable tension adjustment means is installed at an inner space of the fixing bracket, the fixing bracket is reduced in its volume and miniaturized.

Brief Description of Drawings [15] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the prior art; [16] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view illustrating a modification of the fixing bracket for a furniture door of FIG. 1 ; [17] FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view illustrating a fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention; [18] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention; and [19] FIG. 5 is an assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the operating state of the fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention. [20] * Explanation on the reference numerals of the main parts of the drawings *

[21] 1: fixing bracket 14: fixing plate

[22] 20: damper housing 21: hollow space portion

[23] 25: opening 30: contact member

[24] 35: fluid damper 40: tension adjustment bolt

[25] 50: dial shaft 55, 61: spiral screw portion

[26] 60: movable body 65: hollow space portion

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention [27] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. [28] FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view illustrating a fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention, and

FIG. 5 is an assembled cross-sectional view illustrating the operating state of the fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention.

[29] The fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention includes a fixing plate 10 bolt-coupled to a path where a furniture door is closed, a damper housing 20 coupled to the fixing plate 10 so as to accommodate a fluid damper 35 therein, a contact member 30 adapted to reciprocate by the fluid damper 35 and to be brought into direct contact with the furniture door. The fixing bracket for a furniture door according to the present invention includes further includes a dial shaft 50 mounted in a width direction in an inner space of the damper housing 20 and including a spiral screw portion 55 having thread grooves formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof, and a movable body 60 including a spiral screw portion 61 having thread grooves formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof, the movable body being screwably fitted into the dial shaft 50 in such a fashion that the spiral screw portion 61 is screw-engaged with the spiral screw portion 55 of the dial shaft 50 so that the movable body reciprocates in a screw engagement manner with the fluid damper 35 being accommodated at one end thereof in the movable body and interposed between the movable body 60 and the contact member 30.

[30] In this case, the fixing bracket 1 according to the present invention is configured such that the fixing plate 10, the damper housing 20, the contact member 30, the dial shaft 50 and the movable body 60 are assembled with each other. Particularly, the fixing bracket 1 according to the present invention is configured such that the tension of the fluid damper 35 is adjusted by the movable body 60 which advances or retracts in the course of the forward or reverse rotation of the dial shaft 50.

[31] Also, the fixing plate 10 is fixedly bolt-coupled to an inner side wall of a piece of furniture, i.e., a path where a furniture door is closed. The fixing plate 10 includes a plurality of retaining protrusions 15 equidistantly formed longitudinally at both edges of a body thereof, and a plurality of bolt holes 14 formed longitudinally along the central line of the body thereof therein so as to fit bolts to be fastened to the inner side wall of the furniture thereto.

[32] In addition, preferably, the fixing plate 10 is formed in a shape having a surface which is as flat as possible in view of the aesthetic aspectof an outer appearance of the furniture, and is molded of a rigid material having the strength of an extent that can endure an external load such as a steel structure or a reinforced plastic material.

[33] Further, the damper housing 20 is coupled to or decoupled from the top surface of the fixing plate 10 in a one-touch manner. The damper housing 20 includes a hollow space portion 21 formed therein so as to accommodate the dial shaft 50, the movable body 60 and the fluid damper 35 therein.

[34] Also, the damper housing 20 includes a pair of opposed fixing protrusions 22 extending downwardly from the underside of a ceiling thereof in a width direction thereof so as to allow the dial shaft 50 to be securely fitted into a space therebetween, and a plurality of fitting grooves 23 equidistantly formed longitudinally on the inner wall surfaces of both sides of thereof so as to allow the retaining protrusions 15 to be fittingly retained therein.

[35] Besides, the damper housing 20 includes an opening 25 formed on the top surface thereof so as to allow the outer circumferential surface of the dial shaft 50 to be partially protrudingly exposed to the outside therethrough so that a user's finger is positioned above the opening 25 in the course of the forward or reverse rotation of the dial shaft 50.

[36] Further, the dial shaft 50 is disposed transversely in the hollow space portion 21 while being securely fitted into the space defined between the pair of fixing protrusions 22. The dial shaft 50 includes a saw-toothed protrusion 51 formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof so as to prevent a user finger from slipping therefrom, and a spiral screw portion 55 having thread grooves circumferentially equidistantly formed along the inner circumferential surface thereof.

[37] In addition, the movable body 60 is adapted to advance or retract in the course of the forward and reverse rotation of the dial shaft 50. The movable body 60 includes a spiral screw portion 61 having thread grooves formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof so as to be screw-engaged with the spiral screw portion 55 of the dial shaft 50, and a hollow space portion 65 formed therein so as to accommodate one side of the fluid damper 35 therein.

[38] Further, the fluid damper 35 serves to buffer the impact generated upon the closing of the furniture door. All the dampers for absorbing an external load by action of a piston fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Particularly, one end of the fluid damper 35 is accommodated in the hollow space portion 65 of the movable body 60 so that a piston of the fluid damper 35 is compressed or returns to its original position in the course of the forward or reverse rotation of the dial shaft 50.

[39] Also, the contact member 30 serves to reciprocate according to a load exerted to the furniture door in a state of being coupled to the damper housing 20, and is brought at a front end thereof into direct contact with the furniture door in a state of being coupled to a front end of the fluid damper 35.

[40] Thus, the fluid damper 35 is fitted at one end thereof into the hollow space portion 65 of the movable body 60 and is coupled at the other end thereof to the contact member 30.

[41] Now, the operation of the buffer device for a furniture door will be described hereinafter.

[42] Here, since the mounting structure of the fixing bracket 1 according to the present invention is a known technique, its detailed description will be omitted to avoid re- dundancy.

[43] First, as shown in FIG. 5, when it is desired to adjust the tension of the fluid damper

35 during the use of the fixing bracket 1, a user forwardly rotates the dial shaft 50 exposed externally protrudingly from the opening 25 of the damper housing 20 while pressing the exposed dial shaft 50 with his or her finger.

[44] Then, since the dial shaft 50 rotates forwardly, the movable body 60 screw-engaged with the dial shaft 50 advances while rotating reversely.

[45] By doing so, a piston of the fluid damper 35 is compressed upon the advancement of the movable body 60 so that the tension of the fluid damper 35 is adjusted.

[46] On the other hand, when the user reversely rotates the dial shaft 50 exposed externally protrudingly from the opening 25 of the damper housing 20 while pressing the exposed dial shaft 50 with his or her finger, the movable body 60 screw-engaged with the dial shaft 50 retracts while rotating reversely.

[47] By doing so, the piston of the fluid damper 35 returns to its original position upon the retraction of the movable body 60 so that the tension of the fluid damper 35 is adjusted. Industrial Applicability

[48] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[49]