DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a command device for an opening device for a door of an article of furniture, supported oscillatably by hinges, in particular suitable for being applied on the article of furniture on the side which the hinges are fixed to and in particular on a hinge of the self-closing thrust hinge, which enables both the opening and the subsequent closing of the door automatically, or even on a traditional hinge.

In the sector of articles of furniture without handles or other opening means, the use of opening means is known which following a thrust on the closed door by the user generate a displacement of the door in the opening direction of a first tract that is sufficient for the user to grip it and open it completely.

In particular, an opening device is conventionally provided that comprises an expulsion member for the door which is elastically stressed, and means for retaining the expulsion member, which in general are releasable by imposing on the expulsion member a backwards movement of a few millimetres by pressure on the closed door on the part of the user.

Once its action has been performed, the opening device has to be reloaded, for example by means of a thrust in an opposite direction on the expulsion member exerted by the user on the door at the final tract of the closing movement of the door, or by special reloading means activated by the movement of the door itself.

Therefore the devices are advantageously positioned on the article of furniture on the opposite side to the side on which the hinges are fixed, requiring specific operations for mounting and correct functioning thereof. In a case in which the opening device is placed at the hinges or in any case applied to the article of rurniture on the hinge side, the movement of the hinge elements or the door on the hinge side, which is generated in consequence to the thrust exerted by the user on the closed door, is in the order of a few tenths of a millimetre, and is therefore insufficient to generate the movement required for enabling release of the retaining means of the expulsion member.

A hinge with an opening device of this type is known, for example, from WO 2008/009345 Al.

DE 202007005782 Ul discloses an opening device comprising an expulsion member with relative retaining means and provided with a transmission device for transmitting to the retaining means the movement of a command device arranged in proximity of the flank of the article of furniture, opposite to or in any case distant from the side on which the hinges for the oscillation of the door are hinged. The technical aim of the present invention is therefore to realise a command device for an opening device for a door of an article of furniture supported oscillatably by a hinge which enables elimination of the above-mentioned drawback of the prior art

In the ambit of the technical task, an aim of the invention is to provide a command device for an opening device for a door of an article of furniture supported oscillatably by hinges, which enables releasing the expulsion member also in the presence of displacements of the door of the order of a few tenths of a millimetre, with particular reference to the application of the opening device at the hinges or in any case on the side of the article of furniture where the hinges are applied.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a command device for an opening device for a door of an article of furniture supported oscillatably by hinges, which can function for a long time without deteriorating in terms of performance.

The technical task of the present invention is attained by realising an opening device for a door of an article of furniture supported oscillatably by means of at least a hinge, said opening device comprising an expulsion member for the door which is elasticaliy stressed on opening, releasable retaining means for the expulsion member and a command device, characterised in that said opening device comprises a box-shaped base body which translatingly supports said expulsion member and in that said command device comprises an actuating member for said retaining means that is oscillatable about a fulcrum positioned at the front end of the flanks of the base body in proximity of the door and orientated perpendicularly to the translation direction of said expulsion member, said actuating member exhibiting amplifying means of the displacement of the retaining means with respect to the oscillation of the door comprising a first and a second arm arranged transversally of one another, the first arm being positionable substantially parallel to the door such as to be activated by the door or by an element of the hinge, the second arm being conformed such as to directly or indirectly activate said retaining means.

The amplification of the oscillation of the door obtained with the opening device of the invention advantageously determines a displacement of the retaining means, and possibly the expulsion member, by a tract which is at least sufficient to release the expulsion member also when the opening device is applied at the hinges or in any case on the side of the article of furniture where the hinges are applied.

Other characteristics of the present invention are further defined in the subsequent claims.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more fully emerge from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the command device for an opening device for a door of an article of furniture supported oscillatably by at least a hinge, wherein:

figure 1 shows an exploded axonometric view of the opening device according to a first preferred embodiment in the version applicable to the arm of the hinge;

figure la is an axonometric view of the base body of the command device of the opening device of figure 1 ;

figure 2 is an axonometric view of the opening device of figure 1, assembled and mounted on the hinge;

figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the opening device and of the hinge of figure 2, sectioned along a central plane thereof;

figure 4 is a lateral view of the opening device of figure 2 in a configuration assumed with the door closed, and a larger scale of a detail thereof sectioned;

figure 5 is a partial section of the opening device illustrated in figure 4;

figure 6 is a view of the opening device of figure 2 in a configuration assumed during the thrust exerted by the user at the moment of release of the expulsion member, and a larger-scale section view of a detail thereof;

figure 7 is a partial section of the opening device illustrated in figure 6;

figure 8 is a view of the opening device of figure 2 in a configuration assumed at the end of the extraction of the expulsion member;

figure 9 is a partial section of the opening device illustrated in figure 8;

figure 10 is view of the opening device of figure 2 in a configuration in which the expulsion member has been reset, and a larger-scale section view of a detail thereof;

figure 11 is a partial section of the opening device illustrated in figure 10; figures 12, 13, 14 and IS illustrate the sequence of the configurations assumed by an opening device of a second preferred embodiment of the invention, from the release of the expulsion member to resetting thereof;

figure 16 is a version of an opening device according to the present invention applied on the base for fixing the hinge to a fixed part of the article of furniture, for example to an abutment of the article of furniture;

figure 17 is a version of an opening device according to the present invention applied to a fixed part of the article of fiirniture, for example to an abutment of the article of furniture; and

figures 18, 19 and 20 illustrate the sequence of configurations assumed by an opening device according to a further preferred embodiment of the invention from the engaged position to the released position of the expulsion member.

Equivalent parts of the various preferred embodiments of the invention will be denoted in the following using the same numerical reference.

With reference to the figures, a command device is illustrated for an opening device for a door 1 of an article of furniture supported oscillatably by means of one or more hinges 2.

The hinge 2 exhibits a hinge case 3 applied to the door 1, a hinge arm 4 applied to a fixing base 5 to a fixed part of the article of furniture, in particular to an abutment

6 of the article of furniture, and rocker arms 7 and 8 which operatively connect the hinge case 3 to the hinge arm 4.

In a known way, the hinge 2 comprises pins 10, 11 for the hinging of the rocker arms 7 and 8 to the hinge arm 4, pins 12 end 13 for the hinging of the rocker arms

7 and 8 to the hinge case 3, and an elastic element 15 positioned between an internal side of the back of the hinge arm 4 and an activating cam 16 present at an end of the rocker arm 8 and suitable for taking part in the closing of the door 1. The hinge 2 can further comprise a decelerating device 14 of the closing of the door 1, being of a type having clutch discs immersed in a viscous fluid applied to the external side of the bottom of the hinge case 3.

Evidently the command device for the opening device can be combined with a hinge of known type even entirely different to the one described above purely by way of example, in particular to a hinge which exhibits a different number of hinge pins.

The opening device comprises an expulsion member 17 for the door 1 stressed in opening by an elastic element 18, and releasable retaining means 19 of the expulsion member 17.

The command device advantageously comprises an actuating member 20 for the retaining means 19, oscillatable about an oscillation fulcrum 21, in contrast to and by action of an elastic element 22 and exhibiting amplifying means of the displacement of the retaining means 19 with respect to the oscillation of the door 1.

The command device 1 is configured such that the oscillation fulcrum 21 of the actuating member 20 is positionable in proximity of the door 1.

The amplification means exhibited by the actuating member 20 comprise a first arm 23 and a second arm 24 arranged transversally to one another, of which the first arm 23 is positionable substantially parallel to the door 1 in order to be activated by the door 1 or by an element of the hinge 2, and the second arm 24 is conformed to directly or indirectly activate the retaining means 19.

The command device comprises a box-shaped base body 23 which translatably supports the expulsion member 17 which in turn projects with its rear end 26 from a window 27 present at the rear end of the base body 25 and with its front end 28 from a window 29 present at the front end of the base body 25.

Above the window 29, the front end of the base body 25 exhibits a further access window 31 to an internal seating 32 for housing the elastic element 22 and a button

33 that is mobile in translation through the window 31 , in contrast and by action of the elastic element 22, along a parallel direction to the displacement direction of the expulsion member 17.

The actuating member 20 is pivoted at the front end of the flanks 30 of the base body 25 by means of the oscillation fulcrum 21 which is orientated perpendicularly to the translation direction of the expulsion member 17.

The actuating member 20 in particular is prolonged with the first aim 23 anteriorly of the front end of the base body 25 and with the second arm 24 along the flanks 30 of the base body 25.

The first arm 23 is configured in such a way as to interact with the button 33 with the internal side thereof and with the external side thereof with the edge 53 of the hinge case 3 projecting from the thickness of the door 1 (for the embodiments of figures 1-14) or with another part of the door 1 (for the realisations of figure 15). The retaining means 19 comprise at least a tooth 34 engageable with a stop 35 present at the rear end of the expulsion member 17.

The stop 35 exhibits an engaging seating 37 for the tooth 34, which preferentially comprises a flexible rear wall or an elastic tab 36.

The flexible wall or elastic tab 36 enables facilitating the disengaging of the tooth

34 in the first opening step of the door 1, i.e. when the user pushes on the closed door 1, as it prevents the tooth 34 from returning into the seating 37 before the expulsion member 17 is translated sufficiently forwards in order to be able to push the door 1 into the opening position. The stop 35 exhibits regulating means of the engagement position of the tooth 34. The regulating means of the engaging position of the tooth 34 comprise a screw 38 the free end of which is destined to operate as a stop for the tooth 34.

The screw 38 exhibits an adjustable depth of penetration into the seating 37 such that a variation in the end position of the screw 38 in the seating 37 causes a variation in the engagement position of the tooth 34.

The possibility of regulating the engagement position of the tooth 34 is particularly useful as it enables setting up the command device 1 while taking account of any constructional tolerances and/or mounting tolerances and regulations of the hinge. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in figures 1-11, the second arm 24 exhibits a length that is considerably greater than that of the first arm 23 and the retaining means 19 are arranged directly at the end of the second arm 24; in particular the actuating member 20 and the retaining means 19 are realised in a single piece.

The ratio between the length of the second arm 24 and the length of the first arm

23 is preferably at least 5, and more preferably is comprised between 7 and 8.

In the preferred embodiment of figures 12-15, a lever transmission system is comprised between the actuating member 20 and the retaining means 19.

The lever transmission system in particular comprises a kinematic chain formed by a first lever 40 pivoted at 41 to the flank 30 of the base body 25 and operatively engaged at one side with the actuating member 20 and at the other with a second lever 42 pivoted at 43 to the flank 30 of the base body 25 and exhibiting the retaining means 19. The retaining means 19 are preferably realised in a single piece with the lever 42. The oscillation fulcra of the levers 40 and 42 are parallel to the oscillation fulcrum 21 of the actuating member 20. This solution, with respect to the previously-illustrated one, with a slight structural complication enables overall obtaining a sturdier structure of the command device 1 as well as a greater amplification of the displacement of the retaining means 19. The command device 1 can exhibit a lateral tab 45 for application to the plate S for fixing the hinge arm 4 on a fixed part of the article of furniture (embodiment of figure 16) or it can exhibit two lateral tabs 45 in order to be applied at a distance from the hinge 2 and from the fixing plate 5, but always on the same side of the fixed part of the article of furniture to which the hinge 2 is applied (embodiment of figure 17). In both cases the resetting of the command device 1 is done manually by the user by closing the door of the article of furniture.

In a case where the command device 1 is applied directly to the hinge 2, and in particular the hinge arm 4 via a fastening screw 44 which fastens the base body 25 to the back of the hinge arm (embodiments of figures 1-15), an integrated device is included in the hinge 2 for automatically resetting the expulsion member 17.

The resetting device comprises a first lever 47 for drawing the expulsion member 17, a second lever 48 activatable from a side of the hinge 2 in movement during the opening of the door 1, in particular a lever-shaped prolonged side of one of the hinge 2 rocker arms, preferably the rocker arm 7, and a third lever 49 for transmission of the movement between the first lever 47 and the second lever 48. The second lever 48 exhibits an oscillation fulcrum 10 in common with the rocker arm 7, the third lever 49 exhibits an oscillation fulcrum 11 in common with the rocker arm 8, while the first lever 47 is pivoted at 50 to a flank of the hinge arm 4 and the oscillation fulcrum thereof is parallel to the fulcrum of the levers 48 and 49.

The first lever 47 crosses a slit 51 in the back of the hinge arm 4 and exhibits an end suitable for interacting with a cam or an abutting wall 52 afforded in a frontal position on a flank of the expulsion member 17.

The command device 1 is applied on the abutment 6 of the article of furniture in such a position that the edge S3 of the hinge box 3 which projects from the thickness of the door 1 can interfere with the first arm 23 of the actuating member 20.

The functioning of the command device 1, with reference to the embodiment of figures 1-13, is briefly as follows.

The door 1 is initially closed and the edge S3 of the hinge case 3 is rested on the first arm 23 of the actuating member 20 which exhibits an initial position to which the engagement of the tooth 34 in the seating 37 of the stop 35 corresponds.

The user pushes the closed door 12 and consequently the edge 53 of the hinge case 3 pushes the first arm 23 of the actuating member, which oscillates and compresses the elastic element 22; further, the edge 53 preferably also pushes the expulsion member 17.

The oscillation of the actuating member 20 is transmitted (directly in the case of the embodiment of figures 1-11 or indirectly via the transmission system of the embodiment of figures 12-15) to the tooth 34 such as to move the tooth 34 sufficiently to disengage the seating 37.

In a case in which the edge 53 of the case 3 also pushes the expulsion member 17, causing it to retract, there is a release of the action of the elastic element 18, such that the wall 36 is simply rested on the tooth 34, facilitating the disengagement thereof from the seating 37.

When the tooth 34 disengages from the seating 37, the expulsion element 17 can click forwards by effect of the expansion of the elastic element 18 and give rise to the first step of opening of the door 1.

During this step la the elastic return of the wall 36 of the seating 37, by effect of the disengaging of the tooth 34, prevents the return of the tooth 34 into the seating 37 before the expulsion element 17 is translated to push the door 1 open.

Together with the first step of opening of the door 1, the elastic element 22 is free to expand; by means of the button 33 it newly draws the actuating member 20 into its initial position.

During the opening step of the door 1 the lever 47 and the cam 52 do not interact. The resetting of the command device 1 occurs during the following opening step of the door 1 , performed by the user.

During this step of the completion of the opening of the door 1, the rocker arm 7, by effect of the oscillation thereof, activates the kinematic chain comprising, in cascade, the lever 48, the lever 49, and the lever 47, which this time interacts with the cam 52, causing the retracting of the expulsion member 17.

During the retracting of the expulsion member 17, the stop 35 intercepts with an inclined wall 54 the tooth 34 than consequently displaces initially sliding along the inclined wall 54 of the stop 35.

The displacement of the tooth 34 directly or indirectly causes the oscillating of the actuating member 20 in contrast to the elastic element 22 which is compressed.

As the retracting of the expulsion member 17 proceeds, the tooth 34 passes beyond the inclined wall 54 and the elastic wall of the stop 35 and can therefore return into the seating 37 by effect of the expansion of the elastic element 22, resting newly on the elastic wall 36 when the reset lever 47 finishes its action.

In figures from 18 to 20, a further embodiment of the command device is illustrated, for the opening device of the invention; in this embodiment the expulsion member 17 is provided with releasable retaining means of the ratchet- type, as they are of known type.

Conventionally these ratchet-type retaining means, which require a displacement of the order of a few millimetres for functioning, comprise a sliding track for a retaining element that is selectively mobile between a blocking position and a releasing position of the expulsion member 17.

In this case the oscillating actuating member 20 is operatively connected to the expulsion member 17 via amplifying means conformed such as to generate a displacement of the expulsion member 17 and the relative ratchet-type retaining means of an entity which is sufficient to cause the release of the expulsion member 17.

In particular, the amplifying means of the displacement comprise a lever transmission system 40, 42 arranged between the actuating member 20 and the expulsion member 17, wherein the lever 42 is mobile between a first position illustrated in figure 18, in which it rests on a wall provided at the rear end 26 of the expulsion member 17, and a rotated second position illustrated in figures 19 and 20, in which it is not engaged with the expulsion member 17.

The oscillation of the lever 42, commanded by the actuating member 20 via the intermediate lever 40, causes a retracting of the expulsion member 17 such as to enable displacement of the retaining element of the ratchet mechanism from the blocking position thereof to the releasing position thereof.

As illustrated in figure 20, following the exit of the expulsion member 17, the lever 42 remains resting on the bottom of the rear end 26 of the expulsion member 17 until the expulsion member 17 itself is newly retracted possibly by an automatic resetting device or by the action exerted by the user on the door to such an amount as to permit the lever 42 to return into the first position of figure 18.

The command device of the present invention can be advantageously arranged at the hinges or in any case it can be applied to the article of furniture on the same side of the door where the hinges are located, as the retaining means, thanks to the amplified displacement to which they can be subjected, are still able to perform the correct release of the expulsion member. This undoubtedly leads to a simplifying of the mounting of the opening device which does not require specific operations and, especially when applied to the hinge or the fixing plate of the hinge, limits additional overall dimensions or aesthetically-unpleasant additions.

The command device for an opening device for a door of an article of furniture as conceived herein is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the ambit of the inventive concept further, all the details are replaceable by technically equivalent elements.

In practice the materials use, as well as the dimensions, can be any according to needs and to the state of the art