When a window or door is closed there is a great chance that, due to an imperfect closure, some rattling may occur, for instance in the case of small pressure differences on either side, which can manifest itself in annoying manner in the form of rattling sounds.

In order to solve the stated problems, soft stops have been proposed in the form of a spring-loaded stop member which is fixed either to the frame or to the door or window such that when the door or window is closed the kinetic energy is at least partially used to tension spring means co-acting with the stop member, whereby kinetic energy is absorbed in the spring. In the case of a closure which is not rattle-free, the same stop member can serve to absorb the rattling movements, thereby reducing the disturbing sound production.

Reference is made in this respect to for instance GB-A-446 972 and US-A-1 678 817. The soft stop devices known from these publications have the drawback that they must be fixed to the frame by means of screw connections, and fall within the exposed part of the frame, whereby they are visible in a manner which is not very pleasing aesthetically, even though they can operate effectively per se.

It is an object of the invention to provide a soft stop device which can be connected as desired to the frame or the door, the hatch or the window in question in almost invisible and therefore aesthetically completely acceptable manner for use in the described manner.

It is a further object of the invention to substantially simplify the placing of such a device, whereby the installation costs are reduced to a minimum.

In respect of the above, the invention provides a device for absorbing a shock when a movable component, for instance a pivotable panel such as a door, a hatch or a swivel window, or a slidable element such as a sliding window or a drawer, is closed against a fixed component such as a frame edge, and for preventing rattling that results from play between this closed fixed component and this movable component, which device comprises: a housing with a cavity, which housing is intended for fitting accommodation in a hole arranged for this purpose in the fixed or the movable component, which housing has on its front side an opening connecting to the cavity; a stop element which is slidable in lengthwise direction in this cavity and with a free end which is intended for pressure force-transferring co-action with the other component; spring means which press this stop element outward; and stop means which determine the free, pressed- outward end position of the stop element.

In order to ensure that the device can be readily placed by arranging a drilled hole, the device can have the special feature that the main external shape of the housing is substantially cylindrical. It will be apparent that the drilled hole must have a diameter which corresponds to the outer diameter of the cylindrical housing, and which is in particular the same size. The diameter of the drilled hole can also be a small amount smaller, whereby the housing is received with a certain clamping force in the drilled hole.

The device is preferably embodied such that the housing has on its outer surface at least one widened portion, for instance a peripheral flanged edge, close to the opening, whereby the housing fits into the hole only up to this widened portion. This embodiment has the advantage that the drilled hole can in principle have a random length, provided it is at least as great as the length of the housing, since said laterally protruding part determines the distance over which the housing can

be inserted into the drilled hole. The protruding part remains outside the drilled hole and determines the longitudinal position of the housing in this drilled hole. It should be understood that the protruding part is subject to a determined play of forces when the panel is closed, and that the mechanical properties of the connection between the housing and the protruding part must therefore be able to withstand these forces. It will be apparent that for instance a peripheral flanged edge can be very advantageous since the forces in question are then spread over the greatest possible area, whereby the mechanical material load is as low as possible. Conversely, it is also the objective to give the flanged edge a small thickness in axial direction so as to ensure that the panel can close as tightly as possible against the frame.

Very simple to produce and assemble is an embodiment in which the housing and the stop element both have a generally cylindrical form, the housing has a base and the spring means comprise a compression spring which presses with both its ends against respectively this base and the end of the stop element.

The housing and the stop element can both be formed for instance by injection moulding from an appropriate material, and assembly can take place by pressing said two components into each other with interposing of the spring, whereby an unbreakable connection can be realized by snapping or clicking.

A practical embodiment has the feature that the stop element has at least one protrusion extending laterally outward and slidable in a longitudinal groove or longitudinal slot which is present in the wall of the housing and whose end surface located closest to the opening forms a stop for the or each protrusion.

An excellent fixation of the housing in the hole can be achieved with an embodiment wherein the outer peripheral surface of the housing has a form widening toward the front side of the housing such that the housing can be received clampingly in the hole.

For the purpose of receiving a device according to the invention in a thin-walled panel, a device can have

the special feature that the housing has on its outer surface at least one protrusion which inclines upward from the outer surface in the direction of the opening, has a chosen distance from the widened portion and which, after the housing has been inserted into the hole up to the widened portion, blocks return displacement of the housing. The distance between the or each protrusion acting as barb and the rear surface of the widened portion, for instance the flanged edge, can correspond to, and in particular be a little larger than, the thickness of the panel, which is for instance the front sheet of a steel frame.

The drawback of this device is that the housing will generally not be readily deformable, and that great forces are therefore necessary to cause the protrusions to pass through the hole.

A variant is therefore recommended in which the outer peripheral surface of the housing has a form widening toward the front side of the housing such that the housing can be received clampingly in the hole present in the frame edge.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a perspective part-view of a frame provided with two devices according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows the detail II of Fig. 1 on a larger scale; Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled device according to Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows partly in perspective view and partly in longitudinal section a part of a frame with a device according to the invention; and Fig. 6 shows a view corresponding to Fig. 4 of a variant.

Fig. 1 shows a part of a frame 1 with a frame edge 2 in which are received two devices 3 to be described hereinbelow. Devices 3 serve to absorb a shock when a pivotable panel (not shown), such as a door, a hatch, or a window, is closed against frame edge 2, and to prevent

rattling resulting from play between the closed panel and this frame edge.

Fig. 2 also shows that device 3 has a stop element 4 protruding forward outside the frame edge, which stop element 4 has a free end surface 5 which is intended for pressure force-transferring co-action with the panel.

The manner in which spring means operate to press the stop element 4 outward will be described with reference to Fig. 3 and 5.

Also present are stop means, to be further described, which determine the free, pressed-outward end position of stop element 4, as drawn in Fig. 1,2, 4 and 5.

Stop element 4 is slidable in longitudinal direction in a substantially cylindrical housing 6 with a cavity for receiving a compression spring 7 (see Fig.

3 and 5), which compression spring 7 presses stop element 4 outward relative to housing 6. The housing is intended for fitting accommodation in a drilled hose 8 arranged for this purpose in frame 1.

For the sake of clarity, Fig. 2 shows the detail II of Fig. 1 on larger scale.

When the door or the window is closed, through contact between the free end surface 5 of stop element 4 and the door or the window in the final part of the displacement the kinetic energy thereof is at least partially converted into potential energy in compression spring 7, whereby the shock during closure is prevented, or at least substantially reduced. After closing of the door or window, the devices 3 according to the invention prevent further rattling resulting from play in the lock.

Fig. 3 shows in exploded view the three constituent components in a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention. Housing 6 and stop element 4 are generally cup-shaped elements, wherein stop element 4 fits slidably in housing 6, wherein after assembly the compression spring 7 presses the housing and the stop element apart.

In order to prevent release of stop element 4 the inner surface 9 of housing 6 and the outer surface 10 of

stop element 4 have co-acting stop members and stop surfaces 11 and 12 respectively (see Fig. 5), as a result of which the stop element 4 cannot leave housing 6 and at rest takes up the position of maximum relaxation shown in Fig. 1,2, 4 and 5.

Stop element 4 is locked against rotation by the presence of three longitudinal ribs 13 which are arranged peripherally and which co-act with longitudinal grooves 14 in the inner wall of housing 6.

In a simple embodiment (not drawn) the housing has a length corresponding with that of a drilled hole to be arranged in a frame. Such an embodiment does however have the drawback that the drilled hole must have, within quite a close tolerance, the correct length.

In this respect it is recommended to provide the housing on its outer side with at least one laterally extending part, preferably a peripheral flanged edge 15, whereby housing 6 only fits into the hole up to this peripheral flanged edge 15. Fig. 5 clearly shows that in this embodiment the drilled hole 8 can in principle have a random length, since flanged edge 15 defines the correct positioning of housing 6, and thereby of device 3 in drilled hole 8. It will be apparent that drilled hole 8 must have a greater length than the length of the housing measured between its rear face 16 and the rear face 17 of flanged edge 15.

Fig. 6 shows a variant of the embodiment of Fig. 4.

In the device 23 according to Fig. 6 the housing 26, in addition to being provided with peripheral flanged edge 15, is also provided with a number of, in this case three, peripherally arranged protrusions 18 which incline upward from the outer surface of housing 26 toward the open front side of housing 26. This makes the device 23 suitable for receiving in a thin-walled panel, for instance a front sheet of a steel frame, in which a perforation is made in advance into which housing 26 fits. When device 23 is placed the housing 26 is pressed into the relevant hole, passes over the protrusions 18 through the exertion of a suitable pressing force and finally comes to rest against the front surface of the relevant frame in that the rear surface 17 (see Fig. 5)

of flanged edge 15 presses against that surface. The return movement is blocked by the protrusions or cams 18, whereby device 23 is firmly anchored.

An embodiment is recommended in which at least the end zone of the outer surface of the housing adjacent to the rim or the flanged edge displays a small widening with a for instance generally truncated-cone shape. The device can hereby be placed clampingly with force in a prearranged hole by exerting a sufficiently great force.

Such a variant is suitable for receiving in for instance a wooden frame as well as a steel frame whose front panel consists of thin-walled steel sheet.

The housing 6 and stop element 4 can be manufactured by injection moulding from the appropriate plastic.

Assembly can take place in simple manner by pressing the constituent components into each other in the configuration of Fig. 3. The unbreakable connection between the components is realized by snapping over the stop edges 11,12.

It will be apparent from the above description that the invention provides a device consisting of only three components which can be easily and cheaply manufactured, whereby the device can be inexpensive, and that the device can be arranged by simply making a drilled hole in a frame, which also makes placing of the device not very time-consuming and inexpensive. The invention thus provides substantial advantages compared to the above documented prior art.