Arrangement having at least one movable furniture part

• US 20040100169A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Huber, Edgar, Scheffknecht, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/319.5
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0078 Drawers with parallel guidance or synchronization by pinion-shaft linkages
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/457 operated by electrically-powered actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/53 preventing unintentional closing, e.g. anti-pinch devices
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/643 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables by flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/635
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

An arrangement having at least one movable furniture part, in particular having a draw or the like, having at least one drive unit and at least one regulating device for regulating the at least one drive unit, wherein the arrangement (7) has at least one, preferably analog, acceleration measuring device (2), with the at least one acceleration measuring device (2) generating an acceleration signal that is characteristic of accelerations caused by forces applied to the at least one movable furniture part (3) from the outside and that may be supplied to the at least one regulating device (1).

Claims

1. An arrangement having at least one movable furniture part, having at least one drive unit and at least one regulating device for regulating the at least one drive unit, wherein the arrangement has at least one acceleration measuring device, with the at least one acceleration measuring device generating an acceleration signal that is characteristic of accelerations caused by forces applied to the at least one movable furniture part from the outside and that may be supplied to the at least one regulating device.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one drive unit includes an electric motor.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration signal contains information on the magnitude of the acceleration caused by forces applied to the movable furniture part from the outside.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the event of a short pulling or pushing acceleration measured by the acceleration measuring device, the regulating device sends the drive unit a control command for moving the movable furniture part in the direction of the pulling or pushing acceleration.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the drive unit accelerates the movable furniture part approximately evenly over a predetermined tirhe span.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein it has at least one position measuring device that generates a position signal that is characteristic of the opening condition of the movable furniture part and may be supplied to the regulating device.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the drive unit accelerates the movable furniture part only over a predeterminable or predetermined partial distance whereof the length is shorter than the length of the total distance between the closed end position and the opened end position of the movable furniture part.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the movement of the movable furniture part by the drive unit is independent of the magnitude of the pulling or pushing acceleration.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the regulating device has an actual-value calculating device that calculates, from the position signal generated by the position measuring device, the current actual position of the movable furniture part.

10. An arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein, when a predetermined position signal is input, the regulating device adapts the current actual speed to a predetermined set speed by passing a regulating signal on to a drive unit regulator, with the drive unit regulator controlling the drive unit.

11. An arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined set speed is zero.

12. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the predetermined set speed is achieved at the opened end position of the movable furniture part.

13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 11, wherein the predetermined set speed is achieved at the closed end position of the movable furniture part.

14. An arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined set speed is achieved at the closed end position of the movable furniture part.

15. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, that includes at least one initialization device that generates a signal that is characteristic of certain predetermined positions of the movable furniture part in each case and may be supplied at least to the position measuring device.

16. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein one of the predetermined positions is the closed end position of the movable furniture part.

17. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein one of the predetermined positions is the opened end position of the movable furniture part.

18. An arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein one of the predetermined positions is the opened end position of the movable furniture part.

19. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the initialization device is capable of being triggered by way of an actuating element that is actuable from outside the arrangement.

20. An arrangement as claimed in claims 15, wherein the initialization device is capable of being triggered by way of an actuating element that is arranged within the arrangement and is actuable by the movable furniture part.

21. An arrangement as claimed in claim 20, wherein the actuating element is a pressure switch.

22. An arrangement as claimed in claim 20, wherein the actuating element is an inductive or capacitive sensor.

23. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the initialization device is capable of being triggered by making a conductive connection between the arrangement and a voltage source by way of a triggering element.

24. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the level of current supplied to the drive unit is measured and if a predetermined maximum value is exceeded within a predetermined time the initialization device is triggered.

25. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the initialization device is triggered if the magnitude of the speed of the movable furniture part over a predetermined time span is less than or equal to a predetermined limit value, preferably zero.

26. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the initialization device may be triggered by being manually pulled out.

27. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable furniture part is a draw mounted movably on frames arranged laterally within the arrangement.

28. An arrangement as claimed in claim 27, wherein the drive unit is attached to a frame.

29. An arrangement as claimed in claim 27, wherein the drive unit is attached to the inner face of the arrangement opposite the rear wall of the movable furniture part.

30. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive unit is in constant connection with the movable furniture part.

31. An arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein the drive unit is in constant connection with the movable furniture part by way of at least one cable or a belt or by way of a toothed wheel engaging in a toothed rack.

32. An arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein the at least one belt or the cable runs over at least two rollers that are arranged on a lateral frame.

33. An arrangement as claimed in claim 31, wherein in each case at least two rollers are arranged on both lateral frames and the respective belt or the cable runs over them.

34. An arrangement as claimed in claim 33, wherein at least two rollers arranged on different frames are in a connection with one another by way of a connection shaft.

35. An arrangement as claimed in claim 32, wherein at least one roller on at least one frame is drivable by the drive unit.

36. An arrangement as claimed in claim 35, wherein the at least one roller on at least one frame is drivable by the drive unit by way of a gear.

37. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, that includes a resolver or an optical encoder or a magnetic encoder for measuring one or more of the physical values of the movable furniture part of the group consisting of:

position, speed, acceleration, whereof the signals may be supplied at least to the regulating device.

38. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive unit includes a brushless d.c. motor and measurement of one or more of the physical values of the movable furniture part of the group consisting of:

position, speed, acceleration is made directly by way of the commutator signal of the motor, with it being possible to supply the signals obtained in this way to the regulating device.

39. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive unit includes an electric motor and the position measuring device is integrated into the electric motor.

41. A process as claimed in claim 38, wherein, in the event of a change in the movement condition of the movable furniture part that is caused from the outside, the position measuring device sends a signal to the drive unit regulator and the latter gives the drive unit the command for accelerating the movable furniture part.

42. A process as claimed in claim 38, wherein, once the movable furniture part has moved over a predeterminable or predetermined distance, the position measuring device sends a signal to the drive unit regulator and the latter gives the drive unit the command for accelerating the movable furniture part.

43. A process as claimed in claim 42, wherein the distance to be covered by the movable furniture part, in accordance with which the position measuring device emits a signal to the drive unit regulator, is adjustable or adjusted differently depending on the direction of movement of the movable furniture part.

44. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable furniture part is a draw or the like.

45. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration measuring device is analog.

46. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration signal contains information on the direction of the acceleration caused by forces applied to the movable furniture part from the outside.

47. An arrangement as claimed in claim 46, wherein the acceleration signal contains information on the direction component parallel to the direction of pulling out the movable furniture part.

48. An arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the regulating device has an actual-value calculating device that calculates, from the position signal generated by the position measuring device, the current actual speed of the movable furniture part.

49. An arrangement as claimed in claim 24, wherein the level of current is measured by the drive unit regulator.

50. An arrangement as claimed in claim 31, wherein the belt is a toothed belt.

51. An arrangement as claimed in claim 39, wherein the electric motor is a DC motor.

54. An arrangement as claimed in claim 34, wherein the connection of said at least two rollers arranged on different frames is rigid.

55. An arrangement as claimed in claim 29, wherein the drive unit is at approximately the same spacing from the two side walls of the arrangement.

40. A process for moving a movable furniture part that is mounted in or on an arrangement, by a drive unit with the arrangement having a drive unit regulator and a position measuring device, wherein the position measuring device sends the drive unit regulator signals and the drive unit regulator gives the drive unit the command for accelerating the movable furniture part in dependence on these signals.

52. An arrangement as claimed in claim 40, wherein the movable furniture part is a draw.

53. An arrangement as claimed in claim 40, wherein the movable furniture part is being moved by an electric motor.