Arrangement having at least one movable furniture part

• US 7,602,135 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Huber, Edgar, Scheffknecht, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro; Bentsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, THAI T
• Application Number:
  US10/447,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20040100169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,329 Days
• Field of Search: 318/138, 318/254, 318/439, 318560-700
• US Class Current: 318/651
• 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 drawer 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 comprising:

at least one movable furniture part;

at least one drive unit;

at least one regulating device for regulating the at least one drive unit; and

at least one acceleration measuring device for detecting an acceleration of the at least one movable furniture part caused by a pulling or pushing force applied to the at least one movable furniture part from outside the arrangement, the at least one acceleration measuring device being operable to generate an acceleration signal corresponding to the detected acceleration of the at least one movable furniture part caused by the pulling or pushing force, wherein the at least one acceleration measuring device is operable to supply the acceleration signal to the at least one regulating device, and wherein the at least one regulating device is operable to send the drive unit a control command for moving the movable furniture part in a direction of the pulling or pushing force.

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 corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration caused by the force applied to the movable furniture part from outside the arrangement.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive unit is operable to accelerate the movable furniture part approximately evenly over a predetermined time span.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one position measuring device for generating a position signal corresponding to an opening condition of the movable furniture part, wherein the at least one position measuring device is operable to supply the position signal to the regulating device.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the drive unit is operable to accelerate the movable furniture part only over a predetermined partial distance, wherein the length of the predetermined partial distance is shorter than a length of a total distance between a closed end position and an opened end position of the movable furniture part.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the regulating device has an actual-value calculating device operable to calculate, from the position signal generated by the position measuring device, a current actual position of the movable furniture part.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein, when a predetermined position signal is input, the regulating device is operable to adapt a current actual speed to a predetermined set speed by passing a regulating signal on to a drive unit regulator operable to control the drive unit.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the predetermined set speed is zero.

10. An arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined set speed is achieved at the opened end position of the movable furniture part.

11. An arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined set speed is achieved at the closed end position of the movable furniture part.

12. An arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined set speed is achieved at the closed end position of the movable furniture part.

13. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the regulating device has an actual-value calculating device for calculating, from the position signal generated by the position measuring device, a current actual speed of the movable furniture part.

14. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive unit is operable to move the movable furniture part independent of the magnitude of the pulling or pushing acceleration.

15. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one initialization device for generating a signal corresponding to predetermined positions of the movable furniture part, wherein the at least one initialization device is operable to supply the signal at least to the position measuring device.

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

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

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

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

20. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the initialization device has a structure such that it 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 has a structure such that it is capable of being triggered by a conductive connection established between the arrangement and a voltage source by a triggering element.

24. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the initialization device has a structure such that it is triggered when a measured level of current supplied to the drive unit exceeds a predetermined maximum value within a predetermined time.

25. An arrangement as claimed in claim 24, wherein the drive unit regulator is operable to determine the measured level of current.

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

27. An arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the initialization device has a structure such that it may be triggered by being manually pulled out.

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

29. An arrangement as claimed in claim 28, wherein the drive unit is attached to one of the frames.

30. An arrangement as claimed in claim 28, wherein the drive unit is attached to an inner face of the arrangement opposite a rear wall of the movable furniture part.

31. An arrangement as claimed in claim 30, wherein the drive unit is positioned at approximately the same spacing from two side walls of the arrangement.

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

33. An arrangement as claimed in claim 32, wherein the drive unit is in constant connection with the movable furniture part by at least one cable or at least one belt or by a toothed wheel engaging in a toothed rack.

34. An arrangement as claimed in claim 33, wherein the at least one belt or the at least one cable runs over at least two rollers that are arranged on a lateral frame.

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

36. An arrangement as claimed in claim 35, wherein at least two rollers arranged on different frames are in a connection with one another by a connection shaft.

37. An arrangement as claimed in claim 36, wherein the connection shaft is rigid.

38. An arrangement as claimed in claim 33, wherein the at least one belt is a toothed belt.

39. An arrangement as claimed in claim 35, wherein the drive unit is operable to drive at least one roller on at least one frame.

40. An arrangement as claimed in claim 39, wherein the drive unit it operable to drive the at least one roller on at least one frame by a gear.

41. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

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, and acceleration, and for supplying one or more signals corresponding to one or more measured physical values at least to the regulating device.

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

position, speed, and acceleration directly by way of a commutator signal of the motor, and for supplying one or more signals corresponding to one or more measured physical values to the regulating device.

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

44. An arrangement as claimed in claim 43, wherein the electric motor is a DC motor.

45. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable furniture part is a drawer.

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

47. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration signal contains information corresponding to a direction of the acceleration caused by the force applied to the movable furniture part from outside the arrangement.

48. An arrangement as claimed in claim 47, wherein the force applied to the movable furniture part from outside the arrangement is a pulling force, and wherein the acceleration signal contains information corresponding to a directional component parallel to a direction of the pulling force.

49. A process for moving a movable furniture part that is mounted in or on an arrangement having a drive unit, a drive unit regulator and a position measuring device, the process comprising:

sending signals to the drive unit regulator from the position measuring device; and

sending a command signal from the drive unit regulator to the drive unit for accelerating the movable furniture part based on the signals received by the drive unit regulator from the position measuring device,

wherein the sending of the signals to the drive unit regulator comprises sending a signal corresponding to a change in a movement condition of the movable furniture part that is caused by a pulling or pushing force from outside the arrangement.

50. A process as claimed in claim 49, wherein the movable furniture part is a drawer.

51. A process as claimed in claim 49, wherein the drive unit comprises an electric motor.

52. A process for moving a movable furniture part that is mounted in or on an arrangement having a drive unit, a drive unit regulator and a position measuring device, the process comprising:

sending signals to the drive unit regulator from the position measuring device, wherein the sending of the signals includes sending a signal to the drive unit regulator from the position measuring device once the movable furniture part has moved over a predetermined distance; and

sending a command signal from the drive unit regulator to the drive unit for accelerating the movable furniture part based on the signal sent to the drive unit regulator once the movable furniture part has moved over the predetermined distance.

53. A process as claimed in claim 52, 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 a direction of movement of the movable furniture part.