Article of furniture having a drawer and a current consumer

• US 8,449,050 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Karg, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Hansen, James O
• Assistant Examiner(s): ING, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US13/038,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 312/223.5, 312/223.6, 312/330.1, 312/334.7, 312/348.6
• US Class Current: 312/223.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/463 self-opening

Abstract

A carrier element can be attached to a furniture body of a piece of furniture, in which a current consumer is disposed in or on a furniture part movable in the piece of furniture, particularly a drawer. At least one power supply unit for the current consumer is disposed—preferably releaseably—on the carrier element.

Claims

1. An article of furniture comprising:

a furniture carcass;

a carrier element mounted to said furniture carcass, said carrier element having an electric supply line extending along a longitudinal axis of said carrier element, said electric supply line being connected to an external current source;

a movable furniture portion movable with respect to said furniture carcass;

a current consumer mounted to said movable furniture portion;

a power supply unit releasably mounted to said carrier element at any location along said electric supply line extending along said longitudinal axis of said carrier element, said power supply unit including piercing pins configured to contact said electric supply line when said power supply unit is releasably mechanically attached to said carrier element so that said power supply unit is automatically electrically connected to said electric supply line;

an ejector device releasably mounted to said carrier element, said ejector device being configured to move said movable furniture portion, and said ejector device having piercing pins for contacting said electric supply line;

a chargeable current storage device mounted to said movable furniture portion;

wherein said power supply unit and said current storage device are configured such that;

when said movable furniture portion is in a closed position, said power supply unit electrically connects to said current storage device so as to electrically charge said current storage device; and

when said movable furniture portion is in an opened position, said power supply unit electrically disconnects from said current storage device; and

wherein said current storage device is electrically connected to said current consumer so as to supply said current consumer with electric current when said movable furniture portion is in the opened position.

2. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said power supply unit has a clamping stirrup for releasably mounting said power supply unit to said carrier element.

3. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said current consumer is a lighting device.

4. The article of furniture of claim 3, wherein said lighting device is configured to entirely light up an internal space of said movable furniture portion.

5. The article of furniture of claim 3, wherein said movable furniture portion is a drawer, said lighting device being arranged at a rear wall of said drawer.

6. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said power supply unit is configured to charge up said current storage device only in the closed position of said movable furniture portion.

7. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said ejector device is spring-loaded.

8. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said ejector device is electrically driven.

9. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said ejector device is releasably mounted to said carrier element such that, when said ejector device is releasably mechanically attached to said carrier element, said ejector device is automatically electrically connected to said electric supply line mounted to said carrier element.

10. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said ejector device and said power supply unit carried by said carrier element are both associated with said movable furniture portion.

11. The article of furniture of claim 1, wherein said movable furniture portion comprises a first movable furniture portion movable relative to said furniture carcass, said current storage device comprises a first current storage device mounted to said first movable furniture portion, and said power supply unit comprises a first power supply unit releasably mounted to said carrier element such that, when said first power supply unit is releasably mechanically attached to said carrier element, said first power supply unit is automatically electrically connected to said electric supply line of said carrier element, wherein said first power supply unit and said first current storage device are configured such that:

when said first movable furniture portion is in a closed position, said first power supply unit electrically connects to said first current storage device so as to electrically charge said first current storage device; and

when said first movable furniture portion is in an opened position, said first power supply unit electrically disconnects from said first current storage device, further comprising;

a second movable furniture portion movable relative to said furniture carcass;

a second current storage device mounted to said second movable furniture portion; and

a second power supply unit releasably mounted to said carrier element such that, when said second power supply unit is releasably mechanically attached to said carrier element, said second power supply unit is automatically electrically connected to said electric supply line of said carrier element, wherein said second power supply unit and said second current storage device are configured such that;

when said second movable furniture portion is in a closed position, said second power supply unit electrically connects to said second current storage device so as to electrically charge said second current storage device; and

when said second movable furniture portion is in an opened position, said second power supply unit electrically disconnects from said second current storage device.