Coupling device for drawers

• US 9,179,771 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Haemmerle, Kurt, Holzer, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): ING, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US13/934,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 312/330.1, 312/334.1, 3123344-3346, 3123481-3482
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/40 Sliding drawers; Slides or guides therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/427 at drawer side
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/453 Actuated drawers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/46 operated by mechanically-stored energy, e.g. by springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/931 Rails or rods mounted above the drawer walls, e.g. for stabilisation of the drawer or for suspension of the content

Abstract

A coupling device for removably coupling a drawer to an extendable rail of a pull-out guide includes an adjusting device, by which a position of a drawer that is connected to the rail can be adjusted relative to the rail in the lateral direction and/or in the longitudinal direction (L) of the pull-out guide. The coupling device has a fixing part to be fixed to the drawer, and a coupling part to be coupled to the rail. The fixing part can be moved relative to the coupling part by the adjusting device in a linear manner. The adjusting device has an adjusting wheel rotatably mounted on the coupling part or on the fixing part. An actuating region is provided on the adjusting wheel in order to rotate the adjusting wheel, and the adjusting device includes a transmission device. A movement of the actuating region of the adjusting wheel can be converted by the transmission device into a linear movement of the fixing part relative to the coupling part such that the position of the drawer is adjusted relative to the furniture body in the same direction in which the actuating region is moved.

Claims

1. A coupling device for releasably coupling a drawer to a rail of an extension guide, said coupling device comprising:

a fixing portion to be fixed to the drawer;

a coupling portion to be coupled to the rail; and

an adjusting device for adjusting a position of the drawer coupled to the rail relative to the rail within a plane parallel to a drawer bottom, said adjusting device being configured to linearly move said fixing portion relative to said coupling portion, said adjusting device including;

an adjusting wheel mounted rotatably to one of said coupling portion or said fixing portion so as to rotate about an axis of rotation, said adjusting wheel having a circumferential actuating region for allowing rotation of said adjusting wheel; and

a transmission device configured to convert a rotational movement of said adjusting wheel into a linear movement of said fixing portion relative to said coupling portion such that a position of the drawer relative to a furniture carcass is adjusted in a direction perpendicular to said axis of rotation.

2. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said adjusting device is configured to adjust the position of the drawer coupled to the rail relative to the rail in a lateral direction of the extension guide, said axis of rotation of said adjusting wheel being substantially parallel to the extension direction of the drawer.

3. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said adjusting device is configured to adjust the position of the drawer coupled to the rail relative to the rail in a longitudinal direction of the extension guide, said axis of rotation of said adjusting wheel is substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the extension direction of the drawer.

4. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said transmission device is configured to convert a rotational movement of said actuating region of said adjusting wheel into a linear movement of said fixing portion relative to the coupling portion in the same direction as a tangential component of the rotational movement of said actuating region.

5. The coupling device of claim 1, further comprising an abutment element configured such that, in the closed position of the drawer, said abutment element is operatively connected to the extension guide or the furniture carcass, said adjusting device being configured to linearly move said abutment element to adjust the position of the drawer.

6. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein said abutment element is elastic, resilient, or spring-loaded.

7. The coupling device of claim 5, wherein said transmission device is configured to convert the rotational movement of said adjusting wheel into a linear movement of said abutment element in the direction of a tangential component of the rotational movement of said actuating region or in a direction opposite thereto.

8. The coupling device of claim 7, wherein said abutment element is mounted to said fixing portion, and said adjusting device is configured to move said abutment element relative to said fixing portion.

9. The coupling device of claim 8, wherein said adjusting device and said abutment element are configured to adjust a closed position of the drawer in a longitudinal direction of the extension guide by a movement of said abutment element.

10. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said adjusting wheel is a first adjusting wheel, said adjusting device further including a second adjusting wheel, said first adjusting wheel being configured to adjust a position of the drawer relative to the rail in the lateral direction of the extension guide, and said second adjusting wheel being configured to adjust a position of the drawer relative to the rail in the longitudinal direction of the extension guide.

11. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said transmission device is a first transmission device, said adjusting device having a second transmission device configured to convert a rotational movement of said adjusting wheel into a linear movement of said fixing portion relative to said coupling portion, said first transmission device and said second transmission device being spaced apart along said axis of rotation.

12. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein said adjusting wheel has two sides, each of said two sides engaging a respective one of said first transmission device and said second transmission device.

13. The coupling device of claim 12, wherein each of said two sides of said adjusting wheel is formed as a spiral disk engaging a respective one of said first transmission device and said second transmission device.

14. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein said adjusting wheel is rotatably mounted to said fixing portion, and said coupling portion has two lugs, each of said two lugs having a respective one of said first transmission device and said second transmission device thereon for converting a rotary movement of said adjusting wheel into a linear movement of said fixing portion relative to said coupling portion.

15. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein at least one of said first transmission device and said second transmission device is formed as toothed bars on one of said fixing portion or said coupling portion.

16. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein both said first transmission device and said second transmission device are formed as toothed bars on one of said fixing portion or said coupling portion.

17. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein said adjusting wheel includes two half portions non-rotatably connected together, each of said half portions being engaged with a respective one of said first transmission device and said second transmission device for converting the rotary movement of said adjusting wheel into a linear movement.

18. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said transmission device comprises a spiral disk on a side of said adjusting wheel.

19. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said transmission device has a gear.

20. The coupling device of claim 19, wherein said transmission device has a gear engaging an abutment element, said gear being rotatably mounted about an axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the extension guide.

21. The coupling device of claim 20, wherein said gear has an end face with a spiral configuration.

22. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said adjusting device is self-locking.

23. The coupling device of claim 1, further comprising a housing portion having an opening through which said actuating region of said adjusting wheel projects to allow rotation of said adjusting wheel.

24. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein said transmission device has a bevel wheel.

25. A coupling device set for releasably coupling a drawer to extendable extension rails of an extension guide, the rails being arranged at opposite sides of a furniture carcass, said coupling device comprising:

a first coupling device comprising a coupling device as recited in claim 1 for releasably coupling the drawer to a first one of the extension rails; and

a second coupling device comprising a coupling device as recited in claim 1 for releasably coupling the drawer to a second one of the extension rails.

26. A coupling device set for releasably coupling a drawer to extendable rails of an extension guide, the rails being arranged at opposite sides of a furniture carcass, said coupling device comprising:

a first coupling device comprising a coupling device as recited in claim 1 for releasably coupling the drawer to a first one of the extendable rails; and

a second coupling device for releasably coupling the drawer to a second one of the extendable rails, said second coupling device including a second fixing portion to be fixed to the drawer and a second coupling portion to be coupled to the second one of the extendable rails, said second fixing portion and said second coupling portion being mounted movably relative to each other so as to conform to a relative shift in position of said fixing portion and said coupling portion of said first coupling device.

27. The coupling device set of claim 26, wherein said second coupling device further includes a second adjusting device for adjusting a position of the drawer relative to the second one of the extendable rails in a lateral direction of the extension guide, said second adjusting device including a second adjusting wheel rotatably mounted about a second axis of rotation on one of said second coupling portion or said second fixing portion for converting a rotational movement of said second adjusting wheel into a linear movement of said second fixing portion relative to said second coupling portion.

28. The coupling device set of claim 27, wherein said second axis of rotation is substantially parallel to an extension direction of the drawer, said second adjusting wheel including a second actuating region for allowing rotation of said second adjusting wheel, said second adjusting device further including a second transmission device for converting a rotational movement of said second actuating region into the linear movement of said second fixing portion relative to said second coupling portion in a direction of a tangential component of the rotational movement of said second actuating region.

29. The coupling device set of claim 27, wherein said second adjusting device has at least two second transmission devices axially spaced apart along said second axis of rotation for converting the rotational movement of said second adjusting wheel into the linear movement of said second fixing portion relative to said second coupling portion.

30. The coupling device set of claim 27, wherein said second adjusting device is self-locking.

31. A drawer comprising:

a drawer body having a front panel, side walls, a rear wall, and a drawer bottom;

an extension guide including a rail; and

said coupling device as set forth in claim 1 releasably coupling said drawer body to said rail of said extension guide.

32. An article of furniture comprising:

a furniture carcass; and

said drawer as set forth in claim 31 mounted in said furniture carcass.