Damper arrangement

• US 7,748,082 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Isele, Herbert, Harald, Sutterlutti
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson; Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, ROWLAND
• Application Number:
  US12/078,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 162/86, 162/96, 162/77, 162/80, 16/54, 16/50, 188/266.6, 188/290
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/006 for hinges having a cup-shaped fixing part, e.g. for attachment to cabinets or furniture
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/256 with pistons or vanes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/264 linear
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/604 Transmission members
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/622 Suspension or transmission members elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/624 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/70 Retrofitting of elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

A damper arrangement is provided for parts of furniture that can be pivoted in relation to each other. The arrangement includes at least one damper having a linear damping course, and at least two abutment parts which can be respectively fixed to one of the parts of the furniture, or can be supported thereon in an especially sliding manner. The abutment parts are interconnected in such a way that they can be pivoted by at least one articulated axis. The damper is arranged in such a way that the direction of the linear damping course thereof is at an angle to a parallel line, deviating (offset) from a vertical line, preferably essentially parallel to the articulated axis.

Claims

1. A hinge including a damper arrangement, said hinge having two parts pivotably connecting to each other, said damper arrangement comprising:

a linear damper configured to have a linear damping stroke;

at least two abutment portions to be respectively mounted to one of the parts of the hinge, said at least two abutment portions being pivotably connected together by the hinge having a hinge axis, said damper being arranged such that a direction of the linear damping stroke is at a damping stroke angle relative to a line parallel to said hinge axis, said damping stroke angle being different than a perpendicular angle between the line parallel to said hinge axis and a line perpendicular to said hinge axis;

a transmission mechanism, wherein said hinge pivotably connecting said abutment portions includes a hinge lever for triggering the linear damping stroke via said transmission mechanism, said hinge lever and said transmission mechanism being configured such that said hinge lever triggers the linear damping stroke during pivotal movement of said at least two abutment portions; and

a transmission lever, a thrust lever, and an actuating lever, said transmission lever arranged to be acted upon by said hinge lever via said transmission lever, said thrust lever, and said actuating lever.

2. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said linear damper is arranged so that the direction of the linear damping stroke is substantially parallel to said hinge axis.

3. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said damper is arranged so that an angle between the direction of the linear damping stroke and the line perpendicular to said hinge axis is at least 45°

.

4. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said damper is arranged so that an angle between the direction of the linear damping stroke and the line perpendicular to said hinge axis is at least 60°

.

5. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said abutment portions and said hinge are components of a furniture hinge.

6. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein a first one of said at least two abutment portions comprises a hinge cup or a hinge arm.

7. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein a first one of said at least two abutment portions comprises a hinge cup, and a second one of said abutment portions comprises a hinge arm.

8. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said at least two abutment portions include a hinge cup, said damper being arranged at said hinge cup.

9. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein one of said at least two abutment portions comprises a hinge cup, said transmission mechanism being arranged at said hinge cup.

10. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission mechanism includes a tension cable.

11. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission mechanism has a tong configuration for engaging said linear damper.

12. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission mechanism comprises a transmission lever engaging said linear damper and a rotational body to be acuated by said hinge lever, said transmission lever being operable to engage a screw-shaped guide path of said rotational body.

13. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission mechanism comprises said thrust lever to be actuated by said hinge lever, said thrust lever engaging said transmission lever engaging said linear damper, said transmission lever engaging said linear damper via a guide path oriented at an incline relative to a direction of actuation of said thrust lever.

14. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said transmission mechanism comprises a gear transmission.

15. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said linear damper is configured to perform a damping stroke when two damper components are pushed together or when two damper components are pulled away from each other.

16. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said linear damper comprises a housing and a pusher operable to move with respect to said housing, said housing and said pusher being configured to perform an exclusively linear movement during the damping stroke of said linear damper.

17. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a cylinder, and said pusher comprises a piston arranged in said cylinder.

18. The damper arrangement of claim 1, wherein said linear damper comprises a housing and a pusher arranged in said housing, further comprising a transmission lever directly engaging at least one of said housing and said pusher of said damper to perform an exclusively linear movement during the damping stroke.

19. The damper arrangement of claim 7, wherein said at least two abutment portions further include a hinge lever, said damper arrangement further comprising a transmission mechanism including a thrust lever configured to be urged by said hinge lever.

20. The damper arrangement of claim 10, wherein said tension cable and said hinge lever are arranged such that said tension cable can be pressed by said hinge lever into a recess of one of said at least two abutment portions.

21. The damper arrangement of claim 11, wherein said transmission mechanism comprises two transmission levers hinged together so as to have said tong configuration for engaging said linear damper.

22. The damper arrangement of claim 13, wherein a pivotable actuating lever is arranged between said hinge lever and said thrust lever.

23. The damper arrangement of claim 14, wherein said gear transmission comprises a bevel gear transmission.

24. The damper arrangement of claim 14, wherein said gear transmission comprises a forked pivotable lever engaging said linear damper.

25. The damper arrangement of claim 14, wherein said transmission mechanism further includes a pivotable actuating lever for transmission of a movement of said hinge lever to said gear transmission.

26. The damper arrangement of claim 21, wherein said transmission mechanism comprises a thrust lever arranged to be supported against said hinge lever, and configured to engage a hinge connection of said transmission levers.

27. The damper arrangement of claim 22, wherein a first one of said at least two abutment portions comprises a hinge cup, said pivotable actuating lever being arranged at least partially in an interior of said hinge cup.

28. The damper arrangement of claim 22, wherein said transmission mechanism further includes an actuating lever having a pin for actuation of said thrust lever.

29. The damper arrangement of claim 23, wherein said bevel gear transmission comprises at least two mutually engaging bevel gears.

30. The damper arrangement of claim 25, wherein a first one of said at least two abutment portions comprises a hinge cup, said pivotable actuating lever being arranged at least partially in an interior of said hinge cup.