SWITCH ELEMENT FOR A MOVABLE FURNITURE PART |
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申请号 | US12621898 | 申请日 | 2009-11-19 | 公开(公告)号 | US20100066274A1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2010-03-18 |
申请人 | Mathias GRIMM; | 发明人 | Mathias GRIMM; | ||||
摘要 | The invention relates to a switch element comprising an actuating element that can be impinged upon by an energy accumulator and is mounted so that it can be moved along a trajectory. At least two energy accumulators are used to impinge the actuating element and the number of the energy accumulators impinging the actuating element varies in predetermined positions of the trajectory. | ||||||
权利要求 | |||||||
说明书全文 | The present invention concerns a switch element comprising an actuating element which can be acted upon by a force storage means and which is mounted movably over a predetermined path, a drive device for a movable furniture part having a control or regulating device and an article of furniture comprising a movable furniture part and such a drive device. Such switch elements are used for example in such a way that in its closed position the movable furniture part bears against the actuating element, whereby the application of a pulling or pushing force to the furniture part by a user results in a movement of the actuating element. It is known for example for the force storage means to be in the form of a compression spring and for the actuating element to be arranged relative to the force storage means in such a way that, with a furniture part in the closed position, the actuating element is pressed in against the force of the compression spring by the furniture part bearing against the actuating element, over a part of the overall predetermined path. If now a user applies pressure to the furniture part in the closed position (it will be appreciated that a suitable play for the movement of the furniture part also has to be provided in the closed position of the furniture part) the actuating element is further moved against the force applied by the compression spring. That can be detected either by a sensor device for monitoring the movement of the actuating element or by way of suitably arranged switches, whereupon triggering of a drive device for the furniture part takes place. If in contrast the user applies a pulling force to the furniture part in the closed position, if therefore for example he moves a drawer out of the furniture body somewhat or if he lifts a flap away from the furniture body somewhat, the result of this is that the actuating element, by virtue of the force applied by the compression spring, follows the furniture part over a portion of the predetermined path, which can also be detected by a sensor device for monitoring the movement of the actuating element or suitable switches and can be used for triggering a drive device of the furniture part. A disadvantage with such a switch element is the fact that the neutral position (no triggering of the drive device) of the actuating element in which the furniture part is disposed in the closed position thereof is relatively poorly defined and can everywhere be on the characteristic curve of the force storage means over the predetermined path. That also involves reduced operating comfort and convenience as most users will find it agreeable if the switch element can be triggered at a precisely defined switching point. The object of the invention is to develop a switch element of the general kind set forth, in such a way that the above-discussed disadvantages are overcome. That object is attained by a switch element having the features of claim 1. The desired switching points can be pre-defined by in-factory selection of the predetermined positions along the path over which the actuating element can move. In that respect it may be sufficient to provide only two force storage means so that only one predetermined position and thus a single defined switching point is implemented within the path over which the actuating element can move. A switch element according to the invention can be used for example in a drive device for a movable furniture part, the control or regulating device of the drive device being connected to an interface or electric lines of the switch element. In that respect the term interface is to be interpreted broadly. By way of example it is also possible to provide for wireless signal transmission by radio or infrared. A particularly preferred embodiment concerns a drive device for a movable furniture part, comprising a control or regulating device connected to an interface or electric lines of a switch element, and an electric motor triggerable by the control or regulating device for driving the furniture part, wherein the switch element has an actuating element which is mounted movably along a path and which can be acted upon by a force storage means having a characteristic curve and wherein the switch element triggers the electric motor by way of the control or regulating device by movement of the actuating element at a switching point, wherein there are provided at least two force storage means for acting on the actuating element and wherein the number of force storage means acting on the actuating element changes at predetermined positions on the path (S), whereby the gradient of the characteristic curve changes at those positions, of which positions a position within the path is in the form of a switching point of the switch element. Such a drive device is suitable in particular for use in an article of furniture in which the furniture part in the closed position thereof bears against the actuating element of the switch element, thereby affording the possibility of triggering the drive device of the furniture part by pushing in the furniture part to the defined switching point or by pulling on the furniture part. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the appendant claims. The invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying Figures in which: The invention makes use of the fact that, in the arrangement of at least two force storage means 2a, 2b for acting on the actuating element 3, it is possible to establish a defined switching point for the switch element 1 by predetermining a position S2, by altering the number of force storage means 2a, 2b acting on the actuating element. A first position S1 is for example at the beginning of the distance or path S which can be covered by the actuating element 3, that is to say when the actuating element 3 is fully extended and is not acted upon by any of the force storage means 2a, 2b. It will be noted however that that position S1 is generally of subordinate significance for the invention as, in the mounted condition of the switch element 1 in or on an article of furniture the furniture part 8 is in that case outside its closed position. For example that position is adopted by the actuating element 3 when the furniture part 8 has been lifted off the furniture body or carcass by a user and then moved further away from the furniture body by a drive device 9. The actuating element 3 remains in that position S1 until the furniture part 8 comes to bear against the actuating element 3 again. It will be noted however that in that case the furniture part 8 usually involves such a great momentum that it moves either of its own accord or by the force applied by a pull-in device, into the closed position, so that the user generally does not further notice the first defined switching point at position S1. It will be noted however that this is different if it is provided that the drive device 9 for the furniture part 8 also remains triggerable by the switch element 1 when the furniture part 8 is out of its closed position. That is particularly appropriate for example when the furniture part 8 is in the form of a flap as an opened flap is disposed at a relatively high position and it may be more comfortable for a user to trigger closure of the furniture part by actuation of the actuating element 3 of the switch element 1. It will be noted however that an aspect of greater significance is that defined switching point which is implemented at the position S2 on the path S, by the number of force storage means 2a, 2b which act on the actuating element 3 being increased from one to two. In other words in this embodiment it is provided that between the positions S1 and S2 the actuating element 3 is acted upon only by the first force storage means 2a to resist being pushed in and it is only at position S2 that the second force storage means 2b also acts on the actuating element 3. Preferably it is provided in that respect that the first force storage means 2a has already reached its maximum force at the position S2. If the force storage means is for example in the form of a compression spring, that means that the compression spring cannot be further compressed in that position so that the force exerted by the force storage means 2a remains constant from that position. If the at least two force storage means 2a, 2b have characteristic curves of differing gradients (that is to say the force F exerted by them plotted against the path S), that affords the defined switching point as the intersection point of the characteristic curves of the force storage means 2a, 2b at the position S2 (see A particularly simple structure for the switch element 1 is afforded if it is provided that the actuating element 3 has at least two portions 3a, 3b which are mounted limitedly movably relative to each other, as is shown by way of example in In both cases a respective one of the at least two force storage means 2a, 2b which here are in the form of springs is arranged between a mounting location 4, 5 and one of the at least two portions 3a, 3b. As already stated it may be advantageous if the at least two force storage means 2a, 2b have characteristic curves of differing gradients. In that way it is possible for the one force storage means 2a for example to be made very much weaker than the other force storage means 2b. It will be appreciated however that it would also be conceivable for both force storage means 2a, 2b to be designed with the same characteristic curve (in the case of springs, that would mean with the same spring constant). Two examples of possible structural configurations of the switch element 1 according to the invention will now be discussed in detail with reference to It is possible to see in The switch element 1 can be mounted in place by way of a mounting portion 12. In this embodiment the actuating element 3 has two portions 3a, 3b, the first portion 3a being in the form of a pin. It is further possible to see two switches 6a, 6b which are disposed on a common circuit board 14 and the function of which will be described in greater detail with reference to In this respect In In contrast thereto in As in the first embodiment the switch element 1 has a housing 10 in which an actuating element 3 is movably mounted. In addition the signals of the switch element 1 can be passed to a control or regulating device (not shown) by way of electric lines 7 or those lines 7 serve for the power supply to the switch element 1. It will be seen that in this embodiment the actuating element 3 also has two portions 3a and 3b. Arranged between the first portion 3a and the second portion 3b in this case at mounting locations 5 are two force storage means 2a which in total operate like a single force storage means 2a. A single force storage means 2b is arranged between the second portion 3b and the mounting location 4a which is provided on a holder 4b fitted on a circuit board 14. Arranged on the board 14 are two switches 6a, 6b which in this embodiment are in the form of toggle switches. The function of the switches 6a, 6b is described in detail with reference to The switching operation will be described once again with reference to In A second embodiment is shown in In this variant the defined switching point is achieved by the provision, separately from the actuating element 3, of at least one further element 15 which is acted upon by at least one force storage means 2b. The two elements 15 are each acted upon by a respective force storage means 2a. In this case each of the two force storage means 2a is shorter than the force storage means 2b, with the result that, without the action of a counteracting force, the actuating element 3 projects furthest from the front panel 18 of the switch element 1. It is further possible to see from The mode of operation of the switch element shown in In this case a furniture part 8 (not shown) bears both against the actuating element 3 and also against the elements 15. In that way the actuating element 3 is pressed in to such an extent that it lies in a plane with the elements 15. |