DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a device for attaching a panel to a furnishing element, in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

For the sake of simplicity, the present disclosure is made in a non-limiting manner with particular reference to a drawer as a furnishing element, the device according to the invention being intended to attach the front panel of a drawer to the body of such a drawer.

Background of the invention

In the field of furniture production, it is generally produced and assembled with the drawers already inserted in their natural seat, however, avoiding providing such drawers also with their front side. In fact, while the finish of the bottom, sides and back of a drawer is standard, the finish of the front varies as a function of specific needs and can be very differentiated. In consideration of this, the need to be met is that of allowing the assembly of the front of the drawer in a simple and fast manner, so that the front of the drawer is engagingly incorporated with the remaining part of the drawer, preferably according to a straight guided insertion direction which is perpendicular to the front of the drawer. This type of insertion is strongly desired to prevent the front of the drawer or the remaining part of the piece of furniture from being damaged during the assembly of the front to the body of the drawer.

Currently, the use of spring insertion devices is prevalent, thanks to which the engagement element solidly constrained with the front of the drawer is firmly incorporated with a receiving part attached to the sides of the drawer. An example of such a device is found in the prior art document EP-A-0740917.

Document WO 2009/059652 discloses an attachment device for attaching a panel to a furnishing element.

In relation to these devices, it should be noted that in the same, the attachment force with which the front of the drawer is engagingly retained with the sides of the drawer is determined by the force of the elastic means acting in the device, which entails the inconvenience of having to use springs with a very high elastic constant.

It should also be noted that for drawers with a high depth, for example around 20 cm, such as those used in kitchen furniture, but not only, the front of the drawer has a corresponding height, so that in order to ensure a firm attachment of such a front to the drawer, it is necessary to provide two vertically offset attachment points for each side of the drawer.

In this case, in addition to the problems highlighted above, there is the further problem of ensuring that both attachment devices on each side are correctly hooked, thereby avoiding anomalous situations in which only one of the two hooking systems on each side of the front is actually hooked in contact with the respective side of the drawer.

On this point, it should be noted that, in the event of fronts for high-depth drawers, the use of hooking devices with hooking/engagement movements having rotation components is even more undesirable with respect to standard-height drawers, as it poses greater problems in managing to apply the front of the drawer correctly in consideration of the need to correctly hook two distinct hooking elements for each side of the drawer.

In particular, it should be noted that, in the event of high-depth drawers, the need to be met is that of hooking the front to the drawer following a straight translational insertion movement. Summary of the invention

The problem underlying the present invention is that of devising an attachment device for attaching a panel to a furnishing element, which has structural and functional characteristics such as to meet said needs, while remedying the problems referred to with reference to the prior art.

Such a problem is solved by an attachment device in accordance with claim 1.

Brief description of the figures

Further characteristics and advantages of the device for attaching a panel to a furnishing element according to the present invention will emerge from the description given below of some of its preferred embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

- figure 1 shows a partially exploded perspective view of a drawer portion comprising the attachment device according to the present invention;

- figure 2 shows the drawer portion of figure 1 with one side removed in order to better highlight the presence of the attachment device according to the invention;

- figure 3 shows a perspective view of the attachment device according to the invention before attaching the front of the drawer;

- figure 4 shows a perspective view of the attachment device according to the invention while it ensures the attachment of the front of the drawer;

- figures 5 to 8 show exploded perspective views, with some parts removed, of the attachment device according to the invention;

- figure 9 shows a side plan view of only the internal support means of the hooking element of the attachment device according to the invention;

- figure 10 shows a side plan view of only the hooking element of the attachment device according to the invention;

- figures 11 to 14 show plan views from a first side of the attachment device according to the invention of a hooking sequence of the attachment device according to the invention;

- figures 15 to 18 show plan views from a second side of a hooking sequence of the attachment device according to the invention and

- figure 19 show an exploded perspective view of an engagement element in accordance with an embodiment variant. Detailed description of the invention

With reference to the accompanying figures, 1 globally denotes an attachment device according to the invention for attaching a panel P to a furnishing element D.

Within the scope of the present description, as a furnishing element, the front panel of a drawer will be considered, by way of non-limiting example, as a panel P to be attached to the body of a drawer D.

In particular, the attachment device 1 for attaching the front panel P to the body of the drawer D comprises an engagement element 2 intended to be attached to a first element, chosen between the front panel P and the body of the furnishing element D, and a corresponding receiving part 6 comprising a frame for attaching to the remaining element between the front panel P and the body of the furnishing element D.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment:

- the aforesaid first element comprising the engagement element 2 is identified by the aforesaid front panel P, and

- the remaining engagement element, to which the receiving element 6 is attached, is identified by the body of the drawer D.

Therefore, in accordance with the illustrated embodiments, the engagement element 2 is carried by the front panel P of the drawer D, while the receiving body 6 of the device 1 is attached to the body of the drawer D, specifically to a side of such a drawer.

Since it is good for the front panel P to be attached to the body of the drawer D at both sides of the drawer D, for a correct attachment of the panel P it is necessary to provide for the use of two attachment devices 1 for each front panel P of the drawer D, one for each side of the drawer D.

Furthermore, it should be noted that in the case of a drawer having a depth of 20 cm or more, such as the one exemplarily illustrated in the figures, it is good to provide for two separate attachment points which are vertically offset from each other for each side of the drawer. For this purpose, the attachment device 1 is made by providing a receiving body 6 capable of receiving and engaging with two distinct engagement elements 2 (see figures 1-4), as will be better apparent in the following of the present description.

With reference to the engagement element 2, in particular to each engagement element 2 if the attachment device 1 provides 2 thereof (see figures 1-4), it should be noted that, in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in figures 1 to 8, it comprises a pin 3, in the example arranged horizontally, which is supported transversely by a flange, or support wing, 4 projecting from a base 5.

Alternatively, it is possible to provide a pin 3 supported near its opposite ends by two flanges 4, parallel and facing each other, projecting perpendicularly from a base 5, as illustrated in figure 19.

The engagement element 2 is intended to be attached to the front panel P of the drawer D so that the aforesaid base 5 rests on the internal side of the front panel P of the drawer D. The base 5 comprises holes for screws, expansion dowels or other equivalent attachment means for attaching the base 5 to the internal side of the front panel P.

It should be noted that the ends 3a of the pin 3 of the engagement element 2 protrude/advance, laterally for a prefixed section limited by both sides of the flange 4, or of the aforesaid two flanges 4 (see fig. 19), for support with respect to the base 5.

The pin 3 of the engagement element 2 is insertable frontally and in a guided manner in the aforesaid receiving part 6, starting from a front side 7a of the receiving part 6 along a preset guided insertion track

11, to be retained therein in an engagement condition. As regards the receiving part 6 of the attachment device, it should be noted that it comprises a support frame 7, through which the receiving part 6 can be firmly attached to the body of the drawer D. More precisely, the receiving part 6 is generally solidly constrained by attachment means to a side wall of the drawer D, as illustrated in figure 1, it may possibly be envisaged to attach such a receiving part to the bottom of the drawer or to a side guide thereof.

It should be noted that within the scope of the present description, the front side 7a of the receiving part 6 is the side of the receiving part intended to face the front panel P, i.e., the side from which the aforesaid insertion of the engagement element 2, in particular of the pin 3, occurs in the aforesaid receiving part 6 along the aforesaid guided insertion track 11.

In the illustrated example, the aforesaid guided insertion track 11 extends in the receiving part 6, more specifically in the support frame 7, identifying a straight insertion track therein starting from the front end 7a of the receiving part 6.

More in particular, the aforesaid guided insertion track 11 extends in the receiving part 6, starting from an inlet opening 11a positioned at said front side (7a) of the receiving part (6) As illustrated the receiving part 6 of the attachment device 1 lends itself to being housed frontally recessed in the head end of the side of a drawer D, so that its front wall/end 7a is substantially flush with the front head end of the side of the drawer D.

The engagement element 2 is shaped so as to be able to be inserted in the receiving part 6 so that it arrives in a condition such as to be engagingly constrained in an unmissable manner, although ensuring the possibility of being able to detach the engagement element 2 from the receiving part 6 if this is required.

As appears from the figures, the engagement element 2, specifically the pin 3, is insertable frontally in the aforesaid guided insertion track 11, through the aforesaid inlet opening 11a present in the front side 7a, to be retained therein in an engagement condition.

For this purpose, the receiving part 6 comprises a hooking element 8 movably supported by the support frame 7.

Said hooking element 8 comprises a guide slot 9 extending inside said hooking element 8 starting from a front opening 9a facing towards said front side 7a of the receiving part 6, the pin 3 of the engagement element 2 inserting into the receiving part 6 through said inlet opening 11a and said front opening 9a: - until it reaches a more internal position in the hooking element 8 with respect to the front opening 9a and the front side 7a of the support frame 7 and

- being constrained to said receiving part 6.

Said guide slot 9 of said hooking element (8) comprises at least one transversal section extending transversely, preferably extending perpendicularly, to said guided insertion track 11.

The hooking element 8 is constrained to the support frame 7 by constraining means 18,19 which allows said hooking element 8 to move:

• between a rear position (see figures 11 and 15) in which said hooking element 8 is positioned so as to have said inlet opening 9a of said guide slot 9 aligned and at said guided insertion track 11 to allow said engagement element 2 to be inserted in said guide slot 9 of the hooking element 8 through the aforesaid front opening 9a, and

• a forward position (see figures 14 and 18), in which said hooking element 8 is positioned with respect to said guided insertion track 11 so as to have the aforesaid transversal section of the guide slot 9 positioned at said guided insertion track 11, so as to keep the pin 3 of said engagement element 2 constrained in said guide slot 9 of said hooking element 8. The attachment device 1 comprises elastic means 10 acting on the hooking element 8 to push said hooking element 8 towards said forward position with a preset elastic preload.

Furthermore, the aforesaid receiving part 6 comprises stopping means suitable for releasably retaining said hooking element 8 in said rear position in contrast to the action of said elastic means, as better explained in the following description.

It should be noted that:

- as described above, when said hooking element 8 is in said rear position the front opening 9a of said guide slot 9 is positioned aligned with said guided insertion track 11 to allow the pin 3 of said engagement element 2 to be inserted in said hooking element 8 through the aforesaid front opening 9a;

- when said hooking element 8 is in said forward position, said front opening 9a of said guide slot 9 is offset from said guided insertion track 11, overtaking it and

- when the pin 3 of said engagement element 2 is inserted in said guide slot 9 and said hooking element 8 is in said forward position:

• the pin 3 of said engagement element 2 is positioned at said transversal section of the guide slot 9 of the hooking element 8 and a wall of said transversal section identifies an abutment wall 12 suitable for counteracting a movement of the pin 3 of said engagement element 2 approaching the aforesaid front side 7a of the receiving part 6 and

• the aforesaid constraining means 18,19 constrains the hooking element 8 to the support frame 7 so as to counteract a movement of said hooking element 8 from said forward position towards said rear position as a result of an action exerted by said engagement element 2,3,4 on the aforesaid abutment wall 12 directed perpendicularly to the front side 7a of the receiving part 6 with direction oriented from said abutment wall 12 towards said front side 7a of said receiving part 6.

For this purpose, the aforesaid abutment wall 12 is inclined so that an angle of at least 90° is identified between:

• a first vector Fi (see figures 10 and 15) passing through said abutment wall 12 and directed perpendicularly to said front side 7a of said receiving part 6 facing towards said front wall

7a and • a second vector F2 (see figures 10 and 15) which, in said transversal section of said guide slot 9, is directed parallel to said abutment wall 12 along said guide slot 9 and is oriented towards said inlet opening 9a of said guide slot 9;

- said constraining means 18,19 comprises studeyelet constraining means between at least one stud 19, solidly constrained in translation with one between said hooking element 8 and said support frame 7, inserted in sliding engagement in an eyelet 18 obtained/carried by the remaining element between said hooking element 8 and said support frame 7, said stud 19 being constrained to move inside said eyelet 18.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment:

- the stud 19 is carried by the hooking element 8, from which it laterally projects and

- the eyelet 18 is obtained in the support frame 7, so that a movement of the hooking element 8 with respect to the support frame 7 is allowed only by a corresponding movement of the stud 19 inside the eyelet 18 which is solidly constrained with the support frame 7.

Therefore, the kinematic constraint which is created between the eyelet 18 and the stud 19 is a two-way desmodromic-type constraint.

It is clear that, in accordance with a different embodiment, it is also possible to provide for the dual case, in which the eyelet is obtained in the hooking element and moves together therewith with respect to the stud supported in an attached manner by the support frame.

Advantageously :

- the aforesaid eyelet 18 is shaped so as to identify two branches 18a,18b converging at a vertex V, said two branches 18a,18b being inclined to each other so as to subtend an acute angle a (see figure 9);

- a first branch 18a of said eyelet 18 is oriented so as to project from the aforesaid vertex V towards the aforesaid front side 7a of the receiving part 6 and

- a second branch 18b of the eyelet 18 is oriented so as to project from the aforesaid vertex V according to a direction substantially parallel to the aforesaid front side 7a of the receiving part 6, so that the guided insertion of the pin 3 of the engagement element 2 in the aforesaid guided insertion track 11 determines:

- a first translation of the hooking element 8 with respect to the support frame 7 away from the front side 7a of the receiving part 6, a translation which is allowed thanks to the fact that the aforesaid stud 19 can make a relative movement with respect to the support frame 7 along said first branch 18a of said eyelet 18 until reaching said vertex V and

- a subsequent second translation of said hooking element 8 with respect to said support frame 7 according to a direction substantially parallel to said front side 7a of the receiving part 6, a translation which is allowed thanks to the fact that the aforesaid stud 19 can make a relative movement with respect to the support frame 7 along the aforesaid second branch 18b of the eyelet 18 and away from the vertex V.

In particular, following the aforesaid first translation, as soon as the stud 19 travelling along the first branch 18a of the eyelet 18 arrives at the vertex V of the eyelet, the elastic action exerted by the elastic return means 17 on the hooking element 8 is such as to push said hooking element so as to bring the stud 19 to travel along the second branch 18b of the eyelet 18, until bringing the hooking element 8 in the aforesaid forward position inside said receiving part 6.

Preferably, the aforesaid branches 18a and 18b of the eyelet 18 are positioned with each other so as to converge at said vertex V, subtending an acute angle a less than 86°, more preferably subtending an acute angle a less than 82°.

Preferably, the aforesaid acute angle a subtended by the aforesaid branches 18a,18b is greater than 38°. As described above, when said stud 19 is engaged in said second branch 18b, the aforesaid elastic return means 17 acts on the hooking element 8 so as to push it elastically in a position in which said stud 19 is near an end of said second branch 18a which is distal from said vertex V.

Furthermore, when said stud 19 is engaged in said first branch 18a, the aforesaid elastic return means 17 acts on the hooking element 8 so as to push it elastically in a position in which said stud 19 is near an end of said first branch 18a which is distal from said vertex V, so that as a whole, the second branch 18a of the eyelet 18, the stud 19 and the elastic return means 17 together identifying the aforesaid stopping means suitable for stably and releasably retaining the hooking element 8 in said rear position in contrast to the action of said elastic means 17.

Preferably, the aforesaid stud-eyelet constraining means for constraining said hooking element 8 to said support frame 7 makes at least one double stud-eyelet constraint comprising at least two distinct studs 19, each stud 19 being slidably received in engagement in a respective eyelet 18 having said two branches 18a,18b converging at a respective vertex V so as to subtend an acute angle a between said branches 18a,18b. Preferably :

- the first branches 18a of each eyelet 18 are parallel to each other and

- the second branches 18b of each eyelet 18 are parallel to each other, so as to ensure a passage from said rear position to said forward position, and vice versa, of said hooking element 8 with respect to said support frame 7 by means of two successive translational movements following the insertion, and vice versa, of each engagement element 2 in the respective receiving part 6 through the respective guided insertion track 11.

Preferably, said receiving part 6 comprises drive means 20,21 which can be driven/reached from the outside of said receiving part to return the hooking element 8 from the aforesaid forward position to the aforesaid rear position in contrast to the action of the elastic abutment means 17.

Preferably, the aforesaid drive means reachable from the outside comprise a lever 20 hinged at a pin 21 positioned so as to be:

- parallel to said stud 19 and

- offset with respect to said stud 19 with respect to said front side 7a of said receiving part 6, preferably so as to be closer to said front side 7a of said receiving part 6.

Said lever 20 comprises an eyelet 22 which extends eccentrically to said pin 21 and is in sliding engagement with said stud 19, so that a rotation of said lever 20 with respect to said pin 21 acts on said stud 19 so as to make it translate in contrast to the action of said elastic return means 17 along said first branch 18a of said eyelet 18 up to its vertex V and, subsequently, from said vertex V in said second branch 18b of said eyelet 18, so as to return the hooking element 8 in the rear position.

The drawer D illustrated in figures 1 and 2 is a high-depth panel drawer and requires a correspondingly large front panel. In this case, as previously described, the attachment of the front panel requires the use of two distinct attachment points, vertically offset from each other, for each side of the drawer. For this purpose, instead of using two distinct attachment devices for each side of the drawer, the attachment device 1 can be made by advantageously providing a receiving body 6 capable of receiving and engaging with two distinct pins 3 of engagement elements 2.

Therefore, since the aforesaid guide slot 9 of the hooking element 8 of the receiving part 6 identifies a first guide slot 9, the hooking element 8 comprises a second guide slot 9 which:

- is equal to the first guide slot 9;

- is positioned offset by a predetermined height along the front side 7a of the receiving part 6 with respect to the aforesaid first guide slot 9;

- said second guide slot 9 is shaped and extends in said receiving part 6 in the same manner as said first guide slot 9 starting from the respective front opening 9a;

- is intended to receive a pin 3 of a second and respective engagement element 2 attached to the front panel P in a vertically offset position with respect to the first engagement element 2.

Consequently, when the front panel P is applied to a drawer D, the pins 3 of each of the two engagement elements provided for each side of the drawer D come to be inserted in the two guided tracks of each attachment device 1 and the movement of the hooking element 8 from the rear position to the forward position allows two pins 3 to be engaged at a time.

It should be noted that figures 11 to 14 show an attachment/hooking sequence of the attachment device according to the invention observed from a first side of the attachment device 1 (for the sake of simplicity the drawer D and the front panel P have not been depicted), while figures 15 to 18 depict the same hooking sequence observed from the opposite side of the attachment device 1.

In particular:

- figures 11 and 15 show the pins 3 of the two respective engagement elements 2 before they are inserted in the respective guided insertion track 11 and before they engage the respective guide slots 9 of the hooking element 8;

- figures 12 and 16 show the pins 3 of the two engagement elements 2 while they are entering the respective guided insertion track 11 and while engaging the respective guide slot 9 of the hooking element 8;

- figures 13 and 17 show the pins 3 of the two respective engagement elements 2 while they have entered the respective guided insertion track 11 and the respective guide slot 9 of the hooking element 8, after the hooking element 8 has performed the aforesaid first translation and the studs 19 are substantially at the vertex V of the respective eyelet 18 after having travelled the entire first branch 18a and

- figures 14 and 18 show the attachment device with the hooking element 8 translated in a forward position by the effect of the elastic return means 17.

With reference to the device 1 in accordance with the illustrated embodiment, in which the hooking element

8 provides a double guide slot 9 so as to allow the hooking of two respective pins 3 on the same side of a front panel P, it should be noted that:

- the insertion/hooking movement of each pin inside the receiving part 6 according to a straight guided insertion track 11, in particular according to a straight guided insertion track 11 extending perpendicularly to the front side 7a of the front side 7a of the receiving part 6 and

- the movement from the rear position to the forward position of the hooking element due to the thrust of the pins 3, according to a first translation in the aforesaid insertion direction of the pins 3 in a straight guided insertion track 11 and of a subsequent translation according to a direction substantially parallel to the aforesaid front side 7a of the receiving part 6 ensures the synchronism of the hooking of the two distinct pins 3 in the receiving part 6, in the sense that, if one of the two pins is not correctly inserted in the respective guided insertion track 11, no hooking occurs. This advantageously allows to exclude being in a condition in which only one of the two pins 3 has been correctly hooked and retained by the receiving part 6.

In consideration of the above, it is evident that the insertion of the pin 3 of the attachment element 2 inside the receiving part 6 occurs according to a guided front insertion which brings the pin 3 of the engagement element to be inserted according to the predetermined insertion mode until arriving at the condition in which the engagement element 2, more specifically the pin 3, comes to be firmly retained.

Advantageously, the movement of the hooking element 8 from the rear position to the forward position, and vice versa consists of two successive translational movements of the hooking element 8 inside the receiving part, while the pin 3 of the engagement element performs a single straight translational insertion movement.

This allows to ensure an easy and precise hooking of the front of the drawer to the sides of the piece of furniture, even if it is necessary to provide several aligned engagement elements at the same side of the drawer.

As can be appreciated from what has been described, the attachment device according to the present invention makes it possible to meet the aforesaid need and at the same time to overcome the drawbacks referred to in the introductory part of the present description with reference to the prior art. In fact, the guided insertion of the engagement element in the receiving part occurs with a simple translational/straight movement and the parts which ensure the hooking movement are subject only to translational movements.

When the pin of the engagement element is fully inserted in the guide slot, the aforesaid abutment wall prevents such a pin from moving towards the front opening of the guide slot, preventing the front panel from detaching from the furnishing element.

In this regard, it should be noted that the force with which the abutment wall opposes the movement towards the front opening of the guide slot is independent of the elastic action exerted by the elastic means acting on the hooking element, being determined only by the constraining reaction which the constraining means can exert on the hooking element to avoid such movement.

Another advantage of the attachment device according to the present invention lies in the simplicity and in the structural and functional robustness thereof.

A still further advantage of the attachment device according to the present invention is to be identified in the characteristic of obtaining an automatic disengagement of the engagement element from the receiving part following an action exerted with the tip of a tool on the engagement device itself, more precisely on the movable hooking element of the receiving part. Obviously, a person skilled in the art may make numerous modifications and variations to the attachment device described above so as to satisfy contingent and specific requirements, all of which are contained in the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.