Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FITTING FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING TWO PARTS
This invention relates to a two-part fitting,
preferably of metal, for joining two components that can later
be disconnected, each part having a convex base from which an
engaging member projects into an opposlte detachable connector.
Metal fittings of this art are used in particular for
connacting two components placed at right angles, primarily
furniture parts.
Usually fittings of this art, particularly those that
are located at right angles to each other, consist of at least
one threaded bolt with a head, which is inserted into a wooden
part and mates with a casing with an eccentric or directly into
an eccentric stud and which can, for example, be inserted by
rotation using a screwdriver and which then draws the
components together, furniture components for example, and
secures them at the same time.
All known metal fittings of this art usually have a
disadvantage in that a tool, specifically a screwdriver, must
be used with the fitting, in order to connect the two
components or to separate them again. This is often fraught
with difficulties. Furthermore, from the manufacturing point
of view, it is expensive -to assemble fittings of this art, as
precise drillings are required, the majority of which must be
made using different tools. These disadvantages are also
present in the fitting described in Austrian patent
document No. 378,410, published August 12, 1~5, (Ganner
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et al.) for connecting two componPnts that can later be
separated, which consis~.s of a small elliptical-shaped
plate equipped wikh a remaining head and an eccentric to
secure the components. Various design~ of quite similar
types of fitting based on the eccentric cam princi.ple are
described in Austrian patent document No. 294,362,
published November 25, 1971, (Paul Hettich & Co.); German
patent document No. 3,204,737, published April 14, 1983,
(Hafele KG); German patent document No. 2,625,182,
published Decemb~r 8, 1977, (Fa. Richard Heinze); as well
as in German patent document No. 1,215,881, published May
5, 1966 (Erich Hen~el); all basically have the same
disadvantages described above.
Austrian patent document No. 364, 113, puhlished
September 25, 1981, (Brand et al.) has a connector fitting
in the form of a dowel with two axial fastening points
placPd one after the other, one for each of two furniture
components to be connected, wherein a pin-like expanding
part is located inside the dowel, the spread its grip when
the furniture components are being connected. A particular
disadvantage here is that only ~urniture components with
precisely aligned drillings can be connected and it is
almost impossible to separate furniture components that
have been joined in this way.
German patent document No. 2,816,134, published
NovPmber 9, 1978, (Haslivag AG) illustrates a connector
fitting in which the individual, plate-shaped parts of the
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fittin~ that have projecting ribs, are inserted into
corresponding grooves cut into the componellts, after which
these components are joined in their ultimate secured
location from a difEerent position and then are pushed
together along the contacting surfaces, whereby the
protruding hooks on the ~itting parks grip the plates. The
reverse procedure is followed for separating the
components. A disadvantage here is that such a separation
may be unintentionally easy, for example, in assembling a
lo piece of furniture when two plate parts are connected
together first, thus rendPring assembly difficult or
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unreliable. Furthermore, it must be possible to make the
connection as described above and this is not alway.s the case.
The present invention i5 basically intended -to
provide a metal fitting of the art described at the beginning
of this specification, wherein the disadvantages described
above are avoided and which allows for simple manufacture, as
well as ease of assembly and disassembly.
A metal fit-ting in accordance with this invention is
characteri7.ed by using one basic element as an engaging member
having a stud with at least one groove extending around its
circumference, and using another basic element as an engaging
member having a clamp, which has at least one projection on its
inner surface to catch the groove on the stud.
With a metal fitting according to this invention, at
least one of the elevations on the inner surface of the clamp
engages the at least one groove in the stud like a Seeger-ring
during the connection of the two components, so that the
fitting and its respective parts are locked in at least one
direction. The connection procedure essentially consists of a
catch procedure which is extremely easy to perform and, in
particular, requires no tools whatsoever. A further advantage
is that the components can still be easily separated, even
though the connector is not visible and is not accessible from
the exterior. Moreover, should -the stud be equipped with
several grooves extending around its circumference, as is
preferred, then it becomes possib].e to adjust the opposing
positions of clamp and stud up to the heigh-t of the stud as
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required, so that the joints between the two joined colllponents
can be adjus-ted in this way. This, in particuLar, is an
advantage when the ~itting is used as a hinge or a latch, as is
basically also possible based on the illustration provided.
The part of the Eitting equipped wi-th grooved studs
may also be used alone as a dowel-disc, which may be inserted
with the convex base into a corresponding groove in a
component, or may be inserted with a dowel-type stud into a
blind drilling in another component. In this connection, the
invention would be particularly advantageous if the stud had at
least one glue channel along its longitudinal side. The
diagonal groove(s), that is, those extending in a
circumEerential direction, can also be used in a way similar to
the longitudinal glue channels.
In order to have a stop when inserting the Eitting
parts into the corresponding grooves, it would also be
advantageous iE the stud and the clamp were each constructed on
an extended cover on the base.
In order to precisely position a blind drilling when
a metal fitting part with studs is used as a dowel-disc, it
would also be advantageous iE the stud had a centering point at
its top. The top surface of the stud is thus usually
chamfered.
This invention is further explained by reEerring to
the drawings illustrating an example of the preferred design.
The following is illustrated:
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Figure I is a perspective view of one fitting part,
the locking clip, mountéd in a solid wood component;
Figure 2 is a perspective view oE A second fitting
part, the dowel--disc, in a position in which the dowel-disc
partially protrudes Erom an arc~shaped groove in a solid wood
component;
Figure 3 is a bottom view of the locking clip;
Figure 4 is a side view of the same locking clip;
Figure 5 is a front view oE the same locking clip;
Figure 6 is a cross-section through this locking
clip; along line I-I in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a side view of the dowel disc;
Figure 8 is a front view of the same dowel-disc;
Figure 9 is a cross-section through the dowel-disc
along line II-II in Figure 8; and
Figure 10 is a top view of the dowel-disc.
In Figures 1 and 2, which are to be examined
together, the sections of solid wood 1, 2, that are to be
joined together with a fitting, are shown, wherein Figures 1
and 2 together illustrate a posi-tion o t.he two components 1, 2
immediately ~efore the desired connection is made. Each
component 1 and 2 is equipped with a fitting part 3 and 4
respectively, wherein one fit-ting part is constructed as a
locking clip and the other fitting part is constructed as a
dowel-disc. An arc-shaped groove 5 (Figure 2) is provided in
each solid-wood part 1, 2 into which fitting parts 3 and 4 are
inserted respectively. Figure 2 illustrates the fitting part
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called -the dowel-disc partially inserted :in groove 5. These
grooves 5 are ~ut with w'hat is known as a slotting cutter in
joinery, which can be done simply and effectively.
In order to join the two fitting parts 3, 4 and
thereby components 1, 2, the latter, as can be seen in Figures
1 and 2, are drawn close together perpendicular to the axis of
the stud 7 until a snap fit is obtained between locking clip 3
and dowel-disc 4.
Both fitting parts 3 and 4 are subsequently
illustrated in greater detail in Figures 3 to 6 and Figures 7
to 10.
As can'be seen from Figures 3 to 6, the fitting part
which is constructed as a locking clip 3 has a clamp 6,
consisting of flexible sides, which is set on a cover 8 of a
convex base 9, that is equipped with glue channels 10, as well
as projecting ribs 11. Such a design with glue channels and
projecting ribs is intended to reinforce the anchoring oE the
bases 9 in groove 5 (Figure 2).
There is a ridged or ribbed projection 12 on the
inner surface of the sides of clamp 6, whose purpose will be
explained in greater detail below.
Figures 7 to 10 show that the fitting part referred
to herein as the dowel-disc 4 has a dowel-type stud 7 set on
the Elat cover 8 of a convex base 9 equipped with glue channels
10 and projecting ribs 11 and which for use as a dowel is
equipped with longitudinal glue channels 13, as well as with a
centering point 14. Stud 7 has at least one groove 15
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extending around the circumference. PreEerably, as
illustrated, there are several such grooves 15.
Clamp 6 of the other fi~ting part 3 snaps its inner
surEaces around the ribbed projection 12 during assembly of the
joint, thus achieving the desired snap connection. Then when
stud 6 is inserted between the spreading sections of clamp 6,
the arc-shaped side sections of clamp 6 are separated, un~il
stud 7 has slipped past the narrow par-t 16 illustrated in
Figure 5, after which the clamp snaps back to its original
position, thus securing the stud.
When the foregoing invention is further described
using the preferred example, further modifications and changes
are also possible, retaining the essence of the invention.
Thus, for example, it is possible to have only one diagonal
groove 15 on stud 7; the centering point 14 and the
longitudinal glue channels 13 may also be omitted, if the
dowel-disc 4 is not to be used individually.
