Assembly Comprising a Drawer Base and a Drawer Back Panel And/Or a Drawer Front Panel

The present application is a continuation of International Application PCT/AT2024/060036 filed on Feb. 7, 2024. Thus, all of the subject matter of International Application PCT/AT2024/060036 is incorporated herein by reference.

The invention relates to an assembly comprising a drawer base and a drawer back panel and/or a drawer front panel, wherein the drawer base is hinge-connected to the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel for transferring the assembly from a transport position into a use position. Furthermore, the invention relates to a set comprising such an assembly and at least one furniture fitting and/or at least one drawer side panel. Furthermore, the invention relates to a drawer comprising at least one such assembly. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing such an assembly and to a method for mounting a drawer on such an assembly.

It is already known from EP 1 508 286 B1 to fold a furniture part consisting of a plurality of sub-segments in the form of a furniture back panel and to hold them together by a fixing means in such a way that the sub-segments of the furniture part do not spread apart during transport. By folding, storage space for transporting the furniture part can be saved, while the fixing means increase the stackability of the furniture part.

A disadvantage of the prior art is that the folding of the furniture part does not represent an optimal use of storage space, since in the folded state of the furniture part a region between a free end of the furniture part and a fold must remain free in order to be able to carry out the folding without damaging the furniture part. In addition, a partial segment of the furniture part is bent in this region of the fold, which greatly increases the risk of damage to the furniture part. Furthermore, each furniture part requires a different folding method, and the external dimensions of different folded furniture part are generally not identical, which makes transport difficult and wastes transport space. In addition, the thickness of the folded furniture part increases significantly with the number of folds, wherein with three sub-segments, just two folds result in at least three times the sub-segment thickness, which impairs stacking—particularly due to the necessary bending in the region of the fold—and reduces usable storage space. Furthermore, the bending in the region of the fold results in a tendency for the sub-segments to gape open, which makes the fixing means indispensable for transport. However, the fixing means cause the material of the sub-segments to be bent or stressed even more in the bending region.

From document U.S. Pat. No. 10,362,872 B1 it is already known to connect a drawer base to a drawer back panel via a hinge so that it can be pivoted between two positions, so that the drawer back panel can be folded towards the drawer base. In this case, a reduction in storage space for transport is only partially achieved by reducing the height of the furniture parts being transported, wherein the hinge is required as an additional component and must be positioned and mounted correctly for sufficient functionality. However, due to the extension of the hinge, the drawer back panel cannot be arranged flat on the drawer base, which results in a bend in the folding region, which promotes damage to the furniture parts.

The objective technical problem of the present invention is therefore to provide an assembly of a drawer base and a drawer back panel and/or a drawer front panel which is improved compared to the prior art, in which the disadvantages of the prior art are at least partially eliminated, and which is characterized in particular by a particularly compact transport position and/or user-friendly handling during assembly and/or transport. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved drawer and an improved method for producing a drawer and for producing such an assembly.

Therefore, according to the invention, the drawer base is hinge-connected to the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel by at least one film hinge or adhesive hinge, in particular a flexible foil and/or a film made of a hot-melt adhesive.

This makes it possible to ensure a particularly favorable relative positioning of the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel in relation to the drawer base—especially in the transport position—without the need for mechanically hinged connections such as metallic mechanical hinges, while also allowing resources to be used efficiently (with high levels of stability that can be generated).

Another positive feature is that the transport position is particularly stable and has a geometry that prevents pressure marks and/or damage to the drawer base as well as the drawer back panel and/or front panel caused by folding. To install a drawer, the assembly can be folded out into the position of use without the need for tools.

In addition, it can be ensured that, for example, a sensitive decoratively coated surface can be located protected in a particularly advantageous manner, particularly during storage and/or transport.

The transport position can be optimized with regard to the associated required storage space by adjusting the positioning of a hinged connection of the drawer base to a longitudinal extension (corresponding to the height of the drawer back panel in the position of use) of the drawer back panel, in particular such that a free end of the drawer back panel is arranged close to a free end of the drawer base panel or the drawer front panel (for example with a gap in the range of or below a material thickness of the drawer base).

For the compact transport position, it is generally irrelevant whether the drawer base is hinged to the drawer back panel and/or to the drawer front panel. Preferably, the drawer base is arranged on the drawer back panel in the transport position (since the drawer front panel may have a separate decorative layer and/or geometry due to the increased visibility in the use position) and optionally additionally arranged on the drawer front panel in the transport position.

As stated at the outset, protection is also sought for a set comprising such an assembly, in particular in the transport position, and at least one furniture fitting, in particular guide rail, back panel holder and/or front panel holder, and/or at least one drawer side panel.

This means that the drawer can be assembled, for example, by a layperson without technical expertise, thus facilitating transport to the user (particularly in terms of effort and cost).

Preferably, the drawer base, the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel are made of wood or a wood-based material. Preferably, drawer side panels and/or furniture fittings for arrangement on the drawer base, the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel are made of metal and/or a wood material, although this is generally not absolutely necessary (plastic is also conceivable as a material).

The hinged connection can generally be designed as a flexible layer, which can be designed, for example, in the form of a coating, as a foil hinge and/or as a film hinge and/or as an adhesive hinge. The flexible layer can be designed to connect the drawer base to the drawer back panel and/or to the drawer front panel in a hinge-connected manner, wherein the flexible layer can be arranged, for example, on two adjacent plate parts (particularly preferably between the drawer base and the drawer back panel and/or between drawer base segments) and/or can extend at least in regions over two spatially separate plate parts (particularly preferably between the drawer base and the drawer front) in order to form a hinged connection of the plate parts. Particularly preferably, the hinged connection or the flexible layer is in the form of a flexible foil or a hot-melt adhesive layer.

As stated at the outset, protection is also sought for a drawer comprising at least one such assembly in the use position or such a set. The drawer base and/or the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel are arranged on at least one drawer side panel via at least one fastening means, in particular at least one furniture fitting.

The at least one fastening means preferably clamps the drawer base to at least one drawer side panel. The at least one fastening means can be part of a drawer side panel or a furniture fitting.

The at least one furniture fitting preferably connects the drawer back panel to at least one drawer side panel, wherein it is preferably provided that the at least one furniture fitting secures an angle of substantially 90 degrees relative to the drawer base. For example, the furniture fitting may include a clamping region and/or screws.

A drawer can be defined as a drawer which for example can be moved relative to a furniture body, for example via a rail guide. Particularly preferred are drawers in which a height of the drawer back panel and/or drawer front panel is smaller, preferably at most one third, particularly preferably at most one fifth, of a longitudinal extension of the drawer base.

Preferably, the assembly comprises—in particular in the folded transport position—exactly three or exactly four segments or parts, wherein it is particularly preferably provided that one segment or part is/are formed by the drawer back panel, two segments or parts by the drawer base and optionally one segment or part by the drawer front panel.

The assembly is particularly preferred for the use of drawers or baskets. The transport position is preferably characterized by a drawer back panel and/or drawer front panel folded onto the drawer base and/or by a second drawer base segment folded onto a first drawer base segment.

As stated at the outset, protection is also sought for a method for producing such an assembly, wherein the following method steps are carried out, preferably in chronological order:

Preferably, the drawer base is hinge-connected to the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel in such a way that the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel rest flat on the drawer base at least in some regions in the transport position.

Machining methods that can be used include cutting, milling, sawing, separating, chamfering, or similar.

The plate-shaped starting material can, for example, be in the form of a wood-based panel, for example a fiberboard or chipboard, preferably with a decorative coating.

As stated at the outset, protection is also sought for a method for mounting a drawer over such an assembly, wherein the following method steps are carried out, preferably in chronological order:

According to the invention, it is possible to provide so-called fully laminated solutions for drawers, wherein, for example, a wood-based panel is cut into individual parts, pushed together and coated with adhesive, in order to then be coated with laminating material—such as a laminating paper or, for example, a film—so that the generated hinge lies in the laminating material. It is also conceivable to place laminating material around a narrow edge of the drawer back panel.

Preferably, the drawer base is hinge-connected to the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel in such a way that the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel rests flat on the drawer base at least in some regions in the transport position.

In the current prior art, a flat support is not possible due to the hinge as a mechanical hinged connection, which poses the risk of undesirable bending or breakage.

Contact with the drawer base can be made directly or indirectly via the film hinge or adhesive hinge, so that a substantially planar connection to the drawer base can be provided, wherein the film hinge or adhesive hinge can be regarded as an integral part of the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel.

In the prior art, a support on the drawer base is not provided, since forces are transmitted indirectly via the hinge as a mechanical hinged connection, which results in instability of the assembly.

It is particularly preferred that the drawer base comprises at least two drawer base segments which are hinge-connected to one another for transferring the assembly from the transport position into the use position.

This makes it possible for the transport position of the assembly to be made particularly compact by means of an additional folding of the drawer base (between the first drawer base segment and a second drawer base segment) in addition to a folding between the drawer back panel and/or drawer front panel and the drawer base (a first drawer base segment).

However, segmentation of the drawer base is not absolutely necessary.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the assembly comprises a drawer back panel and a drawer front panel, wherein the drawer back panel and the drawer front panel are hinge-connected to the drawer base for transferring the assembly from the transport position into the use position. Preferably, the drawer back panel comprises at least two drawer back panel segments and/or the drawer front panel comprises at least two drawer front panel segments, which are hinge-connected to one another.

In general, it is also possible that in the transport position of the assembly no drawer front panel is provided and yet the drawer back panel is divided into at least two hinged drawer back panel segments.

If a drawer back panel and a drawer front panel are provided, the following statements refer to the second drawer base segment in an analogous manner to the drawer front panel—for example the relative positioning of a free end of the drawer back panel relative to another free end (of the drawer base or the drawer front panel).

In general, the second drawer base segment can be divided into further second drawer base segments, wherein preferably at least one second drawer base segment is connected to the drawer front panel or is formed with a free end for flush arrangement or an abutment arrangement relative to the drawer back panel.

Advantageously, the assembly in the transport position comprises at least two, preferably exactly two or exactly three, drawer layers, wherein it is preferably provided that the drawer base is arranged in at least two of the at least two drawer layers and/or the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel is arranged exclusively in one of the at least two drawer layers and/or a drawer layer is formed exclusively by the drawer base.

For example, a first drawer layer may comprise the drawer base, a second—preferably centrally arranged—drawer layer may comprise the drawer back panel and at least one second drawer base segment and a third drawer layer may comprise the drawer front panel. In general, with a finer segmentation, at least one drawer back panel segment can also be present in the first drawer layer, for example. In general, the drawer base in the first drawer layer can also be divided into several segments, which can be optionally used to form a further drawer layer, for example to reduce the longitudinal extension of the transport configuration.

It has proven advantageous that at least one drawer layer comprises two parts, preferably spaced apart from one another by a gap, wherein a longitudinal extension of a first part, preferably the drawer back panel or the drawer front panel, is unequal, preferably smaller, than a longitudinal extension of a second part, preferably the second drawer base segment. The gap allows the two parts to be folded together flat without damaging the edges during the folding process. Preferably, the gap is smaller than twice the material thickness, particularly preferably smaller than the material thickness of the drawer base.

Since the two parts have different longitudinal extensions or there is an asymmetrical division ratio of the segments in the drawer layer, a storage space can be ideally utilized, particularly taking into account a longitudinal extension (corresponds to height) of the drawer back panel, and/or a folding into two drawer layers with a thickness of essentially exactly two material thicknesses can be achieved.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the two parts are connected to one another by a transport lock for secure alignment with one another. This prevents the drawer layers from accidentally spreading out.

It is particularly preferred that at least two of the at least two drawer layers are in flat contact with one another in the transport position of the assembly. Preferably, at least one drawer layer comprises two parts, wherein the flat contact is present substantially over an entire longitudinal extension of a first part and/or a second part.

This reduces the thickness in the transport position, while preventing damage to surfaces caused by line contact with edges. In general, a film hinge arranged between drawer layers, which is arranged only locally in the region of a hinged connection, can cause a slight spacing of the drawer layers in the region of the hinged connection. The spacing, however, is present to such a small extension that a slight elastic deformation of the, preferably flexible, drawer layers results in a flat contact of the drawer layers, in particular substantially up to the film hinge. Particularly preferably, a material thickness of the film hinge is negligible compared to a material thickness of the drawer base and/or the drawer back panel, preferably less than one fifth, particularly preferably less than one tenth, thick.

An advantageous variant of the present invention consists in that the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel is arranged completely, flush with and/or parallel to a drawer base segment in the transport position. Preferably, the drawer base is arranged orthogonally to the drawer back panel and/or the drawer front panel in the use position.

In other words, in the transport position, the drawer back panel does not extend beyond the adjacent second drawer base segment and/or the drawer front panel (flush assembly) and/or the adjacent plate parts are arranged butt to butt (with a small gap) relative to each other.

It is particularly preferred that a free end of the drawer back panel in the transport position adjoins a further free end of the drawer base or the drawer front panel, preferably opposite in the plane of the panel, or a free end of the drawer front panel in the transport position adjoins a further free end of the drawer base, preferably opposite in the plane of the panel.

In particular, an asymmetric segmentation of the two parts of the drawer layer enables a flush and/or adjacent assembly butt to butt (almost with contact and/or in an assembly with a gap in the range of a material thickness) of the two free ends, wherein the two parts can be flexibly adapted to a desired external dimension of the transport position and/or to a changed longitudinal extension of the drawer back panel.