DE20002651U1 - Handle element and furniture part with one handle element (II) - Google Patents

Description

Handle element and furniture part with a handle element

The present invention relates to a handle element and a furniture part with such a handle element.

There are numerous known handle elements that can be used to open and close a component such as a door, drawer, gate or similar. In addition to this handle or holding function, it is often desirable to improve the visibility of such handle elements in the dark in order to make them easier to use or to be easier to find in emergency situations. In public buildings as well as in bars, nightclubs and cinemas, emergency exits, escape routes and escape corridors must be clearly marked. An illuminated sign above the escape door is usually used for marking, whereas the door's opening mechanism is not separately marked. The visibility of handle elements in the dark is also an advantage in other areas, for example on front doors or commercial buildings. Furthermore, the keyhole below a handle element is often difficult to see.

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Registration text dated 12.02.2000 Page

det in which an elongated lighting device is mounted. Although the lighting device shown can achieve a signal effect, from an aesthetic point of view it has the disadvantage that the bumper strip does not radiate evenly and thus its use in the furniture sector is limited. Furthermore, the lighting device is large and cannot be used for smaller components.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an illuminated handle element for the furniture sector which is clearly visible and provides a pleasant, as uniform as possible, emission of light without impairing the functionality of the handle element.

This object is achieved by a handle element with the features of claim 1. If the handle element has a cavity in which a switchable light source is provided which at least partially illuminates the handle element, and the handle element has a reflective surface which is at least partially matte, the illumination of the handle element or the illuminated area in the dark is significantly improved. Preferably, the surface is more than 50% matte. Due to the matte finish, part of the light radiated into the handle element is reflected back into the handle element, which is why the entire handle element has a pleasant matte glow. The handles can be used as furniture handles to create an attractive aesthetic effect. In addition to this effect, the lighting can also provide a functional benefit, for example to identify drawer handles in poorly lit houses. Such handle elements can also preferably be used in kitchens in which electrical connections and ports are already provided in the furniture.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle element is made of coloured plastic. This creates a particularly beautiful aesthetic effect, with the body of the handle element being illuminated.

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Registration text dated 12.02.2000 Page

Furthermore, information such as company logos, operating instructions or similar can be made visible by matting certain areas.

In order to minimize the loss of brightness of the light when it enters the handle element, the inner surface of the handle element facing the cavity is preferably particularly smooth or polished. Since small, low-voltage LEDs are usually used on the handle element to avoid excessive heat, even a small amount of light can illuminate the handle element.

Preferably, the cavity is recessed in a shaft of the handle element and a metal sleeve with a reflective inner surface is arranged around the shaft. This means that the light can also be reflected perpendicularly or obliquely to the shaft axis, for example to be used to illuminate the side edges of the handle element.

According to the invention, a piece of furniture, in particular a chest of drawers, is also provided, in which a handle element according to the invention is provided. Such a chest of drawers can be used, for example, in poorly lit bars in order to make it easier to operate the drawers. The light source is preferably switched off when the drawer is pulled out, so that only the pushed-in drawers have an illuminated handle. This simplifies operation on the one hand and creates an original aesthetic effect on the other.

The invention is explained in more detail below using several embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

Fig. IA, IB two perspective views of two embodiments of a furniture part according to the invention;

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Registration text dated 12.02.2000 Page

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of an inventive

handle element;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side view of another handle element;

Fig. 4A, 4B two doors with a handle element according to the invention;

Fig. 5 shows a handle element according to the invention as a door handle;

Fig. 6, 7 two embodiments of a handle element on a

facade front;

Fig. 8A, 8B an embodiment of a handle according to the invention;

Fig. 9A - 9E different forms of handle elements; Fig. 10A - 10C several railing handles according to the invention;

Fig. 11 is a sectional side view of an inventive

handle element;

Fig. 12A, 12B two views of a further handle element;

Fig. 13A, 13B two views of another handle element; 25

Fig. 14A - 14C several views of another handle element with a metal sleeve as a reflection amplifier;

Fig. 15 a sectional side view of a handle element with lens

shape; ;

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Registration text dated 12.02.2000 Page

Fig. 16 a sectional side view of a handle element with concave

shape, and

Fig. 17, 18 two further embodiments of a handle element.

In Fig. IA and IB, a chest of drawers 1 and a display cabinet 2 are shown, each of which has a plurality of drawers 5 and 6, each of which is provided with a handle element 3 and 4 according to the invention. The display cabinet 2 is equipped with two doors 7 in the upper area, on each of which a handle element 4 is also provided.

The functioning of the handle elements is explained with reference to Fig. 2 and 3. On the front side of the drawer 5, a handle element 23 is provided in which a lighting means is built in, which illuminates the handle element 23 made of plastic when the drawer is pushed in. This handle element 23 made of colored plastic has a hole in which a light-emitting diode 17 is mounted. The light-emitting diode 17 is supplied with power via lines 15, which are connected to contact tracks (not shown) on the drawer. In order to protect the light-emitting diode 17 from environmental influences, a housing 16 is at least partially built into the handle element 23.

The handle element 23 has a smooth surface 19 and a matte surface 18. The matte surface 18 ensures that light rays are partially reflected and thus illuminate the body (at 22), but also partially leave the handle element 23 (at 21). The light rays 20 pass through the smooth surface 19 to the outside without major reflections. This allows markings to be applied to the surface of the handle element 23. It is also possible to completely illuminate the body of the handle element 23 by providing a matte surface everywhere.

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Registration text dated 12.02.2000 Page

In Fig. 3, a modified handle element 23' is shown, which is screwed onto a housing sleeve 16'. The light-emitting diode 17 shines in a receptacle of the handle element 23' onto a polished surface 185 in order to keep the loss of brightness when entering the handle element 23' to a minimum.

The surface of the handle element 23' can be partially polished (at 181), in which case the material of the handle element 23' is preferably colored. In addition, the surface is partially roughened to a satin finish (at 180) or matt finish (at 183) in order to achieve a better distribution of the light within the handle element 23'. The surface can also be profiled, finely structured or dotted (at 182) in order to obtain special lighting effects with a light-dark shading, which is particularly evident in the area of the light cone 184.

Thermoplastics or thermosets are preferably used as the material for the handle element 23 or 23'. It is also possible to insert molded bodies into the handle material, as disclosed, for example, in the applicant's utility model DE 200 00 772.6. This allows the light to be reflected within the body of the handle element 23 or 23' and to produce particularly attractive optical effects. By using acrylic glass (PMMA = polymethyl methacrylate), the transmission losses (around less than 8%) can be kept extremely low, with the refractive index ensuring good scattering of the light within the handle element 23 or 23'. The reflection losses on the light entry and exit surfaces are kept low.

Furthermore, the handle elements 23 and 23' can be made of a fluorescent plastic material in order to absorb the incident light less strongly and to emit it again as light.

A handle element according to the invention can also be used on doors 24 and 27 according to Fig. 4A and 4B, whereby the handle element 25 creates a cone of light to facilitate unlocking the door. The cone of light 26

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can be triggered, for example, by a distance sensor, so that lighting only occurs when the door is unlocked. Alternatively, for safety reasons, it may be useful to permanently illuminate a handle element 28 or a keyhole 29 in order to make the operation of the handle element 28 safer in the event of an emergency.

In Fig. 5, the handle element 25 is shown enlarged. A window 30 is cut out in the rotating shaft of the handle element 25, through which a light source built into the handle element 25 can shine in order to produce a cone of illumination 26 in which a keyhole 31 is arranged.

A further possible application is shown in Fig. 6 and 7. Here, a handle element 33 or 34 according to the invention is to be attached to a facade 32 of a house in order to make the entrance area more attractive and to mark it sensibly with house numbers or company logos.

It is also possible to design a handle element according to the invention as a handle 35 (Fig. 8A and 8B). The handle 35 has a lighting slot 36 through which a light source 37 can illuminate the surface on a furniture wall 38. This creates an approximately rectangular light field on the handle 35 so that it can be easily seen. Instead of using it as a handle 35, it is also possible to design lighting for a hallway or a piece of furniture in this way.

Various embodiments of handle elements according to the invention are shown in Figs. 9A to 9E. A square handle element 39, a handle element 40 with a face shape or a handle element 41 with a button shape are particularly suitable for the furniture sector. In the commercial sector, it is desirable for the handle element 42 or 43 to be provided with a company logo, which leaves a prominent aesthetic impression due to the lighting in the handle element 42 or 43.

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Registration text from 12.02.2000 page!

In addition to the small-volume handle elements, a railing handle 44 can also be provided according to Fig. 10A to 10C, on which light elements 45 are provided. This design also allows two handle elements 44 to be connected at an angle, whereby an illuminated corner element 46 can be used.

In Fig. 11, a handle element 47 is mounted on a drawer front 5 and provided with a light source 50. For this purpose, a hole 49 is cut out in the handle element 47, which is provided with a thread in the front area. A holder 48 is screwed into the thread so that the drawer front 5 is clamped between the holder 48 and the handle element 47. The light source 50 is connected to an electrical power source as in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 12A and 12B a handle element 51 is shown that can be used as an illuminated furniture knob. For this purpose only one hole is provided in the handle element 51. In Fig. 13A and 13B a handle element 52 is shown on which two bases 53 are provided, each with a hole for lighting means.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 14A, 14B and 14C, a grip element 54 is provided, the shaft of which is accommodated in a metal sleeve 55. As a result, the light from the LED 17 is reflected obliquely to the shaft axis and in a radial direction, so that light penetrates into the side areas of the handle element 54. By means of this reflection, it is possible to illuminate the side edges 56 of the handle element 54, so that the side edges 56 are illuminated in relation to the adjacent front side 57. The handle element is preferably made of a flexible material, so that the side edges 56 can be bent slightly forward (shown in dashed lines). In order to make the handle element flexible, plasticizers are included in the plastic. The flexibility is increased by making the wall areas of the handle element 54 thin. In order to enhance the lighting effects on the side edges, fluorescent substances are preferably added to the plastic material. Recesses 58 are provided in the front side 57.

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Registration text dated 12.02.2000 Page 9

which are also illuminated on the side edges by the reflections oblique to the shaft axis of the handle element 54.

In Fig. 15, a handle element 60 in the form of a lens is shown. The handle element is mounted on a metal sleeve 55 in which a light-emitting diode 17 is arranged. The lens shape enables the light to be focused, which produces a special optical effect on an opposite surface. Alternatively, according to Fig. 16, a handle element 62 with a concave shape can also be provided in order to achieve greater scattering of the light.
10

As shown in Fig. 17, a handle element 64 can also be formed from a combination of a plastic part with a corner deflection 66 made of metal. The corner deflection 66 directs the light from the LED 17 into the handle element 64 by means of a reflection surface 67. This emphasizes the front edge of the handle element 64 and illuminates any recesses 65 on the side edges.

In Fig. 18, a handle element 68 is shown with illumination on both sides by light-emitting diodes 17. The light-emitting diodes 17 are mounted in metal bases 69 and 70, so that only the handle element 68 is illuminated for the viewer. 20

Claims (10)

1. Handle element, in particular made of plastic, with a cavity in which a switchable light source ( 17 , 50 ) is provided, which at least partially illuminates the handle element ( 3 , 4 , 13 , 23 , 25 , 33 , 47 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 60 ), characterized in that the handle element ( 3 , 4 , 13 , 23 , 25 , 33 , 47 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 60 , 62 ) has a surface ( 18 , 19 , 180-183 ) which is at least partially matt to reflect the light. 2. Handle element according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle element ( 3 , 4 , 13 , 23 , 25 , 33 , 47 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 60 , 62 ) consists of colored plastic. 3. Handle element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner surface of the handle element ( 3 , 4 , 13 , 23 , 25 , 33 , 47 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 60 , 62 ) facing the cavity is smooth, preferably polished. 4. Handle element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an internal thread is provided on the handle element ( 3 , 4 , 13 , 23 , 25 , 33 , 47 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 60 , 62 ) for mounting on a fastening sleeve ( 16 , 16 '). 5. Handle element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a light-emitting diode ( 17 , 50 ) is installed in the cavity of the handle element. 6. Handle element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavity is recessed in a shaft of the handle element and a metal sleeve ( 55 ) with a reflective inner surface is arranged around the shaft. 7. Handle element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle element is made of acrylic glass. 8. Handle element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that reflective molded bodies are embedded in the handle elements. 9. Handle element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle element is formed from a fluorescent material. 10. Furniture part, in particular a chest of drawers, characterized in that a handle element according to one of the preceding claims is provided on a drawer.