Connecting device between components of a piece of furniture, method and apparatus for manufacturing said device

Abstract

A method for the production of a connecting device for the components of piece of furniture, characterized in that it includes the steps of preparation of a casing extending along a longitudinal axis and provided with a first and a second half-shell both concave and mutually rotatably connected in correspondence of a reciprocal connecting line defining an tilting axis, in which said half-shells are mutually put side by side with the respective concavities facing upwards, predisposition of at least one tie rod, predisposition of at least one eccentric element and at least one tie rod, tilting of the second half-shell around the axis from the open position to a closed position, in which the half-shells are mutually abutted in correspondence of respective peripheral edges and the respective concavities defining the housing space for the tie rod and the eccentric element.

1 . A connecting device between components of a piece of furniture, including
 A casing developing along a longitudinal axis between a first end capable of being received in a first seat obtained in a first component of said piece of furniture and a second end capable of being received in a second seat obtained in a second component of said piece of furniture, said casing comprising a first and a second radially expandable regions to engage the components of the piece of furniture, in correspondence of respectively the first and the second seat,   A tie rod housed inside said casing with axial sliding power towards and from a locking position and shaped to determine a radial expansion of said first and second radially expandable regions of the casing when said tie rod is moved to said locking position;   An eccentric element housed in said casing and arranged to engage a head of said tie rod so as to axially move said tie rod towards said locking position when said eccentric element rotates around its main axis,   wherein said casing includes a first and a second half-shell, both concave, extending along said longitudinal axis and rotatably connected to each other in correspondence of a mutual connecting line defining a tilting axis around which said half-shells can pivot between an open position, in which the half-shells are put side by side, and a closed position, in which the half-shells are reciprocally abutted in correspondence of their peripheral edges and the respective concavities define a housing space for said tie rod and said eccentric element.   
     
     
         2 . The connecting device according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second half-shell extend both along the longitudinal axis between said first and second end and each one includes:
 A housing portion of the eccentric element placed in correspondence of the second end;   A half-part of said first radially expandable region in correspondence of the first end;   A half-part of said second radially expandable region placed in correspondence of a median region between said first and said second end.   
     
     
         3 . The connecting device according to  claim 1 , wherein said connecting line is located in correspondence of said second end and transversely oriented towards said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         4 . The connecting device according to  claim 1 , wherein said half-shells comprise means of quick coupling adapted to keep them in closed position. 
     
     
         5 . The connecting device according to  claim 4 , wherein said means of quick coupling comprise at least one quick coupling defined by an elastically deformable pawl erecting from the first half-shell and at least one corresponding receiving seat of said pawl obtained in the second half-shell. 
     
     
         6 . The connecting device according to  claim 5 , wherein said means of quick coupling comprise two quick couplings located on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The connecting device according to  claim 4 , wherein said means of quick coupling are interposed between said first and said radially expandable region. 
     
     
         8 . The connecting device according to  claim 1 , wherein said first or said second half-shell include two radial protrusions obtained from sides opposite to the longitudinal axis, and mutually extending away to define a directional portion which can be inserted in a corresponding milling made in the first and/or in the second component of the piece of furniture. 
     
     
         9 . A method for the production of a connecting device for the components of a piece of furniture, wherein it comprises the steps of:
 Preparation of a casing extending along a longitudinal axis and provided with a first and a second half-shell both concave and mutually rotatably connected in correspondence of a reciprocal connecting line defining a tilting axis, in which said half-shells are mutually put side by side with the respective concavities facing upwards;   Provision of at least a tie rod;   Provision of at least one eccentric element;   Insertion of said eccentric element in said first half-shell, in correspondence of a predetermined portion of the housing;   Insertion of the said tie rod in said first half-shell;   Coupling between a head of said tie rod and said eccentric element;   Tilting of the second half-shell around said axis from said open position to a closed position, in which the half-shells are mutually abutted in correspondence of their peripheral edges and the respective concavities define a closed housing space for said tie rod and said eccentric element.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said connecting line is located in correspondence of said second end and transversely oriented towards said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said preparation step of the casing comprises at least one retention phase of the first half-shell by means of a gripping element or support element, wherein said second half-shell is projecting at least in part from said gripping element. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said tilting phase is carried out by at least one pusher member acting on an outer surface of the second half-shell. 
     
     
         13 . The method according  claim 9 , wherein it comprises a closing step of said casing later o simultaneously performed to said tilting step. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said half-shells comprise means of quick coupling adapted to keep them in closed position; said closing step being performed by pressing the second half-shell on the first in order to trigger said means of quick coupling. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said insertion of the eccentric element in the first half-shell includes an insertion phase of a first half-part of the eccentric element in said housing portion and a step of coupling of a second half-part of the eccentric element with said first half-part, in which the insertion phase of the tie rod is interposed between the insertion of the first half-part and the coupling of the second half-part. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said first and said second half-part of the eccentric element respectively comprise a first and a second coupling portion mutually engageable; said preparation step of the eccentric element comprising at least the following substeps:
 Orientation of the first half-part so that the first coupling portion is in a predetermined mounting position;   Orientation of the second half-part so that the second coupling portion can be coupled with said first coupling portion.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein said insertion of the tie rod supports the tie rod in the first half-shell so that the head is housed in the said first half-part of the eccentric element; said coupling of the head of tie rod with the eccentric element is contextual to said coupling of the second half-part of the eccentric element with the first half-part. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said eccentric element and said first half-shell of the casing comprise respective identification portions; said method comprising a quality check step in which said identification portions are detected and their position compared with a reference position. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus for manufacturing a connecting device for components of a piece of furniture according to  claim 10 , wherein in comprises:
 A power supply station of the casing in open position;   A supply unit of the eccentric element and the tie rod;   A tilting station provided with the above mentioned pusher member;   A movement unit provided with at least one movable gripping element between the units and configured to retain the first half-shell of the casing with its concavity facing upwards.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein said movement unit comprises a rotatable table, in which said stations are angularly spaced around said rotary table. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein it comprises several handling elements, each associated with a respective station and configured to take said casing or said eccentric element or said tie rod and place it in correspondence of the gripping element. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein said supply unit of the eccentric element and the tie rod is divided into:
 A first substation configured to supply the power for at least a first half-part of the eccentric element;   A second substation configured to supply the power for at least a second half-part of the eccentric element;   A tie rod supply station operatively interposed between said substations.