Universal adjustment drive with bowden cable

Abstract

Electric motor furniture drive for adjusting parts of a piece of furniture relative to one another has a drive unit which has at least one electric motor and is in drive connection with at least one tensioning unit. Furniture drive has a base body which is preferably configured as a housing and is accommodated in or on the tensioning unit. At least two Bowden cables are operatively associated with each tensioning unit, traction cables of Bowden cables being in operative connection with associated tensioning unit. Traction cables are guided or guidable to tensioning unit(s) through at least one recess in the housing. The sheathings of the Bowden cables are fixed or fixable to the base body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Electric motor furniture drive for adjusting parts of a piece of furniture relative to one another, comprising:
 a) a drive unit having at least one electric motor, and which drive unit is in drive connection with at least one tensioning unit;   b) at least two Bowden cables being operatively associated with each tensioning unit of the at least one tensioning unit, each of the at least two Bowden cables having a sheathing and a traction cable, and the traction cable of one of the at least two Bowden cables being in operative connection with the associated tensioning unit of the at least two tensioning units;   c) a housing being accommodated in or on the at least one tensioning unit;   d) the traction cables being guided to the at least one tensioning unit through at least one recess in or on the housing; and   e) the sheathing of a respective one of the at least two Bowden cables being fixed to the housing.   
     
     
         2 . Furniture drive according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) each one of the at least one tensioning unit has at least two tensioning elements, each of which is associated with a traction cable of one of the at least two Bowden cables.   
     
     
         3 . Furniture drive according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a) at least one tensioning element is linearly movable in or on the housing.   
     
     
         4 . Furniture drive according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 a) at least one guide for at least one tensioning element is integrated into the housing, in particular molded in one piece into the housing.   
     
     
         5 . Furniture drive according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 a) the guide is a linear guide.   
     
     
         6 . Furniture drive according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the at least one electric motor includes two electric motors which are independently controllable.   
     
     
         7 . Furniture drive according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the at least one electric motor is associated with each tensioning unit and is in drive connection with the same.   
     
     
         8 . Furniture drive according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the housing is shaped in such a way that the at least one electric motor is insertable into the housing, and in the inserted position the at least one electric motor is held by the housing in a positive-fit manner.   
     
     
         9 . Furniture drive according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a) the drive unit has at least one gear whose integral parts are mounted on a gear holding part;   b) the at least one electric motor is secured to the gear holding part, and together with the gear holding part forms a motor/gear assembly; and   c) the housing is shaped in such a way that the motor/gear assembly is insertable into the housing, and in the inserted position is held by the housing in a positive-fit manner.   
     
     
         10 . Furniture drive according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a) at least one end position switch is operatively associated with the at least one tensioning element.   
     
     
         11 . Furniture drive according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 a) the at least one tensioning element has a wind-up device for winding the traction cable of one of the at least two Bowden cables.   
     
     
         12 . Furniture drive according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 a) the at least one tensioning unit has two wind-up devices, one of which is operatively associated with one of the at least two Bowden cables that is operatively associated with the tensioning unit, and the other of which is operatively associated with the other of the Bowden cables that is operatively associated with the tensioning unit.   
     
     
         13 . Furniture drive according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 a) the wind-up devices which are operatively associated with a tensioning unit are rotationally synchronized.   
     
     
         14 . Electric motor-adjustable support apparatus for supporting padding of seating and/or lying furniture and/or a mattress of a bed, comprising:
 a) at least two support parts which are adjustable relative to one another;   b) at least one support part to be adjusted having a first longitudinal beam and a second longitudinal beam, the longitudinal beams being situated at a distance from one another transversely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the support apparatus;   c) the support apparatus having at least one electric motor furniture drive according to  claim 1 ; and   d) a first of the at least two Bowden cables operatively associated with a tensioning unit is in force-transmitting connection with the first longitudinal beam, and the second of the Bowden cables associated with a tensioning unit is in force-transmitting connection with the second longitudinal beam for adjusting the first support part relative to the second support part.   
     
     
         15 . Use of an electric motor furniture drive according to  claim 1 , for adjusting a first component, relative to a second component, the traction cables of the at least two Bowden cables operatively associated with a tensioning unit being fixed to locations on the first component which are spatially situated at a distance from one another in order to adjust the first component relative to the second component. 
     
     
         16 . Use of an electric motor furniture drive according to  claim 15 , wherein:
 a) the first component is a furniture component, and the second component is a further furniture component.