There's no halting the triumphant march of the furniture flap in wall units. These flaps, which swivel elegantly upwards, fold or open parallel to the cabinet are simply too stylish and practical. They open up access to the entire cabinet interior, and there is no interfering hinged door jutting out into the room. The way in which innovative flap fitting technology engineered by Häfele will increase convenience and functionality in furniture manufacturing in the future was demonstrated by the Nagold hardware fitting specialist with its new “Free” flap fitting family at interzum in Cologne. Visitors were able to gain an initial impression of the operating convenience and functionality of the Häfele systems on prototypes in the technology area on the Häfele trade fair booth and in furniture installations.

Free is a completely newly developed and independent range of fittings that is designed as a modular system, and can therefore be used extremely flexibly. It covers all of the most popular opening types with Free flap, Free fold, Free lift and Free swing. At the beginning of the year, Häfele introduced the Free flap 1.7 and Free flap 3.15 stay flap fittings as the first modules of the new fitting family, which started to establish themselves on the market impressively within an extremely short period of time (see press release “One fitting system, many options”).

Slimline design, efficient installation

One of the objectives during the development of the new Free fittings was to have a subtle design, with components that do their job inside the cabinet as inconspicuously as possible. The cover caps were also appropriately streamlined and stylish. Outstanding operating convenience and ease of access were also high up on the to-do list of the Häfele engineers. All of the flaps are smooth and easy to open and characterised by their operating convenience. They are suitable for all of the most popular front panel materials and flap sizes.

It is the extremely efficient installation of the Free flap fittings that should give them a competitive advantage on the market. Thanks to their clip-on fronts and other quick fixing systems, they can be processed extremely rationally and therefore quickly. The compatibility of many of the components also makes then extremely economical. Adjusting eccentrics make it possible for the front panels to be aligned in an optimum way and provide a homogeneous gap pattern.

All Free fittings have an integrated soft closing system for easy and gently closing. However, the trick here is that the soft closing system operates in both the opening and the closing direction. This makes operation of the flaps extremely easy and convenient, independently of the movement that is being made.

Free fold double flap lift up fitting

Free fold makes it easy to create smooth-running double flap lift up solutions, and is designed for 450 to 1040 mm high wall units. The minimal opening resistance provides an extremely pleasant operating sensation, even with extremely heavy flaps. Optimum operating convenience is provided by the multi-position stop function. This can be used to set the Free fold exactly to the individual flap weight so that the front panel can be held in any position. The centre hinge has an integrated finger protection and adjusting facilities for exact alignment of the lower flap. Free Fold can be used in practically any common wall unit.

Free swing and Free swing E swing-up fitting

Free swing is the ideal choice if the furniture flap is to be swivelled away upwards over the cabinet. It is suitable for 350 to 800 mm high wall units. This high-quality fitting is also characterised by the minimal opening resistance and the multi-position stop. Both the front panel and the cross bar can be installed without tools.

At interzum, Häfele also used the example of the Free swing to demonstrate an electro-mechanical drive with which all fittings in the new Free family can be optionally equipped. The flap can be opened and closed effortlessly and effectively by tapping the front panel or pressing the wireless switch embedded in the side panel without having to guide it by hand. Quiet running, integrated safety stop functions and controlled movement into the end positions predestine this version of the fitting for high-quality furniture manufacture. It provides maximum operating convenience and is also characterised by easy installation and start-up of the drive using Plug & Play. No cabling is required for the wireless switch. The flap can be operated manually in the event of power failure.

Free lift parallel lift-up front fitting

The new Häfele Free lift parallel lift-up front fitting moves single-piece front panels upwards in front of the cabinet in a parallel position. It has been developed for 350 to 580 mm high wall units in kitchen, bathroom and living room furniture, and has the same functions as the other members of the flap fittings family.

With the Free flap fittings, Häfele has designed a clever modular system that is suitable for all common flap sizes and materials. They cover all opening movements and can be processed extremely rationally. The Free fittings can be used in any area of furniture manufacture and help to increase the value of the furniture because of their functionality and appearance. They provide an additional competitive advantage with the option of easy electrification using Plug & Play.

Source: Häfele GmbH & Co KG