Adjustable Drawer Pull-Out Guide for Rail Alignment and Smooth Sliding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Drawer pull-out guides face challenges in precise arrangement of support elements due to component tolerances, leading to increased friction or excessive tilting, resulting in jamming or an inferior appearance when the drawer is extended.

Innovation Solution

An adjustable support element is provided with an adjustment device that allows for precise positioning and fixing relative to the guide rail, enabling adjustable play between the support element and the guide rail, ensuring proper alignment and preventing tilting by allowing for zero play in the closed position and adjustable play in the open position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the clearance between the support element and the guide rail is reduced to minimize tilting, then the guide rail alignment is improved, but friction increases and can lead to jamming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguide rail alignmentVSAvoidoperation smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support element is made adjustably mounted on the first guide rail, allowing the clearance to be dynamically optimized for different operating conditions. The adjustment device enables the support element position to be changed to achieve minimal clearance for preventing tilting while avoiding excessive friction that would cause jamming.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the clearance parameter between the support element and the second guide rail by providing an adjustable mounting mechanism. This allows optimization of the clearance value to prevent both excessive tilting (when clearance is too large) and jamming (when clearance is too small).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the clearance between the support element and the guide rail is increased to reduce friction, then the operation smoothness is improved, but the guide rails tilt beyond tolerable degree when the drawer is open

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation smoothnessVSAvoidguide rail alignment
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The support element position is made adjustable along the first guide rail, enabling dynamic optimization of clearance. This allows the system to maintain sufficient clearance for smooth operation while preventing excessive tilting by positioning the support element at the optimal location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The support element can be pre-positioned during assembly to achieve the optimal clearance value before the drawer is put into service. This preliminary adjustment ensures that the drawer slide operates smoothly throughout its entire range of motion without excessive tilting or friction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If the support element position is fixed during manufacturing to simplify assembly, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but component tolerances cause either jamming or excessive tilting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidsupport element positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of fixing the support element position permanently during manufacturing, the invention provides an adjustable mounting mechanism that allows the position to be modified after assembly. This combines the simplicity of standard manufacturing with the ability to achieve precise positioning to compensate for component tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The adjustment device enables the installer or user to self-correct positioning issues arising from manufacturing tolerances. The support element can be adjusted to the correct position and then locked, allowing the system to compensate for variations in component dimensions without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures smooth operation and proper alignment of guide rails, preventing jamming and tilting, thus maintaining the drawer's functionality and appearance by allowing for precise adjustment and fixing of the support element's position.

Implementation Method 1

the position of the at least one support element relative to the second guide rail is adjustable by an adjusting device and can be fixed relative to the first guide rail after adjustment

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical adjustment:

Implementation Method 2

at least one support element arranged on a first guide rail for at least temporary support on the second guide rail

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical support:

Implementation Method 3

the guide rails are movable relative to each other between a closed position and an open position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSliding mechanism:

Data Source

PatentEP3801132B1Drawer pull-out guide
Publication Date: 2022.12.14 JULIUS BLUM GMBH
  • EP3801132B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3801132B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3801132B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The invention relates to a drawer pull-out guide (4), comprising: - a first guide rail (10) and at least one second guide rail (11) which are mounted so as to be slidable relative to one another, - at least one support element (17) arranged on a first guide rail (10) for at least temporarily being supported on the second guide rail (11), - wherein the position of the at least one support element (17) relative to the second guide rail (11) can be adjusted by means of an adjusting device (16) and after having been adjusted can be fixed relative to the first guide rail (10), wherein the at least one support element (17) can be adjusted in a vertical direction (H) by the adjusting device (16) in the mounted position of the drawer pull-out guide (4).