Compact Dowel with Segmented Fastening Claws for Thin-Panel Furniture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dowels for furniture fastenings face challenges in achieving a strong hold in various materials, particularly in thin-wall materials, due to their large size and complexity, which limits their application in compact furniture designs.
Innovation Solution
A compact dowel design featuring a dowel sleeve with moveable fastening claws and a spreading element, where the fastening claws are inserted from the underside for lateral centering and latched into the sleeve, allowing for a simple connection and independent operation, enabling a secure hold with fewer components and smaller dimensions, suitable for thin panels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If traditional dowel designs are used, then strong holding force is achieved, but the dowel length becomes too large for thin-wall materials
Solution Approach 1:
The dowel is divided into separate functional components: a dowel sleeve with guide projections, multiple independent fastening claws with latching means, and a spreading element. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling the fastening claws to engage material effectively while keeping the overall dowel length short for thin-wall applications
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening claws are designed to be moveable relative to the dowel sleeve, allowing them to spread radially outward when the spreading element is tightened. This dynamic configuration enables the dowel to adapt to different material thicknesses and provide secure fastening in thin panels where rigid traditional dowels would be too long
2Reliability
If multiple fastening claws are used for secure fastening, then holding reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fastening claws are integrated into a single dowel assembly with a common dowel sleeve and shared spreading element. The claws are distributed circumferentially and can be inserted and latched independently, providing reliable multi-point fastening while maintaining a compact, unified structure that minimizes the number of separate components
Solution Approach 2:
The dowel sleeve serves multiple functions: it provides guides for lateral centering of fastening claws, houses latching means for securing claws, and accommodates the spreading element. This multi-functionality allows reliable fastening with fewer overall components, as the sleeve integrates guidance, retention, and actuation features
3Ease of operation
If fastening claws are inserted from the underside for lateral centering, then ease of assembly improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide projections on the dowel sleeve automatically provide lateral centering for the fastening claws as they are inserted from the underside. This self-centering mechanism eliminates the need for external alignment tools or complex positioning fixtures, making assembly straightforward while ensuring precise radial positioning of the claws relative to the sleeve
Data Source
AI summary
A dowel for fastening fitting parts of pieces of furniture, including: a dowel sleeve; at least one fastening claw separate from the dowel sleeve; and a spreading element movable axially in the dowel sleeve and intended for radially spreading the at least one fastening claw and the dowel sleeve. The dowel sleeve has a guide which laterally guides a retaining portion of the fastening claw, and a latching element which retains the fastening claw, which is inserted into the guide, on the dowel sleeve, preferably with play. The spreading element can be connected to at least one fastening claw, preferably to all fastening claws.