Drawer Rail Coupling with Spring Tongue for Tolerance Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling devices for drawers and extendable rails face issues with positional tolerance, leading to potential damage or shearing of plastic components during assembly, as the latching engagement may not align properly with the predetermined connecting location on the rail.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a spring tongue in the counterpart holding portion that allows lateral guidance of the drawer relative to the extendable rail, providing play compensation and forming an introduction funnel with the latching portion to center the drawer and compensate for positional tolerances, which can be made entirely from plastic material using injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the drawer is pushed onto the extension rail without guidance, then assembly is simple, but the latching portion may not align properly with the connecting location causing damage to plastic components
Solution Approach 1:
The spring tongue performs preliminary guidance and centering of the drawer relative to the extension rail before the latching engagement occurs. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment of the latching portion with the connecting location, preventing misalignment damage while maintaining simple assembly operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring tongue acts as an intermediary element between the drawer and the extension rail. It mediates the interaction by providing lateral guidance and play compensation, ensuring that the drawer is properly centered before the latching portion engages with the connecting location on the rail.
2Ease of manufacture
If the latching portion is made from plastic material for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the component is more susceptible to damage from misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The spring tongue provides beforehand cushioning by compensating for positional tolerances and lateral play before the latching engagement occurs. This protective action prevents misalignment forces from reaching the plastic latching portion, allowing it to be manufactured from plastic material while maintaining durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring tongue serves as a protective intermediary that absorbs and compensates for misalignment forces, protecting the plastic latching portion from damage while allowing the use of cost-effective plastic material for manufacturing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the drawer has lateral play relative to the extension rail, then assembly is more tolerant of manufacturing variations, but the latching engagement is less precise
Solution Approach 1:
The spring tongue performs preliminary centering of the drawer before latching engagement. This preliminary action eliminates the negative effects of lateral play and manufacturing variations, ensuring precise alignment of the latching portion with the connecting location while maintaining assembly tolerance.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring tongue dynamically adjusts its position and elasticity to compensate for lateral play and positional tolerances. By changing its elastic deformation parameter, it ensures precise latching alignment while accommodating manufacturing variations in the assembly process.
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
Ensures proper latching engagement by centering the drawer and compensating for lateral play, preventing damage to plastic components and facilitating easy assembly and disassembly without tools, while maintaining structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
the spring tongue and/or the latching portion can be resilient in a direction extending transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the rail, so that any positional tolerances which occur in respect of the drawer relative to the extendable rail can be compensated
Data Source
AI summary
A device for releasably coupling a drawer to a retractable rail of a drawer retraction guide includes a locking part which can be releasably locked to releasably couple the drawer to the retractable rail of the drawer retraction guide; a handle part which is designed to be actuated by hand and allows the locking part to be released relative to the retractable rail of the drawer retraction-guide; and an opposite retaining part between which retaining part and the locking part the rail is accommodated in the mounted position. The locking part can be moved into a direction pointing away from the opposite retaining part by a hand applying pressure to the handle part, the opposite retaining part being provided with at least one resilient tongue.