Electric Drawer Drive Assembly With Vibration Trigger Lockout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing arrangements with electric drive units for movable drawers in furniture often experience unintentional triggering due to vibrations, leading to incorrect detection by measuring devices and subsequent activation of other drive units, which is economically and technically disadvantageous due to the need for rigid rear walls or support elements.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an electronic locking mechanism in the control or regulating unit to prevent other drive units from being triggered by vibrations, with a modular design where each drive unit has a control device that can communicate via a common data bus, designating one control unit as a master to block other units during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rear wall or support element is designed to be rigid to prevent unintentional triggering, then the reliability of drive unit operation is improved, but the weight and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical solution (rigid rear wall structure) with an electronic control solution. The control unit electronically locks other drive units during operation, preventing vibration-induced triggering without requiring increased structural rigidity. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability through electronic means rather than mechanical reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the drive units by introducing an electronic locking mechanism that temporarily disables other drive units during operation. This parameter change (from fully operational to locked state) prevents false triggering from vibrations while allowing the use of lighter, conventional rear wall structures.
2Reliability
If the rear wall or support element is designed to be rigid to prevent unintentional triggering, then the reliability of drive unit operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical solution (special rigid rear walls or support elements) with a simpler electronic control system. The control unit's electronic locking function prevents unintentional triggering without requiring complex structural modifications, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Measurement precision
If the measuring devices detect vibrations as actuation requests, then the sensitivity of detection is improved, but unintentional triggering occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit applies preliminary anti-action by electronically locking other drive units before vibrations can cause unintentional triggering. This preventive measure allows the measuring devices to remain sensitive to user inputs while blocking the harmful effect of vibration detection, thus resolving the contradiction between detection sensitivity and triggering accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic locking mechanism acts as an intermediary between the measuring devices and the drive units. It allows sensitive detection to continue functioning while preventing the transmission of false actuation signals caused by vibrations, thereby reconciling detection precision with reliable operation.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed is an assembly comprising at least two electric drive units (4) for respectively driving one of at least two drawers (2) which are movably mounted within a common furniture carcass (3). A measuring instrument (10) is assigned to each drive unit (4) in order to detect a force (F) that a user applies to the respective drawer (2). The inventive assembly further comprises at least one control or regulation device (9) for controlling or regulating the drive units (4). The measuring signals of the measuring instrument (10) can be fed to the control or regulation device (9) while the control or regulation device (9) can trigger the associated drive unit (4) after receiving a predetermined measuring signal from one of the measuring instruments (10). The control or regulation device (9) features a mode of operation in which the same prevents the drive units (4) allocated to the other measuring instruments (10) from being triggered after receiving the predetermined measuring signal from one of the measuring instruments (10).