Drawer Ejection Drive with Segmented Acceleration and Braking Phases
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive devices for movable furniture parts, such as drawers, face issues with high acceleration and potential hard impacts due to springs designed for loaded states, leading to inefficient energy use and user discomfort, as damping devices activate during ejection, increasing the energy required for closing.
Innovation Solution
A drive device that accelerates a movable furniture part over a first distance using an energy accumulator and then decelerates over a second distance with braking forces, allowing the furniture part to move freely in the opening direction, with braking forces acting only after the initial distance, thus avoiding the need for the energy accumulator to work against the damping device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a damping device is provided to prevent hard impact of the movable furniture part, then the impact is reduced, but the energy accumulator has to work against the damping device during ejection, increasing the energy required for closing
Solution Approach 1:
The opening movement is divided into two distinct phases: a first distance where the energy accumulator accelerates the drawer without damping, and a second distance where braking forces are applied. This segmentation allows the damping/braking function to be activated only when needed (after the first distance), preventing it from working against the energy accumulator during the ejection phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The energy accumulator is designed to accelerate the drawer over a predetermined first distance before the braking forces become effective. This preliminary acceleration phase ensures that the energy stored in the accumulator is not wasted by immediately opposing damping forces, while still achieving the goal of controlled deceleration before the drawer reaches its fully open position.
2Force
If the springs of the energy accumulator are designed for loaded state, then they can handle maximum load, but they cause great acceleration and hard impact when the drawer is in empty state
Solution Approach 1:
Braking forces are applied during the second distance of the opening movement to counteract the excessive acceleration caused by the springs. This preliminary braking action prevents the harmful effect of hard impact in empty state before it occurs, allowing the springs to be designed for maximum load capacity without causing damage during empty drawer operation.
3Speed
If the damping device is effective during the entire ejection process, then the drawer speed is controlled, but the energy accumulator has to introduce more energy into the system
Solution Approach 1:
The opening movement is segmented into an acceleration phase (first distance) without damping and a deceleration phase (second distance) with braking forces. This segmentation ensures that the damping device is only active when it serves its purpose of controlling speed, not when it would merely oppose the energy accumulator's useful work.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying damping forces throughout the entire opening movement, the braking forces are applied partially - only during the second distance when the drawer needs to be decelerated. This partial application of damping avoids the energy waste that would result from continuous damping during the acceleration phase.
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
This solution optimizes operating forces for the user, reduces energy expenditure, and prevents hard impacts by ensuring the energy accumulator does not work against the damping device, allowing for smoother operation and reduced user effort.
Implementation Method 1
a carriage (30) that is pretensioned by an energy accumulator (22, 22') and that can be coupled to a movable furniture part (3) via the driver (12)
Implementation Method 2
Braking forces are preferably generated by means of sliding friction
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a drive device for a movable furniture part (3), in particular a drawer, which drive device comprises an ejection device (6), which has a slide (30), which is preloaded by a force accumulator (22) and which can be coupled to a movable furniture part (3) by means of a driver element (12), wherein, when the ejection device (6) is unlocked, the movable furniture part (3) is accelerated from an overpressing position or closed position over a first travel distance in an opening direction by means of the slide (30) and the driver element (12) and the movable furniture part (3) can be moved over a second travel distance after the first travel distance, at which second travel distance the driver element (12) can be moved relative to the slide (30), wherein braking forces act on the driver element (12) and the movable furniture part (3) during the second travel distance and the driver element (12) can be uncoupled from the movable furniture part (3) at the end of the second travel distance. The invention further relates to a method for opening a movable furniture part (3).