Drawer Front Fixing Spacer for Accurate Catch Triggering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fastening devices for attaching a front panel to a drawer often experience incorrect triggering of safety gears, leading to the bolt of the furniture fitting not being securely held by the safety catch, which can result in improper assembly or disassembly.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating deflection elements on the guide plate, such as laterally protruding projections or noses, to prevent incorrect triggering of the safety gear by the furniture fitting's web, ensuring the bolt is properly aligned and secured by a spring-loaded catch element that moves along the guide plate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the furniture fitting is pushed in without deflection elements, then the assembly process is simple, but the safety gear can be triggered incorrectly causing improper assembly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety gear triggering accuracyVSAvoidstructure of guide plate
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The deflection element acts as an intermediary component between the furniture fitting and the catch element. It mediates the interaction by deflecting the web of the furniture fitting, preventing direct contact between the web and the catch element, thereby eliminating incorrect triggering while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The deflection element extracts the harmful function of the web (which causes incorrect triggering) by intercepting and redirecting it before it can reach the catch element. This separates the web's intended function from its harmful effect, allowing the safety gear to operate reliably without complex modifications to the entire system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Extent of automation

If the catch element is made more accessible for automatic triggering, then the automatic holding function improves, but incorrect triggering by the web increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic holding functionVSAvoidtriggering accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide plate is segmented into functional zones: an insertion channel for guiding the furniture fitting, a deflection zone with the deflection element to redirect the web, and a catching zone with the catch element. This segmentation allows the catch element to remain accessible for automatic triggering while the deflection element protects it from incorrect activation by the web.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If the web of the furniture fitting extends further, then the structural integrity improves, but the risk of incorrect triggering increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrity of furniture fittingVSAvoidincorrect triggering hazard
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The deflection element converts the potentially harmful extended web into a beneficial guiding feature. The web's extended length, which originally caused incorrect triggering, is now used to engage with the deflection element that redirects it properly, transforming the hazard into a reliable triggering mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

Prevents false triggering of the safety gear, ensuring the bolt is securely held and the furniture fitting is correctly assembled, enhancing the reliability and safety of the fastening process while allowing for intentional release and adjustment of the fitting.

Implementation Method 1

a movable, spring-loaded catching element which can be triggered by the bolt and holds the bolt

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Data Source

PatentEP2782478B1Fixing device with spacer
Publication Date: 2015.06.17 JULIUS BLUM GMBH
  • EP2782478B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2782478B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP2782478B1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

The invention relates to a fixing device (1) for fixing a front panel (101) on a drawer (102), in particular on a drawer lateral wall (100), comprising - at least one furniture fitting (20) which is preassembled on the front panel (101), said furniture fitting (20) having at least one connecting piece (21, 22) which projects from the front panel (101) and a pin (23) which runs transverse to the connecting piece (21, 22), and - a catching device (10) which is associated with the drawer (102). The catching device (10) automatically retains the furniture fitting when the furniture fitting (20) is inserted, and the catching device (10) has a movable spring-loaded catching element (11) which can be triggered by the pin (23) and which retains the pin (23). The catching element (11) can be moved along a guiding plate (12), at least one deflecting element (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) being provided on a guiding plate (12) face (13) near the front panel (101) for deflecting the furniture fitting (20) which is preassembled in the front panel (101). The deflecting element (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) is formed as a projection (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49) which projects laterally, preferably as a knob.