Drawer Guide Rail Attachment Using Plastically Deformable Bending Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture and kitchen appliance guidance systems face challenges in providing a stable and easy-to-assemble attachment of pusher elements to rod arrangements, particularly in terms of fastening quality and production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a fixed rail and a pull-out rail with holding means that utilize a plastically deformable flexible tab to securely attach to the rod arrangement, eliminating the need for complex welding by using a bending process to clamp the tab around the vertical web, ensuring a firm and resilient fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welding is used to attach the guide device to the rod arrangement, then the attachment strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the welding process (thermal/chemical joining) with a mechanical bending and clamping system. The holding element with bending tabs mechanically deforms to clamp onto the rod, providing attachment strength without requiring welding equipment, energy, or complex procedures. This substitution maintains strength while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity.
2Strength
If welding is used to attach the guide device to the rod arrangement, then the attachment strength is improved, but the production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical bending and clamping process replaces time-consuming welding operations. The holding element can be quickly deformed by hand or simple tools to secure the guide device, eliminating the need for welding preparation, execution, and cooling time, thereby significantly improving production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The bending tabs are designed to be deformable by hand or simple tools, allowing workers to perform the attachment without specialized welding equipment or training. The system serves itself through simple mechanical deformation rather than requiring complex external processes.
3Strength
If a fixed rigid connection is used to attach the guide device to the rod arrangement, then the attachment strength is improved, but the ease of assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The holding element transitions from a flexible, deformable state during assembly to a fixed, rigid state after bending. This dynamic behavior allows easy assembly during installation (flexible deformation) while providing strong rigid attachment during operation, resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and attachment strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the holding element from flexible to rigid through plastic deformation of the bending tabs. This parameter change allows the element to be easily installed in a flexible state and then locked into a rigid, strong attachment state, combining ease of assembly with strong fixation.
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 provides a stable, easy-to-assemble, and cost-effective attachment method that enhances the fixation of guide devices on rod arrangements, allowing for flexible attachment at various vertical heights and increased stability without requiring expensive welding equipment or processes.
Implementation Method 1
a plastically deformable bending tab, so that in a state of the device attached to the rod arrangement, the vertical web rests against the contact surface of the gripping section and the bending tab projects laterally from the vertical web, wherein, in order for the gripping section to grasp the vertical web, the bending tab can be brought into a close fit against the vertical web by a bending process
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (1) for guiding a thrust element relative to a rod arrangement (2) is proposed, wherein the device (1) is designed to receive the thrust element on the rod arrangement (2), wherein the rod arrangement (2) has a horizontal web (8) and a vertical web (7), wherein the device (1) comprises a fixed rail (4) and an extension rail (5), and wherein the device (1) can be attached to the rod arrangement (2) by means of retaining means.According to the invention, the holding means have a holding element (12) attachable to the vertical web (7) with a gripping section (23) which comprises a contact side (14) and a plastically deformable bending tab (15, 16), so that the vertical web (7) abuts the contact side (14) of the gripping section (23) and the bending tab (15, 16) projects laterally from the vertical web (7), wherein, in order to grip the vertical web (7) by the gripping section (23), the bending tab (15) can be brought into a snug fit against the vertical web (7) by a bending process.