Drawer Front Panel Fastening with Self-Locking Knee Lever
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening devices for drawer front panels require large assembly spaces and are not self-locking, leading to positioning errors and unintentional opening issues due to complex spring alignments and additional blocking elements.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device with a transmission element articulated via a rotary/sliding connection, featuring intersecting guide curves that optimize power transmission and allow for compact design, enabling precise positioning and self-locking mechanisms without the need for complex spring alignments or additional blocking elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a spring is directly connected to the rocker arm with the spring bearing passing through the dead center during rotation, then the spring can provide the necessary closing force, but this results in an elongated design requiring considerable space and large mounting areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transmission element with rotary/sliding connections that transforms the linear spring force into rotational motion of the closure. The bearing element moves along guide curves in multiple dimensions, allowing the spring to act in a compact configuration rather than requiring linear extension through the dead center. This dimensional transformation enables the same force function in a reduced space.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission element acts as an intermediary between the spring and the closure. Instead of direct spring-to-closure connection requiring large space, the transmission element with its bearing element guided by control cams mediates the force transmission. This intermediary mechanism allows compact arrangement while maintaining the necessary spring force application to the closure.
2Reliability
If additional locking elements are provided to prevent unintentional opening, then self-locking is achieved, but the device complexity increases and requires simultaneous engagement with the screwdriver
Solution Approach 1:
The closure itself provides the locking function through its interaction with the retaining element. When the closure is in the closed position, the retaining element is automatically locked without requiring separate locking elements. The system is self-servicing as the primary closure mechanism inherently prevents unintentional opening through its geometric constraint design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the locking function from separate additional locking elements and integrates it into the primary closure mechanism. By removing the need for distinct locking components and their simultaneous engagement, the design achieves self-locking through the essential closure-retention interaction alone, simplifying the overall device structure.
3Area of stationary object
If the rocker arm is adjusted around its axis of rotation within the travel of the retaining element by means of a torsion spring, then a compact design is achieved, but the retaining element is not pulled into the support element and precise alignment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission element with the bearing element guided by control cams provides mechanical feedback that ensures proper alignment. As the bearing element follows the control cam paths, any misalignment is automatically corrected through the geometric constraints of the guide curves, eliminating the need for high precision manual alignment during installation while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the alignment parameter from requiring precise initial positioning to allowing tolerance through the control cam guidance system. The control cams are designed with specific geometric parameters that guide the bearing element through the correct motion path, transforming the alignment requirement from a static positioning parameter to a dynamic guidance parameter that accommodates manufacturing tolerances.
4Area of stationary object
If the closure and opener are designed as separate components with optimized component size and travel, then space requirements are reduced, but the force transmission and adjustment range must be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission element introduces dynamic motion control through the bearing element moving along the control cams. This dynamic mechanism allows the opener to traverse a short path while the closure achieves full adjustment range through the guided motion of the bearing element. The dynamic transmission optimizes force application at each position along the adjustment path, maintaining high force transmission efficiency in a compact configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The control cams employ curved paths for the bearing element motion, optimizing the force transmission geometry. The curved control cam profiles are designed to maintain favorable force angles throughout the adjustment range, ensuring efficient power transmission from the compact opener to the closure while accommodating the full adjustment travel in minimal space.
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
The solution provides a compact, self-locking fastening system that ensures precise alignment and secure attachment of the front panel to the drawer frame with reduced space requirements and minimized adjustment paths, preventing unintentional opening.
Implementation Method 1
wherein a spring is operatively connected to the lock
Implementation Method 2
a rotary/sliding connection on the opener side with a first and a second control cam on which the first bearing element is guided
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a securing device (1) for securing a front panel of a drawer to a drawer frame, comprising a holding element (2) secured to the front panel and a closing element (3) that can be secured to the drawer frame. A spring (44) operatively connects to the closure (50). The closure (50) is designed in an open rotational position, to open a holding region of the holding element (2) and in a closed position, to block the holding region. According to the invention, a transmission element (60) is articulated at a distance from the axis of rotation of the closure (50) by means of a closure-sided rotative/sliding connection, such that an open-sided rotative/sliding connection comprising a first bearing element (64) is mounted on the transmission element (60) opposite the closure-sided rotative/sliding connection so that the open-sided rotative/sliding connection makes a connection with a moveably mounted opener (70) and the open-sided rotative/sliding connection comprises a first and a second control curve (92, 93) into which the first bearing element (64) is guided, and that the two control curves (92, 93) cross. Preferably, the transmission element (60) has multiple parts and comprises multiple lever arms (60.1, 60.2). More specifically, the transmission element (60) is formed as a knee lever.