Drawer Rail Height Adjustment With an Oblique Guide Track
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing height adjustment devices for drawers relative to drawer rails face challenges such as high self-locking requirements, limited adjustment paths, and increased component complexity, making them difficult to use and manufacture.
Innovation Solution
An obliquely angled guide track, between 3° and 30°, is integrated directly into the drawer rail, allowing the adjustment part to absorb a significant portion of the drawer's load with minimal force, enabling easy adjustment and increased path length without additional components, and featuring releasable latching positions for secure height adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vertically running guide slots are used with an eccentric, then the drawer can be supported, but the eccentric has to absorb the entire load and achieve high self-locking, making adjustment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track is changed from a vertical orientation to an oblique orientation at an angle of 3° to 30° relative to the horizontal. This parameter change allows the guide track to absorb a large part of the drawer load through its inclination, reducing the self-locking requirement of the adjustment part while maintaining reliable support. The oblique angle enables the system to achieve both high reliability and ease of adjustment simultaneously.
2Reliability
If vertically running guide slots are used, then the drawer can be supported, but the adjustment path of the slider is quite limited
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track is oriented obliquely at an angle of 3° to 30° relative to the horizontal instead of vertically. This parameter change extends the adjustment path length while maintaining the support capability. The oblique configuration allows the adjustment part to travel a longer distance along the guide track, providing greater height adjustment range without compromising the drawer support function.
3Reliability
If additional components like fastening plates and separate guide elements are used, then the adjustment function can be achieved, but the number of components and production steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track is integrated directly into the drawer rail as a single component, merging the functions of the guide element and the rail structure. This eliminates the need for separate guide elements and fastening plates, reducing the number of components and production steps while maintaining the adjustment function. The guide track is formed by punching or milling the rail material directly, creating a unified structure that provides both support and guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The drawer rail is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support, incorporates the guide track for adjustment, and integrates the adjustment mechanism. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable adjustment capability.
4Ease of manufacture
If the guide track is integrated directly in the rail material, then manufacturing is simplified and additional components are eliminated, but the guide track must be stable without additional fixation
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track is merged with the drawer rail as a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate fixation elements. The guide track is formed by punching or milling the rail material directly, creating a unified structure where the guide track and rail become one piece. This integration ensures stability without additional fixation while simplifying manufacturing.
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 simplifies the adjustment process, reduces the risk of unintended movement, and enhances manufacturing efficiency by eliminating the need for extra components, while providing stable and reliable height adjustments with increased path length and reduced risk of defects.
Implementation Method 1
a large part of the load of the drawer is absorbed by the guide track itself, with only a small force having to be inhibited to prevent an undesired relative movement between the adjustment part and the guide track
Implementation Method 2
part of this force also being applied by friction between the adjustment part and the guide track becomes
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a drawer pull-out guide (4), comprising a body rail (5) to be fastened to a furniture body (2), an in particular metal drawer rail (7) to be fastened to the drawer (3), and an adjusting device (16) for adjusting the height of the drawer (3) relative to the drawer rail (7), wherein the adjusting device (16) has an adjusting part (19), which is supported so as to be movable along a guiding track (18) to a limited extent in order to adjust the height of the drawer (3), wherein the guiding track (18) is designed as an opening in a leg (7b) of the drawer rail (7) extending vertically in the usage position, wherein the guiding track (18) extends at an angle to the horizontal.