Drawer Sidewall Collar Connection to Reduce Assembly Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side panels in furniture, particularly drawer side panels, face challenges with increased assembly effort due to screw connections, risk of force transmission issues, and the need for precise hole drilling, which can compromise the panel's service life and visual appearance.
Innovation Solution
The side panel incorporates a collar system where the sheet profile is collared to the front and rear wall holders at connection points, eliminating the need for screw, rivet, weld, or nail connections. This frictional or form-fitting connection ensures a secure and stable attachment without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If screw connections are used to connect the rear wall holder to the side panel, then a firm connection is achieved, but the assembly effort increases and additional components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet profile is integrated with the rear wall holder to form a unified structural element. The sheet profile itself serves as both the side panel and the connecting structure, eliminating the need for separate screw connections and additional fastening components between these elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw connection mechanism is completely removed from the assembly. Instead of using screws to fasten the rear wall holder to the side panel, the design extracts this fastening function and replaces it with a direct structural integration through the bent sheet profile configuration.
2Strength
If screw connections are used to connect the rear wall holder to the side panel, then a firm connection is achieved, but the assembly effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet profile is pre-bent and pre-shaped during manufacturing to directly receive and support the rear wall holder in its final position. This preliminary formation of the connecting structure eliminates the need for on-site assembly operations such as drilling, aligning, and fastening with screws.
Solution Approach 2:
The bent sheet profile structure is self-supporting and self-aligning, allowing the rear wall holder to be positioned and secured without requiring external fastening operations. The structural geometry itself provides the connection function, making the assembly process self-sufficient.
3Strength
If screw connections are used, then connection strength is achieved, but holes must be drilled which risks tension within the side panel
Solution Approach 1:
The hole drilling operation is completely eliminated from the manufacturing process. Instead of creating holes through the sheet profile to insert screws, the design removes this potentially damaging operation and replaces it with a mechanical bending process that forms the connecting structure without penetrating or compromising the panel integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The drilling and fastening mechanical system is replaced with a bending and forming mechanical system. The sheet profile is bent into the required shape to create the connection structure, substituting the penetrating fastening mechanism with a deformable connecting structure that maintains panel integrity.
4Strength
If screw connections are used, then connection strength is achieved, but installation space within the side panel is required
Solution Approach 1:
The connection structure is merged with the side panel itself through the bent sheet profile. The structural elements that would otherwise require separate installation space are integrated into the panel's own geometry, eliminating the need for additional volume dedicated to fastening components and their installation.
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 reduces assembly complexity, enhances the structural integrity of the side panel, and extends its service life by providing a strong, direct connection between the sheet profile and the wall holders, while also improving the panel's aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
a material of the sheet profile is pressed by a punch or the like onto an opening—in particular the outer surface of the opening—of the at least one front wall holder and/or at least one rear wall holder via plastic deformation
Implementation Method 2
By means of the at least one collar, a frictional connection in the direction of the at least one collar—generally along a collar opening of the at least one rear wall holder or the at least one front wall holder
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a side panel in the form of a container side wall, in particular a drawer side wall, including a rear wall holder and/or a front wall holder and a preferably one-piece, bent sheet profile in the form of a panel hat for receiving the rear wall holder and/or the front wall holder. The rear wall holder and/or the front wall holder is arranged at least partially within the sheet profile, and the sheet profile is collared to the front wall holder and/or to the rear wall holder at at least one connection point by a collar.