Drawer Slide Locking Fitting With Movable Detent Recess

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing locking fittings for pull-out guides are prone to material stress and jamming, especially when the spring bar is repeatedly deformed, leading to unreliable unlocking mechanisms and potential overload protection failures.

Innovation Solution

A locking fitting with a detent trough that is slidably or pivotably mounted, allowing the switching element to be unlocked during a pulling movement, featuring a movable part prestressed by a spring to ensure reliable resetting and latching, and an energy storage device for controlled movement, enabling unlocking via mechanical, electromechanical, or magnetic means.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the spring bar is repeatedly deformed to unlock the locking pawl, then the locking mechanism can be opened, but high material stress occurs and the spring bar may jam or fail to reset

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunlocking capabilityVSAvoidlocking mechanism reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The detent trough is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position during the unlocking process. The detent trough can pivot about an axis or translate along a guideway, enabling the switching element to be released from the latched position without excessive force on the spring bar. This dynamic design resolves the contradiction by providing reliable unlocking while preventing material stress and jamming.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The movable detent trough acts as an intermediary between the switching element and the housing. Instead of directly forcing the spring bar to move the fixed detent recess, the intermediary detent trough absorbs and redistributes the mechanical stress through its movable design, preventing direct stress concentration on the spring bar and maintaining system reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the detent recess is fixed in the housing, then the structure is simple, but the switching element cannot be reliably unlocked during pulling movements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswitching element releaseVSAvoiddetent mechanism structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The detent trough is designed as a movable component that can pivot or translate, transforming the static detent mechanism into a dynamic one. This allows the switching element to be reliably released during pulling movements by allowing the detent trough to move and create clearance, while the complexity is managed through simple pivot points or guideways.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The detent trough is separated from the housing as an independent movable component rather than being integrally formed. This segmentation allows the detent trough to move independently to enable switching element release, while the housing remains structurally simple. The movable part can be a disc, block, or other shape with minimal additional complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 ensures reliable unlocking of the locking fitting even after repeated use, prevents material stress, and maintains functionality by allowing unlocking through both pushing and pulling movements, with an overload protection mechanism that supports smooth operation.

Implementation Method 1

the movable part of the detent recess is prestressed into an initial position by a spring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring force: Spring

Implementation Method 2

an energy storage device for controlled movement

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnergy storage: Mechanical Accumulator

Data Source

PatentEP2272400B1Locking device and drawer slide
Publication Date: 2019.02.20 PAUL HETTICH GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2272400B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2272400B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2272400B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

The device has a cam segment in which a switching element (10) is guided. The segment has a loop at which a locking recess for the switching element is provided, where the switching element is pre-stressed by a force accumulator i.e. compression spring (63), in a locking position. The locking recess is partially supported in a displaceable and/or pivotable manner, and the switching element is released from the locking position. The recess has two movable parts pre-stressed by a spring in an initial position, rotatable around an axis and movably supported along a linear guide.