Eccentric Connection Bolt for Gap-Free Furniture Panel Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection bolts for furniture panels made of chipboard, MDF, or wood-like materials often result in gap formation and clearance between parts due to the axis of rotation being directly at the bore edge, leading to instability and aesthetic issues.
Innovation Solution
The bolt head's foot portion is radially eccentrically offset, with a wider diameter than the shaft, and a blade-shaped projection that pivots into the bore wall, ensuring a gap-free and clearance-free connection by defining the axis of rotation at the bore edge, and a barb-like clamping structure on the bolt shaft for secure anchoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the axis of rotation is located directly at the bore edge, then the pivoting-in movement can be achieved, but gap formation and clearance occur between parts
Solution Approach 1:
The foot portion is arranged with respect to the bolt shaft eccentrically offset in the radial direction, creating an asymmetric structure that displaces the axis of rotation away from the bore edge during pivoting-in movement, thereby eliminating gap formation and clearance between connected parts
2Manufacturing precision
If the foot portion width is larger than the shaft diameter, then a depth stop is created for the first part, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The foot portion is integrated as a single continuous structure with the bolt shaft, merging the anchoring function and depth stop function into one unified component, thereby creating the depth stop without increasing overall device complexity
3Reliability
If the projection penetrates into the bore wall, then secure anchoring is achieved, but the risk of plastic deformation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection bolt is manufactured from fiber-reinforced plastic material, combining the benefits of plastic deformability for secure anchoring with fiber reinforcement that prevents excessive deformation and maintains structural integrity of the projection
4Reliability
If the bolt shaft has barb-like clamping structure, then pull-out resistance is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barb-like clamping structures are formed as integral parts of the bolt shaft during the injection molding process, allowing the structures to self-form without additional manufacturing steps, thereby improving pull-out resistance without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A connection bolt for connecting two parts, in particular furniture panels, includes a cylindrical bolt shaft for anchoring in a bore of the one part and a bolt head for anchoring in a bore of the other part. The bolt head has a foot portion, which adjoins the bolt shaft, and a hook-shaped head portion with a radially outwardly projecting, blade-shaped projection. The foot portion is arranged with respect to the bolt shaft eccentrically offset in the radial direction in which the projection projects radially outwards.