Furniture Ejection Locking Track With Controlled Overload Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lockable ejection devices for furniture parts, such as drawers, often experience issues where the normal path of the control pin is altered during overload, leading to incorrect locking or unlocking, and potential damage due to excessive force, especially when the drawer is pulled open rather than pushed.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a blocking element that forms part of the latching depression and moves within a fixed channel associated with the closing and opening sections, allowing the control pin to traverse a defined overload path without altering the normal path, ensuring precise force application for release and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flexible materials are used to form the heart-shaped locking section, then the overload path can be forced through, but the materials wear out and cause undesired unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The link track is divided into rigid fixed portions (channel walls) and a movable blocking element. This segmentation allows the overload path to be defined without relying on flexible material deformation, eliminating wear while maintaining the ability to provide overload release functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using wear-prone flexible materials that degrade over time, the invention employs a durable blocking element that can be replaced if needed, but is designed to last much longer. The blocking element performs the overload release function through controlled movement rather than material deformation, significantly extending service life and maintaining reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the control pin path is altered during overload, then the overload mechanism activates, but the control pin may not return to normal position and causes erroneous tripping
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of altering the normal path and hoping for return, the invention inverts the approach: the normal path remains fixed and unchanged, while a separate overload path is created. The blocking element inverts its position to block the normal path and open the overload path during overload, ensuring the control pin always has a clear return path to its normal position, thereby preventing erroneous tripping.
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 maintains the integrity of the normal path in the link track, ensuring reliable locking and unlocking mechanisms, preventing jamming and wear, and allowing ejection in both pushing and pulling directions without damaging the device.
Implementation Method 1
the blocking element being subjected to a force by a spring
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a lockable ejection device (1) for a movable furniture part (2), having a control pin (4) movable in a cardioid-shaped slotted guide track (3). The slotted guide track (3) comprises a closing section (3a), in which the control pin (4) moves as the movable furniture part (2) is closed, a locking section (3b) having a latching depression (5) in which the control pin (4) is held in the locked position (VS), and an opening section (3c) in which the control pin (4) is movable as the mobile furniture part is opened. An overload mechanism (6), by means of which the locked position (VS) can be released even upon movement of the movable furniture part (2) in the opening direction (OR), is arranged in the locking section (3b), wherein the overload mechanism (6) comprises a blocking element (7), to which force is applied and which temporarily blocks an overload path (W) for the control pin (4), wherein the blocking element (7) at least partially co-forms the latching depression (5) of the locking section (3b) and the overload path (W) that can be blocked by the blocking element (7) leads through a channel defined by a channel wall, through which channel the control pin (4) is able to travel in the event of overload. The spatial relation of the channel to the closing section (3c) and the opening section (3a) is fixed and the channel opens into the opening section (3a), wherein the blocking element (7) is formed separately from the channel wall and is movable in the channel.