Furniture carcass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture carcasses assembled using the loose tongue and groove method are prone to incipient breaks when assembled or disassembled at angles other than the design angle, and existing solutions for easier disassembly are complex and prone to manufacturing challenges, particularly in kitchen installations.
Innovation Solution
The design features a truncated concave ridge in the assembly groove and a convex rounded section on the tongue, along with a locking device comprising a cylindrical blade and attaching tab, which provides elastic resistance and secure locking without causing incipient breaks, allowing for accurate alignment and easy disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the loose tongue and groove method is used for assembling panels, then the assembly is simple and manufacturing is easy, but incipient breaks occur when assembled at angles other than the design angle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a chamfered edge on the tongue that contacts a bearing surface in the groove before the tongue fully engages. This chamfered contact point absorbs misalignment forces and prevents incipient breaks by cushioning the impact during assembly, allowing panels to be joined even when not perfectly aligned with the design angle.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the locking device is forced into the channel or extracted forcibly, then locking is achieved, but incipient breaks develop at the bottom of the assembly groove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by designing the tongue with a chamfered edge that contacts a bearing surface in the groove before full engagement. This cushioning mechanism protects against incipient breaks during forcible insertion or extraction of the locking device by absorbing misalignment forces at the chamfered contact point rather than at the groove bottom.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the chamfered edge on the tongue and the corresponding bearing surface in the groove before assembly. This preliminary preparation ensures that when panels are joined, the chamfered edge automatically guides and cushions the engagement, preventing incipient breaks even when forcing is required.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional assembly methods are used, then manufacturing is simple, but disassembly and conversion of installation are difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the chamfered edge on the tongue and the corresponding bearing surface in the groove. This preliminary preparation enables easy disassembly and conversion by allowing panels to be separated without forcing or damage, as the chamfered contact point facilitates smooth engagement and disengagement during both assembly and disassembly operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Furniture carcass formed from panels assembled edge to edge by means of a groove (21) and loose tongue (11) assembly, a first (10) and a second panel (20) being joined by the edge of the first panel (10) hearing against the inner side (20a) of the second panel (20). The first panel (10) comprises a loose tongue (11), and the second panel (20) comprises, along the edge of its inner side (20a), a recess (21), complementary in shape to that of the edge with the bearing surface (15), a longitudinal assembly groove (21), complementary in shape to that of the tongue (11), and, beyond the groove (21), a bearing surface (25), recessed relative to the plane of its inner side (20a), for receiving the edge tearing surface (15). The assembly groove (21) has a bottom surface (22) and a small bearing surface (24) joined by a truncated concave ridge (27) and the loose tongue (11) has a complementary truncated ridge (17).