Built-In Furniture Door Guides for Collision-Free Appliance Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems with built-in furniture and devices face challenges in efficiently transferring the furniture door between its closing and opening positions without collision with the furniture corpus or installation device.

Innovation Solution

The system incorporates longitudinally corresponding guides and rollers on opposite sides of the furniture door, allowing it to move freely between its closing and opening positions. These guides and rollers are automatically movable based on locking or opening commands, ensuring collision-free operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the furniture door is designed to pivot about a rotation axis, then the door can be transferred between open and closed positions, but collision with the furniture body or built-in appliance occurs during transfer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor transfer operationVSAvoidcollision-free operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The longitudinal guides are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position during door transfer. The guides move in the direction of the niche opening when the door opens and in the opposite direction when closing, enabling the door to pivot without colliding with the furniture body or built-in appliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If longitudinal guides are fixed on the furniture body or built-in appliance, then the door can be guided during transfer, but collision cannot be avoided

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor guidanceVSAvoidcollision-free transfer
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The longitudinal guides are designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing them to dynamically adjust their position during door transfer. The guides move in the direction of the niche opening when the door opens and in the opposite direction when closing, enabling the door to pivot without colliding with the furniture body or built-in appliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If the furniture door is manually transferred between positions, then the user has control, but the user's hands are occupied during operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual door controlVSAvoiduser availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic door transfer through the movable longitudinal guides that respond to opening and closing commands without requiring manual operation. The guides automatically move to appropriate positions and guide the door through its transfer, freeing the user's hands for other activities while maintaining controlled operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4086418B1System comprising a piece of furniture with a built-in niche and a built-in device, and method for operating the system
Publication Date: 2025.05.14 MIELE & CO KG
  • EP4086418B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4086418B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4086418B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a system (2) comprising a piece of furniture (4) with a built-in niche (8), a built-in appliance (12) arranged in the built-in niche (8), and a storage device (14) with a storage space (16) arranged below the built-in appliance (12) and a storage mechanism (18), wherein the built-in appliance (12) is inaccessible by means of a furniture door (20) in a closed position of the furniture door (20) and accessible in an open position of the furniture door (20), and wherein the storage space (16) is designed to receive the furniture door (20) in its open position, and the storage mechanism (18) is designed, firstly, to transfer the furniture door (20) from its closed position to its open position and vice versa, and secondly, longitudinal guides (22, 24) arranged on the furniture body and/or on the built-in appliance (12), and guide rollers on the furniture door (20) corresponding to the longitudinal guides (22, 24). (26, 28) exhibits, characterized in thatthat at least two of the longitudinal guides (22) on opposite sides of the furniture door (20) are movably or automatically movable on the furniture body and/or the built-in device (12) such that the furniture door (20) can be moved back and forth relative to the furniture body (6) and the built-in device (12) without collision. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating the system (2).