Furniture Drive Mechanism With Damped Pull-In Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive mechanisms for furniture parts, such as drawers and doors, require excessive user force to charge energy accumulators, leading to premature unlocking and potential collisions due to high-speed movements and inadequate damping during closure.
Innovation Solution
The damping device, energy storage device, and retraction device are connected in series, with the damping device braking the furniture part before energy storage, ensuring the locking element is engaged gently and reliably, reducing noise and material wear by matching the energy required for accumulator charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the user manually charges the energy accumulator by applying force to the movable furniture part, then the energy accumulator is charged, but excessive force causes the locking element to be locked with great force leading to premature unlocking and potential collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device is activated before the energy accumulator charging process to reduce the closing speed of the furniture part. This preliminary action prevents excessive force from being applied to the locking element during subsequent charging operations, ensuring reliable locking without premature unlocking.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping device acts as a cushioning element that absorbs excess energy before it reaches the locking mechanism. By positioning the damping device in the force path before the energy accumulator, it cushions the system against excessive forces that would otherwise cause unreliable locking.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a damped retraction device is used to bring the movable furniture part into the closed position after loading and locking the energy store, then collisions are avoided, but the locking element cannot be locked reliably and gently at the same time
Solution Approach 1:
The closing process is divided into two distinct phases: first, the damping device reduces speed and prevents collisions; second, the energy accumulator charging process locks the furniture part in the closed position. This segmentation allows each device to perform its function optimally without interfering with the other's reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping device performs its speed-reducing action before the energy accumulator charging process begins. This preliminary damping ensures that when the locking element engages with the guideway during charging, it does so at a controlled speed that guarantees reliable locking without material wear.
3Power
If the locking element is brought into the locking position with great force, then the energy accumulator is charged, but the high speed of the movable furniture part causes the locking to be released again by itself
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device is activated before the energy accumulator charging to reduce the speed of the furniture part. This preliminary speed reduction ensures that the locking element engages the guideway at a controlled velocity, preventing the high-speed rebound that would otherwise cause premature unlocking.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping device converts the potentially harmful high kinetic energy of the closing furniture part into a beneficial controlled-speed engagement. By dissipating excess energy through damping before charging, the system transforms what would be a harmful high-speed impact into a controlled, reliable locking action.
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 configuration ensures smooth movement and reliable locking without excessive force or noise, preventing collisions and material damage by controlling the energy storage and retraction processes effectively.
Implementation Method 1
the movable furniture part is braked by means of the damping device
Implementation Method 2
an energy accumulator, which is usually designed as a spring
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6b
AI summary
Drive mechanism (1) for a furniture part (3), in particular a drawer or a door, which is mounted movably in or on an item of furniture (2), having a drive apparatus (5) which is guided movably with respect to a base (4) and is loaded by a force accumulator (6), having a damping apparatus (7) and a pulling-in apparatus (8), wherein the drive apparatus (5) has a pushing-out element (9) for moving the furniture part (3) from a closed end position (E) into an open position and a locking element (10) which is guided by a preferably heart-shaped guide track (11) which is formed on the base (4), and wherein the damping apparatus (7), the force accumulator (6) which loads the drive apparatus (5) and the pulling-in apparatus (8) are connected in series.