Furniture Fitting Drive Element for Flat High-Torque Screw Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture fittings require significant manual effort for mounting and have a bulky design due to tool receiving devices on both ends of the screw, making them inefficient and thick.
Innovation Solution
A separate drive element is used, laterally positioned beside the screw, which is movement-coupled to the screw via mechanical transmission, allowing for reduced revolution speed and increased torque, enabling the screw to be driven into furniture parts with a tool, and allowing for alternative fixation on opposing sidewalls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If tool receiving devices are arranged on both ends of the screw, then the screw can be screwed into opposing sidewalls alternatively, but the thickness of the furniture fitting becomes relatively large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the tool receiving function from the screw by introducing a distinct drive element. The screw is stripped of tool receiving devices, while the drive element carries the tool receiving device. This segmentation allows the screw to be thin and the drive element to provide the necessary interface for tools, resolving the contradiction between versatility and thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing tool receiving devices at both ends of the screw (longitudinal arrangement), the patent positions the drive element with its tool receiving device laterally beside the screw. This dimensional repositioning reduces the thickness of the furniture fitting while maintaining the capability to alternatively fix the fitting to opposing sidewalls through axial movement of the drive element.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tool receiving devices are arranged on both ends of the screw, then the screw can be screwed into opposing sidewalls alternatively, but a relatively large manual effort is required for mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The drive element acts as an intermediary between the tool and the screw. It provides a mechanical transmission system (gear transmission or worm gear transmission) that converts the rotational motion from the tool into the appropriate motion for driving the screw. This intermediary mechanism reduces the manual effort required by providing mechanical advantage and proper motion transformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs mechanical transmission with variable transmission ratio to change the parameters of motion. The gear transmission or worm gear transmission converts high-speed, low-torque rotation from the tool into low-speed, high-torque rotation for driving the screw, making mounting easier while maintaining the ability to alternatively fix to opposing sidewalls.
3Power
If a mechanical transmission is used between drive element and screw, then revolution speed is reduced and torque is increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive element serves multiple functions: it provides the tool receiving interface, houses the mechanical transmission system, and couples the tool's rotational motion to the screw. This multi-functionality consolidates several components into one, reducing overall device complexity while still achieving the desired torque multiplication for easy screw driving.
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 results in a flatter design, reduced manual effort, and the ability to drive multiple screws with a single tool receiving device, enhancing the efficiency and versatility of furniture fittings.
Implementation Method 1
the drive element can be movement-coupled to the screw by a mechanical transmission (for example a gear transmission or a worm gear transmission), whereby there is the possibility to vary the transmission ratio
Data Source
AI summary
A furniture fitting includes at least one rotatably mounted screw for fixing the furniture fitting to a furniture part. The furniture fitting further includes at least one drive element separate from the screw, and the drive element is movement-coupled to the screw and has a tool receiving device. The at least one screw is configured to be driven by rotating the tool receiving device with the aid of a tool.