Furniture Guide System Spring Drive for Folding Door Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide systems for folding doors often require significant manual effort to insert and retract door leaves due to collisions with U-shaped legs at right-angled transitions between guide rails, preventing smooth operation and efficient use.
Innovation Solution
A guide system equipped with a drive device powered by an energy storage device that can be detached and locked, allowing the guide device to retract along a second guide rail, overcoming the collision issue and enabling easier insertion and retraction of door leaves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a guide element is moved along guide rails with a right-angled transition, then the guide element collides with the U-shaped legs at the transition, but the insertion of the guide element into the guide rails is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is pre-loaded with a spring mechanism that stores energy before engagement. When the guide element approaches the right-angled transition, the spring releases stored energy to propel the guide element through the transition area, overcoming the collision obstacle and enabling successful insertion into the guide rails.
2Productivity
If door leaves are moved manually into a lateral insertion shaft, then the door leaves can be inserted, but a relatively large amount of manual effort is required
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element incorporates a spring-loaded mechanism that automatically propels door leaves into the lateral insertion shaft without requiring significant manual effort. The spring stores energy during the approach phase and releases it during insertion, making the system self-servicing and eliminating the need for continuous manual force application.
3Volume of moving object
If a guide system uses a right-angled transition between guide rails, then the structure is compact, but the guide element cannot be inserted due to collision with U-shaped legs
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is pre-loaded with a spring mechanism that stores energy before engagement. When the guide element approaches the right-angled transition, the spring releases stored energy to propel the guide element through the transition area, overcoming the collision obstacle and enabling successful insertion into the guide rails.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide element features a curved or rounded leading edge that facilitates navigation through the right-angled transition between guide rails. This curved geometry reduces the collision impact with U-shaped legs and enables smoother passage through the compact transition area, maintaining both space efficiency and insertion capability.
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
The guide system allows for efficient movement and retraction of door leaves between coplanar and parallel positions, reducing manual effort and ensuring smooth operation by using a drive device to overcome the right-angled transition obstacles.
Implementation Method 1
acted upon by at least one energy storage device... retracted at least in sections along the second guide rail by the force of the at least one force accumulator
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
Guide system (2) for guiding a movably mounted first furniture part (3a), in particular a first door leaf of a folding door, which is pivotally connected to at least one second furniture part (3b), in particular a second door leaf of a folding door, comprising: - a first guide rail (9a) for guiding the furniture parts (3a, 3b), - a second guide rail (13a) for guiding the furniture parts (3a, 3b), wherein the second guide rail (13a) runs transversely relative to the first guide rail (9a) in the assembly position, - a guide device (10) connectable to one of the furniture parts (3a, 3b) and movable relative to the first and second guide rails (9a, 13a), which is transferable back and forth in an intersection area (45) between the first and second guide rails (9a, 13a) as seen in the assembly position from a top view of the first and second guide rails (9a, 13a),wherein the guide system (2) has a drive device (12) with a driver (20) actuated by at least one energy storage device (21) and detachably coupled to the guide device (10), wherein the driver (20) is locked in a park position and wherein the driver (20) can be unlocked by the guide device (10) entering the intersection area (45), so that the driver (20) together with the guide device (10) coupled thereto can be retracted at least sectionally along the second guide rail (13a) by the force of the at least one energy storage device (21).