Furniture Panel Flap Fitting with End-Face Adjustable Spring Preload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture flap fittings protrude into the interior of furniture bodies, reducing storage space and obstructing cleaning, and cannot be integrated into furniture walls with continuous inner surfaces due to the need for lateral access to set spring pre-tension.
Innovation Solution
A furniture panel with an integrated or inserted flap fitting where the lever mechanism retracts into an end-face opening, allowing for adjustable spring pre-tension through a tool receptacle accessible from the end-face, maintaining a continuous surface and enabling integration into furniture walls without additional lateral openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the flap fitting is installed on the inner side of the side wall, then the flap can be reliably held in open and closed positions, but the fitting protrudes into the interior reducing storage space and obstructing cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The lever mechanism is extracted from the interior mounting location and repositioned to the exterior end face of the furniture panel. This extraction removes the conflicting element (lever mechanism) from the interior space, eliminating the obstruction to cleaning and reduction of storage space while preserving the mounting function on the side wall
2Reliability
If the flap fitting is installed on the inner side of the side wall, then the flap can be reliably held in open and closed positions, but the fitting impairs the visual appearance and obstructs cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The lever mechanism is extracted from the interior mounting location and repositioned to the exterior end face of the furniture panel. This extraction removes the visually disturbing element from the interior surface, allowing the inner side to maintain a clean, continuous appearance while preserving the mounting function
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting location is shifted from the interior surface (2D plane) to the exterior end face (different 2D plane in another dimension). This dimensional shift relocates the lever mechanism to a position where it does not interfere with the visual appearance or cleaning of the interior surface
3Ease of operation
If the spring pre-tension is settable via lateral access, then the pre-tension can be adjusted during installation, but additional lateral openings are required breaking the continuous surface
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment function is merged with the existing end-face opening that is already required for lever mechanism retraction. The tool receptacle is positioned to be accessible through this same opening, combining two functions (lever access and spring adjustment) into a single opening, thus maintaining the continuous surface without additional openings
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 solution allows for reliable holding of flaps in open positions while maintaining a clean and visually appealing interior, with no thickness difference in the region of the flap fitting, ensuring unrestricted use of space and aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
The flap fitting comprises a spring unit, which acts on at least one lever of the lever mechanism, wherein a pre-tension of the spring unit is settable
Data Source
AI summary
A furniture board with an integrated or inserted flap fitting includes a lever mechanism having a plurality of levers guiding a flap of a furniture item. The flap fitting has a spring unit acting on at least one lever of the lever mechanism via an adjustable preload. The lever mechanism, in a closed position of the guided flap, moves into a front-side opening of the flap fitting and a front-side opening of the furniture board. The preload of the spring unit and/or the transmission ratio between the spring unit and the lever mechanism is adjustable via an adjusting element having a tool receptacle. The tool receptacle is accessible through a front-side opening in the furniture board and/or the flap fitting.