Furniture Panel with Integrated Cable Duct for Hidden Wiring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture systems lack an aesthetically pleasing method to manage cabling for electronic devices, as wiring is often visible and not integrated into the design, compromising both functionality and appearance.
Innovation Solution
A furniture system with a panel-shaped base body featuring a cable duct integrated within, allowing cabling to be routed through a hidden pathway, utilizing a sandwich construction with a structural layer and side cover panels for rigidity and aesthetics, and optionally incorporating a honeycomb structure for lightweight stiffness and a plastic profile element for cable duct protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wiring is used for power supply and device connection, then electrical functionality is achieved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates due to visible wiring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wiring from the visible exterior space and relocates it into a dedicated cable duct integrated within the furniture element. The cable duct provides a hidden pathway for power cables and data cables, allowing electrical connections to be maintained while the wiring remains invisible from the outside, thus resolving the contradiction between functionality and aesthetics.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable duct is nested within the base body of the furniture element, creating a hierarchical structure where the wiring system is contained inside the furniture structure. This nesting approach allows the wiring to be integrated into the furniture design rather than being an external add-on, maintaining both functionality and visual appeal.
2Shape
If a panel-shaped base body is used, then aesthetic design is improved, but cable routing capability deteriorates due to lack of integrated cable management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cable management function with the structural base body by integrating a cable duct directly into the panel-shaped base body. This combination allows the furniture element to maintain its aesthetic panel design while simultaneously providing dedicated pathways for cable routing, thus resolving the contradiction between aesthetic design and cable routing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The base body is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the structural support, maintains the aesthetic appearance, and simultaneously offers cable routing capabilities through the integrated cable duct. This multi-functionality allows a single component to address both aesthetic design requirements and cable management needs.
3Weight of moving object
If structural layer with honeycomb structure is used, then weight is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of a structural layer with a honeycomb core sandwiched between outer panels. This composite construction achieves high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness while using relatively simple manufacturing processes for each individual layer, which are then assembled together. The honeycomb structure provides lightweight stiffness without requiring complex monolithic designs.
4Shape
If cable duct is integrated within base body, then aesthetic appearance is improved by hiding wiring, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base body is segmented into distinct functional zones: the structural layer providing support, the cable duct providing routing pathways, and the cover panels providing aesthetic finishing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while being assembled into a unified structure, managing complexity through modular design.
Data Source
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AI summary
A furniture element for a furniture system comprises a panel-shaped base body (14) with a first side surface (19), an opposite second side surface (20), an end face (21) connecting the side surfaces (19, 20) and a arranged cable duct (25; 42), which has at least one first opening (27) and one second opening (29), the openings (27; 29) being accessible via the side surfaces (19, 20) and/or the front surface (21). are. The furniture element also comprises a layered structure with an internal structural layer (15), a first side cover panel (16) and a second side cover panel (17). The structural layer has a strength-increasing structural element and a stiffening structural element. The cable duct is integrated into the structural layer.