Height-Adjustable Desk Cable Management and Area Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

In office and hospital settings, height-adjustable desk devices with electric drive units face issues with power supply cables getting tangled or contacting workers, and the complexity of mounting wiring ducts around the drive unit, which complicates identification of different work areas and increases installation costs.

Innovation Solution

A furniture device with a height-adjustable top board featuring extendable legs, a decorative member to identify different areas by color, and a wiring accommodating portion that guides and secures the power supply cable along the legs, preventing tangling and simplifying installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an electric drive unit is used to adjust the height of the top board, then the ease of operation is improved, but the power supply cable may catch on articles or contact workers, creating safety hazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidsafety hazard

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A cable guide member is introduced as an intermediary component to guide and constrain the power supply cable along a predetermined path. This mediator prevents the cable from catching on articles or contacting workers while the electric drive unit continues to provide easy height adjustment functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a wiring duct is mounted around the power supply cable near the electric drive unit, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity and installation cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cable guide member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a safety barrier to prevent cable contact with workers, serves as a routing channel for the power supply cable, and integrates with the existing structure of the desk device. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate wiring ducts and other protective components, thereby reducing overall device complexity and installation cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If the power supply cable is suspended from the top board to the floor, then the installation simplicity is improved, but the cable may move up and down and catch on articles, worsening the safety

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidsafety hazard

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cable guide member is designed to dynamically accommodate the vertical movement of the power supply cable as the top board adjusts its height. The guide member moves or flexes in coordination with the cable, maintaining guidance and preventing contact hazards while preserving the simple suspended cable installation method.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10271643B2Furniture device with height-adjustable top board

Publication Date: 2019.04.30 OKAMURA CORP

AI summary

A furniture device (1) with a height-adjustable top board includes a top board; extendable and contractable legs equipped with an upper support configured to support the top board, and a lower support configured to support the upper support to be movable upward and downward; and a decorative member (18) which covers the lower support (9A) of the legs. An arbitrary color is given to the decorative member.