Modular Furniture Flap Drive for Easy Motor Retrofitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flap drive systems for furniture require complete replacement of mechanical actuating units when switching from a purely mechanical to an electric motor or vice versa, making retrofitting or motor replacement cumbersome and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
The electric motor is designed as a closed-off component that can be easily fastened to the mechanical actuating unit without disassembly, using snap connections or screws, allowing for modular integration and enabling the motor to be replaced independently of the actuating unit, with a single interface for force transmission and optional gear mechanisms for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the electric motor is integrated into the mechanical actuating unit as a single unit, then the actuating unit has a unified structure, but the entire actuating unit must be replaced or disassembled when the electric motor is defective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the actuating unit into two separate modules: the mechanical actuating unit and the electric drive. The electric drive is mounted on the mechanical actuating unit but can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation allows the electric motor to be exchanged without disassembling or replacing the entire mechanical actuating unit, resolving the contradiction between structural unity and ease of repair.
2Volume of moving object
If the electric motor is integrated into the mechanical actuating unit, then the system is compact, but retrofitting an existing mechanical unit with an electric motor is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the electric drive from the mechanical actuating unit and designing the electric drive as an independent module that can be mounted onto the mechanical unit, the system achieves both compactness and retrofit capability. The mechanical actuating unit can be produced and installed first, and the electric drive can be added later as a separate component.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical actuating unit is designed with a standardized mounting interface that can accommodate the electric drive module. This universal interface allows the same mechanical actuating unit to be used with or without an electric drive, enabling both new installations and retrofits of existing mechanical units.
3Reliability
If the electric motor is exchanged by replacing the entire mechanical actuating unit, then the defective motor is replaced, but the maintenance complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electric drive is designed as a separable module that can be quickly detached from the mechanical actuating unit. When the electric motor is defective, only the electric drive module needs to be removed and replaced, leaving the mechanical actuating unit in place. This significantly reduces maintenance time compared to replacing the entire integrated unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric drive is extracted as an independent component from the overall actuating system. This extraction allows the electric motor to be replaced independently without affecting the mechanical actuating unit, thereby reducing maintenance complexity and time while ensuring reliable motor functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A flap drive system for moving a flap mounted in a movable manner on the body of a piece of furniture has a mechanical actuating unit with an actuating arm that can be linked to the flap, and has an energy accumulator that can apply a force to the actuating arm. The flap drive system also has an electric drive secured to the actuating unit for driving the flap. The electric drive has at least one electric motor and is designed as a self-contained component, such that the electric drive can be secured to the actuating unit even when the actuating unit is already mounted on the body of the piece of furniture.