Modular Shelf-Supporting Device with Miniaturized Pin Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shelf-supporting devices require pin diameters of at least 4-5 mm for mechanical stability, limiting their miniaturization and versatility, and necessitate separate models for different diameters, increasing production and storage costs.
Innovation Solution
The shelf-supporting device features a pin and slide produced as distinct parts, allowing for interference or shape coupling, enabling the use of smaller diameters and different materials for the pin, such as steel for strength, while the slide can be made of lower-cost materials like plastic or zamak, and utilizing bushes with varying internal diameters for modular compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the pin and slide are produced as a single integrated part, then manufacturing is simpler and cost is reduced, but the pin diameter cannot be minimized and mechanical seal cannot be improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the previously integrated pin and slide into separate components. The pin is produced as a distinct element from the slide, allowing each part to be optimized independently. This segmentation enables the pin to achieve smaller diameters and better mechanical sealing while maintaining ease of manufacture through separate production processes.
2Volume of moving object
If the pin diameter is reduced below 4-5 mm, then aesthetic impact is minimized and miniaturization is achieved, but mechanical stability and resistance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs different materials for the pin and slide components. The pin is made from materials with superior mechanical properties such as steel or aluminum alloys, while the slide uses materials like plastic or zamak. This composite material approach allows the pin to maintain high strength and mechanical resistance even at reduced diameters of 2-3 mm, thereby achieving miniaturization without compromising structural integrity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate models are produced for different pin diameters, then versatility is improved, but production costs and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the slide as a universal component that can accommodate pins of various diameters through a standardized interface. The slide's cavity or recess is designed to accept pins ranging from 2 mm to 5 mm in diameter, eliminating the need for multiple slide models. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured and stored, thereby lowering production costs and inventory requirements while maintaining versatility.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the pin diameter is increased to 4-5 mm, then mechanical stability is ensured, but aesthetic impact increases and miniaturization is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality optimization by concentrating mechanical strength requirements specifically at the pin connection points while keeping the overall bracket profile minimal and aesthetically pleasing. The pin is locally reinforced with optimal material selection and cross-sectional geometry (such as cylindrical or square profiles with 2-3 mm dimensions), allowing stable connections without requiring the entire supporting device to be oversized, thus maintaining aesthetic appeal.
Data Source
AI summary
A shelf-supporting device for the reversible connection of a shelf with shoulders of a piece of furniture includes a main body having a movable engagement system, to which a pin is connected. The movable engagement system slides with respect to the main body between a first non-operating position, in which the pin does not protrude from the shelf, and a second operating position, in which the pin protrudes outwardly from a transverse edge of the shelf. The movable engagement system has two distinct parts, coupled together, and the connection between the slide and the pin may be an interference coupling, a shape coupling, or another type of coupling. This shelf-supporting device makes it possible to miniaturize the pin by drastically reducing its diameter, thus improving the aesthetic impact of the housing hole in the shoulders, and may be made modular by using pins of different diameters and materials.