Motorized Drawer Link Control for Adaptive Damping and Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture systems with motorized drawer drives face challenges in adaptive damping independent of drawer loading, simultaneous status detection, and secure, centralized locking mechanisms, which are not economically viable and often rely on multiple keys or complex authorization methods.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a damping unit in the drive connection between the sliding element and the drawer drive, along with a control unit and link control system that converts rotational motor movement into linear drawer movement, and using a catch element and clutch disks for secure positioning, allowing for adaptive damping and controlled drawer movement with a cosine square speed profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a pneumatic damper is used to slow down drawer retraction, then the drawer pushing speed is reduced just before the end position, but the damping function depends on drawer loading and cannot provide adaptive damping independent of loading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the pneumatic damper system with a motorized drawer drive system that uses controlled motor torque and a damping unit to achieve adaptive damping. The control unit regulates the motor's output to provide damping forces that are independent of drawer loading, eliminating the dependency on pneumatic pressure that varies with load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the damping parameter from fixed pneumatic pressure to variable motor torque that can be dynamically adjusted by the control unit. This allows the damping force to be adapted to different drawer loading conditions, providing consistent damping performance regardless of the drawer's weight or contents.
2Ease of operation
If a mechanical lock with separate keys is used for each drawer, then centralized locking and status detection cannot be achieved, but individual drawer security is provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal control unit that can manage multiple drawers through a single interface. The centralized control unit communicates with individual drawer drives and locking mechanisms, enabling unified operation for all drawers while maintaining the ability to individually lock or unlock specific drawers as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automatic status detection where sensors monitor drawer positions and locking states, automatically reporting this information to the control unit. This self-monitoring capability eliminates the need for manual status checking and enables automated security management without requiring user intervention.
3Ease of operation
If the drive motor absorbs sudden drawer slamming, then the drawer can be pushed in, but the drawer drive and drive motor are exposed to considerable loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a damping unit that provides cushioning protection before the drawer fully engages with the drive mechanism. This damping element absorbs the impact energy of sudden drawer closure, preventing excessive loads from being transmitted to the motor and mechanical components during the pushing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping unit acts as an intermediary element between the drawer and the drive motor. It mediates the force transmission by softening the impact during drawer closure, thereby protecting the motor from sudden load spikes while still enabling the drawer to be pushed in effectively.
4Ease of operation
If multiple drawers can be pulled out simultaneously, then drawer access is improved, but the piece of furniture can tip over
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to detect the position and state of each drawer, providing feedback to the control unit. The control unit processes this information and selectively enables or disables drawer opening based on stability criteria, allowing multiple drawers to be accessed when safe and preventing simultaneous opening when it would cause tipping.
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
Enables adaptive damping of drawer retraction independent of loading, secure centralized locking, and easy handling of drawers, preventing unauthorized access and tipping by ensuring only one drawer can be opened at a time, while allowing for efficient motorized operation and manual use.
Implementation Method 1
a damping unit is provided in the drive connection between the sliding element and the drawer drive, which dampens the intermittent catching of the sliding element in the link track in relation to the drawer drive and in relation to its drive motor
Implementation Method 2
When opening, when the drawer is pulled out, a spring force must be overcome over a range of a few centimeters, with the corresponding spring then being used in reverse when pushed in to finally pull the drawer into its pushed-in ready position in the furniture body
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a piece of furniture with a furniture body in which at least one drawer (1) is provided, which is guided in the piece of furniture so as to be displaceable between an open position pushed out of the furniture body and a ready position pushed into the furniture body, with a motorized drawer drive (2) for at least extending and/or retracting the at least one drawer (1) in sections and having a control unit for activating the drawer drive (2) of the at least one drawer (1) as required. The piece of furniture according to the invention is characterized in that the drawer drive (2) has a link control with a sliding element (5) guided in a link track (4), which link control converts the rotary movement of a drive motor (3) into a linear movement of the drawer (1st ) (see FIG. 3).