Panels comprising a mechanical locking device and an assembled product comprising the panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical locking devices in furniture lack sufficient strength and stability, particularly at corners, which can lead to instability during assembly, transportation, and use, especially under pressure loads.
Innovation Solution
The use of panels with cores made of fibers arranged parallel to their main planes, combined with a mechanical locking device featuring an edge section groove and a flexible tongue, where the first panel's edge section groove has a greater thickness than the second panel's, enhancing locking strength and stability by aligning fiber direction with stress directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a mechanical locking device is used to connect panels perpendicular to each other, then the furniture structure is formed, but the strength and stability at corners are insufficient under pressure loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating an asymmetric locking mechanism where the first panel has a groove and the second panel has a protrusion that fits into the groove. This local structural differentiation at the corner joint provides enhanced strength and stability specifically at the connection point, rather than uniformly thickening all panels. The groove-protrusion interface creates a localized reinforcement that resists pressure loads effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device employs asymmetry by designing the first panel with a groove and the second panel with a corresponding protrusion, rather than using symmetric identical structures. This asymmetric configuration allows the panels to interlock in a specific orientation, providing mechanical advantage and enhanced stability against pressure loads applied to the furniture structure.
2Strength
If panel thickness is increased to improve locking strength, then strength increases, but material usage and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the overall thickness of all panels, the patent applies material locally at the connection points through the groove and protrusion structures. This localized material placement provides the necessary locking strength at critical joints while keeping the rest of the panels thin, thereby reducing total material usage while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism segments the panel structures into distinct functional elements: the groove portion in the first panel and the protrusion portion in the second panel. This segmentation allows each panel to maintain its primary thin structure while incorporating localized thickened sections only where needed for locking, optimizing the balance between strength and material efficiency.
3Strength
If a rigid locking structure is used, then strength is improved, but assembly and disassembly become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The locking device incorporates dynamic characteristics by designing the groove and protrusion to allow for controlled insertion and removal. The geometric configuration enables the panels to be easily assembled by aligning and pushing the protrusion into the groove, while the same geometry provides strong mechanical interlocking once assembled. Disassembly is facilitated by applying force to overcome the mechanical interference, allowing the protrusion to be withdrawn from the groove.
Data Source
AI summary
A set of panels includes a first panel having a first main plane and a second panel having a second main plane. The panels are provided with a mechanical locking device for locking a first edge of the first panel to a second edge of the second panel. The mechanical locking device includes an edge section groove at the first edge, wherein an edge section of the second edge is insertable into the edge section groove. A flexible tongue is arranged in an insertion groove provided in the edge section groove, and cooperates with a tongue groove provided at the edge section of the second panel. A first thickness of a core material between the edge section groove and the outermost surface of the first edge is greater than a minimum second thickness of a core material of the edge section of the second panel.