Pull-Out Guide Layout for Hygienic, Space-Saving Drawers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pull-out runners for furniture and household appliances, such as freezers and refrigerators, face challenges in terms of space efficiency and hygiene due to their design, which allows dirt penetration and requires complex welding for corrosion protection.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece activator with an end plug is integrated into the pull-out guide, positioned above the running rail to reduce horizontal extension and prevent dirt ingress, eliminating the need for welding and enhancing hygiene by covering the component supporting extension and retraction movements with a protective cover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the activator is positioned above the running rail to reduce horizontal extension, then space efficiency is improved, but the complexity of mounting increases
Solution Approach 1:
The activator is merged with the end plug to form a single integrated component. This combination eliminates the need for separate mounting operations and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining the space-saving positioning above the running rail.
Solution Approach 2:
The pull-out guide is divided into functional segments with the activator-end plug assembly positioned separately above the running rail. This segmentation allows optimized spatial arrangement without compromising assembly simplicity through the integrated design of the activator and end plug.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the component supporting extension and retraction movement is covered with a protective cover, then hygiene is improved by preventing dirt penetration, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
A protective cover is introduced to enclose the component supporting extension and retraction movement. This cover acts as a barrier against dirt and contaminants, significantly improving hygiene conditions in freezer and refrigerator applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover serves multiple functions: it prevents dirt penetration, protects internal components, and maintains a clean appearance. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by delivering multiple benefits from a single structural addition.
3Ease of manufacture
If welding is eliminated by manufacturing the activator in one piece with the end plug, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the strength of the connection may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The activator and end plug are manufactured as a single integrated piece, eliminating the need for welding or other joining processes. This merger simplifies manufacturing while maintaining connection strength through the continuous material structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated activator-end plug component can be produced using composite material techniques or monolithic manufacturing processes that ensure structural integrity without requiring secondary joining operations, thereby maintaining strength while improving ease of manufacture.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a pull-out guide (5) of a displaceable element (2) of an item of furniture or a household appliance (1), in particular a refrigerator, comprising guide rails (6) that can be mounted on the main body (4) of the household appliance (1), and a guide rail (8) that can be connected to the displaceable element (2), wherein the slide rail (2) is releasably attached to at least one supporting molded part (9, 10) provided on the main body (4) of the item of furniture or household appliance (1), and a component (11) supporting the pull-out and/or push-in displacement of the displaceable element (2), wherein the component (11) supporting the pull-out and/or push-in displacement of the displaceable element (2) is fastened on the molded part (10), above the slide rail (8), perpendicular to the pull-out direction (x).