Tall Cupboard Pull-Out Rail Correction for Accurate Closure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Pull-out devices for fully extending tall cabinets often experience segment displacements between guide rails, leading to incorrect closure, as existing solutions fail to effectively manage relative movements between guide rails during opening and closing.

Innovation Solution

A segment correction device with a pivotable lever and drivers featuring cam tracks is introduced, allowing for automatic correction of guide rail positions during opening and closing movements, ensuring proper closure by adjusting the relative speed between guide rails S2 and S3, with the force applied only when the self-retracting device overcomes its force, making the correction nearly imperceptible to the user.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If multiple guide rails are used for full extension, then the extension capacity is improved, but segment displacements occur between guide rails leading to incorrect closure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveextension capacityVSAvoidclosure accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A synchronization roller is introduced as an intermediary element between the guide rails to coordinate their movements. The roller engages with multiple guide rails simultaneously, ensuring they move in unison and preventing segment displacements that would lead to incorrect closure, while still allowing the full extension capability to function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the operational parameters of the guide rails by introducing controlled speed variations during the closing phase. The synchronization mechanism adjusts the relative speeds of individual guide rails dynamically, ensuring they converge at the correct position and time, thereby maintaining closure accuracy despite the multi-rail configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If damping device is added to control movement, then the closing control is improved, but segment displacements and synchronization issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclosing controlVSAvoidsynchronization
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The synchronization roller acts as a mediator between the damping device and the guide rails. It transmits the damping force uniformly across all guide rails, ensuring they decelerate and close in synchronization. This prevents the damping device from causing segment displacements while maintaining smooth closing control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The damping function is segmented and distributed to each guide rail through the synchronization roller, rather than applying a single centralized damping force. This segmentation ensures each guide rail receives appropriate damping control independently, preventing synchronization issues while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If segment correction device is added, then the closure accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclosure accuracyVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The segment correction function is merged with the existing synchronization roller mechanism. The same roller that synchronizes guide rail movements also performs segment correction by maintaining continuous contact and coordination between rails throughout the closing process. This eliminates the need for separate correction devices, reducing overall complexity while improving closure accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The synchronization roller is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it synchronizes guide rail movements, prevents segment displacements, and corrects positioning errors. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated correction devices, thereby improving closure accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

The segment correction device ensures correct closure of the pull-out device by automatically adjusting guide rail positions, reducing forces needed for correction and relieving synchronous wheels, while being designed to be effective only during opening and only when segment displacements occur, thus maintaining smooth operation and user experience.

Implementation Method 1

a segment correction device having a pivotable lever and driver is provided between the guide rail S1 and the guide rail S2 and the guide rail S3, in that the lever of the segment correction device has at least two cam tracks contact surfaces is provided that in the course of the opening and/or closing movement a driver of the guide rail S2 can be coupled to the curved track of one contact surface and the curved path of the other contact surface can be coupled to the driver of the guide rail, with the relative speed of the Guide rail S2 relative to the guide rail S3 can be changed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCam mechanism: Cam

Data Source

PatentEP2283745B1Pull-out device for pull-outs from tall cupboards
Publication Date: 2013.05.15 KESSEBOHMER HLDG KG
  • EP2283745B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2283745B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2283745B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7

AI summary

The extraction device has multiple guide rails attached to each other. A segment adjustment device (13) having a pivoting lever (14) and a carrier is provided between the guide rails. The lever of the segment adjustment device is provided with two contact surfaces formed as curved paths. The relative speed of the guiderail is changeable against the guiderail over the contact surface of the lever.