Resilient Detent Attachment for Guide Rails on Rod Arrangements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide devices for kitchen appliances and furniture lack stability and ease of assembly, particularly in their attachment to rod arrangements, which affects their usability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A guide device with a latching element that can yield and move back resiliently against a spring force, allowing for secure attachment to a rod arrangement without requiring the entire device to be moved, featuring a first holding member with a latching section that snaps onto an anchoring contour and a second holding member that is supported by the rod's weight without latching, facilitating easy assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a guide device is attached to a rod arrangement in a furniture or kitchen appliance, then the guide device provides stable guidance for sliding elements, but the attachment process becomes complex and difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into separate components: retaining means with detent elements on the guide device, and corresponding anchoring contours on the rod arrangement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall assembly process by enabling modular attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent elements automatically engage with the anchoring contours when the guide device is positioned on the rod arrangement, providing self-locking without requiring additional fastening operations. The spring force automatically pushes the detent elements into the anchoring contours, making the attachment process self-service and simplifying assembly.
2Reliability
If the guide device uses a secure locking mechanism for attachment, then the fastening quality and stability are high, but the release and disassembly process becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The detent elements are designed as resilient components that can dynamically change their position. During attachment, spring force pushes them into the anchoring contours for secure locking. During release, the detent elements can be easily pushed back by an operating element, allowing quick disassembly without complex operations.
Solution Approach 2:
An operating element acts as an intermediary between the user and the detent elements for release. The operating element transmits the user's input force to push the detent elements back from their locked position, simplifying the release operation while maintaining secure locking during normal use.
3Reliability
If the guide device requires movement of the entire device to release the locking mechanism, then the locking is secure, but the handling and operation become cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is segmented from the overall guide device structure and localized to specific detent elements. This allows the locking mechanism to be operated independently by moving only the detent elements through the operating element, rather than requiring movement of the entire guide device, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining locking security.
4Ease of manufacture
If the guide device uses a simple attachment mechanism, then the assembly is easy, but the stability and fastening quality are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism uses spring-loaded detent elements that automatically engage with anchoring contours when the guide device is positioned on the rod arrangement. This self-service mechanism provides secure fastening without requiring complex assembly operations, tools, or additional fastening steps, thus achieving both ease of assembly and high stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring force parameter is optimized to provide sufficient engagement force for stable attachment while allowing easy reversal for disassembly. The resilient nature of the detent elements and the magnitude of spring force are carefully selected to balance automatic engagement for stability with the ability to be easily pushed back for simple disassembly.
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 solution provides a stable and user-friendly attachment system that ensures secure locking and easy release, enhancing the usability and reliability of the guide device on kitchen appliances and furniture.
Implementation Method 1
a detent element (15) which can be resiliently deflected and retracted against a spring force
Implementation Method 2
the detent element (15) which can be resiliently deflected
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A guide device (1) for guiding a push element relative to a rod arrangement (2) is proposed, wherein the guide device (1) comprises a fixed rail and an extendable rail (7), and wherein retaining means (11) with a first (12) and a second retaining element (13) for attachment to a first (9) and a second vertical rod (10) of the rod arrangement (2) are provided, wherein the first retaining element (12) can be attached to the first vertical rod (9) in the region of an anchoring contour on an outer surface of the first vertical rod (9). According to the invention, the first retaining element (12) has a resiliently deflectable detent element which can be detented on the anchoring contour under the influence of the spring force, wherein the detent element has a detent section which is configured to engage on the anchoring contour.