Sheet-Metal Storage Compartment With Weld-Free Rounded Corners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage compartments for cupboards are either complex and expensive to produce or not aesthetically pleasing and unsuitable for holding small utensils, and existing solutions do not balance ease of production, cost, and aesthetic requirements effectively.
Innovation Solution
A storage compartment design featuring tab-shaped extensions and recesses in the corner edges, allowing for easy bending and assembly without welding, with hanging devices formed on the sides for secure attachment, using a metal sheet that can be stamped and bent automatically, and utilizing chrome steel for aesthetic and hygienic benefits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If storage compartments are composed of individual elements with attached front sides and railings, then they are suitable for receiving various utensils and meet aesthetic requirements, but their production is relatively complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual elements (base, side walls, front side, rear side, corner edges) into a single integrated sheet metal blank. This merging eliminates the need for separate attachment operations and reduces the number of parts from multiple individual components to one continuous piece, directly reducing production complexity while maintaining the ability to hold various utensils.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet metal blank is strategically segmented into functional zones (base area, side wall areas, front/rear side areas, corner edge areas) that can be independently formed through bending operations. This segmentation allows each region to serve its specific function while remaining part of a unified structure, achieving both functional differentiation and manufacturing simplicity.
2Ease of manufacture
If storage compartments are designed as metal mesh baskets, then they can be manufactured inexpensively with great automation options, but they are not optimally suited for holding small utensils
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different structural characteristics in different regions of the sheet metal blank. The base area provides a solid foundation, the side walls create enclosed spaces, and the corner edges provide structural reinforcement. This localized differentiation of structural properties allows the single blank to achieve both cost-effective manufacturing and optimal suitability for holding various types of utensils, including small ones.
3Ease of manufacture
If sheet metal blanks have slits in corner edges for connection, then assembly is possible, but it has an adverse effect on aesthetic perception and requires additional work steps such as welding or soldering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sharp corner edges with rounded corner edges formed by bending the sheet metal blank at curved transition zones. This curvature eliminates the need for slits or connection points in the corner areas, as the rounded geometry naturally accommodates the joining of different wall sections. The result is an aesthetically pleasing appearance without additional welding or soldering steps, while still achieving proper assembly through the bending process alone.
4Ease of manufacture
If bending edges have small bending radius, then the metal sheet can be bent easily, but sharp-edged corners are formed that are difficult to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies that bending edges shall have a bending radius of at least twice the thickness of the metal sheet. This minimum radius requirement ensures that all corners and bending edges are rounded rather than sharp, eliminating crevices where dirt and grime could accumulate. The rounded geometry maintains ease of bending during manufacturing while simultaneously improving cleanability by eliminating sharp-edged corners that are difficult to clean.
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 design enables cost-effective production with unlimited use possibilities, improved aesthetics, and easy cleaning, while ensuring secure hanging and optimal corner formation without sharp edges or additional connection points.
Implementation Method 1
the side walls, the front side and/or the rear side are bent up by about 90° about a respective first bending line with respect to the base part
Implementation Method 2
a partial area of a side of the side walls forming the respective corner edge of the storage compartment has a second tab-shaped extension which is bent around a second bending line
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The center console has a base part (1), two side walls (2,3), a front side (4) and a rear side (5) which surrounds the base part. The center console is formed from a blank (6) made of a metallic metal sheet such as stainless steel sheet, in which the side walls, the front side and the rear side are bent around a fold line (7,7') with respect to the base part around 90 degree. A partial area of a side of the side walls, front side or rear side has a lobe-shaped extension (8).