Furniture Shelf Fastener With Side Slider for Tool-Free Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fastening devices for shelves to furniture frames are difficult to use without tools and lack aesthetic appeal, particularly due to the need for small slots that make it hard to disengage the pin manually, especially when placed at the lower edge of the shelf.

Innovation Solution

A fastening device with a slider that moves parallel to the axis, coupled to the pin member, allowing manual operation without tools, and featuring a lateral opening in the anchoring body for increased accessibility, along with a pin member extension that forms the slider and a simple construction for easy manual adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If a small slot is used to confine the pin tooth inside the anchoring body, then the structural integrity and compactness are improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because it becomes very hard to use a sharp tool to disengage the pin manually

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidease of disengagement
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces a lateral opening that provides access to the pin tooth from the side dimension, rather than requiring access through the small slot from the front. This dimensional change allows the pin to be disengaged by pushing laterally with a finger, completely eliminating the need for sharp tools while maintaining the small slot configuration for structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If a tool is required to operate the fastening device, then the reliability of engagement is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the inconvenience of using tools

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveengagement reliabilityVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention enables the fastening device to be operated by the user themselves using only their finger through the lateral opening. The pin tooth can be pushed laterally to disengage the pin from the anchoring body without requiring any external tools, making the device self-servicing and extremely easy to operate while maintaining reliable engagement through the spring mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the slider extends in direction opposite to the head of the pin member, then the accessibility of the slider for the user's hand is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveslider accessibilityVSAvoidpin member construction
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the slider function with the pin member extension by making the extension itself form the slider. The extension perpendicular to the axis that protrudes from the anchoring body serves dual purposes: it is both the pin extension and the slider mechanism. This integration simplifies the overall construction while maximizing accessibility for manual operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2177129B1Improved fastening device for furniture shelves
Publication Date: 2011.05.18 FERRAMENTA LIVENZA SRL
  • EP2177129B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2177129B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2177129B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

A fastening device to fasten a shelf (RP) to the frame (FR) of a piece of furniture, comprising an anchoring body (60, 160) conformed to be inserted into a corresponding seat formed in the edge of the shelf; a pin member (20, 120) housable in an internal cavity (64, 164) of the anchoring body and sliding in it along an axis (X; 1X) between two positions wherein a head (12, 112) of the pin member protrudes or not from a side (62, 162) of the anchoring body in order to enter into, or to come out from, a hole (H) in the frame. To simplify the use of the device, there is a slider (16, 116) that is movable externally to the anchoring body in a direction parallel to said axis and is coupled to the pin member to move it between those two positions.