Sidewall for a drawer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drawer side walls are complex and expensive to manufacture due to welding of a container rail, and they suffer from significant tolerance deviations in the groove design.
Innovation Solution
The drawer side panel is formed from a single piece of sheet metal with the groove and retaining ribs integrated by bending, eliminating the need for a separate container rail and reducing tolerance-related deviations by incorporating plastic profile bodies within the hollow profile for additional stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a welded-on container rail is used to form the groove and retaining ribs, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The groove and retaining ribs are formed integrally from a single sheet metal piece through bending operations, eliminating the need for a separate welded-on container rail. This merging of components simplifies manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through the continuous metal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sheet metal is transformed through bending operations to create the three-dimensional groove structure with retaining ribs. By changing the geometric parameters of the flat sheet metal through controlled bending, the complex 3D structure is formed from a simple 2D starting material, reducing manufacturing complexity.
2Strength
If a welded-on container rail is used to form the groove and retaining ribs, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The groove and retaining ribs are formed integrally from a single sheet metal piece through bending operations, eliminating the need for a separate welded-on container rail. This merging of components simplifies manufacturing while maintaining structural integrity through the continuous metal structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses simple bending operations on sheet metal instead of expensive welding processes. The manufacturing method replaces high-cost welding operations with lower-cost forming operations, reducing overall manufacturing cost while achieving the required structural strength.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the groove and retaining ribs are formed from separate components, then the manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the tolerance deviations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The groove and retaining ribs are formed integrally from a single sheet metal piece through bending operations. This eliminates the interfaces between separate components, thereby eliminating accumulation of tolerance deviations at joints and achieving better overall dimensional accuracy.
4Ease of manufacture
If the drawer side panel uses a single piece of sheet metal with integrated groove, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the structural stability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The sheet metal is transformed through bending operations to create the three-dimensional groove structure with retaining ribs. By changing the geometric parameters of the flat sheet metal through controlled bending, the complex 3D structure is formed from a simple 2D starting material, reducing manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
The invention relates to a drawer sidewall (1) for a drawer (2), the drawer sidewall comprising at least one groove (4) which extends in a longitudinal direction (3) of the drawer sidewall (1) for receiving an edge of a drawer base (5); the groove (4) comprising at least one upper retaining projection (6) and a lower retaining projection (7) which is spaced apart therefrom and extends substantially in parallel, between which projections the edge of the drawer base (5) can be arranged; at least one side face (8) of the drawer sidewall (1) being formed by a one-piece sheet-metal piece (9); the groove (4) being formed, together with the two retaining projections (6, 7), in the sheet-metal piece (9) by crimping; characterised in that the sheet-metal piece (9) forms a hollow profile, preferably having a U-shaped cross section, into which hollow profile at least one profile body (14, 15, 16), preferably at least two profile bodies spaced apart in the longitudinal direction (3) of the drawer sidewall (1), preferably made of plastic, is inserted, which profile body stabilises the hollow profile at least in a direction (17) transverse to the longitudinal direction (3) of the drawer sidewall (1), preferably the at least one profile body (14, 15, 16) having a shape which is adapted to an internal shape of the hollow profile, and the at least one profile body (14, 15, 16) having the same cross-sectional shape as the sheet-metal piece (9), at least in the region of the groove (4).