Sliding Door Carriage Adjusting Vertical Misalignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current sliding door carriages for wardrobes and furniture do not allow for adjustment of door position to correct vertical misalignment or geometric irregularities, leading to malfunctioning and aesthetic issues.

Innovation Solution

A carriage with adjustable features, including a wheel system and a bracket with inclined segments and a slide mechanism, allows for lateral movement to correct vertical misalignment by adjusting the door's distance from the furniture's shoulder, using a grub screw or eccentric cam mechanism for precise alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional sliding door carriages are used, then the door can slide along the track, but the vertical misalignment cannot be corrected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustability of door positionVSAvoidstructure of carriage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The carriage incorporates adjustable elements that allow dynamic repositioning of the door vertically along the track. The carriage body can be shifted relative to the track using adjustment mechanisms, enabling correction of vertical misalignment while maintaining the sliding function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The carriage is divided into separable components including a carriage body, adjustment mechanism, and mounting elements. This segmentation allows the adjustment mechanism to be independently designed and positioned, enabling vertical repositioning without compromising the overall sliding door structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the door position is fixed, then the carriage structure is simple, but vertical misalignment causes malfunctioning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctionality of carriageVSAvoidadjustment mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustment mechanism is designed to be self-contained within the carriage structure, allowing the carriage to correct its own vertical alignment without external intervention. The mechanism enables the user to adjust the door position to compensate for manufacturing tolerances or installation variations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If the door is adjusted vertically, then misalignment is corrected, but the sliding mechanism becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevertical alignment of doorVSAvoidcarriage mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The carriage mechanism changes the positional parameters of the door relative to the track by allowing vertical displacement. The adjustment mechanism modifies the vertical coordinate of the door while maintaining the horizontal sliding function, thereby correcting alignment without adding complex control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3910144A1Improved type carriage for sliding doors of wardrobes and furniture in general
Publication Date: 2021.11.17 MIXAL
  • EP3910144A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3910144A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3910144A1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

A carriage for sliding doors of wardrobes and furniture in general, comprising at least one wheel (4) and at least one bracket (6) for fixing to the door (2) of the piece of furniture, characterized in that it is provided a body (7) having a longitudinal sector (15) or a plate (45) for engaging a slide (16,42) fixed to said bracket (6) and sliding, on said longitudinal sector (15) or on the aforesaid plate (45), so as to move said bracket (6) in the direction (F2) transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carriage (5). Compared to traditional designs in the field, the carriage of the invention has the advantage of allowing the position of the door to be adjusted, so as to correct inclinations with respect to the vertical, for example caused by differences in height with respect to the support surface or by the weight of the doors themselves.