Sliding Door Mounting Profile With External Spring Preload Adjustment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sliding devices for doors in functional units, such as furniture, are complex, require frequent maintenance, and lack easy adjustability for preload settings, making them inefficient and costly to manufacture.

Innovation Solution

A sliding device with a separate adjusting device for the spring mechanism, allowing preload adjustment without integration into the drive unit, featuring rotatable and slidable elements for precise control of the pull cable tension, and using two drive units for enhanced power and compact design.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the adjusting device is integrated into the drive device, then the drive device becomes more complex and manufacturing cost increases, but the preload adjustment is more precise and accessible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing complexityVSAvoiddrive device structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adjusting device is separated from the drive device into an independent component. The drive device housing contains only the spring mechanism and cable drum, while the adjusting device is mounted separately on the furniture front or side, reducing manufacturing complexity of each individual component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pull cable serves as an intermediary element connecting the drive device to the mounting profile. The adjusting device acts as a mediator that modifies the pull cable length to adjust preload, allowing independent optimization of each component without integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If the drive device is made compact, then the space requirement is reduced, but the adjustment accessibility becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrive device sizeVSAvoidadjustment accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The adjusting function is extracted from the compact drive device housing and placed as a separate adjusting device on the furniture exterior. This allows the drive device to remain compact while the adjusting mechanism is positioned where it is easily accessible for user operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple drive devices with different specifications are provided, then adaptability to different loads is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload adaptationVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of manufacturing different drive devices for different loads, the invention allows parameter adjustment of a single standardized drive device through the separate adjusting device. By modifying pull cable length and spring preload, the same drive device can be adapted to various door weights and loading conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Measurement precision

If the adjusting device requires access to the installed drive device, then precise adjustment is possible, but installation becomes complex and maintenance difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepreload adjustment precisionVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The pull cable acts as an intermediary that transmits force from the drive device to the mounting profile. The separate adjusting device modifies this intermediary element's length to achieve precise preload adjustment without requiring access to the internal drive mechanism, simplifying both installation and maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 results in a simpler, more robust, and cost-effective sliding device that requires minimal maintenance, offers adjustable preload settings, and allows for efficient movement of doors with varying loads, maintaining a compact footprint.

Implementation Method 1

a spring device (211) for automatically moving the mounting profile (14) between a front position and a rear position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

a pull cable (22) which is connected to the spring device (211)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTension: Tension

Data Source

PatentEP4532878B1Displacement device with a mounting profile and functional unit
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 HAWA SLIDING SOLUTIONS AG
  • EP4532878B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4532878B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4532878B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The sliding device (10) which is provided for installation in a door compartment (18) of a functional unit (1) comprises a drive device (2) which has a housing (210), a spring device (211), a traction-cable pulley (212) which is coupled to the spring device (211), and a traction cable (22) which is wound onto the traction-cable pulley (212) and is guided over at least one deflection roller (231, 232, 233) to a holding element (33, 339; 72). The sliding device also comprises a profiled mounting element (14) which: is connected or can be connected to a single-piece or multi-piece door (11) by means of stop hinges (131); is vertically oriented and slidably held by means of a holding device (4); is connected at an upper end piece to an upper guide running gear (5) that is slidably mounted on an upper guide rail (15); or is connected at a lower end piece to a lower guide running gear (6) that is slidably mounted on a lower guide rail (16); and is, connected to the drive device (2), automatically slidable between a rear end position (S2) of the sliding device (10) and a front end position (S1) of the sliding device (10). The sliding device also comprises an adjusting device (3, X3) by means of which a preload on the spring device (211) of the drive device (2) can be adjusted. According to the invention, the adjusting device (3, 3X) is separated from the drive device (2) and comprises an adjusting element (33, X33) which is rotatable and lockable or slidable and lockable, and which adjusting element (33, X33) cooperates with the traction cable (22) which is guided out of the housing (210) of the drive device (2), in such a way that the traction cable (22) can be pulled out of the drive device (2) and a corresponding preload of the spring device (211) can be adjusted by rotating or sliding the adjusting element (33, X33).