Socket Assembly with Metal Washer for Furniture Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sockets for coupling casters and other end pieces to tubular leg members often wear out and loosen due to stresses from movement, leading to dislodgment and failure, especially when made from hard plastic resins like Nylon-6.
Innovation Solution
A socket design featuring a tubular body with a washer having an interference fit with the leg member, providing additional stability and grip, where the washer is metal and attached to the upper end of the socket, and optionally reinforced with fiberglass for rigidity, to prevent wear and dislodgment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a hard plastic resin socket is used for coupling casters to tubular leg members, then the socket can be easily manufactured and assembled, but the socket becomes worn and loosens over time due to stresses from movement
Solution Approach 1:
The socket is constructed as a composite structure combining hard plastic resin (for ease of manufacture and basic structural function) with a metal washer (for enhanced strength and wear resistance). The metal washer is attached to the upper end of the socket body, creating a composite component that leverages the advantages of both materials: the plastic provides manufacturability and the metal provides durability under stress.
2Ease of operation
If the socket is pressfit into the leg member, then the assembly is simple and quick, but the socket eventually dislodges from the tubular leg member due to wear and loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure with the metal washer provides enhanced stability while maintaining the simple pressfit installation method. The metal washer's higher strength and wear resistance prevent the socket from loosening and dislodging over time, thereby improving the stability of the assembly without complicating the installation process.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a metal washer with interference fit is added to the socket, then the stability and grip are significantly improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The socket is divided into functional segments: the socket body (for receiving the caster stem) and the separate metal washer (for providing interference fit with the leg member). This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while keeping the overall design relatively simple and the assembly process straightforward.
4Ease of manufacture
If the socket is made from hard plastic resin, then the material is easy to work with and manufacture, but the socket is subjected to stresses that cause wear and loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The combination of hard plastic resin and metal washer creates a composite socket that maintains the manufacturability benefits of plastic while adding the strength and wear resistance of metal. The washer bears the brunt of the stresses from caster movement, protecting the plastic body from wear and loosening.
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 socket assembly significantly reduces the likelihood of wear and failure, maintaining secure attachment of casters and other end pieces to the leg member by providing a robust and stable interface through the metal washer's interference fit, enhancing long-term reliability.
Implementation Method 1
the washer has an interference fit with the inner diameter of the leg member
Data Source
AI summary
A socket for coupling an end piece to a leg member of an article of furniture is described. The socket is insertable into an opening in the leg member and the socket has an opening therein for receiving a stem of the end piece. The socket comprises a tubular body having upper and lower ends. The lower end comprises the opening for receiving the stem of the end piece and the upper end is insertable into the leg member. In addition, the socket comprises a washer attached to the upper end of the socket. When the socket is inserted into the leg member, the washer has an interference fit with the inner diameter of the leg member.