Split-Tongue Corner Connection for Thin Panel Furniture Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing corner connection systems for panel-shaped elements in furniture, particularly in flat-pack furniture, face limitations in optimizing the coupling of thin panels made from brittle materials like particle board, as known profiles offer limited possibilities for optimization and are prone to breaking.
Innovation Solution
A composed element featuring a split tongue with a slit, where the slit's sides deviate from the main direction, allowing for enhanced locking and engagement through a turning movement, providing increased strength and elasticity, and allowing for a more solid construction by maintaining material at the outer corner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional profiles are used in thin particle board panels, then the coupling can be realized, but the profiles are prone to breaking and offer limited optimization possibilities
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is divided into multiple segments by introducing slits, creating a split tongue structure with first and second parts. This segmentation allows the tongue to flex and deform elastically during assembly and under load, preventing brittle failure while maintaining coupling strength. The slits create hinge zones that enable the tongue to absorb stress without breaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The slit geometry parameters (depth, width, orientation, curvature) are optimized to control the elastic deformation characteristics of the tongue. By adjusting these parameters, the tongue can be designed to flex in specific ways that enhance coupling strength while preventing breakage in thin particle board panels.
2Device complexity
If the tongue is made as a single solid piece, then the structure is simple, but it lacks elasticity and is prone to breaking in thin panels
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is divided into multiple segments by introducing slits, creating a split tongue structure with first and second parts. This segmentation allows the tongue to flex and deform elastically during assembly and under load, preventing brittle failure while maintaining coupling strength. The slits create hinge zones that enable the tongue to absorb stress without breaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The split tongue structure creates thin flexible zones at the slit locations that allow elastic deformation. These flexible zones enable the tongue to bend and flex during assembly and under operational loads, providing the necessary elasticity that a solid tongue cannot achieve in thin particle board panels.
3Ease of manufacture
If the slit sides are straight and parallel to the main direction, then the manufacturing is simple, but the coupling optimization is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The slit geometry is designed with asymmetric features, including curved sides, varying depths, and non-parallel orientations relative to the main tongue direction. This asymmetry creates differential flexibility in different zones of the tongue, allowing optimized stress distribution and enhanced coupling performance that cannot be achieved with simple straight parallel slits.
Solution Approach 2:
The slit geometry parameters (depth, width, orientation, curvature) are optimized to control the elastic deformation characteristics of the tongue. By adjusting these parameters, the tongue can be designed to flex in specific ways that enhance coupling strength while preventing breakage in thin particle board panels.
4Ease of manufacture
If material is removed to create the tongue and groove profiles, then the coupling connection is formed, but the outer corner material is reduced making it more susceptible to breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The tongue is positioned asymmetrically within the panel, with the split and slits concentrated in specific zones that do not compromise the outer corner integrity. The first part of the tongue contains the locking part and is positioned to provide strength where needed, while the second part extends toward the corner with reduced material removal to maintain outer corner strength.
Data Source
Figure 1~7
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Composed element, wherein this composed element is a piece of furniture which makes use of a frame (85) formed by frame panels (86-87-88-89) which are situated in the same plane, characterized in that on one or more and preferably all corners of the frame a corner connection is formed in the form of a locking coupling (92), with coupling parts allowing that the frame panels can be joined together by means of a snap movement.