Storage Shelf With Cam-Guided Rolling Elements to Prevent Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage shelves can become misaligned or automatically extend relative to the support plate due to uneven loads or improper positioning, leading to blocked rotational movement and unintended translational movement.
Innovation Solution
The storage shelf features closed, circumferential rolling element running grooves with shaped elements such as cams and pins on the bearing surfaces, which guide the shelf to move rotationally and translationally, preventing misalignment and automatic extension by requiring a torque application for movement, and latching elements ensure proper alignment and secure operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shelf is allowed to move freely on rolling elements between the support plate and shelf, then the shelf can be easily moved rotationally and translationally, but the rolling elements may become misaligned and blocked due to uneven loads or improper positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces shaped elements (cams and pins) as intermediary components between the rolling elements and the bearing surfaces. These shaped elements act as mediators that guide and control the movement of the shelf, preventing rolling element misalignment while still allowing easy rotational and translational movement. The cam profile specifically guides the rolling elements to maintain proper alignment during movement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaped elements are pre-configured on the bearing surfaces to anticipate and prevent potential misalignment issues before they occur. The cam and pin arrangement is designed in advance to guide the rolling elements along the correct path, ensuring that even under uneven loads, the rolling elements remain properly aligned and cannot become blocked.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the shelf can move automatically relative to the support plate due to uneven loads, then the shelf adapts to load variations, but the shelf may extend unintentionally and become misaligned
Solution Approach 1:
The shaped elements serve as intermediary control mechanisms that mediate between the load variations and the shelf position. They allow the shelf to adapt to load changes through controlled movement while preventing unintended extension by guiding the movement along a predetermined path defined by the cam profile, thus maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic system where the shelf can move relative to the support plate, but this movement is controlled and guided by the shaped elements. The system transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamically controlled position, allowing adaptation to load variations while maintaining stability through the guiding action of the cams and pins.
3Reliability
If shaped elements are added to the bearing surfaces to prevent misalignment, then the reliability of operation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire bearing surface complex, the patent applies shaped elements only at specific critical locations where misalignment would occur. The cams and pins are positioned strategically on the bearing surfaces to provide guidance exactly where needed, maintaining simplicity in non-critical areas while ensuring reliability at critical points.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaped elements modify the geometric parameters of the bearing surfaces locally. By changing the surface geometry at specific points (adding cam profiles and pin positions), the system achieves reliable guidance without fundamentally changing the overall simple structure of the shelf and support plate assembly.
4Ease of operation
If the rolling element running grooves are open, then the rolling elements can move freely for rotational movement, but contamination can enter and damage the rolling elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a nested structure where the rolling element running grooves are formed as closed circumferential grooves that contain the rolling elements. This nested configuration allows the rolling elements to move freely within the enclosed groove for rotational movement while the groove walls prevent contamination from entering and damaging the rolling elements.
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 effectively prevents rolling element misalignment and automatic extension, ensuring reliable operation with minimal manual force required for movement, while maintaining secure latching and protection from contamination.
Implementation Method 1
Mutually facing bearing surfaces of the support plate and the shelf each have at least predominantly closed, circumferential rolling element running grooves, in which rolling elements are guided
Implementation Method 2
Shaped elements designed as cams protrude from the other of the bearing surfaces. Such shaped elements can be easily attached or formed on the bearing surfaces of the support plate and the shelf
Implementation Method 3
a person who wants to move the shelf from the starting position towards a loading and unloading position is caused to engage the tray further laterally to apply a torque to the tray and thereby cause simultaneous rotational movement along with translational movement of the tray
Implementation Method 4
the bearing surfaces of the supporting plate and the shelf have respective latching elements facing the respective other bearing surface, which engage in one another at least in the initial position of the support plate and the shelf
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a storage shelf (1) for a piece of furniture (11) or a household appliance (12), comprising a support plate (3) stationarily arranged on a carcass (13, 14) of the piece of furniture (11) or household appliance (12), and a storage tray (4) which is positively driven relative to the support plate (3) and can simultaneously be moved rotationally and translationally. Mutually opposed bearing surfaces (31, 42) of the support plate (3) and the storage tray (4) have respective at least substantially closed all-round grooves (33, 44), in which rolling elements (6) are guided, the bearing surfaces (31, 42) of the support plate (3) and the storage tray (4) having shaped elements that face the respective other bearing surface (42, 31) and that force an at least partly rotatory motion of the support tray (4) in order to move the support tray (4) relative to the support plate (3) from an initial position into a charging/discharging position. The invention also relates to a piece of furniture or household appliance (12).