Tall cupboard
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tall cupboards face challenges in supporting high weight loads and generating torques and lateral forces due to limited fastening areas and concealed pull-out guide installation spaces, making assembly and disassembly difficult.
Innovation Solution
A tall cupboard design with pull-out guides mounted on frames on both sides of the sliding element, allowing weight forces to be distributed evenly and facilitating easier assembly by exposing the guides for protection and accessibility, with offset pull-out guides and a modular design for optimal installation space utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pull-out guides are mounted on the rear of the vertical side panel, then holding means can be mounted on the vertical side wall for attaching objects, but torques and transverse forces are generated on the pull-out guides under weight loads
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance function is segmented into two independent pull-out guides mounted on opposite sides of the sliding element. This distribution of guidance functions to multiple locations prevents concentration of torques and transverse forces on a single guide, thereby reducing the mechanical stress on each individual guide while maintaining the versatility of holding means on the side wall.
Solution Approach 2:
The pull-out guides are relocated from the rear of the side panel to the lateral sides of the sliding element. This spatial repositioning changes the dimensional arrangement from a single-plane rear mounting to a distributed lateral mounting, allowing weight forces to be transferred to both sides and eliminating one-sided guidance that causes significant transverse forces.
2Ease of manufacture
If pull-out guides are mounted on the rear of the vertical side panel, then the tall cupboard pull-out can be assembled, but the installation space behind the side wall is difficult to access, making assembly and disassembly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pull-out guides are extracted from the concealed rear installation space and relocated to the lateral sides of the sliding element. This extraction makes the guides accessible from the front and sides during assembly, eliminating the need to access the difficult-to-reach space behind the side wall, thereby improving both assembly ease and operational accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting the guides on the rear side and accessing them from behind, the guides are mounted on the lateral sides and accessed from the front or sides. This inversion of the mounting location reverses the accessibility problem, allowing easy access during assembly and disassembly without requiring access to the concealed rear space.
3Device complexity
If pull-out guides are mounted on one side of the sliding element, then the structure is simpler, but significant transverse forces are generated due to one-sided guidance
Solution Approach 1:
The single-sided guidance structure is segmented into two separate pull-out guides mounted on opposite sides of the sliding element. This segmentation distributes the guidance function across multiple locations, preventing the concentration of transverse forces on one side while maintaining relatively simple individual guide structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance system transitions from asymmetric one-sided mounting to symmetric two-sided mounting. This symmetric arrangement balances the distribution of weight forces and transverse forces across opposite sides, eliminating the significant transverse forces that occur with one-sided guidance while adding minimal complexity.
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 absorbs high weight forces, reduces torque and lateral forces, and simplifies assembly by distributing load and improving access to the pull-out guides, enhancing the structural integrity and usability of the cupboard.
Implementation Method 1
weight forces from objects on the vertical side wall can be transferred to both sides of the pusher element, so that there is no one-sided guidance of the pusher element that could cause significant transverse forces
Implementation Method 2
The pull-out guides preferably comprise a guide rail fixed to the furniture carcass, a running rail fixed to the push element via a frame and at least one middle rail, which are each held movably on one another via rolling elements
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The cupboard (1) has a furniture body (2), and a pushing element (3) supported at the body in a movable manner over two extraction guides. Retaining units for storing objects are provided at a vertical side wall (6), where the extraction guides are arranged at opposite sides of the pushing element. The extraction guides comprise a guiding rail (8) that is fastened to the body and a sliding rail that is fixed to the pushing element. The side wall is made from metal, wooden material, plastic or glass, where the retaining units comprise horizontal bars.