Tool-Free Cabinet Assembly Using Hidden Male-Female Fasteners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cabinets are inconvenient to assemble, require tools for locking plates, have poor appearance due to visible holes, and involve high production costs and defect rates from plastic composite components.
Innovation Solution
A tool-free cabinet device design using male and female fasteners with a slope structure, allowing assembly without tools, maintaining a smooth appearance by hiding fasteners within configuration grooves and insertion grooves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional locking mechanisms with holes are used to assemble cabinet plates, then the cabinet structure is stable, but the appearance is poor due to visible holes on the outer surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fastening function from the visible outer surface by placing locking mechanisms inside configuration grooves and insertion grooves. The male fastener with rivet part, screw part, and connection part engages with the female fastener within these grooves, concealing all fastening elements from the outer surface while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing the female fastener inside the configuration groove body and the male fastener inside the insertion groove. The male fastener's rivet part, connection part, and screw part are nested within the keyhole of the female fastener, creating a compact hidden fastening system that maintains smooth outer surfaces.
2Stability of the object's composition
If plastic composite components are used in cabinet assembly, then the cabinet structure is integrated, but production requirements increase and defect rates increase due to need for special cutting tools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cabinet assembly into modular components (top plate, bottom plate, side plates, rear plate) that can be manufactured separately using standard processes. The male and female fasteners are separate components that join these plates, eliminating the need for complex plastic composite processing while maintaining structural integrity through the fastening system.
3Reliability
If conventional tools are required for cabinet assembly, then the locking mechanism is reliable, but assembly time increases and operation becomes inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through the male fastener's screw part that can be rotated by hand to engage with the female fastener's keyhole. The rivet part provides automatic positioning and the connection part enables tool-free threading, allowing users to assemble the cabinet without external tools while maintaining reliable locking through the engagement mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool-free cabinet device includes top and bottom plates, two side plates, a rear plate and assembly components. The top and bottom plates respectively include outer and inner surfaces, and configuration groove bodies recessed in the inner surface. The side plate includes upper and lower surfaces, and an insertion groove. The upper surface faces the inner surface of the top plate, the lower surface faces the inner surface of the bottom plate. The left and right sides of the rear plate are inserted in the insertion grooves of the side plates. The assembly component includes female and male fasteners. The female fastener is provided in the configuration groove body. The female fastener includes a first plate element and a keyhole penetrated in the first plate element. The male fasteners are provided on the upper and lower surfaces, and the male fastener is assembled in the keyhole of the female fastener.