Strength and durability of furniture drawers and doors

• Strength and durability of runners for drawers and doors was investigated.
• The impact of typical technological factors on the above-mentioned properties was determined.
• Practical assembly principles of runners and hinges were elaborated.
• Hardware significantly improving the strength and durability of runners and doors was proposed.
• Solutions significantly worsening the functionality of moving furniture parts were indicated.

Functionality of storage furniture depends, primarily, on the strength and durability of such moving parts as drawers and doors. The goal of this investigation was to determine the influence of the kind of sleeves and connecting links as well as moments of their drive-in values on strength and durability of drawer runners. In addition, attempts were made to determine the effect of kind of hinges and distances between them, the type of sleeves and connecting links as well as values of their drive-in moments on the strength and durability of door mounting. On the basis of the obtained research results and their analysis, a number of practical observations and conclusions were drawn. Drawer runners as well as mounting plates of hinges should be fastened to the furniture body using screws mounted in plastic sleeves and driven-in with a moment of 1.342 Nm value. Driving screws directly in chipboards should be avoided. The use of hinges with a 52 mm drilling moment is recommended. The distance between hinges in the analysed case should amount to 288 mm.