It is impossible to imagine furniture production without the use of a variety of furniture fittings. It allows you to ensure the high-quality functioning of the furniture and the aesthetics of its appearance.
All fittings can be divided into two large groups or classes:
- Facial fittings perform a more decorative function, although they can also carry some functional load. This class of products includes fittings located on the front side of the furniture:
edge – designed for processing the ends of furniture elements and their additional protection from mechanical stress;
handles and locks – elements of furniture decor designed for convenient opening/closing and locking of drawers, doors and doors;
various decorative overlays, used both for decoration and for masking joints.
- Fastening fittings are designed to connect individual furniture elements into a single whole.
There is another group of fittings that stands apart. These are mechanisms that change performance characteristics furniture:
- accessories for sliding tables;
- various “guiding” elements;
- mechanisms that help transform folding sofas and armchairs.
Types of fastening accessories
Fastening or connecting fittings are represented by many elements, which can be divided into several large groups:
- Movable joint fittings are various types of hinges, differing both in the method of fastening and in the opening angle, installation devices sliding doors, lifting mechanisms (microlifts): both mechanical and gas.
- Fittings for permanent connections are elements designed for reliable fixation of individual furniture parts relative to each other: intersectional and eccentric ties, confirmatories, rods and self-tapping screws.
- Fittings for detachable connections are represented by various types of latches, latches, and locking hooks. This group also includes elements such as magnetic latches and shelf holders.
When choosing furniture fittings, one should not forget that its quality and reliability in operation directly affects the life of the furniture. The importance of choosing fittings is also emphasized by the numbers - its share in the cost of furniture can range from 10 to 25 percent of the total amount.
Furniture fittings. We look at the types, purpose and application in the video:
The concept of “furniture fittings” includes all components and connecting elements intended for fastening, design and production of furniture. The main functions of furniture fittings are: connecting various parts of furniture to each other, fastening doors, endowing furniture elements with movement functions, increasing the attractiveness and comfort of furniture. a huge variety of types and models.
Furniture fittings, is mainly made from the following basic materials: aluminum-based alloys (ZAMAK and ZnAL family), iron, stainless steel, cold rolled steel, aluminum, various plastics.
Types of furniture fittings
The most important types of furniture fittings are:
Furniture fittings are a critical component of furniture
Furniture used for lounging, sitting or storing something is mainly made from materials based on wood products that do not directly affect the functionality of the furniture product. The usual attributes of furniture, such as convenience, usefulness, beauty and safety of use, are endowed by furniture fittings.
However, furniture fittings that increase the value and attractiveness of furniture are the subject of constant debate and discussion. For example, furniture consumers are often dissatisfied because some furniture elements are inconvenient to use or do not function as they would like. Therefore, it is very important for furniture fittings to be designed and manufactured in such a way as to help furniture get rid of such problems, make it comfortable and aesthetically attractive to the consumer.
Furniture Hardware Industry Trends
Since its inception, furniture fittings have come a long way from simple connecting elements to multifunctional systems and accessories that give furniture unique design and ease of use. Today, furniture fittings embody many types, directions, shapes and sizes, types of finishes to satisfy any needs and match any interior style solutions. Today, when buying furniture, people primarily pursue the idea of comfort and harmonious correspondence of a new piece of furniture with the overall stylistic consistency of their home environment. In light of this, today's furniture fittings must meet the highest standards of functionality, design and safety.
Technological progress has an impact on all sectors of the economy and the furniture fittings industry is no exception. Technical development in the production of furniture fittings elements is manifested in the rapid expansion of the range and complication of elements, their evolution into systems. Manufacturers are using technological advances to develop lightweight, durable and reliable furniture fittings that are easy and safe to use, operate smoothly and quietly. Also in last years, design and style of furniture fittings are becoming increasingly important and are strong criteria when choosing a supplier.
As in other industries, there is an increasing trend in the furniture fittings industry to strive for harmony between production and products with the environment. Manufacturers are striving to reduce the negative impact of furniture fittings factories and directly produced products on the environment and consumers.
Competitive scenario for the development of the furniture fittings market
The sales volume of furniture fittings mainly depends on sales of finished furniture and income growth of private and corporate consumers. The profitability of companies in the furniture fittings market is directly related to sales volume, since many expense items of such a business are fixed. Large companies can take advantage of their economies of scale, while smaller companies can compete by offering specialty products or through workmanship of products that can be sold at a higher price.
The quality of furniture assembly and the reliability of its operation are largely influenced by fasteners designed to connect individual elements to each other and used for installation of products. Of course, the type and design features of the fasteners depend on the category of furniture and the conditions of its use.
Modern industry offers a sufficient number of new fastening accessories that greatly facilitate the assembly of furniture and increase the durability of its use in the most adverse conditions. For example, kitchen samples made from cheap particle board are more likely to be destroyed by delamination of the panel or peeling of the decorative coating than to fail due to poor quality or reliability of the fasteners.
Today, with industrial and self-production For furniture products, quite a few types of fasteners are used, differing in functionality, method of fixation, size and protective coating.
Fastener categories
If half a century ago the main elements for assembling furniture components were wooden dowels, and installation of various pieces on site was carried out using nails or screws, today the range of accessories for joining individual parts and furniture elements has expanded significantly.
Modern fastening and connecting parts can be divided into several categories, including both highly specialized products and universal fittings:
The most common types of furniture fasteners
Let's consider the most common groups of connecting and fastening fittings for furniture, the features of their installation and operation.
Button or decorative head screws and bolts with a fixing mustache or carriage are the main types used for fastening individual panels of frame furniture. Thanks to the fixing mustache or square head, the bolt (screw) is fixed in the hole of the particle board, which prevents it from turning. Due to this design feature, the assembler has the ability to tighten the nut without additional fixation of the screw.
Universal screws with countersunk or semi-countersunk head have splines various shapes(cross, with internal hexagon, straight slot and others) and intended for fastening individual assembly parts inside furniture designs. They are used for:
On a note!
When using universal screws, either screwdrivers with replaceable bits or sets of screwdrivers with replaceable tips are used.
Confirmats (europrops) V modern production furniture are the most popular type of fastening and fixing devices. This type is used for fastening any parts made of chipboard or MDF panels.
Before screwing in the Euroscrews, holes are pre-drilled in the parts using a special confirmatory drill, the diameter of which depends on the diameter of the fixing element. To screw this type of fastener, use either special bits or screwdrivers with seed tips. The type of bit or attachment depends on the type of slot.
Eccentrics other accessories, bearing the somewhat exotic name of rasteks and minifixes, allows you to connect and attract panels located at right angles to each other. Despite obvious advantages In this category of fasteners, their main disadvantages are:
- the need for additional milling of furniture panels to install individual fasteners;
- relatively high cost.
- high accuracy markings and complexity of installation of individual fasteners;
On a note!
To install individual minifix parts, you will need three different types of woodworking tools - one end mill and two drills of different diameters.
Furniture corners have proven themselves to be a reliable, easy-to-install element. Today they can be made either of metal or of special, high-strength plastic. In industrial production, the color of the plastic corner is matched to the color of the furniture.
Modern furniture dowels made of wood, plastic or metal. Their main advantages are the low cost and ease of connecting furniture parts together. To increase the reliability of the connection, there is a corrugation on the surface of the dowels.
Special types of fastening accessories
Today, furniture, individual parts of which are made of glass sheets or in the form of mirrors, is becoming increasingly popular. If ten years ago glass was mainly used as doors furniture cabinet and showcases or doors of racks and shelves, then today the glass top of a coffee table or dining table you won't surprise anyone.
To connect glass parts and furniture elements made from other materials, they are used. special types fittings that are attached to glass surfaces with the help of special adhesive compositions, by wrinkling the clamps with rubber gaskets or by drilling holes in the glass. When choosing this category of fittings, you must pay attention to the weight that it can withstand, which is specifically stated in the instructions for its use.
This review will focus on new furniture fittings.
From this article you will learn:
Although the appearance of furniture is of great importance, its quality, durability, comfort and functionality are no less important. And various components and devices are responsible for these characteristics. In this article we will talk about what types of furniture fittings exist and what you should pay attention to when choosing them.
Door handles as the main type of furniture fittings
There are three main types of door handles:
- stationary;
- with a push mechanism;
- rotary.
Today, stationary handles are rarely used. They do not have a lock, they only allow the door to be pulled or pushed, and therefore are most often used for decorative purposes.
Handles with a push mechanism are characterized by the presence of a latch that is activated when the handle is pressed. This allows you to open or close the door.
Wheels are no less significant types of furniture fittings
Exists a large number of mobile furniture. It is equipped with special wheels that make it easy to move it around the apartment. These devices differ from each other in various parameters, including the method of fastening, the possibility of adjustment, etc.
The choice of wheels for furniture should be influenced by such characteristics as quality, attractiveness, execution in a style that suits not only certain furniture, but also the interior as a whole. When choosing movable furnishings, be sure to check the furniture wheels and casters.
This type of furniture fittings differs from each other in numerous parameters, including the rotating base. Therefore, first of all, it is worth deciding what type of structure mounting and method of rotating the wheels you need.
Based on the type of design, wheels can be divided into:
- rotating, which will give you the opportunity to easily and practically effortlessly move furniture around the apartment;
- non-rotating ones, which are securely attached to furniture, can withstand heavy loads, but do not have maneuverability, and therefore objects equipped with such wheels will not be very convenient to move from place to place.
Other types of furniture fittings that play an important role
Legs
Many pieces of furniture are equipped with furniture supports or legs. Special meaning they have for chairs, tables, camping furniture. Since the entire weight of the structure falls on this type of fittings, they must be quite reliable. In addition, furniture legs play a role in terms of design. It can be distinguished as adjustable and non-adjustable supports. The simplest type, the so-called thrust pad, protects the bottom of the furniture from abrasion and possible moisture ingress.
The furniture legs themselves are divided into three main types:
- Regular ones that are not height adjustable. In most cases, such supports have a laconic appearance and low cost.
- Legs that allow you to adjust the height of the furniture. They have not only aesthetic appeal, but also high functionality.
- Decorative legs are used to decorate furniture. They can be curly non-standard shape, with an attractive finish and various artificial decorations. For example, carved furniture supports can be considered as an independent element of room design.
Metal legs have an attractive appearance, and are also strong and durable. Metals such as aluminum or chrome are used to make them.
Chrome is not only heavier than aluminum, but also more durable. Such furniture fittings are in demand among owners modern interiors who value the durability and strength of furniture. Chrome legs will look harmonious in an interior designed in high-tech style with a lot of glass and metal.
Legs made from solid wood match wooden furniture. In the production of good furniture fittings, expensive types of wood are used. Such legs will serve for a long time without losing their quality and visual appeal. When making fittings from cheaper wood, metal supports are used for greater strength.
Legs made of plastic, although not very attractive in appearance, have a wide range of sizes and are quite functional.
Loops
Furniture hinges are a connecting type of furniture fittings that are used to open and close door leaves. In addition, they are used in transforming models.
Hinges are a semi-mechanical device that is important for the durability of furniture. High-strength metal is used for their production.
For different types of facades and different configurations of kitchen cabinets they produce different types hinges, the opening angle of which varies from 30° to 270°. Depending on the type of furniture fittings, the hinges can be additionally equipped with closers, which allow the doors to close smoothly and silently.
- Overlay loop.
This type of furniture fittings is used for conventional hinged facades. Such hinges allow the doors to open 110°.
- Semi-overlay loop.
Semi-overlay (medium) hinges are used for cabinets in which the doors are attached to one side and swing open in different directions. The door equipped with this type of furniture fittings can be opened 110°.
- Inner loop.
Such hinges are used for facades located between two sidewalls; they allow doors to be opened at an angle of 100°.
- Corner loop.
Used for corner drawers, allowing them to be opened at an angle of 90°.
- Adit (blind, straight) loop.
Attached to overhead strips located at the same level as the furniture front. Such hinges make it possible to open doors at an angle of 90°.
- Complex (medium, carousel) loop.
Used in the manufacture of corner boxes with a L-about box different shapes. With its help, two facades are fastened in the middle, which allows them to be opened simultaneously.
- Transformable loop.
This type of furniture fittings is used simultaneously with complex hinges. This device supports the weight of both facades and allows them to be opened at a large angle. The hinge is also suitable if a drawer is installed inside the cabinet.
Locks
The lock performs one of the main functions of the door - it provides the ability to close it and hold it in this position. There are three main types of locks:
- latch;
- lock with key;
- locks for the bathroom.
Latch not designed to lock the door, suitable for rooms where it is simply necessary to reduce the noise level from other rooms. Latches are mainly used on doors with push handles.
A lock on the door with a key makes it possible to close the room from strangers.
Most often used in bathrooms pinwheel locks, which can be easily closed from inside the room. When choosing such a device, pay attention to the presence of a special groove on the back side, which will allow you to open the door from the outside if necessary.
In addition, furniture locks vary depending on the characteristics of the mechanism and installation methods.
Furniture mortise locks They are reliable, do not spoil the appearance of the furniture, and allow quick access to the contents of the cabinet. Depending on the type of mechanism, such devices can be cross-shaped, cylinder, or lever.
At the core cruciform structures lies a cylindrical mechanism. These locks are equipped with several rows of combination pins. The keyhole is cross-shaped.
This type of furniture lock is not very reliable. Modern cylindrical mechanisms may have finger, telescopic or snake-shaped threads. The housing of such devices is resistant to almost any damage. Lever locks consist of several plates that move in a groove.
Overhead furniture lock very easy to install, even a beginner can handle it.
They can be installed on doors and drawers made of chipboard, glass, as well as on double doors. Depending on the mechanism they are divided into:
- retractable, used for tables, chests of drawers and drawers;
- locks with a twist mechanism are suitable for bedside tables with several drawers;
- rack and pinion mechanisms that fit onto gear bars;
- harpoon-shaped mechanisms are used in cabinets with sliding doors;
- keyless locks with built-in latch button.
Hooks
The choice of hooks for clothes should be approached carefully and responsibly. Since these devices must withstand a fairly large load, hard metals are used for their manufacture. The hooks are different functional features, size, style, shape and design.
There are several types of hooks that differ in strength, appearance and the materials used for their production.
The following types of furniture fittings are in greatest demand - single-arm, double-arm and three-arm hooks. Their names fully correspond to the structure and capabilities of the devices. Furniture hooks can be attached either independently anywhere in the apartment, be it a wall in the hallway, bathroom or dressing room, or as part of a furniture structure.
Depending on the structure of the hooks, a number of recommendations can be given regarding their use.
Single-horned hooks are used when you plan to hang something large in volume or weight on the device, as well as in cases where you know in advance that there will be no need to hang a large number of objects on it. Such hooks are highly durable, and due to the uniform distribution of the weight of hanging objects, they can withstand very significant loads.
One of the most common types of furniture fittings is two-horn hook, because it optimally combines qualities such as practicality and durability. You can hang one large and heavy object on it, or several small ones.
Three-horn the hook is used somewhat less frequently than the first two types. It consists of one large horn and two smaller ones. Since improper distribution of the weight of things can lead to damage to the device, it is best to use it for small, light items.
Furniture hooks are designed for convenient storage various things, mostly clothes. Such devices in the hallway, bedroom, dressing room, utility room, bathroom help to efficiently and quickly arrange outerwear, umbrellas, bags, cleaning equipment, bathrobes and towels.
When choosing furniture hooks for the hallway, give preference only to high-quality fittings, whose manufacturers have long established themselves in the market, since this type of furniture fittings is often located in visible places, and, moreover, is used daily.
By applying this approach to choosing fittings, you will be able to use the furniture efficiently and for a long time without subjecting it to premature wear, abrasion of the coating, deformation or breakage of fittings.
Retractable and lifting types of furniture fittings
- Ball (telescopic) guides.
The principle of their operation is to move the sled using miniature balls inside a metal case. This type of furniture fittings allows you to smoothly and completely pull out drawers, as well as install closers on the doors. Telescopic guides are used to equip innovative tandem boxes and some functional baskets.
- Roller guides.
This type of furniture fittings represents more economical option the previous guides, which allow the drawers to be pulled out approximately 2/3 (a third of the internal space will remain closed). Roller slides are used to make low-cost retractable screens used for optimal use interior space of the kitchen and metaboxes ( drawers with metal sides).
- Gas shock absorber.
One facade is equipped with two shock absorbers together with hinges. This type of furniture fittings works on the principle of a piston mechanism.
Gas shock absorbers may vary depending on the lift force, which is calculated based on overall dimensions facade and the material from which it is made.
- A lifting mechanism (elevator) with a closer for opening the facade vertically.
This type of furniture fittings allows you to smoothly open the cabinet door upwards, providing full access to its contents. The disadvantage of such a lifting mechanism is that the distance from the roof of the box must exceed the height of the door.
- Folding mechanism with a closer for simultaneous opening of two horizontal facades.
With this type of furniture fittings, cabinet doors fold horizontally like a screen. This option is ideal for short people.
- Lifting mechanism allowing you to “drive in” furniture facade onto the roof of the hanging box.
When using this type of furniture fittings, the doors lie on top of the cabinets. This mechanism is suitable for tall upper cabinets located close to the ceiling. This type of lifting mechanism is equipped with closers.
- Accessories for kitchen corner cabinets.
The most hard to reach place the kitchen is an interior space corner cabinets. And although such cabinets are quite spacious, they are usually not used to their fullest, since things placed in the depths of such a cabinet are problematic to get out.
In order to optimize the space of corner cabinets as much as possible, the following are used:
Pull-out baskets with complex mechanisms that, when the facade is opened, pull out the shelves attached to it;
Carousels with shelves rotating around its axis, which are used for storing large dishes and other large items;
Guides for corner drawers and much more.
Types of furniture fittings for decoration
In addition to the types of furniture fittings listed above, there are also front auxiliary parts that are used to decorate furniture and are quite often made using glass. Glass parts are also used for cabinet furniture (accessories for tables).
With the help of front finishing, furniture is given a vintage look with antique imitation. This type of furniture fittings is used for the production of exclusive items.
Besides, modern manufacturers offer another group of furniture fittings - overhead moldings, which have a certain volume and are used to decorate structural parts of furniture.
For their production, a variety of materials can be used, such as wood, plastic, metal, glass, braid, ceramics, etc.
Strip parts can be either straight or curved. You can also distinguish flat, ornamental and profile striped parts. They are mainly used for outlining doors, cabinet sides, seat bases, table tops, etc.
Plaque-type parts can be given a variety of shapes. Previously, discs, sockets, medallions, stylized images of people, plants and animals, etc. were in demand.
This type of furniture fittings, such as cords (in most cases, thread), is used for finishing the seats and backs of upholstered furniture, and less often - for its side parts.
Types of furniture fittings for assembly
Some time ago, wooden dowels were used to assemble furniture components, and the installation itself was done using screws or nails. Today, the number of fittings designed to connect individual parts of furniture has increased significantly.
Modern fastening and connecting fittings are divided into a number of categories, which include both highly specialized and universal products. Let's look at the most common groups of connecting and fastening devices for furniture, and figure out what the features of their installation and operation are.
Threaded furniture fasteners
It is a classic connection of two parts (screw and nut), sometimes supplemented with washers to reduce the specific load. Screws with semicircular or decorative heads and bolts with fixing mustaches or square heads are most often used to connect individual elements of frame furniture.
The fixing mustache or square head of the bolt (screw) allows it to be fixed in the hole of the particle board, which prevents its further turning. This design feature makes it possible to tighten the nut without using additional screw fixation.
Universal screws with a countersunk or semi-countersunk head are equipped with slots of various shapes (cross, internal hexagon, straight slot and others) and are used for fastening individual assembly parts inside furniture structures. They are used for:
Installation of facades, rear walls;
Fastenings for drawer guides;
Installation of mounting angles;
Fastenings for any furniture fittings, from roller supports to locks and drawer handles;
Production of combined parts, for example, countertops from two sheets of MDF board.
Universal screws are tightened using a screwdriver with interchangeable bits or sets of screwdrivers with interchangeable tips.
Confirmat
This is a screw fastener, the threads of which are similar to screws or self-tapping screws, which makes it possible to significantly speed up the assembly process. Confirmats (euroscrews) are the most popular type of fastening and fixing devices used by manufacturers modern furniture. They are used for fastening any parts made of particle boards or MDF panels.
Before screwing in Euroscrews, holes must first be drilled in the parts using a special confirmation drill. The diameter of the drill is selected depending on the diameter of the Euroscrew used. Screwing this type of furniture fittings is carried out using a screwdriver with special bits or a screwdriver with replaceable attachments. The choice of bit or attachment is influenced by the type of slot.
Eccentric couplers
This type of furniture fittings is used to ensure that individual fastening elements are not visible. Using eccentrics, you can connect and tighten panels that are located at right angles to each other.
Although this type of furniture fittings has undeniable advantages, it also has some disadvantages:
Additional milling of furniture panels is required to install individual fasteners;
Relatively high price;
High marking accuracy and difficulty in installing individual fasteners.
To install individual minifix parts, you may need three different types of woodworking tools - one end mill and two drills of different diameters.
Dowels and corners
Traditional, long used for joining individual furniture panels dowels And corners and are currently in demand.
For the manufacture of modern furniture dowels wood, plastic or metal is used. Their main advantages include low cost and ease of connecting furniture parts together. For higher connection reliability, the surface of the dowels is corrugated.
Furniture corners are reliable and easy-to-install elements. Today they are made of metal or special high-strength plastic. When producing cabinet furniture, the color of the plastic corners is matched to its color.
One of the most important points worth paying attention to is that no matter how complex the furniture fasteners may be, the choice of fittings and its manufacturer must be approached very carefully, since the choice of fasteners directly affects the further operation of the furniture.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the cost of fittings is 10-15% of the cost of all cabinet furniture. In kitchen sets this figure can reach up to 25%. The highest rate is for upholstered furniture with frame transformation mechanisms - 30-40%.
How to choose one or another type of furniture fittings
Each piece of furniture performs its own function, which means it must correspond to the loads it bears. Guarantee long term cabinet furniture service is high-quality fittings.
Of course, when choosing the type of furniture fittings, its compliance with the type and functional purpose furniture. But, besides this, there are a number of requirements and nuances that are worth paying attention to when choosing it:
- Fasteners must correspond to the material from which the furniture is made, be it solid natural wood, chipboard, fiberboard, plywood, glass, metal.
- Dimensions must be selected with maximum accuracy, otherwise distortions and rubbing of moving parts are possible, which will lead to rapid wear of the furniture.
- Furniture fittings must be made of reliable, non-fragile alloys.
- When buying wooden fittings (for example, handles), make sure that they are carefully processed and carefully painted.
- The guides must be perfectly level, otherwise the drawers will get stuck.
- Buy ergonomic handles that match the weight of the doors.
- Hooks must be massive enough to withstand the weight of the intended items (depending on whether it will be heavy outerwear, light accessories, etc.).
In addition, types of furniture fittings intended for use in the kitchen or bathroom must be coated with anti-corrosion coating. It will also be relevant for rooms with high humidity, temperature changes - production premises, common areas.
The aesthetic component also plays a role. Choose laconic, as inconspicuous fasteners as possible. And the front furniture fittings (handles, legs, consoles) must correspond to the general style of the interior.
Where to buy high-quality types of furniture fittings
You can purchase various types of furniture fittings from our company. Joint-Stock Company"Rainbow" has been operating since 1991 (formerly "Tsentrmebelkomplekt", "Decor-1"). The organization was established for the purpose of supplying raw materials to enterprises that are part of CJSC Centromebel.
Today, the company’s regular business partners are not only Russian manufacturers, but also leading companies from Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Poland, Sweden. Our office is located in the center of Moscow, as well as our own warehouse complex with exhibition hall with an area of 200 m².
Our warehouses located in the near Moscow region always have a large selection of raw materials, materials and components for the production of furniture and carpentry. The assortment includes more than 300 types of varnishes and 400 types of dyes, with an emphasis on the sale of varnishes and dyes with a dry residue.
Based on customer requests, our team produces polyurethane enamels in almost all colors in one or two days. We offer adhesives from five leading European manufacturers, natural veneer and lumber - more than 60 types of ordinary, exotic and exclusive species. Front and fastening fittings are constantly available - more than 4,000 items from manufacturers from Europe: Austria, Poland, Germany, etc.
Every month we process applications from more than 1,800 clients. These include both large furniture factories and private entrepreneurs.
Deliveries of goods are carried out throughout Russia. Our company delivers goods throughout Moscow for free. Products are sent by car in all regions of Russia.
Our company takes the training of its own specialists seriously. Managers systematically undergo internships in those involved in production finishing materials companies in Germany, Italy, Austria, Finland. Our company employees provide technical assistance to clients.
We invite you to cooperate on mutually beneficial terms! We value our clients and try to find an individual approach to each buyer.
Today, designers are given complete freedom of action. Furniture manufacturers have stepped far forward, so now we enjoy a variety of models and choose our favorite furniture components. But the design cannot be complete without furniture fittings, which influence specifications And functionality products.
Furniture fittings are all kinds of fasteners, handles, curtains, supports and decorative elements. They are made of metal, wood, plastic and other materials. Hardware are treated with special anti-corrosion agents to extend their service life. For luxury-class designs, the fittings may be gold-plated or silver-plated, as well as trimmed with rhinestones, crystal or natural stones. Conventionally, fittings can be classified by type.
Connecting fittings – connects and fixes parts together. This group includes one-piece, detachable and movable elements:
- Permanent connections include screws, ties, screws, nails, bolts, brackets, hooks, upholstery buttons of upholstered furniture. The tie can be eccentric or connecting. Galvanized steel is used for the eccentric tie and makes it durable. The corner tie does not require additional holes in the ends of the furniture. Threaded ties include a nut and a screw that create a strong connection. Also for fast connection use a wedge tie. It is based on plates, wedges and staples. The ties are connected with traditional screws;
- Detachable connections ─ these are door handles, latches, shelf holders, magnetic devices, locks, bolts. To fasten detachable structures, screws and self-tapping screws are used;
- Movable ─ these are hinges, “rails” for parallel movement of the door, microlifts. Pneumatic mechanisms and ball-bearing guides take on the entire load.
For furniture made from chipboards, do not recommend using piano hinges that were used several decades ago. Today, manufacturers use four-joint designs called "frog". They can withstand a 10,000th door opening/closing cycle.
Detachable
Movable
One-piece
Rotating elements ─ these include carousel mechanisms, structures for moving tabletops apart, for directing the movement of products. For example, the shelf rotates along its axis and makes it easy to get the desired item. Basically, furniture structures are built using guide systems, which are used to pull out elements. They can extend fully or partially. Thanks to special rollers, such systems operate smoothly and almost silently. They are made of steel, fluoroplastic or duralumin. If we consider the importance of fittings as a percentage of the cost of cabinet, soft and kitchen furniture, then we get the following results: in cabinet furniture, fittings account for 10-15% of the total cost of the product. For a kitchen, the importance of fittings is 25% of the cost of the set, and for upholstered furniture it is 30-40% of the cost of the product.
Rotary
Accessories for assembly ─ when purchasing furniture, you need to pay attention to the accessories and upholstery fabric, determine their quality and strength. And also on the assembly details of the product, which include furniture corners, confirmants, rafixes, minifixes and dowels:
- Furniture corners are simple, cheap and affordable types of connections. On the construction market they are presented in different sizes, made of plastic and metal. Corners are designed for fastening hinged parts in pencil cases and cabinets. They are easy to install and have low price, but noticeable, which slightly spoils the design of the structure;
- Confirmat is a furniture European screw, which received its name from the German manufacturer. Screw furniture screed, consisting of a steel rod with a blunt ring, a head and a massive thread, is capable of connecting several wooden elements. The confirmation is visible in the design, so it is masked with a plug. The most common are screws with dimensions of 7x50 mm or 6.3x50 mm;
- A dowel is a connecting element that is used for assembling wooden, plywood, and chipboard furniture parts. It is made of hardwood and has a cylindrical shape with chamfers. Today plastic dowels are also produced. They strengthen furniture connections with confirmat, minifix and rafix. Used with PVA glue as an independent fastening element;
- Minifix ─ is an eccentric coupler for furniture joints, consisting of two parts ─ a rod and an eccentric. Minifix has different design, which makes it possible to increase the length of the element and connect it under different angles. For installation, use a Ø15 mm cutter and drills, with which three holes are drilled. The fastening turns out to be complex and requires precise calculation;
- Rafix ─ is used in visible places to connect furniture parts of tabletops, side parts of furniture structures. It is installed on two holes, has an eccentric mechanism and a rod. Rafix has a beautiful aesthetic appearance, but it is not particularly durable.
Minifix
Minifix
Facades
In a furniture design, all visible parts that face the front or side plane are called facades. Their configuration and color determine the style of the furniture and set the tone for the entire room.
Main types of facades:
- Doors;
- Front walls of drawers;
- Horizontal and vertical decorative overlays;
- Furniture cornices.
The facade can be easily unfastened from the attachment fastening, replaced with a new one and adjusted in vertical, horizontal and inclined positions. Various circumstances lead to the replacement of facade elements ─ careless use, mechanical damage, outdated design, change in color of the structure due to exposure ultraviolet radiation. To make furniture with your own hands, they use solid ─ “blind” and prefabricated frame-paneled facade elements.
Most often used for the production of facades:
- Chipboard;
- MDF board;
- Natural wood (solid);
- Furniture board;
- Metal (stainless steel, aluminum);
- Glass.
Budget furniture is made from laminated chipboard. From MDF boards The result is beautiful structures finished with film, paneling or veneer.
Premium products include elements made from natural wood. Today the market offers modern facades made of aluminum profiles. It looks organically with glass, plastic, rattan and other materials. Genuine leather is used to fill the profiles, textile fibers, polymer 3D photo printing.
Furniture board
Natural wood
Facade dimensions
The construction industry has introduced a wide range of façades with different dimensions to the market. The size of the frame facade depends on the profile, and the dimensions of products made from MDF boards depend on the capabilities of industrial equipment. For example, the minimum height of solid facades has a size of ─ 137-140 mm, a minimum width of ─ 296 mm, and a maximum height of ─ 988-1250 mm and a maximum width of ─ 596-1200 mm. And in frame-panelled facades the size minimum height equal to 562-573 mm, minimum width ─ 296 mm, and maximum width ─ 596-896 mm and maximum height ─ 980-1010 mm. When choosing a facade product, you need to pay attention to the beautiful design, the ability to fit into the interior of the room and the performance characteristics of the materials.
Mechanisms
Designers and design engineers of furniture production are working on new and improving existing mechanisms for the kitchen, cabinet sets and upholstered products. Thanks to lifting systems, opening of façade elements occurs quietly and easily. They can be fixed at any height and in any position. Let's look at the main types of lifts.
- Folding ─ they are used for multi-tiered wall cabinets and double-leaf facades;
- Folding ─ mechanisms are installed on large blind facades upper tier, if the structure contains an overhang artificial lighting and visors;
- Vertical ─ raise façade elements upward on any tiers of the suspended structure;
- Rotating mechanisms ─ are able to rotate and stop a solid facade when opening in any position;
- Mechanical ─ they help open the doors in the upper and lower positions;
- Gas elevators or gas lifts ensure smooth opening and closing of façade parts. Automatic gas lifts are not able to fix the opening of doors in a certain position. Gas lifts, the design of which includes step-by-step or frictional openings, have the ability to fix the door at any height. This mechanism is convenient for residents with short stature and high cabinets.
Folding
Rotary
Mechanical
Folding
Vertical
Types of retractable mechanisms:
- Roller guides are among the simplest and most cost-effective mechanisms. Steel runners slide in them using plastic or rubber-coated rollers. Their design reduces noise when furniture drawers are pulled out;
- Metaboxes are a roller system with two symmetrical metal sides that move along roller guides. They extend the product partially (3/4) or completely by 270-550 mm and withstand a maximum dynamic load of up to 25 kg;
- Ball ─ telescopic guides, which are used by professional furniture makers in their work. The system allows the drawer to open completely and smoothly, it is durable, silent and wear-resistant;
- Tandemboxes are a retractable system that allows the drawer to open with a light hand press on the front.
The choice of a cabinet, chest of drawers, hallway, kitchen depends on the retractable system, since the drawers present in the design are in constant use. Buying upholstered furniture, Special attention You need to pay attention to the sofa and its transformation mechanism.
Types of sofa transformation mechanisms:
- Folding;
- Retractable;
- Unfolding.
Main types of construction:
- Eurobook is a durable mechanism with a long service life. Wide seats are not comfortable for short people;
- The book is a simple and durable design that easily transforms a sofa into a sleeping place. It cannot be placed close to the wall, as it requires significant space to unfold;
- French folding bed ─ the system belongs to the guest type. To unfold it, you need to pull the bottom of the sofa and 3 soft elements will extend into the sleeping area. The mechanism is not adapted to frequent transformation. It suits small spaces;
- Roll-out sofa ─ the mechanism consists of two segments, which are located in the structure of the sofa. When the front one is extended Bottom part, then the vacated space is occupied by a back cushion. The design is compact in size and allows you to get a comfortable place to sleep. But you need to make sure that the rollers do not scratch the floor;
- Accordion is a transformation mechanism that makes the place to sleep high and comfortable. When folded, it is compact, but it requires free space to unfold it. The system is supplemented with linen drawers;
- Dolphin ─ mechanism for corner sofa. By pulling a special strap, the hidden part of the structure is pulled out, which will complement the sofa seat to form a berth. It is comfortable and spacious;
- Click-clack is an analogue of the “book” mechanism. The difference is that the backrest can be in an intermediate version, which allows a person to be in a semi-lying state. The transformation mechanism requires free space near the wall.
Roll-out
Click-clack
Eurobook
French folding bed
Accordion
For internal filling
In the production of cabinet furniture, kitchen sets, wardrobes and other types of structures, first of all, attention is paid to their functionality. Today, the internal fillers of furniture structures are comfortable and ergonomic. Types of internal filling for kitchen sets:
- Drainer;
- Tray for storing cutlery;
- Mesh basket;
- Rotating carousel;
- Lifting mechanism;
- Bottlemaker;
- Column;
- Bin.
The internal filling of the wardrobe is divided into three parts:
- Main ─ hangers and shelves;
- Upper ─ mezzanine for long-term storage things and hats;
- Bottom ─ pull-out compartments for storing documents, jewelry, as well as compartments for seasonal shoes.
In wardrobes, the maximum load on the shelves is 70 kg and allows you to store household appliances. T-shirts, jeans, shirts are stored on pull-out shelves. For things that need to be stored on a hanger, a pantograph is installed.
It is attached to the back or sides of the shelf. The pantograph can be extended manually or using the control panel. Without furniture components assembly of structures is impossible. The proper, uninterrupted operation and aesthetic characteristics of the product depend on them.