Smooth-running and compact linear bearings for drawers in extendable residential island

Daniel Pracht is the third generation of his father and grandfather to run the company in Oberzent, Hesse. Today, the family business has 22 employees and the number is growing all the time.
The idea for a new piece of furniture that combines a dining table with a mobile cooking island was born within his own four walls. Although there was a kitchen in the young inventor's rather small flat, there were no hobs to be able to prepare freshly cooked meals. The aim was to create a visually elegant solution for compact flats. And it's not just in the countryside, as in Oberzent, but above all in cities where living, working and eating are taking up less and less square metres. As a result, living space and kitchen are increasingly merging. As a result, functional furniture with plenty of storage space is in demand.
And so Daniel Pracht developed his masterpiece in the family business, the SQR (from the English word "square"). The SQR is a 132 cm x 132 cm square, height-adjustable and extendable living island. When folded up, it can be used as a table or bar; when extended, it can be used as a kitchen with induction hob. Appliance connections and drawer storage compartments, which slide silently into the cube, are concealed under the worktop. The space-saving technology thus creates new capacities in living space design.
But before the concept could be put into practice, the details had to be clarified. In order to create as much storage space as possible in the SQR, Daniel Pracht looked for suitable guidance for his drawers. As normal roller guides took up too much space and did not fulfil the requirements for a simple and elegant design, the then aspiring master carpenter went in search of an alternative solution.
Another challenge was the cable routing. This is because the cables for supplying power to the SQR are in motion due to the regular raising and lowering (the integrated height adjustment allows the height to be adjusted between 76-116 cm) and extending of the hobs. To protect the cables from a corkscrew effect, they must be moved safely.

Pracht found our drylin® linear guide via the Internet, where both the smooth running and the design were convincing according to the inventor. Not only the functionality - the wear-resistant and durable opening and closing of the drawers - but also the finish of the rail were decisive criteria when choosing the drylin® WSQ linear system.
The five drawers each contain two of the guides. Smooth running is ensured by linear bearing foils made of the high-performance plastic iglidur® J200. With its anthracite colour, this not only matches the aluminium rail particularly well visually, but is also lubricant and maintenance-free thanks to the use of solid lubricants. Dirt and dust cannot adhere to the bearing and it is highly wear-resistant. The guidance and bearing can also be easily cleaned with household chemicals. An all-round hygienic solution for the cooking island in contact with food. The bearings move the drawers very smoothly and, above all, very quietly. No jerking, no vibrating, no noise - the adjustment feels high-quality and is convincing. The flexible adjustment of the SQR to the best ergonomic working and sitting height also works without any problems.
To protect the cable from a corkscrew effect, the inventor used our energy supply. The E2.10 and E2.15 series energy chains used are very compact and are suitable for even the smallest bend radius: ideal for the small installation space in the SQR. The energy chains are easy to install and fill. An integrated brake in the chain links ensures quiet running. The SQR requires a total of four energy chains - two for height adjustment and two for lateral extension of the hotplates.
The concept not only impressed the inventor himself, but also won him a design award at his school. This was later followed by the Red Dot Design Award and the German Design Award. As a result of the growing interest in his furniture, he applied for utility model protection, secured the brand name "SQR" and founded BODI e.K. as a registered trader, a new sales channel for his special piece of furniture.