Two become one: functional furniture “Frida” unites a sofa and a writing desk

Kevin Huang | June 18, 2020

Lubrication-free and maintenance-free tribo polymer bearings from igus ensure high flexibility and long life in a new piece of furniture

Working and living in confined spaces is often not so easy. Therefore, the interior design student Valeria Vysozki developed a very practical solution with her piece of furniture “Frida”. Relax on the softly upholstered sofa; at the same time, convert its functionality into a workstation by simply pulling out an integrated table. Lubrication-free and maintenance-free high-performance plastics from igus ensure smooth movement.

One’s own first flat: an important step for many apprentices and students. But high rents, especially in large cities, mean that often only a few square metres are available for living and working. This calls for new living concepts and optimum space utilisation. The interior design student Valeria Vysozki therefore designed the piece of furniture Frida as part of a seminar at the University of Trier. It is a combination of sofa and workplace. Frida has a soft padded design with two backrests and an armrest. A plate integrated in the armrest can be converted into a writing desk, if necessary. For bearing and adjustment of the table, the student relied on lubrication-free and maintenance-free bearing technology from igus.

drylin linear guide allows table to slide smoothly

In search of a stable and quiet rail system, Valeria Vysozki turned to the motion plastics experts at igus to find a suitable product. It was important that the rail can hold the weight of a maple board, but at the same time be as quiet and smooth as possible. So, a drylin linear guide was installed laterally in the armrest of Frida and an iglidur plain bearing was attached under the board. The drylin guide carriage slides on the rail thanks to the high-performance plastic iglidur J200. Designed specifically for aluminium shafts and low to medium loads, it is impervious to dirt and dust like all igus tribo polymers. The result is reliable and long service life in the moving application.

A student of interior design, Valeria Vysozki presents a very practical solution for small living spaces with her flexible furniture “Frida”. (Source: igus GmbH)

Extend and turn with iglidur G

The table of Frida can not only be pulled out, but also turned. The exposed interior of the armrest serves as storage space. In addition, electronic devices can be charged thanks to the built-in connector strip. For the bearing of the lateral pivoting movement, the student relied on the thrust washer made of iglidur G. The igus material combines a cost-effective price with many attractive technical specifications: a long service life across the entire load spectrum on a wide variety of rotating or pivoting shafts, even in very different ambient conditions, such as those exposed to dirt, dust or impacts. The combination of igus linear system and iglidur materials ensures that Frida is not only comfortable, but also a practical and durable piece of furniture.

Innovative projects such as the creation of Frida are supported by igus as part of the “young engineers support” (yes) programme. With the initiative, igus aspires to support students in the development and execution of their technical projects. Further information on yes can be found at www.igus.eu/yes.