A cushioned and durable coupling hinge for a toilet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cushioning hinges for toilet seats and covers face issues with durability and effectiveness due to continuous compression of rubber elements, leading to premature wear and risk of breakage when fully open, as well as cumbersome designs.
Innovation Solution
A cushioned coupling hinge with a cylindrical chamber housing an elastic element made of resilient material, such as polyurethane rubber, which is fixed between a fin and a smooth inner circular wall, allowing for constant cushioning without over-compression and enabling full rotation without breaking, with essential components housed compactly within the hinge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an elastic element made of rubber is constantly pressed between a tooth and fin inside a special chamber to obtain the cushioning effect, then the cushioning action is effective, but the rubber capacity to expand is compromised over time and the system becomes vulnerable to breakage when fully open
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the compression state of the elastic element variable rather than constant. The elastic element is only compressed when the seat moves from the open to closed position, providing cushioning effect during the critical lowering phase. When the seat is fully open or fully closed, the elastic element returns to its natural state, avoiding continuous compression that would compromise the rubber's capacity to expand over time. This dynamic operation mode resolves the contradiction between maintaining effective cushioning and extending the service life of the rubber element.
2Ease of operation
If the tooth abuts against the fin when the cover is completely open to prevent further rotation, then the opening position is limited, but the tooth or fin may break under further thrust
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the braking function from the traditional tooth-fin abutment mechanism. Instead of relying on direct contact between the tooth and fin to limit opening position, the invention uses a separate braking element that can be engaged or disengaged as needed. This braking element applies frictional resistance to control the opening position without creating the concentrated stress points that lead to tooth or fin breakage. The extraction of this function resolves the contradiction between maintaining opening position control and preventing component failure.
3Reliability
If viscous liquids are arranged inside special chambers to obtain the cushioning effect, then the cushioning effect is achieved, but the solution becomes complex and costly to manufacture with considerable size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex viscous liquid damping system with a simpler elastic element-based mechanism. The elastic element, made of readily available rubber or polymer material, provides the necessary cushioning effect through its inherent elastic properties rather than requiring sophisticated fluid dynamics chambers. This substitution dramatically simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces material costs, and minimizes the overall size of the hinge assembly while maintaining reliable cushioning functionality throughout the seat's movement cycle.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a durable and effective cushioning action that maintains a constant braking effect throughout the closing motion, allowing for over 60,000 cycles without failure and enabling complete opening without risk of breakage, while being compact and easy to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic element made of resilient material, such as polyurethane rubber, which is fixed between a fin and a smooth inner circular wall, allowing for constant cushioning without over-compression
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
A cushioned coupling hinge (1) for a seat/cover of a toilet comprises a first element (20), provided with a chamber (23) adapted to house a second element (30), provided with a fin (34) protruding outwards, and an elastic element (50), adapted to slow down the rotation of the first element (20). In particular, the chamber (23) has an inner circular wall (231) devoid of protruding elements. Furthermore, by rotating the seat/cover in a closing direction (C), the elastic element (50) is frictionally pulled by the first element (20) against the inner circular wall (231) to press against the fin (34) so as to expand against the inner circular wall (231) of the chamber (23) thus slowing down the rotation of the first element (20) without being over-compressed, a portion of the inner circumference (L) still remaining free. (Fig. 4]