Adjustable Retainer for Metal Door Hinge Coplanarity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional retainers for concealable/retractable hinges on metal doors/windows fail to ensure perfect coplanarity with varying metal profile thicknesses, leading to increased production costs, storage requirements, and visible blemishes, as well as complex installation processes that often result in incorrect alignment.

Innovation Solution

A retainer system with adjustable bushes and anchoring elements that allow for adjustable embedding depth of hinge bodies within metal profiles, ensuring coplanarity with the profile surface through screwable adjustment mechanisms, eliminating the need for multiple retainer depths and simplifying the installation process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional retainers with fixed embedding depths are used, then the installation process is simplified, but perfect coplanarity cannot be ensured with varying metal profile thicknesses

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoplanarity of hinge bodiesVSAvoidretainer system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The retainer system incorporates adjustable bushes that can be positioned at different depths along the anchoring elements, transforming a static fixed-depth structure into a dynamic adjustable one. This allows the embedding depth to be varied to match different metal profile thicknesses while maintaining perfect coplanarity of hinge bodies with the profile surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables change of the embedding depth parameter by adjusting the position of bushes along threaded anchoring elements. This parameter adjustment allows adaptation to varying metal profile thicknesses without compromising the coplanarity requirement, resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple retainer depths are provided to accommodate varying profile thicknesses, then coplanarity is ensured, but production costs and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoplanarity of hinge bodiesVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The retainer system achieves multi-functionality by incorporating adjustable bushes that can be positioned at multiple depths along single anchoring elements. This single universal retainer structure replaces the need for multiple specialized retainers with different fixed depths, reducing production costs and storage requirements while maintaining coplanarity across varying profile thicknesses.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The dynamic adjustability of bush positions allows one retainer design to serve multiple thickness specifications, eliminating the need to manufacture and store multiple static retainer variants. This reduces production complexity and inventory costs while ensuring precise coplanarity for each application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If multiple retainer depths are provided to accommodate varying profile thicknesses, then coplanarity is ensured, but the number of different parts to be stored increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoplanarity of hinge bodiesVSAvoidnumber of different parts
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The retainer system with adjustable bushes serves as a universal solution for multiple profile thicknesses. Instead of storing multiple different retainer parts each designed for specific thicknesses, a single universal retainer design with adjustable bushes covers all thickness variations, reducing the quantity of different parts to be stored.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The anchoring elements are segmented into adjustable components (bushes) that can be independently positioned at different depths. This segmentation allows one retainer assembly to function as multiple fixed-depth retainers would, reducing inventory diversity while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Device complexity

If conventional fixed-depth retainers are used, then the retainer structure is simple, but visible blemishes occur due to incorrect alignment

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveretainer structureVSAvoidvisible blemishes
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The adjustable bush mechanism transforms the simple but fixed retainer structure into a dynamically adjustable one. This increased complexity enables precise alignment with the metal profile surface, eliminating visible blemishes caused by incorrect alignment while maintaining overall structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

By enabling adjustment of the embedding depth parameter, the retainer system adapts to different profile thicknesses to ensure the hinge body surface is perfectly coplanar with the metal profile. This prevents visible blemishes while keeping the structural design relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3406833B1Retainer for fixing a hinge on metal door/window profiles, hinge assembly for metal door/window profiles and method for fixing a hinge on metal door/window profiles.
Publication Date: 2020.01.22 OTLAV
  • EP3406833B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3406833B1 patent drawingFigure 3~8
  • EP3406833B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5C

AI summary

Retainer for fixing a hinge on metal door/window profiles, wherein the hinge (10) is provided with two hinge bodies (11, 12) joined together by at least one articulation arm (13) and insertable in openings (101) made in the profiles (100). The retainer (1) comprises a shaped plate (2) provided with at least one bottom wall (3) intended to be fixed inside a metal profile (100) of a door/window facing the opening (101) to support a hinge body (11, 12) embedded in the opening (101). The retainer (1) also comprises at least two anchoring bodies (8), fixed to the bottom wall (3) of the shaped plate (2) and each provided with a first thread (83). Two adjustment bushes (84) are also provided, protruding within the containment tank of the shaped plate (2) and each provided with an abutment end (80) intended to receive the hinge body (11, 12) in abutment and mechanically associated with one of the anchoring bodies (8) by means of a second thread (86) adjustably engaged to the first thread (83) of the anchoring body (8). In this manner, it is possible to vary the height of the abutment end (80) with respect to the bottom wall (3) of the shaped plate (2).