Device for guiding the movement of a domestic-appliance door, a domestic-appliance door, a domestic appliance having a domestic-appliance door, and a method for actuating a domestic-appliance door
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household appliance door damping systems are often complex, visually obtrusive, and require significant space, making them difficult to service and retrofit, while also failing to provide effective and noise-free closure.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a hinge with a rotatably mounted articulated arm and a spring-assisted plunger connected to a damper, where the damper is permanently coupled to the ram and includes an actuator and damping cylinder, allowing for flexible and space-saving damping of the door movement, with the damper contacting a stop only during specific phases of the movement path to absorb damping forces effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a damper is integrated into the hinge housing, then damping function is provided, but the structure becomes complex and space-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The damping cylinder is integrated into the hollow profile of the hinge housing, with the damping piston extending into the interior of the hinge housing. This nesting arrangement allows the damper components to be contained within the existing hinge structure, providing damping functionality without adding external complexity or space requirements.
2Reliability
If a damper is integrated into the hinge housing, then damping function is provided, but servicing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The damping system is segmented into a removable damping unit that can be detached from the hinge housing. The damping cylinder and piston are configured as a separate module that can be accessed and serviced independently, allowing for easy replacement and maintenance without disassembling the entire hinge assembly.
3Reliability
If damping is provided over the entire movement path, then continuous damping is achieved, but the damper contacts the stop throughout movement causing wear and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is designed to provide damping force only during the closing movement of the door, not during the entire movement path. The damping piston engages with the stop only when the door is closing, providing partial damping action exactly when needed for smooth closure, while avoiding continuous contact that would cause wear and noise during opening and intermediate positions.
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
This configuration enables precise movement control, reduces noise, and allows for easy retrofitting of conventional hinges, providing effective damping without assembly tolerances and ensuring the damper's longevity by minimizing exposure to excessive temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-assisted plunger (35) which can be moved relative thereto to support the movement of the articulated arm (20)
Implementation Method 2
a damper (50, 52) for damping movement, in particular of the plunger (35) and other components of the device and the household appliance door (70) coupled thereto
Implementation Method 3
A damper with a damping cylinder is suitable for absorbing significant damping forces over a damping path of 5 mm
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for guiding the movement of a domestic-appliance door, having a hinge (10) which has a rotatably mounted articulation arm (20) and a spring-assisted push rod (35), movable relative to the articulation arm (20) and intended for assisting movement thereof, and which comprises a damper, wherein the push rod (35) is connected permanently to the damper (50, 52) along the movement path of the push rod, and a unit formed from the push rod and the damper can be moved relative to a stop of the device, and the unit is arranged such that, upon reaching a first movement position of the unit along the moving path thereof, the damper is moved, from a contact-free position in relation to the stop, into contact with the stop (60) and, in the in-contact position, any further movement of the push rod along the movement path is damped. The invention also relates to a method for guiding the movement of a domestic-appliance door.