Appliance Door Hinge With Adjustable Friction Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinges for electrical household appliance doors are costly due to complex linkages, prone to contamination, and lack adjustability for varying door weights, leading to inconsistent door balancing and friction performance.
Innovation Solution
A hinge design featuring a helical spring, drive rod, tapered friction element, and adjustable friction mechanism, with a roller to maintain constant friction and allow for easy adjustment of frictional force via a screw, enabling effective balancing and friction control for doors of different weights without modifying components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If friction elements are mounted on complex linkages, then door balancing and friction control are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the friction control function from complex linkages and concentrates it in a single adjustable friction element that slides on a simple guide rail. This separates the friction control function from the door linkage mechanism, achieving reliable door balancing without complex linkages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an adjustable friction element with a screw mechanism that allows dynamic adjustment of friction force. This enables the hinge to adapt to different door weights and conditions, providing reliable balancing while maintaining simple fixed linkages.
2Reliability
If shoes are positioned to provide friction, then door balancing is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guide rail as an intermediary between the friction element and the external environment. The friction element slides within the enclosed or protected guide rail structure, preventing oily grime and lubricant residues from contaminating the friction surfaces while maintaining effective friction-based door balancing.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed friction elements are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different door weights decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the friction element adjustable through a screw mechanism, allowing the friction force to be dynamically tuned. This enables a single hinge design to accommodate doors of varying weights (including different panel configurations) while maintaining simple manufacturing processes and low production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables adjustment of the friction parameter through a simple screw mechanism. By changing the friction parameter, the same hinge can be adapted to different door weights without requiring different hinge models, reducing production and storage costs while improving versatility.
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 hinge provides reliable door balancing and friction control, reducing production and storage costs by allowing adjustment for varying door weights, maintaining consistent performance and preventing contamination, while being easy to install and maintain.
Implementation Method 1
One or more elastic elements are interposed between the two hinge parts. Basically, the purpose of the elastic elements is to at least partly balance the door, especially to prevent the door from falling when opened.
Implementation Method 2
the prior art teaches the use, in addition to the elastic elements, of friction elements capable of providing a certain resistance to the door movement itself
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge for wings or doors, in particular for electrical household appliances, comprises a first element (2) and a second element (3) pivoted to each other and movable relative to each other in tilting fashion, a connecting lever (5) between the elements (2, 3), the lever (5) pivoting on the first element (2), the second element (3) being box-shaped and comprising inside it a spring (7) connected to the lever (5) by a drive rod (8) which can slide at least partly inside the second box-shaped element (3) itself.