Hinge for a cooking oven
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hinges for cookers and ovens lack efficient operation mechanisms, particularly in terms of ease of use and safety, with inadequate sealing and potential for energy loss during door closure, and do not provide reliable manual operation in case of power failure.
Innovation Solution
A hinge with an integrated electromechanical linear drive that allows manual operation, featuring a non-self-locking design, a spring for weight balancing, a pawl and latching mechanism for enhanced sealing, and a damper for controlled movement, along with anti-trap strips for safety, ensuring reliable operation and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an electromechanical drive is integrated into the hinge, then the ease of operation and comfort are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electromechanical drive is integrated directly into the hinge housing, merging the drive function with the hinge structure. This combination improves ease of operation by providing powered assistance for door opening and closing, while the integrated design minimizes the increase in overall device complexity by avoiding separate mounting structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge assembly serves multiple functions: it provides the mechanical hinge function for door pivoting, the electromechanical drive function for powered operation, the spring function for weight balancing, and the pawl-latch function for secure closing. This multi-functionality justifies the increased complexity by delivering comprehensive operational benefits.
2Ease of operation
If the electromechanical drive is designed as non-self-locking, then manual operation is enabled, but the reliability of maintaining position may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pawl and latch mechanism acts as an intermediary that compensates for the non-self-locking nature of the electromechanical drive. When the door reaches the closed position, the pawl engages with the latch to maintain the position, while the spring provides continuous balancing force. This intermediary mechanism ensures both manual operability and reliable position holding.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mounted in parallel with the drive rod provides a counterbalancing force that offsets the weight of the door throughout its range of motion. This anti-weight mechanism works together with the non-self-locking electromechanical drive to enable smooth manual operation while maintaining the door in any desired position during the closing process.
3Reliability
If a pawl and latching mechanism are added, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pawl and latching mechanism is designed to automatically engage when the door reaches the closed position, performing the sealing action preliminarily before any manual intervention is needed. This preliminary action ensures reliable sealing without requiring additional control systems or complex actuation mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the spring is connected in parallel with the drive rod, then the weight balancing is improved, but the force requirements for the drive are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spring connected in parallel with the drive rod provides a continuous counterbalancing force that offsets the weight of the door throughout its range of motion. This anti-weight mechanism significantly reduces the force requirements for the electromechanical drive, as the drive only needs to overcome friction and provide acceleration rather than supporting the full door weight. This force reduction is a beneficial effect that simplifies drive design.
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 simplifies operation, improves comfort, ensures a secure seal during door closure, allows manual operation in case of power failure, and enhances safety by preventing accidental trapping, while reducing the maximum forces required for hinge drive operation.
Implementation Method 1
A spring is mounted on the housing of the hinge, which is in operative connection with the swivel arm and carries and balances the weight of a flap connected to the swivel arm over the entire opening area
Implementation Method 2
The hinge includes a damper for dampening movement of the swing arm
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A hinge, in particular for a cooker, comprises a housing on which a swivel arm (4) is pivotably (5) mounted. In order to improve such a hinge, a drive (8) for actuating the swivel arm (4) is provided on the housing (FIG. 2).