Over-the-Door Armoire Hanger Layout for Opening Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door-mounted storage solutions lack stability and security, particularly when the front frame is opened, as they tend to swing or rotate due to the uniform spacing of over-the-door hangers, which does not account for the varying thickness of doors and the need for secure mounting without wall anchors.
Innovation Solution
A storage armoire design featuring a back frame assembly with a pair of over-the-door hangers having hook portions spaced wider than their mounting portions, coupled with a latch system for secure attachment to the door, ensuring stability and preventing the armoire from swinging or rotating when opened.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If uniform spacing of over-the-door hangers is used, then the mounting is simple and symmetric, but the armoire swings or rotates when the front frame is opened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by spacing the hook portions of the over-the-door hangers wider apart than the mounting portions on the back frame assembly. This asymmetric spacing configuration prevents the armoire from swinging or rotating when the front frame is opened, while maintaining simple mounting procedures.
2Ease of manufacture
If over-the-door hangers are used without wall anchors, then no wall anchors are needed, but the mounting stability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-plane mounting approach to a multi-dimensional solution by combining asymmetrically spaced over-the-door hangers with a latch system. The hangers provide overhead support while the latch prevents door pull-out, creating stability in multiple dimensions without requiring wall anchors.
3Ease of operation
If the front frame assembly is rotatably coupled to allow opening, then access to storage space is enabled, but the armoire becomes unstable and swings
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric spacing of the over-the-door hangers (wider at the top than at the mounting points) creates a stable triangular support structure that prevents swinging and rotation even when the front frame assembly is rotatably coupled to allow opening access to the storage space.
4Ease of manufacture
If standard over-the-door hanger spacing is used, then the hangers are easy to install, but they cannot accommodate varying door thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates adjustable elements in the over-the-door hanger design, allowing the mounting portions to be positioned at different distances from the hook portions. This dynamic adjustability enables accommodation of varying door thicknesses while maintaining easy installation procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage armoire includes a back frame assembly configured to provide a storage space, a front frame assembly rotatably coupled to the back frame assembly so that the front frame assembly is pivotal about a portion of the back frame assembly and first and second over-the-door hangers. The first and second over-the-door hangers have hook portions that fit over a top of a door, mounting portions mounted to a back of the back frame assembly and arms extending between the mounting portions and the hook portions. The hook portions are spaced apart from each other on the door at a distance that is greater than a distance that the mounting portions that are mounted to the back of the back frame assembly are spaced apart from each other.