Bearing arrangement for a door
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rigid connection between the door closer and the swing door in existing bearing arrangements leads to wear on hinges and increased friction, requiring precise installation to avoid axis misalignment, which can result in insufficient door opening force.
Innovation Solution
A bearing arrangement with a compensating device that accommodates length and angular offsets between the door and the locking device's axis of rotation, using a driver that can tilt to maintain torque transmission and a damper for controlled door movement, allowing flexible positioning of the locking device without exact axis alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid connection is used between the door closer and the swing door, then the door can be driven effectively, but wear on hinges and drive shaft increases due to axis misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
A compensating device with a tiltable driver arm is introduced as an intermediary between the drive shaft and the door. This driver arm can tilt angularly to accommodate axis misalignment, preventing direct transmission of misalignment forces to the hinges and drive shaft, thereby reducing wear while maintaining effective door driving.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between the door closer and the door is made dynamic through the tiltable driver arm that can adjust its angle within a range of 75° to 105°. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to axis misalignment during operation, reducing harmful forces on fixed components like hinges and drive shaft.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If precise installation is performed to align axes, then wear is reduced, but installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compensating device with tiltable driver arm serves as a mediator that eliminates the need for precise axis alignment during installation. By absorbing misalignment through angular tilting, the system allows for faster, less precise installation while still protecting components from wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the angular parameter of the driver arm to accommodate axis misalignment. This parameter change capability allows installation without precise alignment, reducing installation time and complexity while maintaining component protection.
3Force
If higher forces are applied to overcome friction, then door can be opened completely, but the door closer may become insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic tilting capability of the driver arm reduces friction by accommodating axis misalignment. This reduces the force required to open the door, ensuring the door closer remains sufficient throughout its service life without needing to overcome excessive friction forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potential harm of axis misalignment into a beneficial angular adjustment range for the driver arm. By allowing controlled tilting within 75° to 105°, the misalignment that would normally cause high friction is instead utilized to reduce friction and maintain adequate door opening force.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a compensating device with angular adjustment is added, then axis misalignment is compensated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compensating function is segmented into a separate, modular driver arm component that can be independently adjusted. This segmentation allows the compensation mechanism to be added without redesigning the entire bearing arrangement, minimizing overall system complexity while achieving misalignment compensation.
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 solution compensates for tolerances and misalignments due to wear or door lowering, enabling reliable and controlled door operation with adjustable damping forces, facilitating use on various door mountings without precise axis matching.
Implementation Method 1
with a spring, in particular a compression spring, serving as the drive part
Implementation Method 2
A damper for damping a pivoting movement of the door when opening and closing the door
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a bearing assembly for a door (2) of an item of furniture or household appliance (1), in particular for refrigerators or freezers, comprising: a bearing element (6), that can rotate about a bearing axis (4), for rotatably mounting the door (2) on a body (3) of the item of furniture or household appliance; a closing system (20), attached to the body (3) of the item of furniture or household appliance or to the door (2), by means of which the door (2) can be moved through a certain pivot range in the closing direction using a drive part, said closing system (20) having the drive part (11) and a first rotary element (7) which has an axis of rotation (71) that is substantially parallel to the bearing axis (4) of the door (2) and which supports a rotary movement of the door (2) about the bearing axis (4), wherein the first rotary element (7) and the door (2) are connected to one another via a compensation system for compensating for a misalignment between an axis of rotation (71) of the first rotary element (7) and the bearing axis (4) of the door (2).