Door Hinge Cable Routing via Elongated Holes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing door hinges with concealed electrical cables face issues of cable exposure and vulnerability to damage during door opening and closing, particularly the risk of being squeezed between hinge parts, necessitating complex protective measures.

Innovation Solution

The use of a flexible flat strip electrical cable routed through elongated holes in the door hinge's housing parts, guided in a serpentine manner around fixed pivots, ensuring the cable's protection and preventing kinking or crushing, with adjustable flanges for secure mounting and tension management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional electrical cable is routed through holes in the mounting flanges, then power can be supplied from the door frame side to the door leaf side, but the electrical wiring becomes exposed and vulnerable to damage when the door is opened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply reliabilityVSAvoidcable exposure to damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the conventional round electrical cable with a flat ribbon cable that is flexibly routed through the door hinge. This flat ribbon design allows the cable to be concealed within the hinge structure during door operation, protecting it from exposure and damage while maintaining electrical connectivity between the door frame and door leaf.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Object-affected harmful factors

If additional protective measures are implemented to prevent cable damage, then cable protection is improved, but the design becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecable protectionVSAvoidprotective design complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the electrical cable routing directly into the door hinge structure itself, combining the mechanical hinge function with the electrical conduit function. The flat ribbon cable is routed through the hinge's internal passages and secured at the connecting elements, eliminating the need for separate protective conduits or complex protective mechanisms while still providing adequate protection during door operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If the electrical cable is routed through the door hinge, then power supply is achieved, but the cable risks being squeezed between hinge parts during opening and closing movements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply continuityVSAvoidcable integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flat ribbon cable that is flexibly routed through the door hinge and secured at the connecting elements, allowing the cable to dynamically accommodate the hinge's opening and closing movements without being squeezed or damaged. The flexible nature of the flat ribbon enables it to bend and move with the hinge mechanism while maintaining electrical connectivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of manufacture

If a flat ribbon cable is used instead of conventional cable, then routing is simplified and protection is improved, but the cable must have sufficient rigidity to accommodate door movements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverouting simplicityVSAvoidcable rigidity requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the electrical cable by using a flat ribbon design instead of a conventional round cable. This parameter change provides the cable with both the necessary rigidity to maintain its shape and routing during door movements and the flexibility to bend and accommodate the hinge's range of motion, while also simplifying the routing process through the hinge structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2031166B1Door hinge with electric circuit
Publication Date: 2013.12.11 SIMONSWERK GMBH
  • EP2031166B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2031166B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2031166B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The door hinge for arrangement between door frame and door leaf which is concealed with the door closed, with housing sections (2,2') with a locating space for connecting elements (7,8), has the rear sides (9,9') of the locating spaces provided with through-openings for an electrical conductor, the through-openings being elongated holes (16,16') which extend parallel to hinge pivot fixed in the housing. The electrical conductor consists of a ribbon cable (15) which is guided through the elongated holes and through the door hinge.