Pull-Down Door Hinge Damping for Controlled Automatic Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic door opening structures for pull-down cooking appliances face challenges such as the need for linked latches, which complicates design and installation, require high-power drivers, and are affected by heat, leading to reliability issues and incorrect positioning problems.
Innovation Solution
A low-power automatic door opening system with independently moving latches, using a lever to release one latch which allows both to open, and a door opening speed controller that adjusts opening force based on angle, employing a motor with uninterrupted AC power and sensors to ensure correct positioning and smooth operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If latches are linked with each other to enable automatic door opening, then the door can be opened automatically, but the design and installation become complex and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the door opening mechanism into independent segments: the latch holder with cam mechanism on the main body, and independent latches on the door. Each latch operates independently without requiring physical linkage between them, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining automatic opening functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism acts as an intermediary that transfers the motor's rotational motion to linear motion for lifting the latch. This intermediary mechanism enables automatic door opening through a simple, reliable motion transformation without complex latch-to-latch linking
2Reliability
If a high output power driver is used to overcome door elasticity and add closing force, then the door can be opened reliably, but the driver requires more space and generates more heat
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism provides dynamic force multiplication during the door opening process. As the cam rotates, its profile creates varying lifting forces on the latch, maximizing opening force when needed while minimizing power consumption during other phases of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The cam profile is designed with specific geometric parameters that change during rotation, creating optimal force application points. The cam's varying radius and angle of contact with the latch enable efficient force transmission throughout the door opening trajectory, reducing the need for high continuous power
3Area of stationary object
If the driver is installed near the rotational shaft of the door to save space, then space is utilized efficiently, but the driver operates incorrectly due to heat exposure and narrow installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The motor is extracted from the narrow space near the door's rotational shaft and relocated to the latch holder on the main body. This extraction removes the driver from the harsh thermal environment and provides adequate space for proper motor installation, ventilation, and heat dissipation
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the motor's location in the latch holder and the latch on the door. This allows the motor to be positioned in a cooler, more accessible area while still effectively actuating the door opening mechanism through the cam's motion transformation
Data Source
AI summary
An appliance includes a hinge module between a main body and a pull-down door. The hinge module includes a housing, a rotational axis member disposed in the housing serving as a center of rotation between the pull-down door and the main body, an inner link housing movably disposed in the housing that moves with the opening of the pull-down door in a direction of the rotational axis member, and a damper installed in the inner link housing, the damper including a piston and a cylinder and providing damping force according to a relative movement of the piston and the cylinder. Any one of the piston and the cylinder of the damper moves with the inner link housing and the other of the piston and the cylinder of the damper moves by a predetermined distance as the inner link housing moves and then is interfered by the housing so as not to move further, and the piston and the cylinder of the damper starts damping, wherein the predetermined distance corresponds to an opening angle of the pull-down door in which the damping is started.