White Goods Door Spring Adjustment Gear for Weight Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Built-in white goods often have doors of varying sizes and weights, leading to issues with door balance, where heavy doors may drop and lighter doors become difficult to open, as existing mechanisms fail to adequately compensate for weight differences.
Innovation Solution
A door adjustment mechanism comprising a rotating adjustment gear, pin positioning gear, worm gear, and spring connection pin, which allows for the adjustment of spring tension by rotating the adjustment gear, engaging teeth, and moving the worm gear to alter the door's stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a screw mechanism is used to adjust spring tension, then door weight balancing can be achieved, but the adjustment process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static screw adjustment mechanism into a dynamic gear-based system. The adjustment gear can rotate freely during normal door operation, and only when a tool is inserted into the hexagonal recess does it lock and enable rotation for adjustment. This dynamic behavior simplifies the adjustment process while maintaining adaptability for different door weights.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional screw-thread mechanical system with a gear-tooth engagement system. Instead of using a screw that threads through a roller, the invention uses gear teeth that engage directly, converting rotational motion into linear motion of the adjustment pin more efficiently. This substitution reduces adjustment complexity and improves mechanical advantage.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional spring balancing mechanism is used, then door opening/closing stiffness can be adjusted, but the mechanism occupies significant space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the adjustment pin moves through the hollow interior of the gear body. The gear teeth are formed on the outer surface while the adjustment mechanism is contained within the gear's internal cavity. This nesting arrangement allows the adjustment mechanism to occupy minimal space while maintaining full functionality for stiffness adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a linear adjustment mechanism to a rotational-dimension mechanism. By using gear rotation to drive linear movement of the adjustment pin through the third dimension (radial direction), the mechanism achieves compact packaging. The rotational motion of the gear converts to axial movement of the pin, utilizing spatial efficiency in multiple dimensions simultaneously.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a screw-based adjustment mechanism is used, then spring tension can be modified, but spring loosening occurs during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a self-locking feature through the gear-tooth engagement and hexagonal recess design. The adjustment pin is held firmly by the engaged gear teeth, preventing any backward movement or loosening during door operation. The hexagonal recess with tool requirement ensures that once adjusted, the spring tension remains locked in place without requiring additional locking mechanisms, providing beforehand protection against loosening.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear body acts as an intermediary between the adjustment pin and the spring mechanism. The gear teeth engage with the pin's grooves, transmitting and stabilizing the adjustment force. This intermediary gear structure ensures that the spring tension adjustment is maintained reliably, preventing direct contact and potential loosening between the pin and spring mounting points.
4Manufacturing precision
If special weight balancing mechanisms are provided for each door weight, then precise balancing can be achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal adjustment mechanism that can accommodate a wide range of door weights through a single standardized gear body and adjustment pin assembly. The hexagonal recess and gear-tooth engagement provide a universal interface that works for different door configurations without requiring specialized mechanisms for each weight class. This universality reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining precise balancing capability through adjustable spring tension.
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 mechanism provides a simple, space-efficient, and reliable way to adjust door stiffness for different weights, minimizing spring loosening and ensuring easy mounting on various white goods, effectively balancing door opening and closing.
Implementation Method 1
a spring connection pin which can move forth and back together with the worm gear and of which one end is coupled to a stretching spring
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to an adjustment mechanism (A) for the doors of white goods, said mechanism (A) comprising a mechanism body (1) fixed to such white good or to the door of such white good; an adjustment gear (4) which is supported in a rotating manner in a slot (14) on this body (1); a positioning gear (5) which is supported in a rotating manner in another slot (15) on this body (1) and rotated by said adjustment gear (4); a worm gear (2) passing through said positioning gear (5) and moving forth and back with respect to the rotation direction of this gear (5); and a spring connection pin (3) which can move forth and back together with the worm gear (2) and of which one end is coupled to a stretching spring fixed to such white good or to the door of such white good.