Furniture Flap Fitting with Moving Instantaneous Center
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flap fittings in furniture are not compactly designed and require significant effort to open and close due to fixed pivot axes and stiff actuation mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A flap fitting design where the instantaneous center of the flap moves relative to the housing, with a support lever stationary connected via one axis and a control lever articulated via a control element, allowing optimal trajectory control and minimizing user effort, incorporating a gear wheel mechanism and energy storage for easy operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If fixed pivot points are used on the housing plate to achieve the desired pivoting movement, then the flap can open and close, but the pivot points must be far apart which contradicts the requirement for a compact design
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the dynamic principle by making the fourth pivot point movable instead of fixed. The control element can assume different positions during the opening and closing movement, allowing the instantaneous center of rotation to change position. This dynamic adjustment enables compact housing plate dimensions while achieving the required flap pivoting range of motion.
2Ease of operation
If fixed pivot points are used on the housing plate, then the structure is simple, but the operation of the flap fitting becomes comparatively stiff
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic positioning of the control element allows the mechanism to adapt during operation, enabling smooth flap movement. The control element's ability to change position creates an optimized motion path that reduces operational stiffness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of pivot point position from fixed to variable. By allowing the fourth pivot point to move to different positions during operation, the mechanism achieves smoother movement characteristics while maintaining structural simplicity through the use of standard mechanical components.
3Reliability
If the instantaneous center of rotation is close to the handle element, then the structure is compact, but jamming can occur due to tolerances in the pivot axes
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic positioning of the instantaneous center of rotation ensures it maintains an optimal distance from the handle element throughout the motion range. By allowing the control element to change position, the system dynamically adjusts the instantaneous center location to prevent jamming while minimizing the overall structure size.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A
AI summary
The invention relates to a flap fitting (4), in particular for furniture, comprising a housing (5) secured to a body (2), on which housing a support lever (6) is rotatably mounted about a first axis of rotation (60), and the support lever (6) can be connected to a flap (3) about a second axis of rotation (61) using a connection (9), and a control lever (7) which can be connected via the connection (9) to the flap (3) about a third axis of rotation (71), the control lever (7) being articulatedly connected about a fourth axis of rotation (70) to a control element (11) and to the housing (5), and the flap (3) being pivotable via a gripping element (40), wherein a centre of rotation (M) of the flap (3) when in a closed position is located below the gripping element (40) and when in a maximum open position is located above the gripping element (40). As a result the flap (3) can be smoothly opened and closed by a user.