Gravity-Opening Flap Hinge With Concealed Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flaps with damping means to prevent sudden opening compromise the aesthetic appearance due to their visibility and discontinuity with the design.
Innovation Solution
The damping means are housed inside a housing compartment within the hinge, concealing them and ensuring controlled and safe door movement without affecting the flap's appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If damping means are provided to counteract free opening of the door under gravity, then the opening movement becomes safer and controlled, but the aesthetic appearance of the flap is compromised due to visibility and discontinuity with the design
Solution Approach 1:
The damping means are nested inside the hinge housing compartment, placing one object (damping mechanism) inside another (hinge structure). This conceals the damping components from external view while maintaining their functional integrity, thus preserving the flap's aesthetic appearance while ensuring controlled door movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge housing compartment acts as an intermediary structure that houses the damping means. This intermediate element allows the damping function to be integrated into the hinge assembly, mediating between the need for visible control mechanisms and the desire for clean aesthetic lines.
2Ease of operation
If damping means are made visible to ensure controlled door movement, then safety is improved, but the design continuity and visual harmony of the flap are disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
By nesting the damping means within the hinge housing compartment, the solution maintains design continuity by hiding the mechanical components inside the existing hinge structure, while still providing safe and controlled door operation through the damping function.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping function is extracted from the visible exterior surfaces and relocated to the internal space of the hinge housing. This separation removes the visual disruption from the flap's exterior while preserving the safety and control functions.
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
The solution provides a reliable, safe, and controlled door opening mechanism while maintaining the flap's aesthetic integrity by hiding the damping components within the hinge compartment.
Implementation Method 1
damping means 6 configured to dampen the rotation motion of door 3 with respect to structure 2
Data Source
AI summary
A flap including a structure and a door hinged to the structure by means of a hinge, where the hinge defines a hinge axis around which the door is rotationally movable with respect to the structure, where the door is movable from a vertical closing position to a horizontal opening position under the action of the force of gravity, where the flap further includes damping means configured to dampen the rotation motion of the door with respect to the structure, where the hinge defines a housing compartment therein, closed or partially closed in the direction transverse to the hinge axis, and where the damping means are housed inside the housing compartment.