Furniture Hinge Cover for Gap Concealment and Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Furniture designs with spaced hinges often result in painful finger crushes, visible joint mechanisms, and dirt penetration due to gaps between connected parts, which are aesthetically unpleasing and disrupt uniform joint patterns.
Innovation Solution
A cover that is completely hidden by the furniture parts in a coplanar position, allowing the gap to be uniformly dimensioned and made discreet, with the cover retracting in the direction of depth, ensuring it is not visible and can be designed with a small width to minimize visibility in parallel positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gap is formed between furniture parts connected by spaced hinges, then the hinges can be spaced apart along the longitudinal direction, but the gap causes painful finger crushing, visible joint mechanisms, and dirt penetration
Solution Approach 1:
A cover element is introduced as an intermediary component between the furniture parts and the gap. This cover extends between the spaced hinges and covers the gap at least in sections, preventing finger crushing, hiding the visible joint mechanisms, and blocking dirt penetration while allowing the furniture parts to move into coplanar position.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a cover is provided to cover the gap, then finger crushing and dirt penetration are prevented, but the cover may be visible in all operating positions which is visually disturbing
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with differentiated visibility characteristics for different operating positions. In the coplanar position, the cover is substantially completely covered by the furniture parts and set back in the depth direction, making it invisible. In the parallel position, the cover may be partially visible but is designed with narrow width to minimize visual disturbance. This local quality approach allows the cover to protect against finger crushing while maintaining aesthetic appearance in the primary coplanar operating position.
3Device complexity
If the cover is designed with narrow width to minimize visibility in parallel position, then aesthetics are improved, but the cover may not completely cover the gap in all positions
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to dynamically adapt its coverage based on the operating position of the furniture parts. The cover extends between the spaced hinges and is positioned to provide substantial complete coverage in the coplanar position where the furniture is primarily used. In the parallel position, the cover's narrow width is acceptable as this is a transitional or less frequently used position. This dynamic design ensures reliability for the primary coplanar operating position while maintaining aesthetic appearance with narrow width.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a piece of furniture (1) comprising a first furniture part (3a), a second furniture part (3b), and at least two furniture hinges (6), by means of which the first furniture part (3a) and the second furniture part (3b) are connected together in a pivotal manner. The furniture hinges (6) are mutually spaced along a longitudinal direction (H) of the furniture parts (3a, 3b), and a gap (31) is formed between the first furniture part (3a) and the second furniture part (3b). At least one cover (5) is provided which extends at least between the first furniture hinge (6) and the second furniture hinge (6) and by means of which the gap (31) can be at least partly covered. The first furniture part (3a) and the second furniture part (3b) can be moved by means of the at least two furniture hinges (6) into a position in which the first furniture part (3a) and the second furniture part (3b) are aligned substantially coplanar to each other, said at least one cover (5) being substantially completely covered by the first furniture part (3a) and/or by the second furniture part (3b) in the coplanar position of the furniture parts (3a, 3b).