Furniture Hinge Adjustment via Gap-Accessible Rotating Element
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture hinges are difficult to adjust accurately, especially when furniture parts are warped, requiring multiple cycles of opening and closing to align properly, which is time-consuming and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A furniture hinge with adjustable elements that allow for intuitive and quick alignment of furniture parts in multiple directions (lateral, height, and depth) via a tool-accessible gap, featuring rotatable adjustment elements with axes of rotation parallel to each other for easy access and precise linear adjustment paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the adjusting element is made accessible from the gap between furniture parts, then ease of operation is improved, but the furniture part must be moved into an open position during assembly, increasing assembly complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The adjusting element is pre-positioned and oriented such that it becomes accessible from the gap between furniture parts in their normal closed position. The adjusting element extends into the gap region, allowing installers to access and operate it without requiring the furniture part to be opened, thereby eliminating the need for repeated opening/closing cycles during adjustment.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple adjustment cycles are required to align furniture parts, then alignment precision can be achieved, but assembly time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The adjusting element is designed to enable self-adjustment of the furniture hinge's relative position. By making the adjusting element accessible from the gap in the closed position, installers can directly adjust the hinge alignment without needing to repeatedly open and close the furniture part, achieving precise alignment in a single operation rather than through multiple iterative cycles.
3Ease of operation
If the adjusting element axis is oriented parallel to the pivot axis, then the adjusting element can be operated from the gap, but the adjustment path becomes less direct and requires more complex motion
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of orienting the adjusting element's axis parallel to the pivot axis (conventional approach), the invention inverts this by orienting the adjusting element's axis transversely to the pivot axis. This inversion allows the adjusting element to be accessed from the gap between furniture parts in their closed position, enabling direct adjustment without requiring the furniture part to be opened or requiring complex multi-step adjustment motions.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A furniture hinge (6) for connecting a first furniture part (3a) in a pivotable manner to a second furniture part (3b), comprising: a first fitting part (11) for fastening on the first furniture part (3a) and a second fitting part (12) for fastening on the second furniture part (3b), wherein the second fitting part (12) is connected to the first fitting part (11) in a pivotable manner via at least one pin (13), wherein at least one of the fitting parts (11, 12) has a base plate (14), which can be fastened on a furniture part (3a) and has an adjustment plate (15), which is mounted for displacement relative to the base plate (14) and is coupled to the pin (13), wherein at least one adjustment element (16a), preferably a rotatably mounted one, is provided, wherein actuation of the adjustment element (16a) makes it possible to adjust a position of the adjustment plate (15) relative to the base plate (14) along at least one linear guide (17), and therefore it is possible to adjust a position of the first fitting part (11) relative to the second fitting part (12), wherein a gap (31) is formed between the first fitting part (11) and the second fitting part (12) in at least one relative position of the furniture hinge (6), and wherein the at least one adjustment element (16a) can be actuated by virtue of a tool, preferably of a screwdriver, being introduced into the gap (31).