Edge-Mounted Glass Hinge via Grooved Key Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for attaching metal hinges to glass door panels, such as drilling or pinching, obstruct the clear view and aesthetic unity of the door, and existing connecting elements fail to provide a robust, rigid anchoring for movable connections like pivots or hinges.
Innovation Solution
A connecting support with a groove on the panel surface and a key that locks into the groove, using traction means like screws and elastic components to secure the key in a compressive position against retention surfaces, ensuring a rigid and discreet attachment without freedom of movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal hinges are secured to the panel using conventional drilling or pinching techniques, then the hinges can be attached to the glass panel, but the hinges obstruct the clear view and impair the aesthetic unity of the door
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting support is extracted from the traditional hinge design and repositioned to the edge of the panel rather than the face. The key is inserted into a groove at the panel edge and locked in place, removing the visual obstruction from the main viewing surface while maintaining secure attachment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system transitions from a face-mounted two-dimensional arrangement to an edge-based three-dimensional configuration. The groove is created at the panel edge, and the key extends perpendicular to the panel surface, utilizing the edge dimension to achieve both aesthetic and functional requirements.
2Illumination intensity
If connecting elements are arranged in the edges of the glass panel to preserve aesthetics, then the clear view is maintained, but the connecting elements do not provide sufficiently rigid anchoring for movable connections
Solution Approach 1:
The key undergoes a parameter change in its mechanical state, transitioning from an inserted position to a locked position where it is compressed against inclined retention surfaces. This compression transforms the key's structural characteristics, enabling it to provide rigid anchoring comparable to face-mounted hinges while remaining edge-positioned for aesthetic purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove includes preliminary anti-action features in the form of inclined retention surfaces that prevent the key from being pulled out or loosened. These surfaces are designed to resist extraction forces before the key is fully compressed, ensuring that the connection maintains its rigidity under various loading conditions.
3Strength
If the key is made plastically deformable to lock into the groove edges, then rigid anchoring is achieved, but the panel substrate made of fragile material may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The key acts as an intermediary element between the connecting support and the glass panel. It is inserted into a groove that is pre-formed in the panel edge, distributing the attachment forces along the groove walls rather than concentrating them at a single drilling point. This intermediary configuration reduces the risk of damage to fragile glass substrates while achieving the necessary anchoring rigidity.
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 solution allows for a robust, almost invisible door hinge that maintains the panel's clarity and aesthetics while providing a secure, adjustable connection capable of withstanding significant forces, preserving the panel's integrity and visibility.
Implementation Method 1
elastic means for pushing the screw away from the panel
Implementation Method 2
the end being plastically deformable against the edges of the groove when passing from a rest position
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The support (3) has a groove (21) formed on a surface (26) of a panel (2) by an opening. An end (41) of a cleat (4) is housed in the groove, where cleat end is made of plastic, and another cleat end (42) is made of metal. The former end cooperates with a retention surface (25) forming an obstacle during extraction of the former end from the groove through the opening. The cleat is made of aluminum. A cleat traction unit maintains the former end in a locking position in which the former end is compressed against the retention surface made of glass. The traction unit is formed of a screw (6) and a compression spring (7). An independent claim is also included for a method for fixing a connection support on a panel.