Hinge assembly and storage cabinet
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinge assemblies for storage cabinets, such as refrigerators, face issues with door closure stability and sealing effectiveness due to the impact of the door body on the cabinet body during closure, which affects the sealing performance and increases the effort required to close the door.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly featuring a first and second hinge body with a hinge shaft and groove, and a limiting shaft and groove, where the bottom wall of the limiting groove has an inclined guide surface that assists in closing the door body by providing resistance during opening and facilitating labor-saving closure, while also enhancing the sealing between the door and cabinet bodies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional hinge assembly is used to connect the door body to the cabinet body, then the door body can be rotatably connected, but the door body creates a large impact on the cabinet body during closure and affects sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a limiting shaft as an intermediary component between the door body and cabinet body. The limiting shaft moves along an inclined guide surface within the limiting groove, mediating the closure motion to reduce impact while maintaining sealing effectiveness. This intermediary mechanism transforms the direct impact into a controlled sliding motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the motion parameters of the hinge assembly by incorporating an inclined guide surface with a specific slope. This parameter change converts the traditional rotational closure into a combined sliding and rotational motion, reducing the impact velocity and force during door closure while preserving sealing contact.
2Ease of operation
If the door body is pushed to close toward the cabinet body, then the door closes, but the reaction force from the cabinet body affects the sealing effect
Solution Approach 1:
The limiting shaft acts as a mediator that absorbs and redistributes the reaction force during door closure. By sliding along the inclined guide surface, the limiting shaft reduces the direct reaction force transmitted to the sealing interface between the door body and cabinet body, thereby maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful reaction force during closure into a beneficial downward sliding motion along the inclined guide surface. The inclination of the guide surface transforms the horizontal reaction force into a vertical sliding component, which actually assists in pressing the door against the cabinet body for better sealing.
3Ease of operation
If a traditional hinge assembly is used, then the structure is simple, but the closing process requires more effort and is less stable
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined guide surface creates a gravitational assistance mechanism where the door body's own weight contributes to the closure force. As the limiting shaft slides down the inclined surface during closure, gravity assists the closing motion, making it more labor-saving without significantly complicating the hinge assembly structure.
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 hinge assembly improves the stability and sealing performance by reducing the impact during door opening and making the closure process more labor-efficient, ensuring a better seal between the door and cabinet bodies.
Implementation Method 1
the first guide surface gradually sinks along an extending direction from an open end to a closed end, and the limiting shaft abuts against the first guide surface to make the first hinge body or the second hinge body move up and down along the first guide surface
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application relates to the technical field of hinges, and provides a hinge assembly and a storage cabinet. The hinge assembly comprises a first hinge body and a second hinge body; the first hinge body is provided with one of a hinge slot and a hinge shaft disposed within the hinge slot, and is further provided with one of a limiting slot and a limiting shaft disposed within the limiting slot; the second hinge body is provided with the other of the hinge shaft and the hinge slot, and is further provided with the other of the limiting shaft and the limiting slot; the hinge shaft is adapted to move within the hinge slot to make the limiting shaft move in the extension direction of the limiting slot; the bottom wall of the limiting slot is provided with a first guide surface; the first guide surface gradually descends along an extension direction from an open end to a closed end; the limiting shaft abuts against the first guide surface to make the first hinge body or the second hinge body move up/down along the first guide surface. According to the hinge assembly and the storage cabinet provided by the present application, assistance can be provided for a door closing process and a door opening process can be made more stable.