Domestic Appliance Hinge Assembly with Universal Mounting and Damper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinge assemblies for domestic appliances, such as ovens, often result in door slamming due to strong springs, leading to noise, potential damage, and a perception of low quality, necessitating a solution that prevents this undesirable closing action while allowing for a universal mounting system adaptable to different appliances.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly featuring a damper with a coil spring inside a cylinder and a rod that extends through the spring's center, combined with a mounting system using spacers to securely attach the hinge body to the door and appliance body, ensuring stable operation and adaptability across various applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If strong springs are used to counteract door weight, then door opening becomes easier, but door slamming occurs causing noise and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
A damper mechanism is integrated into the hinge assembly to provide cushioning force that opposes the spring force during door closing. The damper includes a piston moving within a cylinder, creating friction-based resistance that prevents the door from slamming shut, thereby cushioning the closing motion before harmful impact occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper acts as an intermediary element between the spring and the door. It mediates the interaction by providing controlled resistance to the closing motion, allowing the spring to continue providing opening force while the damper prevents excessive closing speed and impact.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a universal hinge body design is implemented, then adaptability across appliances improves, but mounting system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is segmented into modular components: a universal hinge body, separate mounting spacers with appliance-specific mounting patterns, and adjustable mounting brackets. This segmentation allows the hinge body to remain universal while the mounting components can be configured for different appliance types and door configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system incorporates adjustable and reconfigurable components that can be dynamically adapted to different applications. The mounting spacers and brackets can be positioned and secured at various locations on the hinge body, allowing the same universal hinge to be dynamically configured for different appliance door sizes and mounting requirements.
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 effectively prevents door slamming by damping the closing motion and provides a secure, adaptable mounting system that can be used across different domestic appliances, ensuring smooth operation and durability.
Implementation Method 1
Some dampers include a spring mounted inside a cylinder. The spring is often very long compared to its diameter in order to fit inside the cylinder.
Implementation Method 2
A hinge assembly can include a damper, a spring, a hinge body, and a hinge foot. Often a domestic appliance, an oven for example, is provided with one hinge assembly on each side of an opening which is covered by the door.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge assembly is provided for pivotably attaching a door to a domestic appliance. The hinge assembly includes a hinge body having two mounting areas; a damper; a foot pivotably attached to the damper, the foot being configured to engage a foot receiving portion of the appliance body such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the appliance body; and a first mounting spacer attached to the hinge body at a first one of the mounting areas, the first mounting spacer being configured to attach to the door such that the hinge body is fixed relative to the door. Each of the two mounting areas is configured to receive a first fastener to attach the first mounting spacer to the hinge body, and each of the two mounting areas is configured to receive a second fastener to attach the door to the hinge body.