Furniture Hinge Linear Damper Rotary Converter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture hinges lack effective damping properties and are complex and costly to assemble, with limited tolerance compensation and damping force.
Innovation Solution
A furniture hinge design featuring a linear damper with a housing and piston rod coupled to a rotary part with toothing, allowing for efficient damping and tolerance compensation using a few components, where the rotary part is driven by a support or guide lever and converts rotary motion into linear motion through a holding element, avoiding transverse loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a linear damper with rigid coupling is used to dampen hinge movement, then damping effectiveness is improved, but assembly complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damping system is segmented into a linear damper unit and a rotary converter unit, allowing independent optimization of each component. The linear damper provides effective damping while the rotary converter simplifies coupling to the hinge mechanism, reducing overall assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A rotary converter mechanism acts as an intermediary between the linear damper and the hinge movement. This intermediary component translates linear damper motion into rotary motion that naturally couples with the hinge, eliminating the need for complex rigid coupling while maintaining damping effectiveness.
2Reliability
If a rotary damper with pinion and tooth profile is used, then damping during closing is achieved, but damping force and damping path are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional rotary damper mechanism with pinion and tooth profile is replaced with a linear damper system. This substitution allows the use of standard linear damper components designed for higher force applications, significantly increasing the available damping force while maintaining effective closing damping.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping parameters are changed by transitioning from a rotary damper with limited stroke to a linear damper with extended piston rod travel. This parameter change enables a longer damping path and higher damping forces while still achieving effective closing damping through the rotary converter mechanism.
3Ease of manufacture
If standard linear damper is used with simple coupling, then assembly is simplified and tolerance compensation is allowed, but coupling to rotary motion must be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism employs dynamic elements including a cam profile and follower that automatically adapt to tolerance variations. The cam profile converts linear damper motion into rotary motion while accommodating manufacturing tolerances, maintaining assembly simplicity without requiring precision coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism utilizes parameter changes through the cam profile geometry, which transforms the linear motion parameters of the damper into rotary motion parameters. This parameter transformation enables simple coupling of standard linear dampers to rotary hinge applications while naturally compensating for tolerances.
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 design provides enhanced damping properties with a standard damper suitable for furniture hinges, simplifies assembly, and allows for effective tolerance compensation, ensuring easier opening and closing of furniture doors.
Implementation Method 1
The rotary part is coupled to the piston rod or the housing via a holding element arranged at a distance from the axis of rotation, so that a rotary movement is converted into a linear movement to the damper.
Implementation Method 2
A linear damper with a housing and a piston rod is provided for damping the movement of the hinge part relative to the side part
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
A furniture hinge comprises an installation plate (2) on which a side part (3) is arranged, and a hinge part (4) which is held pivotably on the side part (3) via a supporting lever (5) and a guide lever (6), wherein, to damp the movement of the hinge part (4) relative to the side part (3), a linear damper is provided, with a housing (18) and a piston rod (17) which, for damping purposes, are coupled to a rotary part (14) which is driven rotatably about an axis (15) by the supporting lever (5) or the guide lever (6), which permits a compact construction with the possibility of compensating for tolerances.