Furniture Hinge Rotation Damper Using Transmission Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture hinges with rotary dampers face challenges in achieving effective damping across large opening angles due to geometric limitations, making it difficult to integrate a rotary damper that starts damping at a specific relative position and covers a sufficient rotational angle range.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves using wide-angle hinges with articulated levers that act on a slide, which is connected to a rotary damper via a transmission mechanism, allowing a small pivoting movement to trigger a greater rotational movement, ensuring sufficient shearing of damping fluid, and allowing the hinge to open fully independently of the damper. The rotary damper is mounted at the free end of the hinge arm, providing more space and flexibility in the damping process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rotary damper is integrated into the furniture hinge with a sufficient rotational angle range, then effective damping across large opening angles is achieved, but the device complexity and geometric constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
A transmission mechanism acts as an intermediary between the articulated lever and the rotary damper. The articulated lever converts the small pivoting movement into a larger rotational movement of the rotary damper through this transmission mechanism, thereby achieving sufficient damping without requiring the damper to be directly coupled to the hinge arm over the entire range of motion
Solution Approach 2:
The damping function is segmented from the hinge movement itself. The rotary damper is mounted at the free end of the hinge arm rather than being integrated at the joint, allowing the damping action to be separated from the main hinge rotation. This segmentation enables the damper to operate independently with a focused rotational angle range while the hinge achieves its full wide-angle movement
2Adaptability or versatility
If the rotary damper is mounted at the free end of the hinge arm, then more space is available and flexibility is increased, but the coupling between the damper and hinge movement becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission mechanism transforms the rotational movement of the articulated lever into a different dimensional movement pattern for the rotary damper. By mounting the damper at the free end of the hinge arm and using a transmission mechanism, the system exploits the spatial dimension available at the arm's end rather than being constrained to the joint area, thereby achieving both flexibility and functional separation
3Reliability
If the articulated lever acts continuously on the slide, then damping is maintained throughout the movement, but the hinge cannot open fully independently of the damper
Solution Approach 1:
The articulated lever acts on the slide only during the closing movement when damping is required, not during the opening movement. This partial action approach provides sufficient damping effectiveness during the critical closing phase while allowing the hinge to open freely without being constrained by the damper coupling, thereby resolving the contradiction between damping continuity and opening freedom
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 design enables effective damping across large opening angles, ensuring smooth operation of furniture hinges even at high angles, such as 170° to 180°, while allowing the hinge to open fully without being coupled to the damper, and provides adjustable damping functionality.
Implementation Method 1
A space (preferably a shear gap) with a damping fluid is provided between the two damping components, on which shear forces act during the damping stroke, as a result of which a damping effect can be generated
Implementation Method 2
A space (preferably a shear gap) with a damping fluid is provided between the two damping components, on which shear forces act during the damping stroke
Implementation Method 3
This linear movement of the slider is transmitted to the rotary damper via a transmission mechanism (for example a rack and pinion arrangement)
Implementation Method 4
at least one of these articulated levers is used to act on the slide, which is mounted on the hinge arm and can be moved—preferably translationally—relative to it during the damping path
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
Furniture hinge (2) with at least two fitting parts (3, 4) for fixing to furniture parts (1a, 1b), one of the fitting parts (3, 4) being designed as a hinge arm (3) and at least one joint lever (7a) which pivots during the hinge movement and a rotation damper (10) for damping a hinge movement, wherein a slide (9), movably mounted on the hinge arm (3) may be driven by the pivotable joint lever (7a) and the slide (9) acts on the rotation damper (10) by means of a transmission mechanism (T).