Furniture Hinge With Internal Snap Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hinges for pivotally connecting flap elements in furniture are aesthetically unappealing due to the presence of control rods, which occupy space and are not visually appealing.
Innovation Solution
A hinge design featuring a two-part structure with a first and second support arm, where the first support arm is pivotally connected to the second support arm via a pivot axis, allowing for opposite pivoting movements, and incorporating a contact element with positioning sections and a force unit to guide the movement, ensuring the contact element snaps into position, reducing the need for external control rods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a control rod is arranged on a flap element and a furniture body to limit the pivoting movement, then the pivoting movement is limited, but the control rod takes up space and is not aesthetically appealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the external control rod from the system and extracts the movement limitation function into the hinge mechanism itself. The hinge's internal geometry and pivot axis design inherently limit the pivoting movement without requiring a separate control rod component, thus eliminating the aesthetic problem while maintaining the functional requirement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the movement limitation function with the hinge structure itself. Instead of having a separate control rod, the hinge integrates the stopping mechanism into its support arms and pivot axis design, merging multiple functions (pivoting and movement limitation) into a single unified component that maintains aesthetic appeal.
2Reliability
If a control rod is used to limit pivoting movement, then the movement is controlled, but the structure becomes more complex with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the movement control function from a separate control rod component and integrates it directly into the hinge mechanism. This eliminates the need for additional control rod parts, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable movement control through the hinge's internal geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the movement control function with the hinge's support arms and pivot axis. By combining these functions into a single integrated mechanism rather than separate components, the patent reduces device complexity while ensuring reliable pivoting movement control.
3Manufacturing precision
If the contact element snaps into positioning sections, then the positioning precision is improved, but the force required to move between positions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic positioning sections with varying geometric profiles that create different force requirements at different stages of movement. The positioning sections are designed with gradual transitions that allow the contact element to snap into precise positions while managing the force required through controlled geometric progression rather than abrupt changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the positioning sections to optimize the balance between positioning precision and movement force. By adjusting the shape, depth, and spacing of the positioning sections, the design achieves precise positioning while keeping the force required to move between positions within acceptable limits.
Data Source
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AI summary
A hinge is proposed for pivotally connecting a first flap element (5) and a second flap element (7) of a folding flap (38) or a folding door, wherein the hinge (1) has a first support arm (2) and a second support arm (3), wherein the first support arm (2) can be attached to the first flap element (5) and the second support arm (3) can be attached to the second flap element (7), wherein the first support arm (2) is pivotably connected to the second support arm (3) by means of a pivot axis of the hinge (1).According to the invention, a contact element (15) with a contact surface (16) is arranged on the first support arm (2) and a support element (23) with a contact surface (23a) is arranged on the second support arm (3), wherein the contact surface (16) is always in contact with the contact surface (23a) during the pivoting movement of the first support arm (2) relative to the second support arm (3), wherein the contact surface (16) has a positioning section (19a, 19b) for the support element (23), wherein the positioning section (19a, 19b) is designed such that the support element (23) snaps into the positioning section (19a, 19b) in one of several possible relative positions of the support element (23) and the contact surface (16).