Hydraulic Door Hinge Structure for Controlled Damping and Wear Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinges for the rotary movement of doors lack control during opening and closing, are not cost-effective, durable, simple to manufacture, compact, or safe, and are difficult to install.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic hinge with a minimal number of components, including a fixed lower half-body, a movable upper half-body, a pivot, and hydraulic control means, which uses adjustable stems and cam mechanisms to control the door's movement, ensuring smooth operation and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hinges are used for heavy doors, then the door can be supported, but the hinge requires frequent maintenance and replacement due to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulic principles by introducing a piston-cylinder arrangement with hydraulic fluid. The piston moves within the cylinder based on door weight and position, creating hydraulic pressure that provides controlled damping. This hydraulic mechanism reduces mechanical wear by replacing pure mechanical contact with fluid-based force transmission, thereby improving reliability and reducing maintenance frequency for heavy door applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and parameters of the damping mechanism by transitioning from purely mechanical springs to a hybrid system with hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic fluid's incompressibility and viscosity parameters provide consistent damping forces that adapt to door weight variations, extending hinge life without increasing maintenance requirements.
2Force
If heavy-duty hinges are used to support large heavy doors, then the door can be supported, but the hinge width becomes excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic piston-cylinder system concentrates the door support force into a compact vertical arrangement rather than distributing it across a wide horizontal hinge structure. The hydraulic fluid transmits force efficiently through the fluid column, allowing the hinge width to remain small while supporting heavy doors through the vertical piston stroke and hydraulic pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the force transmission from a horizontal hinge configuration to a vertical piston-cylinder arrangement. By utilizing the vertical dimension for the piston stroke and hydraulic pressure generation, the hinge width in the horizontal plane can be minimized while maintaining high door support capacity through the vertical force component.
3Force
If heavy-duty hinges are used to support large heavy doors, then the door can be supported, but the hinge becomes top-heavy and difficult to install
Solution Approach 1:
By reconfiguring the hinge as a vertical piston-cylinder assembly rather than a horizontal broad structure, the center of gravity is positioned lower and more centrally. The vertical orientation allows the heavy components (cylinder and piston) to be mounted with their weight distributed along the vertical axis, making installation more manageable and reducing the top-heavy characteristic.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge is segmented into distinct modular components: the cylinder housing, the piston assembly, the spring mechanism, and the mounting brackets. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately and assembled in a controlled manner, reducing installation difficulty despite the overall heavy-duty nature of the hinge.
4Device complexity
If conventional hinges are used, then the structure remains simple, but the hinge creates harmful effects on surrounding buildings due to wear and movement
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic fluid in the closed system absorbs and dampens wear particles and movement irregularities that would otherwise be transmitted to the building structure. The fluid's viscosity and compressibility characteristics filter out harmful vibrations and mechanical shocks, reducing the harmful effects on surrounding buildings while maintaining a relatively simple overall hinge structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic fluid acts as an intermediary between the mechanical components and the building structure. It mediates the transmission of forces by absorbing and distributing mechanical stresses, preventing direct transmission of harmful wear and movement impacts to the surrounding building elements.
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 hydraulic hinge provides full control over door opening and closing, is durable, compact, easy to install, and safe, with hydraulic damping to prevent damage from sudden forces.
Implementation Method 1
a piston (22) arranged to be movable between a retracted position in which the door may be moved freely and an extended position in which the door is held stationary, the piston comprising a piston rod (221) extending along a movement path of the piston (22), a piston body (222) arranged on the piston rod (221), and a damping agent (223) arranged in the housing (21) for damping a movement of the piston (22), wherein the piston rod (221) is arranged to extend through an opening (211) in the housing (21) and the opening (211) is surrounded by a sealing element (212)
Implementation Method 2
a piston (22) arranged to be movable between a retracted position in which the door may be moved freely and an extended position in which the door is held stationary, the piston comprising a piston rod (221) extending along a movement path of the piston (22), a piston body (222) arranged on the piston rod (221), and a damping agent (223) arranged in the housing (21) for damping a movement of the piston (22)
Implementation Method 3
a piston (22) arranged to be movable between a retracted position in which the door may be moved freely and an extended position in which the door is held stationary
Implementation Method 4
the opening (211) is surrounded by a sealing element (212) arranged to seal the opening (211) and prevent a leakage of the damping agent (223) through the opening (211)
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6F
Figure 6A~6E
AI summary
A hinge for the hydraulic control during opening and closing a closing element (D), comprising: a fixed upper or lower half-body (100); a movable upper or lower half-body (110); at least one pivot (120) defining a first axis (X) integrally connected with one of the movable (110) and fixed (100) half-body. The other of movable (110) and fixed (100) half-body includes a seat (101) for at least one pivot (120) so as to support the integral mutual rotation around the first axis (X) of the movable half-body (110) and of the at least one pivot (120) with respect to said fixed half-body (100). The hinge further comprises means for hydraulically controlling the movement of the closing element (D).