Modular Hinge with Removable Piston for Controlled Door Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closing or damping hinges face challenges in manufacturing complexity, high costs, and maintenance difficulties due to the need for precise machining and the use of high-quality materials, which complicates the production and maintenance of hinge devices, especially when the plunger member is inserted in an oil bath, requiring low machining tolerances and making the hinge body shape and overall dimensions inflexible.
Innovation Solution
A piston and hinge device system with a tubular body and actuating head that allows for the removable insertion of a piston device into a hinge device, featuring a cam element with a flat operative surface and an elastic contrast member, enabling controlled rotation of closing elements like doors and windows, with a simplified design that reduces the number of components and allows for easy maintenance and adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the plunger member is inserted in correspondence of the rear portion of the hinge body after making the operating chamber by deburring machining process and internal thread, then the hinge device achieves high functionality and reliability, but the manufacturing process becomes long, difficult and expensive with low machining tolerances required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the hinge device into separate functional modules: the hinge body with operating chamber, the plunger member with cam element, and the closure cap. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with standard tolerances, then assembled together, avoiding the need for complex deburring machining and internal threading operations while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger member is extracted as a separate removable component from the hinge body. Instead of being permanently installed through complex machining processes, it can be easily inserted and removed through an opening in the hinge body, simplifying manufacturing and enabling maintenance without requiring high machining precision
2Reliability
If the plunger member moves in an oil bath requiring low machining tolerances, then the hinge device achieves controlled movement, but the overall dimensions and shape of the hinge body are strongly conditioned and become inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a dynamic sealing system where the plunger member with its cam element can move within the operating chamber while maintaining oil tightness. This dynamic design allows the hinge body to maintain its shape flexibility while achieving controlled movement through the interaction between the cam element and the operating chamber geometry
3Reliability
If high-quality materials are used to ensure reliability, then the hinge device maintains precise control, but maintenance and replacement become extremely difficult requiring dismounting of the door and hinge device
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge device is segmented into modular components where the plunger member and closure cap can be independently accessed and replaced. The plunger member can be removed through an opening in the hinge body without requiring disassembly of the entire hinge device or the door, enabling easy maintenance while maintaining precise control through the quality of individual components
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger member is designed as a removable component that can be extracted through an opening in the hinge body. This allows maintenance and replacement operations to be performed without dismounting the door or the hinge device from the support structure, significantly improving ease of repair while maintaining reliability through the use of quality materials in each component
4Reliability
If the closure cap is screwed onto the operating chamber, then the hinge device achieves sealed operation, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The closure cap is designed as a separate component that can be attached to the operating chamber through a simplified process. Instead of requiring complex threading and deburring operations, the closure cap can be securely attached through basic fastening methods, reducing manufacturing time while maintaining sealed operation through proper sealing surfaces and contact areas
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 system provides a cost-effective, reliable, and compact solution for controlled movement of heavy doors and windows, ensuring automatic closing and easy maintenance without the need for complex adjustments, while maintaining precise control over the closing position and simplifying the installation and replacement processes.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic contrast member acting on the plunger member for returning thereof from the retracted end position to the extended end position
Implementation Method 2
a working fluid acting on the plunger member to hydraulically counteract an action thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A system for controlled rotatable movement of a closing element anchored to a stationary support structure includes a piston device and a hinge device. The hinge device has a fixed element and a movable element reciprocally coupled to allow mutual rotation, a seat for removably inserting the piston device, and a pivot member with a cam element facing the seat to interact with the piston device. The piston device includes a tubular body, an actuating head external to the tubular body, a plunger member slidable within the tubular body, and an elastic contrast member acting on the plunger member for returning it from a retracted end position to an extended end position. The seat of the hinge body includes a pass-through or blind bore extending along an axis for providing access into the hinge body in a direction substantially parallel to or coinciding with the axis.