Motorized Hinge Assembly With Symmetrical Flanges for Retrofit Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinge assemblies for furniture and household appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers, lack ease of use and flexibility in mounting motorized hinges, leading to inefficiencies in assembly and standardization.
Innovation Solution
A hinge arrangement with a drive device and hinge arm, featuring two flange components that allow for easy attachment of a drive motor unit to a pivoting element, enabling a motorized hinge that can be retrofitted to existing hinges, with symmetrical flange components for secure and adjustable mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a motorized hinge is integrated into the hinge assembly, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is divided into separate functional components: a standard hinge mechanism and a drive device with motor unit. The drive device can be attached to the hinge arm independently, allowing the motorized function to be added without redesigning the entire hinge assembly. This segmentation enables ease of operation through motorization while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
2Ease of manufacture
If the hinge assembly is standardized for mass production, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the adaptability to different applications decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive device is designed with universal mounting capabilities that can accommodate different hinge types and applications. The motor unit can be attached to various hinge arm configurations through standardized attachment mechanisms, allowing a single standardized drive device design to serve multiple applications while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardization of the core components.
3Reliability
If the drive motor unit is permanently integrated into the hinge, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of repair decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive device is designed as a separable module that can be detached from the hinge arm. This segmentation allows the motor unit to be replaced independently without replacing the entire hinge assembly, improving ease of repair while maintaining reliable operation when properly assembled through standardized connection interfaces.
4Adaptability or versatility
If additional components are added to enable motorized attachment, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment components are designed with universal functionality to work across different hinge configurations. The same attachment mechanism can accommodate various mounting orientations and hinge types, providing high adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity through repeated or specialized components for each application.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a hinge assembly comprising a drive device and a hinge having a hinge arm, wherein: the hinge is designed to move a pivoting element of a domestic appliance or of an item of furniture; the pivoting element is accommodated on a carcass of the domestic appliance or item of furniture so as to be movable via the hinge; one side of the hinge is designed for mounting on the carcass, and another side of the hinge is designed for mounting on the pivoting element; and the drive device comprises a drive-motor unit, an end portion of the drive-motor unit being coupled to the hinge arm. According to the invention, a first flange component and a second flange component are provided for arranging the drive-motor unit on the pivoting element, wherein: the drive-motor unit can be arranged on the pivoting element by means of the first flange component and by means of the second flange component; the first flange component and the second flange component each have a mounting portion (14) for fastening the flange component, and each have a coupling portion for coupling the drive-motor unit to the flange component; when the flange components are arranged on the pivoting element, the coupling portion of the first flange component and the coupling portion of the second flange component are aligned with one another, so that the two flange components are provided symmetrically; and the drive-motor unit is located between the first flange component and the second flange component.