Furniture Mounting Plate Parallelogram Guide Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mounting plates for hinges in furniture face challenges in secure adjustment due to space constraints, leading to deadlocks and unfavorable guide ratios, especially when an eccentric is placed at the end rather than the center, causing difficulty in precise alignment and increased manufacturing tolerances.

Innovation Solution

A mounting plate design featuring a parallelogram guide formed by two levers connected via joints, with the upper part aligned parallel to the lower part, allowing for precise adjustment through a rotatable eccentric and integrated guides, such as a slot and pin, ensuring stability and reduced dependency on manufacturing tolerances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the eccentric is arranged on an end section of the mounting plate due to space constraints, then the mounting plate can accommodate the eccentric, but deadlocks occur and adjustment becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace accommodationVSAvoidadjustment ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting plate is divided into a lower part (base plate) and an upper part (cover plate), with the eccentric specifically positioned on the lower part. This segmentation allows the eccentric to be placed in an optimal position for adjustment while the upper part provides the necessary space for hinge installation, resolving the space constraint issue without compromising adjustment ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the eccentric is arranged in a central area of the mounting plate, then adjustment is facilitated, but there is no space for installing the hinge

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustment easeVSAvoidhinge installation space
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The mounting plate is divided into a lower part (base plate) and an upper part (cover plate), with the eccentric specifically positioned on the lower part. This segmentation allows the eccentric to be placed in an optimal position for adjustment while the upper part provides the necessary space for hinge installation, resolving the space constraint issue without compromising adjustment ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mounting plate design utilizes vertical stacking (lower part and upper part) to separate the eccentric positioning function from the hinge installation space. By distributing components across different vertical levels rather than competing for horizontal space, the design achieves both adjustment accessibility and hinge installation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If the guide ratio is reduced in a narrow component, then the component can be compact, but guide clearance and tolerances become very noticeable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent compactnessVSAvoidguide clearance tolerance
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The guide structure is integrated directly into the lower part of the mounting plate, combining the guide function with the base plate structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate guide components and reduces the overall number of interfaces, thereby minimizing cumulative tolerances and guide clearance issues while maintaining compact dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If a support plate is slidably held on the mounting plate with bolts for guidance, then the structure provides safe guidance, but the construction becomes comparatively complex with a large number of components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance stabilityVSAvoidcomponent quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide structure is integrated directly into the lower part of the mounting plate, combining the guide function with the base plate structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate guide components and reduces the overall number of interfaces, thereby minimizing cumulative tolerances and guide clearance issues while maintaining compact dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The complex bolted support plate mechanism is replaced by extracting the essential guidance function and implementing it through simpler integrated guide structures on the lower part, reducing component quantity while maintaining guidance reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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

Enables secure, precise, and wear-resistant adjustment of the upper part relative to the lower part, maintaining parallel alignment while minimizing the impact of manufacturing tolerances, with a simplified structure and reduced component count.

Implementation Method 1

an eccentric (4) is provided which has a pin (5) at a distance from an axis of rotation of the eccentric (4), which engages in an opening (6) on a central web (20) of the lower part (2)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEccentric mechanism: Eccentric

Implementation Method 2

When the upper part is adjusted relative to the lower part, both levers form a parallelogram guide. This parallelogram guide ensures that an exact adjustment of the upper part is made possible relative to the lower part

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectParallelogram mechanism: Geometry

Implementation Method 3

For precise guidance, a guide can also be provided between the upper part and the lower part, preferably with a slot and a protruding pin

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSlot and pin guidance: Geometry

Data Source

PatentEP2238305B1Mounting plate
Publication Date: 2013.03.20 HETTICH ONI
  • EP2238305B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2238305B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2238305B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The invention relates to a mounting plate (1), particularly for fastening a hinge on a furniture body, comprising a bottom part (2) that can be fixed on a furniture body, an upper part (3) being retained in a displaceable manner on said bottom part. The bottom part (2) is connected to the upper part (3) via two levers (22, 23) having equal lengths, forming a parallelogram guide when the upper part (3) is displaced relative to the bottom part (2). Said parallelogram guide ensures that an exact and stable displacement of the upper part (3) relative to the bottom part (2) is made possible.