Multi-Link Hinge Design to Reduce Door Gap and Secure Opening Angle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional door hinges often result in insufficient maximum opening angles and increased gaps between the door and the main body, leading to interference and reduced design quality, while also lacking convenience in opening and closing operations.
Innovation Solution
A multi-link hinge system comprising a cam, arm link, outer link, inner link, connection link, and elastic member, which reduces the gap between the door and main body, ensures maximum opening angle, and provides a shock-absorbing function, along with a tray driving mechanism for sliding trays in conjunction with door motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the gap between the door and main body is reduced to minimize foreign substance inflow and improve design quality, then the maximum opening angle of the door cannot be sufficiently secured due to interference between the door edge and main body
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism is divided into multiple independent links (first link, second link, third link, fourth link) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows the door to follow a complex motion trajectory that reduces the gap with the main body while maintaining sufficient opening angle, preventing foreign substance inflow without limiting operability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge employs dynamic motion through cam mechanisms and elastic members that automatically adjust the door's position during opening and closing. The cam profiles and elastic forces create a dynamic gap control system that maintains minimal gap at rest while allowing full opening angle when needed, resolving the contradiction between gap reduction and opening angle preservation.
2Ease of operation
If a conventional hinge is used to allow door rotation, then the door edge interferes with the main body during rotation, but using a multi-link mechanism reduces this interference and maintains smaller gap
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is segmented into four distinct links connected by rotation axes, allowing each link to move independently. This segmentation transforms the simple rotational motion of conventional hinges into a complex multi-degree-of-freedom motion that avoids interference between the door edge and main body while maintaining smooth opening and closing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanisms and elastic members act as intermediaries between the door and main body, mediating the motion to eliminate direct interference. The cam profiles guide the motion trajectory while elastic members provide buffering forces, preventing the door edge from contacting the main body during rotation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the door is kept closed to maintain design quality and minimize gap, then user convenience for accessing the interior is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic members provide dynamic restoring forces that automatically adjust the hinge mechanism between closed and open states. This dynamic behavior allows the door to remain tightly closed during normal use to maintain design quality, while enabling easy and smooth opening when users need access, balancing gap minimization with user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic members and cam mechanisms create a self-service system that automatically maintains the optimal gap position without user intervention. The mechanism self-adjusts during opening and closing operations, providing both tight closure for design quality and smooth operation for user convenience without requiring manual adjustment.
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 multi-link hinge minimizes foreign substance inflow, enhances design quality, facilitates smooth door operation, and allows users to easily recognize the full-open state, while providing shock absorption and convenience during closing.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member provided at a lower portion of the cam, and having a first side portion rotatably coupled to the main body and a second side portion rotatably coupled to the cam, and configured to provide a pushing force toward the cam so as to rotate the cam clockwise in response to a door opening motion and to rotate the cam counterclockwise in response to a door closing motion
Implementation Method 2
a connection link having a first side portion rotatably coupled to the cam and a second side portion rotatably coupled to the inner link, and configured to transmit a force rotating the inner link in a direction opposite to a rotating direction of the cam
Implementation Method 3
A multi-link hinge mechanism includes a cam coupled to a main body of an apparatus having a door to be rotatable on a shaft; an arm link provided at the door; an outer link having a first side portion rotatably coupled to the cam and a second side portion rotatably coupled to the arm link; an inner link provided at a lower portion of the outer link and having a first side portion rotatably coupled to the main body and a second side portion rotatably coupled to the arm link
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-link hinge is proposed. The multi-link hinge is configured to facilitate closing and opening of a door, is capable of sufficiently securing a maximum opening angle of the door while decreasing a gap between the door and a main body, and is also capable of providing convenience to a user when the user opens and closes the door.