Hinge, in particular for refrigerator doors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinges for household appliances, particularly refrigerator doors, lack a compact and simple design that allows for efficient damping during both closing and opening movements, with dampers often requiring reactivation after each use.
Innovation Solution
A hinge design featuring a fastening element connected via pivot arms to a pivotable mounting element, incorporating a damper with a hook element that engages with a cut-out on an immovable holding element, enabling damping during closing and immediate readiness for subsequent opening movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a damper is integrated into the hinge for damping closing movements, then the damping function is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is integrated directly into the hinge structure by connecting it to the pivot arms, merging two separate functions (hinge mechanism and damping) into a single unified component. This eliminates the need for separate external dampers and reduces overall system complexity despite adding damping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the pivot mechanism for door movement, supports the mounting element for attachment, and incorporates the damper for controlled closing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components.
2Device complexity
If the damper is designed to remain engaged during opening movement, then the structure simplifies, but the damping action cannot be reactivated immediately after opening
Solution Approach 1:
The hook element is designed to dynamically engage and disengage based on the hinge's movement state. During opening, the hook remains engaged to maintain structural simplicity, but during closing movement, it automatically disengages to allow the damper to reactivate. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and operational readiness.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook element periodically engages and disengages in sync with the hinge's opening and closing cycles. It remains engaged during opening movements and disengages during closing movements, creating a periodic pattern that ensures the damper is ready for action when needed while maintaining structural simplicity during non-damping phases.
3Ease of operation
If a hook element is added to enable immediate damper reactivation, then the ease of operation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hook element is designed to automatically engage and disengage based on the hinge's movement without requiring external control or additional actuation mechanisms. The closing movement itself triggers the hook's disengagement, making the system self-regulating and minimizing the need for additional control components.
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 hinge provides a compact and efficient damping mechanism that allows the damper to be used immediately after opening, ensuring smooth and controlled closing movements without the need for reactivation, enhancing usability and design simplicity.
Implementation Method 1
the hinge has a damper which damps a closing movement of the movable furniture part
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge having a fastening element attachable to a body and connected via pivot arms to a pivotable mounting element. The mounting element can be attached to a movable furniture part. The hinge has a damper which damps a closing movement of the furniture part. The damper has at one end a hook element and an immovable holding element arranged on the fastening element. The holding element has a cut-out. During closing movement of the hinge, the hook element on the damper comes into engagement with the cut-out on the holding element, whereby damping takes place. During the opening movement of the hinge and starting from the closed state of the hinge, the hook element is in engagement with the cut-out on the holding element, whereby the damper can be transferred into a use state for a damped closing movement.