Retractable Hinge Apparatus for Reversible Door Installation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing retractable hinges for doors and furniture require preparatory working on ornamental finishing elements, increasing installation time and costs, as they are bulky and interfere with the staff bead, limiting the degree of opening and requiring different seatings for clockwise and anti-clockwise installations.

Innovation Solution

A retractable hinging apparatus with hinging bodies of specific depths and widths that allow the ornamental finishing element to be inserted after hinge installation, enabling reversible installation without preparatory work, using metal sheets sheared and bent for compact articulation mechanisms that accommodate various degrees of opening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If known retractable hinges are used to allow various degrees of opening, then the hinging mechanism can accommodate 90° to 180° rotations, but the hinges become bulky and interfere with the staff bead, requiring preparatory working on the ornamental finishing element

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedegree of openingVSAvoidhinge bulk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hinging bodies are designed to be nested within cavities of specific dimensions, with the first hinging body fitting into a cavity in the mobile member and the second hinging body fitting into a cavity in the fixed structure. This nesting arrangement allows the hinge mechanism to achieve various degrees of opening while maintaining a compact profile that does not interfere with the staff bead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention controls the depth dimension of the hinging bodies relative to the staff bead position. By ensuring the depth of the second hinging body is less than or equal to the distance between the oblong slit and the external front surface of the frame, the hinge operates in a dimensional space that avoids interference with the ornamental finishing element.

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

2Adaptability or versatility

If known retractable hinges are used with complex hinging mechanisms, then various degrees of opening are enabled, but installation time increases due to required preparatory working on the staff bead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedegree of openingVSAvoidinstallation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge and cavity dimensions are designed in advance during manufacturing to ensure compatibility. The depth of the second hinging body is predetermined to be less than or equal to the distance between the oblong slit and the external front surface of the frame, eliminating the need for现场 preparatory working on the staff bead and enabling direct installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If known retractable hinges are mounted without considering staff bead interference, then hinge installation is simplified, but the ornamental finishing element cannot be properly inserted into the oblong slit

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehinge installationVSAvoidstaff bead insertion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention specifies precise dimensional parameters: the depth of the second hinging body must be less than or equal to the distance between the oblong slit and the external front surface of the frame. This parameter control ensures that the hinge does not protrude into the space required for staff bead insertion, allowing both hinge installation and ornamental element insertion to proceed without conflict.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2719851B1Hinging apparatus for hinging a mobile member with respect to a fixed structure by means of at least one retractable hinge
Publication Date: 2015.06.17 OTLAV
  • EP2719851B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2719851B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7
  • EP2719851B1 patent drawingFigure 8~11

AI summary

Hinging apparatus for hinging a mobile member (12) with respect to a fixed structure (13) by means of at least a retractable hinge (11), wherein the mobile member (12) has a first thickness (S1) and the fixed structure (13) comprises an oblong slit (21) into which an ornamental finishing element (22) is inserted. The fixed structure (13), between the oblong slit (21) and a corresponding external surface (20), has a second thickness (S2), and the retractable hinge (11) comprises a first hinging body (14), suitable to be inserted into a corresponding first cavity (18) of the mobile member (12), a second hinging body (15) suitable to be inserted into a corresponding second cavity (25) of the fixed structure (13), and a hinging mechanism (16) which articulates the two hinging bodies (14 ; 15) with respect to each other so as to allow the mobile member (12) to open with respect to the fixed structure (13) by a determinate angle (α). The depth of the second hinging body (15), at least in correspondence with the oblong slit (21), is equal to or less than the second thickness of the fixed structure (13).