Door fitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for coupling refrigerator doors with furniture doors in kitchen setups often require additional damping devices that increase installation depth and assembly complexity, making them unsuitable for universal use or retrofitting without reducing the available installation space for cooling devices.
Innovation Solution
A sliding door fitting with a pivotable driver plate or flexible push rod that integrates damping devices between the doors, allowing for compact coupling and damping of door movements without requiring special configurations of the refrigeration device, and enabling universal use or retrofitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a damping device is integrated into the hinge of the furniture door, then the door movement can be dampened, but the hinge protrudes far into the furniture carcass interior, reducing the available installation width for the cooling device
Solution Approach 1:
The damping function is merged with the sliding door fitting that couples the appliance door and furniture door. The damping device is integrated into the sliding mechanism itself, combining two separate functions (door coupling and damping) into a single integrated component, thereby eliminating the need for additional space-consuming hinge dampers
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding door fitting acts as an intermediary mechanism between the appliance door and furniture door. Instead of damping at the hinge connection point, the damping function is mediated through the sliding fitting, which transfers and controls the door movement through its guiding and damping mechanisms
2Ease of operation
If an additional damping device is arranged between the furniture door and appliance door, then damping is achieved, but a recess in the refrigerator door is necessary and assembly work increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device is merged with the sliding door fitting assembly. The damping mechanism is integrated into the existing sliding structure, eliminating the need for separate damping components and their associated mounting requirements, thereby reducing assembly complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding door fitting is designed to serve multiple functions: coupling the two doors, guiding their relative movement, and providing damping. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for specialized damping installations and makes the solution universally applicable to different door coupling scenarios
3Ease of operation
If a damping device is added to achieve damped movement, then door closure is improved, but the installation space available for the cooling device within the furniture body is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The damping function is merged into the sliding door fitting, utilizing the existing space required for door coupling. By combining damping with the necessary sliding mechanism, no additional installation space is consumed beyond what is already required for the door coupling function itself
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 solution provides a compact and cost-effective damping system that allows for smooth door operation, self-closing functionality, and adjustable damping effects, ensuring proper door closure without increasing the installation width within the furniture body.
Implementation Method 1
at least one damping device for damping a relative movement between the slider and the guide element
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a
AI summary
The invention relates to a sliding door fitting for the coupling of a door (21), which is fastened to at least one hinge, of a refrigerator (20) to a door (11), which is fastened to at least one further single- or multi-axis hinge (13), of a furniture carcass (10) in which the refrigerator (20) is installed, wherein the sliding door fitting has a guide element (30) and a slider (40) guided by the guide element (30), and wherein the guide element (30) can be arranged on one of the doors (11, 21) and the slider (40) can be arranged on the other of the doors (21, 11). The sliding door fitting is distinguished by having at least one damping device (35) for damping a relative movement between the slider (40) and the guide element (30) over at least one defined portion of the relative movement.