Snap Hinge With External Springs For Perpendicular Cross-Member Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snap hinges for furniture, particularly in caravans, occupy excessive space due to the need to accommodate springs, limiting the cabinet's volume and requiring wider cross-members, and are not suitable for fixing to cross-members perpendicular to the wall, compromising their practicality and installation.
Innovation Solution
A compact snap hinge design featuring articulated quadrilaterals with external elastic means and an inclined supporting strip, allowing the coupling plate to be anchored to a cross-member perpendicular to the wall, reducing space occupation while maintaining stability and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the coupling plate accommodates the first spring inside it, then the spring can be anchored directly to the coupling plate, but the space occupation is large and the cross-member must be wide enough to accommodate the coupling plate
Solution Approach 1:
The first spring is extracted from the interior of the coupling plate and repositioned to act externally on the first lever. This allows the coupling plate to be simplified in shape and size, reducing the space occupation while maintaining the spring's anchoring function through the external articulation mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The spring arrangement transitions from a two-dimensional internal configuration within the coupling plate to a three-dimensional external arrangement where the spring acts on the lever from outside the plate's plane, utilizing the spatial dimension to reduce the coupling plate's required area
2Adaptability or versatility
If the coupling plate is arranged on a plane perpendicular to the fixing plate for cross-member fixation, then it can be anchored to the cross-member, but the structure becomes complex and space occupation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling plate is designed with a universal configuration that can accommodate both perpendicular and parallel arrangements relative to the fixing plate. The articulated mechanism allows the same plate structure to function effectively in different spatial orientations, eliminating the need for different hinge types for different cabinet configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism incorporates dynamic articulation that allows the coupling plate to adapt its orientation during operation. The articulated quadrilaterals enable the plate to move between perpendicular and parallel positions relative to the fixing plate, providing versatility without requiring complex fixed-orientation structures
3Reliability
If a supporting element with flaps is interposed to articulate the first spring to the coupling plate, then the spring can be properly supported, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting element with flaps is merged with the coupling plate structure itself, where the flaps are integrally formed as part of the plate. This integration eliminates the need for separate supporting components while maintaining the reliable articulation of the spring to the plate through the unified structure
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 design provides stable and safe support for closure elements in both open and closed configurations, reduces structural complexity, and is suitable for cross-members perpendicular to the wall, offering improved compactness and ease of installation while being cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
a first spring, which acts between two mutually opposite points of one of the two articulated quadrilaterals
Implementation Method 2
a second spring, which is arranged in series to the first one
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A snap hinge for supporting a closure element comprising a first articulated quadrilateral (2) and a second articulated quadrilateral (3), sharing a first and a second lever (4, 5) having as a base element respectively a plate (6) for coupling to a fixed element (7) and a plate (8) for fixing to a closure element (9), elastic elements (12) acting between a point of the first lever (4) and a point of the second lever (5) and auxiliary elastic elements (13) are arranged in series to the elastic elements (12) and have opposite ends that are articulated to the first lever (4) to a first pivot (14) supported by a supporting element (15) jointly associated with the fixing plate (8). The supporting element comprises at least one strip (16) and one pair of first flaps (17) formed so as to protrude from two opposite edges of the strip (16) and provided with holes for the opposite ends of the first pivot (14). The strip (16) is substantially inclined with respect to the plane of arrangement (6a) of the coupling plate (6).