Soft Close Hinge Assembly with Extracted Snubber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic and hydraulic dampers used in appliance hinge assemblies are large, heavy, expensive, and complicate design and manufacture, requiring changes to the entire structure for adjustments in damping characteristics, and often provide damping over the full range of motion, which is not always desirable.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly design featuring a lever arm, channel, control link, slide body, and snubber system with a piston that moves between extended and retracted positions to provide damping only when needed, using a spring to bias the channel towards its closed position and a snubber system to dampen movement, allowing for adjustable damping characteristics without altering the overall structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pneumatic or hydraulic dampers are used in hinge assemblies, then soft close functionality is achieved, but the assembly becomes large, heavy, expensive, and structurally complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is divided into separate functional components: a lever arm assembly with pivot points and a separate damper assembly with a rod. This segmentation allows the damper to be a smaller, simpler component rather than requiring a large integrated pneumatic or hydraulic system, reducing overall complexity while maintaining soft close functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The damping function is extracted as a separate rod component that can be independently adjusted and replaced. This allows the damping characteristics to be modified without changing the overall hinge structure, enabling easier manufacturing and design changes while maintaining the required soft close performance
2Reliability
If conventional dampers are used, then damping is provided over the full range of motion, but this is not always desirable and limits design flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The damper rod is designed to be selectively extensible and retractable, allowing the damping action to be dynamically engaged or disengaged based on the desired range of motion. This enables the hinge to provide damping only in specific portions of its travel rather than throughout the entire range, offering greater design flexibility and adaptability to different application requirements
3Reliability
If pneumatic or hydraulic dampers with internal springs are used, then soft close characteristics are achieved, but changes in damping characteristics require changes to internal components increasing cost and manufacturing time
Solution Approach 1:
The damping mechanism is extracted as a separate, accessible rod component rather than being integrated internally within the hinge assembly. This externalization allows the damping characteristics to be adjusted by replacing or modifying the rod component independently, eliminating the need to disassemble and reconfigure internal pneumatic or hydraulic components, thereby reducing manufacturing time and cost for design changes
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 achieves soft-close appliance door functionality with reduced weight, cost, and complexity, providing consistent and controlled door closure with less force, speed, and noise, while allowing for adjustable damping without the need for extensive redesign.
Implementation Method 1
A spring is operably located between the slide body and the channel and resiliently biases the channel toward the first position
Implementation Method 2
The snubber system includes at least one snubber comprising a piston that is biased to an extended position and selectively moveable to a retracted position against a damping resistance
Implementation Method 3
The slide body causes movement of the snubber piston from its extended position to its retracted position such that the snubber system damps movement of the slide body away from the first pivot point
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge assembly includes a lever arm and a channel connected to the lever arm. The channel is adapted to be connected to an associated appliance door. A control link is pivotally connected to the lever arm. A slide body includes an inner end connected to the control link. The slide body is adapted for sliding movement in response to pivoting movement of the channel relative to the lever arm between a first (door-closed) position and a second (door-opened) position. A spring resiliently biases the channel toward the first position. A snubber system includes at least one snubber with a piston that is biased to an extended position and moveable to a retracted position against a fluid or other damping resistance during movement of the slide body away when the channel moves from the first position to the second position.