A Study on the Development of Friction Hinge with Automatic Closed Function

Abstract

A friction hinge system which moves without power was designed and developed using the principle of friction force, which is caused by interference between the inner diameter of a silicon cap and the outer diameter of a cylindrical roller bearing with one-way rotation in a counterclockwise direction. Thesystem was applied to the lid of buffet ware, which moved up by external force and moved down by gravitational force. However, design conditions which included a rotation angle of the hinge of more than 80 degrees and a closing time of more than 20 seconds were required when the lid of the buffet ware closed due to gravitational force. The design safety of the friction hinge body connected to the lid of the buffet ware from the hinge system was checked on the basis of structural, fatigue and thermal analyses. The material of the shaft, cap and flange among the hinge elements was changed to polyethylene from steel to reduce the weight of the friction hinge system. An injection molding simulation was performed and injection molds of the shaft, cap and flange were created. The weight of the hinge system was decreased from 805g to 219g.