Weber Knapp Blog

You have a beautiful kitchen design in mind, complete with a folding countertop. 

But have you considered the weight of this addition? 

When it comes to folding countertop projects, precision is key. The weight and size of the countertop being lifted can greatly affect the counterbalance of the motion control system, and guessing or estimating can lead to serious problems. 

From country roads to major highways, you'll likely spot more boutique hotels than vast chains. Even near big cities, boutique hotels are gaining traction. 

Globally, today's clientele values the "experience" aspect of their purchases. This holds for an awaited online package, a meal at a themed eatery, and beyond. 

Hotels and motels are striving to offer that distinct experience.

Off-the-shelf solutions don’t fit every design. To improve user experience, resolve a safety issue, or stand out from competitors, everything you put into your product design should fit like a glove.

Heavy-duty gas spring hinges may be currently installed on your product. However, now the hinge is malfunctioning because the strength of the gas spring has weakened over the lifespan of your product.

Modern product design is heavily influenced by motion control. Many of today’s flashy or high-end products take advantage of innovative hinge mechanism design to stand out from the crowd.

Complex hinge design is a staple of many high-end, high-performing products. The math required to make your lid, cover, or door work as advertised can be wildly different depending on your application.

So, you’ve decided that a springloaded counterbalance hinge is the ideal way to take your project to the next level. And, you already know that a Vectis™ Counterbalance Hinge can address your specific design challenges and that a Vectis™ counterbalance hinge will outperform and out last a gas spring. But, what technical considerations do you need to make before you click the DYO tab?


To help prepare you for your visit to the DYO app, over the next several months we’ll be discussing some of the technical decisions you’ll need to make in order to design the perfect counterbalance for your project. This month we’re going to discuss the effects of vertical distance to the center of gravity and what that could mean in regard to the ultimate function of your project.


The vertical distance to the center of gravity can have a big impact on how your lid acts near the open position. The greater the positive vertical distance the greater the tendency for the lid to self-open at larger open angles. Conversely, a negative vertical distance allows the lid to be potentially counterbalanced up to the maximum 90° opening angle. If you do not want the lid to coast open at larger angles, consider reducing the maximum opening angle to something close to the balance angle of the lid. The balance angle is the angle of the lid at which the center of gravity is directly above the pivot. If you are looking at the torque chart on the Vectis® DYO app, the balance angle is the point where the lid torque drops to zero.


For applications where the vertical distance to the center of gravity is sizeable, a large opening angle is required, and minimal coast towards the full open position is desired, rest assured that we can meet your needs with a Vectis® Counterbalance Hinge or a Vectis™ Custom Counterbalance.




If you’re having trouble specifying a Vectis™ Counterbalance Hinge for your project, give us a call, our engineers are ready to assist you!


Jeremy Redlecki

Product Design Manager

and

Leila Bell

Business Develop Manager

Weber Knapp Company