The HG-JHM20 was just one of Sugatsunes product line spotted at the  Southampton Boat Show by Mike Rogers, Sugatsunes Marine Specialist. Mike marvels at the array of solutions yachtmakers use to stabilise doors, lids and flaps on board. As seen in this photograph sometimes the simple approach is all that is required. An ll-66 lever catch which is invisible behind the lip of the door when closed, is combined with a piece of cord. “It’s a very traditional solution but it works” states Mike.

 

The LB-350 locking stay here is being used to keep the lid of a chart table open, it has a lift up to release mechanism for closing. Whilst the LB-350 is an effective solution, in the next picture the an NSD-20 damped lid stay is being used. Many yacht manufacturers are opting for dampening mechanisms because they combine safety features with a luxury silent movement.

The NSD is a stalwart of the Sugatsune product range but keeps selling because it is incredibly reliable and does it’s job well. The NSD-20 will keep the lid open and also adds soft closing. It is seen here combined with a simple concealed hinge.

Doing a similar job to the NSD-20 but in a different orientation is the SDS-100 short arm stay. It was originally developed for furniture designers who wanted to add motion control to the smaller flaps and doors used in home theatres. It finds a new purpose in yacht manufacture where there are any number of smaller hatches and cubby holes that can benefit from a damped opening mechanism.

 

The HG-JHM combines a rotary torque damper with a mortice hinge in one easy to install unit. The torque range accommodated by the HG-JHM16 is 20-50 kilograms of force per centimetre (Kgf/cm) and has recently been greatly extended by the addition of the HG-JHM20 which offers up to 80kgf/cm. When fitted to a lid unit it will prevent the lid from slamming shut and adds the luxury of silent closing. It has long been popular with yacht builders finding its way into vanity units in staterooms and owners cabins, chart tables, counter tops and cooking ranges. It is a very discreet unit and can be supplied with a black or white cover plate. Here it can be seen in a vanity and unit and in a chart table.

 

Installing torque hinges or stays is straight-forward enough but requires a calculation to work out the torque moment of the door.  If you’re an engineer it’s the work of a moment (pun intended) for the rest of us Sugatsune have an easy to use torque calculator on their website. You’ll need to know the material, thickness, height and width of your door which you enter into the appropriate boxes. The calculator will then tell you the torque moment and also will suggest Sugatsune products that fit within this torque range. You can further refine your search by choosing the orientation of the door you are using.

“We’ve had many compliments about the Torque Calculator” Mike Rogers says ” It can even be used to calculate the moment of composite doors if you know the overall weight. Just put in the dimensions and increase the thickness of the material until you hit your weight. The correct torque values are then displayed.”