Why Sugatsune won a prestigious design award with the LIN-X 1000

The Red Dot Awards are one of the top three design awards in the world, recognising outstanding product design and innovation. It’s a jury of 40 experts reviewed over 5000 products from 54 countries and Sugatsune’s LIN-X 1000 was one of the few submissions to receive the coveted distinction of the Red Dot. The LIN-X1000 is a door opening mechanism with a unique lateral motion.

Stretching back to the Bauhaus, Germany’s influence upon industrial design has been inestimable so it seems fitting that the Red Dot Awards should be based there. The Jury of experts from different disciplines has met in Essen for the last 60 years to evaluate products and to cast judgement. They look at products from every angle, including functionality, innovation and engineering excellence; their stringency and impartiality are well known so that an award from them carries particular weight.
Sugatsune invests heavily in research and development and in its culture of innovation so it is particularly proud the LIN-X1000 has won this prestigious award. What first appealed to the judges was the unique lateral motion which opens a door ‘out and to the side’. This saves space compared to a swing door and unlike a sliding door requires no special arrangements to the side.

Two strong arms connected by a bar and attached to the door frame give the characteristic lateral motion.
Two strong arms connected by a bar and attached to the door frame give the characteristic lateral motion.

Thanks to the novel motion, the LIN-X 1000 also closes flush against adjacent panels for a clean and clear finish. This makes it popular for contemporary interiors where continuous surfaces are valued.

Flush closing for sleek contemporary interiors
Flush closing for sleek contemporary interiors

Soft-close and smooth motion is to be expected with a Sugatsune product and this design is also unique in that it requires no extra stabiliser bars on the door, just two arms to be fitted to the door frame with a connector bar. The arms leave the top and bottom of the door clean.

The robust construction supports doors up to 90 kgs making it suitable for full height walk-in wardrobe doors or even invisible access doors. The rail-less design leaves the floor clear for a continuous surface of your choice.

The LIN-X 1000 is the largest of a family of lateral opening door systems. The smaller LIN-X 450 and LIN-X 600 are for cabinet doors of 450mm and 600mm width respectively. They attach with a standard concealed hinge snap mounting plate making them easy to include in a project.

Used at low level LIN-X keeps doors out of the gangway. Wheelchair users find this helpful.
Used at low level LIN-X keeps doors out of the gangway. Wheelchair users find this helpful.
The lateral motion saves space - great for overhead cabinets where swing doors are a head-hazard when open. They are also ideal for difficult blind corners where conventional doors would snag.
The lateral motion saves space - great for overhead cabinets where swing doors are a head-hazard when open. They are also ideal for difficult blind corners where conventional doors would snag.
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