door hardware: soft close & push-to-open?

[alex grams]

I am trying to find some door hardware that has soft close and push-to-open. They seem to be inherantly contrary because the soft close requires a spring close with a damper, whereas a push-to-open function cannot overcome the inherent closing force of the springed hinge.

I am not sure if these functions can exist simultaneously, or i need to find a push to open mechanism with a stronger spring force to open the door and overcome the closing force from the hinge spring. I really only need the door to push out maybe 1/2" so it can manually be opened the rest of the way.

This is for a face frame application.

Thanks in advance.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I am trying to find some door hardware that has soft close
Google is your friend
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=VaE&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&&sa=X&ei=wI1yTJaADoH_8Aau7oSlDQ&ved=0CDUQBSgA&q=cabinet+door+hardware+closer&spell=1


and push-to-open.

Touch latch

[alex grams]

The qualifications for the door hardware were for simultaneous function, not independent functions. Typical soft close behaves contrary to touch-latch requirements of doors that are free swinging. Hence the question.

Google doesn't provide me with pushopen spring forces of the touch latch or quantify that force being able to overcome the inherent spring close force of the door hinge. So my initial query stands.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

The qualifications for the door hardware were for simultaneous function,

Well your requirement strikes me as a bit of an engineering feat.
You want a latch that not only is touch latch opening, but will softly and gently reach out and grasp the door as you go to close it and draw it in nice and slowly.
I submit that to get all of that in one package would be something of an engineering marvel and to get it in a small package, and better still, one you might to be able to afford is yet another bridge, that I suspect is, too far.

But there's no reason not to try to source it.
Ya never know.

[Kevin Gagne]

Blum makes these (http://www.blum.com/us/en/01/30/50/50/index.php) but I don't know if you can add the Blumotion mechanism to the hinge and still have everything work properly.

[alex grams]

I think the combination would be possible if you had a magnetic/mechanical push latch that had an opening force strong enough to overcome the hinge spring close force once you activate the push-latch mechanism, but from what I have seen, that particular combination isn't made, or at least not from any manufacturer I can find.

Just some #'s to show what I am thinking, these #'s may be completely off base, but are to show relatively what you would need to achieve the combined effects:

-closing force of the door spring = 1ft-lb
-dampening force of the soft close = 1/2 ft-lb
-push latch engaged = 1.5ft-lb
-inactive push latch (closed position) = 0ft-lb