Blum has received the FIRA Innovation Award for their unique CLIP top BLUMOTION concealed hinge with integrated soft close and also the European Inventor Award 2013, held recently in Amsterdam.
The FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) Innovation Award offers companies a competitive advantage through differentiation, underlining the uniqueness and usability of the product.
The Blum CLIP top BLUMOTION concealed hinges has been micro engineered to include the BLUMOTION soft close mechanism into the hinge boss so that the product remains sleek and attractive while highly functional. Furthermore the mechanism can be easily and manually de-activated on individual hinges where particularly light weight doors are involved.
Phil Reynolds, CEO for FIRA, said: “I am really pleased to present the FIRA Innovation Award to Blum UK for this innovative new product. The CLIP top BLUMOTION hinge’s unique benefit when compared to other soft close hinges is in the size of the hinge.
“The soft close mechanism sits within the footprint of a standard hinge and existing mounting plates can be used when fitting the hinge so no tools are required.
“We were vey impressed with this unique advantage as well as the other capabilities of the product. FIRA strives to recognise and reward truly innovative companies and products, and we congratulate Blum UK on its endeavors in developing this truly innovative design.”
Perhaps a few people at a KBB website got carried away with this but whilst it is impressive that Blum received the FIRA Innovation Award 2013, one website went on to suggest it was actually the European Inventor Award 2013 that Blum has been entered in.
The European Inventor Award, held annually since 2006 by the European Patent Office (EPO), had announced in Amsterdam the winners of the Awards for 2013 which Blum were one of five winners, as with this prize, the EPO wants to “honour outstanding inventors for … contribution to social, economic and technological progress,”
CNN reported on the nomination on their website with the following text:
“Silent kitchen and cabinet doors
Modern day kitchen spaces are sleek, minimalist, stylish – and, as of late, very quiet. The sound of slamming cabinet doors giving plates and dishes a loud rattle is a thing of the past thanks to the ingenious ‘Blumotion’ damper system conceived by Austrian inventors Claus Haemmerle and Klaus Bruestle in 2001. Blumotion was recently featured on CNN’s “Make, Create, Innovate”.
Marketed in almost 100 countries by Austrian kitchen hardware manufacturer Blum, the small damper system slows the momentum of forcefully closed drawers and cabinet doors before impact. Similar to automobile suspension it absorbs energy via a piston inside a pressure tube filled with hydraulic liquid. Instead of a bang the only noise is a soft ‘swish’.
Since its release the slow close hinge has caused a loud roar on the €126 billion per year European furniture market – and beyond. Powered by Blumotion the Blum company’s earnings skyrocketed to €1.26 billion per year, accounting for 12% of the European kitchen furniture market. Quite impressive!”
