Sugatsune makes several kinds of lid stays for flap doors and lids, and its catalog rates each series in this guide by torque, door weight or load capacity. This guide explains the types as Sugatsune names them, the opening direction the catalog prints for each soft-down and lift-assist series, and Sugatsune's own sizing method.
Source: the Lid Supports chapter of Sugatsune's General Catalog 501 (catalog pages 474-552, April 2026 file), listed on Sugatsune's Product Literature page. Page numbers below refer to it. Open the Sugatsune Lid Supports chapter (PDF)
Downward, top or upward opening
Page 476 groups Sugatsune's Lapcon stays by the way the lid moves: downward-opening lids (secretary desks, keyboard trays, media cabinets), top-opening lids (toy boxes and chests, display cases, access panels) and upward-opening lids (upper kitchen and bath cabinets, display boxes).
Sugatsune lid stay types
Soft-down stays: SDS, CSD, NSDX and HDS
- SDS-C100: downward-opening flap doors with piano, butt or drop hinges; with catch, holds the door closed; non-handed (page 481).
- SDS-200 and SDS-210: top-opening doors, non-handed. SDS-200 opens to 70 degrees with a piano or butt hinge; SDS-210 (wide angle opening) to 105 degrees with a piano, butt or concealed hinge (page 482). Example: SDS-210/U.
- SDS-C301N: upward-opening (page 484) and top-opening (page 485) flap doors; non-handed.
- CSD-10-TV, the compact soft-down stay: downward-opening flap doors, designed for smaller cabinet doors in media centers or TV consoles (page 488).
- NSDX, the adjustable soft-down stay: NSDX-10 downward, NSDX-20 top-opening (70 or 105 degrees), NSDX-35 upward-opening (80, 90 or 100 degrees); NSDX-10(R/L)K/TV is a short arm type for small doors (pages 490-494). Example: NSDX-20LK.
- HDS and HDSN, the heavy duty soft-down stay: HDS-10 downward, HDS-20 top-opening, HDS-30 and HDSN-30 upward-opening. Page 495 says "Used in pairs." Example: HDS-20K-WH.
Lift-assist stays with soft close: ARN Aileron and SLS-ELAN
- ARN-2 (top opening) and ARN-3 (upward opening) are designed for the Olympia concealed hinge (360-D26-19). Free stop holds the door from 30 degrees to maximum; soft close works from 0 to 30 degrees. The components table for a single door lists one Aileron and two Olympia hinges (pages 478-479). Example: ARN-2-H-S.
- SLS-ELAN, the easy lift-up stay: lift-assist, free stop and soft-close in one stay, for upward-opening flap doors; handed left or right; single or pair use (pages 502-503). Example: SLS-ELAN-ML.
Vertical swing lift-up mechanism: SLUN
SLUN helps lift the door and holds it at the open position. Page 511 recommends doors 23-5/8 to 35-7/16 in wide and 15-3/8 to 17-3/4 in high, with door weight by model: SLUN-3N 6.2-8.4 lbs, SLUN-4N 8.4-10.6 lbs, SLUN-5N 10.6-12.8 lbs. Example: SLUN-5N.
Lift-assist damper: LADH
The heavy duty LADH is shown for counter tops in restaurants, bars and reception desks. It holds the door open at 95 degrees, takes panels 30-50 mm (1-3/16 to 2 in) thick and includes a stainless steel piano hinge (pages 546-547). Example: LADH-50.
Lid stays that hold the lid open: L, LSP and LK
- L (L-195, L-270): holds the lid in fully opened position; lift up the lid to release; load capacity 33 lbs (15 kg) each (page 534).
- LSP, lid stay with lock: locks automatically when fully opened; pull the locking knob to release; load capacity 66 lbs (30 kg) (page 538). Example: LSP-195B.
- LK: a spring mechanism assists lifting the door and holds it open (page 533).
The catalog lists all three as non-handed and says each can be installed individually or in pairs.
How Sugatsune sizes a lid stay: torque and lid weight
Under Torque Rating (lbs-inch), page 476 gives: Door Height (inches) x 0.5 x Door Weight (lbs) = Applied Torque. The SDS-C100, SDS-C301N, CSD-10-TV, NSDX and HDS pages repeat it as Torque = Door Height x 0.5 x Door Weight (x 1/2 on the HDS-30 and HDSN-30 pages).
To estimate lid weight, page 476 gives four steps with this example:
- Lid area: 28 in x 12 in = 336 sq. in.
- Square feet: 336 divided by 144 = 2.33 sq. ft.
- Density factor for a 3/4 in (19 mm) thick lid: 3.5 lbs/sq. ft for MDF (the table also lists particle board 3.0, plywood (lumbercore) 2.5, solid wood 2.7 for oak, beech, ash, birch, elm or maple and 1.9 for red pine or red cedar).
- Door weight: 2.33 sq. ft x 3.5 lbs/sq. ft = 8.16 lbs.
The catalog adds: "Above values are approximate. Please weigh lid for exact weight." The ARN-3 page says: "Door weight must include all attached accessories."
Per piece or per pair: check the unit
A selection of torque ranges from the series pages, in lbs-in (a dash means no value is printed):
| Series | Per piece | Per pair |
|---|---|---|
| SDS-C100 | 30 to 43 | 60 to 86 |
| SDS-200, SDS-210 | 30.3 to 43.3 | - |
| SDS-C301N | 35 to 60 | 70 to 120 |
| NSDX-10, 20, 35 | 19 to 60 | 38 to 120 |
| HDS-10, 20, 30 K | - | 121 to 173 |
| HDS-10, 20, 30 M | - | 173 to 216 |
| HDS-10, 20, 30 H | - | 216 to 260 |
| SLS-ELAN M | 48 to 65 | - |
| SLS-ELAN H | 65 to 87 | - |
CSD-10-TV is L-Type (Light Duty) 8.8-17.7, M-Type (Medium Duty) 17.7-26.6 or H-Type (Heavy Duty) 26.6-35.4 lbs-in, marked per piece in the index (page 474). ARN-2 and ARN-3 are M 35.4-53.1 or H 53.1-70.8 lbs-in, with one Aileron per door in the components table.
Pages 476-477 also print a Door Weight Range Table (Per pair, in lbs.) by door height, for example 6.3 to 20.0 lbs for NSDX and 20.2 to 28.8 lbs for HDS-K at a 12 in door height. A note on page 477 says its ranges are calculated with the center of gravity at the middle of the door.
Hand and duty letters
- NSDX: R or L is the mounting side, right or left, for example NSDX-20RK and NSDX-20LK (pages 490 and 492).
- HDS: K, M and H are light, medium and heavy duty; the item numbers add L or R for left or right, for example HDS-20KL and HDS-20KR (page 498). Before you order an HDS stay, check the hand Sugatsune lists for the item number and confirm it with us.
- SLS-ELAN: M-type or H-type, R right or L left: SLS-ELAN-MR, -ML, -HR, -HL (page 503).
Sugatsune lid stays at The Builders Supply
- Lift systems, lid stays and supports - the full category
- Sugatsune - all Sugatsune products
- Hafele lift-up fittings and flap stays: see our Hafele flap fittings guide
Not sure which stay or which hand fits your lid? Our customer support team is available Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM Central Time, at 1-888-800-7789 or [email protected].
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