The present disclosure relates to compact hinges for furniture products. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a compact hinge, adjustable in three directions, providing silent, soft-close functionality.
In the field of cabinetry and mill work, a recurring problem is the uncontrolled speed at which a cabinet door closes. The typical hinged connection includes a hinge cup mounted to a furniture piece and pivotally connected to a hinge arm mounted to another furniture piece. A metal coil spring biases the metal hinge cup toward the metal hinge arm. One result of the coil springs can be uncontrolled and undesired rapid closure of cabinetry doors which results in noise and impact wear of cabinet hinges and cabinet faces. Furthermore, the sliding movement of the coil spring on the metal hinge arm during operation results in unwanted noise and a “grinding” perception by a user which is undesirable.
Prior art compact hinges have attempted solutions to these problems, but have done so unsatisfactorily. The prior art suffers from various disadvantages including limited adjustability, size, complexity, durability, and high manufacturing cost.
For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0315832 to Wu discloses a soft-closing hinge for use in furniture comprising a movable hinge cup coupled to a door panel and a securing member coupled to a wall panel. A hinge arm pivotally attaches the movable hinge cup to the securing member while a spring exerts an opening or closing force to the movable hinge cup. A damper disposed on the movable hinge cup, acts on the hinge arm to soft close the hinge. A cross section of at least one end of the spring is of a non-circular shape and provided with a plastic sliding member. The sliding member acts on the hinge arm when the hinge is opened and/or closed to generate an opening force or a closing force. The securing member is not adjustable in more than two directions without removing mounting hardware.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0240543 to NG discloses a hinge comprising a movable cup seat mounted to a furniture door body and a regulating base affixed to the main body of furniture. A rotary arm having an arc-shaped surface pivotally attaches the movable cup seat to the regulating base. The rotary arm is connected to the regulating base via a regulating screw and an eccentric regulating rivet. A torsion spring generates a start-stop acting force on the movable cup seat. A sleeve part is fitted to a first supporting leg of the torsion spring and slidably engages the arc-shaped surface. The regulating base is not adjustable in three directions without removing mounting hardware.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,163,447 to Liang, et al. discloses a hinge comprising a hinge cup, a hinge arm, a spring, and an adjustable damping device. The hinge cup is pivotally connected to the hinge arm and is mounted to the door of a cabinet. The hinge arm is mounted to the fixed portion of the cabinet. The spring and the damping device are mounted in the hinge cup. When the hinge cup is closed with respect to the hinge arm, the hinge cup is subjected to a dampened closing force via the damping device. A cover insulates the spring from the hinge arm. The hinge arm is not adjustable in more than two directions without removing mounting hardware.
Therefore, a need exists for a silent, soft-close hinge capable of providing positional adjustments in three dimensions even after mounting to cabinetry.
A preferred embodiment is comprised of a hinge cup mounted in a cabinet door, a hinge body mounted to a cabinet carcass, and a hinge arm biased by a pair of coil springs. The hinge arm connects the hinge cup to the hinge body and provides a swinging connection between the cabinet door and the cabinet carcass. A damping mechanism is comprised of a housing removably fitted within the hinge cup and a piston within a fluid filled cylinder. The cylinder is slidably engaged with the housing and is acted upon by an abutment section of the hinge arm. One end of each coil spring is disposed in the hinge cup while the other end of each coil spring is fitted with a spring sleeve. The spring sleeves engage cam surfaces on the hinge arm. The hinge body is comprised of an “L” shaped overlay plate adjustably engaged with an adjustment plate adjustably engaged with a mounting plate. Three separate cam screws provide positional adjustability of the hinge body with respect to the hinge arm in three different directions. The overlay plate and the adjustment plate each include access holes aligned with a mounting hole in the mounting plate. Mounting hardware, such as a wood screw, attaches the mounting plate to the cabinet carcass.
In use, the apparatus controls the closing speed of the cabinet door. As the door closes, the abutment section of the hinge arm contacts the cylinder and forces it through the housing against the bias of the piston moving through the fluid within the cylinder. Rotation of each of the cam screws separately adjusts the position of the cabinet door in a depth direction, a vertical direction, and a horizontal or “overlay” direction without removing the mounting hardware used to mount the hinge body to the cabinet carcass. As the cabinet door is opened or closed, the spring sleeves insulate the contact area of the coil springs on the cams of the hinge arm to eliminate the noise and “grinding” generated by the movement of the springs on the hinge arm.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above-mentioned features and advantages of the disclosure together with other important aspects upon reading the detailed description that follows in conjunction with the drawings.
In the description that follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and figures with the same numerals, respectively. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and may be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
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Typically, hinge cup 102 is affixed to cabinet door 116 with screws through holes 103 and hinge body 108 is affixed to cabinet frame 118 through slot 109. It should be noted that the installation orientation with the hinge cup fitted into a bore opening on a door and the hinge arm fitted on to the frame, could be reversed even though this is not the usual practice. In a preferred embodiment, hinge cup 102, hinge arm 104, and hinge body 108 are typically constructed of metal such as cast aluminum or steel alloy plate stock and formed by stamping.
Hinge body 108 comprises overlay plate 124, adjustment plate 126, and mounting plate 128. Overlay plate 124 is adjustably connected to adjustment plate 126 by depth adjustment cam screw 130. Adjustment plate 126 is adjustably connected to mounting plate 128 by vertical adjustment cam screw 132. Each adjustment cam screw 110, 130, and 132 comprises a typical cam screw shape having a wider, cylindrical camming portion and a narrow, cylindrical offset portion extending therefrom. The separate plates of the hinge body cooperate with the adjustment can screws to provide positional adjustment of the hinge body relative to the hinge arm in an overlay or horizontal direction 140, a vertical direction 142, and a depth direction 144.
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Plane 228 of overlay plate 124 is adjacent raised seat 322 of adjustment plate 126. Edges 306 and 308 of adjustment plate 126 abut edges 216 and 217 of overlay plate 124, respectively. Surfaces 310 and 316 are adjacent plane 226 while surfaces 314 and 320 are adjacent plane 224. Overlay plate 124 is slidable with respect to adjustment plate 126 in depth direction 144.
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Spring sleeve 122 comprises attachment portion 820 connected to stabilizing portion 822 connected to insulating portion 824. Attachment portion 820 includes head 826. Head 826 is sized to engage cavity 808 of spring 112. Stabilizing portion 822 is generally arc shaped and sized to follow the exterior curvature of coiled section 804 of spring 112 to distribute the load across the coiled section of the spring. Insulating section 824 includes chamber 828. Chamber 828 is sized to receive straight leg 806 of spring 112. The cross-section of chamber 828 is generally square or rectangular and matches the cross-section of straight leg 806. The cross-section of insulating section 824 is generally square or rectangular. One end of insulating section 824 includes curved tip 830. In a preferred embodiment, spring sleeve 122 is typically constructed of injection molded plastic or rubber.
Spring sleeve 122 is attached to spring 112. Straight leg 806 fits within chamber 828. Head 826 fits in interior opening 812 of cavity 808 while stabilizing portion 822 abuts coiled section 804. Curved tip 830 follows the curvature of cam portions 602 creating additional spring bias in order to provide a stable open position.
In use, hinge 100 provides a pivotal connection between cabinet door 116 and cabinet frame 118. Hinge cup 102 is mounted in a bore in the cabinet door through holes 103 and hinge body 108 is mounted to the cabinet frame through slot 109 with typical mounting hardware such as wood screws. Hand tools gain access to slot 109 via access opening 218 and access slot 324. Guides 414, 415, 416, and 417 abut the cabinet frame.
Hinge 100 provides adjustment in three directions after mounting without removing or loosening the mounting hardware. One direction of adjustment is the depth movement of the cabinet door. This adjustment is required when the inside face of the door does not lay flush with the cabinet frame thus impeding the opening and closing action. To effect the depth adjustment, depth adjustment cam screw 130 is rotated. As depth adjustment cam screw 130 is rotated, the camming portion of depth adjustment cam screw 130 abuts, rotates within, and slides along depth adjustment slot 234 while the offset portion of depth adjustment cam screw 130 rotates within depth adjustment hole 328. During manufacture, the offset portion of depth adjustment cam screw 130 was mushroomed via access hole 420 to prevent depth adjustment cam screw 130 from backing out of depth adjustment hole 328. Rotation of depth adjustment cam screw 130 causes hinge arm 104 and overlay plate 124 to move together in direction 144 relative to adjustment plate 126 and mounting plate 128 and the cabinet frame. Once the desired position is achieved, rotation of depth adjustment cam screw 130 is ceased.
Another direction of adjustment is the horizontal or “overlay” adjustment of the cabinet door. This adjustment is required when the vertical edges of the cabinet door do not align with the vertical edges of the cabinet frame or the vertical edges of an adjacent cabinet door or drawer. To effect the overlay adjustment, overlay adjustment cam screw 110 is rotated. As overlay adjustment cam screw 110 is rotated, the camming portion of overlay adjustment cam screw 110 abuts, rotates within, and slides along overlay adjustment slot 610 while the offset portion of overlay adjustment cam screw 110 rotates within overlay adjustment hole 222. During manufacture, the offset portion of overlay adjustment cam screw 110 was mushroomed to prevent removal of overlay adjustment cam screw 110 from overlay adjustment hole 222. Rotation of overlay adjustment cam screw 110 causes hinge arm 104 to move in direction 140 relative to hinge body 108 and the cabinet frame. Once the desired position is achieved, rotation of overlay adjustment cam screw 110 is ceased.
Another direction of adjustment is the vertical adjustment of the cabinet door. This adjustment is required when the horizontal edges of the cabinet door do not align with the horizontal edges of the cabinet frame or the horizontal edges of an adjacent cabinet door or drawer. To effect the vertical adjustment, vertical adjustment cam screw 132 is rotated. As vertical adjustment cam screw 132 is rotated, the camming portion of vertical adjustment cam screw 132 abuts, rotates within, and slides along vertical adjustment slot 326 while the offset portion of vertical adjustment cam screw 132 rotates within vertical adjustment hole 422. During manufacture, the offset portion of vertical adjustment cam screw 132 was mushroomed to prevent removal of vertical adjustment cam screw 132 from vertical adjustment hole 422. Rotation of vertical adjustment cam screw 132 causes hinge arm 104, overlay plate 124, and adjustment plate 126 to move together in direction 142 relative to mounting plate 128 and the cabinet frame. Once the desired position is achieved, rotation of vertical adjustment cam screw 132 is ceased.
During a closing motion, springs 112 provide a closing force. Damping mechanism 114 opposes the closing force and controls the closing speed of the cabinet door so that the cabinet door does not slam. Damping mechanism 114 is removably snapped into hinge cup 102 as base 706 fits under tabs 134. As the cabinet door closes, abutment section 606 abuts face 722 and forces cylinder 702 through housing 704 while housing 704 remains stationary relative to hinge cup 102. Since piston rod 708 abuts back wall 734, as cylinder 702 moves through housing 704, the piston head attached to piston rod 708 moves through the fluid in cylinder 702 to provide the soft-close functionality.
The closing force provided by springs 112 is a result of straight leg 806 biasing hinge arm 104 via cam portion 602. In a typical setup, during a closing movement, straight leg 806 rides on cam portion 602. Hinge 100 includes spring sleeve 122. Straight leg 806 is encased by insulating portion 824 of spring sleeve 122. With spring sleeve 122 installed on spring 112, insulating portion 824 rides on cam portion 602 instead thus reducing wear on and extending the usable life of spring 112 and hinge arm 104. Spring sleeve 122 also eliminates any noise created by the movement of spring 112 along cam portion 602.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 15/191,100, filed Jun. 23, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,030,427. The patent application identified above is incorporated here by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15191100 | Jun 2016 | US |
Child | 16042859 | US |