This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2007 026 211.8, which was filed on 5 Jun. 2007, and to German Patent Application No. 10 2007 021 143.2, which was filed on 3 May 2007.
The invention relates to securing a furniture hinge having a damping device.
Some furniture hinges include damping devices for damping the motion of the furniture door at the end of a door closing motion. The damping devices lessen the forces that the door exerts on a furniture body when the hinges close. Damping devices often include a damping cylinder having a piston joined to a piston rod extending from the damping cylinder. The piston rod contacts a door stop part or the furniture door and brakes motion as the furniture door closes.
In such furniture hinges, the damping device is detachably attached to the supporting arm. The damping cylinder is secured by engaging an opening in the supporting arm. The snap-type connection between the damping device and the supporting arm may undesirably loosen or separate under relatively high, persistent loads.
An example furniture hinge includes a saddle supporting the damping cylinder that engages a first mounting edge of the supporting arm from behind. A locking element supported movably on the saddle has a laterally protruding mounting lug, which, in a locking position, engages a second mounting edge of the supporting arm from behind. The second mounting edge is oriented counter to the first mounting edge.
The anchoring by positive engagement of the damping device on two oppositely oriented mounting edges of the supporting arm produces a positive connection which is suitable for transmitting relatively major forces. The edges of the supporting arm may be located inward against one another or outward in opposing directions.
In another example furniture hinge, the saddle, with a respective outer wall, fits over two diametrically opposed side walls of the supporting arm to securely center the saddle on the supporting arm.
In one example furniture hinge, the saddle underside has a fastening protrusion, which protrudes in centering fashion into a window in the supporting arm. An inner edge of the window forms the first mounting edge that is engaged from behind by a lateral, undercut mounting strip of the fastening protrusion. The diametrically opposed inner edge of the window forms the second mounting edge.
Little or no modifications to the window of the conventional furniture hinges are needed. Thus the damping device can be placed on existing supporting arms. The anchoring in the window of the supporting arm produces a connection that is suitable for transmitting major forces.
Another example furniture hinge includes a saddle that fits in hook-like fashion over an outer edge on the supporting arm. The outer edge forms the first mounting edge, and another diametrically opposed outer edge forms the second mounting edge of the supporting arm.
The locking elements within the example hinges are locking pegs, supported on the saddle. The peg, near an end protruding from the underside of the saddle, has the laterally radially protruding mounting lug. which is movable to behind the second mounting edge of the supporting arm upon a motion of the locking peg.
Such locking elements occupy only little space, yet it are equally suitable for transmitting a major mounting force. A Phillips screwdriver may actuate the locking element in some examples.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description:
As shown in
In an example multi-joint hinge, two connecting rods connect the supporting arm 6, on its joint end, to the door stop portion 3. The end of the supporting arm 6 near the body of a piece of furniture adjustably mounts on a mounting plate 7 screwed to the front frame of the body 2 of a piece of furniture by at least one fastening member, such as a screw 8.
A damping device 9 has a damping cylinder 10, whose piston rod 11, with its head 11a, meets a lateral flange of the door stop portion 3 at the end of the closing motion of the furniture door 1 in order to damp the closing motion of the furniture door 1 at the end of the closing stroke.
The damping cylinder 10 mounts laterally on a saddle 12. In this example, the saddle 12 is integrated with a housing 13 that receives the damping cylinder 10.
The saddle 12 fits, with a respective outer wall 12a, 12b, over two diametrically opposed side walls 6a of the supporting arm 6.
On the underside of its upper wall 12c, the saddle 12 has a fastening protrusion 14, which protrudes in centering fashion into a window 15 in the supporting arm 6. An inner edge 16 of the window 15 forms a first mounting edge 17, which is engaged from behind by a lateral, undercut mounting strip 18 of the fastening protrusion 14, as shown in
The saddle 12 rotatably supports a locking peg 21 having an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to the plane of the saddle 12. On an end of the locking peg 21 protruding out of the underside of the saddle 12, the locking peg 21 has a radially protruding mounting lug 22, as shown in
On the top side of the saddle 12, the locking peg 21 has a widened peg head 23 having a tool engagement feature, which in this example is a Phillips screw slot 24. The locking peg 21 can thus be rotated by a Phillips screwdriver into the locked position of
On a portion of the locking peg 21 away from the mounting lug 22, the locking peg 21 has a radially ascending cam face 25. Moving the locking peg 21 presses the cam face 25 against the second mounting edge 20. Accordingly, the fastening protrusion 14 of the saddle 12 presses against the first mounting edge 17. Thus the saddle 12 is not only secured by positive engagement against lifting away from the supporting arm 6 but also fixed in clamping fashion against lateral shifting.
In the example of
While in the embodiment of
Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2007 021 143 | May 2007 | DE | national |
10 2007 026 211 | Jun 2007 | DE | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20080271294 A1 | Nov 2008 | US |