Patent Grant
8739366
The present invention relates to door stop mechanisms, and more particularly to hinge-integrated adjustable door stops.
A variety of mechanisms are currently used to act as door stops to stop motion of a door at a desired location, with a variety of problems. Some door stops mount to an adjacent wall and are designed to impact a portion of the door or door handle to stop motion of the door. Such door stops have several problems. They are limited in that they are generally only able to stop the door at a single location. Additionally, they are an additional component to the door system, increasing costs and possible failures. When the door is not engaged to such door stops, they protrude from the wall where they can be in the way (such as for vacuuming or other cleaning) and are visually unappealing. Finally, it is possible for such systems to result in holes and/or dents in the door and/or wall.
Alternatively, similar door stops are attached to the doors and stop the doors by a portion of the door stop striking a wall structure, commonly the base board or other structure on the wall. Such systems have many of the same problems as the wall-mounted stops. If the location of striking the wall is insufficiently reinforced or the door stop is poorly placed, the result may be a hole or holes in the wall. These systems also mar the appearance of the door and provide only minimal or no adjustability of the location of stopping the door. As a separate component, they also add costs to a door system.
Other door stops are floor-mounted. While such stops provide much better adjustability of the location of stopping the door, these stops also have significant problems. Such door stops are commonly located well out from the wall and are therefore a significant trip hazard. Additionally, the stops may require some integration with existing flooring, and once placed are not easy to change the location of stopping the door, as it may be necessary to repair the floor at the original location. These door stops also add costs to a door system.
Still other stops are hinge mounted. One commonly-used hinge-mounted door stop is of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,717, and utilizes a pair of arms mounted on top of the hinge pin to impact the door and the casing around the door. While such systems are more-easily adjustable than other systems, they still have significant problems. Such systems are visually unappealing, and commonly result in holes in many doors, such as hollow-core doors. Other door stop systems have similar problems to those discussed above.
Implementation of the invention provides a hinge, such as a hinge for a door, having a hinge-integrated stop. The hinge includes a first hinge leaf with a substantially-planar portion and a knuckle and a second hinge leaf with a substantially-planar portion and a knuckle. The hinge also includes a hinge pin and a door stop element. When the hinge is assembled with the hinge pin passing through the knuckles of the first hinge leaf and the second hinge leaf, the door stop element is hidden within the knuckles.
Further implementation of the invention provides a hinge, such as a hinge for a door, having a hinge-integrated stop. The hinge includes a first hinge leaf having a substantially-planar portion with a pivot edge and a top edge. The first hinge leaf includes at least a first knuckle extending from the pivot edge of the substantially-planar portion of the first hinge leaf near the top edge. The first knuckle of the first leaf includes an inner splined surface.
The hinge also includes a second hinge leaf having a substantially-planar portion having a pivot edge. The second hinge leaf also includes a first knuckle extending from the pivot edge of the substantially-planar portion of the second hinge leaf, where the first knuckle has an inner surface and a first knuckle stop element on the inner surface.
A hinge pin completes the hinge. The hinge pin has a shaft having a shaft diameter and an upper splined portion having fingers extending beyond the shaft diameter and a hinge pin stop element located on the shaft below the upper splined portion.
One manner by which the hinge is assembled and the stop position chosen is by attaching the first hinge leaf to one of a door and a door frame, attaching the second hinge leaf to the other of the door and the door frame at a position corresponding to a location of the first hinge leaf, and positioning the door proximate the door frame such that the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf is substantially aligned over the first knuckle of the second hinge leaf. The hinge pin is inserted through the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf and the second knuckle of the second hinge leaf until the upper splined portion of the hinge pin is located just above the inner splined surface of the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf. Then the hinge pin is rotated with respect to the first hinge leaf to a position defining a stop position for the door and is then fully inserted, whereby the upper splined portion of the hinge pin engages the inner splined surface of the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf. This engagement prevents rotation of the hinge pin with respect to the first hinge leaf.
The hinge-integrated stop serves to stop the door at a desired position. As the door is opened or otherwise rotated around the hinge axis, the first knuckle stop element engages the hinge pin stop element, stopping rotational motion of the second hinge leaf with respect to the hinge pin and the first hinge leaf, stopping motion of the door at the desired position.
The objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
A description of embodiments of the present invention will now be given with reference to the Figures. It is expected that the present invention may take many other forms and shapes, hence the following disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not limiting, and the scope of the invention should be determined by reference to the appended claims.
Embodiments of the invention provide a hinge, such as a hinge for a door, having a hinge-integrated stop. The hinge includes a first hinge leaf with a substantially-planar portion and a knuckle and a second hinge leaf with a substantially-planar portion and a knuckle. The hinge also includes a hinge pin and a door stop element. When the hinge is assembled with the hinge pin passing through the knuckles of the first hinge leaf and the second hinge leaf, the door stop element is hidden within the knuckles.
Further embodiments of the invention provide a hinge, such as a hinge for a door, having a hinge-integrated stop. The hinge includes a first hinge leaf having a substantially-planar portion with a pivot edge and a top edge. The first hinge leaf includes at least a first knuckle extending from the pivot edge of the substantially-planar portion of the first hinge leaf near the top edge. The first knuckle of the first leaf includes an inner splined surface.
The hinge also includes a second hinge leaf having a substantially-planar portion having a pivot edge. The second hinge leaf also includes a first knuckle extending from the pivot edge of the substantially-planar portion of the second hinge leaf, where the first knuckle has an inner surface and a first knuckle stop element on the inner surface.
A hinge pin completes the hinge. The hinge pin has a shaft having a shaft diameter and an upper splined portion having fingers extending beyond the shaft diameter and a hinge pin stop element located on the shaft below the upper splined portion.
One manner by which the hinge is assembled and the stop position chosen is by attaching the first hinge leaf to one of a door and a door frame, attaching the second hinge leaf to the other of the door and the door frame at a position corresponding to a location of the first hinge leaf, and positioning the door proximate the door frame such that the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf is substantially aligned over the first knuckle of the second hinge leaf. The hinge pin is inserted through the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf and the second knuckle of the second hinge leaf until the upper splined portion of the hinge pin is located just above the inner splined surface of the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf. Then the hinge pin is rotated with respect to the first hinge leaf to a position defining a stop position for the door and is then fully inserted, whereby the upper splined portion of the hinge pin engages the inner splined surface of the first knuckle of the first hinge leaf. This engagement prevents rotation of the hinge pin with respect to the first hinge leaf.
The hinge-integrated stop serves to stop the door at a desired position. As the door is opened or otherwise rotated around the hinge axis, the first knuckle stop element engages the hinge pin stop element, stopping rotational motion of the second hinge leaf with respect to the hinge pin and the first hinge leaf, stopping motion of the door at the desired position.
In the description, embodiments of hinges are described with respect to a door hinge for providing hinged movement around a substantially-vertical axis to a door. As such, references in the description and in the claims to “vertical” should be understood to refer to refer to a direction substantially parallel to a rotational axis of the hinge, as door hinges are commonly used with axes of rotation that are substantially vertical. Thus, “vertical” as used herein, when referring to hinges where the axis of rotation is horizontal or any other orientation, should be understood as being roughly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hinge pin.
In this embodiment, the first knuckle 22 is formed from an extension of the material (commonly metal) forming the substantially-planar portion 14, where the extension has been bent in a curved way to form a roughly-cylindrical shape. A second knuckle 24 extends from the pivot edge 20 near the bottom edge 18 of the substantially-planar portion 14. The second knuckle 24 is also in a roughly-cylindrical shape. A third knuckle 26 extends from the pivot edge 20 near the center of the pivot edge 20, and is also bent or formed into a roughly-cylindrical shape.
As is illustrated in
The embodiment of the hinge shown in
At least one of the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 includes a knuckle stop element. In the hinge of
The second hinge leaf 12 is shown with the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 in rolled form in the top view of
In the embodiment of the hinge pin 42 shown in
The hinge pin 42 also includes an upper splined portion 54. The upper splined portion 54 has a plurality of fingers that extend beyond the shaft diameter 46 so that the effective diameter of the upper splined portion 54 is slightly larger than the shaft diameter 46 of the remainder of the shaft 44. Therefore, although the hinge pin 42 may also have a head 56 similar to the heads of standard hinge pins, some embodiments of the hinge pin 42 need not have a conventional head such as head 56, as the slightly-larger diameter of the upper splined portion 54 serves to prevent the hinge pin 42 from moving too far down or falling out of the hinge.
The longitudinal channel 50 serves to permit the hinge pin 42 to enter into the knuckles of the hinge leaves 10, 12 as the hinge is assembled, including entering into the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 of the second hinge leaf 12, even with the presence of the tabs 40. Thus, the hinge is assembled such as described in the following manner for use with a door. The first hinge leaf 10 is attached to one of a door and a door frame. The second hinge leaf 12 is attached to the other of the door and the door frame at a position corresponding to the location of the first hinge leaf 10, as with other hinges known in the art. This process may be repeated for any other hinges being used for the door. All of the hinges may have hinge-integrated door stops of the type discussed herein, or only a subset of the hinges (e.g. one hinge or two hinges of a three-hinge door) may have hinge-integrated door stops. Once all hinge leaves for all hinges are attached to the door and frame, the door is positioned proximate the door frame such that the openings of the knuckles of the various hinge leaves of the various hinges are substantially aligned.
The hinge pin 42 of one hinge is then inserted into the first knuckle 22 of the first hinge leaf 10 and partially into the first knuckle 36 of the second hinge leaf 12 until the hinge pin 42 reaches the tab 40 of the first knuckle 36. If the hinge pin 42 is not rotated so that the longitudinal channel 50 aligns with the tab 40, the hinge pin 42 strikes the tab 40 and further insertion is impeded. Therefore, the hinge pin 42 is rotated with respect to the second hinge leaf 12 until the longitudinal channel 50 aligns with the tab 40, and the hinge pin 42 can then be further inserted through the first knuckle 36, through the third knuckle 26 of the first hinge leaf 10, and into the second knuckle 38 of the second hinge leaf 12.
The tab 40 of the second knuckle 38 may also impact the hinge pin 42 if slight rotation of the hinge pin 42 occurs while the tab 40 of the first knuckle 36 is aligned with one of the circumferential channels 48. Alternatively, depending on the spacing of the various knuckles, the tab 40 of the first knuckle 36 may impact on an upper surface of the circumferential channel 48. Regardless, this additional impediment may be cleared by slight rotation of the hinge pin 42 with respect to the second hinge leaf 12 until the hinge pin 42 can be almost fully inserted into the hinge.
In most circumstances, insertion of the hinge pin 42 stops just before the upper splined portion 54 enters into and engages with the inner splined surface 28 of the first knuckle 22 of the first hinge leaf 10. Insertion of the hinge pins 42 of the other hinges occurs similarly until all hinge pins 42 of hinges of the type including hinge-integrated door stops are inserted with the upper splined portions 42 located just above the inner splined surface 28. When the hinge pins 42 are inserted in this way, but not fully inserted, the tabs 40 (or other hinge leaf stop elements) are located within the circumferential channels 50, near the bottom of each circumferential channel 50. This allows the hinge pins 42 to be rotated with respect to both of the first hinge leaf 10 and the second hinge leaf. The hinge pins 42 are therefore rotated to a position defining a stop position for the door (a position where, when the door is opened or otherwise moved to that position, the hinge pin stop element (e.g. the longitudinal edge 52) engages the knuckle stop element (e.g. the tab 40) to stop further rotational motion of the door). Thereafter, the hinge pin 42 is fully inserted into the hinge, whereby the upper splined portion 54 engages the inner splined surface 28, preventing further rotation of the hinge pin 42 with respect to the first hinge leaf 10.
When the hinge pin 42 is fully inserted into the hinge, the circumferential channels 48 are each wholly or largely contained within one of the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 of the second leaf 12. Therefore, when the hinge pin 42 is fully inserted, at least a portion of each of the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 surround a portion of the hinge pin 42 that has the shaft diameter 46 with the exception of at most the longitudinal channel 50. This maintains or improves the stability of the hinge such that the stability of the hinge is not significantly less than that of a standard hinge.
Because of the engagement of the upper splined portion 54 with the inner splined surface 28, the stop position of the hinge is adjustable to a wide variety of positions, as defined by the fingers of the splined portion 54 and the inner splined surface 28. The adjustability is provided during initial installation, and is always available for later adjustment as needed. For later adjustment, the hinge pin 42 is simply tapped upward slightly so that the upper splined portion 54 no longer engages the inner splined surface 28, and then the hinge pin 42 is turned to a new position with respect to the first hinge leaf 10 and tapped back down.
To ensure a desired positioning of the hinge pin 42 with respect to the first hinge leaf 10, a variety of methods may be used. As one example, the head 56 or one of the fingers of the upper splined portion 54 may be marked to show where the second leaf will stop with respect to the hinge pin 42. Therefore, the hinge pin 42 may be rotated until the mark is pointing in the desired direction, and the hinge pin 42 is then fully inserted. Alternatively, while the door is at a position less open than the desired stop position, the hinge pin 42 may be rotated until the hinge pin stop element (e.g. the longitudinal edge 52) engages the knuckle stop element (e.g. the tab 40). Then, the door is opened to the desired stop location. The opening of the door causes the knuckle stop element to push on the pin stop element, thereby rotating the hinge pin 42 with respect to the first hinge leaf 10. While the door is in the desired stop position, the hinge pin 42 is fully inserted into the hinge, locking the stop position.
In still another alternative, the door is opened to the desired stop position, and the hinge pin 42 is rotated until the hinge pin stop element engages the knuckle stop element. Once engagement is reached, the hinge pin 42 is fully inserted into the hinge, the upper splined portion 54 engages the inner splined surface 28, and the stop position is locked. It should be apparent that where multiple hinges with hinge-integrated stops are used, combinations of these procedures could be used with the various hinges. Once all hinge pins 42 of the various hinges are in place and fully inserted, the hinge pin stop element or elements of each hinge pin 42 are substantially aligned with the hinge pin stop elements of the other hinge pin 42 or hinge pins 42.
Therefore, the first hinge leaf 10 includes the substantially-planar portion 14 having the top edge 16, the bottom edge 18, and the pivot edge 20. In the first hinge leaf 10, the first knuckle 22 extends from the pivot edge 20 near the top edge 16, the second knuckle 24 extends from the pivot edge 20 near the bottom edge 18, and the third knuckle 26 extends from the pivot edge 20 near the center of the pivot edge 20. The second hinge leaf 12 also includes the substantially-planar portion 32 having the pivot edge 34. In the second hinge leaf 12, the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 extend from the pivot edge 34. The various knuckles form roughly-cylindrical openings sized to snugly receive the hinge pin 42. However, as may be seen in
The hinge pin 42 includes the shaft 44, upper splined portion 54 and, optionally, the head 56. Additionally, the shaft 44 has the shaft diameter 46 and the upper splined portion 54 includes fingers extending beyond the shaft diameter 46. The hinge pin 42 of this embodiment lacks the circumferential channel 48 and the longitudinal channel. Instead, the hinge pin 42 is provided with a pair of tabs 58 placed to correspond to the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 of the second hinge leaf 12. In some embodiments, only a single tab 58 is used. In the illustrated embodiment and in other similar embodiments, the tab 58 serves as the hinge pin stop element.
To accommodate the modified hinge pin 42 and to provide the door stopping function, the various knuckles of the first hinge leaf 10 and the second hinge leaf 12 are formed differently from the previously-discussed embodiments. Specifically, with respect to the first hinge leaf, at least the first knuckle 22 is modified as shown in
Similarly, the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 of the second hinge leaf 12 are provided with corresponding vertical channels 62. The vertical channels allow the hinge pin 42 to pass into the first knuckle 36 and the second knuckle 38 with the tab 58 passing through the vertical channels 62. In this embodiment, for insertion of the hinge pin 52 to occur, the vertical channel 62 or vertical channels 62 of the second hinge leaf 12 must be substantially aligned with the vertical channel 60 or vertical channels 60 of the first hinge leaf 12. When the hinge pin 42 is inserted into the hinge until the upper splined portion is slightly above and not engaging with the inner splined surface 28, the tabs 58 are wholly located within a circumferential channel 64 on an inner surface of the first knuckle 36 and/or the second knuckle 38 of the second hinge leaf 12. Thereafter, the first hinge leaf 10 and second hinge leaf 12 may be rotated with respect to one another, and the location of the stop position of the door set as previously described. In this embodiment, a substantially-vertical edge 66 of the circumferential channel 64 serves as the knuckle stop element that engages the hinge pin stop element (e.g. tab 58) to stop relative movement between the first hinge leaf 10 and the second hinge leaf 12.
Although not present in all embodiments, the cross-sectional view of the second hinge leaf 12 shown in
The hinge pin 42 illustrated in
Even with strengthening features such as those illustrated in
As is illustrated in
Another change that is not visible in the assembled hinge may be seen with reference to
As may be appreciated from
As may be seen in
Depending on the materials used for the various components and any desired strength characteristics, there may be a practical limit on the number of fingers 92 that may be provided, and thus the minimum adjustment angle that can be achieved using a method relying on increasing the number of fingers 92. Instead, a different method may be used that relies on having multiple hinge pins 42, each with the relative rotational location of the fingers 92 rotated a certain amount with respect to the hinge pin stop element (e.g. the tabs 58). For example, returning to the example of
Although not every element discussed with respect to
One contemplated benefit of the various embodiments of the present invention is the ease with which the embodiments of the invention may be manufactured and used. Essentially, the manufacturing processes currently used for manufacturing hinges need only be slightly modified to accommodate the invention. The stamping and knuckle-forming processes currently used to form hinges are acceptable to manufacture first hinge leaves 10 and second hinge leaves 12 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. A minor addition of steps may be used in some instances to incorporate the inner splined surface 28, to add the tabs 40, the circumferential channels 64, the vertical channels 60, the vertical channels 62, or any other knuckle stop elements or similar elements to those discussed herein. Hinge pins 42 in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be forged as are current hinge pins, with modified forging to incorporate the features discussed herein.
Another contemplated benefit is the fact that the hinge-integrated door stop is readily adjustable. Additionally, the adjustability is achieved without any need for modification or repair of an attachment point such as with prior door-, wall-, or floor-mounted door stops.
Another contemplated benefit is the fact that the door stop is entirely contained within the hinge, and is therefore essentially undifferentiated from prior hinges. The embodiments of the invention may therefore be used in a wide variety of situations, including situations where aesthetics of the hinge are of high importance. As the hinge-integrated door stop is located within the hinge, it also prevents any need to have external elements that are potential hazards and/or annoyances with respect to cleaning.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2010/058777 | 12/2/2010 | WO | 00 | 6/1/2012 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2011/069001 | 6/9/2011 | WO | A |
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