Hinge with reinforced abutments

Abstract

A hinge assembly with reinforced abutment surfaces via the use of multiple strike plates. The strike plates are made from stronger and more robust materials than the underlying hinge, such that the strike plates bear the loads (vs. the underlying hinge material) to prevent deformation of the hinge components during use over time.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a hinge assembly for rotatably connecting two structures together and, more particularly, to a hinge assembly having reinforced abutments for withstanding repeated use over time without unwanted deformation of the underlying hinge components.

II. Discussion of the Prior Art

Hinges have been used for millennia for connecting two structures together. While effective in providing rotational or movement between the two structures, some hinges have abutment surfaces that can deform over repeated use or misuse over time. The present invention is directed at overcoming, or at least improving upon, the disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention accomplishes this goal by providing a hinge assembly with reinforced abutment to prevent deformation of the underlying hinge components during use over time. The hinge assembly has at least two components, but in one embodiment takes the form of a 3-part hinge assembly with a base hinge section (hinge base), a middle hinge section (middle hinge), and an upper hinge section (upper hinge). According to the present invention, the hinge assembly includes one or more strike plates that bolster the structural integrity of contact regions along upper portions of the hinge base, middle hinge, and upper hinge during the straightened hinge state. Each strike plate includes an abutment surface, one or more load transfer surfaces, a lower surface, an upper surface, and one or more retaining side surfaces (non-load transferring). The strike plates are secured within corresponding recesses formed along upper regions of the hinge base, middle hinge, and upper hinge.

In one aspect, there are two types of strike plates: a generally H-shaped strike plate dimensioned to be received and secured in a corresponding recess formed in the middle hinge, and two generally U-shaped strike plates dimensioned to be received and secured in corresponding recesses formed in the hinge base and upper hinge, albeit in opposite (mirrored) orientation to one another. In one aspect, each strike plate may be secured within the corresponding recess in any number of suitable fashions, including but not limited to adhesive (e.g. epoxy, super glue, etc. . . . ) and/or one or more machine screws dimensioned to extend through apertures formed in the strike plates into threaded holes formed within the corresponding hinge section.

The generally H-shaped recess of the middle hinge includes a lower surface, one or more load transfer surfaces, and one or more retaining side surfaces, which individually cooperate with the corresponding surfaces of the generally H-shaped strike plate (i.e. all except the abutment surface and upper surface). The generally U-shaped recess of the hinge base and upper hinge include a lower surface, one or more load transfer surfaces, and one or more retaining side surfaces, which individually cooperate with the corresponding surfaces of the generally U-shaped strike plate (i.e. all except the abutment surface and the upper surface).

When the hinge assembly is straightened, each adjacent abutment surface will be contacting one another (preferably in a parallel manner with maximum contact area between each abutment surface) to define a first contact region between the hinge base and the middle hinge, and a second contact region between the middle hinge and upper hinge. The first and second contact regions are disposed generally along the upper surface of the hinge assembly such that only the strike plates will be contacting on another along the upper region of the hinge assembly.

The hinge assembly may be constructed from any number of suitable materials, including but not limited to metal (e.g. aluminum), carbon-fiber, plastic, etc. . . . manufactured via any suitable techniques, including but not limited to machining, molding, 3D printing, etc. . . . . The strike plates are preferably made of a highly robust and durable material relative to the material of the hinge base, middle hinge, and upper hinge, such that the strike plates will not deform or otherwise get negatively impacted from repeated contact during the folding and unfolding over the lifetime of the hinge assembly. By way of example only, the strike plates may be constructed from tool-grade steel heat treated to achieve hardness RC, although it will be appreciated that any number of suitable materials and/or hardness and/or durometers may be employed without departing from the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with a reading of this specification in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein like reference numerals are applied to like elements and wherein:

FIGS. 1-2 are perspective views (assembled and exploded) of a hinge assembly according to aspects of the present invention equipped with multiple strike plates;

FIGS. 3-5 are various views of a hinge base forming part of the hinge assembly of FIGS. 1-2 according to aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 6-8 are various views of a middle hinge member forming part of the hinge assembly of FIGS. 1-2 according to aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 9-11 are various views of an upper hinge member forming part of the hinge assembly of FIGS. 1-2 according to aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 12-15 are various views of an H-shaped strike plate forming part of the hinge assembly of FIGS. 1-2 (for use in the middle hinge member of FIGS. 6-8) according to aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 16-19 are various views of an H-shaped strike plate forming part of the hinge assembly of FIGS. 1-2 (for use in the hinge base of FIGS. 3-5 and the upper hinge of FIGS. 9-11) according to aspects of the present invention;

FIGS. 20-22 are various views of the base hinge section equipped to receive one or more features for selectively adjusting the position of the respective strike plates; and

FIGS. 23-25 are various views of the base hinge section equipped to receive one or more features for selectively adjusting the position of the respective strike plates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. The hinge assembly disclosed herein boasts a variety of inventive features and components that warrant patent protection, both individually and in combination.

FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a 3-part hinge assembly 10 with reinforced abutments of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The 3-part hinge assembly 10 includes a base section 12, a middle section 14, and an upper section 16. According to the present invention, the hinge assembly 10 includes reinforced abutments in the form of, by way of example only, strike plates 18, 20, 22 coupled to the respective base section 12, middle section 14 and upper section 16 via a plurality of threaded machine screws 25. The base section 12 is hingedly coupled to the middle section 14 with a first hinge pin 15 to create a first abutment joint 11 bounded by the strike plates 18, 20. The upper section 16 is hingedly coupled to the middle section 14 with a second hinge pin 17 to create a second abutment joint 13 bounded by the strike plates 20, 22. In so doing, the strike plates 18, 20, 22 serve to bolster the structural integrity of contact regions adjacent the upper, flat surfaces of the hinge base 12, middle hinge 14, and upper hinge 16 during the straightened state shown in FIG. 1. The strike plates 18, 20, 22 thus prevent deformation of the material used to manufacture the hinge base 12, hinge middle 14, and hinge 16 that may otherwise occur during use over time.

The hinge 10 is assembled via the following steps, though not necessarily in this order: 1) interdigitating a knuckle 21 on the base section 12 into a corresponding groove 23 formed on a first side of the middle section 14; 2) interdigitating a knuckle 27 on the upper section 16 into a corresponding groove 29 on a second side of the middle section 14; 3) introducing the first hinge pin 15 through a first set of side bores formed in the middle section 14 and through an aperture in the first knuckle 21; 4) introducing the second hinge pin 17 through a second set of side holes formed in the middle section 14 and through an aperture in the second knuckle 27; 5) securing the first strike plate 18 within a recess 24 formed in the base section 12 via screws 25; 6) securing the second strike plate 20 with a recess 28 formed in the middle section 14; and 7) securing the third strike plate 22 in a recess 30 formed in the upper section 16. Once assembled, the hinge 10 may be coupled to at least two structures to provide an articulating, moveable relationship therebetween. For example, a first structure (not shown) may be connected to the base section 12 (e.g. via threaded engagement of threaded screws into threaded apertures 5 formed in the base section 12) while a second structure (not shown) may be connected to the upper section 16 (e.g. via threaded engagement of threaded screws into threaded apertures 7 formed in the upper section 16). The position of the first structure to the second structure may be altered by selectively articulating the base section 12 relative to the middle section 14 and the middle section 14 relative to the upper section 16.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the base section 12 includes a recess 24 dimensioned to mount the strike plate 18 via machine screws 25 in threaded apertures 26. In one embodiment, the recess 24 has the same general perimeter shape as the outer perimeter shape of the strike plate 18 (generally U-shaped as shown in FIGS. 16-19). The recess 24 also includes multiple threaded holes 26 to receive the threaded screws 25 for the purpose of mounting the strike plate 18 to the base section 12 of the hinge assembly 10. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, the middle section 14 includes a recess 28 dimensioned to mount the strike plate 20 via machine screws 25 in threaded apertures 26. In one embodiment, the recess 28 has the same general perimeter shape as the outer perimeter shape of the strike plate 20 (generally H-shaped as shown in FIGS. 12-15). As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the upper section 16 includes a recess 30 dimensioned to mount the strike plate 22 via machine screws 25 in threaded apertures 26. In one embodiment, the recess 30 has the same general perimeter shape as the outer perimeter shape of the strike plate 22 (generally U-shaped as shown in FIGS. 16-19).

As shown in FIGS. 16-19, strike plates 18 and 22 have the same design, with each having a generally U-shape outer periphery dimensioned to be mounted within the recess 24 of the base section 12 and the recess 30 of the upper section 16, respectively. Each strike plate 18, 22 includes an abutment surface 40, a load transfer surface 42, an upper surface 44, a lower surface 46, retaining side surfaces 48, and multiple apertures 50 dimensioned to receive the machine screws 25 for mounting the strike plate 18 within the recess 24. The abutment surface 40 is preferably perpendicular to the upper surface 44 and lower surface 46 such that, when brought into position against a corresponding abutment surface of the strike plate 20 in the middle section 14, each will be positioned flush against one another (vs. point loading) for maximum engagement. The load transfer surface 42 is dimensioned to match a portion of the interior periphery of the recesses 24, 30 such that, when the base section 12, middle section 14 and upper section 16 are straightened relative to one another (FIG. 1), the loads exerted upon the strike plates 18, 20 are transferred or otherwise distributed to the base section 12 and the upper section 16, respectively. Preferably, there should be no or negligible gap between the load transfer surface 42 of the strike plate 18 and the inner periphery of the recesses 24, 30 of the base section 12 and upper section 16. The retaining side surfaces 48 are dimensioned to match a corresponding section within the recesses 24, 30, although there may be a slight gap therebetween because this surface does not act to transfer loads as with the load transfer surface 42.

As shown in FIGS. 12-15, the strike plate 20 has a general H-shape and is dimensioned to be mounted in the recess 28 of the middle section 14 of the hinge 10. In similar fashion as the strike plates 18, 22 described above, the strike plate 20 includes a pair of abutment surfaces 40 on either end, a pair of load transfer surfaces 42 opposite each abutment surface 40, an upper surface 44, a lower surface 46, retaining side surfaces 48, and multiple apertures 50 dimensioned to receive the machine screws 25 for mounting the strike plate 20 within the recess 28. Each abutment surface 40 is preferably perpendicular to the upper surface 44 and lower surface 46 such that, when brought into position against a corresponding abutment surface of the strike plates 18, 22 in the base section 12 and upper section 16, respectively, each will be positioned flush against one another (vs. point loading) for maximum engagement. Each load transfer surface 42 is dimensioned to match a portion of the interior periphery of the recess 28 such that, when the base section 12, middle section 14 and upper section 16 are straightened relative to one another (FIG. 1), the loads exerted upon the strike plate 20 are transferred or otherwise distributed to the middle section 14. Preferably, there should be no or negligible gap between the load transfer surface 42 of the strike plate 20 and the inner periphery of the recess 28 of the middle section 14. The retaining side surfaces 48 are dimensioned to match a corresponding section within the recess 28, although there may be a slight gap therebetween because this surface does not act to transfer loads as with the load transfer surface 42.

Although shown mounted via threaded screws 25, it will be appreciated that each strike plate 18, 20, 22 may be secured within the corresponding recess in any number of suitable fashions, including but not limited to adhesive (e.g. epoxy, super glue, etc. . . . ) and/or one or more machine screws dimensioned to extend through apertures formed in the strike plates into threaded holes formed within the corresponding hinge section.

When the hinge assembly 10 is straightened as shown in FIG. 1, each adjacent abutment surface 40 will be contacting one another (preferably in a parallel manner with maximum contact area between each abutment surface) to define the first abutment joint 11 (contact region) between the hinge base 12 and the middle hinge 14, and the second abutment joint 13 (contact region) between the middle hinge 14 and upper hinge 16. The first and second contact regions 11, 13 are disposed generally along the upper surface of the hinge assembly 10 such that only the strike plates 18, 20 and 20, 22 will be contacting on another along the upper region of the hinge assembly 10. In this manner, the underlying material used to construct the base section 12, middle section 14, and upper section 16 will be less likely to be deformed over time due to repetitive use. This is especially the case if the material used for the base section 12, middle section 14 and/or upper section 16 is softer or less durable than the material used for the strike plates 18, 20, 22. For example, if Aluminum is used for the hinge base 12, middle link 14 and/or upper link 16, then strike plates 18, 20, 22 made from hardened steel would bolster the overall durability of the hinge assembly 10 over time, given that the loads would be borne by the strike plates 18, 20, 22 and transferred into the respective hinge components, as opposed to having Aluminum bear those loads and deform over time.

As shown in FIGS. 20-25, the hinge assembly may be equipped with an optional adjustability feature that allows the position of one or more of the strike plates 18, 22 to be selectively adjusted to: a) ensure the spacing between the strike plates 18, 20, 22 is optimally zero, as in the strike plates 18, 20, 22 are in physical and substantially flush abutment when the hinge assembly 10 is fully deployed as shown in FIG. 1; and/or b) ensure the upper surfaces of the base section 12, middle section 14 and upper section 16) are substantially co-planar and flat relative to one another when the hinge assembly 10 is fully deployed as shown in FIG. 1. In the absence of this adjustability feature, the machining tolerances must be maintained at extremely tight levels. Reliance of such tight tolerances can give rise to instances where an unwanted gap may exist between the strike plates 18, 20, 22 during hinge assembly. Without the ability to adjust the strike plates 18, 20, 22 into abutment (preferably substantially flush abutment), two potential issues arise. First, the upper surfaces of the hinge base 12, middle section 14, and/or upper section 16 may be out of coplanar alignment after assembly of the hinge 10. Second, if a gap exists between the strike plates 18, 20, 22, then the hinge assembly 10 may hyper-extend (that is, yield upwards) if upward forces are applied to the bottom of the base section 12 and/or upper section 16 while maintaining the middle section 14 static.

By way of example only, hinge adjustability is accomplished by adding a pair of set screws in the base section 12 and upper section 16. More specifically, the base section 12 and upper section 16 are each equipped with longitudinal bores 60, 70, respectively, each having a proximal end and a distal end and extending generally parallel to the upper surface of the base section 12 and upper section 16. The distal ends of each longitudinal bore 60, 70 intersect the strike plate recesses 24, 30 in the base section 12 and upper section 16, respectively. The proximal ends of each longitudinal bore 60, 70, along with a majority of each longitudinal bore 60, 70, are smooth and non-threaded while the interior of each longitudinal bore 60, 70 is threaded near the distal ends. The threaded distal section of each longitudinal bore 60, 70 is dimensioned to receive a set screw capable of being selectively driven inward or outward with an elongated driver (e.g. hex driver) that is passed from the distal end of each longitudinal bore 60, 70 for engagement with the respective set screw. Because the distal end of each longitudinal bore 60, 70 intersects the strike plate recesses 24, 30 in the base section 12 and upper section 16, the set screws may be selectively brought into contact with the strike plates 18, 22 and the position of each strike plate 18, 22 selectively adjusted to ensure there is no gap between the U-shaped strike plates 18, 22 and the H-shaped strike plate 20. In addition to adjusting for zero gap between the strike plates 18, 20, 22, the set screws may also be used to ensure the upper surfaces of the base section 12, middle section 14 and/or the upper section are co-planar and flat as possible.

The strike plates 18, 22 can be moved under force from the set screws to the optimal location and locked in place for robust, consistent operation. This may be facilitated by providing elongated recesses 26 in the strike plates 18, 22 for receiving the mounting screws 25 (see FIG. 1). From a workflow standpoint, the middle strike plate 20 is first mounted within the recess 28 via threaded screws 25. The strike plates 18, 22 are next introduced into the recesses 24, 30 and the mounting screws 25 are maintained in a loose state. A user may then selectively adjust the location of each U-shaped strike plate 18, 22 to ensure they are in flush abutment (i.e. zero gap) and optionally with each surface in co-planar state with the abutment surfaces 40 of the strike plate 20. Once positioned in the preferred location, the user may tighten the mounting screws to maintain the strike plates 18, 22 in the desired location. Optionally, if any gap exists between the load transfer surface 42 of the strike plates 18, 22 and the interior of the recesses 24, 30 due to the positional adjustment of the strike plates 18, 22, a user may desire to introduce one or more shims or other structures in the resulting gap. This may help maintain the strike plates in position during use of the hinge assembly over time, to ward against any deformation or translation that may occur in the set screws over time.

The adjustability feature described above provides the ability to ensure zero-gaps between the strike plates 18, 20, 22 of the hinge assembly 10, as well as co-planar surfaces of the hinge base 12, middle link 14, and upper link 16, during the process of assembling and setting up the hinge assembly 10. While described above using set screws within the longitudinal bores 60, 70 to selectively adjust the position of the strike plates 18, 22, it is also within the scope of the present invention to accomplish the strike plate adjustability via an externally driven manner, for example, a magnetically driven servo motor disposed within the base section 12 and/or upper section 16 that can be selectively adjusted over time.

The hinge assembly 10 may be constructed from any number of suitable materials, including but not limited to metal (e.g. aluminum), carbon-fiber, plastic, etc. . . . manufactured via any suitable techniques, including but not limited to machining, molding, 3D printing, etc. . . . . The strike plates 18, 20, 22 are preferably made of a highly robust and durable material relative to the material of the hinge base, middle hinge, and upper hinge, such that the strike plates will not deform or otherwise get negatively impacted from repeated contact during the folding and unfolding over the lifetime of the foldable stringed instrument. By way of example only, the strike plates 18, 20, 22 may be constructed from tool-grade steel heat treated to achieve hardness RC, although it will be appreciated that any number of suitable materials and/or hardness and/or durometers may be employed without departing from the present invention.

Any of the features or attributes of the above the above described embodiments and variations can be used in combination with any of the other features and attributes of the above described embodiments and variations as desired. From the foregoing disclosure and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments, it is also apparent that various modifications, additions and other alternative embodiments are possible without departing from the true scope and spirit. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the present invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the benefit to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly with reinforced abutments, comprising: an upper hinge member, a lower hinge member, and a middle hinge member hingedly coupled between said upper hinge member and said lower hinge member via a first connecting pin linking the upper hinge member to the middle hinge member and a second connecting pin linking the lower hinge member to the middle hinge member such that said hinge assembly is configured to be positioned into a straightened state and a folded state;the upper hinge member having a first strike plate and at least one connecting pin bore dimensioned to receive said first connecting pin;the lower hinge member having a second strike plate and at least one connecting pin bore dimensioned to receive said second connecting pin;the middle hinge member having a third strike plate, a fourth strike plate, at least one connecting bore dimensioned to receive said first connecting pin, and at least one connecting bore dimensioned to receive said second connecting pin;a first abutment joint formed between an abutment surface of said first strike plate of said upper hinge member and an abutment surface of said third strike plate of said middle hinge member when said upper hinge member and said middle hinge member are in said straightened state; anda second abutment joint formed between an abutment surface of said second strike plate of said lower hinge member and an abutment surface of said fourth strike plate of said middle hinge member when said lower hinge member and said middle hinge member are in said straightened state;wherein said first abutment joint is configured to be selectively opened by rotating said upper hinge member relative to said middle hinge member and said second abutment joint is configured to be selectively opened by rotating said lower hinge member relative to said middle hinge member when said upper hinge member, said lower hinge member, and said middle hinge member are positioned into said folded state; andwherein said middle hinge member further comprises a third recess, said third strike plate is dimensioned to fit within said third recess of said middle hinge member, said third recess having a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said third strike plate.

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first strike plate is adjustable relative to said upper hinge member and said second strike plate is adjustable relative to said lower hinge member.

3. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said third strike plate and said fourth strike plate are integrally connected.

4. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said upper hinge member further comprises a first recess, said first strike plate is dimensioned to fit within said first recess of said upper hinge member, said first recess having a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said first strike plate.

5. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said lower hinge member further comprises a second recess, said second strike plate is dimensioned to fit within said second recess of said lower hinge member, said second recess having a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said second strike plate.

6. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said middle hinge member further comprises a fourth recess, said fourth strike plate is dimensioned to fit within said fourth recess of said middle hinge member, said fourth recess having a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said fourth strike plate.

7. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said first strike plate is configured to be coupled to said upper hinge member via at least one of an adhesive and a machine screw.

8. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said second strike plate is configured to be coupled to said lower hinge member via at least one of an adhesive and a machine screw.

9. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said third strike plate and said fourth strike plate is configured to be coupled to said middle hinge member via at least one of an adhesive and a machine screw.

10. A hinge assembly with reinforced abutments, comprising: an upper hinge member, a middle hinge member, a lower hinge member, a first connecting pin for coupling said upper hinge member to said middle hinge member, and a second connecting pin for coupling said middle hinge member to said lower hinge member such that said hinge assembly is configured to be positioned into a straightened state and a folded state;said upper hinge member having a first strike plate with an abutment surface that is generally perpendicular to an upper surface of said upper hinge member and that extends a majority of a width of said upper hinge member;said lower hinge member having a second strike plate with an abutment surface that is generally perpendicular to an upper surface of said lower hinge member and that extends a majority of a width of said lower hinge member;said middle hinge member having a third strike plate and a fourth strike plate, wherein each of said third strike plate and said fourth strike plate has an abutment surface that is generally perpendicular to an upper surface of said middle hinge member and that extends a majority of a width of said middle hinge member;wherein a first abutment joint is formed between said abutment surface of said first strike plate and said abutment surface of said third strike plate when said upper hinge member and said middle hinge member are in said straightened state with said upper surface of said upper hinge member generally co-planar with said upper surface of said middle hinge member;wherein a second abutment joint is formed between said abutment surface of said second strike plate and said abutment surface of said fourth strike plate when said lower hinge member and said middle hinge member are in said straightened state with said upper surface of said lower hinge member generally co-planar with said upper surface of said middle hinge member;wherein said first abutment joint is configured to be selectively opened by rotating said upper hinge member relative to said middle hinge member and said second abutment joint is configured to be selectively opened by rotating said lower hinge member relative to said middle hinge member when said upper hinge member, said middle hinge member, and said lower hinge member are positioned into said folded state; andwherein said middle hinge member further comprises a third recess, said third strike plate is dimensioned to fit within said third recess of said middle hinge member, said third recess having a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said third strike plate.

11. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein at least one of said first strike plate is adjustable relative to said upper hinge member and said second strike plate is adjustable relative to said lower hinge member.

12. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein said third strike plate and said fourth strike plate are integrally connected.

13. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein said upper hinge member further comprises a first recess, said first recess of said upper hinge member has a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said first strike plate.

14. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein said lower hinge member further comprises a second recess, said second recess of said lower hinge member has a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said second strike plate.

15. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein said middle hinge member further comprises a fourth recess, said fourth recess of said middle hinge member has a perimeter and shape that approximates at least a portion of said fourth strike plate.

16. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein said first strike plate is coupled to said upper hinge member via at least one of an adhesive and a machine screw.

17. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein said second strike plate may be coupled to said lower hinge member via at least one of an adhesive and a machine screw.

18. The hinge assembly of claim 10, wherein each of said third strike plate and said fourth strike plate may be coupled to said middle hinge member via at least one of an adhesive and a machine screw.