Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6568035
-
Patent Number
6,568,035
-
Date Filed
Monday, March 26, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 27, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Knight; Anthony
- Hutton; Doug
Agents
- Modiano; Guido
- Josif; Albert
- O'Byrne; Dadniel
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 016 370
- 016 288
- 016 287
- 016 286
- 016 302
- 016 308
- 312 1381
- 312 326
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
An improved sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements is of the type comprising a first articulated quadrilateral and a second articulated quadrilateral which share a first lever and a second lever, and at least first and second elastic elements arranged in series which act on mutually opposite parts of each one of the quadrilaterals, the first lever being formed monolithically.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements, particularly for elements which, in passing from the closed configuration to the open configuration and vice versa, rotate about a substantially horizontal or inclined hinge axis.
Such hinge can be used, for example, to determine the snap opening and closure of doors or leaves of pieces of furniture, caravan cabinets and bins.
Sprung hinges are known which have a double articulated quadrilateral element and two enclosed springs being arranged in series and acting on opposite parts of each one of said two quadrilateral elements.
The two articulated quadrilateral elements share a first lever and a second lever and their base elements are respectively a coupling plate, adapted to be fixed to a fixed component of the piece of furniture (cabinet, bin), and a plate for fixing to the panel-like element.
The first lever is constituted by an elongated body, at one end of which a removable support is coupled by interlocking; the end of the enclosure of one of the two springs acts on said support and the opposite end of the enclosure is anchored to the coupling plate.
The element for articulation between the support and the end of the enclosure is constituted by a pivot on which the shaped bottom of the enclosure engages by rotation.
These hinges are not devoid of drawbacks, including the fact that the first lever is formed in two separate parts, i.e. a body and a support which interlock one another so as to constitute a rigid assembly, and have to be manufactured and machined separately and precisely, consequently increasing production times and costs.
Another drawback of conventional hinges consists in that the element for articulation between the support and the spring enclosure is constituted by a pivot which has to be manufactured, machined and treated separately from the structure of the support and has to be riveted on assembly, and this further increases the production costs of the hinges.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the above-noted drawbacks of conventional hinges, by providing an improved sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements which allows to simplify the manufacture of the elements that constitute it, to eliminate the execution of secondary treatments and machinings of said elements, and to reduce production and assembly times and costs.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a sprung hinge which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and relatively low in cost.
This aim and this and other objects which will become better apparent are achieved by the present improved sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements, of the type comprising a first articulated quadrilateral and a second articulated quadrilateral which share a first lever and a second lever and at least first and second elastic means arranged in series which act on mutually opposite parts of each one of said quadrilaterals, characterized in that said first lever is formed monolithically.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an improved sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a sectional side view of a hinge according to the invention, applied to two panel-like elements in the open configuration;
FIG. 2
is a sectional side view of the hinge of
FIG. 1
, with the elements in the closed configuration;
FIG. 3
is a side view of the first lever of the hinge according to the invention;
FIG. 4
is a top view of the first lever of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a side view of the coupling plate of the hinge according to the invention;
FIG. 6
is a plan view of the plate of
FIG. 5
;
FIG. 7
is a side view of the second lever of the hinge according to the invention;
FIG. 8
is a top view of the second lever of FIG.
7
.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to the figures,
1
generally designates an improved sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements.
The hinge
1
comprises two articulated quadrilaterals, sharing a first lever
2
and a second lever
3
, and at least first elastic means
4
and second elastic means
5
being arranged in series and acting on mutually opposite sides of each one of the two quadrilaterals.
The first lever
2
is formed monolithically, while the first and second elastic means
4
and
5
are constituted by two mutually opposite elements, a lower one and an upper one, which act as a guide and support for a spring.
In the illustrated embodiment, the mutually opposite elements are constituted respectively by bottoms
6
a
and
6
b
and tops
7
a
and
7
b
, each of which being slideable in the corresponding bottom, between which a respective spring
8
a
and
8
b
is contained.
The assemblies formed by a bottom, a top and a spring (
6
a
,
7
a
,
8
a
and
6
b
,
7
b
,
8
b
) constitute two elastic telescopic enclosures.
In the first elastic means
4
, the top
7
a
is anchored to a coupling plate
9
and the bottom
6
a
is articulated to the first lever
2
.
In the second elastic means
5
, the top
7
b
is anchored to the arm
10
of the second articulated quadrilateral and the bottom
6
b
is articulated to the second lever
3
.
The first lever
2
has an end which is extended by two lug-shaped tabs
11
towards the coupling plate
9
and is articulated to the bottom element
6
a
in order to receive the thrust of the first elastic means
4
.
The ends of the lug-shaped tabs
11
are connected one another by a connecting bridge
12
which is monolithic with said tabs and is rotationally coupled to the bottom
6
a
of the elastic means
4
.
Advantageously, the outer surface of the connecting bridge
12
is shaped for coupling to the corresponding lower recess formed in the bottom
6
a.
The coupling plate
9
(
FIGS. 5 and 6
) is constituted by two fixing bases
13
, from which respective side walls
14
extend; said side walls are connected one another by an offset protruding lower bridge
15
.
The coupling plate
9
is anchored to an upper panel-like element
16
in a substantially vertical position thanks to the coupling holes
17
formed in the fixing bases
13
.
Three holes are formed in each side wall
14
: two lower ones
18
and
19
, which are formed at the bridge
15
, and an upper one
20
, which is arranged opposite the lower holes
18
and
19
.
The holes
18
of the two side walls
14
, lying proximate to the bridge
15
, allow articulated coupling between the coupling plate
9
and the first lever
2
in the pivot
21
; the holes
19
, which are further spaced with respect to the bridge
15
, allow the articulated connection of the coupling plate
9
to the arm
22
in the pivot
23
.
A pivot
24
is inserted in the upper holes
20
and is rotationally coupled to the top
7
a
; thereby the first elastic means
4
act between the pivot
24
and the connecting bridge
12
and transmit the thrust to the first lever
2
.
The first lever
2
is constituted by a body
25
having two side walls
26
which are connected by a central bridge
27
and have respective arms
28
protruding on the opposite side with respect to the lug-shaped tabs
11
.
The ends of the tabs
11
are interconnected by the connecting bridge
12
and the body
25
is constituted by a single part.
Each side wall
26
has at least three holes: a first hole
29
, which is formed proximate to the tab
11
for the insertion of the pivot
21
that articulates the first lever
2
to the coupling plate
9
; a second intermediate hole
30
, for the insertion of a pivot
31
for the articulation of the first lever
2
to the second lever
3
; and a third end hole
32
, which is formed in the arm
28
for the articulated coupling of the first lever
2
to the arm
10
in the pivot
33
.
The second lever
3
(
FIGS. 7 and 8
) is constituted by two side walls
34
which are interconnected by dorsal bridges
35
and in which there are provided four holes: an end hole
36
, for the insertion of a pivot
37
for the articulation of the second lever
3
to a fixing plate
38
; a hole
39
, for the insertion of a pivot
40
for mutually coupling the second lever
3
and the arm
22
; a hole
41
, in which the pivot
31
is inserted; and a hole
42
, in which a pivot
43
, which rotationally couples to the bottom
6
b
of the second elastic means
5
, can be inserted.
Alternatively, the pivot
43
can be replaced with a ventral bridge, which is not shown.
In the second elastic means
5
, the top
7
b
is articulated to the pivot
33
; accordingly, said means act between the arm
10
and the second lever
3
, resting respectively in the pivots
33
and
43
, and transmit the thrust to the first lever
2
about the pivot
31
.
The first articulated quadrilateral is constituted by the coupling plate
9
, the arm
22
, the second lever
3
and the first lever
2
, which are articulated in the pivots
23
,
40
,
31
and
21
respectively; the second articulated quadrilateral is constituted by the fixing plate
38
, the arm
10
, the first lever
2
and the second lever
3
, which are articulated in the pivots
44
,
33
,
31
and
37
respectively.
The fixing plate
38
is anchored to the lower panel-like element
45
, shown in the open configuration in FIG.
1
and in the closed configuration in FIG.
2
.
Accordingly, the forces applied by the first elastic means
4
on the connecting bridge
12
and the forces applied by the second elastic means
5
on the pivot
43
affect the first lever
2
.
The first lever
2
is provided as a single part whose length is such as to provide an arm being long enough to integrate the thrust for supporting the lower panel-like element
45
, particularly supporting its weight when it is in the horizontal configuration with respect to the fixed vertical upper element
16
.
In an alternative embodiment, not shown, the elastic means
4
and
5
can be constituted by two springs being arranged in parallel between the lower and upper guiding and supporting elements.
In practice it has been observed that the sprung hinge according to the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.
The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. MO2000U000017 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
- 1. A sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements, comprising:a first articulated quadrilateral and a second articulated quadrilateral which share a first lever and a second lever; a coupling plate connectable to a panel-like closure element; and at least first and second elastic means, arranged in series, which act on mutually opposite parts of each one of said quadrilaterals; and wherein said at least first and second elastic means comprise each at least one spring and two mutually opposed elements, said two mutually opposed elements including a bottom element and a top element for guiding and supporting said at least one spring, said top element of said first elastic means being anchored to said coupling plate and said bottom element of said first elastic means being articulated to said first lever, said top element of said second elastic means being anchored to an arm of said second quadrilateral and said bottom element of said second elastic means being articulated to said second lever; and said first lever has, at a first end thereof, two lug-shaped tabs that extend toward said coupling plate, said tabs being adapted to be articulated to the bottom element of said first elastic means.
- 2. The hinge of claim 1, wherein said first lever is provided with a bridge for joining ends of said lug-shaped tabs, said bridge being monolithic with said tabs and having an outer surface thereof which is shaped for rotary coupling with the bottom element of said first elastic means.
- 3. The hinge of claim 1, wherein said first lever is constituted by a body comprising two side walls which have respective wall arms protruding on a side opposite with respect to said lug-shaped tabs, each one of said side walls being provided with at least three holes said three holes including a first hole located at said tab for articulated coupling to said coupling plate, an intermediate second hole, for articulated coupling to said second lever, and a third hole located proximate to an end of the respective wall arm for articulated coupling with the arm of said second quadrilateral.
- 4. A sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements, comprising:a first articulated quadrilateral and a second articulated quadrilateral which share a first lever and a second lever; a coupling plate connectable to a panel-like closure element; and at least first and second elastic means, arranged in series, which act on mutually opposite parts of each one of said quadrilaterals; and wherein said at least first and second elastic means comprise each at least one spring and two mutually opposed elements, said two mutually opposed elements including a bottom element and a top element for guiding and supporting said at least one spring, said top element of said first elastic means being anchored to said coupling plate and said bottom element of said first elastic means being articulated to said first lever, said top element of said second elastic means being anchored to an arm of said second quadrilateral and said bottom element of said second elastic means being articulated to said second lever; and said first lever comprises two lug-shaped tabs, provided at a first end thereof so as to extend toward said coupling plate, and a bridge that joins said tabs, said bridge being coupled by a rotary coupling with the bottom element of said first elastic means.
- 5. The hinge of claim 4, wherein said first lever is constituted by a body comprising two side walls which have respective wall arms protruding on a side opposite with respect to said lug-shaped tabs, each one of said side wails being provided with at least three holes said three holes including a first hole located at said tab for articulated coupling to said coupling plate, an intermediate second hole, for articulated coupling to said second lever, and a third hole located proximate to an end of the respective wall arm for articulated coupling with arm of said second quadrilateral.
- 6. The hinge of claim 5, wherein said first lever with said side walls, said bridge and said wall arms has a monolithic structure.
- 7. A sprung hinge for supporting panel-like closure elements, comprising:a first articulated quadrilateral and a second articulated quadrilateral which share a first lever and a second lever; a coupling plate connectable to a panel-like closure element; and at least first and second elastic means, arranged in series, which act on mutually opposite parts of each one of said quadrilaterals: and wherein said at least first and second elastic means comprise each at least one spring and two mutually opposed elements, said two mutually opposed elements including a bottom element and a top element for guiding and supporting said at least one spring, said top element of said first elastic means being anchored to said coupling plate and said bottom element of said first elastic means being articulated to said first lever, said top element of said second elastic means being anchored to an arm of said second quadrilateral and said bottom element of said second elastic means being articulated to said second lever; and said first lever comprising: a body formed by two side walls; two lug-shaped tabs provided at respective first ends of said side walls so as to extend toward said coupling plate for articulation to the bottom element of said first elastic means; respective wall arms protruding at a second, opposite end of said side walls, one of said side walls being provided with at least three holes said three holes including a first hole located at a corresponding one of said tabs for articulated coupling to said coupling plate, an intermediate second hole, for articulated coupling to said second lever, and a third hole located proximate to an end of the respective wail aim for articulated coupling with the arm of said second quadrilateral.
- 8. The hinge of claim 7, wherein said first lever is further provided with a bridge which joins ends of said lug-shaped tabs, said bridge being monolithic with said tabs and having an outer surface thereof which is shaped for rotary coupling with the bottom element of said first elastic means.
- 9. The hinge of claim 8, wherein said first lever with said side walls, said bridge and said wall arms has a monolithic structure.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
MO2000U0017 |
Mar 2000 |
IT |
|
US Referenced Citations (9)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1 255 510 |
Jun 1961 |
FR |
96 18792 |
Jun 1996 |
WO |