US3255484A

US3255484A - Door hinge

Info

Publication number: US3255484A
Application number: US472624A
Authority: US
Inventors: Macdonald Robert Douglas
Original assignee: BILDWEL CO
Current assignee: BILDWEL CO
Priority date: 1965-07-16
Filing date: 1965-07-16
Publication date: 1966-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-14

Description

June 14, 1966 R, MacDONALD 3,255,484 7 DOOR HINGE Filed July 16, 1965 I NVENTOR. #05527 0 Mafia/440 Fig-l BY @M? Arrow/E v5 by also serves as an axis or pivot therefor.

3,255,484 DOOR HINGE Robert Douglas MacDonald, Adrian, Mich, assignor to Bildwel Company, Adrian,'Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed July 16, 1965, Ser. No. 472,624 7 Claims. (Cl. 16-18tl) This application is a continuation-in-part application of my co-pending application, Serial No. 235,217, entitled Latchless Door Hinge, filed November 5, 1962, now Patent No. 3,205,532.

This invention relates to an improved hinge for latchless doors, which hinge is capable of urging a door toward and beyond its closed position, and more particularly to such a hinge having an improved pressure member through which the closing force is applied.

Hinges of the type to which the present invention relates are designed to keep a door tightly closed without the use of any latch whatsoever and are primarily designed for use with cabinet doors, such as those of kitchen cabinets. One portion of the hinge has a spring carrying a pressure member which contacts an engageable part on a second portion of the hinge as the door moves toward the closed position in a manner such that the door is urged beyond its closed position. Hence, when the door is closed, it is continuously urged against a door stop attached to the door or the cabinet frame so that no latch is required. The elimination of the latch substantially reduces the cost of the cabinet by eliminating the cost of the latch and the cost of installing it, the latter frequently requiring considerable time in order to assure that the latch components are aligned properly. Further, the latch components often become misaligned during changes in the weather, for example, so that readjustment is periodically required. Misalignment of the latch components also occurs during settling of the building wail supporting the cabinet. The components also fail to catch properly to latch the door as the components become worn.

The new hinges further have the advantage that the door with which they are used is closed tightly without bouncing, even when it is slammed shut.

The new latchless door hinge incorporates a unique pressure member which includes a plastic core rotatably held on a part of the spring used in the hinge and a metal sheath or sleeve around the plastic core. The new pressure member rolls freely on the hingespring which there- The combination of the plastic body and the metal sheath eliminates the excessive wear which has heretofore occurred with plastic pressure members. These members have had a tendency to skid relative to the other portion of the hinge with which they are in contact, with the result that the plastic members wear excessively at the point. of contact, rather than rolling with the hinge portion. The new combination pressure member also is a substantial improvement over all-metal pressure members which cause early breaking of the spring, apparently due to metal fatigue or wear of the spring as the pressure member rotates thereon.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an improved latchless door hinge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latchless door hinge with a composite pressure member which reduces wear and provides a longer life for the hinge.

Many other objects and advantages of the invention will'be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in horizontal cross section through a cabinet and showing a cabinet frame, a cabinet door, and

a latchless door hinge embodying the invention;

United States Patent "Ice FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the hinge shown in FIG. 1, with the hinge in a closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the hinge shown in FIG. 2, with the hinge in an open position;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the hinge, showing the various parts thereof;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side view in elevation showing the hinge parts of FIG. 4 in assembled relationship;

FIG. 6 is a view in vertical cross section through a composite roller of the door hinge showing a fragmentary portion of a hinge spring; and

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of the composite roller shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, a cabinet of the type commonly found in kitchens is indicated at 10 in FIG. 1 and includes

sides

12 and 14 and side frame members 16 and 18 forming a door opening 20. A door 22 of the lip type covers the opening and has

lips

24 and 26 extending beyond the opening 20 in front of the frame members 16 and 18 with upper'and lower lips (not shown) at the top and bottom of the door 22 similarly extending beyond the upper and lower edges of the opening 20. A stop 28- of suitable resilient matei'ial such as felt spaces the door lip 26 from the frame member 18 while a latchless door hinge indicated at 30 spaces the lip 24 from the side frame member 16. The

inwardly extending portion of the door 22 which extends into the opening 20 is smaller than the opening 20 so that the entire door 22 is spaced from the frame members of the cabinet 10. This enables considerable variations in the dimensions of the'opening and the door, with the door still covering the entire opening.

Referring to FIGS. 2-5, the latchless door hinge 30, two or more of which are employed along the hinge edge of the door 22, includes a first portion 32 which is attached to the side frame member 16 and a second portion 34 which is aflixed to the inner surface of the door and to the lip 24. The first portion 32 includes a back plate 36 having openings 38 therein to receive screws 40 (FIG. 1) which are turned into the frame member 16 to aflix the first hinge portion 32 thereto. A pair of

side tabs

42 and 44 extend outwardly from the back plate 36 and terminate in hinge pin sleeves 46 and 48. Intermediate the

side tabs

42 and 44 are a pair of spring-retaining

ears

50 and 52 which extend outwardly from the back plate 36 a distance only about half that of the

tabs

42 and 44.

A spring cover 54- (FIG. 4) includes a web 56 offset from a pair of end plates S 8 and 60 having retaining tabs 62 and 64. Th web 56 is of a length substantially equal to the distance between the

tabs

42 and 44 so as to cover the gap therebetween and provide a neater appearance for the hinge. The

end plates

58 and 60 fit immediately inside the

tabs

42 and 44 with the retaining tabs 62 and 64 extending beyond the back plate 36, when assembled.

The second hinge portion 34 includes an offset hinge plate 66 designed to fit with the lip door 22, as shown in FIG. 1. The plate 66 includes a plurality of circular openings 68 to receive screws 70 (FIG. 1) by means of which the plate is afiixed to the inner surface of the door 22. The hinge portion 34 also includes an intermediate tab 72 terminating in an intermediate hinge pin sleeve 74 which is aligned with the bearing sleeves 46 and 48 when assembled therewith to receive a hinge pin 76. The width of the tab 72 is slightly less than the distance between the

tabs

42 and 44. The bearing sleeve 74 has a notch 78 along an edge thereof with the notch formingan edge or engageable part 80 extending the length of the notch. A cylindrical pressure member or roller 82 is rotatably mounted on an intermediate portion of a-resilient spring spring rod 84 terminating in doubled-back end portions 86 and 88. Part of the doubled-back end portions 86 and 88 extend beyond the

ears

50 and 52 and are squeezed fo a sprung position as the pressure member 82 is forced .between the

ears

50 and 52 when the bearing sleeve 74 is forced against the pressure member and into alignment with the

sleeves

44 and 46 so that the hinge pin 76 can be assembled. The spring rod 84 then urges the pressure member 82 outwardly toward the intermediate sleeve 74. The doubled-backends 86 and 88- of the spring 84 enable a substantial force to be placed on the sleeve by the pressure member 82, much more than is possible with many other types of springs.

With the door open, the pressure member 82 is forced against and rolls on the arcuate portion of the intermediate sleeve 74 with the pressure of the pressure me-mber tending to help the door stay in any predetermined open position. This tends to prevent, except in extreme cases, the door from swinging shut or more fully open due to a slightly slanted position of the cabinet frame, or to breezes, or to accidental bumping, by Way of example. As the door is moved toward a closed position, the pressure member 82 will roll over the engageable edge 80 and partially into the notch 78. During this movement, the only contact of the pressure member with the second hinge portion 34 is through the edge 80 and the force of the pressure member 82 is directed to one side of the axis of the hinge pin 7 6 which causes the door to move toward the closed position. Hence, when the door moves beyond a predetermined position toward the closed position, the hinge will, through the force of the spring rod 84 and the pressure member 82, move the door fully to the closed position and continue to urge it beyond this position. Further, due to the force of the spring, the door will not bounce if slammed shut as will conventional doors but rather will remain in the closed position, with only the minutest bouncing effect resulting under the most severe slamming.

A considerable amount of pressure is placed on the pressure member 82 as it is squeezed between the spring rod 84 and the intermediate sleeve 74. Previously, the pressure member 82 has been made of plastic material which has operated satisfactorily from the standpoint of not marring the intermediate sleeve 74 or otherwise damaging the hinge. However, it has been found that a plastic pressure member tends to slide on the hinge pin sleeve rather than rolling thereon, with the result that the pressure member wears and, with further wear, more sliding and less rolling occurs. As the surface of the pressure member wears and flattens further, the hinge tends towork improperly because the pressure member does not contact the engageabl'eedge 80 in the desired manner. In addition, the force of the spring is decreased as the part of the pressure member between the spring and the sleeve becomes thinner, and eventually the pressure member will Wear through. On the other hand, previous attempts have been made to use a pressure member entirely of metal. This again has met with unsatisfactory results, primarily because the metal tends to cause the pressure member to wear the spring rod at the portion on which it rotates and causes the spring rod to break, either through wear or metal fatigue.

In accordance with the invention, the pressure member 82 is found to be entirely satisfactory when made of a composite structure. As shown, the pressure member 82' includes a central annular core or body 90 of plastic material which is in contact with and rotates on the spring rod 84. Around the plastic core 90 is a metal sleeve 92 which is suitably affixed to and is functionally integral with the plastic core 90. As shown, the sleeve 92 is force fitted on the plastic core 90. The composite pressure member 82 overcomes the above defects of either an all plastic or an all metal pressure member. The new member does not cause the spring rod 84 to break, apparently because of the plastic core 90 which provides some resiliency for the pressure member relative to the spring rod, The sleeve 92, on the other hand, rolls on i the sleeve 74 without slip so as not to wear unduly at any one portion nor to mar the intermediate'sleeve 74 due to sliding of the two members, one relative to the other.

In a preferred form, the plastic core and the sleeve 92 are of substantially equal length and are slightly shorter than the length of the notch 78 so as to fit therein without difficulty. The pressure member also is shorter than the distance between the

ears

50 and 52 so as to fit therebetween and freely rotate on the rod 84.

The core 90, in a preferred form, can be made of a slippery plastic material; One such suitable material is available from Liquid Nitrogen Products of Malvern, Pennsylvania, under the name Fulton 404',v this material being of a silicone material with fifteen percent Teflon. The sleeve 92 preferably is of stainless steel. The upper end of the sleeve 92, as shown in FIGS. 6 and. 7, preferably is rounded to facilitate assembly of the core and sleeve and. the lower end of the sleeve is slightly rounded for manufacturing purposes. The rounded end portions also reduce the possibility of their tending to groove the bearing sleeve. The wall thickness of the sleeve is much less than that of the core with the wall thickness of the core being from approximately one-and-one-half times to five times the thickness of the sleeve 92. If the ratio exceeds this, the sleeve may be too thin and will deform and slide relative to the hinge pin sleeve and, hence, may wear through and also mar the hinge pin sleeve. On the other hand, if the ratio is too low, the plastic core may not be of sufficient thickness to protect the spring rod,

which will then fail due to wear or fatigue.

Various modifications of the above described embodiment of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing'from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1'. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close without a latch, said hinge comprising a first portion and a second portion, a hinge pin pivotally connecting said first and said second portions, said first portion including means to receive a fastener for attaching said first portion to one ofsaid frame and said door and spaced hinge pin bearing sleeves extending from said fastener-receiving means and receiving said hinge pin, said second hinge portion including second means to receive a fastener for attaching said second portion to the other of said door and said frame and an intermediate hinge pin bearing sleeve extending from said second fastener-receiving means and receiving an intermediate portion of said hinge pin, said intermediate bearing sleeve having an arcuate surface and a recess forming an edge with saidsurface, spring means having end portions held by said first hinge portion and having an intermediate por-tionurged toward said intermediate bearing sleeve, a cylindrical pressure member mounted on the intermediate portion of said spring means, said pressure member being urged against said arcuate surface of said intermediate bearing sleeve when said door is open and said pressure member moving beyond said edge and partially into said recess when said door is moved toward a closed position, said cylindrical pressure member constituting a cylindrical plastic body having a central passage rotatably received on said spring means and 'a metal sleeve around said'plastic body and aflixedthereto.

2. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close without a latch, said hinge comprising a first portion and a second portion, a hinge pin pivotally connecting said first and said second portions, said first portion including means to receive a fastener for attaching said first portion to one of said frame and said door and a first hinge pin bearing sleeve extending from said fastener-receiving means and receiving saidhinge pin, said second hinge portion including second means to receive a fastener for attaching said second portion to the other of said door and said frame and a second hinge pin bearing sleeve extending from said second fastener-receiving means and receiving a portion of said hinge pin, said second bearing sleeve having an arcuate surface and engageable mean-s, an elongate spring having an end portion held by said first hinge portion and having a spaced portion urged toward said second bearing sleeve, a cylindrical pressure member mounted on the spaced portion of said spring, said pressure member being urged against said arcuate surface of said second bearing sleeve when said door is open and said pressure member engaging said engageable means when said door is moved toward a closed position, said cylindrical pressure member constituting a cylindrical plastic body having a central passage rotatably received on said spring means and a metal sleeve around said plastic body and afiixed thereto.

3. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close without a latch, said hinge comprising a first portion and a second portion, a hinge pin pivotally connecting said first and said second portions, said first portion including means to receive a fastener for attaching said first portion to one of said frame and said door and a first hinge pin bearing-sleeve extending from said fastener-receiving means and receiving said hinge pin, said second hinge portion having second means to receive a fastener for attaching said second portion to the other of said door and said frame and a second hinge pine bearing sleeve extending from said second fastener-receiving means and receiving a portion of said hinge pin, said second bearing sleeve including engageable means, an elongate spring having a portion held by said first hinge portion and having a spaced portion urged toward said second bearing sleeve, a cylindrical pressure member mounted on the spaced portion of said spring, said pressure member being urged against said engageable means of said second bearing sleeve when said door is moved toward a closed position, said cylindrical pressure member constituting a cylindrical plastic body having a central passage rotatably received on said spring means and a metal sleeve around said plastic body and affixed thereto.

4. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close without a latch, said hinge comprising a first portion and a second portion, a hinge pin pivotally connecting said first and said second portions, said first portion including means to receive a fastener for attaching said first portion to one of said frame and said door, said first portion also having means extending from said fastener means and receiving said hinge pin, said second hinge portion having second means to receive a fastener for attaching said second portion to the other of said door and said frame, said second hinge portion having additional means for receiving a portion of said hinge pin, said second portion also including engageable means, an elongate spring having a portion held by said first hinge portion and a spaced portion urged toward said engageable means, a cylindrical pressure member mounted on the spaced portion of said spring and urged against said engageable means when said door is moved toward a closed position, said cylindrical pressure member constituting a cylindrical plastic body having a central passage rotatably received on said spaced portion of said spring and a metal sleeve mounted on said plastic body.

5. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close without a latch, said hinge comprising a first portion and a second portion pivotally connected together, said first portion including means to receive a fastener for attaching said first portion to one of said frame and said door, said first portion also having means extending from said fastener means and receiving said hinge pin, said second hinge portion having a second means to receive a fastener for attaching said second portion to the other of said door and said frame, said second hinge portion having additional means for receiving a portion of said hinge pin, said second portion forming an arcuate surface and engageable means, an elongate spring having a portion held by said first hinge portion and a spaced portion urged toward said arcuate surface and said engageable means, a cylindrical pressure member mounted on the spaced portion of said spring and urged against said arcuate surface and said engageable means when said door is moved, said cylindrical pressure member constituting a cylindrical plastic body having a central passage rotatably received on said spaced portion of said spring and a metal sleeve mounted on said plastic body.

6. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close without a latch, said hinge comprising a first portion and a second portion, means pivotally connecting said first portion and said second portion, said first portion including means for attaching said first portion to one of said frame and said door, said second hinge portion including second means for attaching said second portion to the other of said door and said frame, a resilient rod having at least one portion held by said first hinge portion and having a second portion urged toward the second hinge portion, a cylindrical pressure member mounted on the second portion of said resilient rod, said pressure member being urged against a portion of said second hinge portion when the door is moved toward a closed position, to urge the door to and beyond the closed position, said cylindrical pressure member constituting a cylindrical plastic body havinga central passage rotatably received on said second portion of said resilient rod and a metal sleeve mounted on said plastic body.

7. A hinge to pivotally connect a door to a frame so that the door will close without a latch, said hinge comprising a first portion and a second portion, means pivotally connecting said first portion and said second portion, a resilient rod having at least one portion held by said first hinge portion and having a second portion urged toward the second hinge portion, a cylindrical pressure member mounted on the second portion of said resilient rod, said pressure member being urged against a portion of said second'hinge portion when the door is moved toward a closed position, to urged the door to and beyond the closed position, said cylindrical pressure member constituting a cylindrical plastic body having a central passage rotatably received on said second portion of said resilient rod and a metal sleeve mounted on said plastic body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,811,740 11/1957 Bevilacqua "16-142 FOREIGN PATENTS 270,694 1/ 1928 Great Britain.

JOSEPH SEERS, Primary Examiner.

D. L. BURGESS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

7. A HINGE TO PIVOTALLY CONNECT A DOOR TO A FRAME SO THAT THE DOOR WILL CLOSE WITHOUT A LATCH, SAID HINGE COMPRISING A FIRST PORTION AND A SECOND PORTION, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID FIRST PORTION AND SAID SECOND PORTION, A RESILIENT ROD HAVING AT LEAST ONE PORTION HELD BY SAID FIRST HINGE PORTION AND HAVING A SECOND PORTION URGED TOWARD THE SECOND HINGE PORTION, A CYLINDRICAL PRESSURE MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE SECOND PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT ROD, SAID PRESSURE MEMBER BEING URGED AGAINST A PORTION OF SAID SECOND HINGE PORTION WHEN THE DOOR IS MOVED TOWARD A CLOSED POSITION, TO URGED THE DOOR TO AND BEYOND THE CLOSED POSITION, SAID CYLINDRICAL PRESSURE MEMBER CONSTITUTING A CYLINDRICAL PLASTIC BODY HAVING A CENTRAL PASSAGE ROTATABLY RECEIVED ON SAID SECOND POERTION OF SAID RESILIENT ROD AND A METAL SLEEVE MOUNTED ON SAID PLASTIC BODY.