AU2001100171A4 - Pin & socket pivoting hinge - Google Patents

Description

PIN SOCKET PIVOTING HINGE This invention relates to innovations in devices for hinging panels including doors, lids access panels but not excluding other forms of panels.

This invention has particular but not exclusive application to the furniture industry.

Many of the hinges in current use have the disadvantage that the method of fastening relies heavily on screws and other such fasteners as the primary form of fixing the hinge to a panel. The panels are often comprised of low to medium density materials whose ability to retain the screw can be unreliable.

If the screw becomes loose, the hinged panel can be rendered difficult or impossible to use. These problems are overcome by the present invention, in that no screws or other fasteners are required to securely fasten the hinge components to the panels. Due to advances in woodworking and other forms of component machinery, components can be machined and positioned precisely and accurately, enabling this form of hinge system to operate effectively without the need for fixing screws or other fasteners, or adjustment screws for the purpose of panel alignment.

Summary of Invention The present invention aims to provide an alternative to known hinging systems.

An embodiment of the present invention comprises two elements, heretofore referred to as the pin and the socket.

The pin consists of two discrete sections, heretofore referred to as the body and the neck. The body has two elongate slots extending longitudinally down two opposed sides. The slots are dimensioned to accommodate the material of the panel into which the pin will be housed. The said panel has a slot dimensioned to house the body of the pin. The said slot is located perpendicularly to the edge of the panel and extends longitudinally the same extent as the length of the body of the pin.

The neck of the pin is essentially cylindrical in shape. It is dimensioned such that the diameter of the cylinder does not exceed the lateral dimension of the slot in the panel into which the pin is to be housed.

The pin is housed in the panel such that the whole of the neck extends beyond the edge of the panel.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the socket consists of two discrete sections, heretofore referred to as the shoulder and the stem. The stem is to be housed in a recess in a panel, whereupon said panel is positioned perpendicularly to the planar direction of the panel in which the pin is housed.

The shoulder of the socket is dimensioned so as to exclude it from fitting into the aforementioned recess; thereby the whole of the shoulder extends beyond the planar surface of the panel into which the socket is housed.

A central cylindrical recess is located in the socket perpendicularly to the planar direction of the panel into which the socket is housed.

The said recess is dimensioned to wholly accept the neck of the pin with appropriate clearance such that the neck may freely rotate within the socket.

The neck is housed within the cylindrical recess of the socket such that the axis of rotation of the pin and the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recess of the socket are in true alignment. The panel in which the pin is housed is able to rotate up to 360 degrees through the axis of rotation of the pin.

In another possible embodiment of the invention, the socket may comprise a recess, appropriately dimensioned to house the neck of the pin, made directly into the panel perpendicularly opposed to the planar direction of the panel into which the pin is housed.

One method of fixing the pin to the panel, but not excluding other methods, is by the application of an adhesive to the interior surfaces of the longitudinal slots along the body, prior to housing the pin within the slot in the panel.

Similarly, the socket may be fixed to the recess in the perpendicularly opposed panel by the application of adhesive to the interior surfaces of the said recess prior to housing the socket there within.

Description of Drawings In order that that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the pin socket of this invention; Figure 2 shows a sectional elevation of the application of the pin to a panel; Figure 3 shows a front elevation of the slot into which the pin is housed; Figure 4 shows a sectional elevation of the recess into which the socket is housed; and Figure 5 shows the application of the pin socket pivoting hinge to two perpendicularly opposed panels.

Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen that the pin socket pivoting hinge according to this invention comprises two elements, the pin 1 and the socket 2. The pin 1 consists of two discrete sections, the body 3 and the neck 4. In this embodiment of the invention, the socket 2 also consists of two discrete sections, the shoulder 5 and the stem 6. The socket 2 includes a central cylindrical recess 7. The body 3 has two elongate slots 8 and 9 extending longitudinally down two opposed sides. Referring to Figure 2, the slots 8 and 9 are dimensioned to accommodate the material of the panel As seen in Figure 3, the panel 10 contains a slot 11, which is dimensioned to house the body 3 of the pin 1. The slot 11 is located perpendicularly to the edge 12 of the panel 10 and extends longitudinally the same length as the body3 of the pin 1.

Referring to Figure 4, a second panel 13 contains a recess 14. The panel 13 is positioned perpendicularly to the planar direction of the panel 10. The recess is dimensioned to accommodate the stem 6 of the socket 2, but to exclude the shoulder Figure 5 shows the pin 1 and socket 2 located in panels 10 and 13 respectively. The pin 1 is housed in the panel 10 such that the whole of the neck 4 (see Figure 1) extends beyond the edge 12 (see Figure The socket 2 is housed in panel 13 such that the whole of the stem 6 (see Figure 1) is accommodated in the recess 14 (see Figure but that the shoulder 5 abuts the planar surface of the panel 13. It can be seen that the central cylindrical recess 7 (see Figure 1) of the socket 2 receives the neck 4 (see Figure 1) of the pin 1 such that the axis of rotation of the pin1 is in true alignment with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recess 7 of the socket 2.

A range of materials can be used for the various components and the scope of protection is not limited in this regard.

It will be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Claims (2)

1. A pivoting hinge device comprising a pin and a socket which are housed and securely fixed without the use of fixing screws or other fasteners, and not requiring adjustment screws for panel alignment, in perpendicularly opposed panels, allowing movement of one panel about the axis of rotation of the pin through 360 degrees.

2. A pivoting hinge device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the socket is substituted by an appropriately dimensioned recess to house the neck of the pin made directly into the panel that would have otherwise housed the socket. 2. 2