EP1538290A2

EP1538290A2 - Concealed hinge

Info

Publication number: EP1538290A2
Application number: EP04028548A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luigi Ferraro
Original assignee: Nova-Ferr Srl
Current assignee: Nova-Ferr Srl
Priority date: 2003-12-05
Filing date: 2004-12-02
Publication date: 2005-06-08
Also published as: ITTO20030977A1; EP1538290A3

Abstract

Concealed hinge (11) apt to permit the rotation of a portion of a frame as to another, comprising a couple of wings (13, 15), each having a flat section (17, 21) for fastening each of said wings to the corresponding portion of the frame and at least one curved guide (19, 23), and joining means (20) for keeping joined said wings and permitting the rotation of each of said wings as to the other, wherein at least one curved guide (19, 23) of one of said wings comprises at least one longitudinal slit (25) in which said joining means (20) slides, whereby said at least one slit is apt to define a limit for the rotation angle of said wings.

Description

Technical Field

Present invention relates to a concealed hinge.
A concealed hinge is a hinge which is completely embedded into the frame of a furniture or of doors and windows wherein it is installed, therefore, contrary to a customary visible type hinge, such a hinge is not visible from the outside or the inside.
In particular, the invention relates to a concealed hinge suitable for iron or aluminium tubular frames as used for manufacturing windows, doors or similar systems.
The concealed hinges are used as soon as it is required to avoid any additional bulk and as soon as it is preferred that the hinge is not visible with respect to the rest of the frame wherein it is installed.

Background Art

Known hinges are made of steel (less frequently of brass) and are comprised of two parts or wings connected by means of a cylindrical pin: one of the wings is fastened to the door and window fixtures and comprises the pin, the other wing is fastened to the frame of doors and windows (door/window) and is apt to cooperate with the cylindrical pin.
A known problem of said hinges consists in that the relative rotation of the two wings can not be constrained to a predetermined angle and, therefore, the door/window casement is free to rotate until it does not interfere with the fixtures or a further element of the frame. Such a rotation may be a problem every time it is required that the casement must be able to open within certain limits, as, for example, only up to a 90° maximum angle. In the above cases, in order to limit the casement opening, it is often necessary to add stops or further constraints to the frame.
Another problem of known hinges is connected to the fastening of wings to the metallic tubular frames.
In fact, unfavourably, tubular frames having reduced size may render difficult to an operator both correctly positioning the wings and their subsequent fastening to the tubular frame.
A further problem of commercial wings is connected to the fact that wing elements, that are apt to permit wing rotation, are accessible to things or persons with the risk of things damaging and persons wounding.
Object of present invention is to overcome the above problems.

Disclosure of the Invention

Main object of the present invention is to provide a concealed hinge that is apt to limit to a predetermined angle the relative rotation of the two wings forming it.
A second object of the invention is to provide a concealed hinge that is apt to simplify wings fastening internally to the tubular frame of the door/window whereto the hinge is fastened.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a concealed hinge having means for locking the access to the wing elements in order to avoid things damaging and persons wounding.
These and further objects of the present invention are achieved by the concealed hinge as claimed in the claims that follow.
Thanks to the fact that the hinge according to the present invention comprises joining and relative rotation means which is apt to limit rotation of the wings to a predetermined maximum angle, said hinge is advantageously applicable in all the situations in which it is required that the door/window casement opens to a maximum predetermined angle.

Brief Description of Drawings

Some embodiments of the concealed hinge according to the invention will be disclosed hereafter in detail by way of a non limiting examples, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of the hinge according to a first embodiment of the invention with a 180° angle;
Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the Figure 1 hinge;
Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the Figure 1 hinge with a 90° angle;
Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the Figure 1 hinge with a 90° angle;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a wing for a hinge according to a second embodiment of the invention;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the other wing for the hinge of Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a wing for a hinge according to a third embodiment of the invention;
Figure 8 is a perspective lateral view of a hinge according to a fourth embodiment of the invention with a 180° angle;
Figure 9, 10, 11 are perspective views of a hinge and hinge elements according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 12 is a rear perspective view of a couple of hinges as per Figure 1 assembled in sequence.

Best modes for Carrying Out the Invention

With reference to Figure 1 to 4, it is depicted a concealed hinge 11 according to a first embodiment of present invention, installed into two tubular frames (tubular) 101, 102 of doors and windows, as for example fixtures.
The concealed hinge 11 according to the invention comprises:

an internal wing 15 comprised of a flat section 21 for fastening said wing 15 to the tubular 102 and of a curved guide 23 having a substantially semicircular shape and apt to take part in the rotation mechanism; said guide 23 comprises a longitudinal slit 25;
an external wing 13 comprised of a flat section 17 for fastening said wing 13 to the tubular 101 and of a curved guide 19 having a substantially semicircular shape and apt to take part in the rotation mechanism;
a plug (slider) 20 having two holes 24 passing through the plug thickness, a couple of screws 29 being apt to go through the two holes for assembling said plug 20; said plug 20 comprises, moreover, a shrinkage 22 having a size apt to permit its insertion (entering into) and sliding along said slit 25 of said internal wing 15, whereby said plug 20 is apt to join said wings 13, 15 and to permit the relative rotation of a wing as to the other. The sliding along said slit 25 comprises a starting point and an ending point, respectively determined by the distal point 34 and by the proximal point 32 of said slit 25.

In particular, according to Figure 1 and 2 it is depicted a concealed hinge 11 installed in the tubular frames 101, 102 of doors/windows and having the internal 15 and external 13 wings in a non rotated position; in other words there are depicted said wings set aligned according to a 180° angle. In the above configuration, said slider 20 is positioned in the proximal point 32 of said slit 25 and said guides 19 and 23 are completely overlapped.
As depicted by Figure 3 and 4, the concealed hinge 11 according to the invention is apt to permit the rotation of the two tubular frames wherein it is installed. When one of the two tubular frames 101, 102 is rotated, said slider 20 slides along said slit 25 up to reach said distal point 34, that is apt to lock the slide of said slider 20 and, therefore, to limit the relative rotation of said wings 13, 15 to a predetermined angle, as for example to 90°.
Due to the sliding of said slider 20 along said slit 25, said guides 19, 23, starting from the non rotated position, i.e. set aligned to 180°, are apt to mutually slide one over the other, until said wings 13, 15 reach the permitted maximum angle of rotation, wherein they are only partially overlapped (for example to 90°).
The length of said slide 25 is apt to determine the permitted maximum angle of rotation of said hinge and, accordingly, of the tubular frames of the fixtures.
Similarly, the rotation from the open position to the closed position will be determined by the sliding of said slider 20 along said slit 25 up to lock the sliding to the proximal point 32 of said slit 25.
The concealed hinge 11 according to the invention is apt to be applied everywhere it is required a maximum angle of rotation and, advantageously, does not require the addition of stops or external constraints to the frame.
With reference to Figure 5 and 6, there are depicted wings 33, 35 of a hinge according to a second embodiment of present invention.
In particular, said wings 33, 35 comprise equivalent flat sections 37, 37a, 41, 41 a that are configured folded over themselves in order to shape a "U", whereby the ends 37a, 41a of said flat sections are apt to partially overlap the respective guides 39, 43 and said folded flat sections are apt to take up a thickness nearly equal to the cavity thickness of the tubular frames 101, 102 wherein they have to be installed. Thanks to that, during the installation phase, when the wings 33, 35 are inserted in the respective tubular frames 101, 102, said folded flat sections 37, 41 are apt to be embedded internally to said tubular frames. Advantageously, that permits to said wings 33, 35 to immediately reach the right position internally to the tubular frames 101, 102, whereby the subsequent installation phase in said tubular frames, that may be realised, for example, by means of screws or welding, is made quicker and easier.
According to this second embodiment, said external wing 33 further comprises shields 50a, 50b perpendicularly extending from the edges of said guide 33, over the overall length of the guide. Advantageously said shields 50a, 50b are apt to obstruct accessing to the rotation mechanism comprised of said guides 39, 43 and of said slider 20 connecting the guides, by preventing that things or persons may touch the rotation mechanism during its operation.
With reference to Figure 7, it is depicted an external wing 53 of a concealed hinge according to a third embodiment of the invention installed in a section of a tubular 101.
Said wing 53 comprises a flat section 59 configured folded over itself and apt to define a slot 57 that may receive one surface of the tubular 101 wherein said wing 53 is fastened. More precisely, during installation of said wing 53 in the tubular 101, one of the surfaces of the tubular is inserted into the slot 57. It is clearly apparent that, thanks to the peculiar folding of said flat section 59, the installation phase of said wing 53 and its subsequent fastening to the tubular will result remarkably simplified.
With reference to Figure 8, it is depicted a concealed hinge 71 installed in two tubular frames 101, 102, according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.
Both guides 79, 83 of wings 73, 75 of said hinge 71 are configured having a curved tubular shape and the guide 83 of said internal wing 75 is housed internally to the guide 79 of said external wing 73.
Said guide 79 of said external wing 73 comprises a couple of parallel slits 85, along which it slides a pin 80 perpendicular and integral with the guide 83 of said internal wing 75.
The relative rotation of said two wings 73, 75 (Figure 8 depicts a 180° degree position) takes place thanks to the sliding both of said guides 79 and 83 one into the other and of said pin 80 along said slits 85. The rotation stops when said pin 80 reaches the distal point of said slits 85, which is coincident with the reaching the relative maximum rotation angle between said wings 73, 75 (for example 90°).
With reference to Figures 9, 10 and 11 it is depicted a concealed hinge 171 installed in two tubular frames 101, 102 according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.
The hinge 171 comprises, in the preferred embodiment, a first wing (external wing) 173 and a second wing (internal wing) 175.
The first wing 173 comprises, for example, two shields, respectively a first shield 150a and a second shield 150b, configured in such a way that they extends from a flat section 117 apt to be fastened, for example, to the first tubular 101.
The two shields 150a and 150b comprise, in the example, respective guides 170 having a curved shape and a first hole 95a located on the first shield and a second hole 95b located on the second shield.
One of the two holes, for example the first one 95a, preferably, is configured threaded and having a diameter lesser than the diameter of the second hole 95b.
The internal wing 175 comprises, in the preferred embodiment, a shield (trunk) 150c, for example in axial position, that extends from a flat section 21 apt to be fastened, for example, to the second tubular 102.
The trunk 150c preferably comprises a couple of guides 279 having a curved shape (only one visible in Figure 11), for example of prismatic type, that, in use, are apt to be housed by the guides 179 of the first wing 173.
The trunk 150c comprises, lastly, a longitudinal slit 185, wherein it slides a pin 180 integral with the guides 179 of the external wing 173.
In the preferred embodiment, the pin 180 is made, for example, in the form of a screw and comprises, a flaring head, a first section having a conical shape apt to permit the sliding of the second wing 175 by means of the slit 185 and a final section configured threaded apt to be fastened, for example, to the hole 95a of the external wing 173.
The relative rotation of the wings 173 and 175 (Figure 9 depicts a 90° degree position) takes place thanks to the sliding both of the guides 179 and 279, one in respect to the other, and of the pin 180 along the longitudinal slit 185. The rotation stops when the pin 180 reaches the distal point of said slit 185, which is coincident with the reaching the relative maximum rotation angle between said wings 173, 175 (for example 90°).
Even in that exemplary embodiment, the shields 150a, 150b, advantageously, are apt to obstruct accessing to the rotation mechanism comprised of said guides 179, 279 and of said pin 180 connecting the guides, by preserving that things or persons may touch the rotation mechanism during its operation.
Each of the disclosed embodiment of the concealed hinge according to the invention may be used for assembling a plurality of tubular frames in sequence in order to obtain a plurality of pivoting joints. In Figure 12 it is depicted a couple of concealed hinges 11', 11" according to the first embodiment of the invention, used for join, respectively, a first tubular 103 and a second tubular 104 and said second tubular 104 to a third tubular 105.
Moreover, the concealed hinge according to the invention is apt, on any disclosed embodiment, to be used in a modular fashion; in fact, if necessary, a plurality of hinges may be installed side by side into tubular frames having a width being a multiple of the width of a single hinge.
The hinges according to the invention, for example, may be made of steel, stainless steel or, preferably, of aluminium.
It is apparent that the concealed hinge according to the invention, on any embodiment, is apt to reach the expected objects; in fact, the hinge is apt to limit the relative rotation to a maximum rotation angle; advantageously, the wings that are comprised of said hinge, moreover, are apt to simplify both their fastening to the tubular frames of doors and windows (said fastening, for example, may take place by means of screws or soldering) and the subsequent hinge assembling; moreover, the two wings comprised of said hinge, as soon as they have been installed internally to the tubular frames, may be handled in the same way as the doors and windows wherein they are installed (for example painting, zinc-plating, etc.) and, subsequently, assembled in order to make the hinge.
It is apparent that the above description of a preferred embodiment has been disclosed solely as a non limiting example and that variations and changes will be possible to the embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims that follow.

Claims

Concealed hinge (11) apt to permit the rotation of a portion of a frame as to another, comprising a couple of wings (13, 15), each having a flat section (17, 21) to be fastened to a corresponding portion of the frame and at least one curved guide (19, 23), and joining means (20) for keeping joined said wings and permitting the rotation of each of said wings as to the other, characterised in that at least one curved guide (19, 23) of one of said wings comprises at least one longitudinal slit (25) in which said joining means (20) slides, said at least one slit defining a limit for the rotation angle of said wings.
Hinge according to claim 1, wherein said rotation angle is comprised between 0 and 90°.
Hinge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said joining means (20) comprises a slider (20), integral to at least one curved guide (19, 23) of one of said wings (13, 15) and shaped in such a way as to enter into and slide along said slit (25) of at least one curved guide (13, 25) of the other of said wings (13, 15).
Hinge according to claim 3, wherein the sliding of said slider (20) along said slit (25) takes place between a proximal point (32) and a distal point (34) of said slit (25), the extent whereof is predetermined in order to limit the rotation angle of said wings (13, 15).
Hinge according to claim 3, wherein said slider (20) comprises holes (24) to be fastened by means of screws, and a shrinkage (22) configured for allowing the entering into and the sliding along said slit (25).
Hinge according to claim 3, wherein said slider (20) is comprised of a pin (80) integral to said at least one guide (83) of one of said wings.
Hinge according to claim 1, wherein said flat sections (37, 41) of said wings (33, 35) are folded over themselves in order to shape a "U", whereby the ends (37a, 41 a) of said flat sections (37, 41) partially overlap said guides (39, 43) and said flat sections (37, 41) define a section apt to be received under pressure into said frame, by simplifying the housing and the subsequent installation of said wings (33, 35).
Hinge according to claim 1, wherein one of said guides (39) comprises shields (50a, 50b) that are apt to obstruct accessing to the rotation mechanism, by preserving it to be touched by things or persons.
Hinge according to claim 1, wherein said flat section (59) of said wing (53) is folded over itself in order to shape a slot (57), apt to receive a surface of the frame wherein said wing 53 is fastened.
Hinge (71) according to claim 1, comprising at lest two guides (79, 83) shaped as tubular frames and wherein a first guide (83) has a first diameter and the other guide (79) has a second diameter larger than said first diameter, whereby said first guide (83) is apt to slide internally to the other guide (79) by allowing the relative rotation of said wings (73, 75).
Hinge according to claim 1, wherein each wing of said couple of wings (173, 175) comprises at least a respective couple of guides (179, 279) and wherein said respective couple of guides (179, 279) are apt to cooperate in order to permit the rotation of said wings (173, 175) one in respect to the other.
Hinge according to claim 1 characterised in that at least one wing of said couple of wings (173, 175) comprises at least a couple of shields (150a, 150b) apt to obstruct accessing to the rotation mechanism, by preserving it to be touched by things or persons, and in that at least one of said shields comprises said at least one guide (179).
Fixtures comprising a frame wherein a first section is apt to rotate in respect to another section, characterised by including one or more hinges according to any of claims 1 to 12.