GB2247912A

GB2247912A - "Hinge"

Info

Publication number: GB2247912A
Application number: GB9019831A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Andrew Morris; Drew Mcclamroch Landsborough
Original assignee: DECORATIVE STAINED GLASS LIMIT
Current assignee: DECORATIVE STAINED GLASS LIMIT
Priority date: 1990-09-11
Filing date: 1990-09-11
Publication date: 1992-03-18
Also published as: GB9019831D0

Abstract

A hinge system for a photograph frame comprises a first panel 8 having a pivot means 2D at one edge, and a second panel 11 having an inwardly disposed portion spaced from the periphery of the second panel 11. A retaining support means 19 extends generally alongside the longitudinal axis of the pivot means 20, for pivotal support thereof. To allow pivotal movement of the first panel 8 from a stowed position generally flat against the back of the second panel 11 to a deployed position inclined at an acute angle thereto, the pivot 20, and retaining means 19 are formed and arranged for captive interengagement. The retaining support means 19 are formed for push-fit captive interengagement with the pivot means 20. and the inwardly disposed portion of the second panel 11. The hinge system can be secured together in an assembled condition by push-fitting together the retaining support means 19 with the pivot means 20, and the inwardly disposed portion of the second panel 11. <IMAGE>

Description

HINGE The present invention relates to hinges and more particularly to a hinge suitable for hingedly connecting one edge of a first panel to a central portion of a second panel.

In various articles such as frames for photographs a support member or leg in the form of a small first panel is hingedly connected to a central portion of the back panel of the frame for movement between a stowed position substantially flat against the back of back panel and a deployed position inclined at a limited acute angle thereto. The support leg is generally connected to the back panel by a flexible tab e.g. a fabric strip which is adhesively secured thereto. In those cases where the deployment angle is restricted this is usually by simply providing a tape or cord of predetermined length extending between the back panel and a distal end portion of the leg.

Such known hinge arrangements are relatively labour intensive to manufacture, subject to failure through wear and tear over extended periods of time, and/or not very attractive.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimise one or more of the above disadvantages.

The present invention provides a hinge system comprising a first panel having a pivot means at one edge, and a second panel having an inwardly disposed portion spaced from the periphery of said second panel, with retaining support means extending generally alongside the longitudinal axis of the pivot means for pivotal support thereof, so as to allow pivotal movement of the first panel from a stowed position generally flat against the back of said second panel to a deployed position inclined at an acute angle thereto, said pivot and retaining means being formed and arranged for captive interengagement, said retaining support means being formed and arranged for push-fit captive interengagement with at least one of said pivot means and said inwardly disposed portion of said second panel, whereby said hinge system can be secured together in an assembled condition by push-fitting together said retaining support means with said at least one of the pivot means and said inwardly disposed portion of the second panel.

Preferably said inwardly disposed portion has slot means forming said retaining support means or for mounting said retaining support means. Advantageously the pivot means are offset relative to the principal plane of said first panel so as to be disposable at least partly within said slot means whereby prajec;tion of the' retaining support means from the back of second panel may be minimised. A significant advantage of the invention is that it can provide a relatively high performance hinge in a limited depth thereby allowing use thereof with relatively thin panels (e.g. as little as 2 to 3 mm thick) with minimal projection therefrom.

Desirably the first panel at or in proximity to said pivot means, and at least one of said retaining support means and an adjacent part of said inwardly disposed portion of the second panel are provided with respect abutment means for interabutment in the deployed position of the first panel, thereby to predetermine the relative angle of inclination of the first and second panels in said deployed position.

The pivot means may be in any convenient form depending inter alia on the form of retaining means, and may comprise axially extending pivot pin portions and/or "knuckle" portions in the form of cylindrical, or preferably sector - or segment-shape section part-cylindrical, bodies connected by a narrow longitudinally extending neck portion to an edge of the first panel. The retaining support means generally comprise at least one undercut generally part cylindrical portion for pivotally supporting and retaining the pivot means.

As will be apparent from the above the retaining support means may be formed integrally with the second panel inwardly disposed portion, or more conveniently may be separately formed for captive push-fit interengagement in a said slot means in said second panel inwardly disposed portion. It will further be understood that the slot means may have undercut portions for positive captive interengagement with resiliently biased hook portions - to avoid projection of the hook portions from the far side of the second plate. Alternatively the slot means may have generally parallel sides throughout, which may be substantially plain or provided with small topographical discontinuities e.g. serrations formed and arranged for providing an enhanced grip between the retaining support means and the slot sides. Of course the above arrangements may be reversed if desired i.e.

hook portions provided on the slot sides and undercut portions on the retaining support means, serrations on the retaining support means (or indeed both the retaining support means and slot sides) etc. etc.

The hinge system components may be made of any suitable materials but preferably of plastics materials, including if desired different plastics for different components of the system. Suitable plastics that may be mentioned include polyamide, polyalkene e.g.

polypropylene, polyacrylate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride acrylonitrite-butadiene-styrene (ABS) etc.

The hinge system of the invention may be used for a wide range of purposes in addition to photographic frames, such as table mirrors, clocks, miniature Television apparatus, calculators, calendars, radios, advertising display material or stands etc., and generally wherever an article has an inclined support leg which requires to be movable between a more or less determined deployment angle and a substantially flat and discreetly configured stowed position. It will further be appreciated that the hinge system of the invention may be supplied in the form of a kit comprising the first panel and a separately formed retaining support member which can be push-fit mounted by the user in a simple slot via a panel of any of a wide range of articles.

Further preferred features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a vertical section though a photo frame incorporating a hinge system of the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the hinge system of Fig.

1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail transverse sectional views at different positions along the longitudinal axis of the hinge system of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 1 shows a picture frame 1 comprising a sheet of glass 2, which may be suitably decorated 3 around the border 4, and a holder 5 for at the rear side 6 of the glass sheet 2 for a photographic print 7 or the like.

In more detail the holder 5 comprises a first, support leg, panel 8 having an edge portion 9 hingedly connected 10 to a second, back cover, panel 11 which is bonded along raised edge portions 12 to the rear side 6 of the glass panel 4.

As may be seen more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 the back cover panel 11 has an elongate slot 13 therein with extended width end portions 14. The back cover panel 11 has increased thickness portions 15 adjacent the slot 13 and the latter has undercut portions 16 for captively interengaging hook portions 17 of resiliently displacable fingers 18 of an elongate retaining support member 19. Said member 19 has a female part-cylindrical surface undercut portion 20 which pivotally supports a male part-cylindrical section 'Knuckle' portion 21 of the support-leg panel 8 connected via a neck portion 22 to the main body 23 of said panel 8, and retains captively said 'Knuckle' portion.

The retaining support member 19 has at a central portion 24 a rearwardly extending abutment portion 25 which interabuts an opposed recessed abutment surface 26 in the deployed position of the support leg panel 8 (see Fig. 4).

The 'Knuckle' portion 21 has short axially extending portions 27 at each end 28 (see Fig. 2) which engage corresponding undercut recesses 29 in the retaining support member 19 in the manner of pivot pins and thus are also captively retained by said member 19 in order to increase the security with which the support leg panel 8 is connected to the back cover panel 11. It will be appreciated though that where a lesser degree of security would be acceptable then one or other of these captive interengagements could be omitted. Moreover retaining support member could be simply adhesively bonded or welded in place in the slot.

As will be appreciated from the drawings and the above description, the hinge system disclosed herein is quick and easy to assemble substantially securely and provides a positively predetermined support leg deployment angle which at the same time allows the support leg to be stowed substantially flat whilst maintaining a slim unobstrusive profile with little or no projection of the hinge mechanism beyond the hingedly interconnected panels.

Claims

1. A hinge system comprising a first panel having a pivot means at one edge, and a second panel having an inwardly disposed portion spaced from the periphery of said second panel, with retaining support means extending generally alongside the longitudinal axis of the pivot means for pivotal support thereof, so as to allow pivotal movement of the first panel from a stowed position generally flat against the back of said second panel to a deployed position inclined at an acute angle thereto, said pivot and retaining means being formed and arranged for captive interengagement, said retaining support means being formed and arranged for push-fit captive interengagement with at least one of said pivot means and said inwardly disposed portion of said second panel, whereby said hinge system can be secured together in an assembled condition by push-fitting together said retaining support means with said at least one of the pivot means and said inwardly disposed portion of the second panel.

2. A hinge system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first panel at or in proximity to said pivot means, and at least one of said retaining support means and an adjacent part of said inwardly disposed portion of the second panel are provided with respective abutment means for interabutment in the deployed position of the first panel.

3. A hinge system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said pivot means are offset relative to the principal plane of said first panel so as to be disposable at least partly within said slot means.

4. A hinge system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said inwardly disposed portion has slot means forming said retaining support means or for mounting said retaining support means.

5. A hinge system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said pivot means comprises axially extending pivot pin portions and/or "knuckle" portions in the form of cylindrical, or segment-shape section part-cylindrical, bodies connected by a narrow longitudinally extending neck portion to an edge of the first panel.

6. A hinge system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said retaining support means comprise at least one undercut generally part cylindrical portion for pivotally supporting and retaining the pivot means.

7. A hinge system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to.

6 wherein said retaining support means is formed integrally with the second panel inwardly disposed portion.

8. A hinge system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said retaining support means is separately formed for captive push-fit interengagement in a said slot means in said second panel inwardly disposed portion.

9. A hinge system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said slot means have undercut portions for positive captive interengagement with resiliently biased hook portions of said retaining support means.

10. A hinge system as claimed in claim 8 and claim 9 wherein said slot means have parallel sides provided with small topographical discontinuities formed and arranged for providing an enhanced grip between the retaining support means and the slot sides.

11. A hinge system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 made of plastics material.

12. A hinge system substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.