GB2360064A

GB2360064A - Adjustable Hinge

Info

Publication number: GB2360064A
Application number: GB0105695A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Michael Dean; Andrew John Lane; John David Yair
Original assignee: TONOR ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: TONOR ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 2000-03-09
Filing date: 2001-03-08
Publication date: 2001-09-12
Also published as: GB0105695D0; GB2360065A; GB0105696D0; GB0005529D0

Abstract

A hinge assembly comprises a first part (10) for connection to a door (11), a second part (12) pivotally connected to the first part by a hinge pin (13) and a third part (14) for connection to the door frame and relative to which the assembly of the first and second parts can be laterally adjusted. The invention relates to rearwards adjustment of the pivot pin (13) carried by the first part (10) relative to the second part to compensate for wear of a sealing gasket at the door frame. The adjustment means at each end of the hinge pin comprise a generally L-shaped spring metal element (26) having a pivot pin end (23) tightly received through one limb (25) and an adjustment screw (33) through the other limb (27), the screw being engaged in a threaded aperture (34) in a wall of the second part. Rotation of the screw effects sliding movement of the limb (25) rearwardly of the hinge assembly relative to the second part, and thus adjustably moves the hinge pin rearwardly, so that the door seals in its frame despite the wear of the gasket.

Description

2360064 1WROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO IIINGE ASSEMEBUIES This invention

relates to hinge assemblies, particularly for hinging a movable wing, such as a door, to its frame.

It is known to use such a hinge assembly with a pivoted wing, such as a UPVC door, which is arranged to seal, when closed, with a gasket at the frame for the wing. Such a gasket can be a flat gasket or a 'bubble' gasket, but whatever its form it is known that over a period of time it is subject to wear. As a consequence the wing fits less tightly in its frame, resulting in the door being susceptible to shaking or rattling in its closed position.

An object of this invention is to provide a hinge assembly which can be utilised in the mitigation of said above-mentioned disadvantage.

According to the invention a hinge assembly comprises first and second part parts pivotally connected by a pivot pin, the first part being for connection to one of a movable wing and a frame relative to which the wing is movable, the second part being for connection, in use, directly or indirectly to the other of said wing and the frame, the second part defining a front and a rear, and there being adjustment means, operable with said first and second parts connected together, for moving the pivot pin towards said rear of the second part.

Preferably the second part is indirectly connected, in use, as in our copending UK Patent Application No. (Our Ref: M070599PGB).

With the second part fixed to said indirect connection means against relative forwards and rearwards movement, operation of the adjustment means moves the pivot pin, and thus the first part, in a direction towards the rear of the second part and thus also towards said indirect connection means. Desirably the adjustment means is a screw which acts on a generally L-shaped spring pressing connected to the pivot pin.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a part-sectional side view of a hinge assembly of the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the hinge assembly of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a part-sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2, with one part of the assembly shown fitted to a door, Figure 4 is a part-sectional side view of one component of the hinge assembly of Figures 1 to 3, Figure 5 is a plan view of said one component, Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 4, Figures 7, 8 and 9 are respectively a side view, a front view and a plan view of an adjustment member of the hinge assembly in a mininium compression state, and Figure 10 shows the minimum and maximum compression positions of the adjustment member.

The embodiment of the hinge assembly shown in the drawings is the same as that which is disclosed in our co-pending UK Patent Application No........ .... (Our Ref: M070599PGB). In particular although it comprises first and second hinge components which are pivotally connected together by a hinge pin, the illustrated embodiment also includes a third part which is fitted with the second part to allow lateral adjustment of the second part relative to the third part when the third part is secured to a door frame. It is described in our above-mentioned UK Patent Application how this allows lateral adjustment of the hinge to be carried out more conveniently than with prior art hinge assemblies. However whilst the present invention is desirably incorporated into a hinge assembly of our said co-pending Application, and will be described herein as such, it could be used with a more conventional hinge assembly comprising merely first and second main parts which are pivotally connected together, i.e. without the use of the separate third part for indirect connection of the second part to the door frame.

The hinge assembly shown comprises a first part 10, intended to be fitted to a door (indicated at 11 in Figure 3), a second part 12 pivotally connected to the first part by a generally circular section pivot or hinge pin 13, and a third part 14 which is intended to be mounted to the door frame, the second and third parts being connected together, in use, as will be described, in a manner which allows for the pivotally connected together first and second parts of the hinge assembly to be moved together as a unit relative to the third part whilst the door is hingedly attached to its frame, this lateral adjustment movement allowing correct aligriment of the door within its frame. Thus lateral adjustment feature forms no part of the present invention, and will thus not be described further.

The present invention relates to adjustment of the first part 10 of the hinge assembly relative to the second and third parts thereof in a direction at right angles to the lateral adjustment which can be effected, as described in said co-pending application, i.e. movement of the first part, in effect, forwardly and rearwardly of the second part to which it is connected by the hinge pin 13.

As shown in the drawings, the first part 10 comprises a base plate 15 for securement to said door 11, as shown in Figure 3, and a body portion 16 which has a circular section bore 17 therethrough. As shown in Figure 1, bushes 18 can be received in the respective opposite ends of the bore 17, and it can also be seen from this Figure that the opposite ends of the hinge pin 13 extend into the respective through openings defined at the front of spaced arm portions 20 of the second part 12 between which the body portion 16 is fitted, so as to conceal a flat front surface 21 of the second part. Each arm portion 20 is hollow and in its base wall 22 normal to surface 21 and extending outwardly therefrom is said through opening in the form of an elongated round ended slot 19.

The respective ends of the hinge pin 13 extend through said slots 19 in the respective arm portions as shown in Figure 1. Moreover the respective opposite extremities of the hinge pin 13 which extend into said hollow arm portions respectively are stepped down, as indicated at 23, and of Dshape.

Each D-shaped stepped-down end 23 of the hinge pin is tightly received in a correspondingly sized D-shaped hole 24 in a limb 25 of a generally Lshaped pressing 26 of spring metal material, with one pressing 26 being received, as shown in Figure 1, in each of the upper and lower openings defined in the hollow arm portions at the front of the second part 12. In each case the limb 25 through which part the hole 24 extends, is disposed on or just above the base wall 22 of said opening defined by the arm portion. The other limb 27 of the pressing 26 is, along part of its length, at a position remote from its junction with the limb 25, of reduced width to provide a central rectangular finger 28 which at its free end is angled in a direction away from the limb 25 to form a short tongue 29 which is hooked into a rectangular slot 30 in an upright rear wall 31 of each of the openings defined in the arm portions at the front of the second part 12. Moreover in its fun width portion, the limb 27 has a circular hole 32 to receive a small, headed adjustment screw 33, the shank of which is engaged in an internally screw-threaded bore 34 in the upright wall 31 of the opening in which the slot 30 is also provided.

The method of assembly is shown as follows. Firstly for each arm portion opening an end of the pivot pin 13 and a spring pressing 26 are presented up thereto. The tongue 29 of the pressing is 'hooked' into the slot 30 so that the pressing is received in the opening, with the end of the hinge pin 13 ready to be forced upwardly out through slot 19 so that its D-shaped stepped-down end can be received through hole 24.

As shown in full lines in Figure 7 and in dashed lines in Figure 10, the 1 stress' in the metal of the pressing 26 is such that normally it is not wholly L-shaped, i.e. its two limbs are not at 90' to one another. As shown in Figure 7, the normal angle between the two limbs of the pressing is approximately 1301, so that when it is placed in an opening defined by an arm portion of second part 12 forcelpressure is required to move the limb 25 forwardly so as to enable the hole 24 to align with the slot 19, so that the Dshaped stepped-down end 23 of the hinge pin can be received in the hole 24 as shown in Figure 1. In this position the screw 33 is received through the hole 32 and threadedly engaged in the bore 34. When both ends of the pivot pin 13 have been received in the pressings fitted in the two arm portion openings respectively, the arrangement is as in Figure 1.

This 'pre-tensioning' means that with the screw 33 'untightened', the position of the hinge pin is controlled by the pressing, the hinge pin being forced outwardly in this position so that it is at the forward end of the slot 19, as viewed in Figure 1. The invention relates to adjustment of the pivot pin 13, and thus of the first portion 10, relative to the second part 12, and third part 14, if provided, to address the problem referred to in the introduction, namely gasket wear at the frame. In the Figure 1 position, the position of the pivot pin at the forward or outer end of slot 19 gives minimum compression of the door at the sealing gasket at the door frame. Adjustment is effected by rotating the two screws 33 simultaneously or with rotation of one screw 33 after the other without effecting a jamming of the first part being moved.

As can be seen from Figure 1, the 'corner' defined at the junction of the limbs 25 and 27 is, in this minimum compression condition, spaced from the rear wall 3 1, and in particular the part of the limb 27 having the hole 32 therein is spaced from said wall 3 1. Accordingly if the screws 33 in the upper and lower openings (as viewed in Figure 1) in the respective arm portions at the front of the second part 12 are now 'tightened' i.e. screwed inwardly, the shape of the pressing 26 will change to that shown in full in Figure 10, the initial shape of the pressing (as in Figure 7) be schematically shown in dashed lines for comparison. It can thus be seen that the 'tightening' of each screw 33 moves the limb 25 towards the rear of the second part 12 and at the same time increases the angle of the limb 27 so that, as shown in Figure 10, this limb moves towards the upright surface 31 inside the opening, to take up the clearance shown in Figure 1, and in the maximum compression position can engage against it. Each screw 33 can be adjusted inwardly by, for example, up to Imm., this increasing the 'bend angle' of the pressing to nearer 90' and move the hinge pin, and thus the first part 10, rearwardly so as to force the door 11 rearwardly into its frame so that the sealing gasket therein is again tightly engaged by the door so that the effect will be to compensate for wear on the seal as described in the introduction to the specification, thereby compensating by means of said adjustment of the position of the hinge pin and curing the rattling/ shaking of the door as a result of a worn gasket, without having to renew it. Figure 1 shows the minimum compression position where at both arm portions the circular section end of the hinge pin is at the forward end of the (oversized) elongated slot 19, whilst in the maximum compression position where it has been 'pulled' by the movement of the limb 25, to the rear of said slot 28, the circular section end of the hinge pin will have moved to the rear end of the slot 19.

Accordingly it will be appreciated that movement of an adjustment member in each of the openings defined in the arm portion at the front of the second part 12 is possible in order to move the hinge pin rearwardly of the second part 12, and also of the third part 14 if provided, so as to force the door rearwardly into its frame. Adjustment is easily carried out merely by removing caps 35,36 snap-fitted to cover the arm portion openings, and turning the screws 33.

It will be appreciated that other adjustment means could be used for moving the hinge pin rearwardly as described. For example only a single adjustment member may be required. Moreover it will be appreciated that it may be desirable that the adjustment movement is reversible so that, for example, if replacement of a gasket was nevertheless required the adjustment movement could be reversed so that the first part 10 was restored to the original position required prior to wear of the original gasket. Indication means could be provided at the two screws 33 to facilitate equal adjustment thereof, thereby keeping the pivot pin vertical, in use.

It will be appreciated that with a more conventional hinge assembly where the second part is secured directly to the frame, i.e. the third part 14 is omitted, the hinge pin will always move with the first part relative to the second part.

The 'locking' of the pivot pin to the pressings by the use of D-shaped projections in correspondingly shaped holes, thereby preventing rotation of -g- t the hinge pin, ensures that the pin itself cannot actually rotate along with, or instead of, the bearings. If this were to occur there may be some wearing at the opposite ends of the hinge pin. This problem is overcome by forming the stepped-down ends 48 of D-shape, these ends being received in corresponding D-shaped holes in respective limbs 39 of the pressings 40, since with rotation of the pivot pin thus prevented, relative rotation between the first and second parts is taken through the respective bearings. Accordingly the respective ends of the pivot pin will no longer wear by virtue of the aforementioned rotation.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly comprising first and second parts pivotally connected by a pivot pin, the first part being for connection to one of a movable wing and a frame relative to which the wing is movable, the second part being for connection, in use, directly or indirectly to the other of said wing and the frame, the second part defining a front and a rear, and there being adjustment means, operable with said first and second parts connected together, for moving the pivot pin towards said rear of the second part.

2. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the adjustment means comprises a member connected to the pivot pin and an adjustment member operable to move said member, and thus said pivot pin, towards said rear of the second part.

A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the adjustment member is rotatable to effect movement of said member.

4 A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the movement of said member is substantially linear.

5. A hinge assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the adjustment member is a screw having its shank engaged in a threaded aperture in said front of the second part.

6. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said screw extends through an aperture in said member.

7. A hinge assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 6, wherein the member connected to the pivot pin is of generally L-shape.

8. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the member is of spring metal material.

9. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 8, wherein one limb of the generally L-shaped member contacts, or extends over with a slight spacing therefrom, a first surface of an opening at said front of the second part, the other limb of the generally L-shaped member joining said one limb at a junction which in one adjustment position is spaced from a second surface of said opening, at 900 to said first surface, rotation in one direction of the adjustment member engaged with said other limb drawing said other limb towards said second surface, in use, so as to move said junction, and thus the pivot pin, from said one adjustment position towards said rear of the second part.

10. A hinge assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 9, wherein at least one part of the pivot pin is received in a slot in a wall of said second part, said pivot pin moving along said slot, in use, when it is adjustably moved towards said rear of the second part.

11. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the adjustment means comprise respective members connected to opposite ends of the pivot pin, and respective adjustment members associated with said members connected to the pivot pin, each adjustment member being operable to move its associated member, and thus said pivot pin, towards said rear of the second part.

12. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the respective opposite ends of the pivot pin are non-rotatably connected to said members.

13. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 12, wherein each opposite end of the pivot pin is of D-shape cross-section and is received as a tight fit in a corresponding D-shaped aperture in the member connected thereto.

14. A hinge assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 11 to 13, wherein the pivot pin is of circular cross-section adjacent each of its opposite ends, which circular cross-section portions extend through respective slots in respective walls of said second part, actuation of an adjustment member effecting moving of said circular cross-section portion along said slot and thus movement of the pivot pin towards said rear of the second part.

15. A hinge assembly as claimed in any one.of Claims 11 to 14, wherein each of the members connected to the respective ends of the pivot pin is a generally L-shaped element of the spring metal.

13-

16. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 15, wherein a first limb of the L-shaped element receives one end of the pivot pin therethrough and a second limb thereof receives one of the adjustment members therethrough.

17. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 16, wherein rotation of the adjustment member, in use, moves part of said second limb towards a first surface of an opening of said second part, in which opening are disposed said member, said adjustment member and one of said ends of the pivot pin, said movement of part of the second limb effecting movement towards said first surface of said first lhnb of the L-shaped element, and thus of said pivot pin.

18. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 9 or Claim 17, wherein the or each opening is covered, in use, by a removable cover.

19. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 18, wherein the cover is a snapfit at the or each opening.

20. A hinge assembly as clahned in Claim 18 or Claim 19, wherein the or each opening is at said front of the second part.

21. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the pivot pin extends through a bore in a portion of said first part disposed between a pair of spaced openings at said front of the second part, said adjustment movement of the pivot pin, in use, towards said rear of the second part, moving said portion towards a surface of the second part between said openings.

22. A hinge assembly as claimed in Claim 21, wherein the second part is for indirect connection to the other of the wing and the frame, and said surface of the second part andlor respective walls of said openings have apertures therethrough for passage of, and access to, fixing means for effecting said indirect connection.

23. A hinge assembly substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawings.