GB2444934A

GB2444934A - Method and kit for hinge repair

Info

Publication number: GB2444934A
Application number: GB0625508A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nathan Langley
Original assignee: HINGE PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: HINGE PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 2006-12-21
Filing date: 2006-12-21
Publication date: 2008-06-25
Also published as: GB0625508D0

Abstract

A kit and method for repairing a door or cabinet wall that has been damaged in a region adjacent a hinge. The kit comprising a first plate 200 and a second plate 210, and both plates are provided with slotted holes 204, 214 near the periphery of the plates 200, 210. The door plate 200 and has a cut out 202 to receive the cup 102 of the door part 10 of the hinge. The cabinet plate 210 is similar except that there is no need for a cut-out. The method comprises the steps of removing the hinge, securing to the door or wall a plate 200, 210 of sufficient size to extend beyond the damaged region, and remounting the hinge on the door or wall using screws that engage in the plate 200, 210 at locations overlying the damaged region of the door or wall.

Description

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HINGE REPAIR

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to repairing door hinges, especially concealed hinges fiLted to compressed fibre board doors, as commonly used in kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

Background of the invention

Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show a typical concealed hinge, also known as a European hinge, for securing a door to the carcase of a kitchen cabinet. The hinge is shown in Figure 1 in an assembled state, while in Figure 2 its two parts are shown from the rear separated from one another.

The door mounted part 10 of the hinge comprises a cup 102 that fits into a large bore drilled into the door and a mounting plate 106 integral with the cup 102 having holes 106 for receiving screws 110 that engage in the door. A pivoting mechanism 112 connects a channel shaped arm 104 to the cup 102.

The cabinet mounted part 12 of the hinge is formed as a cruciform plate with a horizontal arm 120 formed as a channel engaged by the arm 104 of the door mounted part 10, and a vertical arm 122 having holes 124 for receiving screws 126 that engage in the carcase of a cabinet.

Because such hinges are well known, it is not believed necessary to describe their construction or method of assembly in any greater detail. Their advantage is that they are totally concealed when the door is closed and they allow the alignment of the door to be adjusted in two planes.

A problem that is encountered during use is that if the door is opened beyond the range of movement of the hinge, the force acting on the screws 110 and 126 can pull them out of the door or the carcase, stripping the thread in the s compressed fibre board from which the door and/or the carcase are made. When low density fibre hoard or chip board is used for the door or the carcase, the force can be sufficiently qreat to pull away a section of the board surrounding the screw holes even breaking the door around the bore which receives the cup 102 of the first hinge part.

Once such damage has been caused to the door or carcase, replacement of the hinge becomes impossible because there is nothing left of the fibre board for the screws 110 and 126 to grip and it becomes necessary to replace the entire door. Refitting a hinge in a different position on the door is not always possible and requires tools (routers of special drill bits) that are not available to most home owners.

Object of the invention The present invention seeks therefore to enable a door or a carcase that has been damaged around a European hinge to be repaired neatly and simply without the need to replace the entire door.

Summary of the invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a method of repairing a door or cabinet wall that has been damaged in a region adjacent a hinge, comprises the steps of removing the hinge, securing to the door or wall a plate of sufficient size to extend beyond the damaged region, and remounting the hinge on the door or wall using screws that engage in the plate at locations overlying the damaged region of the door or wall.

The plate may itself be secured to the door or wall usinq conventional screws suitable for insertion into compressed fibre board because parts of the plate will overlie undamaged areas of the door or wall. The hinge will not now however be held in place by screws engaging in fibre board hut by screws engaginq in the plate. The screws securing the hinge to the plate may either be self-tapping screws or they may he metal screws or bolts engaging in pre-threaded holes in the plate.

Because t.he metal screws can be inserted are in locations overlying the damaged region of the door or wall, the hinge may be remounted in its original position and alignment of the door need not therefore be disturbed. If necessary, the adjustment available in European hinges can be used to compensate for the thickness of the plate.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit for repairing a door or cabinet wall that has been damaged in a region adjacent a hinge, the kit comprising two plates the first to fit around the door part of the hinge and the second to fit around the cabinet part of the hinge, the plates having mounting holes near their periphery for receiving screws to secure the plates to the door and the cabinet in a position covering the damaged region, and the first plate having a cut out of sufficient size to avoid obstruction by the plate of a bore in the door receiving a cup projecting from the door part of the hinge.

If desired, the plates may be provided with predrilled holes to receive screws for securing the parts of the hinge to the plates. The latter holes may be dimensioned to receive self-tapping screws or they may be pre-threaded to receive metal screws.

To increase the stiffness of the plates, it is possible to form ribs in the plates or to form plate with a flange to overly the edge of the door or of the cabinet wall.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figures 1 and 2 are views of a European hinge that have already been described above, Figure 3 is a plan view of a hinge repair kit of a first embodiment of the invention, and Figure 4 is a view similar to than of Figure 3 showing an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) Figure 3 shows a door plate 200 and a cabinet plate 210 which can be used in remounting a European hinge as shown in Figures 1 and 2 on a cabinet if the hinge anchoring points in the cabinet have been damaged. The plates 200 and 210 are preferably formed of a sheet metal material but they may alternatively be formed from any other suitable material such as a strong plastics or fibre reinforced material.

The door plate 200 has a cut-out 202 to receive the cup 102 of the door part 10 of the hinge. The plate 200 is large enough to extend beyond the damaged area of the door around the hinge and is screwed to the door conventional fibre board screws inserted into slotted holes 204 near the periphery of the plate 200. The cabinet plate 210 is generally similar except that there is no need for a cut-out as no part of the hinge is recessed into the cabinet wall.

The cabinet plate is also provided with slotted holes 214 near its perimeter to enable it to be secured by screws to a part of the cabinet wall that is undamaged.

After mounting of the plate 200 and/or the plate 210, the damaged part of the cabinet is covered and even if a substantially part of the original door or cabinet wall has been pulled away leaving an unsightly hole, such damage will hidden from view by the plate. Furthermore, a solid plate capable of accepting a secure fixing, will overlie the original anchoring points so that the hinge can be remounted in its original location, avoiding the need for any realignment.

The plates 200 and 210 in Figure 3 have no preformed holes for remounting of the hinge. Once the hinge is reposition in the correct position, in exactly the same way as when installing a hinge on a new cabinet, the desired position of the screws is marked out on the metal plates 200 and 210 and small holes are drilled in the plates to receive self-tapping screws.

The embodiment of Figure 4 differs from that of Figure 3 in two respects. First, pre-drilled and tapped holes 306 and 316 are formed in the door plate 300 and the cabinet pate 310. This enables the hinge parts to be held in place by metal screws or bolts instead of self-tapping screws. Second, the edges are of the plates 300 and 310 are bent over to form flanges 308, 318. These flanges strengthen the plates 300 and 310 and also cover the edges of the door or cabinet wall, hiding any damage that may have extended to these edges.

Though the plates are shown in the drawings as being flat, it is alternatively possible to stamp stiffening ribs in the plate and these may conveniently be located around their edges so as not to deform the regions of the plates with which the hinge parts are in contact.

Claims

1. A method of repairing a door or cabinet wall that has been damaged in a region adjacent a hinge, comprises Lhe s steps of removing the hinge, securing to the door or wall a plate of sufficient size to extend beyond the damaged region, and remounting the hinge on the door or wall using screws that engage in the plate at locations overlying the damaged region of the door or wall.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate is secured to the door or wall using screws inserted into undamaged areas of the door or wall.

is

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the hinge is secured to the plate by screwing a self-tapping screw into the plate.

4. A kit for repairing a door or cabinet wall that has been damaged in a region adjacent a hinge, the kit comprising two plates the first to fit around the door part of the hinge and the second to fit around the cabinet part of the hinge, the plates having mounting holes near their periphery for receiving screws to secure the plates to the door and the cabinet in a position covering the damaged region, and the first plate having a cut out of sufficient size to avoid obstruction by the plate of a bore in the door receiving a cup projecting from the door part of the hinge.

5. A kit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plates are provided with predrilled holes to receive screws for securing the parts of the hinge to the plates.

6. A kit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predrilled holes are dimensioned to receive self-tapping screws.

7. A kit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predrilled holes are pre-threaded to receive metal screws.

8. A kit as claimed in any of claims 4 to 7, wherein an edge of each plLe is tormed with a flange to overly the edge of the door or of the cabinet wall.

9. A kit for repairing a door or cabineti wall that has been damaged in a region adjacent a hinge, constructed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 3 or 4 of the accompanying drawings.