GB2470778A

GB2470778A - An adjustable hinge for planar panels

Info

Publication number: GB2470778A
Application number: GB0909723A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ross Nixon
Original assignee: MATKI PLC
Current assignee: MATKI PLC
Priority date: 2009-06-05
Filing date: 2009-06-05
Publication date: 2010-12-08
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-05
Also published as: GB2470778B; GB0909723D0

Abstract

A hinge for use with laminar panels 2, 3, typically glass panels for a shower cubical, having hinge fixture apertures 21, 31, adjacent edges thereof. The hinge includes a pair of recessed members (4, 5, fig. 3) having recesses facing towards laminar panel to which they are fixed in use. The hinge includes a pair of adjustment blocks (14, 15, fig.3) having pierced bosses 142, 152, engageable with the hinge fixture apertures, the adjustment blocks being receivable in the recesses in the recessed members, with clearance for adjustment in two directions, both longitudinally and laterally of the edges of the laminar panels. A pair of clamp plates 16, 17 is provided for clamping of the laminar panels between the clamp plates and the adjustment blocks. Clamping screws 18, 19, are engageable with the clamp plates and the recessed members, for drawing the recessed members towards the clamp plates to effect clamping action of the latter. The hinge includes a pin connecting the recessed members or the clamp plates. Preferably grub screws 47, 57, adjust the position of the adjustment blocks within the recessed members. Collars 21, 31, with eccentric apertures for bosses of adjustment blocks may be provided.

Description

HINGE

The present invention relates to a hinge for laminar panels, particularly though not exclusively for glass panels.

Hinges suffer from wear, particularly of the hinge pin and also of vertical load bearing surfaces.

Various arrangements for adjusting hinges exist. In particular vehicle hinges are frequently shimmed to ensure that the door fit is accurate. Also, the gate hinges are often provided with horizontal screw adjustment to enable latches to be kept in a reliable slam engagement condition.

Glass doors as used in shower cabinets are liable to have to take into account the reasonably close tolerances of glass manufacture and the greater tolerance to which bathrooms in buildings are constructed. *... * . ***.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved hinge for glass :,:::. panels.

* According to the invention there is provided a hinge for use with laminar panels having hinge fixture apertures adjacent edges thereof, the hinge comprising: * a pair of recessed members having respective recesses facing in a common direction, that is towards laminar panels to which they are fixed in use; * a pair of adjustment blocks having pierced bosses engageable with the hinge fixture apertures in the laminar panels, the adjustment blocks being at least partially receivab1e in the recesses in the recessed members, with clearance for adjustment both longitudinally and laterally of the edges of the laminar panels; * a pair of clamp plates for clamping of the laminar panels between the clamp plates and the adjustment blocks; * clamping screws engageable with the clamp plates and the recessed members, through the pierced bosses and the hinge fixture apertures, for drawing the recessed members towards the clamp plates to effect clamping action of the latter; and a pin hingedly connecting the recessed members or the clamp plates.

The recessed members normally being thicker than the clamp plates, the former are preferably the ones hinged together by the pin. As such they are referred to below as the hinged members.

Normally adjustment screws for adjusting the position of the adjustment blocks with respect to the recessed members will be provided. They can be provided for adjustment both longitudinally and laterally of the edges of the laminar panels, that is longitudinally and laterally of the hinge pin. However, since the pin is likely to extend vertically in use, adjustment screws will not normally be required for lateral adjustment, but are provided for longitudinal adjustment against the weight of the panels or at least a hingedly movable one of the panels. * * *

::.. Normally, the laminar panels will be of glass. S...

* : : . Whilst the hinge pin could be between the positions of glass panels when hinged together and in the same general plane between specific planes defined by * ** opposite sides of the glass panels, preferably the hinge pin is set outside these planes on the hinge members' side thereof Whilst the clamping screws could be threadedly engageable in the clamp plates and abuttingly engageable with hinged members; preferably, they are abuttingly engageable with the clamp plates and threadedly engageable with the hinge members, preferably in blind holes. This arrangement allows greater clearance for adjustment, namely between the clamping screws and the piercings in the bosses.

Preferably the piercings are longer in their direction towards and away from the hinge pin than in the orthogonal direction.

The threaded ones of the clamp plates and the hinge members preferably include secondary bosses extending with clearance into the pierced bosses of the adjustment blocks -with clearance to allow for the adjustment.

The adjustment blocks alone or in combination with collars conveniently of top hat shape are preferably sufficiently thick to hold the hinged members away from abutting the glass panels.

Whilst alternatives such as the adjustment blocks having threaded bores extending parallel to the hinge pin with screws engaged therein abutting top and bottom surfaces of the hinged members; in the preferred embodiment, the hinged members have flanges extending over the recesses for the adjustment blocks, with grub screws engaged in the flanges and abutting and controlling the relative position of the hinged members and the adjustment blocks.

Further, metal to glass contact can be avoided by lining the clamping plates with a synthetic material lining; and by providing synthetic material collars between the pierced bosses and the fixture apertures in the glass. Further, the collars can be : :: : provided with rims spacing the adjustment blocks from the glass. Alternatively lining material between the glass and the adjustment blocks can be used. The lining and the collars provided for water tightness. To accommodate tolerances, the collars may the provided with eccentric bores for the pierced bosses, whereby differing orientation of the collars adjusts spacing of the bores for the bosses when fitted in fixture apertures * *. in the glass -the fixture apertures being positioned in accordance with a plurality of tolerances, which can stack up. Further, the bores in the collars and/or the bosses can have a slight draft or taper, to enable compression of the collar material into contact with the glass surrounding the collars.

Preferably the clamp plates and/or the hinged members are relieved locally at their hinge pin edges, to allow a seal to be fitted to an edge of the glass continuously past the hinges.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hinge in accordance with the invention fitted to glass panels; Figure 2 is an exploded view cone sponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a central, cross-sectional, plan view of the hinge of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view on the line IV-IV in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the hinge 1 connects two glass panels 2,3, which are coplanar, by which is meant that the planes of their respective sides are substantially co-incident, at least in one position of the hinge -as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The panel 2 is hinged and the panel 3 is fixed.

The hinge comprises a short hinged member 4 and a long hinge member 5, connected by a hinge pin 6, extending through two clevis lugs 7 of the long member and receiving between them a complementary lug 8 of the short member, with the interposition of synthetic material washers 9. The hinge members are of chromed brass and the pin is of stainless steel.

* : * Each hinge member has a recess 41,51 facing its glass panel in use. The *: :. *: recesses are oblong and each have a pair of bosses 42,52 -referred to as secondary S...

bosses -extending from the bottoms 43,53 of the recesses with a height 44,54 to :.: :: extend beyond the glass-panel/inner sides 45,55 of the hinge members. In flanges 46,56 to one side of the recesses, grub screws 47,57 are threadedly received. * .* * a *

* Adjustment blocks 14,15 are received in the recesses. These have complementary shapes with clearance, whereby the blocks have two degrees of freedom of adjustment with abutment faces 141,151 abutting the bottoms of the recesses. At either end, the blocks have hollow bosses 142,152, with lands 143,153 between them. These lands are set just below the inner sides 45,55 of the hinge members. The bosses have oblong hollows 144,154 for the secondary bosses 42,52, the hollows being deeper that the length of the latter whereby these do not "bottom" in the hollows. Ends 145,155 of the bosses have oblong apertures 146,156 aligning in all states of adjustment of the adjustment blocks with threaded bores 48,5 8 in the secondary bosses.

Synthetic material top hat bushes 147,157 are received on the hollow bosses 142,152. They have rims 148,158, which are the same thickness of as foam sheets 12 adhered to the inner sides 45,55 of the hinge members.

s The glass panels 2,3 have drillings 21,31 in which the top hat bushes 147,157 on the hollow bosses 142,152 are received. Clamp plates 16,17 complementarily shaped to the hinge members are secured to the latter via screws 18,19 abutting countersunk bores 161,171 in the clamp plates and engaging in the threaded bores 48,5 8 of the hinge members. The clamp plates also have foam sheets 12 on the inside faces against the glass panels.

On initial tightening of the screws 18,19, the hinge members (and the clamp plates) can be moved with respect to the glass panels and the adjustment blocks, the foam sheets having low friction surfaces. The latter are secured in their positions with respect to the panels by engagement of the bosses in the panel drillings. Assuming, as * :. will be the norm, that there are two or more hinges connecting the glass panels, they can then be moved to their specified separation and the hinges can be moved to align S's.

their hinge pins. Should the hinges pins not be fully aligned, the hinge members can :.: : be adjusted angularly respect to the adjustment block via the grub screws 47,57.

Further the hinge members can be adjusted up and down to share the load of the *: *: :* hinged one of the glass panels. Once the hinges are thus adjusted, the screws 18,19 are finally tightened.

It should be noted that the hinge axis defined by the hinge pins is set to one side to the glass panels.

It should also be noted that the clamp plate 16 opposite the hinged member 4 is longer than the clamp plate 17 opposite the hinged member 5, which itself is the shorter of the two hinged members. The clamp plate 16 has a rebate 161 for a seal 11 on the edge 22 of glass panel 2. The hinged member 4 is held away from the glass both by the rims of the top hat bushes and the foam pads 12. Thus the seal, which is U shaped on the edge 22 is able to be continuous past the hinge. A lip 111 of the seal abuts the other glass panel 3 at its edge, exposed by the short clamp plate 17.

Finally it should be noted that the long hinged member has a roller 59 between its clevis lugs 7 sprung towards the complementary lug 8, which has a groove 49 for roller to co-operate with in the manner of a detent. Thus the hinge is biased to retain its normal state of the glass panels being aligned. *S.* * S * ** S a,.. * * * S. * S S *. * S. * . S S.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A hinge for use with laminar panels having hinge fixture apertures adjacent edges thereof, the hinge comprising: a pair of recessed members having respective recesses facing in a common direction, that is towards laminar panels to which they are fixed in use; pair.ofadjustment blocks having pierced bosses engageable with the hcnge fixtUre apertures in the laminar panels, the adjustment blocks being at least partially receivable in the recesses in the recessed members, with clearance for adjustment both longitudinally and laterally of the edges of the laminar panels; * a pair of clamp plates for clamping of the laminar panels between the clamp plates and the adjustment blocks; * clamping screws engageable with the clamp plates and the recessed members, through the pierced bosses and the hinge fixture apertures, for drawing the recessed members towards the clamp plates to effect clamping action of the latter; and * a pin hingedly connecting the recessed members or the clamp plates.
2. A hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recessed members are thicker than the clamp plates, the former being the ones hinged together by the pin as hinged members.
3. A hinge as claimed in claim I or claims 2, further including adjustment screws for adjusting the position of the adjustment blocks with respect to the recessed members.
4. A hinge as claimed in claim 3, wherein the adjustment screws provide for adjustment both longitudinally and laterally of the edges of the laminar panels, that is longitudinally and laterally of the hinge pin.
5. A hinge as claimed in claim 3, wherein the adjustment screws provide for longitudinal adjustment against the weight of the panels or at least a hingedly movable one of the panels.
6. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the laminar panels are of glass.
7. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hinge pin is between the positions of glass panels when hinged together and in the same general plane between specific planes defined by opposite sides of the glass panels
8. A hinge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the hinge pin is set outside the planes defined by opposite sides of the glass panels on the hinge members' side thereof.
9. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the clamping screws are threadedly engageable in the clamp plates and abuttingly engageable with hinged members.
10. A hinge as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the clamping screws are abuttingly engageable with the clamp plates and threadedly engageable with the hinge members.
11. A hinge as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hinge members including blind holes for the clamping screws.
12. A hinge as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the piercings are longer in their direction towards and away from the hinge pin than in the orthogonal direction.
13. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the threaded ones of the clamp plates and the hinge members further include secondary bosses extending with clearance into the pierced bosses of the adjustment blocks, with clearance to allow for the adjustment.
14. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the adjustment blocks alone or in combination with collars of top hat shape are preferably sufficiently thick to hold the hinged members away from abutting the glass panels.
15. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hinged members have flanges extending over the recesses for the adjustment blocks, with grub screws engaged in the flanges and abutting and controlling the relative position of the hinged members and the adjustment blocks.
16. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the clamping plates are lined with a synthetic lining material.
17. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a synthetic material collars are provided between the pierced bosses and the fixture apertures in the glass.
18. A hinge as claimed in claim 17, wherein the collars have rims spacing the adjustment blocks from the glass.
19. A hinge as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18, wherein, to accommodate tolerances, the collars have eccentric bores for the pierced bosses, whereby differing orientation of the collars adjusts spacing of the bores for the bosses when fitted in fixture apertures in the glass.
20. A hinge as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the clamp plates and/or the hinged members are relieved locally at their hinge pin edges, to allow a seal to be fitted to an edge of the glass continuously past the hinges.