GB2492085A

GB2492085A - A door assembly of a cabinet having power cable passing through door hinge

Info

Publication number: GB2492085A
Application number: GB1110385.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Di Hua
Original assignee: RD Europe Ltd
Current assignee: RD Europe Ltd
Priority date: 2011-06-20
Filing date: 2011-06-20
Publication date: 2012-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 2031-06-20
Also published as: GB2492085C; GB2492085B; EP2538008A2; EP2538008B1; EP2538008A3; GB201110385D0

Abstract

A door assembly comprises a door having an internal door cavity, a second body having an internal body cavity, e.g. hollow sidewall 8, and a hinge 3 for pivotally securing the door and the body and having an internal hinge channel [11, Figure 6] to allow a conduit, e.g. electric cable 6, to extend from the door cavity to the body cavity. In an embodiment of the door assembly, a hinge element 10 projects from the first body and has an internal channel [11, Fig. 6] in fluid connection with a first cavity of the first body, the assembly further comprising a hinge pin 12 that projects from the second body, pivotably securing the hinge element 10 and second body such that the hinge channel 11 is in fluid connection with the second cavity. A conduit 6, e.g wiring, may extend from first to second cavity via the hinge channel. The hinge pin preferably secures the hinge block 10 within an opening 9 formed on the second body. A cabinet, e.g. a bathroom cabinet, including such a door assembly is also described, the cabinet having an illuminated mirror frame that forms the periphery of the door, with power being supplied by wires passing through the door hinge.

Description

A CABINET AND A DOOR ASSEMBLY THEREFOR

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a door assembly and to a cabinet making use of such a door assembly.

Background to the Invention

Illuminated minors are popular bathroom fittings that provide a distributed light source around at least part of a periphery of a mirror. They are typically used to ensure good, even and diffuse facial lighting for activities such as applying make-up or shaving, but may also be prefelTed for purely aesthetic reasons. illuminated mirror-fronted cabinets conveniently combine valuable discreet storage space for bathroom products with an illuminated milTor, typically provided over a sanitary basin. An illuminated minor may form a door of the cabinet. In this case, an electrical cable supplying power to the lamps of the illuminated minor must generally trail between the door and the body of the cabinet, which may be unsightly. Furthermore, such a trailing cable arrangement may be hazardous, and therefore requires careful safety design to prevent water ingress and to prevent accidental snagging of the cable.

An object of embodiments of the claimed invention is therefore to provide an improved door hinge assembly which prevents snagging of a power cable or other flexible conduit. Another object of embodiments of the claimed invention is to provide an improved cabinet having such a door hinge assembly, so that a concealed power cable or other flexible conduit passing from inside the cabinet body into the door is concealed and protected.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a door assembly comprising a door having an internal door cavity, a second body having an internal body cavity, and a hinge having an internal hinge channel, wherein the hinge pivotably secures the door and the body to one another, and wherein the door assembly is adapted to receive a conduit extending from inside the door cavity to inside the body cavity via the hinge channel.

The door assembly may comprise a flexible conduit extending from inside the door cavity to inside the second body cavity via the hinge channel. The door assembly may comprise an opening for accommodating a part of the hinge. The second body may comprise a hollow panel. The hinge may comprise a pin. A second hinge may pivotably secure the door and the second body to one another.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a door assembly comprising a first body having an internal first cavity, a second body having an internal second cavity, a hinge element projecting from the first body and having an internal hinge channel in fluid connection with the first cavity, and a pin projecting from the second body, the pin extending into part of the hinge channel to pivotably secure the hinge element and second body to one another such that the hinge channel is in fluid connection with the second cavity, wherein the door assembly is adapted to receive a conduit extending from inside the first cavity to inside the second cavity via the hinge channel, and wherein either of the first and second bodies is a door.

The door assembly may comprise a flexible conduit extending from inside the first cavity to inside the second cavity via the hinge channel. The second body may comprise an opening for accommodating the hinge element. The first body may be a door and the second body may comprise a hollow panel.

In both the first and second aspects of the invention, the conduit may be an electrical cable. The panel may be substantially formed from a single extrusion. The extrusion may be an extruded aluminium strip. The extrusion may have an elongate, substantially box-shaped cross section.

The pin may have a smooth, substantially cylindrical portion for engagement with the hinge channel, and may have a threaded portion for engagement with a corresponding threaded cavity in the door assembly. A portion of the pin may define an axis of hinge rotation which is substantially vertical when the door assembly is in use. At least a portion of the hinge channel may be substantially cylindrical, and may be substantially T-shaped.

The door assembly may also comprise a second hinge. The second hinge may comprise a second pin, the pin and the second pin being oriented in opposite directions relative to one another. The pin and the second pin may each engage with a respective threaded cavity in the second body by insertion into opposite ends of the second body.

Conveniently, each pin is concealed by a respective faceplate.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a cabinet comprising such a door assembly.

The door may comprise an illuminated minor. The illuminated minor may have a lighting circuit concealed within the door, wherein the flexible conduit is an electrical cable connected to the lighting circuit and supplying power thereto. Conveniently, the cabinet may comprise an electric shaver socket, may comprise an internal light, and may comprise one or more proximity sensors operable as light switches. A proximity sensor may be operable to switch on the internal light when the door is opened and to switch off the internal light when the door is closed.

Detailed Description of the Invention

S In order that the invention may be more clearly understood an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a front view of a cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a partially exploded view of the cabinet of Figure 1, where the cabinet door is open and the hinges are disconnected; Figure 3 is a detail of the circled area of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a partially exploded view of the cabinet of Figure 1, where the cabinet door is open and the hinges are partially assembled; Figure 5 is a detail of the circled area of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a partially exploded view of the cabinet of Figure 1, where the cabinet door is open and the hinges are partially assembled, including a cut-away portion of a hinge assembly showing a partial section through the hinge.

Figures 1 to 6 show a bathroom cabinet according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, which has an illuminated mirror for a door. The door (1) is attached to the body (2) of the cabinet by two hinges (3). The cabinet has a compartment (4) formed by an internal divider (5) and the walls of the upper portion of the cabinet body (2).

The compartment contains electrical circuitry supplying power to the illuminated mirror and to a shaver socket and internal lamp which are both set into apertures in the internal divider (not shown). The mains power cord that connects this circuitry to a mains power supply enters the cabinet through a small opening in the rear of the compartment (not shown). The compartment is closed by folding the internal divider (5) upward about its hinged edge (5A) and securing its free edge (SB) against the top wall (21) of the cabinet by any suitable fastening means, such as clips or screws. Thus, the majority of the electrical wiring is neatly enclosed within this compartment, which provides a substantially splash-proof enclosure suitable for protecting the circuitry from the wear and tear and damage due to excessive moisture that might be expected in a bathroom environment.

To provide power to the illuminated mirror forming the cabinet door, a cable (6) connects the door with the body of the cabinet. This cable terminates at one end in the compartment (4) where it is connected to the mains power cord either directly or by way of an internal power circuit contained within the compartment. The other end of the cable terminates inside a cavity formed within the door. In order to protect the cable (6) from damage and hide it from view, the cable follows a tortuous route from the compartment to the illuminated mirror. The cable enters an aperture (7) in a sidewall panel (8) of the cabinet body, the aperture being concealed within the compartment (4), and passes along inside the hollow sidewall to an opening (9) into which a door hinge (3) is connected.

The door hinge is constructed as a block (10) with a T-shaped internal channel (11) as shown in the cut-away section of Figure 6. The hinge block is pivotably supported within the sidewall opening (9) by a pin (12) that extends partway into the T-shaped channel.

The hinge block is bolted by means of two threaded bores (13) to the illuminated mirror frame (14) that forms a periphery of the door.

The door is supported on two such hinges, although only the first of these has a cable running through it. The second hinge does not therefore need a T-shaped internal channel to allow a cable to reach into the door; a straight channel, for engagement with the pin, will suffice here. The pin supporting the second hinge may extend fully along the hinge channel, rather than partially as in the case of the first hinge. However, in a preferred embodiment, for the sake of manufacturing simplicity, both hinges are identical with the exceptions that the pins (12) enter the hinges from opposite directions via opposite ends of the sidewall (8) and that only the first hinge contains a cable (6).

The body of the cabinet is formed substantially from aluminium, although it will be understood that any sturdy material would suffice. The back panel (20) of the cabinet body is an aluminium plate, while the top panel (21), bottom panel (22) and sidewall panels (8, 23) are formed from extruded aluminium strip having a substantially box-shaped cross section. Each wall, or at least the sidewall (8) to which the door is hinged, is formed from extruded aluminium strip having a substantially box-shaped cross section that includes a substantially circular inclusion forming a substantially cylindrical channel (24) within the extruded strip. This channel is interrupted by the sidewall openings (9) into which each hinge block is inserted, and aligns with the hinge channels to form a continuous vertical shaft through the sidewall and hinge. A respective thread (25) is tapped into this shaft from each end of the sidewall, and each pin has a threaded portion (26) that engages with a respective threaded portion of the shaft when inserted into a respective end of the sidewall shaft to support a respective hinge. Such a threaded pin is shown before insertion in Figures 2 and 3, and partially inserted in Figures 4 to 6. A respective endplate (30) is secured over each end of the sidewall by small screws (31), to conceal the outer ends of the pins and to prevent them from loosening. The endplates also provide a barrier against the ingress of water that might otherwise enter the hinge and displace hinge lubricant and/or cause corrosion.

Each hinge has a stop in the form of a protruding ridge (35) which opposes and comes to rest against an internal surface of the opening (9) when the door is opened to a selected angle. This angle may be substantially a right angle or may be greater than ninety degrees. The ridge extends parallel to an outer surface of the hinge block (10) that forms the only visible part of the hinge when the door is closed. This outer surface of the hinge block lies flush with an outer surface of the sidewall (8) to substantially close the sidewall opening (9) when the door is closed, while the protruding ridge comes to rest against the internal face of the sidewall's outer surface, giving the hinge a neat appearance and reducing the likelihood of significant fluid ingress.

The door (i) of the cabinet is formed as an illuminated minor set into a frame (14) formed from extruded aluminium strip. The frame is constructed and bolted together at the corners, and the hinges are bolted to the frame, via holes (37) bored into the frame that are concealed within the illuminated mirror once the minor itself is set into the front of the frame. The illuminated mirror is held in place in a recess (38) in the front of the frame by a layer of adhesive. The illuminated minor is a minor with transparent windows (39) formed as apertures in the reflective backing, to each of which a light-emitting diode lamp is adhered. Once the lamps and circuitry are secured into the illuminated minor and the cable connected and fed through the hinge, a second minor (not shown) is then adhered into a recess (40) in the rear of the frame. This conceals and encapsulates the lamps, circuitry and part of the cable within the door and provides a sturdy structure that is simple to assemble and sufficiently well sealed by the adhesive to resist fluid ingress from splashed water.

The intemal lamp is electrically connected to an infra-red proximity sensor mounted in an aperture of the compartment to face the door. This functions to switch the lamp off when the door is closed and on when the door is open. Optionally, an additional proximity sensor may be electrically connected to a circuit which powers the illuminated minor lamps and mounted on an outer surface of the cabinet body so that the front minor may be illuminated by passing a hand near to the sensor. As would be apparent to the skilled person, alternative switching means such as mechanical switches may be used. In any case it is prefened that all wiring is concealed within the compartment and hollow sidewalls of the cabinet body and within the hollow door, with one or more connecting cables passing unseen from the body to the door via the hinge channel wherever a connection is needed between circuitry in the door and circuitry in the body.

Shelves, compartments, and/or other fixtures may be affixed inside the cabinet as would be readily apparent to the skilled person.

As would be understood by the skilled person, a door assembly as described would have applications beyond illuminated mirror bathroom cabinets. In general, any anangement where concealment is necessary of electrical or other conduits that pass into a door structure may have a door and hinge arrangement similar to that described above.

The above embodiment is described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A door assembly comprising a door having an internal door cavity, a second body having an internal body cavity, and a hinge having an internal hinge channel, wherein the hinge pivotably secures the door and the second body to one another, and wherein the door assembly is adapted to receive a conduit extending from inside the door cavity to inside the body cavity via the hinge channel.
2. A door assembly according to claim 1 comprising a flexible conduit extending from inside the door cavity to inside the body cavity via the hinge channel.
3. A door assembly according to any preceding claim comprising an opening for accommodating a part of the hinge.
4. A door assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the second body comprises a hollow panel.
5. A door assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the hinge comprises a pin.
6. A door assembly according to any preceding claim comprising a second hinge that pivotably secures the door and the second body to one another.
7. A door assembly comprising: a first body having an internal first cavity; a second body having an internal second cavity; a hinge element projecting from the first body, the hinge element having an internal hinge channel in fluid connection with the first cavity; and a pin projecting from the second body, the pin extending into part of the hinge channel to pivotably secure the hinge element and second body to one another such that the hinge channel is in fluid connection with the second cavity, wherein the door assembly is adapted to receive a conduit extending from inside the first cavity to inside the second cavity via the hinge channel, and wherein either of the first and second bodies is a door.
8. A door assembly according to claim 7 comprising a flexible conduit extending from inside the first cavity to inside the second cavity via the hinge channel.
9. A door assembly according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the second body comprises an opening for accommodating the hinge element.
10. A door assembly according to any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the first body is a door and the second body comprises a hollow panel.
11. A door assembly according to claim 2 or 8 wherein the conduit is an electrical cable.
12. A door assembly according to claim 4 or 10 wherein the panel is substantially formed from a single extrusion.
13. A door assembly according to claim 12 wherein the extrusion has an elongate, substantially box-shaped cross section.
14. A door assembly according to claim 5 or any one of claims 7 to 13 wherein the pin has a smooth, substantially cylindrical portion for engagement with the hinge channel.
15. A door assembly according to claim 5 or any one of claims 7 to 14 wherein the pin has a threaded portion for engagement with a corresponding threaded cavity in the door assembly.
16. A door assembly according to claim 5 or any one of claims 7 to 15 wherein a portion of the pin defines an axis of hinge rotation which is substantially vertical when the door assembly is in use.
17. A door assembly according to any preceding claim wherein at least a portion of the hinge channel is substantially cylindrical.
18. A door assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the hinge channel is substantially T-shaped.
19. A door assembly according to any preceding claim comprising a second hinge.
20. A door assembly according to claim 19, when dependent on claim S or 7, wherein the second hinge comprises a second pin, and wherein the pin and the second pin are oriented in opposite directions relative to one another.
21. A door assembly according to claim 20 wherein the pin and the second pin are each engaged with a respective threaded cavity in the second body by insertion into opposite ends of the second body.
22. A door assembly according to claim 21 wherein each pin is concealed by a respective faceplate.
23. A door assembly substantially as herein described with reference to the appended figures.
24. A cabinet comprising a door assembly according to any preceding claim.
25. A cabinet according to claim 24 wherein the door comprises an illuminated mirror having a lighting circuit concealed within the door, and wherein the flexible conduit is an electrical cable connected to the lighting circuit and supplying power thereto.
26. A cabinet according to claim 24 or 25 comprising an electric shaver socket.
27. A cabinet according to any of claims 24 to 26 comprising an internal light.
28. A cabinet according to any of claims 24 to 27 comprising one or more proximity sensors operable as light switches.
29. A cabinet according to claim 28 wherein a proximity sensor is operable to switch on the internal light when the door is opened and to switch off the internal light when the door is closed.
30. A cabinet substantially as herein described with reference to the appended figures.