IT202100011615A1 - SLOW CLOSING FURNITURE HINGE - Google Patents

Description

SLOW CLOSING FURNITURE HINGE

The present invention relates to a slow-closing furniture hinge.

As ? known, hinges are used to allow the opening and closing of doors and furniture doors. In particular, these hinges can comprise suitable elastic means which ensure closure of the door on the shoulder or edge of a compartment of the piece of furniture. Furthermore, this type of hinge usually comprises a cup or cup portion which is to be fixed in a special recess made in the door of the furniture and a fixing plate intended on the other side to be fixed to a shoulder of the furniture. Articulating means are provided between the cup part and the fastening plate for connecting the fastening plate and the hinge cup to each other in an operatively connected manner. As said, the aforementioned elastic means are then provided. The presence of these elastic means does s? the curtain door hitting the edge of the compartment or the side of the piece of furniture.

To avoid this inconvenience, special components have been arranged which slow down the closure, cushion it and in this way prevent the parts from banging. And this does s? that the door rests slowly against the compartment or shoulder of the piece of furniture during closing, avoiding making any noise.

These components in known hinges consist of complex mechanical articulations as well as by a significant number of elements that go to make them up. The complexity? and the number, in addition to increasing costs, can also present difficulties? assembly and operation.

General purpose of the present invention ? that of realizing a hinge for furniture with slow closing capable of solving the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art in an extremely simple, economical and particularly functional manner.

Another purpose of the present invention? that of realizing a hinge for furniture with slow closing which is particularly simple in structure and having a minimum number of components. Not the last purpose of the present invention ? that of creating a slow-closing hinge for furniture that avoids any type of noise and banging when closing a? door to which? been applied.

Yet another object of the present invention? that of identifying a hinge for furniture with slow closing in which the slowing down of the stroke of a shock absorbing piston allows progressive braking and slowed down and silent support of the door to the edge of the furniture, completing the closure which then? held by the spring.

The aforesaid objects are achieved by a slow-closing hinge for furniture made according to the independent claim 1 and the sub-claims which follow.

The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and its advantages with respect to the known art will be even more? clear and evident from an examination of the following description, referred to the attached schematic drawings, which show an embodiment of the invention itself.

In the drawings:

figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the components of a hinge according to the present invention;

- figure 2 ? a top plan view of an open hinge made in accordance with the present invention;

- figure 3 ? a sectional view along line III-III of the previous figure 2;

-figure 4 ? a sectional view along line IV-IV of figure 2 of a detail of the hinge of the invention;

- figure 5 shows a side elevation view of the complete hinge in a first operating position, in which the hinge ? open with the door completely open with respect to a remaining part of a piece of furniture;

- figure 6 shows a side elevation view of the complete hinge in a second operating position, in which the hinge is? in an intermediate position of a closing phase of the door on the piece of furniture;

- figure 7 shows a side elevation view of the complete hinge in a third operating position, in which the hinge is? in a final position in which the door? completely rotated to close on the remaining part of the cabinet;

figure 8 is a perspective view of two central elements of the hinge in a perspective view and at least partially exploded with each other;

figure 9 shows the two elements of figure 8 assembled with an exploded view of a pin to be coupled to them;

figure 10 is a perspective view of two further elements of the hinge in a perspective view and at least partially exploded with each other;

figure 11 shows the two elements of figure 10 assembled;

- figures 12 and 13 show the elements of figures 8 to 11 partially assembled in a perspective view thereof and in a side elevation thereof;

figure 14 shows an exploded perspective view of the components of a further embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention;

- figure 15 ? a top plan view of an open hinge made in accordance with the present invention;

- figure 16 ? a sectional view along line XVI-XVI of the previous figure 15;

-figure 17 ? a sectional view along line XVII-XVII of figure 15 of a detail of the hinge of the invention; - figure 18 shows a side elevation view of the complete hinge of figure 14 in a first operating position, in which the hinge ? open;

- figure 19 shows a side elevation view of the complete hinge of figure 14 when the cylinder ? been locked in a position where the zipper ? open;

- figure 20 shows a perspective view, partly in section, of the hinge as shown in figure 19;

- figures 21 and 22 are enlarged sectional views of the part of a hinge of figure 14 in which ? a locking arrangement of the cylinder is provided, in two positions of figures 18 and 19.

In the following description, for the illustration of the figures, identical reference numerals are used to designate construction elements with the same function. Furthermore, for clarity of illustration, some reference numbers may not be repeated in all the figures.

Indications such as "vertical" and "horizontal", ?upper? and ?inferior? (in the absence of other indications) should be read with reference to the assembly (or operating) conditions and referring to the normal terminology in use in current language, where "vertical" indicates a direction substantially parallel to that of the gravity force vector? "g" is horizontal a direction perpendicular to it.

With reference to the figures, exemplifying and not limiting, ? shown is an embodiment of a soft-closing hinge for furniture according to the present invention, indicated as a whole by 11, for opening and closing a door A of a furniture M, shown in a shoulder.

The hinge 11 comprises a hinge cup 12, intended to be recessed into a shaped hole 13 made in the internal part of the door A, and a base plate 14 intended to be attached to a remaining part of the cabinet M.

The hinge 11 also provides articulated connection means able to connect in an articulated way a first end? of the hinged cup 12 at a first end? of the base plate 14. Thus the hinge cup 12 and the base plate 14 are mutually articulated relative to each other to switch from a closed hinge configuration ( Figure 7 ) to an open hinge configuration ( Figure 5 ) , and vice versa, in which the door A is closed and, respectively, open with respect to the remaining part of the cabinet M.

AND? also provided is an elastic means in the form of a spring 15 adapted to push the hinge 11 towards the closed hinge configuration, during a last portion of the movement from the open hinge configuration (Figure 5) to the closed hinge configuration (Figure 7).

Returning to the articulated connection means, they comprise an upper connecting rod 16 and a lower connecting rod 17 pivoted to the base plate 14 and to the hinge cap 12.

Pi? precisely the upper connecting rod 16 ? connected via a first pin 18 in holes 19 of the hinge cap 12 and via a second pin 20 in holes 21 of one end? of the base plate 14.

The lower connecting rod 17 ? connected via a further third pin 22 in further holes 23 of the hinge cap 12 and via a further fourth pin 24 in further holes 25 of one end? of the base plate 14. Both the upper connecting rod 16 and the lower connecting rod 17 in fact have holes 19?, 21? and 23?, 25? at their ends? opposing sides adapted to align with the holes 19, 21 and 23, 25 of the hinge cup 12 and of the base plate 14.

As can be seen from the figures, the pins 18 and 22 are arranged in the transversal direction Y-Y between opposite lateral walls 26 of the hinge cap 12, while the pins 20 and 24 are arranged in the transversal direction Y-Y between opposite lateral sides 27, 28 of the plate base 14.

In particular the base plate 14 ? in box-like shape open downwards, with lateral sides 27, 28 and flat central part 39 which connects the lateral sides 27, 28, with inverted U-shaped section. The base plate 14 on the pin 20 between the sides 27, 28 houses the aforementioned spring 15 side by side and a thrust-bearing parallelepiped block 29, centrally drilled for positioning on the pin 20.

The lower connecting rod 17 at its end? facing the base plate 14 ? shaped like a fork and welcomes at its ends? free drilled (in 25?) on the pin 24 a centrally drilled rocking lever 30. This lever 30 has two spaced arms 31, facing upwards, between which a cylinder 32 is housed, a stem 33 of which abuts against the parallelepiped thrust-bearing block 29 which acts as an abutment element for the stem. The two arms 31 and the cylinder 30 are arranged off-centre with respect to a longitudinal axis X-X of the base plate 14 of the hinge. In this way a slowdown unit is created, inside the base plate 14, which dampens the closing movement of the leaf on the rest of the cabinet in the last section of the movement from the open hinge configuration (Figure 5) to the closed hinge configuration (Figure 7).

Furthermore, as mentioned, the cylinder 32 ? positioned centrally with respect to the two arms 31 and ? held in position within a housing 34 formed in a cylinder holder block 35. This housing 34 of the cylinder holder block 35 is internally shaped with a shape complementary to that of the cylinder 32, such as the external diameter of the cylinder 32, so? to accept it at least partially. The cylinder holder block 35 ? permanently fixed by means of a pawl 36, obtained protruding outwards above it, which is inserted and forced into a hole 37 of complementary shape obtained in a flat central part 39 which connects the lateral sides 27, 28 of the plate base 14.

It can therefore be seen that also the cylinder holder block 35 is the hole 37 in the flat central part 39 of the base plate 14, so like the two arms 31 and the cylinder 30 mentioned above, they are arranged decentralized with respect to the longitudinal axis X-X of the base plate 14 of the hinge,

The two arms 31 of the oscillating lever 30 are coupled on the external diameter of the cylinder 32 and when the oscillating lever rotates they are brought in correspondence with two ribs 40 projecting radially towards the outside of the cylinder 32 itself.

The ideal positioning of the cylinder 32 in the housing 34 of the cylinder holder block 35 and between the two arms 31 of the oscillating lever 30 ? obtained by means of a rib 41 provided above the cylinder 32, projecting radially outwards. In fact, this rib 41 of the cylinder 32 is housed and positioned in a recess 42 formed axially within the housing 34 of the cylinder holder block 35 so that the cylinder 32 cannot? rotate, but pu? slide in the cylinder holder block 35 when the two arms 31, as the rocking lever 30 rotates, come into contact with the two ribs 40.

How does it appear from the above the hinge appears cos? composed and functioning.

In fact, the oscillating lever 30 is coupled to the lower connecting rod 17 and is positioned and fitted into the end? shaped like a fork of the connecting rod itself 17. The oscillating lever 30 ? held in the correct position by the pin 24 that ? inserted in the circular holes 25 of the base plate 14 and consequently in the holes 25? of the lower connecting rod 17 and of the lever 30 which make the whole integral. The rotary movement of the lower connecting rod 17 during the hinge closing phase also causes the lever 30 to rotate, which has the two arms 31, decentralized with respect to the longitudinal axis X-X of the base plate 14 of the hinge, which engage with the cylinder 32. Cylinder 32? positioned centrally with respect to the two arms 31 and ? held in position by a cylinder holder block 35 internally shaped in the housing 34 as the external diameter of the cylinder 32. The cylinder holder block 35, as mentioned, is? permanently fixed by the pawl 36 which extends from the block itself and is forced into the shaped hole 37 of the flat central part 39 of the base plate 14.

The two arms 31 of the oscillating lever 30 are coupled on the external diameter of the cylinder in correspondence with two ribs 40 raised on the cylinder itself.

The ideal and correct positioning of the cylinder 32 inside the two arms 31 of the rocking lever 30? obtained through the rib 41 provided in relief above the cylinder 32 which couples with the recess 42 obtained on the cylinder holder block 35 which prevents the rotation of the cylinder (figure 11).

The stem 33 of the cylinder 32 at rest contacts one side of a wall of the thrust-bearing parallelepiped block 29, assembled on the pin 20. This pin 20 is? fixed integrally to the base plate 14 by inserting it in the holes 21 and on the same pin 20 ? the spring 15 is also coupled off-centre with respect to the longitudinal axis X-X of the base plate 14, but in a specular way with respect to the thrust-bearing parallelepiped block 29 (figure 12). During the manual closing phase of the hinge according to the invention, the hinge cup 12 integral with the door A rotates approximately 90? by operating the two connecting rods 16, 17 (figures 5 and 6).

The rotation of the lower connecting rod 17 also causes the rocking lever 30 to rotate, but in the opposite direction to the rotation of the hinge cap 12. This rocking lever 30 compresses it through the two arms 31 in contact with the ribs 40 of the cylinder 32.

In this way the cylinder 32 slides in the semicircular housing 34 of the cylinder holder block 35 and rests in the circular seat obtained between the two arms 31. In this way the rod 33 of the cylinder 32 which is? resting on the vertical wall of the thrust-bearing parallelepiped block 29, it is compressed, slowing down the stroke of the cylinder 32 which progressively brakes the movement of the connecting rods 16, 17. E? therefore the movement of the hinge cup 12 integral with the door A is also slowed down as a result, which rests in a slow and silent way on the edge of the cabinet M, completing the closure which is then maintained by the spring 15. (Figure 7)

According to the present invention the hinge 11 is equipped with a damper device capable of being actuated during the last section of the closing movement of the hinge 11, from the open hinge configuration (Figure 5) to the closed hinge configuration (Figure 7), to slow down the mutual approach movement of the hinge cup 12 relative to the hinge base plate 14 .

Figures 14 to 22 show a further embodiment of the hinge according to the present invention in which identical elements are indicated with the same reference numbers and the relative description is not repeated.

These figures allow us to note that in this second example of a hinge there is no the thrust-bearing parallelepiped block 29 is present as abutment element of the cylinder rod. In fact, the element of joke ? a front extension 43 of the cylinder holder block 35 arranged facing the second pin 20 of the hinge.

Furthermore, it is noted that the front extension 43 of the cylinder holder block 35 is equipped with an open housing 44 for the second pin 20 on which it is arranged for assembly.

It should also be noted that in this further example of hinge for furniture, the cylinder holder 35 has a shaped recess 45 at the top and at least partly passing through its wall which houses an elastic stop element 46 of the cylinder 32. This stop element 46 has a inverted U shape within which extends an elastic appendage 47 which extends towards the cylinder 32.

This elastic appendage 47 ? adapted to be placed behind the? extremity? of rib 41? provided above the cylinder 32, projecting radially towards the outside and more? longer than that of the previous example to lock the cylinder 32 (figure 22). Rib 41 here too? of the cylinder 32 goes to be housed and positioned in a recess 42 formed axially within the housing 34 of the cylinder holder block 35.

And this locked position with the rod compressed occurs thanks to the displacement of the elastic stop element 46 in the recess 45 of the cylinder holder 35. Figure 21 shows a first position in which the cylinder 32 is? free, while as mentioned figure 22 shows the locked position of cylinder 32.

This recess 45 of the cylinder holder 35 ? aligned with an opening 48 obtained on the flat central part 39 of the base plate 14. In this opening 48 it is possible to arrive at moving the elastic stop element 46 between the two positions, i.e. between an inserted locking position and an deactivated rest position of the elastic appendage 47 behind the end? of rib 41? of cylinder 32.

How to ? seen a hinge according to the present invention avoids the drawbacks of the known hinges and makes s? that the door rests slowly on the cabinet or shoulder of the same when closing, avoiding making noise and incurring banging between the parts. The advantages of the invention are that of having provided a slow-closing hinge with mechanisms that are simple to produce (reduced cost) and reliable which differ from other more expensive hinges. complex already? on the market by simplifying and reducing the number of components and production costs.

AND? what? achieved the purpose mentioned in the preamble of the description.

The scope of protection of the present invention? defined by the attached claims.

Claims (13)

1. Soft close furniture hinge - a hinge cup (12) suitable for being recessed into the door (A) of a piece of furniture (M), - a base plate (14) suitable for being fixed to a remaining part of said piece of furniture (M), - articulated connection means (16, 17, 18, 22, 20, 24) able to connect in an articulated way one end? of said hinged cup (12) at one end? of said base plate (14), said hinge cup (12) and said hinge plate (14) being mutually articulated to be movable between a closed hinge configuration and an open hinge configuration in which the door (A) appears to be closed and respectively open with respect to the remaining part of the piece of furniture (M), in which said articulated connection means comprise an upper connecting rod (16) pivoted to the hinge cup (12) and to the hinge plate (14) at a first pin (18) and, respectively, of a second pin (20), and a lower connecting rod (17) pivoted to the hinge cup (12) and to the hinge plate (14) at a third pin (22) and , respectively, of a fourth pin (24), - an elastic means (15) able to act to push said hinge towards the aforementioned closed hinge configuration during a last portion of the closing movement of the hinge from the open hinge configuration to the closed configuration zipper closed, - a slowdown unit (32, 33, 29, 35) which dampens the closing movement of the door on the remaining part of the furniture in the last section of the movement from the open hinge configuration to the closed hinge configuration, - said retarder unit comprising a cylinder (32) with relative rod (33) and an abutment element (29, 43) against which the rod (33) of the cylinder (32) abuts at rest, in which said cylinder (32 ) ? disposed in a cylinder holder block (35) which ? fixed within said base plate (14), - said lower connecting rod (17) at one of its ends? facing the base plate (14) ? shaped like a fork that welcomes between its ends? free drilled (in 25?) said fourth pin (24) on which ? a centrally perforated oscillating lever (30) is arranged, and said oscillating lever (30) has two spaced arms (31), facing upwards and between which said cylinder (32) is housed, said arms (31) when rotating said oscillating lever promoting the movement of said cylinder (32) and of its stem (33) against said abutment element (29, 43). 2. Hinge for furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that said abutment element ? a parallelepiped thrust block (29). 3. Hinge for furniture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said cylinder (32) has two ribs (40) radially external to the cylinder (32) itself for engagement with said arms (31) of the oscillating lever (30 ), by rotating the oscillating lever itself (30). 4. Hinge for furniture according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that said cylinder (32) also provides a further rib (41) protruding radially outwards which is housed and engages in a recess (42) formed axially in the cylinder holder block (35). 5. Hinge for furniture according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cylinder holder block (35) has a housing (34) having a shape at least partially complementary to that of the cylinder (32). 6. Hinge for furniture according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cylinder holder block (35) has a pawl (36), obtained protruding outwards above it, which fits into a hole (37) of complementary shape obtained in a flat central part (39) of the base plate (14). 7. Hinge for furniture according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said thrust-bearing parallelepiped block (29) and said elastic means (15) in the form of a spring are arranged side by side on said second pin (20) which connects said upper connecting rod (16) and said plate hinge (14). 8. Hinge for furniture according to one or more? of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cylinder (30), said cylinder holder block (35) and said two arms (31) of the oscillating lever (30) are arranged off-centre with respect to a longitudinal axis X-X of the base plate (14) of the zipper. 9. Hinge for furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that said abutment element ? a front extension (43) of said cylinder holder block (35) facing said second pin (20). 10. Hinge for furniture according to claim 9, characterized in that said front extension (43) of said cylinder holder block (35) is? equipped with an open housing (44) for said second pin (20). 11. Hinge for furniture according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that said cylinder holder block (35) has at the top a recess (45) at least partly through which houses an elastic element for stopping the cylinder (46) in the compressed locked position . 12. Hinge for furniture according to claim 11, characterized in that said elastic stop element (46) of the cylinder (32) ? disposed in an opening (48) obtained on a flat central part (39) of said base plate (14) and ? can be moved from the outside of the hinge between an inserted locking position and an deactivated rest position. 13. Hinge for furniture according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that said elastic stop element (46) extends in an elastic appendage (47) adapted to be placed behind an end of the hinge. of a rib (41?) provided above the cylinder (32), projecting radially outwards and which is housed and positioned in a recess (42) formed axially within a housing (34) of the cylinder holder block (35).