ITRE20110074A1 - HINGE GROUP FOR DOORS OF REFRIGERATED CABINETS - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the Italian Patent for Industrial Invention entitled:

â € œHING GROUP FOR REFRIGERATOR CABINET DOORSâ €

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a hinge assembly for refrigerator cabinet doors.

More specifically, the invention refers to a hinge unit for refrigerated cabinet doors intended to be placed inside food or similar outlets, for the conservation and display of such products.

PRE-EXISTING TECHNIQUE

As is known, refrigerated cabinets generally comprise an external body in the shape of a parallelepiped, which is able to delimit inside a refrigerated compartment for receiving the products to be stored.

The refrigerated compartment is made accessible through a front access light obtained on a lateral side of the external body, which is closed by a door that can be partially or entirely transparent, so as to allow viewing of the products contained in the compartment. € ™ internal.

Currently, the door of a refrigerated cabinet can be hinged or alternatively sliding.

In particular, a hinged door comprises a fixed frame suitable for delimiting the access opening of the refrigerated cabinet and one or more panels suitable for closing said access opening, which are hinged to the frame, so as to open the access opening. access by turning in the manner of doors.

A necessity of these refrigerated cabinets is to increase the transparent area of the door, in order to improve the vision of the products contained inside and to widen the display of the same.

This necessity involves the use of panels with very thin frames closed by large transparent infill slabs.

Despite the use of these panels, it has been found that a lot of non-transparent space in the door is necessarily used by the maneuvering space required by the hinge group for moving the panel with respect to the fixed frame.

A further drawback encountered in doors of the known type lies in the fact that this ample space for maneuvering necessary between the fixed frame and the panel, in correspondence with the hinged side of the same, a relatively large gap is created which varies its width during the rotation of the panel. panel with respect to the frame and in which a finger can be inserted, for example by a user who can be inadvertently crushed when opening the panel itself.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the known art, within the ambit of a simple, rational and low cost solution.

These objects are achieved by the characteristics of the invention reported in the independent claim. The dependent claims outline preferred and / or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention.

<EXHIBITION OF THE> â € ™ <INVENTION>

The invention, in particular, makes available a hinge assembly for refrigerated cabinet doors which includes:

- a first substantially plate-like support element that can be fixed to the refrigerated cabinet,

- a second support element, substantially plate-like and fixable to the closing panel of an access port of the refrigerated cabinet, hinged to the first support element with a hinging axis orthogonal to the plane where at least the first support element lies, so to rotate said panel with respect to the refrigerated cabinet between a closed position and an open position of the access light.

According to the invention, the hinging axis is arranged in correspondence with at least one corner of the second support element.

Thanks to this solution, the rotation of the second support element with respect to the first substantially does not alter the lateral encumbrance of the hinge group allowing to have a hinged door with reduced space for maneuver between the panel and the frame of the refrigerated cabinet resulting in a greater transparent surface of the refrigerated cabinet as a whole, as well as eliminating the risk of crushing between the moving parts of the door itself.

According to an aspect of the invention, the hinge assembly also comprises elastic return means interposed between said first and second support element for returning from the open position to the closed position.

In this way, the door is automatically brought into the closed position, guaranteeing greater efficiency and safety of the refrigerated cabinet.

Furthermore, the return means comprise a torsion spring, a first end of which is driven into rotation by the first support element and the second end of which is associated integrally in rotation with the second support element.

Advantageously, the first end of the torsion spring is rotatably associated with the second support element in an off-center position with respect to the hinging axis.

Furthermore, the hinge assembly comprises means for transforming the rotary motion of the second support element with respect to the first support element into rotary motion of the first end with respect to the second end.

Advantageously, the transformation means comprise at least a gear portion fixed to the first support element coaxially to the hinging axis and adapted to mesh with a toothed wheel, rotatably associated with the second support element and comprising a housing seat for the first end. of the torsion spring, said first end and said housing seat being configured so as to give rise to a prismatic coupling.

In this way, the torsion spring can be easily installed inside the movable panel of the door, without interfering with the profiles that make up the frame of the panel itself.

According to an aspect of the invention, the hinge assembly comprises locking means suitable for removably locking the first and second support elements together in the open position.

Thanks to this solution, the door can be easily kept in the open position during the filling operations of the refrigerated cabinet, by the staff in charge of the point of sale.

Advantageously, the locking means comprise two snap coupling elements associated respectively with the first support element and with the second support element, of which a latch and a retaining seat adapted to carry out an automatic reciprocal coupling following a reciprocal rotation between the first and the second support element.

<BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS>

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become evident by reading the following description provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures illustrated in the attached tables.

Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a refrigerated cabinet provided with a hinged door equipped with hinge groups, according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of a hinge assembly, according to the invention, in the closed position.

Figure 3 is the front view of the hinge assembly of Figure 1 in the open position.

Figure 4 is the top view of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is the top view of figure 3.

Figure 6 is the view along the section VI-VI of figure 2. Figure 7 is the view along the section VII-VII of figure 3.

Figure 8 is the view along the section VIII-VIII of figure 4.

Figure 9 is the view along the section IX-IX of figure 5. Figure 10 is a schematic view of the hinge group, according to the invention in two operating positions.

<BEST WAY TO IMPLEMENT THE> â € ™ <INVENTION>

It should be initially pointed out that in the course of the following description, the concepts of top and bottom, of top and bottom, and of left and right, are all understood to refer to the view of figure 1.

The refrigeration cabinet 10 illustrated in figure 1 comprises an external body 11 in the shape of a parallelepiped, which is able to delimit inside itself a refrigerated compartment (not visible) for receiving the products to be stored.

Said refrigerated compartment is made accessible from the outside through an access opening 12, which is obtained from the front on a vertical side of the external body 11.

Said access door 12 is closed by a door which is indicated as a whole with 20.

The door 20 comprises a fixed frame 21 adapted to delimit the access opening 12, which has a rectangular shape defined by two pairs of parallel profiles, of which a pair of vertical profiles, respectively left 22 and right 23, and a pair of horizontal profiles, respectively upper 24 and lower 25.

The profiles 22-25 can be made of plastic material, for example PVC, to improve the thermal insulation of the refrigerated compartment and avoid condensation, and can be covered externally with an aluminum coating that improves its aesthetics. .

The door 20 further comprises two panels 30, which are generally adapted to close the access opening 12 delimited by the fixed frame 21.

In particular, each panel 30 has a rectangular shape having substantially the same height as the access opening 12, and a width equal to slightly more than half the width of the access opening 12.

In this way, each panel 30 is individually adapted to close a respective half of the access opening 12.

Each panel 30 comprises an infill plate 31, typically made of transparent material, for example glass, to allow viewing of the products contained inside the refrigerated cabinet 10, and a frame 32 able to surround the perimeter of said plate. rear end 31.

In particular, the frame 32 is defined by a series of straight profiles which are fixed along the edges of the curtain plate 31.

The profiles of the frame 32 can also be made of plastic material, for example of PVC, and can be covered externally with an aluminum coating.

As illustrated in Figure 1, each panel 30 is also hinged to the fixed frame 21, so as to be able to rotate with respect to this around a vertical rotation axis X and parallel to the plane of the frame 21.

This hinged coupling is achieved by means of at least one hinged assembly indicated globally with the number 50 and shown in detail in figures 2 - 10 and which will be described in detail below.

The hinge groups 50 can be two for each panel 30 respectively arranged in an upper and lower area of the same panel 30 or alternatively one for each panel 30.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the hinge groups 50 of the left panel 30 are placed in correspondence with the left edge of this panel 30, vice versa, the hinge groups 50 of the right panel 30 are positioned at the edge of right of this panel 30.

Thanks to this solution, the panels 30 are able to rotate in opposite directions with respect to the frame 21, in the manner of two leaves, each around its own axis of rotation X, between the closed position shown in Figure 1 towards a further opening position of the respective portion of the access port 12, such that, when both panels 30 are in said further opening position, the access port 12 is completely open.

Figures 2 to 9 show only the lower right hinge group 50 for simplicity.

The hinge assembly 50 comprises a first substantially plate-like support element 51, for example with a rectangular plan with rounded edges, on which through holes 510 are made, suitable for being engaged by screws 511 suitable for fixing the support element to the frame 21 , for example in correspondence with its lower profile 25.

In the first support element 51, substantially in a lowered area decentralized to the right, a cylindrical seat 512 is made into which a rotation pin 52, with a vertical axis, is rotatably inserted substantially to size.

In particular, the cylindrical seat 512 is made at the front edge of the first support element 51.

The hinge assembly 50 comprises a second support element 54, also plate-like, for example with a rectangular base with rounded edges.

The second support element 54 has a plurality of through holes 540 in which fixing screws (not shown) are inserted which are suitable for screwing to the frame 32 of the panel 30.

Furthermore, the rotation pin 52 with vertical axis is fixed to the second support element 54 and is able to slide into the cylindrical seat 512 for the rotation of the second support element 54 with respect to the first support element 51.

The rotation pin 52 is fixed (for example made in a single piece with it) below the second support element 54, projecting with respect to it, and in correspondence with an edge (front right in the figure) so that the second support element 54 can rotate above the first support element 51.

As can be seen in figure 10, the positioning of the rotation pin 52 at an edge of the second support element 54 allows the latter to rotate by an angle of 90 ° without allowing the distance between the frame 32 and the vertical profile 23 (or 22) various during the rotation of the panel 30.

Furthermore, the distance between the frame 32 and the vertical profile 23 may be minimal allowing a wider transparent surface of the refrigerated cabinet 10 as a whole.

The second support element 54, therefore, is hinged to the first support element 51, by means of the rotation pin 52, so as to rotate the panel 30 with respect to the frame 21 between a closed position and an opening position of the access opening. 12.

In practice, the second support element 54 is superimposed in plan on the first support element 51 in the closed position and is inclined, for example by 90 °, with respect to it in the open position.

The second support element 54 is equipped with a substantially cylindrical cavity 541 and flanked by the rotation pin 52, in which a torsion spring 53 is inserted, rotatably associated, of the type of a square section bar coaxially inserted into the cavity. 541.

Inserted into the cavity 541 is a bush 520 projecting below the second support element 54 and rotatably associated with the cavity 541 itself.

The bush 520 comprises an internal cavity with a square section suitable to give rise to a prismatic coupling with the torsion spring 53. In practice, the lower end 53a of the torsion spring 53 is inserted to measure in the bush 520 so that to a rotation of the bushing 520 (or, as will be seen further on, of the second support element 54 with respect to the first support element 51) there corresponds an equal rotation of the lower end 53a of the torsion spring 53 with respect to the second support element 54 .

The torsion spring 53 extends longitudinally above the second support element 54 and the upper end 53b of the torsion spring 53 is adapted to be inserted in a locking nut 33 fixed to the panel 30, as known in the skilled in the art, and shown only schematically in Figure 2.

The locking nut 33, for example, also has a cavity with a square section able to slide substantially to size on the torsion spring 53 preventing reciprocal rotation between the upper end 53b of the torsion spring 53 and the panel 30 (and therefore it is integral with the second support element 54).

The cylindrical seat 512 is made in a cylindrical body projecting above the first support element 51 (in correspondence with the lowered area of the same), the external surface of which that faces towards the inside of the first support element 51 has a portion toothed 517a, while the remaining portion 517b of the external surface (which faces towards the outside of it) is substantially cylindrical and defines the rounded corner of the first support element itself.

The toothed portion 517a is adapted to mesh with a toothed wheel 521 which is made in a single piece with the bush 520.

It can therefore be seen how the lower end 53a of the torsion spring 53 (which is integral in rotation with the bush 520), when the second support element 54 is operated in opening rotation by a user, rotates with respect to the second support element 54 itself in contrast to the action of the torsion spring 53 so as to elastically load the same.

The torsion spring 53 (possibly preloaded) keeps the panel 30 closed and therefore allows the automatic return of the panel 30 to the closed position once it has been opened.

The hinge assembly 50 comprises locking means suitable for removably locking the first support element 51 and the second support element 54 together in the open position, in contrast to the action of the torsion spring 53.

In the example shown, the locking means comprise an automatically operated latch 55 which is slidingly associated with the first support element 51.

The first support element 51 comprises a rectilinear guide 513 flanked to the cylindrical seat 512 and arranged with a longitudinal axis lying on a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation X and inclined, in the example of 20 °, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the first support element 51 (with a rectangular base).

The bolt 55 is able to slide along the rectilinear guide 513 between an advanced position, in which it is approached to the rotation pin 52 and a rear position, in which it is moved away from it.

In practice, the rectilinear guide 513 is made in correspondence with the raised left area of the first support element 51 and is defined by a longitudinal groove 514 made in the first support element 51.

In plan, the recess 514 has the shape of a channel open at the ends and delimited by a pair of parallel sides 515 between which the bolt 55 is able to slide.

The recess 514 opens, with one of the open ends, on the lowered area off-centered to the right of the first support element 51 and, with the other open end, on an enlarged cavity 516.

In practice, the enlarged cavity 516 is placed upstream of the sides 515, in the direction of sliding of the bolt 55 from the rear position to the advanced position.

In plan, the enlarged cavity 516 is perimeter closed on all sides except in correspondence with the recess 514.

A pair of compression springs 56 are housed in the enlarged cavity 516, which are compressed between the closed rear bottom of the enlarged cavity 516 (distal from the recess 514) and the rear wall of the bolt 55, so as to push the bolt itself towards its advanced position.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the compression springs 56 are of the helical type and have respective longitudinal axes parallel to each other.

Correspondingly, the enlarged cavity 516 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan.

The rectilinear guide 513 is equipped with an abutment element 518, for example, defined by the connecting shoulder between the sides 515 and the enlarged cavity 516, which is able to stop the stroke of the bolt 55 in its forward position.

The recess 514 and the enlarged cavity 516 are then closed at the top by a cover 519 adapted to hold the bolt 55 and the compression springs 56 at the top.

The bolt 55 comprises an elongated body 550 substantially parallelepiped suitable for slidingly engaging the rectilinear guide whose front end 551 (in the sliding direction from the rear position to the forward position of the same) is substantially pointed and whose rear end 552 defines a widened wall designed to interfere with the abutment element 518 at the front and define a support area for the compression springs 56 at the rear.

The front end 551 of the bolt 55 is such as to project in frontal projection from the raised left area of the first support element 51, positioning itself at least partially above the lowered area to the right of the same.

In practice, the first support element 51 defines a box-like body in which the bolt 55 is inserted inside, whose front end alone 551 comes out of the open end of the recess 514 which faces the rotation pin 52 .

The locking means then comprise a retaining seat 57 obtained in the second support element 52 and, therefore, integral with it in rotation, which is adapted to receive the front end 551 of the bolt 55 when the second element support 54 is in the open position.

In practice, the retaining seat 57 is made in correspondence with a side (rear in Figure 2) of the second support element 54 and is obtained on a shaped tooth 570 projecting below the second support element itself, so that, by rotating the second support element 54 by 90 ° from the closed position to the open position, the retaining seat 57 passes, above the lowered right area of the first support element 51, from a position in which it is not aligned with the bolt 55 (along the sliding direction of the bolt itself) to a position in which it is aligned with it and accessible from it.

Furthermore, the retaining seat 57 has a substantially V-shaped plan profile so as to substantially accommodate the pointed advanced end 551 of the bolt 55, when it is in the forward position, and to ensure its centering.

The tooth 570 comprises at least one rounded side 571 placed in a lateral position with respect to the retaining seat 57 and able to come into contact with the front end 551 of the bolt 55, during the rotation motion of the second support element 54 with respect to the first support element 51 between the open position and the closed position.

The rounded side 571 acts as a cam for the bolt 55 bringing it, in contrast to the compression springs 56, from the forward position to the rear position, during the rotary motion imparted to the panel 30 by the user.

In practice, the compression of the compression springs 46 by the rounded side 571 allows the latch 55 to snap into the retaining seat 57, opening the panel 30, and at the same time facilitates its release for its release. , closing.

The compression springs 56 are configured so that their stiffness is greater than the stiffness of the torsion spring 53, so that when the bolt 55 is inserted in the retaining seat 57 the torsion spring 53 is not able, alone, to remove the constraint on rotation of the second support element 54 with respect to the first support element 51 offered by the bolt 55.

However, it is not excluded that the latch may have a manual locking action of the type known to those skilled in the art.

In the light of the above, the operation of the hinge group 50 is as follows.

The panel 30 is normally closed and, therefore, the second support element 54 is superimposed (in its closed position) to the first support element 51 pushed by the preload imparted to the torsion spring 53.

In this configuration (Figs. 2,4,6 and 8), the bolt 55 and the retaining seat 57 are mutually misaligned and the panel 30 can be operated in rotation to open the door 20.

Following a rotation of the panel 30 by 90 ° with respect to the X axis (Figs. 3,5, 7 and 9), the retaining seat 57 rotates with the second support element 54 moving in front of the bolt 55, the which, previously pushed by the rounded side 571 of the tooth 570 in its rearward position against the pushing action of the compression springs 56, moves instantly and automatically into the forward position (by the action of the compression springs 56) by engaging the the retaining seat itself.

The gap existing between the vertical profile 23 and the edge of the second support element 54 (and therefore also of the frame 32), thanks to the arrangement of the axis of rotation X near an edge of the second support element itself, appears decidedly contained compared to the prior art (see Figure 10 in comparison to the prior art illustrated above); moreover, this slot during the opening and closing rotation of the panel 30 does not substantially change its size, preventing any problem of possible crushing.

With the bolt 55 engaged in the retaining seat 57, the panel 30 is forced, against the action of the torsion spring 53, to remain in the open position.

To release the panel 30 it is therefore sufficient to operate the panel 30 in rotation with a minimum force, such as to overcome the action of the compression springs 56, so that the bolt 55, sliding on the sides of the retaining seat 57 and on the rounded side 571 of the tooth 570, move to its rear position and the panel 30 is free to rotate towards the closed position by means of the return action exerted by the torsion spring 53.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

Furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the following claims.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS 1. Group of hinges (50) for refrigerated cabinet doors which includes: - a first support element (51) substantially plate-like that can be fixed to the refrigeration cabinet (10), - a second support element (54), substantially plate-like and can be fixed to the closing panel (30) of an access port (12) of the refrigerated cabinet (10), hinged to the first support element (51) with a hinging (X) orthogonal to the plane of the first support element (51), so as to rotate said panel with respect to the refrigerated cabinet (10) between a closed position and an open position of the access opening (12) , characterized in that the hinging axis (X) is arranged in correspondence with at least one corner of the second support element (54). Group (50), according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises elastic return means (53) interposed between said first and second support element (51,54) for returning from the open position to the closed position. Group (50), according to claim 2, wherein said return means comprise a torsion spring (53) whose first end (53a) is rotated by the first support element (51) and the second end of which end (53b) is associated integral in rotation with the second support element (54). Group (50), according to claim 3, wherein said first end (53a) is rotatably associated with the second support element (54) in an off-center position with respect to the hinging axis (X). 5. Group (50), according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises means (517a, 521) for transforming the rotary motion of the second support element (54) with respect to the first support element (51) into rotary motion of the first extremity (53a) with respect to the second extremity (53b). 6. Group (50), according to claim 5, in which the transformation means comprise at least a gear portion (517a) fixed to the first support element (51) coaxially to the hinge axis (X) and adapted to mesh a toothed wheel (521), rotatably associated with the second support element (54) and comprising a housing seat for the first end (53a) of the torsion spring (53), said first end (53a) and said housing seat being configured to give rise to a prismatic coupling. Group (50), according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises locking means (55,57) adapted to removably lock the first and second support elements (51,54) together in the open position. Group (50), according to claim 7, in which the locking means comprise two snap-hooking elements associated respectively with the first support element (51) and with the second support element (54), of which a latch ( 55) and a retaining seat (57) adapted to realize an automatic reciprocal coupling following a reciprocal rotation between the first and the second support element (51,54).