US3748689A

US3748689A - Adjustable hinge for butt-closing doors

Info

Publication number: US3748689A
Application number: US00185032A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Grunert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-10-06
Filing date: 1971-09-30
Publication date: 1973-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-31
Also published as: FR2111044A5; DE2048935A1; AU466823B2; AU3404171A; AT326522B; ATA757371A; DE2048935B2; CH529283A; BE773175A

Abstract

A hinge assembly for adjustably mounting at least one door leaf to a face of a frame wall member. A first mounting means is mounted on the frame wall member and a second mounting means is mounted on the door leaf. The first mounting means includes a plate element, a hinge angular support bracket and a hinge pin bracket connected in series so as to provide adjustable movement between the frame wall member and the door leaf member in two distinct intersecting planes which are held in fixed angular relationship with each other. In one embodiment the adjustment planes are perpendicular to each other and one of the planes is held parallel to the surface of the frame wall member. Projections on the rear side of the mounting plate element are impressed into the surface of the frame wall member in order to rigidly position and hold the plate in fixed position. Elongated, mating serrations are included on the contiguous surfaces between the elements of the first mounting means. These serrations are provided to hold the surfaces in fixed relation so that they will not slip during usage. Retaining means are provided between the plate element and the angular bracket to prevent inadvertent separation or loss of parts.

Description

United States Patent 1 Grunert [451 July 31, 1973 Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman AttorneyNeil F. Markva ADJ USTABLE HINGE FOR BUTT-CLOSING lnventor: Hellmuth Grunert, Hausacker 29,

Hoffnungsthal, Germany Sept. 30, 1971 Appl. No.: 185,032

Foreign Application Priority Data Germany P 20 48 935.4

16/129 Kreiner [6/129 Wagner [57] ABSTRACT A hinge assembly for adjustably mounting at least one door leaf to a face of a frame wall member. A first mounting means is mounted on the frame wall member and a second mounting means is mounted on the door leaf. The first mounting means includes a plate element, a hinge angular support bracket and a hinge pin bracket connected in series so as to provide adjustable movement between the frame wall member and the door leaf member in two distinct intersecting planes which are held in fixed angular relationship with each other. in one embodiment the adjustment planes are perpendicular to each other and one of the planes is held parallel to the surface of the frame wall member. Projections on the rear side of the mounting plate element are impressed into the surface of the frame wall member in order to rigidly position and hold the plate in fixed position. Elongated, mating serrations are included on the contiguous surfaces between the elements of the first mounting means. These serrations are provided to hold the surfaces in fixed relation so that they will not slip during usage. Retaining means are provided between the plate element and the angular bracket to prevent inadvertent separation or loss of parts.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ADJUSTABLE HINGE FOR BUTT-CLOSING DOORS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to an adjustable hinge device for use with butt-closing doors in the manufacture of furniture and cabinets.

Hinge devices or assemblies which provide an invisible or concealed arrangement have been in use for many years in the prior art. In addition, many of these devices provide means for adjusting the door in individual planes with respect to each mounting portion of the hinge assembly. In some cases, these devices would be satisfactory but not in the use with a butt-closing type door. In this type of installation, the adjacent edges between the adjoining members must be aligned flush and accurately to present a pleasing appearance. Thus, not only must adjustments be made with respect to adja cent door members, but the individual doors must be properly positioned with respect to the mounting wall members.

In the prior art, where an adjustment had to be made with respect to the depth or spacing between the door edge and the wall member, the hinge mounting screws were reset to adjust this spacing. Thus, small adjustment movements were prohibited and weak hinge attachments were produced due to the presence of the original screw holes. Some devices provided this depth or spacing adjustment by providing elongated mounting holes in the hinge plate element but these have been unsatisfactory due to the inability of the plate to be held securely in a non-slip fashion so as to preclude subsequent door misalignment.

In addition, the prior art devices have included only a single adjustable plane capability for each half of a door hinge assembly, thus precluding the possibility of a universal or three-dimensional adjustment capability.

For the purpose of this specification, longitudinal or depth adjustment is defined as lying in a plane parallel to the mounting surface of the wall member and generally on a line moving to or away from the door member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention includes a first hinge member or mounting means which is attached to the surface of a frame wall member. The second hinge member or mounting means is attached to the inside surface of a leaf or door member. The first and second hinge members are pivotably coupled to each other to allow the door to be opened and rotated with respect to the frame wall member.

A feature of this invention is the inclusion of a link member which is positioned intermediate the first and second hinge members by means of pivotal attachment points on the respective members. A slot is provided in the door hinge member for the link attachment point to permit the door to open the desired angular distance. Thus, the door is prevented from opening an excessive amount which would cause damage to either the door member itself or the hinge device.

To eliminate the major deficiency inmost hinge devices of this type, adjustment means is provided in two distinct intersecting planes in only the first hinge member of the instant device. These planes are held in fixed angular relationship. The first hinge member consists of a mounting element or plate, an angular support bracket member and a hinge pin element. These ele- The mounting plate is designed to fit into a keyed slot in the leg of the angular bracket. The key arrangement can be either straight-sided or undercut to form a dovetailed arrangement to provide a retaining means between the mounting plate and the bracket. With the straight-sided configuration, a rivet and slot can be used to retain the parts in slidable fashion.

In order to secure the mounting plate and the angular bracket member to the wall member, at least one attaching hole is provided in the mounting plate and a slotted corresponding hole is provided in the angular bracket member. A wood screw or attaching fastener is provided to secure both the bracket and the mounting plate to the wall member simultaneously. It is desirable to retain the mounting plate or slide shoe fixed with respect to the frame while making an adjustment with the angular bracket. Thus, to provide a fixed reference surface for the-adjustment, the side of the mounting plate which is contiguous to the surface of the wall member is provided with projections which are embedded in the wall. member when the attaching screws are first installed. Thus, the mounting plate or slide shoe is embedded and retained in fixed relation to the wall member. In one embodiment, the projections are rings extending around the perimeter of the mounting holes.

Serrations or grooves extending transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the mounting plate and angular bracket can be provided on the mating surfaces of these parts to provide 'a more rigid, non-slip attachment. It is desirable that the pitch of these grooves be identical between the two parts and sufficient to permit small increments of adjustment between the leaf member and frame.

Other features of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF- SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invisible hinge assembly of this invention includes a frame hinge member or mounting means 10 and a door hinge member or mounting means 4. These members are pivotably attached by hinge pin means 7.

The door hinge member 4 is located in a recess 5 provided in the door 6. Any fastening means desired can be used to retain the hinge member 4 in the door recess 5. This recess and hinge arrangement provides the necessary concealment to render the door hinge invisible.

In conjunction with this concealment feature and to prevent the hinge members or door from being damaged, a link member 8 is intermediately attached between the frame hinge member and the door hinge member 4 in order to provide a stop or retainer to limit the outward angular opening of the door member. The link member 8 is pivotably attached to the hinge pin member 2 and the door hinge member 4 by means of an elongated slot 9. The position and length of the slot 9 is designed to permit the desired angular opening without damage to the hinge or door members.

The hinge frame member 10 is composed of the hinge pin element 2, an angular hinge bracket 10a and a mounting plate element or slide shoe 15. The hinge pin element 2 is sized to encompass the thickness of the frame member and the width of the leg 11 of the angular hinge bracket member 10a. The hinge pin 7 is located in the outer portion of the hinge pin element 2 while the rear face of the opposite end of the element 2 is adapted for slidable attachment to the face of the bracket leg 11. See FIGS. 1 and 2. A transverse slot 13 is provided in the bracket leg 11 to permit the hinge pin element to be adjusted by means of the attaching screw 12.

Another plane of adjustment, which is important to this invention, is provided where the angular hinge bracket member 10a is mounted to the frame member 3 by use of the mounting plate element or slide shoe 15. In order to provide a depth adjustment between the door member 6 and the frame member 3 a slidable adjustment means is provided between the mounting plate 15 and angular hinge bracket 10a. A slot or key way 16 is provided in the leg 14 of the angular hinge bracket 10a. The dimensions of this slot 16 correspond to the dimensions of the mounting plate 15 to provide minimum clearances but yet permit slidable movement with respect to the parts. In order to prevent the parts from being separated during handling, installation or during adjustment, the parts can be retained in slidable fashion by use of a rivet or fastener 17 positioned in an elongated slot 18. Thus, the parts cannot be separated but are free to be moved within the desired adjustment limits. In another embodiment of the slidable retaining means, the key way slot for the mounting plate 15 is undercut and the elongated edges of the mounting plate 15 are shaped to conform to the angular edge, thus forming a dovetail arrangement. The dovetail shape of the slot 16 in conjunction with a pin stop (not shown) arranged in the open end of the slot 16 prevents the parts from being separated. It is to be understood that any other type of retention means desired can be used with this invention.

The mounting plate 15 is provided with one or more mounting holes 19 which is positioned to correspond with an elongated slot 21 provided in the leg 14 of the angular bracket 10a. The elongated slot 21 is aligned with the longitudinal axes of the

mating elements

15, 10a and the wall member 3. The angular hinge bracket 10a and the mounting plate 15 are attached to the wall frame member 3 by the use of screws 20. Projections 22 are provided on the surface of the mounting plate 15 which is adjacent to the wall frame member 3. These projections, shown in the drawings, can be a ring around the perimeter of the mounting hole 19 or, if desired, in the shape of pins or detents (not shown) spaced across the surface of the plate 15.

On the first installation of the angular hinge bracket 10a and the mounting plate 15, the projections 22 on the rear surface of the mounting plate 15 are impressed into the surface of the frame member 3 to securely hold the mounting plate 15 against movement with respect to the frame member 3. Thus, precise and secure adjustments can be made with respect to the mounting plate after the original installation. The necessity for repositioning the screws in the frame member 3 as is conventionally done is obviated.

Thus, as is evident from the description and drawings, the first mounting means includes means for adjusting the position of the second mounting means with respect to the member to which the first mounting means is attached. The adjusting means includes first means to shift the position of the second mounting means in a first adjusting plane that is generally parallel to the surface of the member to which the first mounting means is attached. The adjusting means also includes second means to shift the position of the second mounting means in a second adjusting plane that is disposed in a transverse direction with respect to the surface of the member to which the first mounting means is attached. Due to the configuration of the hinge frame member 10, the adjusting planes are in fixed angular relationship with respect to each other. While the first and second mounting means are attached to respective members, they are formed separately with respect to each other and connected by way of a pivot means.

If desired, in order to obtain a more rigid and secure attachment between the hinge means elements, serrations or grooves transverse to the adjustment direction can be provided on the mating surfaces. It is necessary that these grooves be of a corresponding configuration and a pitch sufficient to provide small incremental movement in the adjustment direction.

In operation, after the initial installation of the hinge assembly 1 of the present invention on the edge of the door or leaf member 6 and the frame member 3, adjustment of the door or leaf member 6 with respect to the frame member 3 can easily be accomplished by loosening the mounting screws 20 and slidably adjusting the angular hinge bracket 10a with respect to the mounting plate 15. If further adjustment is required, this may be made with the additional adjustment means provided. Adjustment in a third place can be incorporated with one of the described adjusting means or provided in the second hinge member, if desired. Thus, a truly universal adjusting hinge assembly can be provided by the present invention.

While the adjustable hinge has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered as being limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes in detail and construction may be made therein within the scope of the invention, without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus disclosed and set forth the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

l. A hinge assembly for supporting two members in pivotal relationship with respect to each other, said assembly comprising a. a first mounting means attached to one of said members;

b. a second mounting means attached to said other members and being separate from the first mounting means;

c. a pivot means interconnecting said first and second mounting means so that said members can pivot with respect to each other;

said first mounting means including means for adjusting the position of the second mounting means with respect to the member to which the first mounting means is attached; and

e. said adjusting means including first means to shift the position of the second mounting means in a first adjusting plane that is generally parallel to the surface of the member to which the first mounting means is attached and second means to shift the position of the second mounting means in a second adjusting plane that is disposed in a transverse direction with respect to the surface of the member to which the first mounting means is attached, said planes being in fixed angular relationship with respect to each other.

2. A hinge assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said second adjusting plane is generally perpendicular to both the first adjusting plane and the member surface to which the first mounting means is attached.

3. A hinge assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said first mounting means includes a plate element,

an angular bracket and a pivot element;

said plate element being disposed on the surface of the respective member;

said angular bracket includes a slot which is disposed over the plate element for adjustable movement in said first adjusting plane; and

the pivot element being adjustably mounted on theangular bracket for movement in said second adjusting plane.

4. A hinge assembly as defined in "claim 3 wherein said first mounting means includes a single rivet means for fixedly holding the plate element and bracket together on said respective member.

5. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said slot is formed as an undercut groove located in the surface of the bracket and the plate element is shaped as a tongue to fit therein.

6. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said plate element includes projections which are embedded in the surface of said member to prevent shifting between said plate element and said memher.

7. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first mounting means includes a plate element, a pivot element and an angular bracket having an oblong slot,

said plate element being disposed within said oblong slot for lateral support with respect to the direction of movement between the angular bracket and plate element.

8. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said plate element includes two projections which are embedded in the surface of said member to prevent shifting between said plate element and said memher,

said projections are hollow to allow screws to be used for fixing the first mounting means to said member.

9. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said oblong slot is undercut and the edges of the plate element are shaped to conform to the angular configuration of the oblong slot.

10. A hinge assembly for supporting two members in pivotal relationship with respect to each other, said assembly comprising: I

a. a first mounting means attached to one of said members;

b. a second mounting means attached to said other member and being separate from the first mounting means; A

. said first mounting means including means for adjusting the position of the second mounting means in a first plane of adjustment with respect to the member to which the first mounting means is attached; and

. said first mounting means includes a plate element,

and an angular bracket having an oblong slot whereby said angular bracket is adjustable in a second plane of adjustment;

f. said plate element beingdimensioned to slidably move within said oblong slot and to obtain lateral support with respect to the direction of movement between the angular bracket and plate element.

11. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 10 wherein said first mounting means includes a single rivet means for fixedly holding the plate element and bracket together on said respective member.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,748,689 I Dated July 31', 1973 Invento Grunert It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The name of the assignee has been omitted. Please insert at the proper place as follows:

Assignee: Prameta Prazisionsmetall-und Kuhststo-ff- I Erzeugnisse G. Baumann & Co. 1 'Hardtgenbuscher Kirchweg 111 5 "Cologne-Os'theim Germany Signedv and sealed this 5th day of March 197M-. 7

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD LE H JR. c. MARSHALL QDANN' V Attestlng Officer Commissioner of Patents 1 FORM PC4050 (10-69) I Y USCOMM-DC scaneg U.5. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: l69 O-366 -33l x

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for supporting two members in pivotal relationship with respect to each other, said assembly comprising a. a first mounting means attached to one of said members; b. a second mounting means attached to said other members and being separate from the first mounting means; c. a pivot means interconnecting said first and second mounting means so that said members can pivot with respect to each other; d. said first mounting means including means for adjusting the position of the second mounting means with respect to the member to which the first mounting means is attached; and e. said adjusting means including first means to shift the position of the second mounting means in a first adjusting plane that is generally parallel to the surface of the member to which the first mounting means is attached and second means to shift the position of the second mounting means in a second adjusting plane that is disposed in a transverse direction with respect to the surface of the member to which the first mounting means is attached, said planes being in fixed angular relationship with respect to each other.

3. A hinge assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein said first mounting means includes a plate element, an angular bracket and a pivot element; said plate element being disposed on the surface of the respective member; said angular bracket includes a slot which is disposed over the plate element for adjustable movement in said first adjusting plane; and the pivot element being adjustably mounted on the angular bracket for movement in said second adjusting plane.

4. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said first mounting means includes a single rivet means for fixedly holding the plate element and bracket together on said respective member.

6. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein said plate element includes projections which are embedded in the surface of said member to prevent shifting between said plate element and said member.

7. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said first mounting means includes a plate element, a pivot element and an angular bracket having an oblong slot, said plate element being disposed within said oblong slot for lateral support with respect to the direction of movement between the angular bracket and plate element.

8. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 7 wherein said plate element includes two projections which are embedded in the surface of said member to prevent shifting between said plate element and said member, said projections are hollow to allow screws to be used for fixing the first mounting means to said member.

10. A hinge assembly for supporting two members in pivotal relationship with respect to each other, said assembly comprising: a. a first mounting means attached to one of said members; b. a second mounting means attached to said other member and being separate from the first mounting means; c. a pivot means interconnecting said first and second mounting means so that said members can pivot with respect to each other; d. said first mounting means including means for adjusting the position of the second mounting means in a first plane of adjustment with respect to the member to which the first mounting means is attached; and e. said first mounting means includes a plate element, and an angular bracket having an oblong slot whereby said angular bracket is adjustable in a second plane of adjustment; f. said plate element being dimensioned to slidably move within said oblong slot and to obtain lateral support with respect to the direction of movement between the angular bracket and plate element.