WO2001090520A1

WO2001090520A1 - Hinge construction

Info

Publication number: WO2001090520A1
Application number: PCT/NL2001/000372
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonius Johannes Maria Van Der Velden
Original assignee: Keijsers Interieurbouw B.V.
Priority date: 2000-05-23
Filing date: 2001-05-17
Publication date: 2001-11-29
Also published as: NL1015267C2; AU5892801A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hinge construction comprising two hinge members, which are pivotally interconnected by means of a hinge pin. One of the hinge members is provided with a recess, in which the other member is accommodated in its entirety in a folded position of the two members with respect to each other.

Description

Hinge construction.

The invention relates to a hinge construction comprising two hinge members, which are pivotally interconnected by means of a hinge pin.

Hinge constructions have been known for many years in a large number of embodiments thereof. One drawback of the known hinge constructions is that it is generally quite apparent that the hinge construction is built up of two parts, which are pivotally interconnected.

According to the invention, one of the hinge members is provided with a recess, in which the other member is accommodated in its entirety in a folded position of the two members with respect to each other. When such a construction is used, with the hinge construction being suitable mounted, it is not immediately apparent in the folded position of the two hinge members that pivotally connected parts are concerned, which is advantageous with a view to preventing unauthorized opening of a panel or the like that is pivotally mounted by means of the hinge construction, whilst on the other hand it is possible to give the hinge construction an aesthetic appearance.

The above advantages are important, for example, in the case of showcases, which comprise transparent panels or the like, which are pivotally connected to the other part of a respective showcase or the like by means of hinge constructions.

Preferably, the hinge member that comprises a recess is provided with a threaded hole, so that a panel or the like can readily be fixed to the hinge member that is provided with said hole.

The hinge construction can be mounted in a cabinet or the like in a simple and solid manner if the hinge member that is to be accommodated in the recess of the other hinge member is fixed to the end of a first arm of a supporting member, which first arm joins a second arm at its other end, which second arm forms part of said supporting member and which extends transversely to said first arm, whilst a third arm of said supporting member is disposed near the point where said second arm joins said first arm, which third arm extends transversely to a plane through the central axes of said first and said second arm.

The hinge construction can be firmly fixed to the walls of a cabinet or the like in two spaced-apart points by means of the aforesaid second and third arms. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures.

Figure 1 shows a hinge construction according to the invention, partially in elevation and partially in sectional view.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a hinge member provided with a recess.

Figure 3 shows the hinge member that is to be accommodated in the recess of the other hinge member, which former hinge member is fixed to the end of one arm of a supporting member comprising three arms.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the hinge member that is to be accommodated in a recess of the other hinge member.

Figure 5 shows another application of a hinge construction according to the invention.

The hinge construction which is shown in the figures comprises a supporting member 1, which comprises two arms 2 and 3, which join each other at right angles near their ends, and a further arm 4, which extends perpendicularly to a plane through the cental axes of arms 2 and 3. Threaded holes 5 are formed in the free ends of arms 2 - 4, wherein the central axes of said holes coincide with the central axes of the arms 2 - 4 in question. Externally threaded, bar-shaped connecting pieces 6 can be screwed into said threaded holes 5, in such a manner that said connecting pieces will project from the ends of said arms along part of their length. The bar-shaped connecting piece can thereby be locked against rotation by means of one or more locking screws 7. The use of said threaded connecting pieces 6 makes it possible to obtain an accurate and

5 desired adjustment relative to each other of the parts that are interconnected by means of said connecting pieces.

As is shown in Figure 3, a substantially L-shaped hinge member 8 is fixed to leg 4 by means of a bar-shaped connecting piece 6. To this end, the part of a bar-shaped connecting piece 6 that projects

LO from the leg 4 is screwed into a threaded hole which is formed in a leg 9 of hinge member 8, which leg 9 extends perpendicularly to the central axis of bar-shaped connecting piece 6. Hinge member 8 is locked against rotation with respect to bar-shaped connecting piece 6 by means of locking screws 10.

L5 A bore 12, which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of leg 9, is formed in the other leg 11 of hinge member 8, which bore is capable of receiving a hinge pin 13, which will be longer than bore 12, so that hinge pin 13 can project from bore 12 at both ends.

!0 The hinge member 14 that is shown in Figures 1 and 2 is formed by a disc-shaped body, whose outer circumference is substantially circular in the illustrated embodiment, although other sectional shapes are also possible.

A slotted recess 15 is formed in disc-shaped body 14, which

?5 recess is open on one side of said disc-shaped body and which, as is apparent from Figure 1, has a stepped bottom surface 16, such that the depth of the end- of the recess adjoining the open end of recess 15 is greater than that of the part of the recess 15 that is located near the centre of the disc-shaped body.

!0 Co-axial bores 17 and 18, whose central axes cross the longitudinal axis of recess 15 perpendicularly, are formed on either side of the recess 15, near the deeper part of said recess 15 (Figure 2). Said bores are open both at the location of the boundary walls of recess 15 and at the location of the outer circumference of body 14.

As will be apparent in particular from Figure 1, first hinge member 8 can be positioned in recess 15 and be pivotally connected to hinge member 14 by means of the pin 13 that is to be passed through bore 12 and bores 17 and 18, wherein pin 13 preferably has such a length that it will not project beyond the outer circumference of hinge member 14. In the position of the hinge that is shown in Figure 1, hinge member 8 is positioned entirely within recess 15.

A threaded hole 19 is formed in the centre of hinge member 14, into which hole a screw 20 can be screwed for the purpose of clamping a panel 21, for example a glass panel or the like, to hinge member 14. Rings 23 of a resilient material are thereby placed between panel 21 and hinge member 14, and also between the side of the panel 21 remote from hinge member 14 and a clamping disc 22.

It will be apparent from Figure 1 that panel 21 can be clamped firmly against hinge member 14 by tightening the screw 20, which is passed through holes formed in clamping disc 22, rings 23 and panel 21.

As is furthermore shown in Figure 1, a spacer 24 is fixed to the free end of leg 2 by means of a bar-shaped connecting piece 6, which spacer fits in a recess formed in clamping disc 25.

A panel 27 is positioned between clamping disc 25 and a further clamping disc 26 with the interposition of rings 23 of a resilient material, which panel is clamped between clamping discs 25 and 26 by means of a screw which is passed through clamping disc 26, rings 23 and panel 27 and which is screwed into clamping disc 25. Said panel 27 may form a wall of a showcase or the like, for example, an opening of which is to be closed by means of panel 21, for example a glass panel 21.

As is furthermore shown in Figure 1, clamping discs 25 and 26 (only clamping disc 6 is shown) may be provided at the free end of arm 3 in a similar manner, by means of which clamping discs the supporting member 1 can be fixed to the bottom or to an upper wall of the cabinet in question, for example. It will be apparent that the use of clamping discs 25, 26 connected to arms 2 and 3 thus makes it possible to obtain a solid fixation of the hinge construction in the interior of a showcase or the like. When a person looks into the showcase or the like from outside through glass panel 21, in the direction indicated by arrow A, he or she will hardly notice that the mechanism fitted to the end of leg 4 consists of two parts which can pivot with respect to each other.

When the cabinet is to be opened, the panel 21 that is fixed to hinge member 14 can pivot along with said hinge member in the direction indicated by arrow B with respect to the hinge member that is fixed to supporting member 1, however. As appears from Figure 5, the above-described hinge construction can also be used in different ways. In Figure 5, parts that correspond to parts that have been described with reference to Figures 1 - 3 are thereby indicated by the same numerals.

As is shown in Figure 5, two supporting members 1 are interconnected by means of a connecting piece 28, which is fitted between leg 2 of one supporting member and the leg 4 of the other supporting member, which is in line therewith. Threaded holes 29 are formed in the ends of said connecting piece, into which the parts of the bar-shaped connecting pieces 6 projecting from the ends of legs 2 and 4 are screwed. In this embodiment, the supporting member 1 that is positioned on the left, seen in Figure 5, is connected to a panel 21 in the above-described manner, whilst the other supporting member is fixedly connected in the above-described manner to a panel 30, which, in the folded position of the two hinge members supporting panel 21, is in line with the panel 21 that is connected to hinge member 14. It will be apparent that thus several combinations of interconnectable supporting members are conceivable.

It will be understood that additions and/or improvements to the above-described construction are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention. Instead of using a supporting member 1 comprising arms 2 - 4 that extend at right angles to each other, it is possible, for example, to use a supporting member wherein at least some of the arms are disposed at a different angle with respect to each other.

Claims

1. A hinge construction comprising two hinge members, which are pivotally interconnected by means of a hinge pin, characterized in

5 that one of said hinge members is provided with a recess, in which the other member is accommodated in its entirety in a folded position of the two members with respect to each other.

2. A hinge construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the two hinge members form a substantially disc-shaped body in said

LO folded position.

3. A hinge construction according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hinge member that comprises a recess is provided with a threaded hole, which extends perpendicularly to said hinge pin.

L5 4. A hinge construction according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hinge member that is to be accommodated in the recess of the other hinge member is fixed to the end of a first arm of a supporting member, which first arm joins a second arm at its other end, which second arm forms part of said supporting member and

.0 which extends transversely to said first arm, whilst a third arm of said supporting member is disposed near the point where said second arm joins said first arm, which third arm extends transversely to a plane through the central axes of said first and said second arm.

5. A hinge construction according to claim 4, characterized in 15 that said arms extend at right angles with respect to each other.

6. A hinge construction according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that threaded holes are formed in the free ends of said arms, wherein the central axis of a hole extends parallel to or coincides with the longitudinal axis of an arm, and wherein a hinge member is

JO connected to said supporting member by means of an externally threaded connecting piece.

7. A hinge construction according to any one of the claims 4 - 6, characterized in that two clamping discs are provided at the end of at least one arm of said supporting member, between which discs a panel or the like can be clamped.