Abstract:
A mounting plate for a furniture hinge includes a hinge plate which is adapted to be pivotably connected to a hinge component, such as a hinge cup, a flange depending from one of the opposing edges of the hinge plate, and at least one, and preferably two fastener openings formed in the flange. The flange forms substantially a 90 degree angle with the hinge plate and depends a distance from the hinge plate that is at least as great as, or equal to, or greater than the width of the hinge plate. The fastener openings are disposed nearer to the lower edge of the flange than the upper edge.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/271,694 filed Mar. 18, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to furniture hinges, and more particularly, to a mounting plate for mounting a hinge on a furniture article, such as a desk of cabinet, which in turn supports a door on the furniture article. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the cabinetry industry, a typical construction feature, for example, in cabinets which are provided with doors, is a face frame on which the door is supported and hinged. The face frame members are affixed, for example, to an opening in the cabinet, and a pair of concealed hinges are affixed to an edge one of the face frame members and the door. Typically, the face frame member to which the hinges are affixed is made of a relatively strong material, such as hardwood, and has a thickness in the range, for example of about one-half inch to about five-eighths inch to about three fourths inch. 
     A customary mounting method of affixing the concealed hinge to the face frame member utilizes a hinge mounting plate which is positioned on an edge of the face frame member and fastened to the face frame member with one or more fasteners, such as fastening screws, inserted through one or more openings in the mounting plate and into, for example, one or more corresponding pre-drilled holes in the face frame member. Alternatively, the face frame may be omitted entirely, for example, in frameless cabinets, and the hinge plate may be affixed directly to an edge of a cabinet wall member in a substantially similar way. 
     The customary method of affixing concealed hinges works well, for example, on cabinet components made of relatively strong materials, such as hardwood. However, serious problems are encountered when attempts are made to employ the customary method of affixing concealed hinges, for example, to less expensive materials, which are not as strong as hardwood, such as medium density fiberboard (MDF). For example, attempts to employ the customary method of affixing concealed hinges in cabinetry by the manufactured home or mobile home industry, where MDF is typically used, have been unsuccessful. 
     Reasons for the lack of success in the manufactured home or mobile home industry are, for example, that when fasteners, such as fastening screws, are used in an edge of an MDF cabinet component, such as a face frame member, which ranges in thickness from about one-half inch to about five-eighths inch to about three-fourths inch (but which is most typically about one-half inch), the fastener tends to cause the cabinet component to split, and the fastener tends to pull out of the cabinet component under the weight of the door supported by the hinge. Accordingly, other types of hinges, such as surface mounted hinges, are typically used for such purposes, rather than more esthetically pleasing edge mounted concealed hinges. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a feature and advantage of the present invention to provide a furniture hinge for a mounting plate which is inexpensive to make, easy to use, and which enables use, for example, of concealed, edge-mounted type hinges on relatively weak and/or relatively thin cabinet components. 
     To achieve the stated and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention, an embodiment of the present invention provides a mounting plate for a furniture hinge which includes a hinge plate with opposing edges and opposing ends, and which is adapted to be pivotably connected to a hinge component, such as a hinge cup, at least one pair of opposing legs depending from the opposing edges of the hinge plate, and a fastener opening formed in the hinge plate between the opposing legs. The opposing legs depend from the hinge plate parallel to one another, are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance, and at least one of the opposing legs extends from the hinge plate a distance which is at least as great as the predetermined distance by which the opposing legs are spaced from one another, or the opposing legs can extend from the hinge plate a distance which is equal to the predetermined distance by which the opposing legs are spaced from one another. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, in order to accommodate mounting on a cabinet component of a type used in manufactured or mobile homes made, for example, of relatively thin particle board, the opposing legs are spaced from one another by a distance of about one-half inch, more or less. Further, the fastener opening is centered on the hinge plate between the opposing legs. Each of the opposing legs has a distal end portion, and the distal end portions can be flared apart from one another to facilitate mounting on the furniture component. In order to accommodate vertical adjustment of a door supported by the hinge on a cabinet component, the fastener opening can be elongated. A hinge arm extends from one of the opposing edges of the mounting plate and is pivoted to the hinge component, such as the hinge cup, which is fastened, for example, in a recess formed in the door. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the hinge plate also has a second pair of opposing legs depending from the opposing edges of the hinge plate and a second fastener opening formed in the hinge plate between the second pair of opposing legs. The respective pairs of opposing legs are spaced apart from one another and depend from the opposing edges adjacent the opposing ends of the hinge plate. The opposing legs of each pair depend parallel to one another, and the opposing legs of each pair are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance, and at least one opposing leg of each pair extends from the hinge plate a distance which is at least as great as the predetermined distance. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, in order to accommodate mounting on a cabinet component of the type used in manufactured or mobile homes, the opposing legs of each pair are spaced from one another a distance of about one-half inch, more or less. Further, each of the fastener openings is centered on the hinge plate between the opposing legs of each pair of opposing legs. Each of the opposing legs has a distal end portion which can be flared apart from one another to accommodate mounting on a furniture component. Each fastener opening is elongated to allow vertical adjustment of the door relative to the furniture component, and a hinge arm extends from one of the opposing edges of the mounting plate and is pivoted to the hinge cup. 
     The mounting plate for another embodiment of the present invention includes a hinge plate with opposing edges and opposing ends and adapted to be pivotably connected to a hinge component, such as a hinge cup. A flange depends from one of the opposing edges of the hinge plate and has an upper edge and a lower edge and at least one fastener opening formed in the flange. A hinge arm extends from the other of the opposing edges of the hinge plate, and the hinge cup is pivoted to the hinge arm. The hinge plate and the depending flange together define a substantially L-shaped cross section, with the flange depending at an angle of substantially 90 degrees relative to the hinge plate. The opposing edges of the hinge plate are spaced from one another by a distance which determines a width of the hinge plate, and the flange depends from the hinge plate by a distance which is one of at least as great as the width of the hinge plate, equal to the width of the hinge plate, or greater than the width of the hinge plate. In any of such cases, the width of the hinge plate can vary from substantially one-half inch, to substantially five-eighths inch, to substantially three-fourths inch. 
     Additionally, in such embodiment, the flange has portions defining at least one fastener opening, which is disposed proximate or near the lower edge of the flange, for example, nearer to the lower edge of the flange than the upper edge of the flange. Further, the flange has a second fastener opening spaced from the at least one fastener opening and similarly disposed relative to the upper and lower edges of the flange. The fastener openings are elongate and can be closed, can include projections in the opening for supporting a pre-mounted fastening screw, or can be open to the lower edge of the flange. Further, the hinge plate can also include one or two tabs, depending from the edge of the hinge plate opposite the edge from which the flange depends, each of which tabs depends a distance which is substantially less than the distance by which the flange depends from the hinge plate. 
     Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part with become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a hinge for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the hinge of FIG. 1 mounted on a cabinet component, such as a face frame member, and a cabinet door for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a hinge plate of the hinge mounted on the face frame member, as shown in FIG. 2, for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a hinge plate of an alternate embodiment of the hinge mounted on the face frame member for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 shows a rear perspective view of a hinge plate for another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 shows a front perspective view of the hinge plate of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 shows a side view of the hinge plate of FIG. 5 mounted on the face frame member for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 8 shows a rear perspective view of a hinge plate for an additional embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 shows a front perspective view of the hinge of FIG. 8 for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 10 shows a side view of the hinge plate of FIG. 8 mounted on the face frame member for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 11 shows an elevational view of the rear flange with a fastener opening arrangement for an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 12 shows an elevation view of the rear flange with an alternative fastener opening arrangement for an embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 13 shows an elevational view of the rear flange with another alternative fastener opening arrangement for an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now in detail to an embodiment of the present invention, an example, of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the hinge  2  for an embodiment of the present invention. The hinge  2  includes a hinge cup  4  which is mountable, for example, in a recess of a cabinet door and a hinge arm  6 , which is pivotably connected to the hinge cup  4 . The hinge arm  6  extends from a hinge plate  8 , which is mountable on a cabinet component, such as a face frame member. The hinge plate  8  is generally rectangular in shape with opposing edges  10  and  12  and opposing ends  14  and  16 . A first pair of opposing legs  18  and  20  depend from opposing edges  10  and  12  at or near one of the opposing ends  14 , and a second pair of opposing legs  22  and  24  extend from the opposing edges  10  and  12  at or near the other of the opposing ends  16 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, opposing legs  18  and  20 , together with the portion of hinge plate  8  disposed between legs  18  and  20 , define a generally C-shaped cross section. Likewise, opposing legs  22  and  24 , together with the portion of hinge plate  8  disposed between opposing legs  22  and  24 , define a generally C-shaped cross section. Alternatively, a single pair of opposing legs can extend from opposing edges  10  and  12  for the entire length of the hinge plate  8 , likewise defining a generally C-shaped cross section. However, such an alternative requires additional engineering and manufacturing techniques, utilizes more manufacturing material, such as steel, and increases design and manufacturing costs. 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the hinge  2  of FIG. 1 mounted on a cabinet component, such as a face frame member  26  and a cabinet door  28  for an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the hinge plate  8  of hinge  2  mounted on the face frame member  26  as shown in FIG. 2 for an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the hinge cup  4  is provided with openings  30  and  32  for receiving fasteners, such as fastening screws  34  and  36 , for affixing the hinge cup to cabinet door  28 . The hinge plate  8  is also provided with openings  38  and  40  for receiving fasteners, such as fastening screws  42  and  44 , for affixing the hinge plate to the cabinet component, such as face frame member  26 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, a manner or mode of using hinge  2  includes, for example, first affixing a pair of the hinges to cabinet door  28  with fastening screws  34  and  36  and then positioning the hinge plate  8  against an edge portion  50  of cabinet component  26  with opposing legs  18  and  20  against opposite surfaces of cabinet component  26  adjacent the edge portion of the cabinet component, and with opposing legs  22  and  24  likewise against opposite surfaces of cabinet component  26  adjacent the edge portion of the cabinet component. With the hinge plate  8  so positioned, the fastening screws  42  and  44  can then be inserted in openings  38  and  40  and screwed into the edge portion  50  of the cabinet component  26 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, opposing legs  18  and  20  are each perpendicular to hinge plate  8  and parallel to one another. Likewise, opposing legs  22  and  24  are each perpendicular to hinge plate  8  and parallel to one another. Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, opposing legs  18  and  20  are spaced apart from one another by a distance “D” that is at least as great as a thickness “T” of cabinet member  26 , and opposing legs  22  and  24  are likewise spaced apart from one another by the distance “D” that is likewise at least as great as the thickness “T” of cabinet member  26 . A reason for the parallel relationship and spacing of the respective pairs of opposing legs  18 ,  20  and  22 ,  24  is, for example, to facilitate mounting of the hinge plate  8  and its depending legs on the edge portion  50  of the cabinet component  26 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, additionally, opposing legs  18  and  20  are spaced apart from one another by a distance “D” that is equal to a thickness “T” of cabinet member  26 . A reason for such spacing is that when fastening screws  42  and  44  are inserted in openings  38  and  40  and screwed into the edge portion  50  of cabinet member  26 , opposing legs  18 ,  20  and  22 ,  24  resting against the opposite surfaces of cabinet component  26  adjacent the edge portion, in confronting relationship with the opposite surfaces, provide support against splitting of the edge portion as fastening screws  42  and  44  are driven into the edge portion. Further, in order to accommodate a cabinet component, such as face frame member  26 , which is relatively thin, in the range of about one-half inch to about five-eighths inch, the distance “D” between opposing legs  18  and  20  and between opposing legs  22  and  24  is not more than about one-half inch and is preferably about one-half inch or slightly less. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, to provide additional support against such splitting of the edge portion of cabinet component  25 , the pairs of opposing legs  18 ,  20  and  22 ,  24  depend a relatively long distance “H” from hinge plate  8 . For example, the pairs of opposing legs  18 ,  20  and  22 ,  24  extend the distance “H” from hinge plate  8  that is about equal to the distance “D” that opposing legs  18  and  20  and opposing legs  22  and  24  are spaced from one another, or preferably a distance “H” of about one-half inch, although the distance can vary from about seven-sixteenths inch to about five-eighths inch. In other words, legs  18  and  22  can each extend a distance ranging from about seven-sixteenths inch up to about five-eighths inch, and legs  20  and  24  can each likewise extend a distance ranging from about seven-sixteenths inch up to about five-eighths inch. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, while it is an important feature of the present invention that the opposing legs  18 ,  20  and  22 ,  24 , respectively are parallel to one another, in order to further accommodate the positioning of hinge plate  8  against the edge portion  50  of cabinet component  26 , the distal ends  46  and  48  of opposing legs  18  and  20 , and the corresponding distal ends of opposing legs  22  and  24  can be flared slightly apart from one another. FIG. 4 is a side view of a hinge plate  9  of an alternate embodiment of the hinge  2  mounted on the face frame member  26 . Thus the distal ends  46  and  48  of opposing legs  18  and  20  and the corresponding distal ends of opposing legs  22  and  24  can be spaced apart from one another by a distance “D” which is slightly greater than the distance “D” by which the respective parallel portions of opposing legs  18  and  20  and opposing legs  22  and  24  are spaced apart from one another. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, as the opposing legs  18  and  20  and the opposing legs  22  and  24  furnish support against splitting of edge portion  50  when fastening screws  42  and  44  are driven into the edge portion of the cabinet component  26 , it is advantageous to position fastening screw opening  38  in hinge plate  8  substantially between opposing flanges  18  and  20  and to likewise position fastening screw opening  40  in hinge plate  8  substantially between opposing flanges  22  and  24 . Further, for a like reason, it is advantageous that fastening screw openings  38  and  40  be substantially centered between opposing edges  10  and  12  of hinge plate  8 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, while a single fastening screw opening can be utilized, it would require, for example, a somewhat larger fastening screw which would substantially increase the splitting problem. Thus, it is advantageous to use two fastening screws  42  and  44  instead of a single fastening screw. In order to accommodate a moderate degree of adjustment of the door  28  after it is mounted to the cabinet component  26  on hinge  2 , the fastening screw openings  38  and  40  in the hinge plate  8  are slightly elongated. Thus, after driving screws  42  and  44  into the edge portion of cabinet component  26 , the position of door  28  can be adjusted in a vertical direction relative to cabinet component  26  by loosening fastening screws  42  and  44 . 
     FIG. 5 shows a rear perspective view of a hinge plate for another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 shows a front perspective view of the hinge plate of FIG. 5; and FIG. 7 shows a side view of the hinge plate or FIG. 5 mounted on the face frame member  26 . Referring to FIGS. 5,  6 , and  7 , hinge arm  6  extends from hinge plate  100  which is mountable on face frame member  26 . Hinge plate  100  has opposing edges  102  and  104  and opposing ends  106  and  108 . A rear flange  110  depends from rear edge  104 , and tabs  112  and  114  depend from front edge  102 , of hinge plate  100 . Rear flange  110  extends from rear edge  104 , for example, for the entire length of hinge plate  100  between ends  106  and  108 . Front tabs  112  and  114  depend from front edge  102  at or near opposing ends  106  and  108 , respectively. Hinge plate  100 , rear flange  110 , and front tabs  112  and  114 , respectively, define a generally L-shaped cross section. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, rear flange  110  is provided with openings  116  and  118  for receiving fasteners, such as fastening screw  120  shown in FIG. 7, for affixing the rear flange  110  depending from hinge plate  100  to face frame member  26 . Thus, in use, hinge cup  4  can be affixed to cabinet door  28  and hinge plate  100  can then be positioned on an edge portion  50  of face frame member  26  with rear flange  110  confronting a surface portion of face frame member  26  adjacent edge portion  50 . With hinge plate  100  and rear flange  110  so positioned, fasteners, such fastening screw  120  can be inserted in openings  116  and  118  and screwed into surface portions of face frame member  26  adjacent edge portion  50 . 
     This arrangement of inserting the fastening screws in surface portions rather than edge portion  50  of face frame member  26 , for an embodiment of the present invention, takes advantage of a known characteristic of materials, such as MDF, which are generally denser and stronger at or near the surface than toward the center. In other words, the fastening screws are less likely to pull out of the material under the weight of the door on the hinge if screwed into surface portions rather than edge portion  50  In order to take further advantage of this known characteristic, and to assure inserting the fastening screws as far as possible away from edge portion  50 , fastener openings  116  and  118  are disposed in flange  110  as near as possible to distal edge  122  of flange  110  and as far as possible away from rear edge  104  of hinge plate  100 . Thus, rear flange  110  depends a relatively long distance “H” from hinge plate  100 . For example, rear flange  110  extends a distance “H” from hinge plate  100  that is at least as great as the distance “D” between rear flange  110  and front tabs  112  and  114 , which distance can range from about one-half inch up to about three-fourths inch. 
     Referring further to FIGS.  5 - 6 , rear flange  110  is substantially perpendicular to hinge plate  100 , and substantially parallel to each of front tabs  112  and  114 . Further, rear flange  110  is spaced apart from front tabs  112  and  114  by a distance “D” that is at least as great as a thickness “T” of face frame member  26 . A reason for the parallel relationship and spacing of the rear flange  110  and front tabs  112  and  114  is, for example, to facilitate mounting of the hinge plate  100  on the edge portion  50  of face frame member  26 . In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS.  5 - 6 , tabs  112  and  114  serve to facilitate positioning of the hinge plate  110  on edge portion  50 . Since the fastening screws are driven into a surface portion of face frame member  26  instead of edge portion  50 , there is no need, for example, for subjacent support against splitting of the edge portion. Therefore, tabs  112  and  114  can have an abbreviated length and can be little more than ledges. 
     Likewise referring to FIGS.  5 - 7 , while a single fastening screw in a single fastening screw opening can be utilized, it would require a somewhat larger fastening screw, and preferably two fastening screws are inserted through two fastening screw openings  116  and  118 . In order to accommodate a moderate degree of adjustment of the door  28  after it is mounted to door  28  on hinge  2 , fastening screw openings  116  and  118  are slightly elongated. Thus, after driving the fastening screws into the surface portion of face frame member  26 , the position of the door  28  can be adjusted in a vertical direction relative to the face frame member by loosening the fastening screws. 
     FIG. 8 shows a rear perspective view of a hinge plate for an additional embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 shows a front perspective view of the hinge plate of FIG. 8; and FIG. 10 shows a side view of the hinge plate of FIG. 8 mounted on the face frame member  26 . Generally, the embodiment example illustrated in FIGS.  8 - 10  is identical to the embodiment example depicted in FIGS.  5 - 7 , except, the front tabs  112  and  114  are omitted. The omission of tabs  112  and  114  result in a savings in terms of material (e.g., steel) without appreciably affecting the performance capabilities and utility of the hinge plate for an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 11,  13 , and  14  show elevational views of the rear flange with alternate embodiment fastening screw openings for the present invention. Referring the FIG. 11, fastening screw openings  116  and  118  are the same as depicted, for example, in FIGS. 8 and 5. Referring to FIG. 12, fastening screw openings  124  and  126  are somewhat elongated to permit a certain degree of adjustment of hinge  2  after it is mounted to face frame member  26 . However, each of openings  124  and  126  are also open to terminal edge  122  of rear flange  110  to enable sliding the rear flange onto fastening screw premounted in face frame member  26  and easy removal of the rear flange by simply loosening the fastening screws without removing them. Referring to FIG. 13, fastening screw openings  128  and  130  are configured elongate with projections within the fastener openings according to our U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,364, incorporated herein by this reference, in order to pre-mount fastening screws within the openings before affixing rear flange  110  to face frame member  26 . When the fastening screws are driven into face frame member  26 , fastening screw openings  128  and  130  likewise permit a certain degree of adjustment of hinge  2 . 
     Various preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in fulfillment of the various objects of the invention. It should be recognized that these embodiments are illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and adaptations thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims.