Abstract:
A furniture hinge has a door stop part, which includes an insertion cup and is attached on a furniture door, at least one pivoting arm that is connected to a furniture body being supported on the door stop part. A damping device including at least one damping cylinder engages in the door stop part. Each damping cylinder is disposed at least partially in a bore of the furniture door. The cylinder axis of the damping cylinder extends substantially perpendicularly to the door plane. The damping cylinder is moved during the pivoting thereof into the locking position of the furniture door by the pivoting arm.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The invention concerns a furniture hinge that has a door stop part that comprises an insertion cup and is attached on a furniture door, on which a pivoting arm that is connected to a furniture body is arranged, and that comprises a damping device having at least one damping cylinder that engages in the door stop part. 
     Particularly during quick closing motions, the closing force that a furniture hinge exerts on the furniture door that is to be closed results in the furniture door slamming shut on the furniture body. In an effort to reduce the impact effect and the resulting noise, it is known to arrange buffers on the furniture body or on the furniture door. However, because said buffers necessarily must be thin, this only results in a minor reduction of the impact effect. 
     Therefore, it is known to arrange a damping device on the furniture hinge with which the furniture door makes contact at the end of its closing motion. The damping device comprises a damping cylinder with whose piston rod the furniture door or a fitting attached thereon makes contact so that the furniture door is slowed down until it is fully closed. Since the damping effect of the damping cylinders is velocity-dependent, the damping device does not exert any force on the furniture door when the furniture door is closed, which means that the furniture door stays in the closed position. 
     In a known furniture hinge as described in the introduction (EP 1 538 293 B1) the damping device is arranged on the stop part of the body and engages with the door stop part. In another known furniture hinge equipped with a damping device (US 2004/0205935 A1) as described in the introduction, the piston rod of the damping cylinder of the damping device arranged on the body stop part extends in the direction of the furniture door. When the furniture door is being closed, its door stop part makes contact with the exposed end of the piston rod so that the motion of the furniture door is dampened. 
     The known embodiments of furniture hinges combined with a damping device have in common that the additional space that is required for the damping device is considerable. The available inside space of the furniture body is reduced due to the damping device that extends into it. 
     It is desirable to provide a furniture hinge with a damping device as described in the introduction in which no or only very limited additional visible space is required for the damping device. 
     According to an aspect of the invention a damping device comprises one, preferably two parallel damping cylinders that are arranged, at least partially, in bores of the furniture door, in that the cylinder axes of the damping cylinders extend essentially perpendicular to the door plane and in that the damping cylinders are moved by means of the pivoting arm during its pivoting motion into the closed position of the furniture door. 
     Since the damping cylinders are largely arranged in bores of the furniture door, they do not require any additional space and in particular do not extend into the interior space of the furniture body. No additional components are required for the body stop part to move the damping device. The existing pivoting arm that is arranged on the insertion cup is used for this purpose. 
     In an embodiment of the furniture hinge as a multi-joint furniture hinge the pivoting arm is one of the two hinge control arms. 
     In an embodiment of the furniture hinge as a single-joint furniture hinge the support arm that is arranged on the insertion cup and is connected to the furniture body represents the pivoting arm that acts on the damping device and carries out a pivoting motion during the closing motion of the furniture door. 
     One or both of the damping cylinders of the damping device can at least partially be arranged within a cup bore in the furniture door that accommodates the insertion cup. The cup bore usually provides sufficient space for this so that no additional bore is needed to accommodate the damping cylinders. 
     It also is possible to arrange each damping cylinder at least partially in a bore of the furniture door that is arranged next to the cup bore. 
     The damping cylinders may also be arranged at least partially in a peg bore that accommodates a fastening peg of the door stop part. Although this requires a larger peg bore compared to customary peg bores, the costs of making the bore are the same. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is explained in more detail with the help of exemplary embodiments that are shown in the drawing. Specifically: 
         FIGS. 1-3  each show a horizontal view of a furniture hinge in consecutive positions while the furniture door is being closed, 
         FIG. 4  shows the bore in the furniture door for accommodating the insertion cup of the furniture hinge according to  FIGS. 1-3 , in the direction of to arrow IV in  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view of the damping cylinders connected to one another, 
         FIG. 6  shows a section along line VI-VI in  FIG. 5 , 
         FIG. 7  shows a view in the direction of arrow VII in  FIG. 5 , 
         FIG. 8  shows a top view of a door stop part of a modified embodiment of a furniture hinge, 
         FIG. 9  shows a top view of a door stop part for which, apart from the peg bores, no additional bores are required, 
         FIG. 10  shows a top view of the damping cylinders for this embodiment that are connected to each other, 
         FIG. 11  shows a section along line XI-XI in  FIG. 10 , 
         FIG. 12  shows a view in the direction of arrow XII in  FIG. 10 , 
         FIG. 13  shows a partial longitudinal section through the respective door stop part, 
         FIG. 14  shows a view corresponding to  FIG. 8  of a modified embodiment with a bridge peg, 
         FIG. 15  shows a top view according to  FIG. 10 , 
         FIG. 16  shows a top view in the direction of arrow XVI in  FIG. 15 , 
         FIG. 17  shows a partial longitudinal section through the respective door stop part with an inserted damping device, 
         FIG. 18  shows a partial longitudinal section through the plastic component (damping receptacle) of the door stop part according to  FIG. 17 , 
         FIG. 19  shows a bore according to  FIG. 4  for a modified embodiment, 
         FIG. 20  shows a top view according to  FIG. 10 , 
         FIG. 21  shows a section along line XXI-XXI in  FIG. 20 , 
         FIG. 22  shows a view in the direction of arrow XXII in  FIG. 20 , 
         FIG. 23  shows a top view according to  FIG. 9 , 
         FIGS. 24-26  show sectional views according to  FIGS. 1-3  with a modified embodiment of a furniture hinge, 
         FIG. 27  shows a detailed drawing of the pivoting flap used according to  FIGS. 24-26 , 
         FIG. 28  shows a view in the direction of arrow XXIIX in  FIG. 27 , 
         FIGS. 29-33  show parts of a modified embodiment of a door stop part, 
         FIG. 34  shows a section according to  FIG. 31  of a modified embodiment of a door stop part, 
         FIG. 35  shows a top view of connected damping cylinders, 
         FIG. 36  shows a view in the direction of arrow XXXVI in  FIG. 35 , 
         FIG. 37  shows the respective image of the bore according to  FIG. 4 , 
         FIGS. 38 and 39  each show a horizontal section of a single-joint furniture hinge according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 40  shows a bridge with only one damping cylinder, and 
         FIG. 41  shows a top view of another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The furniture hinge for which consecutive positions during the closing motion are shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , is attached to the inside wall  2  of a furniture body  3  by means of a body stop part  1 . A door stop part  11  that is attached to a furniture door  10  is articulated by means of joints  8 ,  9  via two hinge control arms  4 ,  5  that are arranged on the body stop part  1  in joints  6 ,  7 . The door stop part  11  comprises an insertion cup  12  or a deflection cup that is accommodated in a cup bore  13  of the furniture door  10 . One of the hinge control arms  4  hereby forms a pivoting arm, by means of which the door stop part  11  engages in the body stop part  1 . 
     A damping device  14  combined with the furniture hinge comprises two damping cylinders  15  that are connected rigidly via a bridge  16 . Each damping cylinder  15  comprises a cylinder housing  17  in which one damping piston (not shown) is arranged and can be axially displaced. A pressure agent (liquid or gas) that streams through damping bores during a piston motion causes a dampening of the piston motion. The piston is connected to a piston rod  18 , which extends from the cylinder housing  17  and rests against the floor  19  of the insertion cup  12 . The damping cylinder  17  is arranged so as to be mobile in the insertion cup  12 . 
     During the closing process the pivoting arm  4  (hinge control arm), as part of its pivoting motion ( FIGS. 1-3 ), rests on a bridge center part  20  of the bridge  16 , which is arranged between the two damping cylinders  15  ( FIG. 7 ). When the closing motion is continued to the closed position of the furniture door  10  ( FIG. 3 ), the pivoting arm  4  carries the two damping cylinders  15  with it and the damping force that counteracts the closing force slows down the closing motion of the furniture door  10  until it gently and without slamming rests against the body  3  ( FIG. 3 ). 
       FIGS. 1-4  show that the two damping cylinders  15  are essentially arranged in the cup bore  13 . The cylinder axes of the damping cylinders  15  essentially run perpendicular to the door plane so that the damping force of the motion directly counteracts the furniture door  10 . 
     The image of the bore in the area of the cup bore  13  of the furniture door  10 , shown in  FIG. 4 , shows that the bores  20  that accommodate the damping cylinders  15  overlap with the cup bore  13 . Peg bores  21  are arranged on both sides, each accommodating a fastening peg of the door stop part  11 . 
       FIG. 8  shows the door stop part  11  prior to being placed in the cup bore  13 . 
     A modified embodiment of a furniture hinge comprises a door stop part whose individual components are shown in  FIGS. 9-13 . This embodiment is different from the above described embodiment essentially only in that there are no separate bores for accommodating the damping cylinders  15 . Here, the damping cylinders  15  are accommodated in the interior of the insertion cup  12  and thus in the respective cup bore  13 . The door stop part  11 , which is shown in a partial sectional view and a partial view in  FIG. 13 , comprises fastening pegs  22  on the sides of the insertion cup  12 , which are used for fastening purposes in the peg bores  21 . 
       FIGS. 14-17  show parts of the door stop part of another embodiment that is different from the above described embodiments essentially only in that the two damping cylinders  15  that are connected by the bridge  16  each are at least partially arranged in a bore  23  of the fastening peg  22 , which is accommodated in the peg bore  21 . Thus the two damping cylinders  15  are at least partially arranged in the peg bore  21 . Additionally, a screw bore  24  extends into the fastening peg  22  and accommodates a screw for fastening a sheet metal cover (not shown) of the stop part. 
     Since the two bores that accommodate the two damping cylinders  15  are separated by the cup bore  13 , the bridge  16  is connected to the two laterally arranged damping cylinders  15  only via the upper bars  16 ′ in order to allow for an unobstructed insertion motion of the damping cylinders  15  into the bores  23 . 
     The exemplary embodiment shown in  FIGS. 19-23  is different from the embodiment according to  FIGS. 14-18  essentially in that the two peg bores  21  touch the cup bore  13 . The necessary, somewhat wider breakthrough is produced due to material displacement when the insertion cup is pressed in. 
     The exemplary embodiment shown in  FIGS. 24-28  is different from the exemplary embodiment according to  FIGS. 1-3  only in that the pivoting arm  4  of the multi-joint furniture hinge acts on the bridge center piece  20  of the bridge  16  between the two damping cylinders  15  via a pivoting flap  25  whose axis is arranged in the same direction as the pivoting arm  4  and engages with the insertion cup  12  ( FIGS. 27 ,  28 ). 
     In the embodiment according to  FIGS. 29-31  a modified embodiment of the pivoting flap  25 ′ comprises two lateral loops  26  that can rest on the piston rods  18  of the two damping cylinders  15 . Here, the cylinder housings  17  of the damping cylinders  15  are arranged in the bores  23  of the fastening pegs  22 . The two damping cylinders  15  are in this case only connected via the door stop part  11 . 
       FIG. 34  shows partially a sectional view and partially a view of the assembled components of the door stop part  11  in an embodiment that is similar to  FIG. 17 . The cylinder housings  17  of the two damping cylinders  15  are connected rigidly via the bridge  16  and the pivoting arm  4  (not shown) acts directly or via a pivoting flap  25  on the center part of the bridge  20  according to  FIGS. 27 and 28 . The piston rods  18  of the two damping cylinders  15  rest on the bottom of the bores  23  in the fastening pegs  22 . A sheet metal or die cast cover  27  is fastened to the plastic interior component of the door stop part  11  via screws  28 . The fastening pegs  22  are integrally formed with the insertion cup  12  and are made of plastic; they could also be made separately. 
       FIG. 35  shows a top view of the damping cylinders  15  that are rigidly connected via the bridge, a view of which is shown in  FIG. 36 . 
       FIG. 37  shows the bore of the cup bore  13  and the two peg bores  21  for accommodating the door stop part  11  according to  FIG. 34 . 
     While  FIGS. 1-37  show multiple-joint furniture hinges,  FIGS. 38 and 39  each show a single-joint furniture hinge between the furniture door  10  and the furniture body  3 . Here, a support arm  29  is screwed to the body  3 . The door stop part  11 ′ pivots on the support arm  29  in a joint  30  and its insertion cup  12 ′ is accommodated in the cup bore  13  of the furniture door  10 . 
     Here, one or two damping cylinders  15  are arranged in the cup bore  13 , with the cylinder axis extending perpendicular to the door plane, and are moved by an arm  31  extending from a support arm  29  ( FIG. 38 ) during the closing motion or by the support arm itself ( FIG. 39 ) at the end of the closing motion of the furniture door IO in order to achieve a damping effect. 
       FIG. 40  shows that a bridge  16 ′ similar to the bridge  16  ( FIGS. 5-7 ) is arranged as a pivoting component on one side in a joint bearing  32 . The other end rests on one single damping cylinder  15 . 
       FIG. 41  shows larger bores  21 ′ for larger damping cylinders laterally next to the cup bore  13 . Screws  33  are used for fastening purposes without any prior bores in the carrier plate. 
     In all embodiments that are shown the damping cylinders  15  can be removed to decrease the damping effect if multiple furniture hinges are used.