Adjustable hinge

A hinge for furniture doors is adjustable in three directions, i.e. in the direction of the depth of an article of furniture, in the direction of the height of the article of furniture and in the direction of the breadth of the door joint. Adjustment is effected by moving a hinge arm of the hinge with respect to a base plate on which the hinge arm is mounted. The hinge arm has a U-shaped cross section. A guiding member which is a rhomboid plate or a rectangular plate with oblique slots is positioned in the U of the hinge arm and has oblique faces sliding along corresponding faces on the base plate. Side edges of the guiding member slide along side flanges of the hinge arm. For height adjustment the hinge arm is not moved on a straight line but along a curve or two straight lines that are at an angle to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a hinge which is adjustable in the direction of 
the height of an article of furniture comprising a hinge arm of U-shaped 
cross-section linked to a hinge housing or the like by means of an axle or 
axles and hinge links, the hinge arm in the mounted position being 
fastened to a part of the article of furniture, e.g. a side wall, by means 
of a supporting member, which is a base plate or an intermediate member 
anchored to a base plate, the hinge arm being retained on the supporting 
member by means of a clamping screw. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Hinges used in modern furniture construction should allow various 
possibilities of adjustment. Such adjustment should compensate any 
inaccuracies which may have been caused when the fastening holes are 
drilled into parts of the article of furniture, such as the side wall and 
the door. 
Most hinges allow an adjustment in the direction of the depth of the 
article of furniture and in the direction of the breadth of the door 
joint. 
These two possibilities of adjustment require only simple constructional 
means. 
It is, however, often desired to adjust the hinge arm and, thus, the door 
in the direction of the height of the article of furniture. Various 
designs have already been suggested in this respect. 
Difficulties in effecting a height adjustment in a hinge are due to the 
fact that the door presses downwards and it may happen that the hinge arm, 
which is not positively retained on the base plate, is pressed downwards 
in the course of time by the weight of the door, so that the hinge arm is 
moved from the height position which has been chosen when assembling the 
piece of furniture. 
In order to eliminate this disadvantage, the means allowing a height 
adjustment of the hinge are usually over-dimensioned, when compared to the 
rest of the hinge. 
As a result, the hinge is expensive, its design is adversely affected, and 
it is difficult to handle it during assembling operations. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide a hinge of the 
afore-described type in which a height adjustment can be effected in a 
simple manner, in which the means for height adjustment require only 
little space in the hinge arm and in which the adverse effect that the 
hinge arm is pulled downwards by the weight of the door wing is largely 
eliminated. 
According to the invention, this is achieved by providing a guiding member 
in the profile of the hinge arm by means of which the hinge arm is movably 
guided parallel to the mounting plane of the base plate, obliquely as well 
as vertically to the rotational axis of the hinge. 
It is preferably provided that the guiding member is first movable on 
guiding faces of the supporting member or of the hinge arm, such guiding 
faces being oblique to the rotational axis of the hinge and parallel to 
the mounting plane of the base plate, and, second, either that the guiding 
member laterally engages the base plate and is movably guided on the base 
plate vertically to the rotational axis of the hinge, or that the guiding 
member rests with its lateral faces at least partially on the lateral 
flanges of the hinge arm, and that the guiding member is movable relative 
to the lateral flanges and vertically to the rotational axis of the hinge. 
The guide faces on the guiding member could, for example, be formed by the 
front faces of the guiding member. It is, however, preferably provided 
that the guiding member has longitudinal recesses or slots in which 
projections of the supporting member engage. 
Preferred embodiments of the invention provide that the guiding member is, 
with respect to the longitudinal center axis of the hinge arm, movably 
guided on oblique projections of the intermediate member and that the side 
faces of the guiding member rest at least partially on the lateral flanges 
of the hinge arm, or that the guiding member is movably guided on 
projections of the base plate being oblique to the longitudinal center 
axis of the hinge arm and that the side faces of the guiding member rest 
at least partially on the lateral flanges of the hinge arm. 
The guiding member may be a metal plate. 
It is further preferably provided that the guiding member is, on its side 
faces, provided with concentric recesses so that slide faces are formed on 
opposite end portions of each side face. Only the slide faces rest on the 
lateral flanges of the hinge arm. 
Due to the fact that the entire side faces of the guiding member do not 
rest on the flanges of the hinge arm, friction is substantially reduced, 
and the adjustment and displacement of the hinge is facilitated when it is 
moved in the longitudinal direction of the hinge arm. 
Moreover, it is much easier to provide slide faces which fit snugly but 
movably on the parallel flanges of the U-shaped profile of the hinge arm 
over a short range than over the total length of the guiding member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The embodiment according to FIGS. 1 through 4 and 12 shows a hinge which is 
adjustable in the direction of the depth of the article of furniture as 
well as in the direction of the breadth of the door joint and in the 
direction of the height of the article of furniture. This is also true for 
the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 through 7, the adjustment of the door 
joint will, however, not be described in the specification. 
The hinge according to FIGS. 1 through 4 and 12 comprises a base plate 4, 
an intermediate member 3, a guiding member 2 and a hinge arm 1. 
The hinge arm 1 is linked to a hinge casing 9 by means of hinge links which 
are mounted on axles 10 and which have not been illustrated. 
The hinge casing 9 is, in the mounted position, inserted into a bore of a 
door 11 of the article of furniture. 
The base plate 4 is fastened to a side wall 13 of the article of furniture 
by means of screws or dowels 12. 
The intermediate member 3 is anchored to the base plate 4. In the front, 
i.e. on the side directed towards the door 11, member 3 is anchored by 
means of a joint adjusting screw 5 and in the rear, i.e. on the side 
directed away from the door 11, member 3 is anchored by means of a 
clamping screw 7. 
The joint adjusting screw 5 is mounted in a female thread 14 in the 
intermediate member 3 and extends with its head 5' into a T-shaped recess 
15 which is open towards the front side of the base plate 4. 
If the clamping screw 7 is loosened, the intermediate member 3 can be moved 
in the direction of double arrow F by turning the joint adjusting screw 5. 
Hence, the hinge arm 1 positioned on the intermediate member 3 is with its 
hinge link axles 10 adjusted in the direction of the breadth of the door 
joint. 
If the clamping screw 7 is loosened, the intermediate member 3 can, 
together with the hinge arm 1, be adjusted in the direction of double 
arrow T, whereby an adjustment of the hinge in the direction of the depth 
of the article of furniture is effected. After the adjusting operation, 
the clamping screw 7 is fastened, and the hinge is fixed in the direction 
of the depth of the article of furniture. 
The hinge arm 1 is retained on the intermediate member 3 by means of a 
height adjusting screw 6. 
The height adjusting screw 6 is mounted in a female thread 18 in the 
intermediate member 3 and extends through a hole 19 in the hinge arm 1. 
The guiding member 2 is arranged between the hinge arm 1 and the 
intermediate member 3. 
As illustrated in the drawings, the guiding member 2 is provided with 
longitudinal slots 20 which are obliquely aligned to the longitudinal 
center axis L of the hinge arm 1 and of the base plate 4. 
Slots 20 form guiding faces 21 for corresponding guiding faces 21 on 
projections 22 of the intermediate member 3. 
The guiding member 2 is on its side faces provided with concentric recesses 
23. At the front and rear portions of guiding member 2 are slide faces 24 
adjacent to respective recesses 23, slide faces 24 lying immediately 
adjacent to lateral parallel walls or flanges 1' of the hinge arm 1. 
If the height adjusting screw 6 is loosened, the hinge arm 1 can be moved 
in the direction of double arrow H (FIG. 1, FIG. 3). Hence, the oblique 
guiding faces 21 of the projections 22 and of the slots 20 effect a 
displacement of the guiding member 2 in the direction of arrow T. 
After alignment operation, the height adjusting screw 6 is tightened. 
By means of the illustrated arrangement, a tilting movement of the hinge 
arm 1 on the base plate 4 causing an excessive downward movement of the 
door 11 is largely eliminated. 
The guiding member 2 and the hinge arm 1 are provided with various openings 
25 so that tools have access to the clamping- and adjusting screws 7, 5. 
Openings 25 are obviously adapted to provide access for a tool in any 
position of the hinge arm 1 and of the guiding member 2. 
After the adjustment and positioning of the hinge arm 1, and, hence, of the 
whole hinge, openings 25 are covered by means of a cover cap 8 which is 
arranged on the hinge arm 1. 
In the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 through 7, and 13 the base plate 4 
is made of plastics material and comprises two semishells 4'. 
In this embodiment, the base plate 4 can be a box profile, the base plate 
having a chamber 8. 
The semishells 4' each have a recess 8' corresponding to half of chamber 8. 
In the mounted position, the intermediate member 3 is arranged in the 
chamber 8. Intermediate member 3 is preferably of metal and plate-shaped. 
Intermediate member 3 is displaceable in the direction of the height of the 
article of furniture, i.e. parallel to the rotational axis of the hinge. 
This means that the breadth b of the intermediate member 3 is smaller than 
the inner width l' of the chamber 8. 
A female thread 18 is provided in the intermediate member 3, the fastening 
screw 6 for the hinge arm 1 being mounted in such female thread in the 
mounted position. 
The fastening screw 6 extends through a slot 19 allowing the depth 
adjustment of the hinge arm 1 and, hence, of the door wing 11 of the piece 
of furniture. 
In the region of the female thread 18, the intermediate member 3 is 
provided with a pedestal which increases the stability of the base plate 
construction according to the invention. 
Such pedestal extends through an aperture 26 in the base plate 4, aperture 
26 being formed by two recesses 26' in the two semishells 4'. 
The size of the aperture 26 is dimensioned in such a manner that the 
pedestal does not hinder the displacement of the intermediate member 3. 
The guiding member 2 is on its lower side provided with oblique guiding 
grooves 20 in which guiding flanges 22 of the base plate 4 engage in the 
mounted position. 
Due to the fact that the guiding flanges 22 and the guiding grooves 20 are 
oblique they receive a part of the door weight, when the door 11 is in the 
mounted position, so that the hinge can be exposed to forces which are 
stronger than the forces which the fastening screw 6 could alone transmit 
to the base plate 4. 
It does not matter that in this embodiment the device for the height 
adjustment of the hinge effects a depth adjustment as well, as there is 
only one fastening screw 6 for the depth as well as for the height 
adjustment and fastening. 
As a height adjustment is not always required, supporting flanges 27 are 
provided in the chamber 8 of the base plate 4, flanges 27 keeping the 
intermediate member 3 in a centered position. 
The hinge arm 1 has a U-shaped profile and rests with its two lateral 
flanges against opposite sides of the guiding member 2. 
A joint adjusting screw 5 is arranged in the hinge arm 1, screw 5 being 
mounted in a female thread of the hinge arm 1 and resting against the 
guiding member at the end thereof directed towards the door 11. 
When mounting the hinge, the hinge arm 1 is retained on the base plate 4 by 
means of the intermediate member 3 and the fastening screw 6, which has 
not been fully fastened. 
By turning the joint adjusting screw 5, the door 11 can be adjusted in the 
direction of the breadth of the door joint. 
The adjustment of the hinge in the direction of the depth of the article of 
furniture is effected by displacing it manually. The adjustment in the 
direction of the height of the article of furniture may be effected after 
breaking out and removing the supporting flanges 27. After the adjusting 
operation, the fastening screw 6 is fully fastened, and all parts of the 
adjusting mechanism of the hinge are clamped to one another. 
FIGS. 8 through 11 show various embodiments for the arrangement of the 
guiding member 2 and the type of adjustment for the hinge arm 1. 
In the embodiment according to FIGS. 8a-8c, the guiding member 2 is 
retained in the hinge arm 1. Guiding member 2 also has slot-shaped 
recesses 20 into which projections 22 arranged on the base plate 4 extend. 
FIGS. 9a-9c show a similar embodiment. Projections 22 are provided on the 
base plate 4. The guiding member 2 is mounted, however, directly on the 
base plate. 
In the embodiment according to FIGS. 10a-10c an intermediate member 3 again 
is provided. The oblique guiding and the displacement is carried out 
between the guiding member 2 and the intermediate 3. Projections may again 
be provided on the intermediate member 3, such projections extending into 
slot-shaped recesses in the guiding member 2. 
The hinge arm 1 is retained on the intermediate member 3 by means of a 
clamping screw 6. Intermediate member 3 is fastened to the base plate 4 by 
means of a clamping screw. 
In the embodiment according to FIGS. 11a-11c, the oblique guiding is 
carried out between the hinge arm 1 and the guiding member 2. Guiding 
member 2 is displaceable on the base plate 4 in the direction of the depth 
of the piece of furniture. The oblique guiding can be effected by means of 
slots and projections extending into the slots.