Hinge

A hinge with a snap-in mechanism is activated by a spring. The spring is housed in a bush-like member pivotally mounted on a hinge axle of the hinge arm. There are two hinge links that connect the hinge arm with the hinge casing. The bush-like member presses on one hinge link when the hinge is in its closed position but rests mainly or completely on the hinge axle of the hinge link when the hinge is in its open position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a hinge having a catch mechanism, a hinge arm 
adapted to be fastened to a furniture side-wall and linked to a hinge 
casing or the like by means of two hinge links, the hinge casing or the 
like being adapted to be fixed to a door wing, one of the two hinge links 
being acted upon by a pressure spring, the pressure spring pressing 
against said hinge link by means of an intermediate member arranged 
between said hinge link and the pressure spring, said intermediate member 
being a bush-like member receiving the pressure spring. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Hinges of the above-mentioned type are widely used in modern furniture 
construction, particularly in the production of modern kitchen furniture. 
In most cases the catch mechanism in the hinge can replace a separate 
closing device on the door, e.g. a snapping device, and, thus, reduce the 
cost of the piece of furniture. Moreover, the catch mechanism prevents the 
door from remaining open unintentionally due to negligence, as it pulls 
the door into its final or closed position when the door wing and the 
closing plane are within a certain angle. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to improve hinges of 
the afore-mentioned type and to obtain a more secure functioning than with 
prior art hinges comprising a catch mechanism. 
It is a further object of the invention to adapt the catch mechanism to be 
very compactly arranged in the hinge arm without being in the way of or 
interfering with the other parts of the hinge arm which are required for 
mounting the hinge arm, e.g. fastening screws and adjusting screws, and 
necessary for joint- and depth adjustments. 
It is a further object of the invention to produce a hinge incurring a low 
cost of production. 
According to the invention this is achieved by mounting the bush-like 
member on the hinge arm, in such a way that the member can pivot around 
its support resting with its free end against one of the hinge links as 
well as against the axle of such hinge link, whereby the bush-like member 
rests mainly or fully against the hinge link when the hinge is closed, and 
mainly or fully against the axle of the hinge link when the hinge is in 
its open position. 
In an embodiment of the present invention the bush-like member has two 
pressure faces on its free end, faces which are inclined to each other. 
In a further embodiment the bush-like member is mounted on a hinge axle of 
the hinge arm. 
It is preferable that the bush-like member has at least one lateral pin 
which rests on a supporting flange formed on a hinge link, such supporting 
flange preferably having a V-shaped recess, the pin resting against the 
rim of the recess. 
In another preferable embodiment the hinge axle is provided with a bearing 
bushing which is rotatable on the hinge axle. This bearing bushing can be 
made of plastics. 
With the bushing a particularly easy and smooth change from the locking 
position to the "free" position of the parts of the spring mechanism is 
obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The hinge in accordance with the present invention comprises a hinge arm 1 
fastened to a mounting plate 4 by means of a fastening screw 2, which 
extends through a slot 3 in the hinge arm 1. The mounting plate 4 is, 
according to the present embodiment, screwed to a furniture side-wall 6 by 
means of screws 5. Any other fastening means, e.g. dowels, could be used 
as well. 
An adjusting screw 8 is mounted in a threaded bore 7 of the hinge arm 1. An 
adjustment of the hinge arm 1 and, thus of the hinge in the breadth of the 
direction of the door joint can be effected by means of said, adjusting 
screw 8 and fastening screw 2. 
A hinge casing 10 is inserted into a door 9. The hinge casing 10 and the 
hinge arm 1 are linked by means of two hinge links 11, 12 which are 
mounted on bearing axles 13 in the hinge casing 10 and on bearing axles 14 
on the hinge arm 1. 
A bush-like member 15 is arranged between the two hinge links 11, 12 and 
the two hinge axles 14 of the hinge arm. In the embodiment in accordance 
with FIGS. 1 through 4, the bush-like member 15 is mounted by means of 
recesses 16 on that hinge axle 14 linking the hinge link 12 and the hinge 
arm 1. 
A coil spring 17 is provided in the bush-like member 15, and coil spring 17 
rests against and is compressed between bush-like member 15 and hinge axle 
14. The bush-like member 15 (FIGS. 1-4) has two pressure faces 18, 19 at 
its free end, pressure face 18 being planar, and pressure face 19 being 
curved. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the bush-like member 15, when the 
door is open, fully rests against that hinge axle 14 which links the hinge 
link 11 and the hinge arm 1. Very little or no pressure at all is exerted 
on the hinge link 11. 
When the door 9 is closed (FIG. 1, FIG. 3), however, the bush-like member 
15 is directly pressed against the hinge link 11 by the force of the 
spring 17, and thus tends to hold the hinge link 11 in the closed 
position. 
The same effect is obtained in the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 3a 
and 4a. In this embodiment the bush-like member 15b is provided with a 
lateral pin 20 which extends into a V-shaped recess 21 in a flange 22 
molded to the hinge link 11. The lateral pin 20 is thereby guided on an 
edge or rim 23 of the recess 21. When the door 9 is in the open position, 
the bush-like member 15b and the lateral pin 20 are in the position 
illustrated in FIG. 4a, and the forces of the pressure spring 17 act 
radially on that hinge axle 14 which links hinge link 11 and the hinge arm 
1. Consequently, no torque is exerted on the hinge link 11. 
When the hinge is closed, the bush-like member 15b is in the position 
illustrated in FIG. 3a, i.e. the spring force is exerted on the hinge link 
11. 
In the embodiment in accordance with FIGS. 5 and 6, a bush-like member 15a 
is mounted on the hinge axle 14 linking the hinge arm 1 and the hinge link 
11, i.e. the inner hinge link. The free end of the bush-like member 15a 
presses with pressure faces 24, 25 on the hinge link 12 and on that hinge 
axle 14, which links the hinge link 12, i.e. the outer hinge link, and the 
hinge arm 1. 
The hinge link 12 on which the bush-like member 15a acts under the pressure 
of the spring 17 is a two-arm lever. The bush-like member 15a presses 
against the free lever arm, i.e. against the lever arm, of hinge link 12 
which is not linked to the hinge casing 10. If, in the open position as 
well as in the closed position of the hinge, the bush-like member does not 
exclusively exert pressure either on the hinge link 12 or on the hinge 
axle 14 linking hinge link 12 and the hinge arm 1, either a major part of 
the spring force is, correspondingly to the position of the hinge, 
transmitted to the hinge link 12 (FIG. 5), whereby a closing pressure is 
exerted on hinge link 12, or a major part of the spring power is exerted 
on the hinge axle 14 (FIG. 6) so that the spring pressure being exerted on 
the hinge link 12 can be neglected. 
In order to obtain an easier change of the bush-like member 15 or 15a or 
15b from the closed position into the open position a rotatable bearing 
bushing 26 is arranged on the hinge axle 14 being acted upon by the 
bush-like member 15 or 15a or 15b. 
The rotatable bearing bushing 26 serves as a bearing ring and rotates 
freely on the hinge axle 14 and substantially reduces the friction between 
the bush-like member 15 15a or 15b and the hinge axle 14. 
The bearing bushing 26 can be made of metal or plastics.