Furniture hinge with plastic insert

A hinge is provided, including a hinge arm and a hinge cup connected to one another by a hinge pin at a joint in association with a spring, and an insert provided on the hinge arm at the joint and having an external surface which the spring slidably contacts.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hinges for use in connection with furniture, in particular, to a plastic insert for use in a hinge that reduces the noise associated with the operation of the hinge and prolongs the service life of the hinge spring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When furniture, such as cabinets, for example, has movable parts, such as doors, those movable parts are often mounted to the main furniture member using a movable member such as a hinge. While hinges are known in the art, there are some problems associated with conventional hinges that the present invention seeks to solve.

One problem is that because a majority of the components of conventional hinges are made of metal, and the metal components come into mechanical and frictional contact with one another, there can be a significant amount of noise associated with the operation of the hinge during use. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hinge having a member that reduces the noise otherwise associated with the hinge operation.

Another problem is that hinges whose control cam or hinge pin is spring activated tend to experience spring breakage over time due to the high spring loads required to produce the opening and closing forces during hinge operation. This usually leads to hinge replacement as a whole, which can be costly and inconvenient. Accordingly, it would be desirable that to provide a hinge having a spring that is not readily susceptible to such breakage, and which facilitates a longer functional life of the hinge.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,402 discloses a furniture hinge including plastic sliding members that fit over the ends of each spring leg to engage the spring on the interior surface and the control cam on the exterior surface. While this solution may alleviate some frictional issues and allegedly prolong the spring life, it is clear that separate sliding members are required for each individual spring leg of the hinge. Not only does this require multiple pieces, but preferably according to the '402 patent, additional lubrication means is provided within interior portions of the sliding members. All of factors increase the cost and complicate the steps for fabrication and installation of the hinge.

In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide a hinge that effectively and simultaneously reduces the noise associated with hinge operation and prolongs the spring life without adding multiple additional parts or increasing the cost and the difficulty of the steps associated with the fabrication and installation of the hinge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide a hinge including a single member that effectively addresses both of the aforementioned problems by simultaneously reducing the noise associated with hinge operation and prolonging the spring life, without increasing the cost or complicating the steps required for fabrication or installation of the hinge.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a hinge is provided, comprising a hinge arm and a hinge cup connected to one another by a hinge pin at a joint in association with a spring, and an insert provided on the hinge arm at the joint and having an external surface which the spring slidably contacts. According to this aspect of the present invention, an end of the hinge arm having a bore passing therethrough for receiving the hinge pin at the joint is disposed between the two opposed cylindrical portions of the insert, so that the respective bores are coaxially aligned.

The insert also comprises a planar portion disposed between two transversely opposed cylindrical portions respectively having coaxial central bores. The insert comprises snap-fit means for attaching the insert to the hinge arm, located on one of (i) the cylindrical portions of the insert and (ii) the planar portion of the insert.

It is also preferred that at least a portion of the insert comprises a seat portion extending in the transverse direction for receiving an end portion of the hinge arm. It is also preferred that a portion of the outer peripheral surface of each cylindrical portion is a curved plane defining the external surface on which a leg portion of the spring slidably contacts.

The insert is preferably a single, unitary body made of a plastic material.

The hinge according to the present invention can further comprise a damping mechanism located in the hinge cup to control the closing speed of a movable furniture member, such as a cabinet door, for example, to which the hinge is attached.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a furniture hinge is provided, comprising a hinge arm, a hinge cup, a hinge pin connecting the hinge arm to the hinge cup at a joint, and a plastic insert attached directly to the hinge arm and interposed between the hinge arm and the hinge cup, wherein the hinge pin passes thorough coaxially aligned openings in the hinge cup, the plastic insert, and the hinge arm to define the joint. Preferably, the hinge further comprises a spring having at least one leg associated with the hinge pin.

The plastic insert comprises two transversely opposed cylindrical portions sandwiching a portion of the hinge arm therebetween, and preferably, a portion of an external surface of each of the cylindrical portions of the plastic insert has a curved plane portion proximate the joint.

According to this aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of at least one of the legs of the spring slidably contacts a portion of the external surface of the plastic insert proximate the joint. It is preferred that at least a portion of at least one of the legs of the spring slidably contacts at least one of the curved plane portions of the external surfaces of the cylindrical portions of the plastic insert proximate the joint. It is also preferred that the plastic insert is directly attached to the hinge arm via snap fit members extending therefrom that clip to the hinge arm above the joint.

The furniture hinge according to this aspect of the present invention can further comprise a damping mechanism located in the hinge cup to control the closing speed of the furniture to which the hinge is attached.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a furniture piece, such as a cabinet1, whose movable member, such as door2, is movably mounted thereto using hinges10according to the present invention.FIG. 2is an exploded perspective front view of a hinge10in a pre-assembled state including the plastic insert9according to the present invention, andFIG. 5is a front (joint facing-side) perspective view of the hinge arm8and base plate3portion of the hinge10, showing the insert9attached to the lever end80of the hinge arm8.FIG. 3is a front perspective view of the insert9andFIG. 4is a rear perspective view of the insert9shown inFIG. 3.

The hinge10according to the present invention includes many parts that are typical of hinges, such as a hinge cup4which is adapted to be affixed to the movable member of the furniture piece, such as cabinet door2, and a base plate3, which is adapted to be fixed to the stationary member of the furniture piece, such as cabinet1. The hinge arm8is adjustably attached to the base plate3via the adjustment screw85and cam86. Other examples of hinges that can be fitted with an insert according to the present invention include, but are not limited, to Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,604,956, 6,647,591, 6,996,877, and 7,117,561 for example, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

As shown inFIG. 2, the hinge cup4is adapted to be connected to the hinge arm8by the hinge pin6, which passes through coaxially aligned openings or bores41,81in the hinge cup4and lever80of the hinge arm8, respectively. However, in the present invention, the insert9is also attached directly to and around the end82of the lever80, so that the end82of the lever80is sandwiched between cylindrical portions90of the insert9(see e.g.,FIG. 5). The openings91in the cylindrical portions90of the insert9are disposed on the opposed lateral sides of the lever80and are coaxially aligned with the opening81of the lever80, so that the hinge pin6passes through the opening41in the hinge cup4, then the opening91in the insert9before passing through the lever opening81, the other insert opening91and back though the opening41at the opposite side of the hinge cup4.

The hinge10also includes a spring7which acts in association with the hinge pin6to control the opening and closing force of the hinge10in the known manner. In the present invention, however, the leg72of the spring7slidably contacts an external surface93of the insert9proximate the joint at the hinge pin6. For example, the leg72of the spring7is preferably slidably situated on the surface93a(seeFIGS. 2 and 3) of the insert9once the hinge10is in the assembled state.

Any suitable plastic material can be used for the insert9. Preferably, the plastic is a thermoplastic material or another polymeric material, for example. The insert9can be formed by any known plastic forming technique, suitable examples of which include, but are not limited to, injection molding and die casting, for example. These materials and methods are readily available and inexpensive, making the ease of manufacture high and cost of providing the insert9low.

The positioning of the insert9in between the metal members (i.e., the hinge pin6, the lever80, and the hinge cup4) at the joint facilitates the noise reduction feature attributable to the present invention by virtue of the fact that the insert9is made of a plastic material. The plastic material reduces the friction or abrasion of metal-on-metal at the joint caused by the operation of the hinge, and the sound damping quality provided by the plastic material further lessens the effects of any residual noises. The structure of the hinge joint also enables simplification of the production process.

As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the insert9includes a planar portion92disposed between the two transversely (i.e., laterally) opposed cylindrical portions90having the coaxial central bores (i.e., the openings91) on one side, and a lip portion (i.e., ridge)98extending from a peak point of a planar curved portion of one cylindrical portion90transversely toward the peak point of the planar curved portion of the opposed cylindrical portion90on the opposed side. The planar portion92extends from and between the inner lateral surfaces90bof the respective cylindrical portions90. The planar portion92and the lip portion98are separated from one another by a trough97defining a seat. When installed on the lever80, the front surface92aof the planar portion92faces the back surface80bof the lever80, and the opposed surface92bof the planar portion faces away from the joint (seeFIGS. 3-5).

As shown inFIG. 4, the seat portion97extends in the transverse (lateral) direction and is adapted to receive an end portion82of the lever80of the hinge arm8on the opposed side92bfacing away from the joint. This facilitates a secure connection with the end82of the lever80of the hinge arm8. The snap-fit connection between the insert9and the lever80of the hinge arm8is also further secured by virtue of the snap fit members95that extend from the outer surface93of the cylindrical portions90in the lateral (transverse) direction toward one another to contact the lever80sandwiched therebetween, as shown inFIGS. 3-5.

FIGS. 2-5also show the portion of the outer peripheral surface93of each cylindrical portion90of the insert9having a curved plane shape defining the external surface93aon which at least a the spring leg72is slidably situated proximate the joint of the hinge pin6. Since the insert9preferably has a symmetrical shape, as shown in the accompanying drawings, the external surfaces (e.g.,93a) of the insert9that the spring legs72contact are located on laterally (transversely) opposed sides of the joint corresponding to the locations of the respective spring legs, such as spring legs72when the spring7has a U-shape, as shown inFIG. 2, for example. If a pair of separated springs is used instead, or if another suitable spring configuration is used, the sliding surfaces provided by the insert9according to the present invention can still accommodate the arrangement to provide a suitable sliding surface along with the desired function in conjunction with the hinge pin.

The sliding contact between the spring and the insert9proximate the hinge pin joint not only reduces the noise associated with hinge operation, but also facilitates proper spring in connection with the hinge pin while reducing the damage caused by metal-on-metal wear and friction, thus prolonging the life of the spring7and the functional life of the hinge10.

The cylindrical portions90of the insert9are also provided with notches94formed on the inner lateral surface90bnear the bottom. The notches94are mechanical means provided to assist in the assembly of the insert9onto the lever80in connection with its location in the hinge joint region. The outer lateral surface90aof the cylindrical portion90is substantially parallel to the inner surface90band defines a peripheral portion of the curved plane shape proximate93aand an edge of the outer peripheral surface93, as shown inFIGS. 3-5.

The insert9′ according to another embodiment of the present invention shares many similar features as the insert9. For example, the insert9′ shown inFIGS. 6 and 7includes a planar portion902disposed between the two transversely (i.e., laterally) opposed cylindrical portions900having coaxial central bores (i.e., the openings901) on one side, and a lip portion (i.e., ridge)908extending from a peak point of a planar curved portion903aof one cylindrical portion900transversely toward the peak point of the planar curved portion903aof the opposed cylindrical portion900on the opposed side. The planar portion902extends between and from the inner lateral surfaces900bof the respective cylindrical portions900. The planar portion902and the lip portion908are separated from one another by a trough907defining a seat. When installed on the lever80, the front surface902aof the planar portion902faces the back surface80bof the lever80, and the opposed surface902bfaces away from the joint in the same manner as the insert9described in connection withFIGS. 3-5.

As shown inFIG. 7, the seat portion907extends in the transverse (lateral) direction and is adapted to receive an end portion82of the lever80of the hinge arm8on the opposed side902bfacing away from the joint. This facilitates a secure connection with the end82of the lever80of the hinge arm8. However, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, unlike the insert9, sidewalls906extend from the front surface902aof the planar portion902of the insert9′ and along a portion of the external surface (outer peripheral surface)903of the cylindrical portions proximate the curved plane portions903a. Snap-fit means905extend from the sidewalls906in a substantially perpendicular manner in the transverse (lateral) direction toward one another, which together serve to securely attach the insert9′ to the lever80of the hinge arm8in a snap-fit manner.

Similar to the insert9, a portion of the outer peripheral surface903of each cylindrical portion900of the insert9′ has a curved plane shape defining a portion of the external surface903aon which at least the spring leg72is slidably situated proximate the joint of the hinge pin6. The insert9′ also preferably has a symmetrical shape, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7and discussed above in connection with the insert9, so that the external surfaces (e.g.,903a) of the insert9′ that the spring legs72contact are located on laterally (transversely) opposed sides of the joint corresponding to the locations of the respective spring legs in the assembled state.

Also like the insert9described in connection withFIGS. 3-5, the cylindrical portions900of the insert9′ are also provided with notches904formed on the inner lateral surface900bnear the bottom. The notches904are mechanical means provided to assist in the assembly of the insert9′ onto the lever80in connection with its location in the hinge joint region. The outer lateral surface900aof the cylindrical portion900is substantially parallel to the surface900band defines a peripheral portion of the curved plane shape proximate903aand an edge of the outer peripheral surface903, as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7. The insert9′ functions in the same manner as the insert9to reduce noise and prolong spring life.

Preferably, the inserts9,9′ according to the present invention are a single, unitary body. It should be noted, however, that the inserts can be formed as two or more separate bodies that are snap-fit together, for example, or otherwise joined to then define a single body prior to assembly in the hinge10. Since the insert9(or9′) is a single piece when assembled to form the hinge, the two-fold benefits attributable to the present invention can be realized without the need for adding multiple pieces in different locations within the hinge structure. The hinge10can be assembled in an easy fashion by including the snap-fit insert member in the assembly steps as described above, without complicating the manufacture of the hinge10or complicating the later installation thereof in the furniture. If necessary, an existing in situ hinge can be removed and retrofitted with the insert according to the present invention with relative ease once the hinge is partially disassembled, and then reassembled and installed.

As also shown inFIG. 2, the hinge10according to the present invention can further include a damping mechanism5, positioned in the hinge cup4, to control the closing speed of a movable furniture member to which the hinge is attached (i.e., the cabinet door2). One example of a suitable damping mechanism that can be used is disclosed in Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,505,165, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention solves the noise and spring breakage problems associated with conventional hinges by providing a hinge including a single member in the form of a plastic insert that is directly attached to the lever of the hinge arm that simultaneously reduces the noise associated with hinge operation and prolongs the spring life, without significantly increasing the costs or complicating the required steps for fabrication or installation of the hinge.