Patent Publication Number: US-10329821-B2

Title: Hinge for furniture or domestic appliances

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a U.S. nationalization under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2015/060684, filed May 13, 2015, which claims priority to German Application No. 102014106908.0 filed May 16, 2014. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to a hinge for furniture or domestic appliances, having a side part, on which a hinge part is mounted so it is pivotable via at least one guide lever, wherein a damping device is provided, which has a rotatable actuating element, which is pre-tensioned via a spring in a starting position, wherein a first activation region of the actuating element for closing damping is activated upon closing of the hinge. 
     WO 2009/124332 discloses a damping device for a hinge, in which a rotatable actuating element, which acts on a rotation damper, is provided on a hinge cup. The actuating element is moved into a starting position for the next damping stroke after completed damping, wherein a restoring stroke of the actuating element is settable to be able to vary the damping forces. The damping forces can thus be set for a closing damping. However, the problem exists that in the event of a rapid opening movement of a door, the hinges are subjected to high loads, which can result in damage. 
     The present disclosure illustrates and describes a hinge for furniture or domestic appliances, in which a door is decelerated both during a closing movement and also during an opening movement. 
     The hinge according to the disclosure comprises a damping device, which has a rotatable actuating element, wherein a first activation region of the actuating element for closing damping is activated upon closing of the hinge and the actuating element has a second activation region for opening damping. The damping device can thus be used both for opening damping and also for closing damping. In particular during a rapid movement of the door, a deceleration can therefore be performed in the closing direction and in the opening direction, which avoids loud striking noises and additionally reduces the risk of damage due to rapid movements of a door. 
     The actuating element may be moved in the same direction during the closing damping and during the opening damping. The same damping mechanism can thus be used for the opening damping and the closing damping, wherein the actuating element is pre-tensioned by a spring in a starting position between the two movements. This avoids the provision of two separate damping devices, which would make the production significantly more expensive. 
     According to one embodiment, the actuating element is mounted so it is rotatable about an axis on the hinge part and has a first arm having the first activation region and a second arm having the second activation region. The first arm and the second arm can be aligned offset in relation to one another by at least 30°, for example, at least 90° in this case with respect to the axis of rotation of the actuating element. The actuating element is therefore designed as a two-armed lever, which has the activation regions in each case on different arms. The actuating element can also be designed as a molded part, however, on which the activation regions are provided. 
     A guide lever may be a first contact region, which is engaged with the first activation region of the actuating element during the closing damping, wherein the guide lever additionally has a second contact region, which is engaged with the second activation region of the actuating element during the opening damping. In this case, the contact regions can be spaced apart from one another on the guide lever, in particular, the second contact region can be arranged on a cantilever of the guide lever adjacent to an axis of the guide lever in the hinge part. 
     In an embodiment, the damping device may be active at least over an angle range of at least 10°, for example, at least 20°, before the maximally open position. The maximally open position can be in a range between 80° and 120° in this case, for example, so that depending on the position of the maximally open position, the opening damping of the hinge can begin. A damping over a range of at least 20° may ensure sufficient deceleration before the maximally open position. 
     For a compact construction, the damping device can comprise a rotation damper. Of course, it is also possible that the actuating element is coupled to another type of damper, for example, a linear damper or a friction damper. 
     In one embodiment, a cup-shaped receptacle is formed in the hinge part, in which the rotatable actuating element is arranged. A particularly compact construction for the function of the opening damping and closing damping thus results. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an item of furniture having two hinges according to the present disclosure, 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show two views of a hinge from  FIG. 1 , and 
         FIG. 3  shows a detailed view of the hinge from  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An item of furniture  1  comprises a cabinet-shaped furniture body  2 , on which a door  3  is mounted so it is pivotable. Two hinges  4  are provided for this purpose on a side wall of the furniture body  2 . 
     Each hinge  4  comprises a side part  5 , which is fixed via a mounting plate  6  on the furniture body  2 . A hinge part  7  is mounted so it is pivotable on the side part  5  via two spaced-apart guide levers  8 . The pivotable door  3  is held on the hinge part  7 . 
     One of the hinges  4  is shown in detail in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . One of the guide levers  8  is mounted so it is rotatable about an axis  9  on the side part  5 . On the opposite side, the guide lever  8  is arranged so it is rotatable on the hinge part  7 , wherein a cup-shaped receptacle  10 , in which a rotatable actuating element  11  is arranged, is formed in the hinge part  7 . The actuating element  11  is arranged on a holder  12 , which has a rotation damper. The actuating element  11  is mounted so it is rotatable in this case and is pre-tensioned in a starting position. If the hinge  4  is moved into a closed position, a first activation region  18  on the actuating element  11  engages with a contact region  22  on the guide lever  8  and can slide along this contact region  22 , so that the actuating element  11  is rotated and therefore the closing movement is damped and/or decelerated. After completed damping and opening of the door  3 , the actuating element  11  is pre-tensioned in a starting position again via a spring, to be movable for the next damping stroke. 
     Furthermore, a switch  13  is provided on the holder  12 , by means of which the restoring stroke of the actuating element  11  is settable in a known manner. 
     In addition to the closing damping, an opening damping can also be performed on the hinge  4 , wherein a second activation region  20  is provided for this purpose on the actuating element  11 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The actuating element  11  is essentially designed as a two-armed lever and has a first arm  19 , on which the first activation region  18  is provided. Furthermore, a second arm  14  is provided, which is aligned offset by more than 90° in relation to the first arm  19  with respect to an axis of rotation  17  of actuating element  11  and on which the second activation region  20  is provided. 
     The guide lever  8  is mounted so it is rotatable about an axis  16  on the hinge part  7  and has the first contact region  22  on the region between the axis  16  and the axis  9 , to move the actuating element  11  during a closing movement. Furthermore, a cantilever  15  is formed on the guide lever  8  adjacent to the axis  16  on the hinge part  7 , which cantilever protrudes at an angle from the guide lever  8  and on which a second contact region  21  is provided, which engages with the second activation region  20  on the actuating element  11  during an opening movement. If the hinge is now moved further in the opening direction, the guide lever  8  is pivoted into the dashed position  8 ′, wherein the actuating element  11  is pivoted counterclockwise in  FIG. 3 , as shown by the dashed lines. The first arm  19 ′ and the second arm  14 ′ are therefore also pivoted about the axis  17  when the hinge  4  is arranged in a predetermined open position. Both a closing damping and also an opening damping are thus caused using the same damping device. 
     The opening damping may take place at least in an angle range of at least 10° before the maximally open position. In an embodiment, the opening damping can begin in a range between 20° and 30° before the maximally open position. If the door  3  is moved back in the closing direction after opening damping, firstly the cantilever  15  disengages from the second arm  14  of the actuating element  11 , so that the actuating element  11  is moved by the force of a spring back into the starting position. The first contact region  22  of the guide lever  8  only subsequently then engages with the first activation region  18  on the first arm  19 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, a rotation damper is used for damping the movement of the actuating element  11 . Of course, it is also possible to use a friction damper or a linear damper instead of a rotation damper. 
     In addition, the damping device can have an adjustment mechanism, to be able to set the damping stroke of the actuating element  11 .