Patent Publication Number: US-9416575-B2

Title: Furniture hinge with plastic insert

Description:
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 &#39;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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred mode of practicing the invention, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a furniture member (i.e., a cabinet) whose door is movably mounted thereto using hinges according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a hinge according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of an insert according to one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the insert shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective front (joint facing-side) view of the hinge arm and base plate portion of a hinge according to the present invention, showing the insert attached to the lever end of the hinge arm; 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of an insert according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a rear perspective view of the insert shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a furniture piece, such as a cabinet  1 , whose movable member, such as door  2 , is movably mounted thereto using hinges  10  according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective front view of a hinge  10  in a pre-assembled state including the plastic insert  9  according to the present invention, and  FIG. 5  is a front (joint facing-side) perspective view of the hinge arm  8  and base plate  3  portion of the hinge  10 , showing the insert  9  attached to the lever end  80  of the hinge arm  8 .  FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the insert  9  and  FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the insert  9  shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The hinge  10  according to the present invention includes many parts that are typical of hinges, such as a hinge cup  4  which is adapted to be affixed to the movable member of the furniture piece, such as cabinet door  2 , and a base plate  3 , which is adapted to be fixed to the stationary member of the furniture piece, such as cabinet  1 . The hinge arm  8  is adjustably attached to the base plate  3  via the adjustment screw  85  and cam  86 . Other examples of hinges that can be fitted with an insert according to the present invention include, but are not limited, to Applicant&#39;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 in  FIG. 2 , the hinge cup  4  is adapted to be connected to the hinge arm  8  by the hinge pin  6 , which passes through coaxially aligned openings or bores  41 ,  81  in the hinge cup  4  and lever  80  of the hinge arm  8 , respectively. However, in the present invention, the insert  9  is also attached directly to and around the end  82  of the lever  80 , so that the end  82  of the lever  80  is sandwiched between cylindrical portions  90  of the insert  9  (see e.g.,  FIG. 5 ). The openings  91  in the cylindrical portions  90  of the insert  9  are disposed on the opposed lateral sides of the lever  80  and are coaxially aligned with the opening  81  of the lever  80 , so that the hinge pin  6  passes through the opening  41  in the hinge cup  4 , then the opening  91  in the insert  9  before passing through the lever opening  81 , the other insert opening  91  and back though the opening  41  at the opposite side of the hinge cup  4 . 
     The hinge  10  also includes a spring  7  which acts in association with the hinge pin  6  to control the opening and closing force of the hinge  10  in the known manner. In the present invention, however, the leg  72  of the spring  7  slidably contacts an external surface  93  of the insert  9  proximate the joint at the hinge pin  6 . For example, the leg  72  of the spring  7  is preferably slidably situated on the surface  93   a  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) of the insert  9  once the hinge  10  is in the assembled state. 
     Any suitable plastic material can be used for the insert  9 . Preferably, the plastic is a thermoplastic material or another polymeric material, for example. The insert  9  can 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 insert  9  low. 
     The positioning of the insert  9  in between the metal members (i.e., the hinge pin  6 , the lever  80 , and the hinge cup  4 ) at the joint facilitates the noise reduction feature attributable to the present invention by virtue of the fact that the insert  9  is 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 in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the insert  9  includes a planar portion  92  disposed between the two transversely (i.e., laterally) opposed cylindrical portions  90  having the coaxial central bores (i.e., the openings  91 ) on one side, and a lip portion (i.e., ridge)  98  extending from a peak point of a planar curved portion of one cylindrical portion  90  transversely toward the peak point of the planar curved portion of the opposed cylindrical portion  90  on the opposed side. The planar portion  92  extends from and between the inner lateral surfaces  90   b  of the respective cylindrical portions  90 . The planar portion  92  and the lip portion  98  are separated from one another by a trough  97  defining a seat. When installed on the lever  80 , the front surface  92   a  of the planar portion  92  faces the back surface  80   b  of the lever  80 , and the opposed surface  92   b  of the planar portion faces away from the joint (see  FIGS. 3-5 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the seat portion  97  extends in the transverse (lateral) direction and is adapted to receive an end portion  82  of the lever  80  of the hinge arm  8  on the opposed side  92   b  facing away from the joint. This facilitates a secure connection with the end  82  of the lever  80  of the hinge arm  8 . The snap-fit connection between the insert  9  and the lever  80  of the hinge arm  8  is also further secured by virtue of the snap fit members  95  that extend from the outer surface  93  of the cylindrical portions  90  in the lateral (transverse) direction toward one another to contact the lever  80  sandwiched therebetween, as shown in  FIGS. 3-5 . 
       FIGS. 2-5  also show the portion of the outer peripheral surface  93  of each cylindrical portion  90  of the insert  9  having a curved plane shape defining the external surface  93   a  on which at least a the spring leg  72  is slidably situated proximate the joint of the hinge pin  6 . Since the insert  9  preferably has a symmetrical shape, as shown in the accompanying drawings, the external surfaces (e.g.,  93   a ) of the insert  9  that the spring legs  72  contact are located on laterally (transversely) opposed sides of the joint corresponding to the locations of the respective spring legs, such as spring legs  72  when the spring  7  has a U-shape, as shown in  FIG. 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 insert  9  according 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 insert  9  proximate 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 spring  7  and the functional life of the hinge  10 . 
     The cylindrical portions  90  of the insert  9  are also provided with notches  94  formed on the inner lateral surface  90   b  near the bottom. The notches  94  are mechanical means provided to assist in the assembly of the insert  9  onto the lever  80  in connection with its location in the hinge joint region. The outer lateral surface  90   a  of the cylindrical portion  90  is substantially parallel to the inner surface  90   b  and defines a peripheral portion of the curved plane shape proximate  93   a  and an edge of the outer peripheral surface  93 , as shown in  FIGS. 3-5 . 
     The insert  9 ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention shares many similar features as the insert  9 . For example, the insert  9 ′ shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  includes a planar portion  902  disposed between the two transversely (i.e., laterally) opposed cylindrical portions  900  having coaxial central bores (i.e., the openings  901 ) on one side, and a lip portion (i.e., ridge)  908  extending from a peak point of a planar curved portion  903   a  of one cylindrical portion  900  transversely toward the peak point of the planar curved portion  903   a  of the opposed cylindrical portion  900  on the opposed side. The planar portion  902  extends between and from the inner lateral surfaces  900   b  of the respective cylindrical portions  900 . The planar portion  902  and the lip portion  908  are separated from one another by a trough  907  defining a seat. When installed on the lever  80 , the front surface  902   a  of the planar portion  902  faces the back surface  80   b  of the lever  80 , and the opposed surface  902   b  faces away from the joint in the same manner as the insert  9  described in connection with  FIGS. 3-5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the seat portion  907  extends in the transverse (lateral) direction and is adapted to receive an end portion  82  of the lever  80  of the hinge arm  8  on the opposed side  902   b  facing away from the joint. This facilitates a secure connection with the end  82  of the lever  80  of the hinge arm  8 . However, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , unlike the insert  9 , sidewalls  906  extend from the front surface  902   a  of the planar portion  902  of the insert  9 ′ and along a portion of the external surface (outer peripheral surface)  903  of the cylindrical portions proximate the curved plane portions  903   a . Snap-fit means  905  extend from the sidewalls  906  in a substantially perpendicular manner in the transverse (lateral) direction toward one another, which together serve to securely attach the insert  9 ′ to the lever  80  of the hinge arm  8  in a snap-fit manner. 
     Similar to the insert  9 , a portion of the outer peripheral surface  903  of each cylindrical portion  900  of the insert  9 ′ has a curved plane shape defining a portion of the external surface  903   a  on which at least the spring leg  72  is slidably situated proximate the joint of the hinge pin  6 . The insert  9 ′ also preferably has a symmetrical shape, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7  and discussed above in connection with the insert  9 , so that the external surfaces (e.g.,  903   a ) of the insert  9 ′ that the spring legs  72  contact 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 insert  9  described in connection with  FIGS. 3-5 , the cylindrical portions  900  of the insert  9 ′ are also provided with notches  904  formed on the inner lateral surface  900   b  near the bottom. The notches  904  are mechanical means provided to assist in the assembly of the insert  9 ′ onto the lever  80  in connection with its location in the hinge joint region. The outer lateral surface  900   a  of the cylindrical portion  900  is substantially parallel to the surface  900   b  and defines a peripheral portion of the curved plane shape proximate  903   a  and an edge of the outer peripheral surface  903 , as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The insert  9 ′ functions in the same manner as the insert  9  to reduce noise and prolong spring life. 
     Preferably, the inserts  9 ,  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 hinge  10 . Since the insert  9  (or  9 ′) 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 hinge  10  can 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 hinge  10  or 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 in  FIG. 2 , the hinge  10  according to the present invention can further include a damping mechanism  5 , positioned in the hinge cup  4 , to control the closing speed of a movable furniture member to which the hinge is attached (i.e., the cabinet door  2 ). One example of a suitable damping mechanism that can be used is disclosed in Applicant&#39;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. 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.