Patent Publication Number: US-2018051500-A1

Title: Squeak-reducing hinge arrangement

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This application relates generally to hinges and, more specifically, to a hinge arrangement that provides substantial reduction or elimination of squeaks without requiring the use of a lubricant. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A barrel hinge utilizes two hinge plates having adjoining knuckles. One plate is attached to the door and the other plate is attached to the door frame. A hinge pin passes through aligned knuckles of the plates to join the plates. The hinge components are formed of metal for strength reasons, and the various rubbing surfaces can result in squeaks or other noise during pivoting of a door. Lubricants can be applied, but tend to create undesired mess and/or are only effective for a limited time. Various attempts to address the issues have been made in the past. 
     U.S. Pat. No. No. 3,921,225 discloses an assembly in which bushings are installed in a recess shaped internal feature of the hinge assembly. The arrangement produces a gap between hinge knuckles, but do not fill it, and also depends on a recessed shape in the hinge knuckle, which increase manufacturing complexity and cost. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,239 discloses an assembly that uses two opposing pins. The assembly also two opposed bushings in the same hinge knuckle. The bushings are ribbed to inhibit relative movement of the bushing in the hinge knuckle. The knuckle internal surfaces are also staked with prevailing features to also restrict relative motion of the pins. The assembly focuses on the manufacture of the complete hinge assembly, and appears to not allow for the separation of the door and supporting hinge. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,795 utilizes bored recesses on the bushings and counter bores in the interior of the hinge knuckles, and a metallic thrust bearing, with features to ensure that relative motion is minimized. 
     Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hinge arrangement adapted to overcome noise issues. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a hinge arrangement adapted for reducing wear and noise includes a first hinge component and a second hinge component. The first hinge component includes a first hinge plate and at least first and second vertically spaced apart and aligned knuckles at a hinge side of the first hinge plate. The second hinge component includes a second hinge plate and at least a third knuckle at a hinge side of the second hinge plate, wherein the hinge side of the second hinge plate is disposed proximate the hinge side of the first hinge plate, wherein the third knuckle is disposed between and aligned with the first and second knuckles to provide a pin passage therethrough. A first bushing washer has a first tubular bushing body inserted within the first knuckle, and a first annular washer rim unitary with the first tubular bushing body and disposed atop the first knuckle. A second bushing washer has a second tubular bushing body inserted within the second knuckle, and a second annular washer rim unitary with the second tubular bushing body and disposed atop the second knuckle. A third bushing washer has a third tubular bushing body inserted within the third knuckle, and a third annular washer rim unitary with the third tubular bushing body and disposed atop the third knuckle. A bottom side of the first knuckle seats atop the second annular washer rim to prevent contact between the first knuckle and the second knuckle and to act as a reduced friction bearing between the first knuckle and the second knuckle that limits wear and noise resulting from relative movement between the first knuckle and the second knuckle. A bottom side of the second knuckle seats atop the third annular washer rim to prevent contact between the second knuckle and the third knuckle and to act as a reduced friction bearing between the second knuckle and the third knuckle that limits wear and noise resulting from relative movement between the second knuckle and the third knuckle. 
     In another aspect, a hinge arrangement includes a plurality of knuckles each having a respective bushing washer inserted therein, where each bushing washer includes a tubular bushing body inserted within its respective knuckle and an annular washer rim unitary with the tubular bushing body and disposed atop its respective knuckle. 
     The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective front view of one embodiment of a hinge assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the hinge assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded front elevation view of the hinge assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an explode perspective view of the hinge assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one bushing washer; 
         FIG. 6  is an elevation view of the bushing washer of  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is another perspective view of the bushing washer of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-7 , a hinge assembly  10  is shown and includes a frame side hinge component  12  and a door side hinge component  14 . Hinge component  12  includes a hinge plate  16  and knuckle (formed as a hinge loop)  18  at a pivot side  20  of the hinge plate. The hinge plate  16  includes a plurality openings  22  through which fasteners can be passed to secure the hinge plate  16  to a door frame. Hinge component  14  includes a hinge plate  24  and vertically spaced apart and aligned knuckles (formed as hinge loops)  26  at a pivot side  28  of the hinge plate  24 . The pivot side  28  of the hinge plate  24  is disposed proximate the pivot side  20  of the hinge plate  16  in the assembled condition of the hinge assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, knuckle  18  is disposed between and aligned with the knuckles  26  in the assembled condition to provide a continuous pin passage therethrough (see axis  30  that is centrally aligned with the passage). Hinge plate  24  also includes a plurality openings  29  through which fasteners can be passed to secure the hinge plate  24  to a door frame. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, door side hinge component  14  includes two knuckles  26  and frame side hinge component  12  includes a single knuckle  18 , but it is recognized that other variations as possible. For example, hinge arrangements in which both hinge components include two knuckles are possible, and hinge arrangements in which one hinge component includes three knuckles and the other hinge component includes two knuckles are possible, as well as other variations. It is contemplated that each hinge component will typically be formed of a metal (e.g., metal plate material cut to shape and then bent to form the knuckles), but other materials could be used, such as composites. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, knuckles  26  are of like dimensional height, and knuckle  18  has a substantially greater dimensional height than knuckles  26  (e.g., a height of the knuckle  18  is at least thirty percent greater than the height of the knuckles  26 , such as at least fifty percent greater). However, other variations are possible. 
     Each knuckle  26  includes a corresponding bushing washer  32  disposed therein, and knuckle  18  includes a bushing washer  34  disposed therein. Bushing washers  32  are of like configuration and each have a tubular bushing body  36  that, in the assembled condition, is inserted within the internal passage of a respective knuckle  26 , and an annular washer rim  38  unitary with and at the top of the tubular bushing body  36 . The washer rims  38  are is disposed atop the knuckles  26  in which the tubular bushing body portion is inserted. Bushing washer  34  includes a tubular bushing body  40  that, in the assembled condition, is inserted within the knuckle  18 , and a annular washer rim  42  unitary with the tubular bushing body  40  and that is disposed atop the knuckle  18 . 
     A metal hinge pin  44  is disposed through the aligned knuckles  18  and  26  and, correspondingly the bushing washers  32  and  34 . The length of the tubular bushing body  36  of each bushing washer  32  substantially corresponds to the height of the knuckles  26  (with the length typically being just slightly less (e.g., about 1% to 5% less) to assure that the tubular bushing body  36  does not extend below the bottom of the knuckle  26 ). Likewise, the length of the tubular bushing body  40  of bushing washer  34  substantially corresponds to the height of the knuckle  18  (with the length typically being just slightly less (e.g., about 1% to 5% less) to assure that the tubular bushing body  40  does not extend below the bottom of the knuckle  18 ). This configuration helps to assure that the entire length of the metal hinge pin shaft  48  is isolated from contact with the internal surfaces of the knuckles. 
     Notably, the hinge pin  44  includes a pin cap or head  46  seated atop the upper annular washer rim  38  to prevent the head  46  from contacting the upper knuckle  18 , and the hinge pin shaft  48  is isolated from the interiors of the knuckles  18  and knuckle  26  by the tubular bushing bodies  36  and  40 . Moreover, a bottom side of the upper knuckle  26  seats atop the annular washer rim  42  to prevent contact between the upper knuckle  26  and the knuckle  18 , and a bottom side of the knuckle  18  seats atop the lower annular washer rim  38  to prevent contact between the knuckle  18  and the lower knuckle  26 . The bushing washers may be formed of a polymer, thermoplastic material, and the elimination of the metal-to-metal contact eliminates or significantly reduces any squeaks or other noises and wear that can be caused during hinge operation (e.g., during opening or closing of a door). 
     In one implementation, each bushing washer  32  and  34  is formed of a polymer with between 0% and 40% (by weight) glass fiber. For example, the polymer may comprise Polyamide 6 or Polyamide 66 (exemplar brand Nylon 66), or some other thermoplastic, and may have between 10% and 40% glass fiber, such as between 20% and 35% glass fiber. In another example the polymer may comprise polyacetal (POM). Still other plastics, with or without glass fibers, could be used. 
     In order to provide desirable hinge appearance, the outer dimension (e.g., circumference or diameter) of all of the hinge knuckles  18  and  26  may be substantially the same, and the outer dimension of each of the annular washer rims  38  and  42  may be substantially the same as, or only slightly less than, the outer dimension of the knuckles. In addition, the plastic material of the bushing washers may be tinted to be consistent with (though not necessarily identical to) the color of the knuckles. Moreover, it is desirable to make the height or thickness dimension of each of the annular washer rims the same, and in most cases as small as practical to hold-up under hinge operation. In this regard, each annular washer rim may have a washer thickness (e.g., T in  FIG. 6 ) of no more than about 80 thousandths of an inch (e.g., between about 20 thousandths and about 80 thousandths of an inch, such as between about 30 thousandths and 60 thousandths of an inch, such as between about 35 thousandths and about 45 thousandths of an inch). However, other variations are possible. In one implementation the wall thickness (e.g., radial thickness R in  FIG. 7 ) of each tubular bushing body may be no more than about 60 thousandths of an inch (e.g., such as no more than about 50 thousandths of an inch). In certain implementation the wall thickness of the tubular bushing body may be less than the washer thickness. 
     The bushing washer tubular bushing bodies  36  may, in some implementations, have outside diameters sized to fit snugly within the knuckles  26 , and the bushing washer tubular bushing body  40  may have an outside diameter sized to fit snugly within the knuckle  18  (e.g., by a friction fit of the outer surface of the bushing body with the inner surface of the knuckle), thereby retaining the bushing washers in place even when the hinge is disassembled. Because the annular washer rims are unitary with the tubular bushing bodies, the annular washer rims are also maintained in desired positions. In the illustrated embodiment, the external surfaces of the bushing washer tubular bushing bodies  36  and the external surface of bushing washer tubular bushing body  40  are substantially smooth, without any ridges, grooves or other projections. Likewise, the interior surfaces of the knuckles  26  and the interior surface of knuckle  18  are substantially smooth, without and ridges, grooves or other projections. This configuration may enable rotation of the bushing washers  32  and  34  relative to the respective knuckles  26  and  18  without damaging the bushing washers. 
     The bushing washers, being of substantially all, or even 100%, plastic material or plastic with glass fiber to increase wear, act as reduced friction bearings that absorb the loads in the vertical direction (the annular washer rims absorb the vertical loads) and consequently limit or prevent squeak noise and wear, increasing the life of the door hinges. In addition, the tubular bushing bodies isolate the metal contact in the radial direction between the outer surface of the metal hinge pin shaft and the inner surfaces of the metal knuckles, and absorb the lateral loads, to eliminate or reduce squeak noise and wear between such surfaces. 
     The hinge arrangement provides performance improvement with squeak free and no or reduced wear on parts, process improvement in terms of hinge assembly, cost-effective manufacturing by making the tubular bushing body and annular rim washer as a unitary component (e.g., molded as one monolithic piece), and utilizing plastic material (e.g., 100% plastic, or plastic with glass fiber for increased wear). The unitary bushing washer performs both as a bushing washer, to support the bearing loads, lateral loads, alignment, and also to prevent wear and squeak noise between two metals. The unique and innovative configuration of the bushing washer provides longer life of door hinges with easier assembly and a manufacturing process which is cost effective. 
     It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.