Patent Publication Number: US-9428946-B2

Title: Hinge for furniture

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This Application is a 371 of PCT/ES2013/070625 filed on Sep. 10, 2013, which, in turn, claimed the priority of Spanish Patent Application No. U201230970 filed on Sep. 19, 2012, both applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a hinge for furniture, specially designed to act as a means for linking together two doors of the same piece of furniture, forming an angle with each other and which enables opening both doors in a combined manner. 
     The hinge of the invention is of the type that comprises a profile on which at least a pair of leaves are mounted by means of the corresponding rotation pins, and preferably two pairs of independent leaves, axially spaced from each other, each leaf being made up of a plate anchored to one of the doors, an end knuckle for mounting them onto the profile, and an intermediate arm connecting the knuckle and the leaf. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     From utility models number 1030929, 1063891 and 106578 hinges of the mentioned type are already known, in which the rotation pin of the hinges is embodied in a tubular supporting profile, wherein at each of the end portions thereof is mounted a pair of leaves. The appearance of the hinge assembly is determined by the combination of materials and colours thereof that form the leaves and the tubular profile, making it difficult for said assembly to be customized for each piece of furniture. 
     Moreover, the pairs of leaves are mounted onto the end portions of the supporting tubular profile, which may give rise to undesired interferences with the elements of the piece of furniture that they are linking. In addition, for a given length of the tubular profile, the spacing or distance between the pairs of leaves is fixed, which may impede the mounting of the hinge. With the aforementioned constitution it is also difficult to adapt the hinge to the different heights of doors or elements to be linked. 
     According to the mentioned background, the leaves of each pair of leaves are mounted onto the supporting profile by means of a common pin, which coincides with the axis of said profile. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks set forth, by means of a hinge of the mentioned type, but constituted such that the supporting profile on which the leaves are mounted enables including a longitudinal ornamental cover, easily interchangeable, with which it is possible to customize the hinge for each furniture type, style or colour, and all that maintaining the general constitution of the assembly. 
     A further advantage of the hinge of the invention is that the pairs of leaves may be mounted in any area or spot along the supporting profile, spaced from the ends thereof, so that interferences with certain components of the piece of furniture are avoided, such as the covers thereof, which may hamper the correct operation of the hinge. 
     Another advantage of the hinge of the invention is that it enables linking two doors of a piece of furniture forming certain angle with each other, and which opening is carried out in a synchronised manner with the supporting profile. 
     As it has been previously indicated, the hinge of the invention is of the type that comprises a supporting profile on which at least a pair of leaves are mounted and preferably two pairs of independent leaves, each leaf being made up of a plate anchored to the door, an end knuckle for mounting them onto the supporting profile, and an intermediate arm connecting the knuckle and the leaf. 
     According to the invention both leaves of each pair of leaves are mounted in a transverse housing of the profile by means of as many independent and parallel rotation pins, which extend through the knuckles and are mounted onto the profile in a longitudinal direction. 
     According to a another feature of the invention, the knuckles of the two leaves of each pair of leaves have teeth parallel to the rotation axis of said knuckles, which teeth mesh one another in order to link the two leaves with respect to the supporting profile. 
     Preferably the hinge is made up of at least two pairs of leaves, which are mounted on as many housings of the profile, with the rotation pins of one pair of leaves and the other aligned along said profile. 
     With the recommended constitution, when for example two doors of a piece of furniture are linked by the hinge of the invention, preferably two doors forming a given angle with each other, the two doors will rotate about independent and parallel rotation pins, but in a synchronized manner with respect to the supporting profile, due to the mesh between the knuckles of the leaves belonging to the same single pair of leaves. Preferably the supporting profile of the hinge will bear elastic and internal means that will drive the two leaves towards a position in which the anchoring plates will form certain angle with each other, preferably an angle corresponding to the closed position of the two doors linked by the hinge. This way, once the doors are opened, the aforementioned elastic means will automatically drive the doors towards the closed position. 
     The supporting profile that makes part of the invention has a grooved section, preferably a C-shaped section, and is internally provided, from the core, with mortisings for mounting the rotation pins of the pairs of leaves. 
     The hinge of the invention may include two or more pairs of leaves, depending in any event on the dimensions, weight and features of the doors or elements to be linked. In any case the pairs of leaves will be spaced from each other and from the profile ends. For this purpose the housings in which the different pairs of leaves are mounted, shall be formed in the positions in which said pairs of leaves will be located. 
     The aforementioned elastic means that drive the doors towards their closed position may consist of a flat spring, like for example a plate with an elastically flexible character, which will be mounted through two of the opposed edges thereof in as many facing longitudinal grooves, with which the wings of the supporting profile are internally provided. This flat spring has a central window that determines two elastically flexible tongues resting against the knuckle of the two leaves of each pair of leaves. In addition, the knuckles will have on their external surface arrangements defining support abutments for the elastically flexible tongues of the flat spring, said abutments being positioned such that the tongues occupy a resting position when the doors are located in their closed position, whereas when they move to any opened position, they deform transversally the elastic tongues whereby actuating against the abutments of the knuckles of the leaves, driving them towards the closed position. 
     Preferably each pair of leaves will be mounted in a U-shaped intermediate support, for example made of plastic material, which will be coupled in the transverse housing of the supporting profile, fitted to the edge of said housing. Between the wings of this intermediate support the knuckles of the pair of leaves will be located, such that the corresponding rotation pins extend through the wings of the support and knuckles of the two leaves. 
     The longitudinal opening of the supporting profile remains closed by means of an external ornamental plate. For this purpose, said profile is internally provided, from the free edge of the wings thereof, with longitudinal projections or ribs, which determine along said wings internal seats for the external ornamental plate and for an internal laminar spring that presses said external ornamental plate against the seats thereof, thus guaranteeing its positioning in the profile. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the appended drawings a possible embodiment of the hinge of the invention is shown, provided by way of non-limiting example. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a frontal elevation view of a hinge constituted in accordance with the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear elevation view of the same hinge. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the hinge, taken along the cutting line III-III of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of one of the housings of the supporting profile of the hinge, in which a pair of leaves are mounted. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the components assembly forming the pair of leaves, which is mounted in each housing of the profile of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the hinge, taken along the cutting line VI-VI of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIGS. 7, 8 and 9  show a plant view of different angles that two doors linked by means of the hinge of the invention may form with each other. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the hinge is made up of a supporting profile  1 , in which two pairs of leaves having the same features and constitution are mounted, referenced with numerals  2  and  3 , these two pairs of leaves occupying in the profile positions that are axially spaced from one another and from the ends of said profile. 
     As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 3 , the profile  1  has a C-shaped section, remaining the longitudinal opening thereof closed by means of an ornamental plate  4 . 
     Each pair of leaves is mounted in a transverse housing  5 ,  FIG. 4 , obtained in the profile  1  through the opening carried out therein from the central core. 
     As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 5 , each pair of leaves is made up of two equal leaves  6  and  7 , comprising each one of them a plate  8  for their anchoring to a door, an end knuckle  9  to be mounted on the ornamental profile  1 , and an intermediate arm  10  linking the end plate  8  and the knuckle  9 . As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 6 , the intermediate arm  10  has an elbow shape, at a right angle. The plates  8  are provided with holes  11  through which screws pass for fastening them to the door. 
     The two leaves  6  and  7  of each pair of leaves are mounted in the housing  5  of the profile  1  by means of an U-shaped support  12 ,  FIG. 5 , between the wings  13  thereof, the end knuckles  9  of the two leaves are mounted, by means of bars or rods  14  that extend through the wings  13  and end knuckles  9  through facing holes  15  of said wings and bores  16  of the knuckles aligned with said holes. 
     The rods  14  protrude externally from the support  12  wings  13  in portions that are mounted in mortisings  17 ,  FIG. 4 , formed within the profile  1 , from the core thereof 
     With this constitution, the two leaves  6  and  7  of each pair of leaves are mounted on the profile  1  along two parallel and independent axis defined by the rods  14 , which run in a direction parallel to the profile  1  axis. 
     As it can be further appreciated in  FIG. 5 , the knuckles  9  of the leaves  6  and  7  are externally provided with teeth  18  parallel to the rotation pins of the leaves, defined by the rods  14 , the teeth of which mesh one another to link the two leaves  6  and  7  of each pair of leaves and the profile  1 , all that as it can be better appreciated in  FIG. 6 , 
     With this constitution a synchronised rotation between the two leaves  6  and  7  and the profile  1  is achieved, in such a way that said leaves may describe the same angle in one direction or the other relative to the profile. 
     As it can be appreciated in  FIG. 6 , the wings of the profile  1  are internally provided with longitudinal facing grooves  19 , among which a flat spring  20  is mounted, which, as shown in  FIG. 5 , is constituted by a plate, with a steeling character, for instance, which is mounted through its edges  21  in the grooves  19  and has a central opening  22  that determines two facing tongues  23 , each one of them rests on abutments  24 ,  FIG. 6 , formed in the knuckles  9 . 
     The abutments  24  are positioned such that when the leaves  6  and  7  occupy the position of  FIG. 6 , that may correspond to the closed position of the doors linked by said leaves, the tongues  23  are at rest, without deformation whatsoever, whereas upon rotating the leaves in the direction of the arrows A of  FIG. 6 , the elastic deformation of the tongues  23  takes place, action which will drive the leaves  6  and  7  so as to return to the position of  FIG. 6 . 
     As it can be observed in  FIG. 3 , the wings of the profile  1  are further provided internally, from their free edge, with ribs  25 - 26  that determine longitudinal seats  27 - 28  between which the ornamental plate  4  and an internal, longitudinal and laminar spring  29 , which guarantees the positioning of the plate  4 , are mounted. In  FIG. 7  a plant view of a hinge  2  linking two doors  30  is shown, with the leaves  6  and  7  at the same angle that in  FIG. 6 . In  FIG. 8  the same hinge is shown, with the leaves  6  and  7  and the corresponding doors  30  arranged in a coplanar position, whereas in  FIG. 9  the leaves  6  and  7  are in a parallel position, with the doors  30  forming an angle of 0 degrees. 
     As it can be appreciated in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 to 9 , the profile  1  is closed at the ends thereof by means of covers  31 .