Patent Publication Number: US-7591046-B2

Title: Sprung hinge for supporting a closure element

Description:
The present invention relates to a sprung hinge for supporting a closure element. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In the field of furniture, particularly in the field of furniture for furnishing caravans and/or campers, such as wall-mounted cabinets, lockers or the like, it is known to close the compartments of these pieces of furniture with plate-like closure elements, i.e., doors, which are articulated to the fixed structure of said pieces of furniture so that they can be moved from a closed configuration, in which they are arranged on a substantially vertical plane, to an open configuration, in which they are arranged on a substantially horizontal plane. 
   Sprung hinges for the articulation and support of these closure elements are known which comprise two articulated quadrilaterals, which share a first lever and a second lever and have as their base element respectively a plate for coupling to a fixed element of the cabinet or the like and a plate for fixing to the closure element. 
   Known sprung hinges further comprise a spring which acts between two separate parts of the two quadrilaterals or acts on mutually opposite parts of one of them. 
   In particular, again with reference to doors of wall-mounted cabinets, the coupling plate is secured, by way of threaded means such as screws, to the wall that delimits in an upper region the cabinet and on the surface that faces toward the inside of said cabinet. The fixing plate is fixed to the door on the surface that faces the inside of the cabinet in the closed configuration. 
   In the closed configuration of the hinge, the fixing plate and the coupling plate are arranged on planes of arrangement which are mutually perpendicular when the door is arranged so as to close the compartment of the cabinet. 
   In the open configuration of the hinge, the fixing plate and the coupling plate are arranged on planes of arrangement which are mutually parallel when the door is arranged on a substantially horizontal plane. 
   With particular reference to the use of cabinets, lockers or the like in relatively small environments, sprung hinges are also known which are capable of reducing the space occupation of the door in the open configuration of the hinge. 
   In particular, in the open configuration of these hinges, the angle measured between the face of the plane of arrangement of the coupling plate that faces the compartment of the cabinet and between the face of the plane of arrangement of the fixing plate that is designed to face, in the closed configuration, the inside of the cabinet, is substantially greater than π rad. 
   With respect to the known hinges described above, this allows to obtain a further upward opening of the door and therefore obtain a reduced hindrance of the movements of a user of the cabinet within a small environment, such as for example a caravan or a camper. 
   However, these sprung hinges are not free from drawbacks, including the fact that in the open configuration the spring that acts between two mutually opposite points of one of the quadrilaterals and acts in contrast with the weight force of the door is subject to partial compression and does not ensure the chosen placement of said door, in which the breadth of the angle described above is equal to the set maximum breadth. 
   The downward action of the weight of the door in fact tends to close the door partially, causing a consequent greater space occupation of the door and hindering user access to the compartment of the cabinet. 
   Moreover, again with particular reference to application to wall-mounted cabinets of caravans or campers, the elastic action applied by the spring and suitable to keep the hinge in the closed configuration is not such as to prevent the accidental opening of the door, for example when the caravan or camper is moving on a road with bends, with consequent escape of the content of said cabinet. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks noted above of known sprung hinges, by providing a sprung hinge which allows stable positioning of a closure element with respect to a fixed element both in a closed configuration and in an open configuration of the hinge. 
   An object of the present invention is to reduce the space occupation of the closure element in the open configuration. 
   Within this aim, another object of the present invention is to provide a sprung hinge which is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost. 
   This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present sprung hinge for supporting closure elements, comprising: a first articulated quadrilateral and a second articulated quadrilateral, which share a first lever and a second lever and have as their base element respectively a plate for coupling to a fixed element and a plate for fixing to a closure element; elastic means, which act between mutually opposite points of one of said first and second articulated quadrilaterals, the hinge having a closure configuration, in which the breadth of the angle formed between the plane of arrangement of the supporting plate and the plane of arrangement of the connecting plate is substantially equal to π/2 rad, and an open configuration, in which the breadth of the angle is substantially greater than π rad, characterized in that it comprises at least auxiliary elastic means, which are arranged in series to the elastic means, respectively, and act between mutually opposite points of the other of said first and second articulated quadrilaterals. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a sprung hinge for supporting a closure element, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of the sprung hinge in the closed configuration according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view of the sprung hinge in the open configuration, according to the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the sprung hinge in the closed configuration, according to the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the sprung hinge in the open configuration, according to the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded axonometric view of elements of the second articulated quadrilateral according to the invention; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are axonometric views of the sprung hinge according to the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference to the figures, the reference numeral  1  generally designates a sprung hinge according to the invention. 
   The hinge  1  comprises a first articulated quadrilateral  2  and a second articulated quadrilateral  3 , which have in common a first lever  4  and a second lever  5  and have, as their base element, respectively a plate  6  for coupling to a fixed element  7  and a plate  8  for fixing to a closure element  9 , which is substantially plate-like. 
   With particular but not exclusive reference to wall-mounted cabinets, the fixed element  7  is constituted by the wall that delimits said cabinet in an upper region and the closure element  9  is constituted by the corresponding door. 
   The coupling plate  6  is provided with holes  10  for fixing, by way of threaded means such as screws, to the surface of the wall that faces the compartment of the cabinet. Likewise, the fixing plate  8  is provided with holes  11  for fixing, by way of threaded means such as screws, to the surface of the door which in a closed configuration of the hinge  1  faces the compartment. The threaded fixing means may be preassembled to the holes  10 ,  11  and can be self-tapping with respect to them. 
   The door, in passing from the closed configuration to an open configuration, rotates about a substantially horizontal axis. 
   When the hinge  1  is in the closed configuration, the angle formed between the plane of arrangement of the coupling plate  6  and between the plane of arrangement of the fixing plate  8  and designated in the figures by the reference sign α is substantially equal to π/2 rad (i.e. with a deviation of no more than the normal tolerance of few degrees). 
   In the open configuration of the hinge  1 , the angle α is substantially greater than π rad (i.e. greater than 7/6 rad), and in particular is equal to 7/6 π rad, allowing, again with reference to wall-mounted cabinets, an arrangement of the door which is substantially inclined upward, with a relatively reduced space occupation thereof. 
   The hinge  1  is provided with elastic means  12 , which act between mutually opposite points of one of the first and second articulated quadrilaterals  2  and  3 , and auxiliary elastic means  13 , which are arranged in series with respect to the elastic means  12  and act between mutually opposite points of the other of the first and second articulated quadrilaterals  2  and  3 . 
   The first articulated quadrilateral  2  comprises the coupling plate  6 , the first lever  4 , the second lever  5 , and a first arm  14 , which are mutually articulated. 
   The second articulated quadrilateral  3  comprises the fixing plate  8 , the first lever  4  and the second lever  5 , and a second arm  15 , which are mutually articulated. 
   The elastic means  12  act between the coupling plate  6  and the second lever  5 , while the auxiliary elastic means  13  act between the fixing plate  8  and the second arm  15 . 
   The second arm  15  is constituted by two mutually parallel side walls  15   a , which are joined at one end by a cross-member  15   b  and have opposite ends which are articulated so that they can rotate about a first pivot  16  which is associated with the fixing plate  8 . 
   The auxiliary elastic means  13  are articulated, at one end, to a resting point which is formed by the edge of the cross-member  15   b  which is directed toward the fixing plate  8  and are articulated, at the opposite end, to a second pivot  17 , which is associated with the fixing plate  8  and is parallel to the first pivot  16 . 
   The first and second pivots  16  and  17  are fixed to a supporting element  18 , which is rigidly associated with the fixing plate  8 . 
   In particular, the supporting element  18  comprises a flat portion  18   a , which is parallel to the plane of arrangement of the fixing plate  8 , and two first lugs  18   b , which protrude from the flat portion  18   a  in order to support the opposite ends of the first and second pivots  16 ,  17 . 
   The supporting element  18  further comprises two second lugs  18   c , which protrude from the flat portion or plate  18   a , for supporting a third pivot  19  about which the second lever  5  is articulated. 
   The supporting element  18  is contained within a receptacle  8   a , which is formed on the fixing plate  8  and comprises an opening which is provided with two mutually opposite and parallel edges, from which two mutually parallel sides  8   b  protrude. The plate  18   a  is anchored to the sides  8   b  by the ends of the first pivot  16  and of the third pivot  19 , of which one is shaped like a head and the other is riveted. 
   The second lever  5  has a containment opening  5   a  for containing the end of the auxiliary elastic means  13  that is articulated to the second pivot  17  when the hinge is in the closed configuration. 
   In particular, the second lever  5  is formed monolithically and comprises two longitudinal elements  5   b , which are mutually spaced and substantially parallel and are interconnected by a first dorsal bridge  5   c  and a second dorsal bridge  5   d , formed respectively proximate to the portion of the second lever  5  that is articulated to the plate  18   a  and proximate to the portion that is articulated to the first lever  4  by means of a fourth pivot  20 . 
   Further, the second lever  5  is articulated to the first arm  14  of the first articulated quadrilateral  2  by means of a fifth pivot  21 . 
   The containment opening  5   a  is formed between the longitudinal elements  5   b  and in particular is delimited by the longitudinal elements  5   b , by the first dorsal bridge  5   c  and by the second dorsal bridge  5   d.    
   The first lever  4  is instead articulated at one end to the second arm  15 , on the end of the faces  15   a  that lie proximate to the cross-member  15   b , by means of a sixth pivot  22  and, at the opposite end, to the coupling plate  6  by means of a seventh pivot  23 . 
   The first arm  14  and the coupling plate  6  are mutually articulated by an eighth pivot  24 , which is separate with respect to the seventh pivot  23 . 
   Advantageously, the second arm  15  further has holes  25 , along the side walls  15   a  and proximate to the end articulated to the fixing plate  8 , which are suitable for the insertion of a locking pin. Said locking pin is suitable to make contact with the sides  8   b  of the fixing plate  8  during transition from the closed configuration to the open configuration of the hinge  1 , so as to limit the breadth of the angle α to π rad, with consequent arrangement of the door on a substantially horizontal plane. 
   The elastic means  12  and the auxiliary elastic means  13  comprise at least one spring  26  and two guiding elements  27 , which are mutually coupled so that they can slide axially and telescopically with respect to each other. 
   In particular, the guiding elements  27  are constituted by a cylinder and a piston, which are connected so that they can slide with respect to each other at one end and have, at the opposite end, a respective head  28 , while the spring  26  is constituted by a helical spring which is fitted coaxially on said cylinder and on said piston and acts between the heads  28 . 
   As an alternative, the elastic means  12  and the auxiliary elastic means  13  are of the type of elastic telescopic capsules, constituted by bottoms and lids which are mutually opposite and can slide with respect to each other and between which the spring  26  is contained. 
   The heads  28  or the bottoms/lids of the elastic means  12  make contact respectively with the first arm  14  and with a contact element  29 , which is articulated by means of the fifth pivot  21  to the end of the second lever  5  that lies opposite the end connected to the plate  18 . The movement of the contact element  29  about the fifth pivot  21  is limited by the engagement of a protrusion of the contact element  29  with a tab  5   e,  which protrudes from the second dorsal bridge  5   d  of the second lever  5 . 
   The heads  28  or the bottoms/lids of the auxiliary elastic means  12  make contact respectively with the edge of the cross-member  15   b  and with the second pivot  17 . 
   In practice it has been found that the described sprung hinge achieves the intended aim and objects, ensuring stable positioning of a closure element with respect to a fixed element both in a closed configuration of the hinge and in an open configuration of the hinge by using elastic means and auxiliary elastic means arranged in series to each other. 
   The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. 
   All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. 
   In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims. 
   The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MO2005A000156 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.