Patent Publication Number: US-11377889-B2

Title: Hinge with damped closing

Description:
The present invention relates to a hinge with damped closing. 
     With particular but not exclusive reference to the field of the production of furniture, particularly for furnishing caravans, campers, boats or cabins of vehicles, hinges for the articulation of compartment closure doors, such as those usually used in wall-mounted units and the like, are known. These hinges must allow the movement of the door between a closed configuration and an open configuration, in which it has different arrangements. In the movement between the open and closed configurations, the door changes its arrangement, remaining at right angles to a vertical plane. 
     These hinges are constituted essentially by a first four-bar linkage and by a second four-bar linkage, which are provided with a first lever and a second lever in common and have as a base element respectively an element for coupling to a fixed component of a structure of a piece of furniture that forms a compartment and an element for fixing to a movable component for the closure of said compartment, such as a door or the like. In the movement of the hinge between the open and closed configurations, the fixing element changes its relative position with respect to the coupling element. 
     In order to support the weight of the door in the open configuration and to ensure that the closed configuration is maintained, these hinges are usually provided with elastic compression means which cooperate with the elements of the first and/or second four-bar linkage. 
     Moreover, in order to damp the transition of the hinge between the open configuration and the closed configuration, avoiding impacts of the door against the structure of the piece of furniture, it is known to provide damping elements, such as small pistons, which act between the elements of the first or second four-bar linkage. 
     For example, patent application EP 3309335 A1 describes a hinge of the type described above, which incorporates a damping element that acts between two consecutive levers of the second four-bar linkage. 
     Patent application EP 3115531 A1 also provides for the interposition of the damping element between consecutive elements of the first or second four-bar linkage. 
     As an alternative, patent applications EP 3312372 A1 and EP 2909406 A1 in the name of the same Applicant teach to provide a damping element which acts between the fixing element and a lever of the second four-bar linkage that is contiguous thereto, or from patent application EP 2947246 A1, again in the name of the same Applicant, it is known to interpose the damping element between the coupling element and the lever that is opposite thereto of the first four-bar linkage. 
     However, all these hinge versions with damped closing of the known type are not free from drawbacks, which include the fact that the presence of the damping element entails an increase in bulk in the region for connection to the structure of the piece of furniture or to the closure door, complicating its installation and making the visual impact of the hinge less pleasant when the door stays open. 
     The aim of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks described above of the background art by providing a hinge with damped closing which has a smaller bulk, being easier to install and aesthetically less impactful in the open configuration. 
     Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to have a structure that is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and of relatively low cost. 
     This aim and these and other objects that will become more apparent hereinafter are all achieved by the present hinge with damped closing, comprising a first four-bar linkage, which comprises a coupling element which can be associated with a fixed element, a first portion of a first lever and a third lever which are associated in an articulated manner with said coupling element and a first portion of a second lever that is interposed between the preceding ones and is articulated thereto; a second four-bar linkage, which comprises a fixing element which can be associated with an element which can move with respect to said fixed element, a second portion of said second lever and a fourth lever which are associated in an articulated manner with said fixing element and a second portion of said first lever that is interposed between the preceding ones and is articulated thereto; the hinge being adapted to assume alternately an open configuration and a closed configuration, in which said coupling element and said fixing element have different relative positions, said levers rotating about respective articulation pivots which are substantially horizontal in use during the movement between the open and closed configurations; the hinge being further provided with at least one damping element which acts for at least one portion of the transition from the open configuration to the closed configuration and is provided with a first end and with a second end which can move alternately toward and away from each other between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, characterized in that said at least one damping element has said first end associated in an articulated manner with at least one lever of said first four-bar linkage and said second end associated in an articulated manner with at least one lever of said second four-bar linkage. 
    
    
     
       Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the detailed description of three preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a hinge with damped closure, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIGS. 1-3  are partially sectional views, taken along a central vertical plane, of a first embodiment of a hinge with damped closure, according to the invention, respectively in the closed configuration, in an intermediate configuration and in the open configuration; 
         FIGS. 4-6  are partially sectional views, taken along a central vertical plane, of a second embodiment of the hinge according to the invention, respectively in the closed configuration, in an intermediate configuration, and in the open configuration; 
         FIGS. 7-9  are partially sectional views, taken along a central vertical plane, of a third embodiment of the hinge according to the invention, respectively in the closed configuration, in an intermediate configuration, and in the open configuration. 
     
    
    
     With reference to the figures cited above, the reference numeral  1  generally designates a hinge with damped closure. 
     The hinge  1  comprises a first four-bar linkage  2 , which comprises a coupling element  3  that can be associated with a fixed element  100 , a first portion  4   a  of a first lever  4  and a third lever  5  which are associated in an articulated manner with the coupling element  3 , and a first portion  6   a  of a second lever  6  that is interposed between the preceding ones and is articulated thereto. 
     The coupling element  3  can be variously shaped according to the requirements of the specific application. 
     The fixed element  100  can be constituted for example by a wall of a piece of furniture that forms an accommodation compartment. 
     In the figures, the following articulation pivots are numbered as follows: articulation pivot  7  interposed between the coupling element  3  and the first portion  4   a  of the first lever  4 ; articulation pivot  8  interposed between the first lever  4  and the second lever  6 ; articulation pivot  9  interposed between the first portion  6   a  of the second lever  6  and the third lever  5 ; articulation pivot  10  interposed between the third lever  5  and the coupling element  3 . 
     In normal conditions of use of the hinge, the rotation axes formed by the articulation pivots  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  10  have a substantially horizontal arrangement, within ordinary machining and assembly tolerances. 
     Furthermore, the hinge  1  comprises a second four-bar linkage  11 , which comprises a fixing element  12  that can be associated with an element  200  that is movable with respect to the fixed element  100 , a second portion  6   b  of the second lever  6  and a fourth lever  13 , which are associated in an articulated manner with the fixing element  12 , and a second portion  4   b  of the first lever  4  that is interposed between the preceding ones and is articulated thereto. 
     The fixing element  12  can be variously shaped according to the requirements of the specific application. 
     The movable element  200  can be constituted for example by a door or a hatch for closing said accommodation compartment. 
     In the figures, the following articulation pivots are numbered as follows: articulation pivot  14  interposed between the fixing element  12  and the second portion  6   b  of the second lever  6 ; articulation pivot  15  interposed between the second portion  4   b  of the first lever  4  and the fourth lever  13 ; articulation pivot  16  interposed between the fourth lever  13  and the fixing element  12 . 
     The first and second portions  4   a  and  4   b  of the first lever are substantially mutually aligned. The first and second portions  6   a  and  6   b  of the second lever  6  are substantially mutually aligned. 
     The articulation pivot  8  interposed between the first and second levers  4  and  6  is common to the two four-bar linkages  2  and  11 . 
     In normal conditions of use of the hinge, the rotation axes defined by the articulation pivots  14 ,  15  and  16  have a substantially horizontal arrangement, within ordinary machining and assembly tolerances. 
     The hinge  1  is adapted to assume alternatively an open configuration ( FIGS. 3, 6 and 9 ) and a closed configuration ( FIGS. 1, 4 and 7 ), passing through a plurality of configurations that are intermediate between the preceding ones ( FIGS. 2, 5 and 8 ), in which the coupling and fixing elements  3  and  12  have different relative positions. 
     Furthermore, the hinge  1  comprises at least one damping element  17  that acts at least in the end portion of the transition from the open configuration to the closed configuration. The damping element  17  is provided with a first end  17   a  and with a second end  17   b , which are mutually opposite and can move alternately toward and away from each other between an extended configuration, in which they are at a maximum distance, and a retracted configuration, in which they are at a minimum distance. These maximum and minimum distances can vary according to the size of the damping element  17 . 
     The damping element  17  is essentially constituted by a fluid-operated cylinder, which comprises a jacket  18  inside which a piston, not visible in the figures and integral with a protruding stem  19 , can move. The operating chambers formed inside the jacket  18  on opposite sides of the piston mutually communicate so as to allow the recirculation of the working fluid with which the jacket is filled. 
     Preferably, the hinge  1  is provided with a damping element  17  which acts at a central plane that is substantially perpendicular to the articulation pivots  7 - 10 ,  14 - 16  and is vertical in the conditions of use of the hinge. 
     The damping element has the first end  17   a  associated in an articulated manner with at least one lever  4 ,  5  or  6  of the first four-bar linkage  2  and the second end  17   b  associated in an articulated manner with at least one lever  4 ,  6  or  13  of the second four-bar linkage  11 . 
     Furthermore, the hinge  1  can have first elastic compression means  20  associated with the first four-bar linkage  2 . Preferably, the first elastic means  20  are interposed between the third lever  5  and the coupling element  3 . 
     More precisely, in the illustrated embodiments, the first elastic means  20  comprise a pair of helical elastic compression springs  21  which are arranged in a parallel configuration and are supported by a telescopic structure  22 . The telescopic structure  22  is pivoted about a first pivot  23  which is associated with the coupling element  3  and about a second pivot  24  which is associated with an extension  5   a  of the third lever  5  that protrudes beyond the articulation pivot  10  toward said coupling element. 
     However, it is not excluded that the first elastic means  20  might be shaped differently and might be constituted for example by a single, optionally encapsulated helical spring, or that the hinge  1  might not have one. 
     The hinge  1  may furthermore have second elastic compression means  25  associated with the second four-bar linkage  11 . Preferably, the second elastic means  25  are interposed between the fourth lever  13  and the fixing element  12 . 
     More precisely, in the illustrated embodiments, the second elastic means  25  comprise a single helical spring  26  that is encapsulated within a telescopic casing  27 . The telescopic casing  27  is pivoted about a third pivot  28  associated with the fixing element  12  and a fourth pivot  29  associated with the fourth lever  13  between the articulation pivots  15  and  16 , proximate to the latter. 
     It is not excluded, however, that the second elastic means  25  might be shaped differently and might be constituted for example by two or more springs in a parallel arrangement, or that the hinge  1  might not have one. 
     The presence of the first and/or second elastic means  20  and  25  facilitates the retention of the hinge  1  both in the open configuration, supporting the weight of the movable element  200 , and in the closed configuration, avoiding accidental openings of said movable element. 
     In a first embodiment ( FIGS. 1-3 ), the damping element  17  is adapted to assume the extended configuration at the closed configuration ( FIG. 1 ) and the retracted configuration at the open configuration ( FIG. 3 ), modifying with continuity the relative position of the jacket  18  and of the stem  19  in the transition between these configurations and passing through a plurality of intermediate configurations, one of which is shown by way of example in  FIG. 2 . 
     In this first embodiment, the first end  17   a  coincides with the free end of the stem  19  and the second end  17   b  coincides with the bottom of the jacket  18 . 
     In greater detail, the damping element  17  has the first end  17   a  associated in an articulated manner with a tab  4   c  that is adjacent to the first portion  4   a  of the first lever  4 , which protrudes toward the coupling element  3  transversely to the extension of said first lever at the articulation pivot  7  and the second end  17   b  associated in an articulated manner with an extension  13   a  of the fourth lever  13  that protrudes beyond the articulation pivot  15 . 
     In a second embodiment ( FIGS. 4-6 ), the damping element  17  is adapted to assume the retracted configuration at the closed configuration ( FIG. 4 ) and the extended configuration at the open configuration ( FIG. 6 ), modifying with continuity the relative position of the jacket  18  and of the stem  19  in the transition between these configurations and passing through a plurality of intermediate configurations, one of which is shown by way of example in  FIG. 4 . 
     In this second embodiment, the first end  17   a  coincides with the bottom of the jacket  18  and the second end  17   b  coincides with the free end of the stem  19 . 
     Preferably, the damping element  17  may have the stem  19  of the telescopic type to allow an adequate modification of the relative distance between the ends  17   a  and  17   b  in the transition between the open and closed configurations. 
     In greater detail, the damping element  17  has the first end  17   a  associated in an articulated manner with a tab  6   c  that is adjacent to the first portion  6   a  of the second lever  6  that protrudes on the opposite side of the coupling element  3  at the articulation pivot  9  and the second end  17   b  associated in an articulated manner with the articulation pivot  15 . 
     In a third embodiment ( FIGS. 7-9 ), which constitutes a variation of the preceding one, the damping element  17  is adapted to maintain the extended configuration during a first part of the transition from the open configuration to the closed configuration. 
     In greater detail, the damping element  17  has, as in the preceding version, the first end  17   a  associated in an articulated manner with the tab  6   c  of the second lever  6 , while the second end  17   b  is associated in an articulated manner with a contoured arm  30 , which is associated in an articulated manner about the articulation pivot  15  and is arranged with the tip directed toward the tab  6   c.    
     In this manner, the arm  30  is free to rotate about the articulation pivot  15  with respect to the levers  4  and  13  through a certain angle that corresponds to the initial part of the transition from the open configuration to the closed configuration, keeping the damping element  17  in the extended configuration ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ), until it abuts against the second elastic means  25 , which prevent its further relative rotation with respect to the fourth lever  13  in the final part of the transition from the open configuration to the closed configuration, with consequent gradual return of the stem  19  inside the jacket  18  until it reaches the retracted configuration of the damping element  17  at the closed configuration ( FIG. 7 ). 
     In practice it has been found that the described invention achieves the proposed aim and objects, and in particular the fact is stressed that the hinge according to the invention allows to obtain an effective damping effect in this closure step without increasing its bulk and without penalizing the visual impact thereof in the open configuration. 
     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 furthermore 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 the requirements without thereby abandoning the protective scope of the claims that follow. 
     The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102019000007146 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.