Patent Description:
More in particular, the invention relates to a hinge for doors of refrigerated cabinets or refrigerators intended to be placed inside points of sale of food products or the like, for the storage and display of such products.

As is known, refrigerated cabinets generally comprise a parallelepiped shaped outer body, which is adapted to delimit internally a refrigerated compartment for housing the products to be stored.

The refrigerated compartment is accessible through a front access opening obtained on a side flank of the outer body, which is closed by a door that can be partially or fully transparent, so as to allow the viewing of the products that are contained therein. Currently, the door of a refrigerated cabinet can be a swing or alternatively sliding door. In particular a swing door comprises a fixed frame adapted to delimit the access opening of the refrigerated cabinet and one or more panels adapted to close said access opening, which are hinged to the frame, so as to open the access opening by rotation in the form of a leaf.

A typical problem of such embodiments is that the swing doors that close refrigerated cabinets in points of sale of food products are subject to continuous opening and closing by customers interested in accessing the products contained in the cabinets, which often causes swing doors to bang against the refrigerated cabinet when closed.

An aim of the present invention is that of solving such problem by providing a hinge that acts to as to prevent strong impacts of swing doors against the refrigerated cabinet.

It is a further object of the present invention to obtain the aforesaid result in a rational and cheap manner.

Documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> describe hinges for doors.

Such objects are achieved by the features of the invention given in the independent claim. The dependent claims outline preferred and/or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention.

Therefore, the present invention sets out to reach the aforesaid aims through a hinge for closing panels of the access opening of refrigerated cabinets having the combination of features included in the independent claim <NUM>.

An advantage of such embodiment comes from the fact that the braking element acts so as to brake the panel of the door of the refrigerated cabinet preventing it from banging against the refrigerated cabinet or the frame thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the elastic return means for the return from the open position to the closed position of the panel comprises a spring configured to act on the piston.

An advantage of such embodiment comes from the fact that, when the panel is in the completely open position, the spring is in its maximum compression position and exerts a force on the piston in an axial direction, where said force is balanced by the alignment of the connecting rod with the piston itself so as to keep the panel open. Further features of the invention can be inferred by the dependent claims.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in the light of the following detailed description with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

The invention will now be described with initial reference to <FIG> which represents an exploded view of the hinge for closing panels of the access opening of refrigerated cabinets according to an embodiment of the invention, indicated overall with reference number <NUM>.

The hinge <NUM> has a casing for containing the operating mechanisms of the hinge <NUM> itself, said casing comprising a lower half-shell <NUM> that can be coupled to an upper half-shell <NUM>.

The casing of the hinge <NUM> can be fixed to a fixed frame of the access opening of the refrigerated cabinet and contains a mechanism configured to allow the rotation of a panel or a leaf of the door about a hinging axis (X) between a closed position and an open position of the access opening of the refrigerated cabinet.

Such mechanism, in particular, comprises a connecting rod-crank kinematic mechanism, comprising a crank <NUM>, that rotates about a hinging axis X, said crank <NUM> being connected to a closing panel of a refrigerated cabinet, e.g. through a known system comprising a prismatic rod <NUM>.

The kinematic mechanism further comprises a connecting rod <NUM>, connected by means of a first hinging point <NUM> to the crank <NUM>, said connecting rod <NUM> being in turn connected by means of a second hinging point <NUM> to a piston <NUM>.

The piston <NUM> has a particular conformation in which, along the stem of the piston <NUM> there is a raised element <NUM> that contributes to defining a seat <NUM> being proximal with respect to the crank <NUM> and a seat <NUM> being distal with respect to the crank <NUM>.

In turn the piston <NUM> can slide within a seat <NUM> thereof, from a position of maximum distance with respect to the hinging axis X (<FIG>) of the panel to a position of minimum distance with respect to the hinging axis X of the panel (<FIG>).

Within the seat <NUM> of the piston <NUM> there is also a spring <NUM> that is interposed between the distal end of the piston with respect to the hinging axis X and an abutment element <NUM> of the spring <NUM>.

The spring <NUM> can therefore assume a maximum compression configuration when the piston <NUM> is at a maximum distance position with respect to the hinging axis X (<FIG>) and a maximum extension configuration when the piston <NUM> is at a minimum distance position with respect to the hinging axis X.

The position of the abutment element <NUM> of the spring <NUM> can be adjusted through the use of a nut <NUM> in order to adjust the force of the spring <NUM>.

Inside the casing of the hinge <NUM> there is also a brake or a braking element, indicated overall with reference number <NUM>, configured to slow down the closure of the panel.

In particular, the brake <NUM> is configured to act on the stroke of the piston <NUM>.

The brake <NUM> is composed of two parts that interact with each other, i.e. a skid <NUM> and a lever <NUM>.

The skid <NUM> has on one side a raised element <NUM> and on the opposite side a concave surface <NUM> (<FIG>) and can perform small oscillations about the axis <NUM>.

In turn the lever <NUM> is pivoted (in <NUM>) and has on one side a convex surface <NUM> adapted to cooperate with the concave surface <NUM> of the skid <NUM> (<FIG>). Alternatively, the surface <NUM> of the skid <NUM> could be convex and the surface <NUM> of the lever <NUM> could be concave.

Furthermore, on the lever <NUM>, in a position opposite the fulcrum <NUM>, a spring <NUM> acts which opposes a resistant force to the oscillation of the lever <NUM> about the fulcrum <NUM>. The resistant force of the spring <NUM> can be adjusted by means of a set screw <NUM>.

In the position of the hinge <NUM> of <FIG>, the raised element <NUM> of the skid <NUM> is engaged with the seat <NUM> being proximal with respect to the crank <NUM> of the piston, whereas in the position of the hinge <NUM> of <FIG>, the raised element <NUM> of the skid <NUM> is engaged with the seat <NUM> being distal with respect to the crank <NUM> of the piston.

The raised element <NUM> of the skid <NUM> is further configured to be engaged with the raised element <NUM> on the body of the piston <NUM> during the translation movement of the piston <NUM> itself (<FIG>).

The operation of the hinge <NUM> according to an embodiment of the invention takes place according to the following methods.

In <FIG> the hinge <NUM> is in a configuration in which the panel with which it is associated is open.

In this configuration, the spring <NUM> is in its maximum compression position and exerts a force on the piston <NUM> in an axial direction, but the connecting rod <NUM> is aligned with the piston <NUM> and with the hinging points <NUM> and <NUM> and therefore the force exerted by the spring <NUM> is balanced and the panel can remain open.

When the panel is closed, it is rotated along the vertical axis X and being connected to the prismatic rod <NUM>, said rod makes the crank <NUM> rotate in the clockwise sense in <FIG>.

At this point, as the rotation of the crank <NUM> causes a rotary translation movement of the connecting rod <NUM> that makes the connecting rod <NUM> no longer aligned with the direction of the force exerted by the spring <NUM> and therefore said spring <NUM> is free to push the piston <NUM> towards the right in <FIG>, i.e. towards the axis of rotation X, contributing to the closure of the panel.

In the meantime, the closure of the panel is braked by the brake <NUM> as when the piston <NUM> moves towards the axis of rotation X, the raised element <NUM> on the body of the piston <NUM> is engaged with the raised element <NUM> of the skid <NUM>.

In turn the skid <NUM> is engaged with a concave surface <NUM> thereof on the convex surface <NUM> of the lever <NUM> causing a small rotation of the lever <NUM> about the fulcrum <NUM> thereof, where said lever <NUM> is pushed upwards in <FIG> and is braked by the resistance of the spring <NUM>, while it performs at the same time an oscillation about the axis <NUM>.

Therefore, the combination of the lever <NUM> and of the spring <NUM> act as a brake adapted to slow down the stroke of the piston <NUM> during the closure of the door panel to prevent the latter banging in an uncontrolled way against the frame of the refrigerated cabinet.

In other words, the lever <NUM> operates like a class <NUM> lever where the power exerted by the piston <NUM>, due to its raised element <NUM> that acts on the corresponding raised element <NUM> of the skid <NUM> is positioned between the fulcrum <NUM> of the lever <NUM> and the resistant force exerted by the spring <NUM> on the lever <NUM> itself.

Therefore, in general, the lever <NUM>, in oscillation, passes from a first position in which the lever <NUM> does not interfere with the movement of the piston <NUM>, to a second position in which the lever <NUM> interacts with the piston <NUM> to brake the closing movement of the panel to which the hinge <NUM> is connected.

The stroke of the piston <NUM> continues until it reaches the position of <FIG> and the panel with which the hinge <NUM> is associated is closed.

In this position the raised element <NUM> of the skid <NUM> is engaged with the distal seat <NUM> with respect to the crank <NUM> of the piston.

In this final closing step, when for example <NUM>° - <NUM>° remain until the complete closure of the panel, due to the mentioned configuration of the skid <NUM> and of the piston <NUM>, the braking effect is reduced and/or eliminated.

This solution has the advantage, for example, that if a user opens the panels of the door by mistake and then changes his/her mind and releases the semi-open panels, they automatically close being thrust by the spring <NUM> preventing the external heat entering the refrigerated cabinet.

It is also to be noted that the hinge <NUM> represented in <FIG> was drawn under the hypothesis that the prismatic rod <NUM> was directed downwards (see <FIG>) and therefore such hinge <NUM> was placed at the top and on the left hand side with respect to a user who is to open the panels of a refrigerated cabinet.

However, the same hinge <NUM> is in a certain sense "reversible" the prismatic rod <NUM> being able to be mounted so as to be directed upwards in <FIG>.

In this configuration, the hinge <NUM> can be placed at the top and on the right hand side with respect to a user needing to open the panels of a refrigerated cabinet.

Therefore, to provide a refrigerated cabinet with two hinges it is sufficient to duplicate the structure of the hinge <NUM> with consequent cost savings.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to several modifications and variations, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept illustrated.

Moreover, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, as long the combination of features falls within the scope of the appended claims.

Claim 1:
Hinge (<NUM>) for closing panels of the access opening of refrigerated cabinets, where said hinge (<NUM>) comprises:
- a casing that can be fixed to a fixed frame of the access opening, where said casing contains a mechanism configured to allow the rotation of said panel about an axis (X) between a closed position and an open position of the access opening of the refrigerated cabinet,
- an elastic return means (<NUM>) to allow the return from the open position to the closed position of the panel; and
- a braking element (<NUM>) configured to interact with the aforesaid mechanism to brake the closing movement of the panel generated by said elastic return means (<NUM>),
the mechanism configured to allow the rotation of said panel about the axis (X) comprises a crank (<NUM>) adapted to be placed in rotation by the opening and closing movement of said panel, said crank (<NUM>) being kinematically connected to a connecting rod (<NUM>) in turn connected to a piston (<NUM>),
wherein the braking element (<NUM>) comprises a lever (<NUM>) configured to interact in oscillation with the mechanism that allows the rotation of said panel about the axis (X), where said oscillation movement takes place from a first position in which the lever (<NUM>) does not interfere with the movement of the aforesaid mechanism to a second position wherein said lever (<NUM>) interacts with the aforesaid mechanism to brake the closing movement of the panel to which the hinge (<NUM>) is connected,
wherein the oscillation movement of said lever (<NUM>) about a fulcrum (<NUM>) thereof is opposed by the resistance of a spring (<NUM>) acting on the aforesaid lever (<NUM>),
wherein the braking element (<NUM>) further comprises a skid (<NUM>) provided with a surface (<NUM>) configured to be engaged with a corresponding surface (<NUM>) pertaining to said lever (<NUM>),
wherein the piston (<NUM>) has a raised element (<NUM>), where said raised element (<NUM>) is adapted to interact with a corresponding raised element (<NUM>) pertaining to the skid (<NUM>) so that said skid (<NUM>) acts on the lever (<NUM>) pressing it against the spring (<NUM>), where said spring (<NUM>) acts on the lever (<NUM>) bringing it into the second position so as to slow down the stroke of the piston (<NUM>).