Patent Description:
As is known, hinges for furniture items are used to allow the opening and closing of doors and comprise a fixed part or arm, to be attached internally to a side wall or shoulder of the furniture item, and a movable part, in the form of a bowl or box, to be attached to the door, said fixed and movable parts being oscillatingly connected one to the other by a system of articulated levers, generally comprising at least one pair of connecting rods or rockers.

These hinges are normally provided with elastic means suitable for stressing the door in closure and with damping devices, which intervene in the final phase of closure of the door, slowing down the stroke thereof and thus preventing it from slamming with force against the body of the furniture item.

One of these hinges is, for example, described in document <CIT>, which has the following main limitations:.

<CIT> describes a hinge for furniture items comprising a flattened fixed part designed to be inserted in the thickness of the upper or lower wall of a furniture item, and a movable part that can be attached to the door, the fixed part and the movable part being connected one to the other by means of an articulation system comprising two rockers and respective axes of articulation. The two rockers are placed on a same plane, which is the median plane of the fixed part of the hinge, perpendicular to said axes of articulation. As shaped, the fixed part of the hinge can only be attached to a horizontal plane of the furniture item, i.e. the upper or lower plane. There is no possibility of attaching it to a vertical wall of the furniture item, i.e. to a side wall or shoulder, wherein the fixed part of the hinge has to extend along a plane parallel to the axes of articulation, in order to allow a swing opening of the door.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the hinges known from documents <CIT> and <CIT>, described above.

More particularly, one object of the invention is to provide a cushioned hinge for doors of high-capacity furniture items, attachable to a side wall of said furniture item by insertion in a seat formed in the thickness of said side wall, and which leaves the edge of the door completely intact, so that the box remains hidden from view when the door is closed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a hinge which allows for more or less coverage, with movement of the door inwards.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide such a hinge, the box whereof is shaped so as to facilitate the adjustments thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a hinge, wherein the actuation of the elastic means and of the damper take place with separate means. Yet a further object of the invention is to provide such a cushioned hinge which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and highly reliable.

These objects are achieved by the cushioned hinge for doors of high-capacity furniture items according to the invention that has the features of the appended independent claim <NUM>.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

Substantially, the cushioned hinge for doors of furniture items or the like according to the invention, comprises:.

wherein said fixed part comprises a base having a central part, open frontally, intended to be housed in a seat formed in the thickness of said side wall of the furniture item, and a plate-shaped frame that extends along a plane parallel to said axes of articulation attached to this side wall, and an arm mounted in said central part of the base with the possibility of adjustments, said arm having a first rear section, distal from the movable part, which is placed substantially flush with said plate-shaped frame, and a second proximal section, inclined upwards, such as to protrude with respect to the plate-shaped frame, and wherein said movable part comprises a cage mounted, also with the possibility of adjustment, in a box intended to be housed in a corresponding seat formed on the door, said arm and said cage being connected one to the other by said articulated system.

Further features of the invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description, referred to a purely non-limiting example thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

Referring to these drawings, the hinge according to the invention, denoted as a whole by reference numeral <NUM>, comprises a fixed part <NUM>, which can be attached to a side wall or shoulder <NUM> of the furniture item, and a movable part <NUM> which can be attached to a door <NUM> of the furniture item, connected one to the other by means of an articulated system.

More particularly, the fixed part <NUM> comprises an arm <NUM>, mounted, with the possibility of slight adjustments, as will be discussed here below, in a base <NUM> housed in a seat <NUM> formed in the thickness of the side wall <NUM>, while the movable part <NUM> comprises a cage <NUM> mounted, also with slight adjustment possibilities, in a box <NUM>, housed in a corresponding seat <NUM> formed on the door <NUM> (see in particular <FIG>).

The arm <NUM> and the cage <NUM> are connected one to the other by means of the above-mentioned articulated system, substantially comprising a central connecting rod <NUM> and a pair of lateral connecting rods <NUM>.

The central connecting rod <NUM> is a slightly arched lever, pivoted, on one side, between two small lugs <NUM> projecting frontally from the arm <NUM> by means of a nail <NUM> constituting a first axis of articulation (see in particular <FIG>) and, on the other side, between a pair of small lugs <NUM> provided internally to the cage <NUM> by means of a knurled rod <NUM> constituting a second axis of articulation.

The lateral connecting rods <NUM> have a particular conformation, substantially in the shape of an upside-down Y, with the central stem <NUM> prolonged with an arched shape that extends towards the cage <NUM>.

The lateral connecting rods <NUM> are pivoted, on one side, to the arm <NUM> in a third axis of articulation formed by a nail <NUM> which traverses approximately centrally the connecting rods <NUM> and is placed in a more internal position with respect to the first axis of articulation <NUM>. On the other side, the lateral connecting rods <NUM> are pivoted, at the ends of their arched extensions, in a fourth axis of articulation constituted by a nail <NUM>, externally to a pair of small lugs <NUM> provided in the cage <NUM>, in an aligned, raised and more advanced position with respect to the pair of small lugs <NUM>.

The base <NUM> of the fixed part <NUM> of the hinge has a central part, open frontally, which is housed in the seat <NUM> of the side wall of the furniture item, and a plate-shaped frame <NUM> that extends along a plane parallel to said axes of articulation <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> attached to this wall by means of screws not shown.

In this central part a hollow longitudinal block <NUM> is provided, substantially parallelepipedal in shape, open frontally, where an upper longitudinal slot <NUM> is provided, while transverse reliefs <NUM> are provided to the rear of the upper wall of the block <NUM>.

The arm <NUM> is housed in the central part of the base <NUM> and has a first rear section <NUM>', distal from the movable part <NUM>, which is placed substantially flush with said plate-shaped frame <NUM>, and a second proximal section <NUM>", inclined upwards, such that it protrudes with respect to the plate-shaped frame <NUM>, as can be seen more clearly in the sectional views of <FIG>. The purpose of the protruding inclined section <NUM>" of the arm <NUM>, to which the connecting rods <NUM>, <NUM> are pivoted, is to be able to form the aforesaid seat <NUM> for housing the movable part <NUM> of the hinge, entirely within the profile of the door <NUM>, without affecting the edge of the same (see <FIG>), in such a way that there are no visible parts of the hinge with the door closed.

The arm <NUM> is restrained to the base <NUM> by means of a pin <NUM>, which traverses longitudinal openings <NUM> in the side walls of the base <NUM> and corresponding circular holes <NUM> in the side walls of the arm <NUM>, in such a way that the arm <NUM> can oscillate and translate longitudinally for the distance allowed by the openings <NUM>.

The arm <NUM> is likewise attached to the base <NUM> by means of a regulation screw <NUM>, having a shank with a peripheral groove <NUM>, such that it is housed in the slot <NUM> of the block <NUM> (see in particular <FIG>), in such a way that a rotation in one direction or the other of the screw <NUM>, inserted in a threaded hole <NUM> of the arm <NUM>, produces a raising or lowering of the arm <NUM> with respect to the base <NUM>, which corresponds to a lateral adjustment of the door <NUM>, by means of the movement imparted thereto by the system of articulation.

For the longitudinal translation of the arm <NUM> with respect to the base <NUM>, which corresponds to a frontal adjustment of the door, a cam <NUM> is instead provided, having below a spiral profile that goes to engage with the transverse projections <NUM> provided above the block <NUM> (see <FIG>), and that can be actuated by rotation of a head <NUM> projecting above from a hole <NUM> of the arm <NUM>.

Substantially, the base <NUM>, and generally the entire fixed part <NUM> of the hinge, is developed along a plane parallel to the axes of articulation <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

The cage <NUM> is attached to the box <NUM> by means of screws <NUM>, inserted in transverse slots <NUM> provided in lateral fins <NUM> of the cage <NUM>, that are screwed into circular holes <NUM> provided in the box <NUM>. In this way the position of the cage <NUM> can be regulated transversally with respect to the box <NUM>, which corresponds to a vertical regulation of the door <NUM>.

The hinge also comprises a system of control of the movement of closure of the door, made up of elastic means suitable for bringing the door into the closing position and for keeping it in this position, and deceleration means suitable for braking the door in the final phase of closure to prevent it from slamming with force against the body of the furniture item.

These means, which will now be described, are housed in the base <NUM> of the fixed part of the hinge, below the arm <NUM>, and are actuated by the system of articulation of the door.

More particularly, the deceleration means comprise a shock absorber or damper <NUM>, made up of a cylinder, for example an oil cylinder, housed in the hollow block <NUM>, the stem <NUM> of which traverses the rear wall <NUM> of the block and abuts against a plate <NUM> positioned behind the wall <NUM>.

The damper <NUM> is actuated by a lever <NUM> pivoted on an axle <NUM> that connects the ends of respective shanks <NUM> of the Y conformation of the lateral connecting rods <NUM>.

During the closure of the door, rotation of the connecting rods <NUM> produces compression of the damper <NUM>, as shown, in sequence, by <FIG>, thereby producing deceleration of the movement of the door in the final phase of closure.

The elastic means comprise a pair of springs <NUM> placed in the base <NUM>, at the two sides of the block <NUM>, which also go to abut, with one end, against the aforementioned plate <NUM>, which acts as anchorage for the same.

The springs <NUM>, in this case of the helical type, are placed on respective spring holders <NUM>, having a tapered stem <NUM>, such as to determine a stop <NUM>, against which the other end of the corresponding spring at least partially abuts.

The stems <NUM> of the spring holders <NUM> are inserted in corresponding holes <NUM> provided in the plate <NUM> to allow the compression of the springs <NUM> in the phase of opening of the door, by means of the system of articulation, as shown by <FIG>.

In fact, each spring holder <NUM> has, at the free end, a sort of eyelet <NUM> which goes to hook up with a corresponding peg <NUM> protruding internally from the end of the other leg <NUM> of the Y conformation of the corresponding lateral connecting rod <NUM>.

The springs <NUM>, that are compressed with the door open (<FIG>, <FIG>), tend to unload and accompany the door in the phase of closure, exerting a force on the lateral connecting rods <NUM>, that rotate around their respective axis of articulation <NUM>.

From what has been disclosed, the advantages of the cushioned hinge for doors of furniture items or the like, in particular for high-capacity cupboards, according to the invention, are clear.

More particularly, the central connecting rod <NUM> and the lateral connecting rods <NUM> remain almost totally contained in the box <NUM> of the movable part <NUM> of the hinge, in the closed condition, which, together with the inclined section <NUM>" of the arm <NUM>, allows the relative seat <NUM> to be formed completely inside the door <NUM>, without affecting its edge, such that, with the door closed, it remains entirely concealed.

The fact then of having made the fixed part <NUM> of the hinge in two parts, arm <NUM> and base <NUM>, makes it possible to carry out the aforementioned adjustments, not possible according to document <CIT>, in which the arm is made in a single part.

Furthermore, the elastic means and the damper are actuated by separate means, which makes separate adjustments possible.

Claim 1:
Cushioned hinge (<NUM>) for doors of furniture items or the like, comprising:
- a fixed part (<NUM>), that can be attached to a side wall or shoulder (<NUM>) of the item of furniture;
- a movable part (<NUM>), that can be attached to a door (<NUM>) of the item of furniture;
- an articulated system that connects said fixed (<NUM>) and movable (<NUM>) parts of the hinge, comprising a plurality of connecting rods (<NUM>, <NUM>) and of axes of articulation (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
- elastic means (<NUM>) acting in the direction of closure of the hinge;
- linearly actuated deceleration means (<NUM>) designed to slow down the last section of the stroke of closure of the hinge;
characterised in that said fixed part (<NUM>) comprises a base (<NUM>) having a central part, open frontally, intended to be housed in a seat (<NUM>) formed in the thickness of said side wall (<NUM>) of the furniture item, and a plate-shaped frame (<NUM>) that extends along a plane parallel to said axes of articulation (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) attached to this side wall, and an arm (<NUM>) mounted in said central part of the base (<NUM>) with the possibility of adjustments, said arm (<NUM>) having a first rear section (<NUM>'), distal from the movable part (<NUM>), which is placed substantially flush with said plate-shaped frame (<NUM>), and a second proximal section (<NUM>"), inclined upwards, such as to protrude with respect to the plate-shaped frame (<NUM>),
and in that said movable part (<NUM>) comprises a cage (<NUM>) mounted, also with the possibility of adjustment, in a box (<NUM>) intended to be housed in a corresponding seat (<NUM>) formed on the door (<NUM>), said arm (<NUM>) and said cage (<NUM>) being connected one to the other by said articulated system.