Patent ID: 7406749

Claim:
An universal joint hinge ( 10 ) for the articulation of a door leaf ( 12 ) on a carcass of a piece of furniture, the universal joint hinge comprising a mounting plate ( 18 ) designed to be disposed on a supporting wall ( 14 ) of the carcass and formed as an elongated support arm a carcass mounting part ( 16 ) mounted on the carcass mounting plate ( 16 ); a universal joint mechanism comprising two joint arms ( 22 ; 24 ), a door leaf mounting part ( 20 ), constructed as a hinge cup, is disposed on a door leaf, wherein the two joint arms ( 22 ; 24 ) are pivotably connected to each other in their centers and each joint arm is pivotable at one of its ends about a fixed axis on one of the mounting parts ( 16 ; 20 ) and the respective other end is attached to the respective other mounting part ( 20 ; 16 ) so as to be variable in position along a predetermined space curve extending in a plane lying at right angles to the pivot axis of the hinge, wherein the joint arm ( 24 ) is pivotably mounted about a fixed axis on or in the door leaf mounting part ( 20 ) at its opposite end coupled to the carcass mounting part ( 16 ) so as to be pivotable about a fixed axis on or in the end region of the carcass mounting part ( 16 ), and wherein a portion of the joint arm ( 24 a ) which is positioned between the region which is pivotably mounted on the carcass mounting part ( 16 ) and the region which supports the joints arms ( 22 ; 24 ) so that the joints arms ( 22 , 24 ) pivot approximately centrally comprising two joint arm portions ( 24 a ; 24 b ) which are longitudinally displaceable relative to one another by a predetermined amount, wherein a damping device, which is effective at least during a part of a displacement movement of the joint arm portions relative to one another is provided between the two joint arm portions ( 24 a ; 24 b ) and wherein the joint arm portions ( 24 a ; 24 b ) which are displaceable relative to one another, are constructed so that they engage telescopically, and wherein one joint arm portion ( 24 b ) is formed by an elongated cylinder which is disposed so as to be longitudinally displaceable on a piston rod which forms the other joint arm portion.