HK1127105B - Furniture hinge with damping device - Google Patents

Description

Furniture hinge with damping device

The technical field is as follows:

the present invention relates to a hinge for furniture, in particular a hinge with spring for doors or movable parts of furniture, provided with damping means that act when the door is opened and/or closed.

Background art:

furniture is provided with doors or wings for closing the compartments, which are opened by pivoting about a horizontal or vertical axis by means of hinges of different types. One type of hinge that is widely used today is to support the door in a closed position when the door is closed and is not visible from the outside of the furniture.

Such hinges, which are commonly used today in the furniture industry, have a series of advantages, which determine their widespread use in the market. Some examples of known hinges are provided with springs of different kinds to provide a return force when the door on which they are placed is closed or a pushing force when the door is opened. This makes it possible to close or open the door accurately.

However, damping and/or braking devices for the door movement caused by the elastic action of the spring are required in such hinges. These devices aim to prevent the sound from being emitted when the door strikes the furniture body during the closing operation.

Some hinges known in the prior art are provided with damping and braking means, in which a rectangular slider (moved by a cam fitted to the rocker of the hinge) transmits the motion to a disc, said disc being braked by a high-viscosity grease. In the known devices, which are fitted under the exterior of the hinge box, the cam of the rocker engages with a slider passing through an opening provided in the bottom of the same box.

This arrangement allows the device to be subjected to accidental or undesirable additional actions, such as impacts when producing or packaging the hinge, or stresses due to the insertion of the hinge box into the milled hole of the door when assembling the hinge to the piece of furniture. Such impacts or stresses may destroy or affect the function of the damping device or the retarder.

Another drawback of this device is that it limits the possibility of fully exploiting the small space that can be used to house the reducer, or of facilitating the moulding of the relative components, thanks to the presence of the box base between the rocker cam and the slider of the device.

There is therefore a need to produce a furniture hinge with a damping device which allows the aforementioned drawbacks to be overcome.

The invention content is as follows:

the main object of the present invention is to produce a furniture hinge with a damping device that can be inserted into the hinge box and fixed therein before the box of the hinge is assembled with the other components of the hinge. In this way the damping device can avoid additional actions, such as impacts or stresses due to the box made of steel or other rigid material, which could damage or affect the functioning of the device.

Another object is to produce a hinge whose structure makes it possible to use the space inside the hinge more efficiently, even with the use of reducers in known systems, such as rotary reducers or cylinder and piston reducers.

The present invention therefore intends to solve the aforementioned problems, producing a furniture hinge with damping device comprising:

a first part for fixing to a part of a piece of furniture,

a second part for fixing to a door of said furniture part, comprising a box (6), said first part being adapted to pivot with respect to said box (6) about at least one first connection pin (8),

a connecting element (16) for connecting said first part to a damping device (13) for damping said pivoting movement, comprising

-a slider (18) is moved by operation of the connecting element (16),

-at least one damping element immersed in a viscous medium, the movement of which is induced by the slider (18) and thus generates a damping force,

wherein the slider (18) and said at least one damping element are housed between the base of the box (6) and a cylindrical envelope (14) of the damping element, the base of the box (6) being integral and closed, the envelope being fixed inside the box and being provided with an opening (15) for connecting the connecting element (16) and the slider (18).

Preferably, the damping device based on the hinge of the invention can be such that the hinge box itself is a component, or the damping device can be composed of all the elements separated from the box, which can be pre-assembled together and then inserted in the box and provided with suitable means to fix or lock said elements. This modular manufacture and final assembly is easier.

The improved effect of the hinge is due to the increased friction surface with the viscous medium in the proper area of the hinge and/or to the possibility of adjusting the angular speed of at least one circular element (for example a disc) acting as a braking element in contact with the viscous medium.

Finally, another advantage of the damping device is that it, thanks to its compactness and being mounted inside the box element, is compatible with the thickness of the furniture door, so that it is not visible when the door is opened, improving the aesthetic appearance.

The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

Description of the drawings:

other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the exemplary detailed description of a preferred but non-limiting embodiment of a furniture hinge with damping device, made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a hinge according to the invention in a semi-open position;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of a portion of the hinge of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the first component of the hinge of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the second component of the hinge of FIG. 1;

figures 5 and 6 show a cross-sectional view of two other components of the hinge of figure 1;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a hinge according to the invention in a semi-open position;

FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of the hinge portion of FIG. 7;

figure 9 shows a partial top view of a third embodiment of a hinge according to the invention;

fig. 10 shows a partial top view of a fourth embodiment of a hinge according to the invention.

The specific implementation mode is as follows:

referring to fig. 1, a hinge is shown, generally designated 50, and comprises a fixed element or hinge arm 1 which may be fixed to a base or panel and in turn to a bearing wall or suitable portion of a furniture side panel.

The hinge is provided with two rockers 2 and 3, each of which pivots at a first end about two respective pins 4, 5 housed in holes in the side walls of the arm 1. The arm 1 is connected to a box element 6 (or simply box) fixed in a cavity inside the wall of a door or wing of a piece of furniture or other element suitable for pivoting on the piece of furniture. The respective second ends of the rockers 2 and 3 are rotatably housed on pins 7, 8, which are axially parallel to the pins 4, 5. The four pins 4, 5, 7, 8 form an articulated quadrilateral.

Around the connecting pin 5 (connecting the rocker 3 to the arm 1) there is provided an elastic element or spring 9. One arm 10 of said elastic element rests on the hinge arm 1, while the other arm 11 acts on the rocker 2. The arms 10, 11 of the elastic element 9 are brought into closure so that the element 9 exerts a thrust on the rocker 2 until the position shown in figure 1 is reached. Beyond this opening angle (about 15-20 deg.), the compression applied by the elastic element 9 on the arm is negligible, so that the remainder of the door pivoting is free to take place without being affected by the presence of the elastic force.

On the other hand, in the closed state of the door, the elastic element generates a return force in the closing direction which causes the door to close precisely and naturally in the final angular space (amplitude 15-20 °).

A bushing 12 can be inserted right between the elastic element 9 and the pin 5. Alternatively, the element 9 can be detached from the pin 5 and anchored to the arm 1 of the hinge by known methods.

Inside the box element 6 there is preferably mounted a damping and/or braking device 13 which makes it possible to reduce jerks which occur in the door opening and/or closing phases, to reduce sound and to make these phases smooth.

This device 13 comprises a housing formed by an outer frame or envelope 14 and a part of the box element 6. In which a slider 18 and at least one braking element immersed in a highly viscous medium, such as grease, are inserted.

The shape of the casing 14 is such that it can be fixed to the box element 6 by means of the pins 7, 8 about which the second ends of the rockers 2 and 3 pivot respectively. Said pins 7, 8 pass through holes 70, 71 of the casing 14 and corresponding holes 80, 81 of the box element 6.

The casing 14 is internally provided with a hole or opening 15, substantially rectangular or square or of other shape, to allow the pivoting of the connecting element, preferably the cam element 6 fixed to the lower end of the rocker 3, about the pin 8 (for the connection or integration with the box element) to engage with the slider 18, which is in turn controlled to move in the first and second direction corresponding to the pivoting direction of the hinge.

On the basis of a first preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the invention (shown in figures 1-6), a box element or box 6 (made of steel) is provided, of standard size or slightly deeper than the known type of punch (draw), but not difficult to insert in the hole in the door of the furniture.

The box 6 is provided with at least one flange 90 for fixing to the inner wall of the door or wing of the furniture piece.

The box 6 (as best shown in figure 6) is provided, at its base, with annular concentric grooves 40 and ribs 41 which can be coupled in a complementary manner with similar grooves 40 'and ribs 41' provided on the lower surface of the brake disc 23, in which viscous grease is placed. The device is undoubtedly quieter and the braking is more effective, due to the increased degree of coupling with the viscous medium and the friction surface.

On the upper surface of the brake disc 23 there is provided a spiral groove 30 in which the lower projection 29 of the slider 18 engages in order to convert the movement of the slider 18 into a rotation of the brake disc 23 by means of the cam element 16 of the rocker 3.

In particular, the protrusion 29 engages with at least one helical groove 30 by means of a complementary method to the saw-tooth cross-sectional profile of said groove.

In the door open condition (as shown in figure 1) the slider movement occurs by lifting the projection 29 engaged in the adjacent initial groove without movement of the braking disc 23. The slider 18 is guided in its movement by the edge of the opening 15 provided in the casing 14, said edge enclosing the slider 18 and the brake disc 23 between the edge and the box 6.

On the other hand, in the door closed condition, the cam projections of the connecting element 16 act on corresponding projections on the slider 18 to move it and rotate the braking disc 23 by engagement of the projections 29 in the grooves 30, thus acting as a damping action. All the elements of the damping device are immersed in a viscous medium.

Preferably, the projection 29 is provided with a pointed end 42 which makes it possible to correct the operation of the hinge damping device even if it is immediately closed again in abnormal conditions, for example when the door is not completely opened but is moved only by a small angle from the position of engagement with the piece of furniture. In this case, the slider 18 can be in the position shown in fig. 1, with the projection 29 resting on the crown of the helical groove 30, pushed by the lateral projection of the cam element 16. If the door is closed again, the tip of the cam element 16 rests against the inclined surface of the prong 42, pushing it downwards, so that the tip presses against the crown of the groove 30, creating a decelerated rotation of the braking disc 23 until a new position of normal operation is reached, obtaining the overall braking effect of the hinge.

Without this prong 42, if the door is closed from the position of figure 1, the cam element 16, connected to the rocker 3, by turning from the anticlockwise to the clockwise direction, moves the projection 29 of the slider 18 to the left, without this projection engaging with the profile of the saw-tooth portion of the slot 30, and therefore without obtaining a braking effect. This method can also be used in the second embodiment of the hinge described below.

The interior of the casing 14 of the hinge according to the invention is as such as that of a standard box of known hinges, more clearly shown in figure 2, which shows a top view of the box 6, said box 6 being provided with pre-assembled damping means. The outer surface of the casing 14 is cylindrical, except for the portions corresponding to the holes 70, 71 for housing the pins 7, 8 of the rockers 2, 3, where flat surfaces parallel to each other are provided and oriented in the direction of the chord (chord) of said cylindrical bottom cylinder.

The stamped part of the box 6 is also provided with a cylindrical side wall, the shape of which corresponds to the external shape of the casing 14, so that the holes 80, 81 (for receiving the pins 7, 8 of the rockers 2, 3) are in the mounting position, in line with the holes 70, 71 of the casing 14.

Preferably, at 3 points on the wall of the box 6, tongues 20 are provided, which are cut out and protrude inwards. Said tongues 20 are adapted to press against respective stop surfaces 21 provided on the edges of the casing 14, thus holding it in the preassembly position.

Alternatively, the tongue 20 and the stop surface 21 may be provided on the wall of the casing 14 and on the edge of the box 6, respectively. In which case the tongue piece protrudes outwards.

The slider 18 and the brake disc 23 are housed in a lower cylindrical cavity 22 provided in the lower part of the casing 14, the edges of which act as sealing elements for the viscous grease.

A second preferred embodiment of the hinge according to the invention (shown in figures 7 and 8) differs from the first previously described embodiment in that the base of the box 6 is perfectly smooth and the cylindrical cavity 22 of the outer frame, which houses the lower part of the slider and of the brake disc, is closed by a plane element 26 or by a closing plate of the damping device (provided with concentric grooves 40 and ribs 41 which can couple with corresponding ribs 41 'and grooves 40' of the lower surface of the brake disc 23). This flat element 26 allows the damping device to be closed firmly by means of a peripheral projection 24 adapted to engage on a seat of complementary shape provided on the lower edge of the casing 14, or said element 26 can be fixed to the casing 14, for example by ultrasonic welding.

The damping device thus assembled, comprising the casing 14, the slider 18, the braking disc 23 and the planar element 26, is then inserted and locked in the box 6 by the aforementioned tongues 20 and stop surfaces 21, by a simple and quick operation. In this case the box element cannot be used as a support element when mounting the elements of the damping device. The box 6 with the pre-assembled damping device can be assembled with the other components of the hinge in a conventional way.

In the first two embodiments, the flat portions of the crowns of the ribs 41, 41 'and the bottoms of the grooves 40, 40' may be roughened to promote adhesion of the viscous medium (e.g., high viscosity grease) with which they come into contact. Preferably, this embodiment makes the grease more difficult to move radially, so that it is not necessary to provide gaskets between the bottom of the box element 6 and the casing 14 or between said planar element 26 and the casing.

According to a third embodiment of the hinge of the invention, as shown in fig. 9, the space inside the casing 14, between the guiding side of the slider 18 (parallel to the direction of movement of said slider) and the wall of the box 6, is used to house a rotation reducer of known type provided with a gear 25 fitted to a pin 17 perpendicular to the base of the box 6 and adapted to be rotated respectively by a rack 45 provided along the side of the slider 18. Since the gear 25 is fitted to a pin which in turn is provided with a projection (not shown in the figures) and rotates in a suitable duct and is immersed in the viscous liquid, this produces a damping effect in the rotation of the closed and/or open condition of the door.

In the fourth embodiment of the hinge shown in fig. 10, the space between the leading side of the slider 18 and the wall of the box 6 is obtained on both sides of a cylindrical seat 46, in which a piston 47 slides axially under the pressure of a spring 48. The two pistons 47 preferably have a common rod 49 bent into a C-shape. Each cylindrical seat 46 is closed by a plug 60 and a corresponding gasket to contain a decelerating fluid, such as grease or oil.

The slider 18 is connected to the C-shaped rod 49 so as to transmit to said rod the movement of the hinge 3 generated in the door closed condition. In this case, a spring 48 (i.e. a return spring) is used to ensure the return of the piston and therefore of the slider, instead of a specific return element (usually provided on the cam of the connecting element 16).

Preferably, the use of the hinge of the invention allows the selective generation of a damping and/or braking action in one or both of the open and closed conditions of the door.

Alternatively, the function of the connecting element 16 can be performed by a suitably shaped projection provided on the same metal plate that forms the rocker 3.

The hinge of the invention, in all its different embodiments, allows efficient operation without changing the overall dimensions of a standard hinge, thanks to a more compact damping device.

The specific methods and processes described herein are not to be limited in scope by the present invention, which is intended to cover by the appended claims all embodiments of the invention.

Claims (16)

1. The furniture hinge comprises

A first part for fixing to a part of a piece of furniture,

a second part for fixing to a door of said furniture part, comprising a box (6), said first part being adapted to pivot with respect to said box (6) about at least one first connection pin (8),

a connecting element (16) for connecting said first part to a damping device (13) for damping said pivoting movement, comprising

-a slider (18) is moved by operation of the connecting element (16),

-at least one damping element immersed in a viscous medium, the movement of which is induced by the slider (18) and thus generates a damping force,

wherein the slider (18) and said at least one damping element are housed between the base of the box (6) and a cylindrical envelope (14) of the damping element, the base of the box (6) being integral and closed, the envelope being fixed inside the box and being provided with an opening (15) for connecting the connecting element (16) and the slider (18).

2. Hinge according to claim 1, wherein a plate (26) is provided between the base of the box (6) and the cylindrical envelope (14) of the damping element, said plate (26) being fixed to the lower edge of the envelope (14) so as to enclose the slider (18) and said at least one damping element in a cavity (22) provided in the envelope (14).

3. Hinge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein elastic fitting means (20, 21) are provided for pre-assembling the envelope (14) into the box (6).

4. Hinge according to claim 3, wherein said elastic fitting means comprise a tongue (20) suitable for pressing against a corresponding stop surface (21), said tongue and said stop surface being provided respectively on the wall of the box (6) and on the wall of the envelope (14) and vice versa.

5. Hinge according to claim 4, wherein the tongue (20) and the stop surface (21) are provided at 3 respective points on the box wall and the sleeve wall, respectively.

6. Hinge according to claim 5, wherein said connecting element is a cam element (16).

7. Hinge according to claim 6, wherein said at least one damping element is a disc (23) having a flat profile adapted to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement in order to generate a braking force corresponding to the movement of the hinge.

8. Hinge according to claim 7, wherein movement means are provided for converting the movement of the slider into a pivoting movement of the disc (23), said movement means comprising a series of grooves (30) on a first surface of the disc (23) and a projection (29) fixed to the slider (18) adapted to engage at least one groove (30), said movement means being shaped so as to produce said disc rotation in only one direction of movement of the slider.

9. Hinge according to claim 8, wherein the groove (30) is helical and has a profile with a saw-tooth section, the profile of the projection (29) on the slider (18) having a cross-sectional shape complementary to the profile of the groove (30).

10. Hinge according to claim 9, wherein the projection (29) on the slider (18) is provided with a pointed tip (42) adapted to press against the profile of the saw-tooth section of the spiral groove (30) in the condition of closing of the door starting from the partially open position.

11. Hinge according to claim 10, wherein annular concentric grooves (40 ') and ribs (41') are provided on the second surface of the disc (23) engaging corresponding ribs (41) and grooves (40) provided on the base of the box (6) or on the plate (26) provided between said second surface and the base of the box, respectively.

12. Hinge according to claim 6, wherein said at least one damping element comprises a toothed wheel (25) arranged on the side of the slider and engaging a toothed rack (45) arranged on the side of the slider to produce a pivoting movement of said toothed wheel in correspondence with the movement of said slider.

13. Hinge according to claim 6, wherein said at least one damping element comprises a piston (47) sliding axially on a cylindrical base (46) containing the viscous medium, said piston being located at the side of the slider, said piston (47) sharing a rod (49) connected to the slider (18) and the slider being able to transmit its movement to the piston (47).

14. Hinge according to claim 11 or 12 or 13, wherein said first part comprises two elements, the first element being a fixed arm (1) for fixing to said furniture part, the second element being a first rocker (3) suitable for pivoting about a first connecting pin (8) with respect to said box (6) and about a second connecting pin (5) with respect to said fixed arm (1), and a second rocker (2) suitable for pivoting about a third connecting pin (7) with respect to said box (6) and about a fourth connecting pin (4) with respect to said fixed arm (1).

15. Hinge according to claim 14, wherein fixing means are provided for fixing the box (6) and the envelope (14), comprising a third connecting pin (7) and a first connecting pin (8) suitable for engaging the first holes (70, 71) of the envelope (14) and the corresponding second holes (80, 81) of the box (6).

16. Hinge according to claim 15, wherein the box (6) is provided with at least one fixing flange (90) for fixing to a door of a furniture part.