Concealed self-closing hinge with integral hinge pin means

• US 5,355,557 A
• Filed: 05/18/1993
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Newell Operating Company (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amerock Corporation (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: King, A. Raymond IV, Bowers, Michael J., Cress, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US08/063,032
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 16/286, 16/284, 16/289, 16/292, 16/296, 16/297, 16/235, 16/303, 16/335, 16/341, 16/342, 16/379, 16/380
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1014 for maintaining the hinge in only one position, e.g. closed
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/105 the maintaining means acting perpendicularly to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1284 with a leaf or similar spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

A concealed self-closing hinge for mounting a door on a frame. The door member of the hinge includes a cup formed with vertically aligned slots. The frame member of the hinge includes an arm whose free end is formed with integral pintles which are pivotally received in the slots. A plastic cam is adapted to be slipped onto the free end portion of the arm between the pintles and coacts with a leaf spring to hold the pintles in assembled relation with the slots and also to effect self-closing of the door.

Claims

1. A concealed self-closing hinge for mounting a door for swinging on a fixed frame, said hinge comprising a door member having a cup mountable in the door, the cup having a pair of opposing slots with an open space therebetween, said hinge further comprising a frame member having a wing for mounting the frame member on the frame, an arm joined to said wing and having a free end portion extending into said open space, pintles formed integrally with and projecting in opposite direction s from the free end portion of said arm and received pivotally in said slots, a plastic cam having a generally U-shaped slot therein tightly receiving the free end portion of said arm with said pintles projecting in opposite directions from said cam, said cam and the free end portion of said arm being formed with detents which coact to hold said cam releasably on the free end portion of said arm, said detents comprising an opening formed in the free end portion of said arm and further comprising a projection molded integrally with said cam within the U-shaped slot thereof and extending into said opening, and a leaf spring attached to said cup and bearing against said one to press said pintles into seating engagement with said slots, said spring coacting with said cam to bias said door member to a closed position with respect to said frame member after said door member has been swung a predetermined distance toward said closed position about the axes of said pintles.

2. A concealed self-closing hinge as defined in claim 1 in which said opening is a pocket formed in one side of the free end portion of said arm and located short of the free end of said arm, said projection comprising a boss projecting from one of the side walls of the U-shaped slot in said cam and seated snugly in said pocket.

3. A concealed self-closing hinge as defined in claim 1 in which said opening is a notch which opens out of the sides and out of the free end of the free end portion of said arm, said projection comprising a web spanning the side walls of said U-shaped slot between the ends thereof and seated in said notch.

4. A concealed self-closing hinge for mounting a door for swinging on a fixed frame, said hinge comprising a door member having a plate for mounting the door member on said door, a cup formed integrally with and extending from said plate and having an open end located adjacent said plate and an opposite second end, said cup being defined in part by two generally parallel walls extending at right angles to said plate and each having first and second ends, a bridge formed integrally with and extending between the walls intermediate the ends thereof and adjacent the second end of said cup, a circular flange formed integrally with and extending between the walls at the first ends thereof and spaced from said bridge whereby an opening is defined between said flange and said bridge, opposing slots formed in said cup adjacent the second ends of said walls and opening out of the second end of said cup, there being an open space in the second end of said cup between said slots, said hinge further comprising a frame member having a wing for mounting said frame member on said frame, an arm formed integrally with said wing and having a free end portion extending into said cup from the open end thereof and extending into said open space, pintles formed integrally with and projecting in opposite directions from the free end portion of said arm and received pivotally in said slots, a plastic cam having a generally U-shaped slot therein receiving the free end portion of said arm with said pintles extending in opposite directions from said cam, said U-shaped slot having opposing side walls, said pintles defining a pivot axis which extends through said slot between said side walls, and said cam also being located in said open space, and a spring for urging said door member to and releasably holding said door member in a closed position with respect to the frame member, said spring comprising a generally flat plate of resiliently yieldable material, said spring having a first end portion bearing against said flange outside of the interior of said cup, having an intermediate portion extending into said interior of said cup through said opening and bowed around said bridge, and having a second end portion bearing against said cam, said second end portion of said spring exerting a biasing force on said cam and retaining said pintles in said slots.

5. A concealed self-closing hinge for mounting a door for swinging on a fixed frame, said hinge comprising a door member having a cup mountable in the door, the cup having a pair of opposing slots with an open space therebetween, said hinge further comprising a frame member having a wing for mounting the frame member on the frame, an arm joined to said wing and having a free end portion extending into said open space, pintles formed integrally with and projecting in opposite directions from the free end portion of said arm and received pivotally in said slots, a plastic cam having a generally U-shaped slot therein tightly receiving the free end portion of said arm with said pintles projecting in opposite directions from said cam, said U-shaped slot having opposing side walls, said pintles defining a pivot axis which extends through said slot between said side walls, and a leaf spring attached to said cup and bearing against said cam to press said pintles into seating engagement with said slots, said spring coacting with said cam to bias said door member to a closed position with respect to said frame member after said door member has been swung a predetermined distance toward said closed position about the axes of said pintles.