Compact adjustable hinge

• US 7,653,967 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hardware Resources Incorporated (Dimora Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hardware Resources Incorporated (Dimora Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nallamottu, Udhaya Bhaskar, Lowe, Mark Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson; Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, ROWLAND
• Application Number:
  US11/800,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20080271292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 162/38, 162/36, 162/37, 162/40, 162/45, 162/46
• US Class Current: 16/238
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/0407 the hinges having two or more pins and being specially adapted for cabinets or furniture
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

The invention disclosed provides a compact hinge capable of a vertical, a horizontal, and an overlay adjustment, comprised of a cup portion and a hinge arm with one end pivotably connected to the cup portion and the other end slideably connected to a fastener plate. The fastener plate further comprises a first semi-planar surface for contact with a cabinet frame and a second semi-planar surface for slideable engagement with the hinge arm to accomplish the horizontal adjustment. The first and second semi-planar surfaces are interconnected by a deformable hinge section that allows for an elastically resilient connection at one end and an adjusting screw at the other end for a horizontally arcing movement relative to each resulting in an overlay adjustment. The fastener plate further comprises an elongated aperture in the first semi-planar surface through which the vertical adjustment is accomplished.

Claims

1. An overlay adjustable hinge fixture for mounting a door member on a cabinet frame member comprising:

a hinge cup fitted for insertion into the door member, where the hinge cup has a spring support tab, a first pair of concentrically aligned support holes and a second pair of concentrically aligned support holes;

a hinge arm having a tubular slot pivotally connected to the hinge cup by a first axel pin through the tubular slot and the first pair of concentrically aligned support holes;

the hinge arm further comprising a face plate having a first access aperture and an elongated adjustment hole;

the faceplate further supporting an opposing set of guide flanges;

a deformable fastener plate comprised of a fastener plate top and a fastener plate bottom integrally connected by a set of deformable rigid connection plates;

the fastener plate top slidingly constrained by the set of guide flanges;

a spring functionally held adjacent the hinge cup by a second axel pin through the second pair of concentrically aligned support holes;

the tubular slot further forming at least one cam surface adjacent the spring whereby the spring biases the hinge arm against the hinge cup in at least one of an open position and a closed position;

wherein the fastener plate bottom includes an elongated aperture longitudinally aligned with the first axle pin;

a vertical adjustment screw for threaded insertion into the cabinet frame through the elongated aperture;

a first and a second set of alignment tabs, connected to the fastener plate bottom for alignment of the fastener plate bottom with the cabinet frame;

the fastener plate bottom further comprising a raised seat defining a centering hole;

wherein the fastener plate top is further comprised of a second access aperture adjacent the elongated aperture and an adjustment hole;

wherein the fastener plate top further comprise an offset cam connection;

a cam member rotatably mounted in the elongated adjustment hole and pivotally mounted in the offset cam connection;

an overlay adjustment screw for threaded insertion through the adjustment hole and abutting the centering hole;

wherein the overlay adjustment screw may be accessed through the first access aperture and rotated to move the fastener plate bottom with respect to the fastener plate top by bending the deformable rigid connection plate;

wherein the vertical adjustment screw may be accessed through the first access aperture and the second access aperture and rotated to allow movement of the abutment section with respect to the cabinet frame member; and

wherein the cam member may be rotated to move the fastener plate top linearly with respect to the attachment section.

2. The adjustable hinge fixture of claim 1, wherein the second access aperture is located generally in the center of the fastener plate top and is coaxially aligned with the first access aperture and the elongated aperture.

3. The hinge of claim 1 wherein the set of flanges further comprises a pair of guide rails on the faceplate having a plurality of constraining indentions.

4. An adjustable hinge for mounting a door member on a cabinet frame member comprising:

a hinge cup pivotally connected to a hinge arm;

the hinge arm including a face plate having a first access aperture and a lateral adjustment cam in an oblong adjustment hole;

the lateral adjustment cam further comprising an offset cam stanchion in sliding contact with the oblong adjustment hole;

a horizontal adjustment member comprised of a unitarily formed first plate and second plate;

the first plate further comprising a second access aperture and an overlay adjustment screw in a threaded adjustment hole;

the first plate slidingly mounted in the face plate by a set of flanges with the first access aperture adjacent the second access aperture;

the first plate connected to the second plate by a deformable hinge plate;

wherein the second plate further comprises an elongated hole generally aligned with the first access aperture and the second access aperture and including a receiving surface adjacent the overlay adjustment screw;

a first and a second set of alignment tabs connected to the unitarily formed second plate for alignment of the second plate with the cabinet frame;

wherein the overlay adjustment screw abuts the receiving surface;

where the overlay adjustment screw advances when rotated thereby altering the location of the first plate relative to the second plate by bending the deformable hinge plate;

wherein the elongated hole is accessed for vertical adjustment of the hinge through the first access aperture and the second access aperture; and

,

wherein the first plate moves laterally with respect to the face plate when the lateral adjustment cam is rotated.

5. The adjustable hinge of claim 4, where the overlay adjustment screw further comprises an overlay adjustment screw attachment means, adjacent the receiving surface for retracting the first plate relative to the second plate by bending the deformable hinge plate when the overlay adjustment screw is turned.

6. An adjustable hinge for mounting a cabinet door having a receiving bore to a cabinet frame comprising:

a hinge cup held in the receiving bore by a set of mounting dowels;

a pair of mounting flanges attached to the hinge cup for attaching the hinge cup to the cabinet door;

a spring retaining tab on the hinge cup;

a pair of coaxially aligned spring retaining holes in the hinge cup;

a pair of coaxially aligned hinge arm mounting holes in the hinge cup;

a hinge arm having a tubular mounting hole and further comprising a first cam surface and a second cam surface;

the hinge arm rotatably mounted in the hinge cup by an axle pin through the hinge arm mounting holes and the tubular mounting hole;

a coiled bias spring having a pair of helical coils and a first end and a second end adjacent the helical coils and a connecting arch between the helical coils;

the coiled bias spring further attached to the hinge cup whereby the connecting arch is adjacent the spring retaining tab, the pair of helical coils is coaxially aligned with the pair of hinge mounting holes and retained by a retaining pin through the retaining holes, and the first end is in sliding contact with the first cam surface and the second end is in sliding contact with the second cam surface;

whereby cooperation of the coiled bias spring and the first cam surface and the second cam surface bias the hinge arm in one of an open position and a closed position;

the hinge arm forming a flat attachment plate having a first access hole and a set of linear guide members;

an abutment plate assembly having an elongated cabinet frame mounting hole for adjustably attaching the abutment plate assembly to the cabinet frame and a first set of guide flanges for centering the abutment plate assembly on the cabinet frame;

the abutment plate assembly further comprising a second set of guide flanges

and a threaded lateral adjustment means whereby when a threaded member is rotated, lateral adjustment of the hinge door with respect to the cabinet frame occurs;

a cam means, connected between the flat attachment plate and the abutment plate assembly, whereby when a cam member is rotated, an overlay adjustment of the cabinet door with respect to the cabinet frame occurs;

wherein the abutment plate assembly further comprises a rigidly deformable unitary hinge plate integrally connected to a connection plate having a second access hole whereby the second access hole is generally collinear with the first access hole and the elongated cabinet frame mounting hole;

a threaded adjustment means, mounted in the abutment plate assembly whereby when the threaded adjustment means is rotated the connection plate is angularly displaced with respect to the abutment plate assembly by plastic deformation of the rigidly deformable unitary hinge plate.

7. The adjustable hinge of claim 6 wherein the threaded lateral means further comprises a threaded screw rotatably attached to a seating means for advancement and retraction of the seating means when the threaded screw is rotated.

8. The adjustable hinge of claim 6 wherein the cam means further comprises:

a cylindrical cam member, seated in an oblong cam hole in the flat attachment plate;

an offset cam follower hole in the abutment plate assembly; and

,

a cam standoff eccentrically mounted adjacent a central axis of the cylindrical cam member and pivotally retained in the follower hole.

9. The adjustable hinge of claim 6 wherein the threaded lateral adjustment means is accessible through the first access hole.

10. The adjustable hinge of claim 7 wherein the seating means further comprises:

a raised seat platform on the connection plate having a seating hole therethrough; and

,

a retaining means adjacent the seating hole and rigidly attached to the threaded retaining screw.

11. A hinge assembly comprising:

a hinge cup having a set of mounting flanges;

a hinge arm assembly pivotally mounted in the hinge cup along a pivot axis;

the hinge arm assembly comprising a first plate member and a second plate member;

the first plate member integrally formed with the hinge arm;

the first plate member further comprising a pair of opposing linear guide rails generally perpendicular to the pivot axis;

the first plate member further comprising a first access hole between the pair of opposing linear guide rails;

the second plate member comprising a top plate and a bottom plate integrally connected with a deformable hinge plate;

the top plate member further comprising a second access hole;

the top plate further connected to the bottom plate by a set screw assembly opposite the deformable hinge plate;

the bottom plate includes a first and a second set of stabilizing protrusions integrally formed therewith and extending from the bottom plate, and wherein the first set of stabilizing protrusions are positioned to be offset from and inside the second set of stabilizing protrusions;

the set screw assembly comprising a set screw operationally configured in a threaded hole in the top plate and a constraining hole in the bottom plate such that when the set screw is advanced the deformable hinge is deformed;

the top plate linearly constrained to travel within the pair of opposing linear guide rails;

the top plate further connected to the first plate member by a cam assembly;

the cam assembly comprising a cam member rotatably constrained in a first oblong hole in the first plate member and pivotally constrained in an offset cam follower hole in the top plate member adjacent the deformable hinge plate;

the first oblong hole having a first longitudinal axis generally parallel to the pivot axis;

the bottom plate further comprising a second oblong hole coaxial with the first access hole and the second access hole; and

,

the second oblong hole further having a second longitudinal axis generally parallel to the pivot axis.

12. The hinge assembly of claim 11 wherein:

the hinge arm includes a set of cam surfaces; and

,

a spring bias means, attached to the hinge cup and adjacent the set of cam surfaces, for biasing the hinge arm in one of the group of an open position and a closed position.

13. The hinge assembly of claim 11 wherein the spring bias means is a coil spring.

14. The hinge assembly of claim 11 wherein the set screw is accessible through the first access hole.

15. The hinge assembly of claim 11 wherein the cam member is axially constrained within the offset cam follower hole.

16. The hinge assembly of claim 11 wherein the set screw is axially constrained within the constraining hole.