Furniture hinge with damping device

• US 7,874,043 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2005
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arturo Salice SPA
• Original Assignee: Arturo Salice SPA
• Inventors: Salice, Luciano
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson; Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morgan; Emily M
• Application Number:
  US10/584,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,904 Days
• Field of Search: 162/86, 162/87, 162/88, 162/72, 162/71, 163/27, 163/37, 163/35, 312/319.1, 312/319.2, 312/326, 312/329
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/08 Friction devices between relatively-movable hinge parts E05D7/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/087 with substantially axial friction, e.g. friction disks
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1021 the hinge having two or more pins and being specially adapted for cabinets or furniture
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 5/08 of cylindrical shape
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1284 with a leaf or similar spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/006 for hinges having a cup-shaped fixing part, e.g. for attachment to cabinets or furniture
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/02 specially for preventing the slamming of swinging wings during final closing movement, e.g. jamb stops
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/254 Fluid or viscous friction
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/266 rotary
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/604 Transmission members
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/622 Suspension or transmission members elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/638 Cams; Ramps
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/21 of identical elements, e.g. of identical compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/242 arranged in parallel relationship
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/73 Multiple functions
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furniture, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

Furniture hinge with damping and/or braking device in alternative to those already existing and capable of guaranteeing an improved efficiency during the closing and/or opening operation of doors, or other furniture parts, without any variations to the overall dimensions of standard hinges. The improved efficiency of the hinge is obtained by increasing the friction surfaces with a viscous medium present in suitable areas of the hinge and/or by allowing regulation of the trend of the angular velocities of one or more circular shaped elements, for example a disc, which act as braking elements in contact with the viscous medium.

Claims

1. Furniture hinge comprising:

a fixing arm for fixing to a piece of furniture,

means for fixing to a door of said piece of furniture, incorporating a cup,

first and second rockers, forming an articulated quadrilateral and joining said fixing arm to said cup so as to allow reciprocal pivoting thereof,

a connection element fixed to the first rocker,

damping means of said reciprocal pivoting comprising a slider, and damping moving elements, said slider being controlled in translation by the connection element and suitable to translate according to a first direction corresponding to a pivoting of the hinge, said slider cooperating with kinematic means for motion conversion suitable to convert a translational motion of the slider into a damping pivoting motion

a housing wherein the damping means is disposed in said housing, with said housing being separate from said cup, enclosing said slider, said housing comprising a casing element separate from said cup and serving to guide the movement of said slider, said damping moving elements, and said kinematic means for motion conversion, and are provided with fast connection means to said cup so that said slider and said damping moving elements are suitable to be assembled with one another with the housing so that said damping means and said housing form a single element suitable to be fixed to one end of said cup in a single operation.

2. Hinge according to claim 1, wherein said fast connection means are pins suitable to engage first holes of the housing and second holes of the cup.

3. Hinge according to claim 1, wherein said damping moving elements are circular in shape, immersed in a viscous means which wets the outer surfaces thereof, and suitable to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the first direction so as to cause a braking force corresponding to movements of the hinge.

4. Furniture hinge according to claim 3, wherein said damping moving elements comprise a flat shaped disc.

5. Furniture hinge according to claim 3, wherein said damping moving elements comprise cylinders.

6. Furniture hinge according to claim 4, wherein the kinematic means for motion conversion comprise a groove in the form of a cam produced on the disc and a tappet element fixed to the slider.

7. Furniture hinge according to claim 4, wherein the kinematic means for motion conversion comprise a series of spiral grooves on the disc and a protuberance fixed on the slider which engages with at least one groove shaped to cause pivoting of the disc.

8. Furniture hinge according to claim 7, wherein the spiral grooves have profiles with saw tooth sections and the protuberance on the slider has a profile with a section having a complementary shape to the profiles of the grooves.

9. Furniture hinge according to claim 8, wherein the protuberance and the profile of the grooves are shaped to interact only in one direction of translation of the slider.

10. Furniture hinge according to claim 5, wherein the slider is provided with a series of peripheral teeth which are suitable to engage arms projecting from the perimeter of the cylinders so as to produce a rotation of the cylinders about an axis thereof.

11. Furniture hinge according to claim 9, wherein the protuberance on the slider is provided with a substantially pointed end, suitable to press on the profiles with saw tooth sections of the spiral grooves during closing of the door starting from a partially open position of the door itself.

12. Furniture hinge according to claim 4, wherein there are provided suitable circular grooves and ribs on the lower surface of the disc coupled respectively to complementary ribs and grooves provided on a base of the hinge.

13. Furniture hinge according to claim 7, wherein there are provided suitable circular grooves and ribs on the lower surface of the disc coupled respectively to complementary ribs and grooves provided on a base of the hinge.

14. Method for assembling a furniture hinge comprising a fixing arm for fixing to a piece of furniture, means for fixing to a door of said piece of furniture, incorporating a cup, first and second rockers, a slider, kinematic means for conversion of a translational motion of the slider into a damping pivoting motion, damping moving elements, a housing;

said method comprising the steps;

assembling the hinge comprising the fixing arm, the cup and the first and second rockers, forming an articulated quadrilateral and joining said fixing arm to said cup so as to allow reciprocal pivoting thereof;

assembling in the housing the slider, the damping moving elements and the kinematic means for conversion of a translational motion of the slider into a damping pivoting motion of said damping moving elements;

fixing said housing to one end of said cup of the hinge in a single operation by means of fast connection means.

15. A furniture hinge comprising:

a fixing arm for fixing to a piece of furniture,

a cup for fixing to a door of said piece of furniture,

first and second rockers, forming an articulated quadrilateral and joining said fixing arm to said cup so as to allow reciprocal pivoting thereof,

a connection element fixed to the first rocker,

a housing comprising a casing and a base;

a damper disposed in said housing, said damper for damping a reciprocal pivoting movement, said damper comprising;

a slider, controlled in translation by the connection element and suitable to translate according to a first direction corresponding to a pivoting of the hinge,

a kinematic element, said slider cooperating with said kinematic element for motion conversion suitable to convert a translational motion of the slider into a damping pivoting motion,

a viscous medium disposed in said housing;

wherein said cup is separate from said housing, and wherein said housing encloses said slider, said housing comprises a said casing element being separate from said cup such that when said cup is moved away from said housing, said casing remains coupled to said base, said casing serving to guide the movement of said slider, damping moving elements, and said kinematic element for motion conversion, and

wherein said housing comprises connection elements configured to connect to said cup, so that said slider and said damping moving elements are suitable to be assembled with one another with said housing so that said damper forms a single element suitable to be fixed to one end of said cup in a single operation.

16. The furniture hinge as in claim 15, wherein said cup has an aperture and said housing has an aperture, wherein said aperture of said cup is smaller than said aperture of said housing.

17. The furniture hinge as in claim 15, wherein said housing comprises a casing forming one side enclosure and a base disc, forming an opposite side enclosure.

18. A furniture hinge comprising:

a fixing arm for fixing to a piece of furniture,

a cup for fixing to a door of said piece of furniture,

first and second rockers, forming an articulated quadrilateral and joining said fixing arm to said cup so as to allow reciprocal pivoting thereof,

a connection element fixed to the first rocker,

a housing comprising a casing and a base said housing being external to said cup;

a damper disposed in said housing, said damper for damping a reciprocal pivoting movement, said damper comprising;

a slider, controlled in translation by the connection element and suitable to translate according to a first direction corresponding to a pivoting of the hinge,

a kinematic element said slider cooperating with said kinematic element for motion conversion suitable to convert a translational motion of the slider into a damping pivoting motion,

a viscous medium disposed in said housing;

wherein said cup is separate from said housing, and wherein said housing encloses said slider, said housing comprises first and second delimitation parts which are mutually engaged with each other with said first delimitation part overlapping the base plate of said cup, and wherein said sliding element is slidingly guided along the hole of the first delimitation part and takes movement through the hole of the base plate, wherein the housing has a peripheral side enclosure for lateral containment of the damper.

19. The furniture hinge as in claim 18, wherein said cup comprises at least one indentation configured to receive at least one protrusion of said casing.