Hinge with electrical wiring

• US 8,307,509 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Select Products Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Select Products Ltd.
• Inventors: Schau, Timothy Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, William L.
• Application Number:
  US12/378,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 163/54, 163/42, 163/66, 163/87, 16 21- 22, 162/23, 162/50, 439/31, 439/165, 200/61.7, 361/679.28, 312/326, 160/229.1, 493/98, 174/86
• US Class Current: 16/354
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0081 for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/009 Elongate hinges, e.g. piano-hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors

Abstract

A geared full surface mounted continuous hinge with a hole in a thrust bearing supporting the hinge, said hole adapted to accommodate a flexible tube containing electrical wiring and thereby facilitate the passage of electric current from a frame to appliances in a door connected to the frame using the hinge.

Claims

1. An improvement in a geared full surface continuous door hinge for use on a door equipped with at least one electrical appliance, comprising

a) a frame leaf and a door leaf, each leaf having a plate segment and gear segments, said gear segments arranged to mesh with each other and said plate segments having a channel under the plate segments between an outer hole and an inner hole,

b) a plurality of thrust bearing segments interspersed between the meshing gear segments with at least one of the thrust bearing segments having a hole aligned with the channels in the plate segments for passage of electrical wiring,

c) the electrical wiring long enough to extend

i. up through the outer hole of the plate segment of the frame leaf,

ii. through the channel under the plate segment of the frame leaf,

iii. out through the inner hole of the plate segment of the frame leaf,

iv. through the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment,

v. down through the inner hole of the plate segment of the door leaf,

vi. through the channel under the plate segment of the door leaf, and

vii. up out of the outer hole in the plate segment of the door leaf,

d) a flexible tube enclosing said electrical wiring long enough to extend from a position in the channel under the plate segment of the frame leaf to a position in the channel under the plate segment of the door leaf.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the hinge further comprises

e) a cap over the gear segments and the bearing segments,

f) a first cover over the outer hole in the frame leaf out of which hole the electrical wiring extends ready for connecting to wires from a source of electrical power and

g) a second cover over the outer hole in the door leaf out of which hole the electrical wiring extends ready for connecting to the at least one electrical appliance in the door, said cap having cutouts aligned with the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment to relieve the wiring as the wiring passes from the frame leaf though the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment to the door leaf.

3. A geared full surface continuous hinge for a door comprisingtwo leaves, each leaf having meshing geared segments and a plate segment extending substantially for the full length of the door,a plurality of thrust bearings interspersed between and interrupting the meshing geared segments of the hinge,a hole through at least one of the thrust bearings aligned with channels under the leaves,two holes in each of the plate segments at each end of said channels, andelectric wires enclosed in a flexible tube

whereby said holes and channels are aligned permitting the electric wires enclosed in the flexible tube to pass through and under the hinge in and out of the holes in the plate segments and the hole in the at least one bearing and thereby provide a conduit through the hinge for an electric current to pass from connecting electrical wiring in a frame in which the door is mounted to connecting electrical wiring from an electric appliance in the door while remaining substantially concealed to a person outside the door.

4. A combination providing a conduit for electrical wiring through a full surface continuous gear hinge adapted for attachment to a door having an outside surface and a door frame having an outside surface, said hinge having a door leaf and a frame leaf, each leaf having a plate segment and a plurality of meshing geared segments interrupted with thrust bearing segments, said leaves adapted to attach to said outside surfaces and pivot around said thrust bearing segments and meshing geared segments, said combination comprising

a. at least one of the thrust bearing segments having a hole aligned with inner and outer holes at each end of channels under the plate segment of the frame and door leaves, said holes and channels allowing the electrical wiring to pass into the outer hole of the frame leaf, through the channel and out of the inner hole of the frame leaf, through the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment and into the inner hole of the door leaf, through the channel and out the outer hole of the door leaf,

b. a cap extending substantially the full length of the hinge and covering and holding the geared and bearing segments of the hinge together while permitting the door to pivot a full 180 degrees with the assistance of cutouts in the cap aligned with the holes and

c. a cover extending substantially the full length of the hinge and adapted to substantially conceal and protect the electrical wiring passing into and out of the outer holes in the leaves.

5. The combination of claim 4 further comprising

d. said electrical wiring is partially enclosed in a flexible tube, said wiring extending through the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment and the channels under the leaf plates and out of the outer holes in the leaf plates, said flexible tube extending from the channel under the flame leaf plate out through the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment down to the channel under the door leaf,

e. the cap is removable being secured by a set screw,

f. the cover over the wires and the outer hole in the flame leaf plate is non-removable being secured by opposing barbs on rails affixed to the frame leaf plate and

g. the cover over the wires and the outer hole in the door leaf plate is removable being secured by a set screw.

6. A geared full surface continuous door hinge for use on a door having at least one electrical appliance, the hinge comprising:

a. a flame leaf and a door leaf, each leaf having a plate segment and gear segments interrupted with thrust bearing segments, said gear segments arranged to mesh with each other;

b. at least one of the thrust bearing segments having a side parallel to the frame leaf, a side parallel to the door leaf, and a hole extending laterally through the at least one thrust bearing segment from the side parallel to the frame leaf to the side parallel to the door leaf, wherein said sides of the at least one thrust bearing segment each include a longitudinally extending channel oriented generally transverse to the hole, the channels slidably receiving a cap; and

c. electrical wiring extending up from a hole in the door leaf through the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment down through a hole in the door leaf segment, such that the hole in the at least one thrust bearing segment acts as a conduit for connecting the electrical wiring from a frame to the door in which the at least one electrical appliance is installed.