Soft-closing hinge for use in furniture

• US 9,366,067 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhiyong Wu
• Original Assignee: Zhiyong Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Zhiyong
• Primary Examiner(s): MAH, CHUCK Y
• Application Number:
  US14/601,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20150315832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 2007/0492 in three directions
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/02 with one pin
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/0407 the hinges having two or more pins and being specially adapted for cabinets or furniture
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/0415 with adjusting drive means
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1215 with a canted-coil torsion spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1292 with a gas 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: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/214 Disengaging means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/256 with pistons or vanes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/264 linear
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets

Abstract

Soft-closing hinge for furniture comprising a movable hinge cup coupled to a door panel, a securing member coupled to a wall panel and a hinge arm configured to couple the hinge cup to the securing member. A damper on the hinge cup acts on the hinge arm at least when the hinge is closed. A spring is disposed in the hinge. One end of the hinge arm is hinged to the hinge cup. A cross section of an end of the spring is non-circular and has a sliding member with a concave chamber disposed thereon. An end of the spring is disposed in the concave chamber. A bottom surface of the sliding member acts on a rotation portion of the hinge arm via elasticity of the spring and moves relative to the rotation portion when the hinge is opened and/or closed to generate an opening or closing force.

Claims

1. A soft-closing hinge for use in furniture, comprising a movable hinge cup (1) coupled to a door panel, a securing member (8) coupled to a wall panel and a hinge arm (2) configured to couple the movable hinge cup (1) to the securing member (8), a damper (5) being disposed on the movable hinge cup (1), the damper (5) acting on the hinge arm (2) at least when the hinge is closed, a spring (3) coupled to the movable hinge cup (1) for at least exerting an opening or closing force to the movable hinge cup (1) being disposed in the hinge;

wherein;

one end of the hinge arm (2) is hinged to the movable hinge cup (1) via a coupling unit;

a cross section of at least one end of the spring (3) is of a non-circular shape and provided with a sliding member (4), a concave chamber (4.1) being disposed on the sliding member (4), and at least one end of the spring (3) is disposed in the concave chamber (4.1); and

a bottom surface (4.2) of the sliding member (4) acts on a rotation portion (2.1) of the hinge arm (2) via elasticity of the spring (3) and moves relative to the rotation portion (2.1) when the hinge is opened and/or closed to generate an opening force or a closing force, wherein;

the spring (3) is a metal torsion spring, and one end of the spring (3) is disposed in the concave chamber (4.1) of the sliding member (4) and movably crimped on the rotation portion (2.1) of the hinge arm (2) via the sliding member (4) when the hinge is opened and/or closed; and

the other end of the spring (3) is positioned and acts on the movable hinge cup (1),

one end of the sliding member (4) is provided with the concave chamber (4.1) and sleeved onto one end of the spring (3) via the concave chamber (4.1), and the other end of the sliding member (4) is positioned and acts on an intermediate portion of the spring (3) or on the movable hinge cup (1), is provided with a buckle unit (4.3), and is further positioned on a chamber body (3.1) in the intermediate portion of the spring (3) via the buckle unit (4.3),

the cross section of one end of the spring (3) is at least a quadrangle, an ellipse, a triangle, a trapezoid, or a polygon;

a cross section of the concave chamber (4.1) of the sliding member (4) mates with the cross section of one end of the spring (3) in terms of shape, and one end of the spring (3) is received in the concave chamber (4.1) of the sliding member (4);

or the cross section of the concave chamber (4.1) of the sliding member (4) is circular, and one end of the spring (3) is received in the concave chamber (4.1) of the sliding member (4),

the sliding member (4) is made of plastic or rubber, and the rotation portion (2.1) is made of metal; and

the bottom surface (4.2) of the sliding member (4) linearly acts on the rotation portion (2.1) of the hinge arm (2) when the hinge is opened and/or closed,

the bottom surface (4.2) of the sliding member (4) acting on the rotation portion (2.1) is a planar surface or an arc surface, and a portion of the sliding member (4) has a cross sectional shape that is at least partially linear, and

the movable hinge cup (1) is made of metal, the sliding member (4) is positioned on the spring (3) via the buckle unit (4.3), the sliding member (4) is further provided with an action portion (4.4) and acts on the intermediate portion of the spring (3) via the action portion (4.4), and the intermediate portion of the spring (3) is pressed against the movable hinge cup (1) via the action portion (4.4) to eliminate the force applied by the intermediate portion of the spring (3) onto the movable hinge cup (1) and noise generated by longitudinal movement of the spring (3) relative to the movable hinge cup (1).

2. The soft-closing hinge for use in furniture according to claim 1, wherein the damper (5) is a self-resetting oil damper or a self-resetting gas damper, and positioned on the movable hinge cup (1) via a cover (6).

3. The soft-closing hinge for use in furniture according to claim 2, wherein the cover (6) is disposed on the damper (5) and provided with a damper switch member (9) in a rotation or swinging manner, and a buffer stroke of the damper (5) is restricted or restored by rotating or swing the damper switch member (9) when the hinge is opened and/or closed.