Recessed hinge

Abstract

 Recessed hinge for door or window frames or furniture, having a mobile part (14) articulated with respect to a fixed part (13), comprising two containing bodies (11, 12), shaped so that each has a compartment (23, 24) and configured to be associated one with the fixed part (13) and the other with the mobile part (14), and an articulation member to articulate the two containing bodies (11, 12) with respect to each other.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns a recessed hinge or retractable hinge, to articulate a mobile part, such as for example a door, or the closing element of a piece of furniture, with respect to a fixed part, such as for example the corresponding door jamb, or the fixed frame of the furniture, so that, in the closed position, the hinge is substantially not visible from the outside.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In the field of door or window frames and furniture, so called recessed or retractable hinges are known, which, as well as allowing the articulation of a mobile part with respect to a fixed part, have their components disposed inside the two articulated parts, fixed and mobile, so that when the mobile part is in the closed position, the components of the hinge are not visible from the outside.

[0003] In particular, from the Italian patent of industrial invention N° 1.370.277 granted on 02.02.2010 to the present Applicant, which corresponds to the European Patent Application N° EP-A-1.857.623, a hinge is known in which a connection element is pivoted, along vertical pivoting axes, both to the first containing body and to the second containing body, the latter both associated to the mobile and fixed parts. The connection element comprises two toothed wheels engaging with each other, pivoted along respective axes of rotation parallel to the two vertical pivoting axes as above. Each containing body comprises a circular toothed sector, which develops around the vertical pivoting axes. The toothed wheels engage with each other and each one also engages with one of the circular toothed sectors.

[0004] Although it allows an aperture of 180° of the mobile part with respect to the fixed part, this known hinge has the disadvantage that it leaves too marked a gap between the fixed part and the mobile one, when the latter is in the closed position, which in practice renders the components of the hinge visible from the outside. This occurs because the pivoting axes of the end parts of the connection element are fixed with respect to the containing bodies.

[0005] One purpose of the present invention is to obtain a hinge, of the recessed type which as well as allowing an aperture of 180° of the mobile part with respect to the fixed part, reduces to a minimum the gap between the two mobile and fixed parts, even when the latter is in the closed position, so the components of the hinge are practically not visible from the outside.

[0006] Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a hinge provided with simple components to make, which is able to support relatively high loads, and which is not very bulky or costly.

[0007] The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

[0009] In accordance with the above purposes, a hinge of the recessed type according to the present invention, which overcomes the limits of the state of the art and eliminates the defects present therein, is able to articulate a mobile part, such as for example a door, or the closing element of a piece of furniture, with respect to a fixed part.

[0010] The hinge according to the present invention comprises two containing bodies, shaped so as to each have a compartment and suitable to be associated one to the fixed part and the other to the mobile part. An articulation member articulates the containing bodies with respect to each other.

[0011] According to a main characteristic of the present invention, each of the containing bodies, inside the corresponding compartment, is provided at least with a rack, with a support surface, which acts as a sliding block, parallel to the rack, and with a guide parallel to the support surface. Moreover, the articulation member comprises a connection element with two ends, each of which is provided at least with a first toothed sector, engaging with the corresponding rack of one of the containing bodies. In each of the two ends of the connection element a toothed element is mounted, with a pin able to slide inside the corresponding guide and provided with a flat surface which cooperates with the support surface, in order to slide with respect to it, and a second toothed sector. The two toothed elements located at the two ends of the connection element are connected to each other by means of a train of gears.

[0012] This transmission system with its toothed wheels renders coherent the movement of the two ends of the connection element, so that the linear movement of one of the ends of the connection element, with respect to the corresponding containing body, is identical to that of the other end with respect to the corresponding containing body.

[0013] The recessed hinge according to the present invention, unlike those in the state of the art, causes the mobile part to be disposed, in the closed position, at a greatly reduced distance with respect to the fixed part. Moreover, there is also the advantage that, in said closed position, the connection element, including the train of gears, is practically all inside the compartments made in the containing bodies, and therefore not visible from the outside.

[0014] Moreover, in the open position, the hinge according to the present invention obtains a greater distance of the mobile part with respect to the fixed part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of one form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

• fig. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a recessed hinge according to the present invention, in a completely open position;
• fig. 2 is a front view of the hinge in fig. 1;
• fig. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the hinge in fig. 1, in a partly open position;
• fig. 4 is a three-dimensional view of the hinge in fig. 1, in a closed position;
• fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the hinge in fig. 1 in a closed position;
• fig. 6 is a section from VI to VI of fig. 2;
• fig. 7 is a section from VII to VII of fig. 2;
• fig. 8 shows an enlarged detail of fig. 7;
• fig. 9 is a section of the hinge in fig. 2;
• fig. 10 is a three-dimensional view of the hinge in fig. 1, in which some internal components are visible of the connection element between the two containing bodies.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE FORM OF EMBODIMENT

[0016] With reference to figs. 1 and 2, a hinge 10 of the recessed or retractable type, according to the present invention comprises two containing bodies 11 and 12, one solid to a fixed part 13 (figs. 5, 6 and 7), such as for example a door jamb, or the structure of a cupboard, and the other solid to a mobile part 14, such as for example the corresponding door or closing element.

[0017] The hinge 10 is symmetrical, and therefore it is irrelevant which of the containing bodies 11 and 12 is associated to the fixed part 13 or to the mobile part 14.

[0018] The two containing bodies 11 and 12 are connected with each other by an articulation member, or connection element 18, substantially C-shaped and which will be described in detail hereafter.

[0019] The two containing bodies 11 and 12 comprise two corresponding compartments 23 and 24, in which the connection element 18 is disposed, only partly when the hinge 10 is in the open position and completely when the hinge 10 is in the closed position.

[0020] Two racks 35 and 36, parallel to each other, are made on two lateral walls 29 and 30 of the two compartments 23 and 24.

[0021] In each lateral wall 29 and 30, between the two racks 35 and 36 of each pair and parallel to them, a support surface 41 is made, respectively 42, which in the specific case is about half way up the height of the corresponding compartment 23 and 24.

[0022] On the upper 45 and lower walls 46 of the two compartments 23 and 24 two rectilinear guide eyelets 43 and 44 are made (fig. 2 and figs. from 5 to 10), aligned and parallel to each other, which act as a guide for two corresponding pins 61, respectively 62 of the connection element 18.

[0023] The connection element 18 is shaped so as to have two ends 49 and 50 of a partly circular shape and provided with corresponding first toothed sectors 53 and 54, the teeth of which constantly engage with the respective racks 35 and 36.

[0024] The development of the toothing of each first toothed sector 53 and 54 is substantially the same as that of the corresponding rack 35 and 36 with which it engages.

[0025] The pins 61 and 62 are positioned substantially at the center of the ends 49 and 50 of the connection element 18 and are free to slide inside the pairs of guide eyelets 43 and 44.

[0026] Two toothed elements 65 and 66 are also pivoted on the pins 61 and 62, each of which toothed elements 65 and 66 has substantially the shape of a toothed wheel, from which a part has been removed, tracing a chord which defines a flat surface 69, respectively 70, and a second toothed sector 71 and 72. In this way the toothed elements 65 and 66 are coaxial to the toothed sectors 53 and 54.

[0027] The flat surfaces 69 and 70 of the two toothed elements 65 and 66 are suitable to slide on the support surfaces 41 and 42 made inside the compartments 23 and 24.

[0028] The connection element 18 also comprises a compartment 76, inside which a train of gears 75 is disposed, in this case comprising six intermediate toothed pinions 74 and two end toothed pinions 74a and 74b. In particular, all the toothed pinions 74, 74a and 74b are disposed in sequence, engaging with each other, and connecting the toothed element 65 with the toothed element 66. Each toothed pinion 74, 74a and 74b is mounted on pins 77 mounted on the connection element 18 and parallel to the pins 61 and 62.

[0029] The compartment 76 of the connection element 18 is closed with a lid or guard 80 at the front part.

[0030] The hinge 10 as described heretofore functions as follows.

[0031] In the closed position the hinge 10 (figs. 4 and 5) is completely inside the fixed part 13 and the mobile part 14, including the connection element 18.

[0032] By making the mobile part 14 gradually rotate by 180° with respect to the fixed part 13 (in an anti-clockwise direction in fig. 5) in order to take it from the closed position to the maximum open position, shown in figs. 1, 2 and from 6 to 10, passing from an intermediate position, shown in fig. 3, the following happens in the hinge 10.

[0033] The two containing bodies 11 and 12 are gradually distanced from each other, while the toothed elements 65 and 66 slide, with their flat surfaces 69 and 70, on the support surfaces 41 and 42. In this way, also because the pins 61 and 62 are guided by the guide eyelets 43 and 44, and because the two toothed elements 65 and 66 are connected to each other by means of the train of gears 75, a rotation-translation of the ends 49 and 50 of the connection element 18 is obtained, until, remaining constantly in symmetric positions with each other, that is, with their pins 61 and 62 both positioned inside the guide eyelets 43 and 44, in the maximum open position, the connection element 18 is almost all outside the two compartments 23 and 24 of the containing bodies 11 and 12.

[0034] By rotating the mobile part 14 in the opposite direction to the fixed part 13, the hinge 10 returns to the closed position as previously shown.

[0035] It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the hinge 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

[0036] It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of recessed hinge, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

Claims

1. Recessed hinge for door or window frames or furniture, having a mobile part (14) articulated with respect to a fixed part (13), comprising two containing bodies (11, 12), shaped so that each has a compartment (23, 24) and configured to be associated one with said fixed part (13) and the other with said mobile part (14), and an articulation member articulating said two containing bodies (11, 12) with respect to each other, characterized in that each of said containing bodies (11, 12), inside the corresponding compartment (23, 24), is provided at least with a rack (35, 36), with a support surface (41, 42) parallel to said rack (35, 36) and with a guide (43, 44) parallel to said support surface (41, 42), in that said articulation member comprises a connection element (18) having two ends (49, 50), each of which is provided at least with a first toothed sector (53, 54), engaging with the corresponding rack (35, 36) of one of said containing bodies (11, 12), in that, in each of said two ends (49, 50) of said connection element (18), a toothed element (65, 66) is mounted, having a pin (61, 62) sliding inside the corresponding guide (43, 44), in that said toothed element (65, 66) is provided with a flat surface (69, 70) that cooperates with the corresponding support surface (41, 42), and with a second toothed sector (71, 72), and in that a train of gears (75) is disposed in said connection element (18) and engages with said second toothed sectors (71, 72).

2. Recessed hinge as in claim 1, characterized in that said rack (35, 36) and said support surface (41, 42) are made on a lateral wall (29, 30) of said containing body (11, 12).

3. Recessed hinge as in claim 2, characterized in that said guide comprises an eyelet (43, 44) made in a wall (45, 46) of said containing body (11, 12), perpendicular to said lateral wall (29, 30).

4. Recessed hinge as in claim 2, characterized in that two racks (35, 36) are provided in said lateral wall (29, 30) of each of said containing bodies (11, 12) and in that said support surface (41, 42) is disposed between said two racks (35, 36).

5. Recessed hinge as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said connection element (18) comprises a cavity (76) in which said train of gears (75) is disposed.

6. Recessed hinge as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said train of gears (75) comprises a plurality of toothed pinions (74, 74a, 74b) disposed in sequence, so that the intermediate toothed pinions (74) engage with each other and the end toothed pinions (74a, 74b) engage on one side with an intermediate toothed pinion (74) and on the other side with the corresponding toothed element (65,66).

Drawing