Hinge

Abstract

A hinge supports a door panel having a door edge in a door frame having a frame edge in a closed position of the door. A door part fixed to the door edge defines first and second parallel door axes in the gap between the door edge and frame edge, and a frame part fixed to the frame edge defines first and second parallel frame axes recessed in the door frame. A first link has one end pivoted on the door panel at the first door axis and an opposite end pivoted on the frame part at the first frame axis, and a second link separate from the first link has one end pivoted on the door part at the second door axis and an opposite end pivoted on the frame part at the second frame axis.

Claims

1. A hinge for pivotally mounting a door panel having a door edge on a door frame having a frame edge juxtaposed with and confronting the door edge in a closed position of the door with the door and frame edges delimiting a gap, the hinge comprising: a door part fixed to the door edge and defining first and second parallel door axes in the gap between the door edge and frame edge; a frame part fixed to the frame edge and defining first and second parallel frame axes recessed in the door frame and offset from the gap; a first link having one end pivoted on the door part at the first door axis and an opposite end pivoted on the frame part at the first frame axis; a second link separate from the first link and having one end pivoted on the door part at the second door axis and an opposite end pivoted on the frame part at the second frame axis, whereby the door is pivotal from the closed position through at least 135° to an open position.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the door part is completely in the gap between door panel and door frame in the closed position.

3. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the gap has a dimension measured perpendicular to a plane of the frame of less than 15 mm.

4. The hinge according to claim 1 wherein the door frame is a hollow profile.

5. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the door panel is formed with a lip extending in a plane of the door panel across the gap in the closed position.

6. The hinge according to claim 5, wherein the lip is formed with a groove adapted to hold a seal engageable with a face of the frame in the closed position.

7. The hinge according to claim 5, wherein the frame is formed with a setback groove into which the lip engages in the closed position.

8. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the door edge is formed with a planar mounting face extending parallel to the axes and to which the door part is fixed.

9. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein the door and frame parts are made of sheet metal.

10. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein a connecting line between midpoints of the first and second door axes is parallel to the mounting face.

11. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein a connecting line extending between midpoints of the first and second door axes forms an angle of 85° to 95° to the a connecting line between midpoints of the first and second frame axes in the closed position.

12. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein the gap has a horizontal dimension parallel to a plane of the door panel of at most 5 mm.

13. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein the frame part has at least one mounting flange that attaches the frame part to the frame edge.

14. The hinge according to claim 13, wherein at least 70% of a width of the first link and of a width of the second link is behind a mounting plane defined in the closed position by the mounting flange.

15. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the door part is formed with tabs in which the first and second links are pivoted.

16. The hinge according to claim 15, wherein the frame part is formed with tabs in which the first and second links are pivoted.

17. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the frame part is open away from the door panel such that in the closed position the links can dip into the frame part deeply.

18. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the frame part is formed with oppositely vertically projecting flanges by which the frame part is fastened to the frame.

19. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the frame part has horizontal upper and lower end walls having outer edges and mounting flanges extending vertically from the outer edges.

20. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the frame part is formed as one piece.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a large-scale partly schematic perspective view of a door-hinge assembly according to the invention;

(3) FIGS. 2A, 2B are horizontal sections through the assembly of FIG. 1 with a closed door;

(4) FIG. 3 is a section through the hinge assembly door according to FIG. 1 in which only the door part is represented by the door hinge;

(5) FIGS. 4A to 4C are top sectional views of the hinge assembly door according to FIG. 1 with the door hinge in three different positions;

(6) FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the door hinge; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a one-piece door part for the door hinge.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a door frame 1, a door panel 2, and a door hinge 3. The door panel 2 is usually supported on the door frame 1 by at least two of the door hinges 3 shown in FIG. 1, it being noted that FIG. 1 shows only one of these two identical door hinges 3. As also in FIGS. 2A and 2B the door hinge 3 has a 4-axis hinge assembly. Specifically, the door hinge 3 has a first hinge link 4 that is vertically (direction Z) between a second hinge link 5 and a third hinge link 6.

(9) The second hinge link 5 and the third hinge link 6 are identical and also rotatably connected in the same manner to a frame part 7 and to a door part 8. In terms of the movement of the door hinge 3, the second hinge link 5 and the third hinge link 6 behave identically. In principle, an embodiment with only one first hinge link 4 and one second hinge link 5 is sufficient in the context of the invention. The assembly of the second hinge link 5 and the third hinge link 6, which is symmetrical with respect to a horizontal midplane, has been provided for the sake of uniform force distribution and purely for the sake of example.

(10) FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 4A to 4C show how the door hinge 3 has an opening angle of 180° starting from a closed position until a maximum open position is reached.

(11) The exact positions of the frame part 7, the door part 8, and the hinge links 4, 5, and 6 when the building door is in a closed position is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Accordingly, the door part 8 is attached to an edge 9 of the door panel 2 and the frame part 7 to an edge 10 of the door frame 1, which edges 9 and 10 are planar, parallel, and confront each other in the closed position. The door frame 1 and the door panel 2 are also spaced apart from one another by a door gap 35 between the door edge 9 and the frame edge 10. This door gap 35 can be seen particularly clearly in the large-scale view of FIG. 3. The first door axis 11 and the second door axis 12 are in the door gap 35 between the door panel 2 and door frame 1. In the illustrated examples, however, not only the door axes 11, 12 are in the door gap 35, but also the entire door part 8, with fasteners for attaching the door part 8 to the door panel 2 not being covered by the frame part 8. A dimension S of the gap 35 is 12 mm, with the frame part 8 extending over a width of 10 mm within the gap 35.

(12) It can also be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4 that both the door frame 1 and the door panel 2 are formed by hollow profiles. Usually, such hollow profiles are made of aluminum, since they can then be extruded and machined in a simple manner on the one hand and have a sufficiently high strength on the other hand. In principle, the building door can also be produced without a door frame 1 and a door panel made of a hollow profile, in which case such a configuration is useful at least for the door frame 1, since a cavity or recess 13 formed on the frame side by the hollow profile is capable of receiving most of the frame part 7 and of the hinge links 4, 5, in the closed position. This can be seen particularly from FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 4A to 4C. The frame part 1 is attached by first and second mounting flanges 15 and 16 that bear directly against the edge 10 of the door frame 1 and are each attached to the door frame 1 by a plurality of fasteners. In the present example, the attachment is achieved by two screws per mounting flange 15, 16.

(13) The door panel 2 has a front lip 17 that is formed on the hollow profile at the outer edge of the panel 1 and that extends parallel to a plane of the panel 2 partly in front of the door frame 1. This lip 17 fulfills two different tasks. A first task is to cover the door gap 35 in the closed position. As a result, not only the door gap 35, but also the door part 8 or portions of the frame part 7 and the hinge link 4, 5, 6 are no longer visible from the outside in the closed position. It is for this reason that the door frame 1 has a rear lip 18 in the present example, so that similar concealment is ensured from both sides of the door.

(14) In addition to concealment, the lips 17, 18 also each have a groove 19, 20 into which an unillustrated seal, for example a seal strip, can be inserted. This seal then abuts against portions of the door frame 1 and/or of the door panel 2 and prevents air flow through the door gap 35. Since the door frame 1 and the door panel 2 have outer faces lying in a common plane in the closed position on one side of the building door, the hollow profile of the door frame 1 has a setback into which the lip 17 engages in the closed position.

(15) Since the design of the door hinge 3 is of crucial importance for such a building door, the construction of the door hinge 3 will be explained in more detail below.

(16) FIGS. 2A and 2B show the building door in a sectional view, with FIG. 2A showing a cross section through the first hinge link 4 and FIG. 2B showing a cross section through the second hinge link 5. Since both the first door axis 11 of the first hinge link 4, and the second door axis 12 of the second hinge link 5 and the third hinge link 6, are inside the gap 35, it is necessary that the door axes 11, 12 be in front of a mounting plane 21 defined by the face of the door part 8 that bears against the door edge 9 when installed.

(17) In addition, the midpoints of the door axes 11, 12 define a connecting line 22 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) that, according to FIG. 3, runs in the gap 35 parallel to the mounting plane 21 and thus also parallel to the door edge 9 in the closed position. This ensures that the door part 8 is as compact as possible and can be fit within the door gap 35. The door part 8 is mounted on the door edge 9 here and fastened with a total of four screws in the example shown in FIG. 1.

(18) As can be seen in particular from FIG. 4A but also from FIG. 2B, the door part 8 engages at least partially in the frame part 7, so that a negative spacing or overlap is formed between the frame part 7 and the door part 8.

(19) Moreover, since the frame part 8 is completely within the door gap 35, the majority of the hinge links 4, 5, 6 must be inside the frame part 7 or within the frame-side cavity 13 in the closed position. For this purpose, the first hinge link 4 has a width a.sub.2 that is the maximum extension along a second horizontal direction X of the first hinge link 4. The spacing a.sub.1, on the other hand, describes the proportion of the width a.sub.2 that is extends the second horizontal direction X behind a frame-side mounting plane 23. In the example shown, the ratio of a.sub.1 to a.sub.2 is 80%.

(20) A corresponding ratio of b.sub.1 to b.sub.2 can also be determined for the second hinge link 5 and the third hinge link 6, this being 75%.

(21) FIGS. 4A to 4C show the building door and, in particular, the door hinge 3 in opposite end positions.

(22) According to FIG. 4A, the building door is completely closed, while FIG. 4C shows a fully opened building door, the opening angle being 180°. According to FIG. 4B, the building door is opened at an angle of 90°.

(23) FIGS. 4A to 4C also show how the connecting line 22 between the door axes 11, 12 and the connecting line 24 between the frame axes 25, 26 behave relative to one another in different positions. Both in the closed position (FIG. 4A) and in a completely open position (FIG. 4C), the connecting lines 22, 24 are perpendicular to one another, with the point of intersection between the connecting lines 22, 24 passing through the second door axis 12 in the closed position. In a completely open position, the point of intersection shifts in the direction of the frame axes 25, 26 and lies just in front of the second frame axis 26. In an open position at 90°, the connecting lines 22, 24 are parallel to each other and therefore do not intersect.

(24) The construction of the door hinge 3 can be seen in more detail in the exploded view of FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the door part 8, the frame part 7, and the subassembly of the C-shaped hinge links 4, 5, 6 are shown separately. The hinge links 4, 5, 6 therefore have thickened portions at their ends, each with a hole at which the hinge links 4, 5, 6 are rotatably connected to the frame part 7 and the door part 8 by a plurality of pivot pins 27. The door part 8 has a plurality of perpendicular tabs 28 with holes for this purpose. Specifically, the two outer perpendicular tabs 28 each have one hole and the two middle perpendicular tabs 28 each have two holes, so that the hinge links 4, 5, 6 can be between the individual perpendicular tabs 28 and rotatably connected thereto by the respective pivot pins 27.

(25) For attachment of the hinge links 4, 5, 6 on the frame-part side, the frame part 7 has two end walls 29 and two intermediate webs 30, with a hole being provided in each of the end walls 29 and two holes being provided in each of the intermediate webs 30. These holes are used for pivotally mounting the hinge links 4, 5, 6 by the respective pivot pins 27.

(26) In order to impart a greater level of stability to the frame part 7, the end walls 29 and the intermediate webs 30 are connected by a side wall 31. In addition, two connecting webs 32 are provided of which a first connecting web 32 connects a first end wall 29 to a first intermediate web 30 and a second connecting web 32 connects a second end wall 29 to a second intermediate web 30. The intermediate webs 30 are not connected to one another by a connecting web 32, so that the frame part 7 is not closed at the rear in the area between the intermediate webs 30. This area receives the first hinge link 4, which is thus between the intermediate webs 30. Due to the lack of the rear wall, the first hinge link 4 is able to dip deeply into the frame-side cavity 13 and make optimum use of the available frame-side cavity 13.

(27) In order to enable the door hinge 3 to be attached to the door frame 1, the frame part 7 has the mounting flanges 15 and 16 that extend vertically coplanar opposite each other from the frame part 7. The flanges 15 and 16 are, in turn attached to edges of the end walls 29. For this purpose, the end walls 29 each have a respective perpendicular tab that engages in a recess of the flanges 15 and 16. Subsequently, the mounting flanges 15 and 16 are connected to the end walls 29 by a screw.

(28) FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the frame part 7 that is formed integrally with the frame part 7 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. The frame part 7, in turn, has two mounting flanges 15 and 16 that are not formed on separate components, but rather directly on the one-piece door part 7. The end walls 29, in turn, have a perpendicular tab for this purpose, the mounting flanges 15 and 16 being formed by these perpendicular tabs. A hole is provided in each of the perpendicular tabs for attaching the frame part 7, so that the frame part 7 can be secured to a door frame with the aid of fasteners.