HINGE

Abstract

A hinge for an access closure panel there being a first mounting assembly comprising a first leaf and second leaf to secure to a door and a second mounting assembly hingingly connected to the first mounting assembly and to secure to a door frame. A linear damper is provided by the first mounting assembly to contact the second mounting assembly and slow the movement of the door before reaching its closed condition. The damper has an operative axis that is at an acute angle to the door.

Claims

1. A hinge for an access closure panel, the hinge comprising: a first mounting assembly comprising a first leaf and second leaf connected to said first leaf and adapted to capture therebetween part of and secure to one of said closure panel and a fixed structure that defines part of the access adjacent said closure panel, a second mounting assembly hingingly connected to the first mounting assembly and comprising a mounting leaf to secure to the other of said closure panel and fixed structure to allow the closure panel to be hingingly supported by said fixed structure to rotate between an access closed condition and an access opened condition, the first leaf and second leaf each having internal face sides presented parallel to each other to directly or indirectly abut respective face sides of the closure panel or fixed structure, a linear damper of said first mounting assembly secured to at least one of said first leaf and second leaf and presented in a manner to come into operative contact with said second mounting assembly when the closure panel is approaching the closed condition from an open condition to slow the movement of the closure panel before reaching the closed condition, the damper having an operative axis that is acute to the face sides of the first leaf and second leaf.

2. A hinge for an access closure panel, the hinge comprising: a first mounting assembly comprising a first leaf and second leaf connected to said first leaf and adapted to capture therebetween part of and secure to one of said closure panel and a fixed structure that defines part of the access adjacent said closure panel, a second mounting assembly hingingly connected to the first mounting assembly and comprising a mounting leaf to secure to the other of said closure panel and fixed structure to allow the closure panel to be hingingly supported by said fixed structure to rotate between an access closed condition and an access opened condition, the first leaf and second leaf each having internal face sides presented parallel to each other to directly or indirectly abut respective face sides of the closure panel or fixed structure, a linear damper of said first mounting assembly secured to at least one of said first leaf and second leaf and presented in a manner to come into operative contact with said second mounting assembly when the closure panel is approaching the closed condition from an open condition to slow the movement of the closure panel before reaching the closed condition, the damper having an operative axis that projects through the face sides of the first leaf and second leaf.

3. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the damper extends between the first leaf to the second leaf.

4. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the damper extends from the first leaf to the second leaf.

5. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the damper has an operative axis that is acute to the face sides of the first leaf and second leaf.

6. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the damper is located to said first leaf in a hole of said first leaf in which part of the damper is secured.

7. The hinge as claimed in claim 6 wherein the hole of the first leaf is a blind hole.

8. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two dampers are used in said hinge.

9. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the part of the mounting assembly to come into contact with the damper is part of the mounting leaf and the part of the mounting leaf coming into contact with the damper is not planar.

10. The hinge as claimed in claim 9 wherein the part of the mounting leaf coming into contact with the damper is curved or faceted.

11. The hinge as claimed in claim 10 wherein once contact is made with the damper by the mounting leaf and the access closure continues to move to the closed condition, the mounting leaf acts as a cam surface sliding over part of the damper.

12. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mounting leaf has a cam surface to come into sliding contact with the damper to cause the damper the compress and decompress in its axial direction.

13. The hinge as claimed in claim 12 wherein the cam surface has a lead in region to facilitate initial contact of the mounting leaf with the damper when moving from the open condition to the closed condition of the closure panel.

14. The hinge as claimed in claim 13 wherein operational axis of the damper is between 20 and 30 degrees to the normal of a notional plane to which the face sides of the first leaf and second leaf are parallel to.

15. An access providing partition at least part of the partition hingingly supporting an access closure to move between an access closing condition and an access open condition by a hinge as claimed in claim 1.

16. The access providing partition as claimed in claim 15 wherein the access closure panel is a door.

17. The access providing partition as claimed in claim 16 wherein the door is a glass panel.

18. The access providing partition as claimed in claim 16 wherein the closure panel comprises two opposed face sides parallel and separated from each other.

19. The access providing partition as claimed in claim 15 wherein the first leaf and second leaf are secured to the closure panel.

20. The access providing partition as claimed in claim 15 wherein the damper extends between the first leaf to the second leaf.

21. The access providing partition as claimed in claim 15 wherein the damper extends from the first leaf to the second leaf.

22. The access providing partition as claimed in claim 15 wherein closure panel includes a cut-out between the first leaf and second leaf through which the damper extends between the first leaf and second leaf and the damper extends through the cut-out.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0101] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein

[0102] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a gated fence supporting the gate by two hinges of the present invention,

[0103] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one side of a hinge of the present invention,

[0104] FIG. 3 shows the hinge of the present invention in an open condition showing internal parts,

[0105] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of FIG. 3 from a different direction,

[0106] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the hinge attached to two panels to hinge the two panels relative to each other without showing the damper,

[0107] FIG. 6 is a plan view in section of part of the hinge and panels showing the damper,

[0108] FIG. 7 shows the hinge of FIG. 6 in an open condition,

[0109] FIG. 8 shows a panel of the fence or gate with a cut out to allow for the dampers to project through the cut out,

[0110] FIG. 9 shows a plan view of parts of the hinge showing the mounting leaf having a cam surface, and

[0111] FIG. 10 shows a plan perspective view of part of the hinge illustrating the damper in position and the hinge attached to a panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0112] With reference to FIG. 1 there is shown an access closure panel 1 that is supported by two hinges 2 from a fixed structure 3. The hinges allow for the access closure panel 2 to rotate about axis xx relative to the fixed structure 3. In the examples shown in FIG. 1 the access closure panel is preferably a gate such as a pool gate which may be a glass panel. A latch mechanism 4 may be provided for holding the access closure panel in a closed condition. The fixed structure 3 may be or may be part of a partition or fence which includes an access or access way able to be closed by the access closure panel 1. The access closure panel 1 is shown in FIG. 1 in its closed condition closing the access or access way of the partition which the fixed structure 3 forms part of. In the preferred form the fixed structure is also of a panel configuration and may be of a glass panel of the same gauge as the access closure panel 1. In the closed condition the fixed structure panel 3 and the access closure panel 1 are preferably substantially co-planar. In the open condition of the access closure panel the access closure panel is at an angle to the plane of the fixed structure panel 3. The hinge may provide for a range of motion of the access closure panel from its closed condition to its opened condition between 70 to at least 90.

[0113] With reference to FIG. 2 the hinge comprises a first mounting assembly 10 and a second mounting assembly 11. The first mounting assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 2, is able to be secured to the fixed structure. The second mounting assembly 11 is able to be secured to the access closure panel 1. It is also possible to reverse this. The first mounting assembly preferably comprises of a first leaf 12 and a second leaf 13 that are hingingly connected to each other. Such hinging connection may be via the pivot assembly 16 that defines the axis of rotation xx.

[0114] The first leaf 12 and second leaf 13 are able to be secured to one of the access closure panel and fixed structure to capture part of the access closure panel and fixed structure therebetween as seen in the drawings. In the drawings the first and second leaf are shown secured to the fixed structure, the fixed structure being in a panel format.

[0115] The first and second leaf are spaced apart sufficient to allow for the panel to be captured therebetween in a snug manner. Fasteners 22 may be used to secure the first and second leaf to the fixed structure 3 or to the axis closure panel 1. The fasteners 22 preferably pass through the panel 3. They are preferably threaded fasteners. The panel preferably has holes drilled through it to receive these fasteners. The second mounting assembly 11 is also connected to the mover called pivot assembly 16. This allows for the first mounting assembly and second mounting assembly to be hingingly connected to each other.

[0116] The second mounting assembly 11 comprises a mounting leaf 26 that is able to be secured to the other of the access closure panel 1 and fixed structure 3. In the drawing shown the mounting leaf 26 is secured to the access closure panel. Fasteners 23 may be used for such purposes. The second mounting assembly may include a second mounting leaf (not shown) positioned on the other side of the access closure panel. This allows for the axis closure panel to be captured between the mounting leaf 26 and such other second mounting leaf of the second mounting assembly. That may be the second mounting leaf that is directly secured to the pivot assembly 16. As can be seen in FIG. 4 where the access closure panel is in an open condition, the first mounting assembly may comprise of at least one and preferably two or more linear dampers 28.

[0117] The first leaf and the second leaf preferably comprise internal face sides 30 and 31 respectively, that face each other and that abut the opposing face sides 36 and 37 respectively of the panel 3. The internal face sides are notionally and operatively substantially planar but may include rebates, recesses, cuts, slots or grooves but in effect are operative for abutting onto, in a loaded distributed manner, to the surfaces 37 and 38 of the access closure panel (or adjacent structure). An insert may be provided such as rubber shim or absorber intermediate of the first and second leafs and the panel 3. Hence the abutting may be indirect.

[0118] The dampers 28 are preferably linear dampers and may comprise of two parts 39 and 40. One or other of the two parts 39 and 40 may be a cylinder and piston with piston rod. The piston is able to slide within the cylinder body and the piston rod is attached to the cylinder to project from the cylinder body. The linear damper can hence expand and contract in length along its operative axis cc. In order to reduce the distance ff between the outer faces of the first and second leafs 12 and 13 (which preferably defines the thickness of the hinge thereat) the operative axis cc is preferably not perpendicular to the plane pp of the panel 3 to which the first and second leafs are secured. Instead the operative axis is at an acute angle to the normal to the plane pp. This allows for a longer distance of travel to be catered for in effecting and absorbing and speed reducing force by the damper on the access closure panel as it approaches its closed condition.

[0119] In a preferred form the operative angle A of the operative axis cc of the damper is between 15 and 35 and preferably between 20 and 30 and preferably 24.

[0120] In a preferred form the damper is secured to the first mounting assembly by virtue of being located in at least one of a hole 40 of the first leaf assembly and hole 41 of the second leaf assembly 13. In a preferred form the hole 40 the first leaf 12 is a blind hole as seen in FIG. 10 and the hole of 41 of the second leaf 13 is a through hole. One of the parts of the damper such as the piston rod 42 projects through the through hole 41 of the second leaf 13 when the damper is in its expanded condition so as to present the piston rod for contact by the mounting leaf 26 of the second mounting assembly 11. This is for example shown in FIG. 10 however an alternative is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 where the cylinder housing projects through the through hole 41 of the second leaf 13 and the piston rod is located at the blind hole 40 of the first leaf 12. In any event it will be appreciated that the damper extends between the first leaf 12 and second leaf 13 and preferably extends from the first leaf 12 through the second leaf 13. The operative axis is seen preferably does not pass through the axis on XX of the hinge so the rotational axis xx of the hinge. Preferably it runs tangential to the rotational axis. The damper is presented for contact by the mounting leaf at a location that is distal from the axis XX. As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the mounting leaf 26 can move between a position where the mounting leaf is contiguous the leaf 13 and in contact with the damper and a position where it is released from the damper.

[0121] The mounting leaf 26 is able to come into contact with the damper as the closure panel approaches its closed condition. In order to ensure a smooth initial engagement the mounting leaf 26 preferably includes a non-planar region 50 that allows for a smooth transition of engagement of the mounting leaf with the damper. The non-planar region effectively acts as a cam surface both pressing down onto and sliding over the end of the damper as it engages and as the panel moves to its closed condition. The mounting leaf 26 presents the surface as part of a lip 52 of the mounting leaf 26. The lip projects sufficiently to preferably become co-planar or parallel to the plane of the second leaf 13. In the example shown in FIG. 6 the second leaf 13 includes a rebate 56 into which the lip 52 of the mountain leaf is able to locate. This helps to present a substantial flush exterior of the hinge on the second leaf side of the hinge. In a preferred form the damper projects out from the second leaf 13 at the rebate 56. The panel 3 may require for the provision of a cut out 60 along its each 61 at where the hinge is to locate to allow for the dampers 28 to pass from one side of the panel 3 to the other side. The cut out 60 is preferably of a sufficient size to accommodate the dampers. This allows the dampers to pass through the thickness of the panel and take advantage of the overall thickness of the hinge to present itself for absorbing motion, rather than of the thickness of just one leaf.

[0122] In a further embodiment, the amount the damper 28 projects from the second leaf 13 is adjustable. In one embodiment, the adjustability is provided by a threaded fastener 80. The threaded fastener may threadingly engage to the first leaf 12. Preferably the threaded fastener 80 acts on an end of the damper 28. In one embodiment, the threaded fastener 80 is located at the end of the damper 28 relative the first leaf 12. The threaded fastener 80 presents a driver region 81 that is able to be engaged by a tool to allow the threaded 80 fastener to be adjusted. Preferably the threaded fastener is a grub screw 80.