Recessed door hinge

Abstract

A hinge for recessed installation between a door frame and a door panel that has first and second housings adapted for recessing in the door frame and an edge of the door panel, a pair of links having ends pivoted in the housings and pivoted together about a vertical axis extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to mutually perpendicular first and second horizontal directions, and two supports in the second housing in which the respective ends of the links are pivoted. A vertical connector body to which the supports are fixed is limitedly vertically movable in the first housing along with the supports and links. Respective pairs of guide faces on the connector body spaced apart in the vertical direction flank each of the supports.

Claims

1. A hinge for recessed installation between a door frame and a door panel, the hinge comprising: first and second housings adapted for recessing in the door frame and an edge of the door panel; a pair of links each having one end pivoted in one of the housings and another end slidable in the other of the housings, the links being pivoted together between the housings about a vertical axis extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to mutually perpendicular first and second horizontal directions; two supports in the first housing having formations in which the one end of one of the links is pivotable, the links being received with limited vertical play between the supports; a vertical connector body to which the supports are fixed, the connector body being limitedly vertically movable in the first housing along with the supports and links; and respective pairs of guide faces on the connector body spaced apart in the vertical direction and flanking each of the supports.

2. The hinge defined in claim 1, wherein the first housing is basically U-shaped and forms a cavity extending in the vertical direction and holding the connector body.

3. The hinge defined in claim 1, further comprising: an adjustment mechanism including a wedge engaged between the first housing and the connector body for shifting the connector body with the supports and link assembly in the vertical direction in the first housing.

4. The hinge defined in claim 1, wherein the supports are movable in the first horizontal direction on the connector body.

5. The hinge defined in claim 4, further comprising: retaining screws engaged between the supports and the connector body and tightenable to fix the supports on the connector body.

6. The hinge defined in claim 1, wherein the first housing, the connector body, and the supports are of cast metal.

7. The hinge defined in claim 1, further comprising: retaining screws engaged between the connector body and the first housing and tightenable to fix the connector body on the first housing.

8. A hinge for recessed installation between a door frame and a door panel, the hinge comprising: first and second housings adapted for recessing in the door frame and an edge of the door panel; a pair of links each having one end pivotal about a vertical axis fixed in one of the housings and an opposite end pivotal about a vertical axis movable in at least one of the horizontal directions in the other of the housings, the links being pivoted together between the housings about a vertical axis extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to mutually perpendicular first and second horizontal directions; two supports in the first housing having formations in which the one end of one of the links is pivotable; a vertical connector body to which the supports are fixed, the connector body being limitedly vertically movable in the first housing along with the supports and links; and respective pairs of guide faces on the connector body spaced apart in the vertical direction and flanking each of the supports.

9. The hinge defined in claim 8, wherein the links are received with limited vertical play between supports.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to drawings showing only one embodiment. Therein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a view of a door hinge according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through a first housing of the door hinge of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross section through the door hinge according to FIG. 1; and

(5) FIG. 4 is a detail of a longitudinal section through the second housing.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) As seen in FIG. 1 a recess-mount door hinge between an unillustrated door panel and frame in an open position has a cast-metal first housing 1 and a cast-metal second housing 2 pivotal through 180 relative to one another between the illustrated open position and a closed position about a vertical axis defined by a hinge pin 5. FIG. 1 further shows that the ends of the housings 1 and 2 are usually closed by covers 3, but in order to clarify the construction these covers 3 have not been shown in FIG. 1 at the upper ends of the housings 1 and 2.

(7) The two housings 1 and 2 are connected to one another in a manner known per se by an assembly consisting of two links 4a and 4b. The two links 4a and 4b are pivotally connected to one another at the hinge pin 5 at the pivot axis extending in a vertical direction z. Furthermore, as known in the prior art (see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/341,810 filed 27 Jul. 2014) each of the links 4a and 4b is pivotal in both of the housings 1 and 2, with one end pivotal about an axis fixed in one of the housings 1 and 2 and the other end longitudinally movably in guide grooves 6 in the other of the housings 1 and 2. This way, as the two housings 1 move from the illustrated open position to an unillustrated folded position with their outer faces parallel and either very close or actually touching, the links 4a and 4b can be pushed back into the housings 1 and 2 as is well known in the art.

(8) According to FIGS. 2 and 3 the two links 4a and 4b are retained in the first housing 1 on two separate but identical inserts 7 that are spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction z. The inserts 7 each form a respective one the two confronting holes for the ends of pin defining the fixed axis of one of the ends of one of the links 4a or 4b and the two grooves 6 in which the ends of the other slidable or movable pivot pin of end the other of the links 4a or 4b are seated. The inserts 7 are on an integral rigid connector body 8 extending vertically along the link assembly. FIGS. 2 and 3 show that the connector body 8 is fixed in a seat of the first housing 1 and is U-shaped in a horizontal section transverse to the vertical z, so that the connector body 8 is only limitedly movable in a vertical direction z with minimal lateral play relative to the first housing 1 in a horizontal direction x.

(9) More particularly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the body 8 is formed of cast metal and has massive ends forming slide surfaces 9 and in which screws 11 described below are seated and a thinner box-shaped central part in which is secured or which is formed with a U-shaped bar having right-angle ends forming surfaces 10 confronting the surfaces 9. This entire body 8 can move with the inserts 7 only limitedly vertically in the housing 1 under the action of the wedge assembly 14 as described below.

(10) FIG. 2 further shows that the inserts 7 are each retained in positive engagement against movement on the connector body 8 in a vertical direction by the substantially horizontal surfaces 9 and 10 of the connector body 8.

(11) The surface 9 against which each insert 7 rests on the side thereof opposite the link assembly may have a slightly angled position and/or bend, which within the context of the invention is still designated without restriction as horizontal since the surfaces 9 and 10 of the body 8 extend at most at only a small angle of a few degrees to the horizontal directions x and y. In particular, in a preferred embodiment of the housing 1 and 2 of the connector body 8 as well as the inserts 7 as metal castings, angles are for example necessary for demolding during manufacture. This produces the advantage that the substantially horizontal surface 9 and the side of the inserts 7 abutting this guide face can have a complementary shape precisely coordinated therewith.

(12) It can be seen from FIG. 2 thatas explained abovethe inserts 7 are retained and supported in a vertical direction z between the substantially horizontal surfaces 9 and 10, so that tilting of the inserts 7 is avoided and the result is particularly high stability. Furthermore, the inserts 7 are fastened to the connector body 8 by retaining screws 11. If the inserts 7 have longitudinal slots extending in the horizontal direction x for the retaining screws 11, adjustment of the door hinge in terms of a compression adjustment in the first horizontal direction x can also be achieved in a simple manner. The co-ordination of the first horizontal direction x and a second horizontal direction y relates to the orientation of the closed door panel in the door frame. The first horizontal direction x normally extends in the direction of the thickness of the door panel, whereas the second horizontal direction y extends parallel to the faces of the closed door panel.

(13) Since at least with the retaining screws 11 tightened the inserts 7 are retained without play and precisely on the connector body 8, and the assembly formed by the connector body 8 together with the inserts 7 and the links 4a and 4b can be adjusted in the vertical direction z relative to the first main body 1, slight play can be provided in a vertical direction between the links 4a and 4b and the inserts 7, and this play is also maintained and makes movement of the links 4a and 4b on the inserts 7 possible without jamming.

(14) According to FIG. 2 adjustment in the vertical direction z can be performed in a particularly simple manner by an adjusting mechanism that has a screw 12 seated in the housing 1 and bearing on an adjustment wedge 13. The screw 12 can shift the wedge 13 in the direction y along a horizontal end face of the first housing 1 and thereby act on an angled wedge face 14 of the connector body 8, so that the connector body 8 can be shifted in the vertical direction z along with the two inserts 7 and the link assembly 4a, 4b. FIG. 1 further shows that further retaining screws 11 are provided transversely flanking the adjustment screw 12 so as to fix the connector body 8 on the first housing 1. These screws 11 are threaded into the respective insert 7 and pass through slots extending in the direction x in the body 8 to allow for transverse adjustment of the hinge. When thus fixed by the screws 11 all of the forces acting on the connector body 8 do not act on the adjusting mechanism after the required door-panel height has been set during installation.

(15) Thus within the context of the described embodiment, adjustment in the vertical direction z as well as in the first horizontal direction x is possible on the first housing 1, whereas adjustment in the second horizontal direction y is provided on the second housing 2. According to FIG. 4 two inserts 7 formed as metal castings like the inserts 7 that are spaced apart from one another and support the links 4a and 4b are also provided on the second housing 2. These inserts 7, which are braced between guide faces 9 and 10 in the second housing 2 like the inserts 7 in the first housing 1, are each movable by an adjusting screw 15 in the manner of an actuating spindle in the second horizontal direction y perpendicular to a front face of the second housing 2. In other words, the inserts 7 can be screwed to different depths into the second housing 2.

(16) Here, the inserts 7 are guided in positive engagement in the second horizontal direction y by the faces 9 and 10 not shown in FIG. 4, and, as in the above-described embodiment, the adjusting screw 15 with a screw head 16 is inserted from an open side in the horizontal direction y into a seat 17 in the associated insert 7 and is retained in the seat 17 against movement in the second horizontal direction y relative to the insert 7. In horizontal cross-section the seat 17 surrounds the screw head 16 approximately in a C shape, and the underside of the screw head 16 is retained by lateral arms of the seat 17. A threaded shank 18 of the adjusting screw 15 extends out of the end of the seat 17 and is received in a threaded bore 19 of the second housing 2.

(17) In order to avoid play and a certain tilting of the inserts 7, different measures are provided within the context of the invention.

(18) First of all, the inserts 7 are retained in positive engagement against movement in the vertical direction z between the two opposing and confronting faces 9 and 10 of the housing 2 (see FIG. 2) that are spaced apart in the direction z from one another, and the inserts 7 are also slidable on these surfaces 9 and 10 in the second horizontal direction y. According to FIG. 4 the inserts 7 have, on an outside face turned away from the link assembly, a guide structure in the form of a projecting rib 20 that extends in the second horizontal direction y and engages in a complementary guide groove 21 of the second housing 2 extending in the direction y. Due to these complementary guides formations 20 and 21 it is possible to prevent not only tilting forward and backward, but also lateral tilting.

(19) The second housing 2 is approximately U-shaped in cross-section in its central region when viewed in the vertical direction z, and forms a seat cavity for the ends of the links 4a and 4b and also for the inserts 7. A rib 20 also extending in the second horizontal direction y is provided as an opposing surface on at least one of the lateral sides of the U-shaped seat cavity of the housing 2.

(20) Guiding of the inserts 7 largely without play or tilting can already be achieved by the described ribs 20 and 20 and the groove 21.

(21) As an additional and/or alternative measure, play can also be reduced by limiting the movability of the adjusting screw 15 in the installed state. For this purpose, a web 22 of the second housing 2 extending in the second horizontal direction y is provided on an inner face of the seat 17, engages in the seat 17, and laterally delimits the screw head 16.