Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2003029
The present invention relates to a hinge of the
resilient snap-in mounting type and including a hinge arm
which is connected with a hinge casing by means of hinge
links or the like and which is mounted on a mounting plate by
means of a joint adjusting screw and a depth adjusting screw.
The hinge arm, at an end thereof which is close to a pivot
axis of the hinge, is engageable with the mounting plate by
means of a rigid hook and is pivotable about this point of
engagement. At its opposite end the hinge arm has means for
a resilient snap connection with the mounting plate and
maintains the hinge arm mounted on the mounting plate.
Such hinge has the advantage that no tool is necessary
for mounting a furniture door to a body of an article of
furniture. For anchoring the hinge arm to the mounting
plate, it is sufficient to engage the hinge arm in the
mounting plate and then to press it onto the mounting plate.
The invention provides a hinge of the afore-mentioned
type in which however the hinge arm is not only easily
lockable on the mounting plate but also easily releasable
therefrom without a tool.
In accordance with the invention the resilient snap
connection forming means of the hinge arm has extending from
an end thereof handle means for enabling the resilient snap
connection to be released by lifting the handle means from
the mounting plate, thereby rotating the hinge arm about a
pivot axis or bearing at an opposite end of the mounting
plate and thus releasing the hinge arm from the mounting
plate.
Releasing of the interengagement of the locking means
and lifting the rear end of the hinge arm from the mounting
plate is done with a movement in the same direction and can
be effected without interruption.
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When removing the hinge arm, a user can, for example,
rest a thumb on the hinge arm and with an index or middle
finger move the handle member to the hinge arm (away from the
mounting plate~. The hinge arm is removed from the base
plate with a steady movement of the hand directed in one and
the same direction.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention the
mounting plate has a U-shaped cross-section in the region of
an intermediate member and that hooks of the intermediate
member engage at a center flange of the U-shaped profile of
the mounting plate.
It is advantageously provided that the intermediate
member is provided at the side thereof directed towards the
mounting plate with a bulge or projection that extends into
lS an opening of the mounting plate. Due to this arrangement,
self-centering of the intermediate member and hinge arm
relative to the mounting plate is obtained when the
intermediate member is being mounted on the mounting plate.
It is advantageously provided that in the region of a
rigid hook of the intermediate member a longitudinal distance
is provided between the front of the mounting plate and the
intermediate member. It is further advantageously provided
that the intermediate member is made in one piece from
plastics material and that the mounting plate is made of
sheet steel.
A further embodiment of the invention provides that the
intermediate member has at its front above or aligned with
the rigid hook a T-shaped recess into which extends a head of
a joint adjusting screw.
To be able to release the intermediate member more
easily, a handle member is formed at that end of the
intermediate member provided with a resilient hook, the
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resilient hook and the handle member extending generally in
opposite directions.
Easier mounting and vertical adjustment of the mounting
plate is obtained by providing the mounting plate at two
lateral parallel flanges thereof with laterally projection
mounting flaps which preferably have oblong holes.
In the following an embodiment of the invention will be
described in more detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a hinge
according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II
of Fig. l;
FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an intermediate member
from below;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the intermediate member; and
FIG S is a perspective view of a mounting plate.
Those parts of the hinge which are not associated with
the present invention, such as a hinge casing and hinge
links, are not shown in the drawings for the sake of clarity
and simplicity of illustration. The description similarly
does not refer to such parts, and they can be made according
to the known state of the art.
The basic parts of the hinge of the present invention
are a hinge arm 1, an intermediate member 2 and a mounting
plate 3. The mounting plate is punched from sheet steel, and
the intermediate member 2 is injection molded of plastics
material.
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The cross-section of the mounting plate 3 is U-shaped
and in the mounted position the mounting plate 3 abuts with
two lateral flanges 15 thereof on a furniture side wall 16.
Mounting flaps 17 project from the lateral parallel flanges
15. The mounting flaps 17 have oblong holes 18 through which
screws or the like extend.
The intermediate member 2 is connected to the hinge arm
1 by means of a joint adjusting screw 4 and a depth adjusting
screw in the form of a clamping screw 5. The clamping screw
5 extends through a slot 6 in the hinge arm 1 and engages in
a thread 14 in the intermediate member 2.
In the region of the thread 14, the intermediate member
2 is provided with a thickened portion 13. At its front end,
the intermediate member 2 is provided with a T-shaped slot or
recess 7 that is located directly above a hook 8. A head 4'
of joint adjusting screw 4 extends into recess 7. By turning
the joint adjusting screw 4 when the hinge is in a mounted
position, the distance of hinge arm axles of hinge links from
the furniture side wall 16 can be adjusted. The intermediate
member 2 is provided at its front end with the rigid hook 8
and at its rear end with a resilient hook 9. The hooks 8, 9
engage at opposite ends of a center flange 20 of the mounting
plate.
The intermediate member 2 is further provided with a
projection or bulge 11 which extends transversely to the
length of the intermediate member 2 and is formed with or
mounted on the intermediate member 2. In the mounted
position, the bulge 11 extends into an opening 12 in the
center flange 20 of the mounting plate 3, and the
intermediate member 2 is thus positioned with respect to the
mounting plate 3.
To achieve mounting of the intermediate member and the
hinge arm on the mounting plate, head 4' is fitted in slot 7
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and hook 8 is engaged with the front end of flange 7, thus
forming a bearing or pivot axis. The intermediate member and
hinge arm then are pivoted about this pivot axis, i.e.
counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, and resilient hook 9
snaps over a rear end of flange 20, thus achieving a snap-in
mounting.
The intermediate member 2 is positioned in the
longitudinal direction by bulge 11 abutting an edge of
opening 12 in the mounting plate 3 and by a supporting part
19 of the hook 9 abutting the rear end of flange 20. A front
end 21 of the center flange 20 adjacent the rigid hook is
spaced by a distance from the intermediate member 2.
A handle or lever member 10 is formed with the
supporting part 19 opposite the hook 9. To release the
hinge, it is necessary only to press handle member 10 away
from the furniture side wall 16, thereby releasing hook 9
from flange 20.
The adjustment of the hinge arm 1 in the direction of
the depth of the article of furniture is effected by
releasing the clamping screw 5 and displacing the hinge arm 1
with respect to the intermediate member 2. The adjustment in
the direction of the breadth of the joint is, as already
mentioned, effected by turning the joint adjusting screw 4.
Because of a certain elasticity of the hinge arm 1, which is
made of sheet steel, this joint adjustment can also be
effected when the clamping screw 5 is in the fastened
condition.
