Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
Patent
1994-12-30
1997-11-04
Mah, Chuck Y.
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
16225, 16366, 16382, E05D 306, E05D 500, E05D 710
Patent
active
056826435
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a hinge construction. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a hinge construction for the type of door used in shower cubicles and referred to as a "bifold" door.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a type of door comprises two doors panels which are joined to one another along a centre hinge. When the door is closed, the door panels extend at an angle of 180.degree. to one another. When it is opened, the door panels hinge with respect to one another about the hinge, in the manner of a jack-knife, to extend at an angle of 0.degree. or close to 0.degree. with respect to one another.
In conventional doors of this type the hinge is formed by extruded aluminium sections which make metal-to-metal sliding contact with one another. A difficulty experienced with this construction is that it is not possible to coat the metal sections with, for example, the type of coating which is known as powder coating, which is very popular type of coating used to give extruded aluminium a pleasing appearance. The difficulty arises because surfaces which have been so coated do not slide easily on one another and would in any event wear off where the parts make sliding contact, and because the thickness of the coating cannot be controlled accurately enough to provide for the close tolerances that are required in a hinge of this nature. In more traditional hinge constructions gaps are left through which, when the door is in use, water can splash or otherwise leak.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a hinge construction making use of extruded sections but in which metal-to-metal sliding contact between the sections is not required, and which does not leave gaps through which water can splash during use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided a hinge construction which comprises first and second extruded sections, a first hinge element having a first key formation and an axially extending pintle, and a second hinge element having a second key formation and an axially extending bore in which the pintle is received, the first extruded section having a first axially extending keyway therein and the second extruded section having a second axially extending keyway therein, the first key formation engaging with the first keyway to connect the first hinge element to the first extruded section, and the second key formation engaging with the second keyway to connect the second hinge element to the second extruded section.
The first and second keyways are preferably formed in the first and second extruded sections during extrusion.
The first and second extruded sections may be of an extruded metal.
The first and second hinge elements may be of a hard-wearing synthetic plastics material. They are preferably in the form of injection moulded parts.
One of the extruded sections may have an axially extending recess therein which is defined in cross-section by a semi-circular wall, the wall of the recess, for part of its circumferential extent, comprising a concentrically curved, thin-walled portion of the respective extruded section, the hinge element which engages with the other extruded section having a concentrically curved slot therein in which the thin-walled portion is receivable.
The thin-walled portion may extend through at least 90.degree. of the circumferential extent of the wall of the recess.
The hinge construction may comprise at least two hinge assemblies each formed by a said first hinge element and a said second hinge element cooperating with the corresponding first hinge element, and a spacer separating the hinge assemblies axially, the spacer having a key formation engaging with the keyway in one of the extruded sections, thereby connecting the spacer to the respective extruded section.
The invention extends to a bifold door which comprises a pair of door panels and a centre section, each door panel being connected to the centre section by means of a hinge constr
REFERENCES:
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patent: 4667724 (1987-05-01), Dragone
patent: 4670938 (1987-06-01), Fowlston
patent: 5133108 (1992-07-01), Esnault
patent: 5150501 (1992-09-01), Pasternak
Gurley Donald M.
Mah Chuck Y.
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