Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Including adjustment for changing relative orientation of...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-10
2001-09-11
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Including adjustment for changing relative orientation of...
C016S249000, C016S254000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286185
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a hinge for sheet-metal cabinet doors, machine casings, housing covers, or the like, comprising a first hinge part, such as a hinge leaf, with one or more countersunk openings for fastening screws and with a second hinge part articulated at the first hinge part, such as a hinge support or another hinge leaf, provided with one or more openings for fastening screws, wherein the countersunk openings of the at least one hinge part are constructed as elongated holes.
b) Description of the Related Art
A hinge of the type mentioned above is already known from the German Utility Model 29 51 712.1 of the present Applicant. Compared with previous constructions, for example, those cited in this Utility Model as prior art, the screw-on hinge known from this Utility Model already overcomes certain disadvantages occurring particularly in sheet-metal cabinet doors; that is, sheet-metal cabinet doors tend to warp during production or when mounted, which can impede opening and closing of the door, especially when close fits are provided between the door frame and door leaf. In order to avoid this disadvantage, it is suggested in the Utility Model to construct the openings in the hinge leaves as elongated holes. A certain adjusting possibility will result depending on the orientation of these elongated holes. If the orientation is parallel to the hinge axis, the height of the door leaf can be adjusted with respect to the door frame, for example. On the other hand, if the orientation is vertical to the hinge axis, the vertical gap between the door leaf and door frame can be adjusted with respect to its width.
In the reference cited above, the hinge comprises two leaves, which offers the possibility of providing a leaf with elongated holes oriented parallel to the hinge axis and the other leaf with elongated holes oriented perpendicular thereto, so that a two-dimensional alignment possibility is provided.
The reference states that it is advantageous to countersink these openings and, instead of standard screw bolts and nuts for fastening the hinge leaves, to use screws which are screwed into rivet nuts or blind rivet nuts. Cap screws whose head dimensions are adapted to the dimensioning of the countersink on the outer side of the hinge leaf are provided as fastening screws. On the other side, the rivet nuts or blind rivet nuts form an outer rivet collar having an outer diameter to which a (necessary) countersink on the inner side of the hinge leaf is adapted. In this way, the projecting rivet collar can be received on the one hand and its interfering influence can accordingly be eliminated and, on the other hand, this rivet collar can be utilized for alignment and for additional support of the hinge plates.
However, it is disadvantageous that rivet nuts or blind rivet nuts of the type mentioned above which project over the sheet-metal surface and are fixedly connected with the sheet metal of the door leaf or door frame can only be used in certain cases. If the fastening means are to be completely removed for certain purposes or if the projections are bothersome, nuts which are riveted in in this way cannot be used.
A further disadvantage of the known arrangement consists in that the fastening screw can move in the elongated hole along the longitudinal extension thereof when the fastening screw is not properly tightened. This risk is particularly high when the sheet-metal cabinet is subjected to a shaking movement during transport or during operation. A further disadvantage consists in that the elongated hole also remains partly visible when the fastening screw is mounted and there remain openings acting as dirt collectors which can be troublesome, e.g., when a switching cabinet is used in the food industry.
A further disadvantage consists in that the known hinge must always be adjusted even when the cabinets are manufactured in a very precise manner. The reason for this is that the known hinge has no “zero setting” or “reference position” which could be used when an adjustment was really not required in terms of the basic design of the cabinet.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of the invention to further develop a hinge of the type mentioned above in such a way that, without the aid of rivet nuts or blind rivet nuts which must be fixedly and non-removably introduced in the sheet-metal material, as many advantages of the latter as possible are achieved, especially increased strength relative to shear forces, improved security with respect to unwanted displacement, possible use of a zero position or reference position when required, and complete covering of the elongated hole opening when required.
This object is met according to the invention in that the hinge is provided with a fastening screw bushing which can be received so as to fit in the countersunk hole and which projects into the hinge leaf and possibly through this hinge leaf and whose portion which extends into the countersunk area of the elongated hole and/or over the support surface of the hinge leaf has a cross section having a shape other than circular, such as a square cross section, but preferably an elongated cross section such as a rectangular cross section, a rectangular cross section with added semicircular portions, or an oval cross section, whose longitudinal extension is greater than (or equal to) the transverse extension of the countersunk area of the elongated hole and whose inner contour is adapted to the shape of the fastening screw.
On the one hand, this step increases the shear resistance of the arrangement because the bushing forms an additional material surface which resists the shear force; further, the screw is guided more exactly through the bushing, which facilitates mounting, and furthermore the bushing results in a larger support surface on the countersunk surface of the hinge leaf and therefore results in greater force transmission capacity which benefits strength, so that hinge leaves of plastic can be used in certain cases without the material being pressed apart by internal pressure on the lateral faces of the hole; further, the securing of the bushing against rotation within the countersink or within the door leaf opening which can be achieved according to the invention facilitates protection against unwanted loosening of the screws and, finally, additional embodiment forms having further advantages can be carried out.
It is possible to cover a larger support surface of the elongated hole and therefore reduce area pressure, which benefits the stability of the arrangement, according to a further development of the invention, in that the countersunk area of the elongated hole has, in cross section, side walls which are parallel to the axis of the opening and base surfaces perpendicular to these side walls and the portion of the bushing extending into the countersunk area of the elongated hole has a disk-shaped body whose circumference forms two oppositely located parallel portions whose radial spacing is equal to or slightly less than the clearance between the longitudinal walls of the countersunk area. Further, this results in a particularly reliable protection against rotation.
Protection against unwanted displacement in the direction of the elongated hole can be increased in particular in that the base surface of the countersunk area of the opening of the hinge leaf and the disk surface of the bushing supported thereon are roughened, e.g., ribbed. It is particularly advantageous when this ribbing runs substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the elongated hole or to the longitudinal axis of the elongated cross section of the disk of the bushing.
In particular, the bushing can form a flange whose outer contour is selected in such a way that it covers the countersunk opening in every possible position of the bushing with respect to the elongated hole. This results in the intended complete covering of the elongated hole opening and accordingly in a favorable visual effect and avoid
Bochna David E.
Browne Lynne H.
Reed Smith LLP
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