Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Including adjustment for changing relative orientation of...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-01
2003-11-11
Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3676)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Including adjustment for changing relative orientation of...
C016S242000, C016S246000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06643895
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to hinge devices for mounting a door on a furniture article, and more particularly to adjustable hinge devices for hanging doors on cabinets or the like so that the doors can be adjusted relative to the supporting frame they are attached to.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of hinges for mounting a door on a furniture article such as a desk or cabinet have been used in the furniture and cabinetry industry for many years. An example of one such device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,622. Many of such devices include multiple adjustment components making them bulky, difficult to adjust, quick to wear, and unstable. Typically, one or more screws must be loosened, an adjustment made manually, and then one or more screws must be re-tightened to secure the adjustment. Accordingly, many adjustable hinges may require more than one person to accomplish the adjustment. Examples of such hinges include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,295,282, 5,392,493, and 5,511,287. Improvements to these hinges have been made, such as those depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,599, so that adjustments can be made quickly and easily by one person. However, further improvements are still needed so that hinges can be adjusted with greater efficiency and more precise reliability. To do this, it has been determined that more refined design engineering is required, and the present invention addresses this need and interest.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the above-identified shortcomings of existing adjustable hinges are overcome by embodiments of the present invention. The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide new and improved adjustable hinges for mounting a door on a frame of a furniture article such as a cabinet or desk, that is easily adjustable for adjusting the door relative to the supporting frame, and that has all of the advantages of prior art hinges and none of the disadvantages. The present invention provides a hinge that is microadjustable, or continuously adjustable in a precise manner, throughout the range of adjustment provided. Further, the present invention provides a hinge that enables stable microadjustments by actuating a single adjustment screw for each directional adjustment. The components of the hinge remain stably secured to each other, and to the door and the frame of the furniture article throughout the adjustment. Adjustment may be accomplished by a single person without the door becoming unsecured or unstable relative to the frame of the furniture article.
Some representative embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings. Some embodiments of the hinges of the present invention make use of a first hinge member in the form of a cup mountable flush in a bore hole with fastening screws in a known way in the back of a door, and a second hinge member adapted to be affixed to a frame. The second hinge member is in the form of a hinge arm that includes a substantially flat base portion/segment preferably comprising an opening in the form of an elongated slot through which a fastening screw can be driven into the frame in a known way, thereby attaching the hinge to the frame and allowing adjustments to be made in an up-and-down or vertical direction. The second hinge member of the present invention may also include adjustment mechanisms on the hinge arm for allowing adjustments to be made in a second and/or third direction. One adjustment mechanism may allow adjustments to be made in an in-and-out, forward-and-back, or horizontal direction. Another adjustment mechanism may allow adjustments to be made in another horizontal direction so that side-to-side adjustments of the door can be made.
Other embodiments of the hinges of the present invention may have fewer pieces and therefore may be more economical to manufacture. These embodiments may make use of a first hinge member in the form of a cup mountable flush in a bore hole with fastening screws in a known way in the back of a door, and a second hinge member adapted to be affixed to a frame. This second hinge member may be in the form of a hinge arm that includes an L-shaped portion/segment preferably comprising an opening in the form of an elongated slot through which a fastening screw can be driven into the frame in a known way, thereby attaching the hinge to the furniture frame and allowing adjustments to be made in an up-and-down or vertical direction. The second hinge member of the present invention may also include adjustment mechanisms on the hinge arm for allowing adjustments to be made in a second and/or third direction. One such adjustment mechanism may allow adjustments to be made in a horizontal direction so that side-to-side adjustments of the door can be made.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to a three-dimensionally adjustable hinge for mounting a door on a frame of a furniture article. This hinge comprises a four piece hinge arm construction and comprises a hinge cup member adapted to be affixed to a furniture door; a top hinge arm segment pivotably connected at its arm end to the hinge cup member and comprising an elongated aperture and two tabs; a base hinge arm segment comprising an elongated center hole, a circular aperture and an upper flange; and an L-shaped hinge arm segment comprising a center hole, a circular aperture, an elongated aperture, a retaining wall, two grooves and two flaps, wherein the top hinge arm segment is slideably connected to the L-shaped hinge arm segment with a first cam screw or an eccentric screw via the elongated aperture in the top hinge arm segment and the circular aperture in the L-shaped hinge arm segment, the base hinge arm segment is adjustably connected to the L-shaped hinge arm segment via an upper flange on the base hinge arm segment and a retaining wall on the L-shaped hinge arm segment, and the base hinge arm segment is slideably connected to the L-shaped hinge arm segment by a second cam or eccentric screw cooperating with the elongated aperture in the L-shaped hinge arm segment and the circular aperture in the base hinge arm segment. Turning this first cam or eccentric screw causes the L-shaped hinge arm segment, and therefore the top hinge arm segment since they are connected together, to move relative to the base hinge arm segment in a horizontally side-to-side direction, thereby allowing adjustments to be made to the spacing of the door from the opposite sides of the cabinet door opening. Turning this second cam or eccentric screw causes the L-shaped hinge arm segment to move relative to the base hinge arm segment in a horizontal in-and-out direction, thereby allowing adjustments to be made to the alignment of the front face of the door with respect to the front of the frame. The elongated center hole in the base hinge arm segment allows vertical up-and-down adjustments to be made to the door, thereby allowing adjustments to be made to the spacing of the door from the top and bottom of the cabinet door opening.
In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a two-dimensionally adjustable hinge for mounting a door on a frame of a furniture article. This hinge comprises a three piece hinge arm construction and comprises a hinge cup member adapted to be affixed to a furniture door; a top hinge arm segment pivotably connected at its arm end to the hinge cup member and comprising an elongated aperture and two tabs; and an L-shaped hinge arm segment comprising an elongated center hole, a circular aperture, two grooves and two flaps, wherein the top hinge arm segment is slideably connected to the L-shaped hinge arm segment with a cam screw or an eccentric screw via the elongated aperture in the top hinge arm segment and the circular aperture in the L-shaped hinge arm segment. Turning this cam screw causes the L-shaped hinge arm segment to move relative to the top hinge arm segment in a horizontally side-to-side direction, thereby allowing adjustments to be made to the spacin
Booker Todd
Domenig Georg
Peer Manfred
Grass America Inc.
Harrington John M.
Kilpatrick & Stockton LLP
Mah Chuck Y.
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