Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-02
2002-01-22
Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
C016S246000, C016S382000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06339864
ABSTRACT:
The invention is a mounting plate for cabinet hinges according to the characterizing clause of patent claim
1
.
A mounting plate of this type is made known by DE 197 07 741 A1. It is a cabinet hinge consisting of a hinge arm or hinge joint fastened on a hinge cup, so that the hinge arm is adjustable by means of an adjusting plate that is connected to a baseplate on the cabinet body and has a catch fastener to fix the connection. The adjusting plate is designed as a one-piece, partially resilient catch component that, on the one side, can be engaged to the baseplate by means of hook-shaped shanks and, on the other side, has shanks that, when pressure is applied to the adjusting plate, moves the adjusting plate, engages in the corresponding catch noses of the baseplate, which secures the connection of the adjusting plate's resilient component against further movement. The above described known mounting plate has the disadvantage that the stability of the connection between the baseplate and the adjusting plate is not sufficient for many applications, and after the height adjustment screw is removed, the parts loosen and separate from one another.
Another disadvantage is that the adjusting plate has a front and back movement during installation, but the distances of the installation points and the attainable play compensation are not sufficient.
The present invention's task is a mounting plate for cabinet hinges that takes the above disadvantages into consideration, and is designed to attain a more stabile connection between the individual parts of the mounting plate, resulting in an easier and quicker installation.
The tasks are solved, shown by the technical features of the Patent claim
1
.
The invention has a baseplate that is designed as two parts: a fastenable bottom part on the cabinet body and a braceable upper part, so that the adjusting plate and the upper part are connected when pressure is applied to the adjusting plate, resulting in forced sliding motion in relation to the adjusting plate's baseplate in at least three linking points. This connection secures the spring element on the adjusting plate against additional sliding.
Because both baseplate parts are braced, on the one hand, and the adjustment plate is triple engaged on the baseplate's upper part, on the other hand; all in all, an extremely strong, clearance-free connection between the baseplate and adjusting plate is obtained, which is secured by the spring element.
In a preferred embodiment, the bottom part forms a jog on the front end and a peg on the back end, which fits against the upper part's corresponding angles. This secures both parts against lifting in the vertical or perpendicular direction.
Furthermore, the bottom part, as well as the upper part, has, preferably, at least one guiding groove that works together with a corresponding guiding ridge of the upper part (as well as the bottom part), and fixes the bottom part and upper parts together. This tightens the bottom part and the upper part in a form-fitting manner, so that both end connections are clearance-free.
Additionally, the connection between the lower part and upper part are, preferably, secured with a locking screw, and the locking screw, in a preferred embodiment, simultaneously serves as a height-adjustment screw.
In order to prevent the release of the upper part from the lower part when the locking screw is loosened, the bottom part has a safety operational device in the form of a tab, which is located on the respective surface of the upper part, that prevents an unintentional “falling-out”. Thus, both baseplate components cannot move lengthwise in relation to each other and cannot release from one another.
The preferred embodiment for fixing the adjusting plate to the upper part of the baseplate has side indentations on the front end of the upper part, which engage in the corresponding insertion ridges of the adjusting plate.
Futhermore, towards the middle of the upper part, there are side projections that engage in the respective insertion shanks of the adjusting plate. Side insertion shanks, located on the back end of the upper part, engage in the corresponding insertion shanks of the adjusting plate. The adjusting plate is inserted three-fold or six-fold in the upper part of the baseplate, resulting in a very secure connection and load transmission between these parts.
To make the insertion of the adjusting plate on the upper part easier, side stops are located on the front end of the adjusting plate, which work by means of the formed shoulder on the upper part and, together with other parts, result in a type of restricted guidance of the adjusting plate with the insertion process.
A spring element is provided to secure the connection between the adjusting plate and the baseplate. Preferably, the spring element is formed as one-piece from the adjusting plate, so that this spring clip, as a resilient, springy, frame-type border of the adjusting plate, projects to the back.
With the basic insertion and engagement process between the adjusting plate and the upper part, the insertion ridges and indentations, and the projections and the insertion shanks, engage with each other by sliding in the arrow direction (insertion direction) so that further sliding motions are halted by the stop located on the shoulder until pressure on the back end of the adjusting plate disengages the stop from the shoulder and allows an engagement of the insertion shank in the insertion shank, so that the spring clip glides over the catch steps on the upper part, activating a catch between the adjusting plate and upper part. These catch steps cause a compensation for play with the insertion components, resulting in the maximum play with the largest of the catch steps. It is essential that the forced sliding motion between the adjusting plate and the upper part is achieved by the insertion shank, which slides down on the corresponding gliding surfaces of the upper part.
The connection is unlatched by putting finger pressure on the spring clip in an upward lifting direction.
All records, documents and evidence, inclusive of the abstract, open and disclosed statements and declarations and indications and features, especially those represented embodiments in the drawings, will be claimed as fundamental and significant to the invention as far as the claims individually or in combinations, are relative to the position that the technology is new.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4847948 (1989-07-01), Gross et al.
patent: 4976006 (1990-12-01), Lautenschlager
patent: 5022116 (1991-06-01), Salice
patent: 5025530 (1991-06-01), Ferrari et al.
patent: 5056189 (1991-10-01), Brustle et al.
patent: 5062180 (1991-11-01), Lautenschlager, Jr.
patent: 5210907 (1993-05-01), Toyama
patent: 5245727 (1993-09-01), Sasaki
Albrecht Markus
Muller Wolfgang
Grass GmbH
Kilpatrick & Stockton LLP
Mah Chuck Y.
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