Hinge and cabinet comprising same

Abstract

A hinge includes a front-rear adjustment bracket, a lateral adjustment bracket, and a vertical adjustment bracket including a front-rear adjustment opening, a lateral adjustment opening, and a vertical adjustment opening, respectively. The hinge also includes an upper housing member coupled to the fore-aft adjustment bracket, and a lower housing member coupled to the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket. The hinge also includes a hinge pin received in a hinge pin opening defined by the upper housing member and the lower housing member, a pair of guide pins received in a pair of arcuate channels in the lower housing, and a pair of guide pins configured to extend to the front and rear adjustment openings, respectively, a front-back adjusting eccentric fastener, a transverse adjusting eccentric fastener and a vertical adjusting eccentric fastener are arranged in the transverse adjusting opening and the vertical adjusting opening.

Description

Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 384,733, filed on November 22, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to hinges and cabinets including hinges. Background Art Description of Related Art

[0003] There are various different types of hinges, including scissor hinges, butt hinges, ball - bearing hinges, barrel hinges, concealed hinges, knife hinges, piano hinges, pivot hinges, strap hinges, offset hinges, overlay hinges, and cylinder hinges. However, these conventional hinges do not have sufficient adjustability, damping, and swing - retention properties. In addition, some of these conventional hinges are bulky and unaesthetic, especially when installed to attach a door to a cabinet. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure relates to various embodiments of hinges and cabinets including hinges. In one embodiment, the hinge includes a front - to - back adjustment bracket, a lateral adjustment bracket, and a vertical adjustment bracket that respectively include a front - to - back adjustment opening, a lateral adjustment opening, and a vertical adjustment opening. The hinge further includes an upper housing member coupled to the front - to - back adjustment bracket, and a lower housing member coupled to the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket. The hinge also includes a hinge pin received in a hinge - pin opening defined by the upper housing member and the lower housing member, a pair of guide pins received in a pair of arcuate channels in the lower housing, and front - to - back adjustment eccentric fasteners, lateral adjustment eccentric fasteners, and vertical adjustment eccentric fasteners configured to extend into the front - to - back adjustment opening, the lateral adjustment opening, and the vertical adjustment opening, respectively.

[0005] The hinge may further include an upper cover plate configured to cover a portion of the upper housing connected to the front - to - back adjustment bracket.

[0006] The hinge may further include a rear cover plate.

[0007] The hinge may include a guide plate located between the lateral adjustment bracket and the rear cover plate. The guide plate may include a back plate and a support rail on a front surface of the back plate, and the back plate includes a pair of openings for receiving the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener and the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener. The support rail supports the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket.

[0008] Each of the front - rear adjustment eccentric fastener, the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener, and the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener may include a head, a rod coupled to the head, and a cam coupled to one end of the rod, wherein the rod is axially offset from a center line of the head.

[0009] The upper housing may include a cylindrical portion, an extension portion extending rearward from the cylindrical portion, and a pair of front - rear adjustment guide pins extending upward from the extension portion.

[0010] The front - rear adjustment bracket may include a pair of front - rear guide openings elongated in a front - rear direction, and the pair of front - rear adjustment guide pins may be slidable in the pair of front - rear guide openings.

[0011] The lateral adjustment bracket may include a pair of vertical adjustment guide pins.

[0012] The vertical adjustment bracket may include a pair of vertical guide openings elongated in a vertical direction, and the pair of vertical adjustment guide pins may be slidable in the pair of vertical guide openings.

[0013] The guide bracket may include a pair of lateral adjustment guide pins.

[0014] The lateral adjustment bracket may include a pair of lateral guide openings elongated in a lateral direction, and the pair of lateral adjustment guide pins may be slidable in the pair of lateral guide openings.

[0015] The lateral adjustment bracket may include a through - hole, and the rod of the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener may extend through the through - hole.

[0016] The present invention content is provided to introduce a selection of features and concepts of the embodiments of the present disclosure, which will be further described in the following detailed description. The present invention content is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. One or more of the features may be combined with one or more of the other features to provide a viable hinge and / or a cabinet including the hinge. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] The features and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to like features and components. The drawings are not necessarily to scale.

[0018] Figure 1A-1B Front and rear perspective views, respectively, of a cabinet including a hinge.

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1A-1B An exploded front perspective view of an embodiment of the hinge shown; and

[0020] Figure 3A-3H Illustrates Figure 1A-1B Front and rear perspective views of an embodiment of the hinge shown in DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present disclosure relates to various embodiments of hinges and cabinets including hinges. The hinges according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are adjustable in the front - to - rear (i.e., front and back) direction, the lateral (i.e., left - to - right) direction, and the vertical (i.e., up and down) direction. In addition, the hinges according to various embodiments of the present disclosure include a swing retention feature (i.e., the hinge causes the cabinet door to be held in place at one or more angles without inadvertently closing) and a soft - close feature (i.e., the hinge prevents or at least mitigates the cabinet door from slamming shut).

[0022] Now referring to Figure 1A-1B , a cabinet assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cabinet 200 having a frame 201 and a cabinet door 202, and a hinge 300 that hinges the cabinet door 202 to a side wall 203 of the frame 201. In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the frame 201 of the cabinet 200 includes a notch or recess 204 in an inner surface 205 of an upper wall 206 and a notch or recess 207 in a rear surface 208 of the cabinet door 202. The notch or recess 204 is configured to receive a portion of the hinge 300, and the notch or recess 207 is configured to receive another portion of the hinge 300. The recess 204 in the inner surface of the upper wall 206 extends rearward from a front surface 209 of the upper wall 206, and the recess 207 in the cabinet door 202 extends inward from an outer surface 210 of the cabinet door 202.

[0023] Now referring to Figure 2 and 3A- In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3H, the hinge 300 includes a front - to - back adjustment bracket 301, a lateral adjustment bracket 302, a vertical adjustment bracket 303, an upper housing 304 coupled to the front - to - back adjustment bracket 301, and a lower housing member 305 coupled to the lateral adjustment bracket 302 and the vertical adjustment bracket 303. In the embodiment shown, the hinge 300 further includes a front - to - back adjustment eccentric fastener 306, a lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307, and a vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308. The front - to - back adjustment eccentric fastener 306 is configured to adjust the front - to - back position of the hinge 300 on the cabinet 200 when the front - to - back adjustment eccentric fastener 306 is rotated. The lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 is configured to adjust the lateral position of the hinge 300 on the cabinet 200 when the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 is rotated. The vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 is configured to adjust the vertical position of the hinge 300 on the cabinet 200 when the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 is rotated.

[0024] - In the embodiment shown, each of the eccentric fasteners 306, 307, 308 includes a head 309 having a tool engagement portion 310 (e.g., a hex - head - shaped recess), a stem 311 extending from the head 309, and a cam 312 located at an end of the stem 311 opposite the head 309. In the embodiment shown, the longitudinal centerline of the stem 311 is radially offset from the centerline of the head 309 (i.e., the stem 311 is non - coaxial with the head 309). Although the cam 312 is a circular plate in the embodiment shown, in one or more embodiments, the cam 312 can have any other suitable shape, such as an oval.

[0025] - In the embodiment shown, the front - to - back adjustment bracket 301 is a flat plate (e.g., a flat rectangular plate) having a front - to - back adjustment opening 313 (e.g., a hole) and a pair of front - to - back guide openings 314, 315, each of the front - to - back guide openings being elongated in the front - to - back direction (e.g., a pair of holes elongated in the front - to - back direction). The front - to - back adjustment bracket 301 further includes a plurality of openings 316 configured to receive fasteners 317 (e.g., screws) for securing the front - to - back adjustment bracket 301 to the upper wall 206 of the cabinet 200.

[0026] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper housing 304 includes a cylindrical portion 318 and an extension portion 319 extending rearwardly from the cylindrical portion 318. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the extension portion 319 of the upper housing 304 includes a plurality of openings 320, 321 and a pair of front and rear guide pins 322, 323 extending upwardly from the upper surface of the extension portion 319. The front and rear guide pins 322, 323 extend upwardly into front and rear guide openings 314, 315 in the front and rear adjustment bracket 301. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the front and rear guide pins 322, 323 includes a stem 324 and an enlarged head 325 at the upper end of the stem 324, but in one or more embodiments, the front and rear guide pins 322, 323 may have any other suitable shape. One of the openings 320 in the extension portion 319 of the upper housing 304 is configured to receive a portion (e.g., the head 309) of the front and rear adjustment eccentric fastener 306, and the other opening 321 in the extension portion 319 is configured to provide access to a fastener 317 that secures the front and rear adjustment bracket 301 to the upper wall 206 of the cabinet 200.

[0027] Further, in the illustrated embodiment, the lower surface of the cylindrical portion 318 of the upper housing 304 includes a central opening 326 and a pair of peripheral openings 328, 329 surrounding the central opening 326, the central opening 326 being configured to receive the upper portion of a hinge pin 327, and the peripheral openings 328 and 329 being configured to receive the upper portions of a pair of rotary guide pins 330, 331.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, the lower housing 305 includes a cylindrical portion 332 having a central opening 333 in the upper surface and a pair of arcuate channels 334, 335 surrounding the central opening 333. The central opening 333 of the lower housing 305 is configured to receive the lower portion of the hinge pin 327, and the arcuate channels 334, 335 are configured to receive the lower portions of a pair of rotary guide pins 330, 331.

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the vertical adjustment bracket 303 is a flat plate (e.g., a vertically oriented flat rectangular plate) that includes a vertical adjustment opening 336 and a pair of vertical guide openings 337, 338, each vertical guide opening being elongated in the vertical direction (e.g., a pair of holes elongated in the up and down direction). In the illustrated embodiment, the vertical guide openings 337, 338 are located on opposite sides of the vertical adjustment opening 336.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral adjustment bracket 302 is a flat plate (e.g., a vertically oriented flat rectangular plate) that includes a lateral adjustment opening 339 and a pair of lateral guide openings 340, 341, each of which extends in the lateral direction (e.g., a pair of holes extending in the left - right direction). The lateral adjustment bracket 302 also includes a through - hole 342 and a pair of vertical adjustment guide pins 343, 344 that extend forward from the front surface of the lateral adjustment bracket 302. In the illustrated embodiment, each vertical adjustment guide pin 343, 344 includes a shaft 345 and an enlarged head 346 at the front end of the shaft 345, but in one or more embodiments, the vertical adjustment guide pins 343, 344 can have any other suitable shape.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 300 also includes a guide bracket 347. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide bracket 347 includes a flat backplate 348 (e.g., a vertically oriented flat rectangular plate) and a guide rail 349 that extends forward from the front surface of the backplate 348. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide rail 349 is a flat flange or rib that extends horizontally (or substantially horizontally) along at least a portion of the front surface of the backplate 348. The guide rail 349 of the guide bracket 347 supports the lateral adjustment bracket 302 and the vertical adjustment bracket 303. Thus, in one or more embodiments, the depth of the guide rail 349 can be equal to (or substantially equal to) or greater than the combined thickness of the lateral adjustment bracket 302 and the vertical adjustment bracket 303.

[0032] In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the guide bracket 347 includes a pair of openings 350, 351 (e.g., holes), a pair of lateral guide pins 352, 353 that extend forward from the front surface of the backplate 348, and a plurality of openings 354 (e.g., holes), where the openings 350, 351 are configured to receive portions of the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 and the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307, respectively, and the openings 354 are configured to receive fasteners 355 (e.g., screws) that secure the guide bracket 347 to the cabinet door 202. In the illustrated embodiment, each lateral guide pin 352, 353 includes a shaft 356 and an enlarged head 357 at the front end of the shaft 356, but in one or more embodiments, the lateral guide pins 352, 353 can have any other suitable shape.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 300 also includes a rear cover plate 358 that is configured to cover (i.e., hide) the guide bracket 347, the lateral adjustment bracket 302, and the vertical adjustment bracket 303. In the illustrated embodiment, the rear cover plate 358 includes a backplate 359, an upper lip 360 that extends forward from the upper edge of the backplate 359, and a side lip 361 that extends forward from the side edge of the backplate 359. In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 300 includes an upper cover plate 362 that is configured to cover (i.e., hide) an extension portion 319 of the upper housing 304.

[0034] When assembling the hinge 300, the upper portion of the hinge pin 327 extends into the central opening 326 of the upper housing 304, the lower portion of the hinge pin 327 extends into the central opening 333 of the lower housing 305, the upper portions of the rotation guide pins 330, 331 extend into the peripheral openings 328, 329 in the upper housing 304, and the lower portions of the rotation guide pins 330, 331 extend into the arc-shaped channels 334, 335 in the lower housing 305.

[0035] When the hinge 300 is mounted on the cabinet 200, the front and rear adjustment brackets 301 and the extension portion 319 of the upper housing 304 are received in the recess 204 (e.g., recessed therein) in the inner surface 205 of the upper wall 206 of the cabinet 200, and the fastener 317 extends through the opening 316 in the front and rear adjustment bracket 301 and secures the front and rear adjustment bracket 301 to the upper wall 206 of the cabinet 200. In addition, when the hinge 300 is mounted on the cabinet 200, the front and rear guide pins 322, 323 of the upper housing 304 extend into a pair of front and rear guide openings 314, 315 in the front and rear adjustment bracket 301, the head 309 of the front and rear adjustment eccentric fastener 306 is received in an opening 320 in the upper housing 304, and the cam 312 of the front and rear adjustment eccentric fastener 306 is located in the front and rear adjustment opening 313.

[0036] In addition, when the hinge 300 is mounted on the cabinet 200, the lateral adjustment brackets 302, the vertical adjustment brackets 303 and the guide bracket 347 are received in the recess 207 (e.g., recessed therein) in the rear surface 208 of the cabinet door 202, the fastener 355 extends through the opening 354 in the guide bracket 347 and secures the guide bracket 347 to the cabinet door 202, and the lateral adjustment brackets 302 and the vertical adjustment brackets 303 are supported on the guide rails 349 of the guide bracket 347. In addition, the lateral guide pins 352, 353 of the guide bracket 347 extend into the lateral guide openings 340, 341 of the lateral adjustment bracket 302, the head 309 of the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 is received in an opening in the guide bracket 347, and the cam 312 of the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 is located in the lateral adjustment opening 339 of the lateral adjustment bracket 302.

[0037] In addition, when the hinge 300 is mounted on the cabinet 200, the vertical adjustment guide pins 343, 344 of the lateral adjustment bracket 302 extend into the vertical guide openings 337, 338 of the vertical adjustment bracket 303, the head 309 of the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 is received in another opening of the guide bracket 347, the rod 311 of the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 passes through the through hole 342 of the lateral adjustment bracket 302, and the cam 312 of the vertical adjustment centrifugal fastener 308 is located in the vertical adjustment opening 336 in the vertical adjustment bracket 303.

[0038] To adjust the position of the hinge 300 on the cabinet, the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307, the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308, and / or the front-to-back adjustment eccentric fastener 306 can be rotated. For example, the front-to-back adjustment eccentric fastener 306 can be rotated to adjust the front-to-back (i.e., fore-aft) position of the hinge 300 on the cabinet. As the front-to-back adjustment eccentric fastener 306 rotates, the engagement between the cam 312 of the front-to-back adjustment eccentric fastener 306 and the front-to-back adjustment opening 313 in the front-to-back adjustment bracket 301 causes the upper housing to slide rearward / aft (if the front-to-back adjustment eccentric fastener is rotated clockwise) or forward (if the front-to-back adjustment eccentric fastener is rotated counterclockwise). When adjusting the front-to-back position of the hinge 300, the front-to-back guide pins of the upper housing slide within the front-to-back guide openings 314, 315 of the front-to-back adjustment bracket 301.

[0039] The lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 can be rotated to adjust the lateral (i.e., left-right) position of the hinge 300 on the cabinet 200. As the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 rotates, the engagement between the cam 312 of the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 and the lateral adjustment opening 339 in the lateral adjustment bracket 302 causes the lateral adjustment bracket 302 and the vertical adjustment bracket 303 to slide rightward (if the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 is rotated clockwise) or leftward (if the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener 307 is rotated counterclockwise). When the lateral position of the hinge 300 is adjusted, the lateral guide pins 352, 353 of the guide bracket 347 slide within the lateral guide openings 340, 341 of the lateral adjustment bracket 302.

[0040] The vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 can be rotated to adjust the vertical (i.e., up and down) position of the hinge 300 on the cabinet 200. As the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 rotates, the engagement between the cam 312 of the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 and the vertical adjustment opening 336 in the vertical adjustment bracket 303 causes the lateral adjustment bracket 302 and the vertical adjustment bracket 303 to slide upward (if the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 is rotated clockwise) or downward (if the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener 308 is rotated counterclockwise). When the vertical position of the hinge 300 is adjusted, the vertical adjustment guide pins 343, 344 of the lateral adjustment bracket 302 slide within the vertical guide openings 337, 338 of the vertical adjustment bracket 303.

[0041] In operation, when the cabinet door 202 is grasped and moved from the closed position to the open position, the lower housing 305 of the hinge 300 (and the lateral adjustment bracket 302, the vertical adjustment bracket 303, the guide bracket 347, and the rear cover plate 358 coupled to the lower housing 305) rotates about the hinge pin 327 extending into the central openings 326, 333 of the upper housing 304 and the lower housing 305, and the rotation guide pins 330, 331 slide within the arcuate channels 334, 335 in the lower housing 305.

[0042] Although the present invention has been described in detail with particular reference to its exemplary embodiments, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the scope of the present invention to the exact forms disclosed. Further, although the hinges described herein are for use in cabinets, those skilled in the art will understand that these features can be applied to other articulated assemblies. Those skilled in the art of the present invention will understand that changes and modifications can be made to the described structure without departing significantly from the principles, spirit, and scope of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims. Further, as used herein, the terms "substantially" and similar terms are used as approximate terms and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations of measured or calculated values recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, as used herein, when a component is referred to as being "on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or intervening components may be present therebetween. Further, when a component is referred to as being "coupled" to another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or intervening components may be present therebetween.

Claims

1. A hinge, comprising: A front - to - back adjustment bracket, which comprises at least one front - to - back adjustment opening; A lateral adjustment bracket, which comprises at least one lateral adjustment opening; A vertical adjustment bracket, which comprises at least one vertical adjustment opening; An upper housing member, which is coupled to the front - to - back adjustment bracket; A lower housing member, which is coupled to the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket; A hinge pin, which is located in a hinge - pin opening defined by the upper housing member and the lower housing member; A pair of guide pins, which are located in a pair of arcuate channels defined by the lower housing member; At least one front - to - back adjustment eccentric fastener, which is configured to extend into at least one front - to - back adjustment opening in the front - to - back adjustment bracket; At least one lateral adjustment eccentric fastener, which is configured to extend into at least one lateral adjustment opening in the lateral adjustment bracket; And At least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener, which is configured to extend into at least one vertical adjustment opening in the vertical adjustment bracket.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, further comprising an upper cover plate, which is configured to cover a part of the upper housing connected to the front - to - back adjustment bracket.

3. The hinge according to claim 2, further comprising a rear cover plate.

4. The hinge according to claim 3, further comprising a guide bracket located between the lateral adjustment bracket and the rear cover plate, the guide bracket comprising: A back plate, which includes a pair of openings that accommodate the at least one lateral adjustment eccentric fastener and the at least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener; and A support rail, which is located on a front surface of the back plate, and the support rail supports the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket.

5. The hinge according to claim 4, wherein each of the at least one front - to - back adjustment eccentric fastener, the at least one lateral adjustment eccentric fastener, and the at least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener comprises: A head; A rod, which is coupled to the head; and A cam, which is coupled to one end of the rod, wherein the rod is axially offset from a center line of the head.

6. The hinge according to claim 5, wherein the upper housing comprises: A cylindrical portion; An extension portion, which extends rearward from the cylindrical portion; and A pair of front - to - back adjustment guide pins, which extend upward from the extension portion.

7. The hinge according to claim 6, wherein the front - to - back adjustment bracket comprises a pair of front - to - back guide openings that are elongated in a front - to - back direction, and wherein the pair of front - to - back adjustment guide pins are slidable in the pair of front - to - back guide openings.

8. The hinge according to claim 7, wherein the lateral adjustment bracket comprises a pair of vertical adjustment guide pins.

9. The hinge according to claim 8, wherein the vertical adjustment bracket comprises a pair of vertical guide openings that are elongated in a vertical direction, and wherein the pair of vertical adjustment guide pins are slidable in the pair of vertical guide openings.

10. The hinge according to claim 9, wherein the guide bracket comprises a pair of lateral adjustment guide pins.

11. The hinge according to claim 10, wherein the lateral adjustment bracket further comprises a pair of laterally elongated lateral guide openings, and wherein the pair of lateral adjustment guide pins are slidable within the pair of lateral guide openings.

12. The hinge according to claim 11, wherein the lateral adjustment bracket further comprises a through hole, and wherein the rod of the at least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener extends through the through hole.

13. A cabinet, comprising: a frame; a cabinet door; and the hinge according to claim 1, which hinges the cabinet door to the frame.

14. The cabinet according to claim 13, wherein: an inner surface of an upper wall of the frame comprises a first recess for receiving the front - to - rear adjustment bracket; and an inner surface of the cabinet door comprises a second recess for receiving the vertical adjustment bracket.

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