Concealed magnetic joint with multiple, maintained angular openings

Abstract

The present invention relates to a magnetic hinge (AM) between, on the one hand, a movable door (B) and, on the other hand, the access frame (C) of a space or piece of furniture. It is characterized by the magnetic attraction of two groups of identical or different magnets (A1) and (A2), constituting the two parts of a magnetic hinge, one part of which is integrated into the structure of the movable door (B) and the other into the structure of the access frame (C) of the space or piece of furniture. The magnets constituting each group (A1) and (A2) are identical or different in number, strength, dimensions, and positioning to allow angular articulation of the movable door (B) relative to the access frame (C), maintaining alignment despite gravitational forces and allowing for intermediate positions. They are adjustable within the structure they are integrated into and are completely concealed and invisible.The hinge is not apparent and has no mechanical element or roughness on the external planes of the movable leaf (B) and the access frame (C) to avoid concentrations of impurities and allow complete cleaning of the surfaces.

Description

It is known that in all sectors of industry and for the insulation of all spaces, animated doors are most often used according to at least two most common operating modes, so-called sliding doors which move in a movement parallel to the plane to be closed and hinged swing doors which move in angular rotation around at least one of the sides of the access plane of the space to be closed. The movements of said doors are carried out using associated mechanical means such as rails, wheels, weights and counterweights for sliding doors or axles, hinges, various fittings and hinges for swing doors. Most often, doors closing a space are angularly hinged using one or more hinges depending on the surface area of ​​the leaf(s) and the volume of the space to be closed. A hinge is a mechanical element that operates on the principle of guiding a part in rotation while only allowing rotation around a single axis. It allows the articulation of a leaf and is most often not removable. It is usually used alone or in several copies and consists of three parts: - A fixed part fixed on one of the sides of the space to be closed. - An intermediate part consisting of the axis of rotation. - A movable part fixed on the leaf intended to close the space. There are several types of hinges depending on the movement constraints and the desired aesthetics. Whatever their design, dimensions or construction, they are generally composed of the three parts designated above. They become "Hinges" when the intermediate part constituting the axis of rotation is partially secured to one or the other of the two other parts. Among the hinges generally found in commerce, we distinguish for example simple hinges in sheet metal, models pierced or whose two rotating parts are of different shapes, so-called couplet hinges, pan hinges, pin hinges with eye, long or two-branch hinges, hinges in copper, whitened steel, brass, stainless steel etc. Whatever their configuration, the hinges are designed to be non-removable, i.e. they cannot be attached or removed from the elements that support them without tools. Thus, the leaf and the space to be closed support one or other of the parts of the hinge in a solid manner. Most commercially available hinges allow complete freedom of rotation around the axis that joins them, which does not allow the leaf to be maintained in an intermediate position around its angular movement between the "open" position and the "closed" position. While some existing hinges may incorporate a complicated and visible mechanical device allowing the leaf to be positioned at one or more precise angles between the closed and the maximum opening angle, most leaves are free to move around the axis and cannot be kept locked in position at intermediate opening angles. Other methods of articulating a door with a space to be closed may also be encountered in the prior art. For example, closure by pierced support fittings and fixed pins, sometimes encountered in the equipment of refrigerated cabinets or food storage units. This method of articulation consists of metal plates most often fixed in a visible manner on the upper and lower external planes of the cabinet or piece of furniture to be closed and fixed pins secured to the upper and lower lateral planes of the leaf of said piece of furniture. The metal support plates secured to the upper and lower planes of the piece of furniture to be closed have sufficient perforations and adapted to receive the fixed pins secured to the lateral planes of the leaf, in such a way that these move in rotation inside said perforations to allow the opening and closing of the equipped piece of furniture. All existing devices for hinged doors relative to a space to be closed have at least two drawbacks: firstly, they only offer two functional positions for the door relative to the piece of furniture to be closed, i.e., the "open" position or the "closed" position, without the possibility of locking in intermediate positions, and secondly, they constitute undeniable obstacles to cleanliness by allowing the concentration of dirt, grease and other unhygienic factors. Aware of such drawbacks, the author of the present invention has sought and devised a hinge device between, on the one hand, at least one door leaf and, on the other hand, at least one piece of furniture to be closed, allowing the opening of said leaf in various angular positions and maintained between the extreme closing and opening positions, without any appearance of the mechanical hinge elements in order to allow complete cleaning of the components of the furniture and total compliance with hygiene rules, for example in the food, catering or hospital sectors. The present invention consists of a magnetic articulation used in at least one example, to link at least one movable leaf to the access plane of a space or a piece of furniture to be closed, consisting of a plurality of magnets, of identical or different shapes, dimensions, strength and positioning, integrated on the one hand inside the structure of the movable leaf itself and on the other hand inside the frame of the access plane of the piece of furniture to be closed, in such a way that the movable leaf moves angularly around one of the sides of the frame of the access plane of the piece of furniture to be closed, at several angles relative to said side while being held in alignment and position between the ultimate fully open and fully closed positions. The operation of the invention lies in the quantity, shape, dimensions, positioning and magnetic strength of the magnets constituting the integrated joint. To meet the criteria governing the perfect functioning of the invention, the structure of the movable leaf and that of the frame of the access plan of the space or the piece of furniture to be closed are arranged to receive, for the same articulation, said magnets in the most efficient and effective position, the adjustment of this position being ensured in three dimensions, that is to say vertically from top to bottom and from bottom to top, laterally from left to right and from right to left and in depth from front to back or from back to front. Thus, the articulation of the invention has the undeniable advantage of being invisible, of being able to completely attach and detach the movable leaf from the piece of furniture it equips without requiring it to be opened angularly, without requiring movement parallel to the access plane and without the use of a tool, unlike most of the devices of the prior art. This feature is particularly useful for built-in furniture or furniture placed in places with restricted access. The articulation of the invention being totally integrated into the structure of the elements of the furniture, the movable leaf(s) as well as the furniture to be closed are totally free of arrangements intended to receive a hinge or other device, which allows complete cleaning of the external surfaces, these having no mechanical element or roughness likely to retain grease and dirt, thus satisfying the rules of hygiene in critical environments. In addition to the technical advantages previously explained, the articulation of the invention offers the user the means to half-open the movable leaf at precise angles by holding it in position solely by magnetism, the shapes and position of the integrated magnets. It allows the total closing and the complete opening of the access to the furniture or even the pure and simple removal of the movable leaf if the handling and the size require it. The state of the art does not reveal similar devices capable of simultaneously providing the possibility of multiple, intermediate and immobilized angular openings, the total withdrawal of the leaf(s) without any movement other than traction relative to the equipped piece of furniture, the total integration of the articulation elements inside the structure of the furniture and of the movable leaf(s) to allow complete cleaning and finally operation solely due to the magnetic effect of the articulation. Indeed, most of the inventions identified use standard or specially shaped mechanical hinges, "Gond" type joints or support plates and fixed axles. Most of the inventions using magnetism concern arrangements of the movable leaves or furniture but outside the joint itself. They are not integrated or have the sole function of attracting and maintaining the movable leaf in the "closed" position on the access plane of the equipped furniture. For this purpose, we will cite the European patent of German origin KERPERS, filed on 28 / 04 / 1983 and published on 29 / 03 / 1984 under the number EP 0 124 749, which describes a device involving the fixing of support plates on the external surfaces of one or the other of the two elements of a piece of furniture and the integration in one or the other of said elements of a mechanical device whose purpose is to retract and release an axis intended to penetrate into said perforations of said support plates. This invention does not in any way use a magnetic articulation, it cannot allow several maintained angular opening positions and has mechanical elements appearing on the external planes of the leaf and the furniture to be closed. Among the existing patents using magnetism, we will cite the French patent PRUDHOMME, filed on 25 / 03 / 2003 and published on 01 / 10 / 2004 under the number FR 2 852 794. Although clever, the patented device refers to a case whose cover and the body to be closed are articulated by means of a standard commercial mechanical hinge, the magnetic means being particularly reserved for opening or closing the cover of the case by changing the polarities of the opposite magnets and positioned on the side opposite the articulation of the case. This device differs fundamentally from the present patent in that the magnetic means does not concern the articulation, that it does not allow multiple and maintained angular opening and that both of the elements of the housing have visible elements. Among the patents describing a magnetic means at the level of the articulation, we will cite the French patent VINSONNEAU filed on 12 / 01 / 2010 and published on 15 / 07 / 2011 under the number FR 2 955 137, which reports a magnetic articulation between the cover and the casing of a box, the magnets secured to one and the other of the elements of the box being placed on each of said elements so as to remain visible and be put in direct contact with each other. This patent, although having an objective close to that of the invention of the present patent, differs in that the magnets positioned on one and the other of the elements of the box are visible and in direct contact, they therefore constitute areas complicating cleaning and capable of concentrating impurities, unlike the device of the present patent whose magnets are totally integrated inside the structure of the leaf(s) and the furniture to be closed. On the other hand, the VINSONNEAU device only offers two opening positions, “closed” position or “open” position, unlike the device of the present patent which offers several angular openings maintained relative to one of the sides of the space to be closed. Still among the patents describing a magnetic means at the level of the joint, the international PCT patent of American origin DANKO, filed on 12 / 05 / 2005 and published on 23 / 11 / 2006 under the number WO 2006 / 124610 can be cited as close by the similarity of its objective with the objective of the patent of the present invention. However, it is noted from the analysis of the claims and the drawings produced that the DANKO device describes at least one magnetic articulation comprising a single magnet integrated on the one hand in the movable leaf and a single magnet integrated on the other hand in the frame of the space to be closed, unlike the device of the present patent which provides in a single articulation a plurality of magnets integrated in each of the opposing elements, either in the leaf and in the frame of the space to be closed. The characteristic of the DANKO patent cannot offer a plurality of angular openings maintained of the movable leaf relative to one of the sides of the space or piece of furniture to be closed but simply two positions, an "open" position and a "closed" position. This characteristic alone differentiates the two inventions. The present invention relates to a magnetic articulation between on the one hand a movable leaf and on the other hand the access frame of a space or a piece of furniture, preferably metallic, which is mainly characterized by the combined association of several fundamental characteristics: a) The association by magnetic attraction of two groups of identical or different magnets, constituting the two parts of an articulated magnetic hinge of which a first group of magnets is integrated in a non-visible manner inside the structure of a movable leaf and a second group of magnets is integrated in a non-visible manner inside the structure of the access frame of a space or piece of furniture to be closed by said movable leaf. (b) The plurality of magnets each constituting identical or different parts of the articulated magnetic hinge. (c) The number, material, shapes, strength, dimensions and positioning of the magnets constituting each of the identical or different parts of the articulated magnetic hinge, suitable and sufficient to maintain the alignment of a movable leaf and an access frame of a space or piece of furniture to be closed despite the natural forces of gravity. (d) The number, material, shapes, strength, dimensions and positioning of the magnets constituting each of the identical or different parts of the hinge articulated magnetic, to allow the angular movement of the movable leaf relative to the side of the space or piece of furniture to be closed, according to several angular positions maintained, between the maximum opening position and the total closing position. e) The possibility of adjusting the magnets constituting each of the identical or different parts of the articulated magnetic hinge, inside each of the structures, in three dimensions, namely from top to bottom and from bottom to top, from left to right and from right to left and from front to back or back to front, to obtain optimum operation. f) The total concealment of the magnets constituting each of the identical or different parts of the articulated magnetic hinge, inside each of the structures, so as not to reveal any mechanical element, any hollow or relief on the external planes of the movable leaf and the access frame of the space or furniture, to allow complete cleaning of the surfaces, compatible with use in the food and medical environment. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the magnetic articulation is composed of two parts, a first part of which is constituted by a group of magnets, totally integrated inside the structure of a movable leaf and a second part is constituted by another group of magnets, totally integrated inside the structure of the access frame of a space or a piece of furniture to be closed by said movable leaf. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the groups of magnets of the magnetic joint, integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame of a space or piece of furniture, both constitute part of a magnetic hinge, in such a way that once the movable leaf is aligned opposite the side of the space or piece of furniture to be closed, the attraction of the two opposing groups of magnets is sufficient to maintain the alignment of the movable leaf relative to the access frame of the space or piece of furniture to be closed despite the natural forces of gravity. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the groups of magnets integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame of a space or a piece of furniture, constitute both parts of the magnetic hinge, in such a way that once the movable leaf is aligned opposite the side of the space or the piece of furniture to be closed, the magnetic attraction of the two opposing groups of magnets is sufficient to allow the angular displacement of the movable leaf relative to the side of the space or the piece of furniture to be closed, according to several maintained angular positions, between on the one hand the maximum opening position and on the other hand the total closing position. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the groups of magnets constituting the two parts of the magnetic hinge are fully integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame of a space or piece of furniture, in such a way that no mechanical element, no hollow or relief appears on the external planes of the movable leaf and the access frame of the space or piece of furniture to be closed, thus avoiding concentrations of dust, grease and other dirt and facilitating the complete cleaning of the surfaces. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the magnets constituting each of the groups of magnets integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame of a space or a piece of furniture, are adjusted in their positioning relative to each other, inside the structure in which they are integrated and in three dimensions, namely from top to bottom and from bottom to top, from left to right and from right to left, from front to back or from back to front The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings as non-limiting examples will allow a better understanding of how the invention can be put into practice. Figure 1 is an overall view of an access frame for a space or piece of furniture associated with a movable leaf cooperating with each other by means of the magnetic articulation of the invention. Figure 2 is a schematic top view showing the access frame of a space or of a piece of furniture, movable leaf folded down and closed. Figure 3 is a schematic top view showing the access frame of a space or piece of furniture, with the movable leaf fully open. Figure 4 is a schematic top view showing the access frame of a space or piece of furniture, movable leaf open at 90 degrees. Figure 5 is a schematic top view showing the access frame of a space or piece of furniture, movable leaf open in several maintained angular positions. Figure 6 is a view of the removal of the entire movable leaf by simple traction. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the magnetic articulation (AM) is composed of two parts, a first part of which is constituted by a group of magnets (A2), totally integrated inside the structure of a movable leaf (B) and a second part is constituted by another group of magnets (Al), totally integrated inside the structure of the access frame (C) of a space or a piece of furniture to be closed by said movable leaf (B). (See Fig 1). According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the groups of magnets (Al) (A2) of the magnetic articulation (AM), integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf (B) and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame (C) of a space or piece of furniture, both constitute part of a magnetic hinge, in such a way that once the movable leaf (B) is aligned opposite the side of the access frame (C) of the space or piece of furniture to be closed, the attraction of the two groups of magnets (Al) (A2) opposite each other is sufficient to maintain the alignment of the movable leaf (B) with respect to the access frame (C) of the space or piece of furniture to be closed despite the natural forces of gravity. (See Fig 1). According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the groups of magnets (A1) (A2) integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf (B) and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame (C) of a space or piece of furniture, constitute both parts of the magnetic hinge, in such a way that once the movable leaf (B) is aligned opposite the side of the access frame (C) of the space or piece of furniture to be closed, the magnetic attraction of the two opposing groups of magnets (A1) (A2) is sufficient to allow the angular displacement of the movable leaf (B) relative to the side of the access frame (C) of the space or piece of furniture to be closed, according to several maintained angular positions (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5) between on the one hand the maximum opening position and on the other hand the total closing position. (See Fig 2, 3, 5). According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the groups of magnets (A1) (A2) constituting the two parts of the magnetic hinge, are fully integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf (B) and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame (C) of a space or a piece of furniture, in such a way that no mechanical element, no hollow or relief appears on the external planes of the movable leaf (B) and of the access frame (C) of the space or the piece of furniture to be closed, thus avoiding concentrations of dust, grease and other dirt and facilitating the complete cleaning of said surfaces. (See Fig 1). According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the magnets constituting each of the groups of magnets (A1) (A2) integrated on the one hand in the structure of the movable leaf (B) and on the other hand in the structure of the access frame (C) of a space or a piece of furniture, are adjusted in their positioning relative to each other, inside the structure in which they are integrated and in three dimensions, namely from top to bottom and from bottom to top, from left to right and from right to left, from front to back or from back to front

Claims

CLAIMS. 1.- Magnetic joint for connecting at least one movable leaf (B) to an access frame (C), of a space or piece of furniture to be closed, characterized in that it is composed on the one hand of a group of magnets (A2) integrated in the structure and on one side of the movable leaf (B) and on the other hand of a group of magnets (Al) integrated in the structure and on one side of the access frame (C), said groups of magnets (Al) and (A2) being on the one hand totally concealed inside said structures without any arrangement, any mechanical element, any hollow or relief appearing on the external planes of the movable leaf (B) and the access frame (C) and on the other hand adjustable according to the three geometric dimensions, namely, from bottom to top and from top to bottom, from left to right and from right to left and in depth from front to back and from back to front,to allow the movable leaf (B) to move angularly around one of the sides of the access frame (C) and to be fully attached to and detached from the access frame (C) without the use of a tool.,

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