Over-center hinge
AssigneeKarl Lautenschlager KG, Mobelbeschlagfabrik
InventorKarl Lautenschlager
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An over-center hinge for use in furniture comprising two hinge links articulated pivotingly in the manner of a quadruple pivot on the door and wall of the furniture, a bending spring curved into a C-shape under compression bias, with re-curved end sections for biasing said hinge on one side in the closing direction and on the other side in the opening direction, the spring engaging with at least one end section a prolongation or pivot point of the hinge link associated with the end section, latter hinge link forming with the mounting arm pivot axis of this link a lever arm which is directed from the pivot axis such that, in the hinge-closed position, it is biased by the spring in the sense of a pivoting in the closing direction, and in the open position it is biased in the opening direction.
Claims13
An over-center hinge for use in furniture having a door part and a wall part, having a mounting arm comprising:
- two hinge links articulated pivotingly in the manner of a quadruple pivot on the door part and on the wall part, each hinge link having a pivot point with a pivot pin or a journal hole, said hinge upon swinging from the closed position to the open position being movable through a dead center position, a spring for biasing said hinge on one side in the closing direction and on the other side in the opening direction, said spring being provided in the space between the hinge link pivot points on the mounting arm side, said spring being a bending spring of springy material, curved into a C-shape and having short, re-curved end sections, said spring being permanently biased by elastically bending said recurved end sections together and being snapped in this biased state between the hinge links on the mounting arm side and engaging with at least one of said end sections a prolongation of one of said links, said prolongation forming with the mounting arm pivot axis of this link a lever arm which is directed from the pivot axis such that, in the hinge-closed position, it is biased by the spring in the sense of a pivoting in the closing direction, and in the open position it is biased in the sense of a pivoting in the opening direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.