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The present invention refers to a compact damped hinge .

As is known, snap hinges are widely used for opening and closing furniture doors and leaves and usually comprise a cup- shaped part to be reces sed in the door of the piece of furniture , a hinge flap hooked to a hinge fixing plate designed to be fixed to a shoulder of the piece of furniture , articulation means to connect the hinge flap and the hinge cup to each other in an operatively connected manner and elastic means to ensure snap closing of the hinge , thus preventing the doors from opening on their own in an undesirable manner .

Furthermore , nowadays it is important that the return action exerted by the elastic means does not cause the door to bang shut during the hinge closing movement , since this would not be to the liking of the end users and can in the long term lead to unexpected breakages .

In an attempt to meet this need, the hinges have been provided with damping devices which damp and/or slow down the closing movement of the door, preventing it from banging shut .

In short , the ob j ective of the above solution is to ensure that the door of the piece of furniture , which has a snap closing movement due to the elastic return action exerted by the elastic means during the hinge closing movement , has a door closing movement braked or slowed down by the action of a damper, thus preventing the door from banging shut .

In general , in these solutions , the damping devices used are of the type with damped fluid piston and can be fixed to the piece of furniture in positions such as to be directly operated by the doors during the last stretch of their closing movement .

This type of arrangement , although simple , practical and ef fective , can be rather evident with negative aesthetic impact due to the exposed dampers . Furthermore , the operative connection of the above-mentioned dampers can require , for their application, drilling, adaptation and as sembly operations of a certain complexity compared to the usual hinges .

Lastly, to activate the damper, complex mechanisms are provided, with gears or other transmis sion systems in order to compres s and extend the damper piston using the force of the spring that moves the mobile part of the hinge when the door or the doors are closed .

The general ob j ect of the present invention is to provide a compact damped hinge able to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the known art in an extremely simple , inexpensive and particularly functional manner .

A further ob j ect of the present invention is to provide a hinge in which the activation of the damper is simplified and simple .

The above-mentioned ob j ect s are achieved by a compact damped hinge produced according to the independent claim 1 and the following dependent claims .

The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and it s advantages with respect to the known art will become even clearer and more evident from an examination of the following description, referring to the attached schematic drawings which show an implementation example of the invention . In the drawings : figures 1 and 2 are two perspective views in which a hinge according to the present invention is shown in the closed position and in the open position respectively; figure 3 is a perspective view, partially split , of part of the hinge shown in the closed position of figure 1 ; figure 3B is a perspective view, partially split , according to a dif ferent angle from figure 3 , of part of the hinge shown in the closed position of figure 1 ; figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the hinge of figure 3 which highlight s the connecting rods , the damper device , the shaped elastic sheet and their reciprocal position with the hinge closed; figure 5 shows in a perspective view only the lower connecting rod; figure 6 shows in a perspective view only the shaped elastic sheet in the rest position ; figure 7 shows in a perspective view an enlarged detail of the coupling between lower connecting rod and elastic sheet present in figure 4 in the hinge closed position ; figure 8 is a perspective view, partially split , of part of the hinge shown in the open position of figure 2 ; figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view of part of the hinge of figure 8 which highlight s the connecting rods , the damper device , the shaped elastic sheet and their reciprocal position in the hinge open position ; figure 10 shows a perspective view of an enlarged detail of the coupling between lower connecting rod and elastic sheet present in figure 9 in the hinge open position ; figures 11 and 12 show perspective views of an alternative embodiment of the hinge according to the invention ; figure 13 shows in an exploded perspective view details of a hinge according to a further alternative embodiment according to the invention ; figure 14 shows a perspective view only of the elastic sheet at rest of the embodiment of figure 13 ; figure 15 shows a perspective view of the elastic sheet of the embodiment of figure 13 when applied to the container of the damper device .

In the following description, for the illustration of the figures identical reference numbers are used to indicate construction element s with the same function . Furthermore , for clarity of illustration, some numerical references may not have been repeated in all the figures .

Indications such as "vertical" and "horizontal" , "upper" and "lower" ( in the absence of other indications ) should be read with reference to the as sembly ( or operative ) conditions and referring to the normal terminology currently used, where "vertical" indicates a direction substantially parallel to that of the force of gravity vector " g" and horizontal a direction perpendicular to it .

With reference to the figures , provided by way of non-limiting example , an embodiment of a compact damped hinge according to the present invention is shown, particularly suitable for opening and closing furniture doors .

The compact damped hinge comprises es sentially a hinge cup or box 11 designed to be reces sed by means of a hole 12 , for example circular, formed on an inner surface 13 of a door 14 of a piece of furniture . The hinge further comprises a fixing plate 15 to be f ixed to an inner surface 1 6 of a shoulder 17 of the piece of furniture and designed to receive a hinge flap 18 which engages in a removable manner with the fixing plate 15 .

Articulated connection means are further provided designed to connect in an articulated manner a rear end part 1 9 of the cup 11 to a front end part 20 of the hinge flap 18 . In this way, the cup 11 and the hinge flap 18 are articulated to each other so as to pas s from a closed hinge configuration ( figure 1 ) to an open hinge configuration ( figure 2 ) , and vice versa . In these two positions the door 14 supported by the hinge is closed and open with respect to the remaining part of the piece of furniture such as , for example , a shoulder 17 .

Usually a spring 21 is also provided that exert s a thrust between a part integral with the hinge flap and a part integral with the cup to generate an elastic return action that set s the hinge to the closed position .

The articulated connection means comprise es sentially, observing the hinge in side elevation, an upper connecting rod 22 and a lower connecting rod 23 .

The upper connecting rod 22 is pivoted by means of a first pin 24 to the rear end part 1 9 of the cup 11 and by means of a second pin 25 to the front end part 20 of the hinge flap 18 , where the spring 21 is arranged coaxial .

The lower connecting rod 23 is pivoted by means of a third pin 2 6 to the rear end part 1 9 of the cup 11 and by means of a fourth pin 27 to the front end part 20 of the hinge flap 18 .

More precisely, the hinge flap 18 has an inverted U-shaped profile and the rear end 1 9 of the cup 11 has sides arranged inside the hinge flap 18 U, both arranged to receive the pins 24 , 25 , 2 6 and 27 . A first embodiment provides a damper device 28 comprising a body 2 9 and a stem 30 , arranged in a direction longitudinal to that of the hinge flap 18 . The damper device 28 is positioned and operated by a shaped elastic sheet 31 , arranged and functioning as will be seen, which causes loading or discharging of the damper device 28 .

More specifically, the damper device 28 is arranged abutted between an end fold 32 ( or front extension ) of the hinge flap 18 and a final square-folded extension 33 of the elastic sheet 31 ( figures 3 , 3B ) . More in part icular the end fold is formed extending upwards , in the upper surface 38 of the inverted U- shaped profile in the front end 20 of the hinge flap 18 , above the area between the two pins 25 and 27 .

The shaped elastic sheet 31 present s a flattened element provided centrally with two flaps 34 spaced apart and converging to form a housing and a centring for the body 2 9 of the damper device 28 . The shaped elastic sheet 31 at rest has a first curved end 35 , whereas at the opposite end it is provided, as mentioned, with the final square-folded extension 33 .

In this first curved end 35 two openings 36 are formed on opposite sides thereof , each provided with an elastic tooth 37 facing the inside of said opening 36 .

The lower connecting rod 23 receives the fourth pin 27 in holes 39 formed in two ears 40 which extend from said lower connecting rod 23 as drilled extensions spaced apart at the transverse ends of said lower connecting rod 23 .

These two ears or extensions 40 , namely the lower connecting rod 23 , each have, at the top, rounded surfaces 41 which face each other beneath the curved end 35 of the shaped elastic sheet 31 . Furthermore, teeth 42 extend from said rounded surfaces 41 of each of the two ears 40 . Each tooth 42 has an enlarged end 43 and a bevelled side surface 44 . Said enlarged end 43 is designed to be inserted in a respective opening 36 of the curved end 35 of the shaped elastic sheet 31 flexing the elastic tooth 37 therein ( figure 7 ) . Once the enlarged end 43 of the tooth 42 has been inserted, the flexed elastic tooth 37 of the opening 36 springs back to the extended position and blocks the enlarged end 43 in the opening 36, arranging itself beneath it . The same applies to the other tooth 42 , namely the teeth 42 which extend above the lower connecting rod 23 are made integral with the shaped elastic sheet 31 .

The movement of the lower connecting rod 23 together with the upper connecting rod 22 forming the hinge articulation thus causes the consequent forward-backward movement of the shaped elastic sheet 31 . It should be noted that this shaped elastic sheet 31 , in addition to being supported partly on the rounded surfaces 41 of the ears 40 of the connecting rod 23 , also rests on a supporting pin 45 arranged pas sing through side walls 4 6 of the inverted U-shaped profile that forms the hinge flap 18 , said supporting pin 45 being parallel to the above-mentioned pins 25 , 27 arranged in said hinge flap 18 .

In this way the rotary movement of this end of the lower connecting rod 23 around the pin 27 is trans formed into a linear movement of the final square-folded extension 33 of the shaped elastic sheet 31 . This movement act s on the movement of the stem 30 of the damper device 28 which extends and discharges during the door opening movement .

In this operating phase the shaped elastic sheet 31 has it s curved end 35 at rest ; as it translates on the supporting pin 45 it straightens , allowing the stem 30 of the damper device 28 to come out of the body 2 9 due to the away movement of the final square-folded extension 33 to it s maximum stroke within the hinge flap 18 .

When the door has to be positioned to close the piece of furniture , after a first rotation the movement of the spring 21 is activated, generating an elastic return action to set the hinge to the closed position .

In this way, in the usual movement of the two connecting rods 22 , 23 that form the quadrilateral controlling said movement , the presence according to the present invention of the shaped elastic sheet 31 constrained to the lower connecting rod 23 causes activation of the damper device 28 .

In fact , the rotation of the ears 40 of the lower connecting rod 23 around the pin 27 drags the elastic sheet 31 , due to the teeth 42 engaged in the end 35 of said elastic sheet 31 . Said rotation of the ears 40 and dragging of the elastic sheet 31 causes a linear advancement of the final square-folded extension 33 of said sheet 31 within the hinge flap 18 which compres ses the stem 30 of the damper device 28 inside the body 2 9 . In fact , the other end of the body 2 9 of the damper device 28 remains abutted against the end fold 32 of the hinge flap 18 .

In a first alternative embodiment of figures 11 and 12 in which identical element s have the same reference numbers , the rounded upper surfaces 41 of the ears 40 are replaced by rounded extensions 141 facing inwards and towards the facing ear . This improves the contact area of the end part 35 of the elastic sheet 31 . The improvement of the contact area of the elastic sheet 31 makes the system for trans formation of the movement from rotary to linear and vice versa more stable .

In a second further alternative embodiment of figures 13-15 in which identical element s have the same reference numbers , above the elastic sheet 131 a container 50 is arranged, for example made of plastic, which contains the damper device 28 .

There is no need to provide the elastic sheet 131 with flaps 34 spaced apart and converging to form a housing and a centring for the body 2 9 of the damper 28 .

In fact , it is suf ficient for the elastic sheet 131 , in addition to being constrained to the end of the lower connecting rod 23 by means of the teeth 42 , to have for example openings 51 and 52 having shape and position complementary to extensions 53 and 54 formed protruding beneath the container 50 . The arrangement of the container 50 integral with the elastic sheet 31 is obtained by engagement of the extensions 53 and 54 in the re spective openings 51 and 52 . In this embodiment the damper device is positioned inside a plastic container 50 avoiding contact between steel and metal .

The ob j ect ment ioned in the preamble to the description is therefore achieved . The protective scope of the present invention is defined by the attached claims .