DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to the technical field of hinges for doors or the like, and it particularly relates to a hinge for a closing element, for example doors, door leaves or the like, preferably of the glass type, and even more preferably of the frameless type.

State of the Art

Furthermore, hinges for doors, door leaves or the like, in particular of the glass type, are known.

Such known hinges comprise a fixed element which can be anchored to the door frame or to a wall and a movable element which can be anchored to the door.

Typically, the movable element is pivoted to the fixed element to rotate around a longitudinal axis between an open position and a closed position.

In such types of doors it is important to control both the closing and opening movements given that they could damage or break the door if carried out violently, in particular by an incautious user.

However, the hinges known to date do not guarantee the optimal control of the movement of the door, with the resulting danger of damage or breakage.

Summary of the invention

An object main of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, by providing a hinge that is highly functional and cost-effective.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge that ensures the control of the closing element to which it is connected, both when opening and closing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge that avoids breakage or damage to the closing element to which it is connected due to unwanted impacts against possible obstacles, both when opening and closing, for example due to a gust of wind or an incautious user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hinge that has a minimum number of components. Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge having small overall dimensions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge that is easy to assemble.

These and other objects that will be more apparent hereinafter, are attained by a hinge as described, illustrated and/or claimed herein.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined according to the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent in the light of the detailed description of some preferred but non-exclusive embodiments of the hinge according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A and IB are exploded axonometric views of the hinge 1;

FIG. 2A is a rear view of the hinge 1, regarding which FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along a plane /-/;

FIG. 3A is a top view of the hinge 1, regarding which FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view along a plane //-//;

FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the hinge body 2' of the pivot 10, regarding which FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E are cross-sectional views along a plane Ill-Ill;

FIG. 5B is the enlargement of a detail of FIG. 5A.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

With reference to the mentioned figures, herein shown is an embodiment of a hydraulic hinge 1 for closing a closing element, such as for example a door, a door leaf or the like, preferably made of glass, in particular frameless glass doors.

Although described hereinafter is a hydraulic closing hinge, it is clear that the hinge of the present invention may also be a control hinge, that is it is without one or more closing springs, just like it may be hydraulic or mechanical, without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.

A control hinge may be hydraulic or mechanical, and it may or may not be provided with a return spring and/or damping means when closing and/or opening, for example one or more elements made of polymeric and/or elastomeric material, and/or braking means for example acting by friction. The closing element may be anchored to a stationary support structure, for example of the vertical type such as for example a glass or plasterboard wall or a door of a frame, or of the horizontal type, such as a floor.

Although considered hereinafter are frameless glass doors and a vertical wall as stationary support, it is however clear that other types of closing elements and stationary supports may be considered without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.

Given that the stationary support structure and the closing element are per se known, they have not been shown in the attached drawings.

The present invention may include various parts and/or similar or identical elements. Unless otherwise specified, similar or identical parts and/or elements will be indicated using a single reference number, it being clear that the described technical characteristics are common to all similar or identical parts and/or elements.

The hinge 1 may comprise a fixed element 2 which can be anchored to the wall and a movable element 3 which can be anchored to the door.

According to a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, the fixed element 2 may include a hinge body 2', while the movable element 3 may include a pivot 10.

However, it is clear that also the contrary may occur without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.

Preferably, the fixed element 2 may be defined by a base 7 which can be applied to the wall by means of screws 8 to be inserted into appropriate holes, while the movable element 3 may in turn comprise two cheeks 9 to be fastened together by means of appropriate screws.

Suitably, the pivot 10 and the hinge body 2' may rotate around an axis X between an open and closed position.

Advantageously, the pivot 10 may have a pair of opposite ends 13', 13" which can be coupled to the door by means of cheeks 9 and a central operative portion 14 interposed therebetween.

Such central operative portion 14 may include a shaped area 11 with a lateral surface 110. The latter may include a curved portion 111, an opposite flat portion 113 and a pair of angular recesses 112' and 112", each interposed between the two aforementioned surfaces.

Such recesses 112' and 112" may therefore define angular seats.

For example, such recesses 112' and 112' may be obtained by means of an appropriate milling of the pivot 10 at the portion 14 starting from a solid body.

The recesses 112' and 112" may include a respective inner surface 1121' and 1121".

In addition, the pivot 10 may include a pair of rotatable elements 12' and 12" inserted into the angular recesses 112' and 112", for example placed on the surfaces 1121' and 1121".

Specifically, the surfaces 1121' and 1121" may be shaped to receive the rotatable elements 12' and 12".

Even more specifically, the surfaces 1121' and 1121" may be substantially cylindrical-shaped.

In particular, the elements 12' and 12" may eccentrically rotate integrally joined around the axis X, while they may rotate concentrically independently with respect to each other around respective longitudinal axes X' and X" passing through the geometric centre C', C" thereof, as explained in greater detail below.

Advantageously, the surfaces 1121' e 1121" may respectively include a protrusion 1122' and 1122" present along the edge of the recesses 112' and 112", as particularly shown in FIG. 5B.

This will allow to prevent the exit of the elements 12' and 12" when moving the door in particular when the latter rotate idly or however they are not in contact with the surface 212.

In particular, the protrusions 1122' and 1122" may be projecting with respect to the median plane of the angular recesses 112', 112".

In other words, the surfaces 1121' and 1121" may extend for at least half of the surface of the elements 12' and 12" so as to limit the exit thereof from the seats 112' e 112" when the pivot 10 and the hinge body 2' will rotate around the axis X as described below. Suitably, the elements 12' and 12" may include a respective outer surface 120' and 120".

In particular, when the elements 12' and 12" will be inserted into the recesses 112' and 112", there may be identified a distance dl, defined between the portions 1200' and 1200" identified externally with respect to the recesses 112' and 112", as particularly observable in FIG.5A.

Preferably, the pivot 10 may be symmetric with respect to a median plane nlO on which the axis X lies and with respect to which the axes X', X" are parallel.

According to a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, the elements 12' and 12" may be a pair of pins, preferably made of metal and commonly known material and which may contribute to reducing the costs of the hinge 1.

However, it is clear that the elements 12' and 12" may be shaped differently, for example they may be rotary discs, without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.

On the other hand, the hinge body 2' may include a slider 20 slidable along an axis Y which is incident with respect to the axis X.

Preferably, the axis X and the axis Y may be perpendicular to each other, as particularly shown in the attached drawings.

In particular, the slider 20 may include a cylindrical wall 22 with an end wall 23 and an annular element 21, defining a through seat 213 for the pivot 10.

Preferably, the element 21 and the wall 23 may be made as a single piece.

However, it is clear that the end wall 23 and the annular element 21 may be simply connected to each other without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.

According to a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, the annular element 21 may have a triangular shape - in plan view -, in particular a shield shape.

As a result, the annular element 21 may include a flat wall 210 connected with the wall 23 or it may be a portion of the latter, as shown in FIG. 5A, and a substantially U- shaped curved wall 211.

However, it is clear that the annular element 21 may have any other shape without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims. Preferably, the annular element 21 may be symmetric with respect to a median plane n21 on which the axis Y lies.

In addition, the annular element 21 may include an inner surface 212 which delimits a through annular seat 213.

Basically, the surface 212 may define a substantially closed path.

Suitably, the through annular seat 213 may house the operative portion 14 of the pivot 10.

More particularly, the surface 212 may fully surround the latter so that the portion 14 is fully contained in the seat 213.

Furthermore, it is clear that the rotation axis X of the pivot 10 may pass through the geometric centre of the annular element 21.

Advantageously, the inner surface 212 may include two opposite ends 212' and 212" with respect to the axis Y, at the wall 210.

Furthermore, the inner surface 212 may include two opposite ends 221' and 221" defined along the axis Y, where the end 221" is at the wall 210.

Preferably, the end 212' and 212" may have a distance d2 equal to the distance dl, while the end 221' and 221" may have a distance d3 greater than or slightly greater than the latter.

As a matter of fact, at the end 221" there may be provided a recess 25 with dimensions suitable to at least partly house the pin 12' or 12", as shown in FIG. 6B.

Furthermore, the recess 25 may comprise lateral locking portions 26 which may prevent the exit of the pin 12' or 12" from the recess 25, that is they may avoid it being exceeded when moving the pivot 10 and the hinge body 2', as better explained below.

From an operative point of view, the pivot 10 may be inserted into the annular seat 213 of the annular element 21 positioned within a cylindrical seat 4 of the hinge body 2'.

In this manner, the hinge 1 may be extremely compact.

In particular, the central portion 14 of the pivot 10 will be arranged facing the surface 212 of the annular element 21.

Furthermore, the pins 12' and 12" may be inserted into the recesses 112' and

112" so that the entirety may be assembled "in a pack-like manner". Specifically, the pins 12' and 12" may be forcibly inserted into the recesses 112' and 112", for example by forcing the outward movement of the protrusions 1122', 1122" so as to insert the pins 12' and 12" into the respective recesses 112' and 112".

The subsequent return of the protrusions 1122', 1122" to the initial position may allow to keep the pins 12' and 12" in the respective recesses 112' and 112", mutually constraining them.

Even more particularly, the surface 212 may define a substantially circular path, which can be travelled by the pins 12' and 12" so as to allow the mutual movement of the pivot 10 and of the hinge body 2'.

It is therefore clear that the annular element 21 may serve as a cam, while the shaped portion 11 may serve as a cam follower.

As a matter of fact, the annular element 21 may transform the circular motion of the pivot 10 into a rectilinear motion of the slider 20 as described below.

Furthermore, it is clear that the continuous contact of the cam and cam follower elements may facilitate a full control of the movement of the pivot 10 and of the hinge body 2'.

In particular, the hinge body 2' may include an inner wall 200 which may define a working chamber 6 with a working fluid, for example oil, within which the slider 20 may slide.

The wall 23 may divide the working chamber 6 into two variable volume and fluidically communicating compartments 61 and 62, where the compartment 62 contains the cam 21 and cam follower 11 elements.

To this end, there may be provided for valve means 24 obtained in an appropriate seat 240.

For example, the valve means 24 may be in the form of a valve 24 mounted in the slider 20 which may allow the oil to flow from the first compartment 61 to the second compartment 62 when opening the door and prevent the backflow thereof during the closing thereof.

In other words, the hinge 1 may be of the hydraulic type, operating in a per se known manner, where the return of the oil from the compartment 62 to the compartment 61 may occur through a dedicated circuit. In this manner, the through-flow from the open to the closed position will be damped and controlled to prevent possible damage to the door.

Furthermore, according to a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, the hinge body 2' may have an end wall 232 facing the end wall 23.

According to a preferred but not exclusive embodiment, the hinge 1 may include elastic counteracting means 5 interposed between the end walls 23 and 232.

Furthermore, it is clear that the elastic counteracting means 5 may directly or indirectly operate on the walls 23 and 232.

For example, the elastic counteracting means 5 may be in the form of one or more springs in which an end abuts against the wall 232 and the opposite end abuts against the seat 240 of the valve 24, therefore indirectly abutting against the wall 23.

Even more specifically, the compartment 61 may include such elastic counteracting means 5 which may for example be a closing spring 51 or a closing spring 51 and a return spring 52, so as to control and automate the through-flow from the open to the closed position.

Although in the description outlined hereinafter reference will be made to the hinge 1 in the form of a hydraulic hinge with counteracting means 5, in particular two springs 51 and 52, it is however clear that the hinge 1 may be without them without departing from the scope of protection of the attached claims.

With particular reference to FIGS. 6A to 6E, described below are various positions of the pins 12' and 12" along the path defined by the wall 212 when moving the pivot 10 and the hinge body 2' around the axis X.

In particular, at the positions shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D, on the closing element there may not operate any unwanted external load, such as for example a gust of wind, a closing and/or opening forcing action by an incautious user or the like.

On the other hand, at the position shown in FIG. 6E, on the closing element there may operate the aforementioned unwanted external load.

In the closed position, particularly clear in FIG. 6A, the pins 12' and 12" may be both in contact with the two contact surfaces 212' and 212", that is the portions 1200' and 1200" may be in contact with the latter at a respective point of tangency P' and P".

It is therefore clear that the end portions 212' and 212" may include the same contact surfaces 212' and 212". Such position may be identified as position zero.

In particular, the pins 12' and 12" may exert a force equal and opposite to the one exerted by the springs 51 and 52 which will push the slider 20 so that the wall 211 of the annular element 21 is in full contact with the wall 200.

Following the action of a user on the door, the pivot 10 may rotate around the axis X up to a position, shown in FIG. 6B, opening by approximately 90° with respect to the closed position, whereat one of the two pins 12' or 12" will be at least partially inserted into the recess 25, while the other may be moved away for an infinitesimal distance from the wall 112 to idly rotate before reaching stasis.

It is therefore clear that the pin 12' or 12" and the wall 112 will come into contact at a single point of tangency P', for example at a contact surface 221".

It is therefore clear that the end portion 221" may include the contact surface 221".

Although FIG. 6B in particular shows the insertion of the pin 12" in the recess 25, it is however clear that the contrary may also occur, that is the latter may house the pin 12'.

As a matter of fact, extremely advantageously, the hinge 1 may be of the ambidextrous type, given that the symmetry of the annular element 21 and of the pivot 10 will allow the opening of the door both to the right and to the left.

With particular reference to FIG. 6C, there is shown the path travelled by the pins 12' and 12" when moving from the open position to the closed position where, under the thrust of the springs 51 and 52, they may return to position zero.

In particular, one of the pins may thrust against the walls 212 at the point of tangency P', while the other may idly rotate and be held in place by the respective retention protrusion 1122' or 1122".

FIG. 6D shows an operative locking position. In particular, when the user will try to further open the door, the pin 12' or 12" may be driven by the cam 21 against the block portion 26 which will not allow to exceed it.

In particular, the opening may be by 95° - 100° with respect to zero.

In this case, both pins 12' or 12" may be in contact with the surface 212, for example the pin 12" at the surface 221" in point P' and the pin 12' at the surface 212 in point P ^/v . To a last configuration, particularly shown in FIG. 6E, there may correspond an attempted forced closing of the door.

In this case, the pin in contact with the surface 212 during the entire movement of the pivot 10, may be moved away from the surface 212, while the other pin may enter into contact therewith in the point of tangency P".

Therefore, the contact between the surface 212 and the pin 12' may act as a mechanical brake to the mutual movement of the pivot 10 and of the hinge body 2'.

In addition, should the door be forced from the open position to the closed position, there may be provided for an overpressure valve 30, per se known, with a respective hydraulic circuit, so as to allow a further through-flow of oil from compartment 62 to the compartment 61, facilitating the return thereof and preventing possible damage to the door.

It is therefore clear that the inner surface 212 may include a plurality of intermediate portions 2000 in which the pins 12' and 12" may slide.

The intermediate portions 2000 may be interposed between the end portions 212', 212", 221', 221" and they may include the point of tangency P', P", P'", P ^IV .

In the light of the above, it is clear that the hinge according to the invention attains the pre-established objects, and in particular that of guaranteeing a controlled movement of the door both when opening and closing, so as to guarantee the wholeness and long duration thereof.

Furthermore, such hinge may attain all the pre-established objects with minimal overall dimensions and a low number of components.

The hinge according to the invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants all falling within the inventive concept outlined in the attached claims. All details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials can be different depending on the needs, without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the attached claims.

Even though the hinge has been described with reference to the attached figures, the reference numbers utilised in the description and in the claims are meant for improving the intelligibility of the invention and thus do not limit the claimed scope of protection in any manner whatsoever.