This invention relates to hinge assemblies, and more particularly, to assemblies comprising toggle hinges, of the sort that are typically used to hang doors on kitchen cupboards, together with a damping device.

The invention provides a hinge assembly in the form of a toggle type hinge with an arm assembly anchorable in use to a first member and a hinge cup pivotally connected thereto for movement about a hinge axis and anchorable in use to a planar face of second mem ber, at least one linearly reciprocable damping device operable to produce a damped resistive force, and a mechanism for converting hinging movement of the hinge assembly into actuation of the at least one damping device, with the at least one damping device being arranged within a void space in said second member with its axis of linear reciprocation lying at an acute angle with respect to the planar face of the second member.

By way of example, embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows (in part) a form of hinge assembly according to the invention,

Figures 2a, 2b and 2c are partial sectional views illustrating the hinging movement of the hinge assembly of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a damping device for the hinge assembly of Figure 1, Figure 4 is an enlarged detail of an actuating lever for the hinge assembly of Figure 1,

Figures 5a and 5b are partial sectional views illustrating the hinging movement of the hinge assembly of Figure 1,

Figures 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, and 6f are partial sectional views showing various alternative forms of damping device and actuating mechanisms for the hinge assembly of Figure 1,

Figure 7 shows an alternative form of hinge assembly according to the invention,

Figures 8a and 8b show a hinge assembly according to the invention with an adjusting mechanism, and

Figures 9a, 9b and 9c show a hinge assembly according to the invention with a switching mechanism.

The assembly seen in Figure 1 is a hinge mechanism 10 of the well known toggle-type construction used, for example, for hanging a door on a kitchen cupboard. The hinge mechanism 10 comprises an arm assembly 11, which is adjustably attachable to a door frame in known manner, and a hinge cup 12, which is attachable to a door in known manner. The hinge cup 12 is pivotably connected to the arm assembly 11 known manner by means of a compound linkage 13.

The hinge cup 12 in this case is of a known kind that is formed with an essentially rectangular cavity 14 for receiving the compound linkage 13 in the closed position of the hinge. As is known, this part of the hinge is designed to be located on a door via a blind circular mounting hole (typically drilled as standard), with a flange 15 of the hinge cup 12 being attached to the face of the door. The fact that the cavity 14 is essentially rectangular means that there will be a void space to either side of it in the mounting hole. Each of these void spaces will be shaped in cross- section like a segment of a circle, with a depth equating to the depth of the mounting hole. Here, a damping device 16 is designed to be accommodated in one of these void spaces. The damping device 16 is seen in detail in Figure 3 and its manner of actuation is seen in Figures 5a and 5b. It will be understood of course that the hinge assembly could be provided with a damping device in each of its void spaces.

In the cavity 14 of the hinge cup 12 an actuating lever 17 is mounted by means of suitable pins or the like for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the axis of hinging movement of the hinge assembly. The actuating lever 17 is seen in detail in Figure 4. It is arranged to extend across the interior of the hinge cup 12 and has a nosing 18 that is designed to come into sliding engagement with the compound linkage 13 of the arm assembly 11 on the closing movement of the hinge. This is seen in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c.

Figure 2a shows the fully open condition of the hinge assembly, and the actuating lever 17 can be seen in the hinge cup 12 with its nosing 18 clear of the compound linkage 13 of the arm assembly 11.

In Figure 2b, the arm assembly 11 is moving relative to the hinge cup 12 in the closing movement of the hinge (shown by arrow A). Figure 2b shows the point at which the compound linkage 13 of the arm assembly 11 initially comes into engagement with the nosing 18 of the actuating lever 17. This is chosen to occur part way through the closing movement of the hinge, with an initial part of the closing movement occurring without any damped resistence. From this point on, continuing closing movement of the hinge will cause the actuating lever 17 to pivot, by action of the compound linkage 13 slidingly engaging the nosing 18. Pivotal movement of the actuating lever 17 continues in this manner until the hinge assembly reaches its fully closed condition, which is the position seen in Figure 2c.

The pivotal movement of the actuating lever 17 described above actuates the damping device 16. It does so via a lug 19 on the actuating lever 17 (seen in Figure 4), which is designed to come into sliding engagement with a camming track 20 on the damping device 16 (seen in Figure 3). The hinge cup 12 is provided with a suitable aperture in its sidewall to enable this engagement between the lug 19, which is on the actuating lever 17 mounted within the cavity of the hinge cup, and the camming track 20, which is on the damping device 16 mounted outside the hinge cup.

As seen in Figure 3, the damping device 16 is in the form of a linear piston and cylinder type damper, with a piston rod 21 connected to a piston (not seen) arranged for linear reciprocal movement within a cylinder 22 containing damping fluid. The free end of the piston rod 21 is enclosed within a guide 23 which is slidably mounted on the cylinder 22. At the opposite end of the damping device 17, the cylinder 22 has a pivotal mounting hole 24. As seen in Figures 5a and 5b, the damping device 16 is pivotally mounted to the sidewall of the hinge cup 12 by means of a pin 25 engaging in its mounting hole 24. Also arranged on the sidewall of the hinge cup 12 is a camming surface 26. This is designed for sliding engagement with the guide 23 on the damping device 16.

Pivotal movement of the actuating lever 17 caused by closing movement of the hinge, as seen in Figures 2a to 2c, will cause pivotal movement of the damping device 16, as seen in Figures 5a and 5b, by action of the lug 19 on the camming track 20. By slidable engagement of the guide 23 on the camming surface 26, the damping device 16 will be caused to be compressed as it pivots. In particular, its length will vary from a fully extended position (seen in Figure 5a) to a fully compressed position (seen in Figure 5b).

It will be appreciated that the profile of the camming surface 26 will determine the rate of compression of the damping device 16 in response to its pivotal movement, and that this profile can therefore be tailored to produce various different responses. For example, the rate of compression could be designed to be constant, intermittent or variable.

In the open condition of the hinge assembly, the damping device 16 is designed to extend at an acute angle a between the parallel planes of the base of the hinge cup 12 and its flange 15. Inclining the damping device 16 in this manner allows maximum advantage to be taken of the room available in the void space of the mounting hole and enable sufficient travel of the piston rod 21 for the damping device to be able to produce a suitable damped resistive force to the closing movement of the hinge. In this case, the damping device 16 is arranged with its axis of reciprocation at right angles to the axis of hinging movement of the hinge assembly. However, this angle could also be varied.

Figure 5a shows the point at which the arm assembly 11 is just coming into its sliding contact with the actuating lever 17 in the closing movement of the hinge (arrow A). This corresponds to the position seen in Figure 2b. At this point, the damping device 16 is in its fully extended condition. Further closing movement of the hinge causes the damping device 16 to pivot, by action of the lug 19 of the actuating lever 18 on its camming track 20. The damping device 16 is caused to be compressed during this pivotal movement by the action of the camming surface 26 on the guide 23. Compression of the damping device 16 in this manner transmits a damped resistive force back through the arm assembly II in opposition to the closing movement of the hinge.

Figures 6a to 6f illustrate various alternative mechanisms for actuating the damping device 16. In Figure 6a, instead of a lug on the actuating lever to slidingly engage the camming track 20, an actuating arm 27 is provided. The actuating arm 27 lies outside the hinge cup 12 in the same void space as the damping device 16. It is fixed for rotation in tandem with the actuating lever 17, and is shaped with a lobe 28 that is arranged to come into sliding engagement with the camming track 20. Thus, pivotal movement of the actuating lever 17 in response to closing movement of the hinge will cause pivotal movement of the actuating arm 27, which will in turn cause pivotal movement of the damping device 16 by action of the lobe 28 on the camming track 20. In Figure 6b, instead of a guide, the free end of the piston rod 21 is provided with a rounded nose 29 with which to slidingly engage the camming surface 26. In Figure 6c, the damping device is provided as a separate component and its position effectively reversed, with its cylinder 30 being arranged to slidingly engage the camming surface 26, instead of its piston rod. In this case, a special housing 31 is designed to receive and mount the damping device.

In Figure 6d, the damping device 16 has no internal spring biassing it towards it extended condition. Instead, a tensile spring 32 mounted between the hinge cup 12 and the damping device 16 acts to bias the damping device towards its inclined position. Also in this arrangement, a pin 33 attached to the guide 23 is constrained to move within a slotted camming track 34.

In Figures 6e and 6f, the angle of inclination of the damping device 16 does not change. Instead, compression of the damping device 16 is caused by a snail cam 35. This is mounted co-axially with the actuating lever 17 and fixed so as to rotate in tandem with it. The snail cam 35 is slidingly engageable with the guide 23 on the damping device 16.

A further modification, which could apply to any of the embodiments described herein, would be to provide a different kind of pivotal mounting for the damping device 16. For example, this could be in the form of a ball and socket type of articulated joint, whereby a socket could be provided on one of the hinge cup 12 or the damping device 16 to receive a rounded projection on the other of the hinge cup or damping device.

In the arrangement seen in Figure 7, there is no actuating lever within the hinge cup. Instead, the arm assembly 11 is provided with a lug 36. This lug 36 extends out laterally from the arm assembly 11 so that it is able to come into direct sliding engagement with the camming track 20 on the damping device 16 (not seen in Figure 7). The sidewall of the hinge cup 12 is suitably apertured to allow for this engagement.

In Figures 8a and 8b, an adjusting screw 37 is mounted on the flange 15 of the hinge cup 12. The screw 37 is designed to engage the damping device 16 by its guide 23 and it will be seen that by turning the screw 37 in or out, the angle of inclination of the damping device can be adjusted. The effect of adjusting the angle of inclination of the damping device 16 will be to alter the point at which it begins to provide a damped resistive force to the closing movement of the hinge.

In the assembly seen in Figures 9a to 9c, a mechanism is provided for switching on and off operation of the damping device 16. The actuating lever 17 is provided with a wedge-shaped stop 39 (seen best in Figure 9c). This is engageable by a leg 40 that extends downwardly from a linearly movable switch 41 mounted on the flange 15 of the hinge cup 12. When the switch 41 is moved to its "OFF" position, the leg 40 will come into contact with the stop 39 as the activating lever 17 pivots. The leg 40 has sufficient flexibility to flex during this movement, but once the actuating lever 17 has pivoted as far as it can go (corresponding to the closed position of the hinge) the leg 40 will move into abutting engagement with the stop 39 and hence prevent any return movement of the actuating lever. The damping device 16 is thus held in its compressed condition and further movement of the hinge assembly will thus take place without any damping action. The damping action can be restored by moving the switch to its "ON" position. This moves the leg 40 out of its abutting engagement with the stop 39, thus freeing the actuating lever 17 to return to its usual starting position.