HINGE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a hinge according to the preamble of claim 1 for heavy doors and comprising a hinge chamber, hinge axle tumably supported to the hinge chamber, one or more radial bearings to enable the turning of the hinge axle in the hinge chamber for a normal opening and closing movement of the heavy door, and spring means for suspending the hinge axle in its longitudinal direction into the hinge chamber; and to a door, and especially a heavy door of a building, such as a bomb shelter or other closable space, which comprises a door leaf hinged with a hinge to the structure of the building or a frame structure of the door.

[0002] According to the prior art, heavy doors, such as doors for bomb shelters and vaults and spaces protected from external pressure loads and other corresponding heavy doors that weight hundreds of kilograms and possibly even tens of tons, use extremely massive hinges, because the hinges need to withstand and support the weight of the door. Such hinges of heavy doors need to be designed and dimensioned in such a manner that they withstand the load directed by the door weight to the hinge in all door positions.

[0003] A problem with these prior-art heavy doors and their hinges is that, due to the heavy door mass, the hinges do not withstand shock loads. Shock loads may be caused by earthquakes and shocks caused by explosions or weapon effects. Herein, shock loads comprise both various pressure loads that may be caused by explosions or weapon effects, for instance, and accelerations directed to a land mass. The problem becomes especially difficult in cases where a heavy door is normally kept open or when, for other reasons, the door is open during the time of a shock load. It is then not enough that the hinge is able to support the static weight of the heavy door, but the hinge should also withstand without breaking the acceleration caused by the shock load and directed to the door mass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is thus an object of the invention to develop a heavy door and a hinge for a heavy door in such a manner that the above-mentioned problems can be solved. The object of the invention is achieved by a door according to the characterising section of claim 1 , which is characterised by providing spring means in such a manner that they prevent the directing of shock load to

the radial bearings as the hinge axle moves in its longitudinal direction in the hinge chamber against the spring means as a result of shock load.

[0005] Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0006] The invention is based on the fact that to improve the strength of the heavy door and its hinge against shock loads it must be suspended in relation to the structure to which the door and hinge are fastened, to attenuate the accelerations caused by shock loads and directed to the door mass. To achieve this object, a heavy door is suspended by springs at its fastening point, that is, at the hinge. Door hinges are generally mounted in such a manner that the hinge joins the door to the fixed structure of the building or the like, whereby it is possible to suspend the door by means of the hinge in relation to the building structure. The door hinge is made to comprise a hinge chamber that receives a hinge axle in such a manner that the hinge axle can turn radially in the hinge chamber, thus enabling a normal opening and closing movement of the door. The hinges are typically mounted on doors in such a manner that the hinge axle extends substantially vertically. According to the invention, the hinge axle is mounted with springs in the hinge chamber. In other words, in the hinge chamber and/or at the end of the hinge axle extending to the hinge chamber, spring means are mounted that enable the movement of the hinge axle in the hinge chamber in the longitudinal direction of the hinge axle in response to a force acting on the hinge chamber and/or hinge axle. According to the invention, the spring means are positioned in such a manner that they prevent a shock load from acting on the radial bearings as a result of a shock load, when the hinge axle moves in its longitudinal direction against the spring means.

[0007] The method and system of the invention provide the advantage that the suspension between the hinge chamber and hinge axle dampens the shock load and shock force directed to the hinge. This dampening achieved by the suspension prevents the hinge from breaking as a result of the shock load, in which case the door also does not break due to the shock load. This object is achieved by means of a suspended hinge essentially regardless of the position of the door, in other words, the hinge remains essentially intact even though the door was open during a shock load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0008] The invention will now be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments and with reference to the attached drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows a general view of an embodiment of the hinge of the present invention, and

Figure 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the hinge chamber of the present invention and a hinge axle mounted therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a hinge for heavy doors in accordance with the present invention. A heavy door refers in this context to a door that weighs hundreds of kilograms and especially to doors weighing even tons or tens of tons. Doors of this type are used in bomb shelters, vaults, or other corresponding heavy doors, such as fire doors. The hinge of Figure 1 comprises a hinge chamber 1 that is fastenable to a door frame and/or building structure in a fixed manner by fastening devices, such as bolts. Thus, the hinge chamber 1 is rigidly fixed directly or through door frames to the structures of a building or the like. The hinge chamber 1 is further arranged to receive a hinge axle 2 or at least a part of the hinge axle 2 in such a manner that the hinge axle 2 is able to turn around its longitudinal axis in the hinge chamber 1. In other words, the door is supported to the hinge in such a manner that the door weight is transmitted through the hinge axle 2 to the hinge chamber 1 that is fastened to a structure of the building or door frame. The connecting point between the hinge chamber 1 and hinge axle 2 is furnished with a seal 10 to prevent impurities, such as dust and sand, from entering between the mating surfaces of the hinge axle 2 and hinge chamber 1. The hinge axle is further furnished with a hinge arm 8 with which the hinge axle is fastened to the door. The hinge arm 8 may be fastened to the door with bolts, screws, or corresponding fastening means, or alternatively the hinge arm may be welded to the door.

[0010] The hinge is typically mounted in such a manner that the hinge axle 2 extends essentially vertically. The rotation of the hinge axle 2 around its longitudinal axis in the hinge chamber 1 then enables a normal opening and closing movement of the door. The hinge chamber 1 and the hinge axle 2 received by it thus connect and support the door rotatably on the

door frame and/or the structures of the building or the like. The hinge thus supports the weight of the door and transmits the load directed by the door to it through the hinge axle 2 to the hinge chamber 1 and then on to the door frame and or the structures of the building or the like.

[0011] Weapon effects, such as bombs and explosions, or earthquakes cause shocks in the land mass or accidents, such as accidents in the petrochemical industry, which propagate in the structures of buildings or the like and direct shock loads to heavy doors. The shocks generally direct an essentially vertical load, that is, a load in the direction of the hinge axle, to the hinges of heavy doors, when the door mass accelerates due to the shock. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge that dampens this shock load directed to the hinge and prevents the hinge from breaking and/or increases the strength of the hinge against shock loads.

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the hinge of the present invention. According to the prior art, the hinge chamber 1 comprises a receiving space, such as a hole with a bottom to receive the hinge axle 2. According to Figure 2, the hinge axle 2 extends a predefined distance inside the receiving space of the hinge chamber 1. The receiving space of the hinge chamber 1 is made so that the hinge axle 2 is able to turn around its longitudinal axis inside it to enable a normal opening and closing movement of the door. Therefore, the receiving space of the hinge chamber 1 and the hinge axle 2 are designed circular in cross-section at least along the portion that the hinge axle 2 extends inside the receiving space. The hinge also comprises a radial bearing 13 to facilitate the turning of the hinge axle 2 around its longitudinal axis in the hinge chamber 1.

[0013] According to Figure 2, the hinge axle 2 is supported to the bottom of the receiving space 1 of the hinge chamber 1 by means of spring means 11 in such a manner that the hinge axle 2 is able to move in the direction of its longitudinal axis against the spring force of the spring means 11 during a shock load. In other words, the hinge axle 2 is suspended by springs in the direction of its longitudinal axis to the hinge chamber 1 to dampen the shock load directed by the door weight to the hinge. In the solution of Figure 2, the spring means 11 are four cup springs set on top of each other. The hinge axle 2 is supported to the spring means by means of first and second pressure plates 7 and 9 that are positioned between the bottom end of the hinge axle 2 and the spring means 11. The pressure plates 7 and 9 may be any plates suit-

able for pressure plates and able to transmit the load directed to the hinge axle 2 to the spring means 11. In connection with the pressure plate 7, there is also an axial bearing 12 to facilitate the movement of the hinge axis 2 in the direction of its longitudinal axis in the hinge chamber 1. Alternatively, the axial bearing may also be provided to the pressure plate 9. Any known bearings, such as ball, cylinder, or slide bearings, may be used as the radial and axial bearings 13 and 12. Alternatively, the hinge axis 2 may also be supported directly to the spring means 11 , whereby the pressure plates 7 and 9 are not needed. The axial bearing 12 may then also be provided in some alternative manner.

[0014] The stiffness of the spring means 11 is selected so that in idle mode, in which the door mass is directed through the hinge axis 2 to the spring means 11 , the spring means 11 support the door weight without compressing completely. Under shock load, they are then able to compress more and yield and thus dampen the shock force directed to the hinge. The spring means 11 may in the present invention consist of one or more spring elements. The spring elements may be cup springs, coil springs, leaf springs, laminated springs, saddle springs, or some other corresponding springs, or a combination of two or more springs of different types.

[0015] To provide the spring suspension of the hinge, the hinge axle 2 and hinge chamber 1 need to be made such that the hinge axle 2 is able to move in the receiving space of the hinge chamber 1 in the direction of its axle as the spring means 11 compress due to a shock load. To enable this movement, the hinge has, as shown in Figure 2, a clearance 15, the width of which corresponds to the maximum distance that the hinge axle 2 travels inside the hinge chamber 1. In the embodiment of Figure 2, the clearance 15 is above the radial bearings 13, and between the mating surfaces of the radial bearings 13 and hinge axis 2, there is a spacing ring that yields and thus enables the movement of the hinge axis 2 in its longitudinal direction and keeps the radial bearing 13 in place during a shock load. According to Figure 2, the hinge chamber 1 has a shoulder that defines the height of the clearance 15 in the direction of the hinge axis 2. The shoulder defines the maximum distance that the hinge axis 2 may press into the hinge chamber 1 during a shock. In addition, the shoulder prevents the hinge axis 2 from pressing against the radial bearings 13 and thus prevents a shock load from being directed to the radial bearings 13. The radial bearings 13 then remain intact during a shock load. Alternatively, the hinge axis 2 and hinge chamber 1 may be made so that the

clearance is not necessary and the hinge axis 2 is able to move freely in the direction of its axis inside the hinge chamber 1 against the spring force of the spring means 11.

[0016] The spring means 11 , which are preferably mounted in the hinge chamber 1 , between the hinge axle 2 and hinge chamber 1 , are preferably made in such a manner that they are able to receive and/or dampen the acceleration of over 3G of a mass directed by a shock load to the door. The spring means 11 are preferably made to be able to receive and/or dampen the acceleration of over 10G or 3OG of a mass directed by a shock load to the door. In other words, the spring means 11 may be dimensioned to receive a shock load directed to the mass of a heavy door, which produces a mass acceleration of 2 to 5OG. In certain cases, the hinges of heavy doors may become damaged even from very small shock loads, whereby the spring means 11 may also be dimensioned according to these very small shock loads.

[0017] According to the present invention, a heavy door is supported on the door frame structures or on the structure of a building or the like by means of a spring-suspended hinge. In the hinge, the hinge axis is suspended by spring means in the hinge chamber in such a manner that the spring means receive and dampen a shock load directed to the door mass in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the hinge axis. In such a case, the shock load cannot travel directly through the hinge and break it, but the spring means dampen the shock and protect the hinge from breaking.

[0018] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that, as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the above examples, but may vary within the scope of the claims.