Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hinge mechanism. It relates particularly but not exclusively to a hinge that can be used as a right hand hinge or left hand hinge.

Background of the Invention

There have been many previous attempts to allow doors to be hung as a left swinging door or a right swinging door. Previous attempts often involve a hinge mechanism comprising two parts which can be separated, usually along the pivotal pin axis. The two parts of the hinge comprise one part that is fixedly attached to the door jamb and the other part that is fixedly attached to the door edge.

Generally the door mounted portion of the hinge door leaf is rotated or repositioned to allow the pivotal axis to be moved from a front edge of the door to a rear edge of the door or vice versa and the door jamb mounted leaf is similarly reversed or rotated to accommodate the door mounted portion of the hinge door leaf. This will achieve the result of adapting for instance a left hand hinge into a right hand hinge.

In cases where the hinge door leaf is reversed on the door edge, a rebate for the hinge door leaf generally extends onto the front and back surfaces of the door, creating an unsightly rebate on the surface of the door wherever a hinge is located.

Previous attempts to avoid the marring of the door's front and rear surfaces involve complicated, multi-part hinge mechanisms. Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention provides, a hinge comprising, a door leaf, and a hinge pin for connecting the door leaf and door frame leaf, wherein the door leaf comprises an attachment plate secured to at least one connecting sleeve by a bridging element extending from a first side of the attachment plate and out of the plane defined by the attachment plate and the door frame leaf comprises a mounting plate having at least one complementary connecting sleeve and an open section into which the bridging element may protrude without interference when the leaves are folded together.

In a preferred form of the invention, the attachment plate will have at least two connecting sleeves and the mounting plate will be provided with at least three complementary connecting sleeves.

Suitably, the door leaf is symmetrical about a line extending in the plane of the attachment plate in a direction corresponding to the direction in which the connecting sleeve extends. By constructing the attachment plate in this fashion, it may readily fit into a rebate when the attachment plate is reversed to convert the sleeve from a right hand sleeve to a left hand sleeve or vice versa.

The attachment plate may be provided with a plurality of predrilled holes. These may be arranged so that a 180° rotation of the attachment plate about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the attachment plate and passing through the line of symmetry results in the holes being coterminous with their location prior to rotation, or, clear of the location of any of the holes prior to rotation. By predrilling the holes in this fashion, if the hinge needs to be removed from a door and reversed, the holes will be aligned with preexisting screw holes already in the door edge or, they will be completely clear of any preexisting holes in the door edge so as to allow screws or similar attachment devices to effectively mount the hinge on the door edge despite it being converted from a right hand hinge to a left hand hinge or vice versa.

Suitably, the attachment plate has a substantially straight second side opposed to the first side and runs generally parallel to the first side. The first and second sides are thus suitably joined by opposed semi-circular sides.

In order to provide that the bridging element does not interfere with a rebate formed in the edge of a door, the bridging element suitably extends out of the plane of the attachment plate at a location behind or at an edge of the first side of the attachment plate. This location is suitably next to where the bridging element joins to the attachment plate.

Suitably, when the hinge is mounted in a rebate in a door, the rebate may be located centrally in the edge of the door. The walls of the rebate may extend around the entire perimeter of the attachment plate so that they completely surround the attachment plate.

The rebate may have parallel opposed first and second walls joined by opposed semicircular walls.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a door rebate, located along the edge longitudinal centreline can be made and used for positioning the hinge of this invention either as a right hand hinge or a left hand hinge without any modification. The door edge rebate may form a snug fit for the door leaf portion of the hinge of this invention and can be dimensioned so that the hinge door leaf will fix into an accurate and flush position once the fixing means has been employed. The two leaves that form the hinge of this invention, one being the door frame leaf and the other being the door leaf are pivotally connected by a fixed or removable hinge pin. The fixed or removable hinge pin traverses the alternating sleeves formed into the two hinge leafs as is currently employed in standard butt hinges commonly available and forms a pivoting connection between the two hinge leafs. The hinge leafs of this invention now being fixed to both the door and the door jamb along the door and door jamb's longitudinal axis may allow the door to swing in normal swing door fashion.

Thus the invention may allow for a door to be hung as a right hand door or left hand door withSut any marring or damage to the door front and back surfaces.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the hinge mechanism of this invention;

Figure 2 shows an end elevation view of the hinge mechanism of this invention;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the hinge mechanism of this invention; and

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the hinge mechanism of this invention and a door rebate.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

The various elements identified by numerals in the drawings are listed in the following integer list.

Integer List

1 Hinge

5 Door leaf

6 Attachment plate

7 Door frame leaf

8 Mounting plate 9 Edge

10 Bridging element

11 Forward edge

12 Open section

15 Connecting sleeve

16 Connecting sleeve

17 Line of symmetry

18 Bridging section

20 Rebate

21 Rebate wall

25 Door

27 Hinge pin

28 Door edge

30 Mounting hole

31 Mounting hole

32 Mounting hole

33 Mounting hole

35 Mounting hole

36 Mounting hole

40 Hole

41 Hole

42 Hole

43 Hole

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, there is shown a hinge generally designated 1 constructed in accordance with the invention.

The hinge comprises a door leaf 5 and a door frame leaf 7 both of which may be joined by a hinge pin 27.

The leaves and hinge pin may be formed of any suitable metal as is known in the art. In most instances, it is anticipated that the door leaf and door framed leaves will have been formed of mild steel having a thickness generally in the range 1.5mm to 4mm. They may be manufactured by stamping and rolling from a strip of the metal.

It is to be appreciated that thickness nature of the metal being used and manufacturing process may be determined by economics, and the application for which the hinge is destined.

The door leaf comprises an attachment plate 6 joined to a pair of connecting sleeves 15 by bridging elements 10.

The bridging elements 10 are joined to the attachment plate 6 at an edge 9 of the attachment plate.

The edge 9 is set back from the forward edge 11 of the attachment plate so that the bridging element may rise upwardly from the plane of the attachment plate to the level of the top of the attachment plate or slightly higher at a location behind or flush with the forward edge 11. This is so as to avoid interference between the bridging element and the walls of the rebate in the door.

Thus, where the bridging element 10 is in line with the forward edge 11 it is at or above the level of the top of the attachment plate 6.

A number of predrilled holes 30, 31 and 35 are formed in the attachment plate. The hole 35 is located along a line of symmetry shown as the dotted line 17. The mounting holes 31 and 30 are located so that rotation of the hinge about 180° in the plane of the attachment plate effectively allows each hole to take up the position of the other of the two holes. The third hole shifts to a different location.

The mounting plate 8 of the door frame leaf 7 is joined by bridging sections 18 to connecting sleeves 16. There are three of these bridging sections 18 joining connecting sleeves 16. Between them they define open sections 12, dimensioned so that the bridging elements 10 do not interfere with the door frame leaf when the door frame leaf and door leaf are folded together.

Predrilled mounting holes 32, 33 and 36 are provided on the mounting plate 8 to which the bridging sections 18 are connected to allow the hinge to be mounted on a door frame.

Referring to Figure 4, there is shown a door 25, provided with a rebate 20 defining a rebate wall 21. The rebate wall has two opposed parallel wall portions joined by opposed semi-circular portions.

Within the rebate there are four predrilled holes, 40, 41, 42 and 43, three of which line up with the holes 30, 31, and 35 of the hinge, depending on whether the hinge is applied as left hand hinge or a right hand hinge.

The attachment plate 6 door of leaf 5 can be located in the rebate 20 of the door edge 28 so as to make a snug fit in the door edge rebate 20. Door edge rebate 20 is located along the longitudinal axis and on the centreline of the door edge 28 and is positioned at a suitable distance from the top or bottom edge of the door. The door edge rebate 20 is of a dimension that is narrower than the thickness of the door 25 and therefore does not affect the surfaces of the door 25. Door leaf 5 once fixed into position forms a flush finish with the door edge surface. Connecting sleeves 15 and 16 retain hinge pin 27 to create a pivotal connection between the door leaf 5 and the door frame leaf 7.

It can be understood that the door edge rebate 20 being of a dimensional width that is less than the width of the door edge 28, will not cause any marring or damage to the front or back surfaces of the door 25. It is also understood that the rebate has walls 21 which define shoulders of material in a lengthwise direction which will remain untouched after the rebate is formed. The bridging element 10 can form a connection between the door leaf 5 and the connecting sleeve 15 and will bridge the shoulders of the rebate's walls. Thus bridging element 10 does not contact the front nor back surface of the door 25 thereby reducing likelihood of damage to the door's surfaces due to hinge action or hinge installation.

As the door edge rebate 20 is located along the centreline of the door edge the bridging element 10 will bridge the remaining material shoulder equally well when installed as either a right hand hinge or as a left hand hinge.

Referring to Figure 4, it can be understood that when mounting screws are inserted through fixing holes 30, 31 and 35 and when mounting screws are inserted through fixing holes 32, 33 and 36, that there is no straight line formed by three of the fixing screws. This to help prevent the possibility of splitting along any timber grain if used on the door jamb or the door edge.

Whilst the above description includes the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention.

It will be also understood that where the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", are used in this specification, unless the context requires otherwise such use is intended to imply the inclusion of a stated feature or features but is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other feature or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.