Title: Furniture hinge
Abstract: Furniture hinge (10) for pivotally mounting a door leaf (12) to a cupboard body whose door-side front is narrowed by a frame that projects inwardly at a right angle to the side walls. The hinge has a hinge arm (24) made of sheet metal and provided with a mounting plate (28) on the side facing the cupboard body. The mounting plate (28) can be releaseably secured in superposition with a fastening plate (34) disposed on the free end face (18) of a frame element (16) of the frame that faces away from the side wall. At least one slot-like elongated through opening (30; 36) is provided in the mounting plate (28) and in the fastening plate (34), through which opening the shank of a fastening screw (32) can be screwed into the frame element. The fastening screw can be screwed into a fixing tenon (44), which is fixed in a bore hole (46) disposed in the frame element (16) and from which there protrudes at least one guide projection, which engages in the elongated through opening of the fastening plate and is supported by the side edges of the through opening (36). A lug-like projection of an adjusting element (62) provided with a cam (66) is rotatably supported in a bearing bore disposed in the front end region of the fixing tenon (44), with the adjusting element (62) supported on the longitudinal sides of the through opening (30). The adjusting element (62) includes an actuating section located above the cam. The head of the fastening screw (32) can be screwed in clamping engagement on the top side of the actuating section.
Patent Number: 6,904,645 Issued on 06/14/2005 to Lautenschläger
| Inventors:
|
Lautenschläger; Gerhard Wilhelm (Brensbach, DE)
|
| Assignee:
|
Mepla-Werke Lautenschlager GmbH & Co. KG (Reinheim, DE)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
130737 |
| Filed:
|
September 26, 2000 |
| PCT Filed:
|
September 26, 2000
|
| PCT NO:
|
PCT/EP00/09350
|
| 371 Date:
|
May 16, 2002
|
| 102(e) Date:
|
May 16, 2002
|
| PCT PUB.NO.:
|
WO01/40608 |
| PCT PUB. Date:
|
June 7, 2001 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Nov 29, 1999[DE] | 299 20 945 U |
| Current U.S. Class: |
16/382; 16/235; 16/383 |
| Intern'l Class: |
E05D 011/10 |
| Field of Search: |
16/235,238,242,245,246,236,383,384,382
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4142271 | Mar., 1979 | Busse.
| |
| 4493129 | Jan., 1985 | Grass.
| |
| 4642846 | Feb., 1987 | Lautenschlager.
| |
| 4691408 | Sep., 1987 | Rock et al.
| |
| 4862556 | Sep., 1989 | Grass.
| |
| 5611113 | Mar., 1997 | Rock et al.
| |
| 5964011 | Oct., 1999 | Ruston et al.
| |
| 6145164 | Nov., 2000 | Ferrari et al.
| |
| 6289556 | Sep., 2001 | Salice.
| |
| 6336253 | Jan., 2002 | Salice.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 001 787 | Nov., 1997 | AT.
| |
| 196 50 062 | Jun., 1998 | DE.
| |
Primary Examiner: Mah; Chuck Y.
Assistant Examiner: Kyle; Michael J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Norris McLaughlin & Marcus PA
Claims
1. Furniture hinge (for pivotally mounting a door leaf to a cupboard body whose
door-side front is narrowed by a frame that projects inwardly at a right angle
to the side walls and is formed by frame elements, which frame overlaps at least
partially in a closed position with the inside of the door leaf, with a hinge arm
made of sheet metal and having on the side facing the cupboard body a mounting
plate which can be releaseably secured in superposition with a fastening plate
by disposed on the free end face of a frame element of the frame that faces away
from the side wall, wherein there is provided in the mounting plate and in the
fastening plate at least one elongated through opening extending in the longitudinal
direction of the end face of the frame element, through which opening a shank of
a fastening screw can be screwed into the frame element, wherein when the fastening
screw is unscrewed, the fastening plate is secured for movement in the longitudinal
direction of the end face of the frame element, and the mounting plate is secured
for movement perpendicular thereto in the transverse direction of the end face
on the fastening plate, the fastening screw can be screwed into a fixing tenon,
which is fixed in a bore hole disposed in the frame element and from which there
protrudes at least one guide projection, which engages in the elongated through
opening of the fastening plate and is supported by the side edges of the through
opening, an adjusting element which is rotatably supported by a projection in a
bearing bore disposed in a front end region of the fixing tenon, wherein the adjusting
element comprises an actuating section located above a cam and laterally overlapping
the mounting plate proximate to the through opening thereof and having an extension,
the peripheral surface of the cam is supported on the longitudinal sides of the
through opening of the mounting plate, with the cam having a diameter that is substantially
identical to the width of the through opening of the mounting plate and being eccentrically
offset relative to the projection, and wherein the head of the fastening screw
is screwed in so as to be in clamping engagement with the top side of the actuating
section, and wherein the shank of the fastening screw is screwed into the fixing
tenon—through a through bore disposed in the adjusting element, wherein
the longitudinal center axis of the through bore coincides with the longitudinal
center axis of the projection.
2. Furniture hinge, according to claim 1, wherein the fastening plate has on
at least one of its longitudinal edges a tab shoulder bent at a right angle, which
in the intended mounting position on the end face of a frame element contacts the
corresponding front and/or rear flat side of the frame element.
3. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein the mounting plate has shoulders
extending from its two edges that extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction
of the end face of the frame element, and being bent in a direction towards the
frame element, wherein the shoulders contact the corresponding edges of the fastening plate.
4. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein the fixing tenon is divided
at least in its end region inside the bore by a transversely extending slit into
two tenon halves which can be spread apart by screwing in the shank of the fastening screw.
5. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein the at least one guide projection
is formed so that the fixing tenon is guided in the through opening so as to be
displaceable in the longitudinal direction, but formfittingly secured against rotation
about its longitudinal center axis.
6. Furniture hinge according to claim 4, wherein when the at least one guide
projection is in a defined engagement position with the elongated through opening,
the slit extending between the two tenon halves of the fixing tenon is located
in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the through opening
and the flat sides of the fastening plate.
7. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the through
bore in the adjusting element is at least slightly greater than the maximum diameter
of the shank of the fastening screw.
8. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein the width of the elongated through
opening provided in the mounting plate is greater than the width of the elongated
through opening provided in the fastening plate.
9. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein a measurement of the depth of
the bearing bore in the fixing tenon as measured in the direction of the longitudinal
center axis is slightly greater than a measurement of the section of the projection,
as measured in the direction of longitudinal center axis, that engages in the bearing
bore and extends from the flat underside of the cam supported on the top side of
the fastening plate.
10. Furniture hinge according to claim 9, wherein the section of the projection
that engages in the bearing bore has a circumferential annular projection that
interlocks with a complementary annular groove disposed in the wall of the bearing bore.
11. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the cam measured
in the direction of the longitudinal center axis of the fixing tenon is substantially
identical to the thickness of the mounting plate.
12. Furniture hinge according to claim 1, wherein the hinge arm represents an
element that is manufactured separately from the mounting plate, wherein its end
facing the mounting plate is releasably secured on a shoulder of the mounting plate
which is bent essentially perpendicular into a position that is parallel to the
closed inside of the door, so as to be moveable in its released position in a horizontal
plane and fixable in selectable displacement positions.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a furniture hinge for pivotally mounting a door leaf
to a cupboard body, whose door-side front is narrowed by a frame that projects
inwardly at a right angle to the side walls and is formed by strip-like frame elements.
In a closed position, the frame overlaps at least partially with the inside of
the door leaf. The furniture hinge further includes a hinge arm made of sheet metal
and having on the side of the cupboard body a mounting plate which can be releaseably
secured in superposition with a fastening plate disposed on the free end face facing
away from the side wall of the frame element of the frame. At least one slot-like
elongated through opening extending in the longitudinal direction of the front
face of the frame element is provided in the mounting plate and in the fastening
plate, through which the shank of a fastening screw may be screwed into the frame
element. When the fastening screw is unscrewed, the fastening plate is held so
as to be moveable in the longitudinal direction of the front face of the frame
element, and the mounting plate is held so as to be moveable perpendicular thereto
in the transverse direction of the front face of the fastening plate.
Hinges intended for cupboards with an inwardly projecting frame are typically
mounted on the body side with a mounting plate that can be screwed onto the free
front face facing away from the side wall of the inwardly projecting frame element.
The width of the mounting plate can be approximately identical to the width of
the front face of the frame element and form a part of a fastening plate, on which
the actual hinge support arm that forms the body-side plate of the hinge can be
adjustably attached. Alternatively, the mounting plate can also be an integral
part of the hinge arm. To allow height adjustment of the door leaf hinged to the
cupboard body after installation, the openings provided in the mounting plate for
the fastening screw are typically formed as slots, so that—when the fastening
screws are unscrewed—the height of the door leaf can be adjusted within
the length range of the slots. The mounting plate is then fixed at the new set
height of the door leaf by tightening the fastening screw. The position of the
door leaf relative to the front side of the frame element of the cupboard body
in the horizontal direction, i.e., the gap spacing between the inside of the door
leaf and the front side of the frame element, can then typically no longer be changed,
because such adjustment is intentionally prevented by folded-back tabs provided
on the front end of the edge of the mounting plate that is connected to the supporting
arm, wherein the tabs contact the front side or backside of the respective frame element.
In an improved furniture hinge as compared to older hinges of the aforedescribed
type (DE 196 50 062 A1), the gap spacing can be further adjusted by securing the
mounting plate that supports the hinge support arm on a separate height-adjustable
fastening plate, which is mounted on the frame element in a conventional manner,
with a slot for displacement in the transverse direction. The exclusive adjustability
in the longitudinal direction of the end face of the frame element is again achieved
by guiding the fastening plate on the front and rear side of the frame element
and by a slot penetrated by the shank of the fastening screw and by having the
support arm displaceable relative to the fastening plate by guides provided in
the mounting plate in the displacement direction of the fastening plate. An opening
for the shank of the fastening screw is also provided in the mounting plate, which
is sized, on one hand, so as to allow the height adjustment and, on the other hand,
has a large enough width in the transverse direction so as to enable the desired
change in the gap spacing between the inside of the door leaf and the front side
of the frame. To lock the adjusted position of the hinge, the head of a tightened
fastening screw urges the fastening and mounting plate into contact with one another
and into contact with the end face of the frame element. If the setting needs to
be changed, then the fastening screw has to be unscrewed, which again allows adjustment
in the two coordinate directions. For example, when only the gap spacing of a mounted
hinge needs to be adjusted, then it may not be possible to maintain the—actually
correct—height setting due to the weight of the door leaf.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a furniture hinge of the
aforedescribed type, which allows the required adjustments in height and a change
of the gap spacing perpendicular thereto, whereby the hinge can be adjusted in
one coordinate direction without the risk of an unintentional adjustment in the
second coordinate direction. As an improvement of such a hinge, it should also
be possible to adjust the clearance of the door leaf on the front side of the frame
element, i.e., to adjust a third coordinate direction perpendicular to the two
aforementioned coordinate directions.
Based on a furniture hinge of the aforedescribed type, the object is solved
by the invention in that the fastening screw can be screwed into a fixing tenon,
which is fixed in a bore hole disposed in the frame element and from which there
protrudes at least one guide projection, which engages in the elongated through
opening of the fastening plate and is supported by the side edges of the through
opening, that a lug-like projection of an adjusting element provided with a cam
is rotatably supported in a bearing bore disposed in the front end region of the
fixing tenon, that the peripheral surface of the cam is supported on the longitudinal
sides of the through opening of the fastening plate, with the cam having a diameter
that is substantially identical to the width of the through opening of the mounting
plate and being eccentrically offset relative to the lug-like projection, that
the adjusting element includes an actuating section located above the cam and laterally
overlapping with the mounting plate near the through opening, and that the head
of the fastening screw can be screwed in so as to be in clamping engagement with
the top side of the actuating section.
With the hinge of the invention, the shank of the fastening screw is no longer
screwed directly into the frame element, but into a fixing tenon inserted into
a bore of the frame element, which in turn has one or more guide projections that
engage with the slot-like through openings of the fastening plate. In this way,
the fastening plate is displaceable only into height direction. An additional cam
which is rotatably supported in a bearing bore of the fixing tenon by a lug-like
projection, is provided for adjusting the gap spacing. The cam engages with the
edges of an elongated through opening disposed in the mounting plate that is significantly
wider than the through opening in the fastening plate and—depending on its
rotation position—fixes the position of the mounting plate relative to the
fastening plate to adjust the gap spacing. Separate guides disposed on the mounting
plate prevent an adjustment of the height of the mounting plate relative to the
fastening plate.
Like a conventional furniture hinge, the fastening plate can have on at least
one of its longitudinal edges a tab-like shoulder that is bent at a right angle,
which in the defined mounting position on the end face of a frame element contacts
the corresponding front and/or rear flat side of the frame element. In this way,
the fastening plate cannot rotate on the front face of the frame element, which
also prevents rotation of the fixing tenon fixed in the bore of the frame element.
Advantageously, the mounting plate is guided relative to the fastening
plate in the desired adjustment direction by providing the mounting plate with
tab-like shoulders that extend from its two edges oriented perpendicular to the
longitudinal direction of the end face of the frame element and are bent in a direction
towards the frame element, wherein the tab-like shoulders contact the corresponding
edges of the fastening plate.
The actuating section of the adjusting element includes a lever-like extension
through which the adjustment forces required for adjusting the gap spacing are
introduced into the cam. The extension can include suitable means for engaging
a tool, for example a screwdriver and the like.
To guarantee that the adjusting mechanism continues to function over extended
periods of time and after multiple adjustments, the fixing tenon can be divided
at least in its end region inside the bore by a transversely extending slit into
two tenon halves which can be spread apart by screwing in the shank of the fastening screw.
Advantageously, the guide projection or guide projections can be
formed so that the fixing tenon is guided in the through opening for displacement
in the longitudinal direction, but formfittingly secured against rotation about
its longitudinal center axis.
The guide projection or guide projections can be in a defined engagement position
with the elongated through opening, with the slit extending between the two tenon
halves of the fixing tenon located in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal
extent of the through opening and the flat sides of the fastening plate. When the
fastening screws are tightened, the tenon halves are spread apart in the longitudinal
direction of the frame element, thereby eliminating spreading forces that could
attempt to split the frame element apart between the front and rear side.
The shank of the fastening screw can be screwed into the fixing tenon through
a through bore disposed in the adjusting element, wherein the longitudinal center
axis of the through bore coincides with the longitudinal center axis of the lug-like
projection. The diameter of the through bore in the adjusting element is at least
slightly greater than the maximum diameter of the shank of the fastening screw,
which allows the adjusting element to rotate without introducing rotational forces
into the fastening screw.
The width of the elongated through opening provided in the mounting plate is
greater than the width of the elongated through opening provided in the fastening
plate, so that the difference in width can be selected depending on the desired
adjustments in the gap spacing.
A measurement of the depth of the bearing bore in the fixing tenon as measured
in the direction of the longitudinal center axis is slightly greater than a measurement
of the section of the lug-like projection, also measured along the longitudinal
center axis, that engages in the bearing bore and extends from the flat underside
of the cam which is supported on the top side of the fastening plate. With this
arrangement, the projection is able to rotate by preventing the end face form pressing
against the bottom of the bearing bore even when the fastening screw is tightened.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the lug-like projection
can be prevented from unintentionally coming out of the bearing bore when the fastening
screw is not inserted, by providing the section of the lug-like projection that
engages in the bearing bore with a circumferential annular projection that interlocks
with a complementary annular groove disposed in the wall of the bearing bore.
The thickness of the cam measured in the direction of the longitudinal center
axis of the fixing tenon should be substantially identical to the thickness of
the mounting plate.
According to a modified embodiment, the hinge can be adjusted, as mentioned
above, in a third coordinate direction, namely perpendicular to the displacement
in height and the gap spacing, for the purpose of changing the clearance of the
door leaf on the front side of the frame. For this purpose, the hinge arm is fabricated
as an element that is separately from the mounting plate, wherein its end facing
the mounting plate is releaseably secured on a tab-like shoulder of the mounting
plate which is bent essentially perpendicular into a position that is parallel
to the closed inside of the door, so as to be moveable in its released position
in a horizontal plane and fixable in selectable displacement positions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described hereinafter in detail with reference to an embodiment
to be read in conjunction with the drawing, wherein
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal center cross-section through a furniture hinge according
to the invention in the closed position, wherein section of the hinge for attachment
to the door is formed as a insertion cup and mounted in a recess of a door leaf,
and the section for attachment to the body is illustrated in the mounting position
on a frame element of the cupboard body;
FIG. 2 is a view of only the section of the furniture hinge of the invention
for attachment to the body as seen in the direction of the arrow 2 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view of the mounting plate of the section for attachment to the
body according to FIG. 2, as seen in the viewing direction of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting plate, as seen in the direction
of the arrows 4—4 in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a view of the mounting plate, as seen is a direction of the arrow
5 in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a top view—as seen in the viewing direction of FIG. 3—of
the fastening plate of the section for attachment to the body according to FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view through the fastening plate, as seen is a direction
of the arrows 7—7 in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a side view of an eccentric adjusting element for adjusting the mounting
plate on the fastening plate;
FIG. 9 is a view of the adjusting element, as seen in the direction of the arrow
9 in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a view of the adjusting element, as seen in the direction of the
arrow 10 in FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a side view of the fixing tenon, which can be used to fasten the
section intended for attachment to the body of FIG. 2 on a frame element;
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the fixing tenon, as seen in the direction
of the arrows 12—12 in FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is a view of the fixing tenon, as seen is a direction of the arrows
13 in FIG. 11; and
FIG. 14 shows the fixing tenon in a partial cross-section indicated in FIG.
13 by the arrows 14—14.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The furniture hinge illustrated in FIG.
1 and having the reference numeral
10 is designed to couple a door leaf
12 to a cupboard body whose
front, which is to be closed by the door leaf
12, is narrowed by a inwardly
projecting frame formed of strip-like frame elements. FIG. 1 shows a section of
a frame element
16 projecting inwardly from the cupboard side wall
14,
with the hinge
10 to be secured to the front face
18 of the body
facing away from the walls. The exemplary hinge
10, shown here as a single-hinged
hinge, has a element
20 for attachment to the door in form of an insertion
cup that can be mounted in a recess
19 disposed on the backside of the door
leaf
12 and a pivotable element
22 for attachment to the body that
can be rotated about a support pin
21 disposed inside the insertion cup.
The element
22 for attachment to the body which in the present example
is formed of three pieces, has a hinge arm
24 with an end portion that is
disposed in the insertion cup
20 and includes a bearing loop
26 surrounding
with the above-mentioned bearing pin
21. On the other end facing the body,
the hinge arm is adjustably supported on a mounting plate
28 (FIGS. 3 to
5) which has a plate-like fastening section
28a and a tab-like
shoulder
28b extending essentially perpendicular thereto. A slot-like
elongated through opening
30 is provided in the fastening section
28a.
A threaded bore
28c is provided in a sleeve-like embossed center
region disposed in the tab-like shoulder
28b, into which the threaded
shank
27a of a fastening screw
27 can be screwed. The fastening
screw
27 is guided through a longitudinal slot
24a (FIG. 1)
in the end region of the hinge arm
24. When the fastening screw
27
is tightened, the head
27b of the fastening screw
27 urges
the hinge arm
24 into firm contact with the tab-like shoulder
28b.
Conversely, when the fastening screw
27 is unscrewed, the hinge arm and
the insertion cup together with the door leaf
12 can be displaced in a direction
indicated in FIG. 1 by the arrows a—a.
The plate-like fastening section
28a of the mounting plate
28
is arranged so as to contact a fastening plate
34 (FIGS. 6 and 7) which,
like the mounting plate
28 and the hinge arm
24, are made of sheet
metal by a stamping process. The fastening plate
34 has a flat plate-shaped
section
34a which in the intended mounting position is disposed beneath
the fastening section
28a of the mounting plate
28. A fastening
screw
32 extends through the elongated through opening
30 in the
mounting plate
28 and through an elongated through opening
38 in
the fastening plate
34, holding them together on the end face
18
of the frame element
16. A strip-like narrow section
38 of the front
longitudinal edge of the fastening plate
34 facing the door leaf is bent,
contacting the front side of the frame element
16 in the intended mounting
position, thereby preventing the fastening plate
34 from rotating on the
end face
18 of the frame element
16, but allowing displacement in
the longitudinal direction of the end face, i.e., in the direction of the arrows
b—b of FIG.
2—when the fastening screw
32 is unscrewed.
Each of the two edges of the mounting plate
28 that extend transversely
to the longitudinal direction of the end faces, has a corresponding narrow strip-like
section
40 that is a bent towards the end face
18 and grips around
the transversely extending edges of the fastening plate
34. The width of
these strip-like sections
40 as measured perpendicular to the end face
18
is slightly smaller than the thickness of the material of the fastening plate
34,
so that their free edges cannot make contact with the end face
18 even when
the fastening screw
32 is tightened. The strip-like sections
40 prevent
the mounting plate
28 from rotating relative to the fastening plate
34,
but allow displacement in the direction of the arrows c—c (FIG.
2).
As seen in FIG. 1, the fastening screw
32 is not directly screwed into
the frame element
16, but instead is screwed into a fixing tenon
44
(depicted separately in FIGS. 11 to
14) which can be anchored in the frame
element
16 in a blind hole
46 (FIG. 1) which is open towards the
end face
18. The fixing tenon
44 has a cylindrically shaped upper
section
48 facing the fastening plate. The adjacent section
50 of
the fixing tenon
44 is located inside the bore and has a plurality of successive
parallel circumferential anchoring projections
52 with a saw-tooth-shaped
cross-section. The fixing tenon
44 is further divided by a transverse slit
54 into two tenon halves
44a,
44b which are
urged apart and deformed elastically when the fastening screw
32 is screwed
in, so that the saw-tooth-shaped anchoring projections
52 pierce the peripheral
wall of the blind hole
46 and anchor the fixing tenon
44 formfittingly
in the blind hole
46. Two narrow guide projections
56a,
56b
project outwardly from the end face of the fixing tenon
44 facing the
fastening plate. The width of the guide projections
56a,
56b
is approximately identical to the width of the elongated through opening
36
of the fastening plate
34, so that the guide projections also secure the
fixing tenon against rotation in the through opening
36. The fastening plate
34 can still be displaced relative to the fixing tenon over the length of
the through opening
36. The height of the guide projections is essentially
identical to the thickness of the material of the fastening plate
34.
A bearing bore
58 which rotatably supports a lug-like projection
60
of an adjusting element
62 is provided in the end region of the fixing tenon
facing the fastening plate, as shown in FIGS. 8 to
10.
The adjusting element
62 has an upper elongated plate-shaped actuating
section
64 which is wider than the width of the elongated through opening
30 in the mounting plate, so that the actuating section
64 laterally
overlaps with the through opening
30 in the intended mounting position.
A cam
66 with a limited circular orbit that is eccentrically offset relative
to the subsequent pin-like lug
60 is provided directly on the underside
of the actuating element
64. The height of the cam
66 is essentially
identical to the thickness of the material of the fastening sections
28a
of the mounting plate. When the installation of the hinge is complete, the
cam is arranged in a manner depicted in FIG. 1 within the elongated through opening
30 of the mounting plate and supported on the opposing longitudinal sides
of the through opening, with the end face of the cam facing the fixing tenon being
supported on the top side of the fastening plate
34. The shank of the fastening
screw
32 is screwed through a through bore
68 provided in the adjusting
element
62, with the longitudinal center axis of the shank coinciding with
the longitudinal center axis of the lug-like projection. The diameter of this through
bore
68 is slightly greater than the outer diameter of the shank of the
fastening screw
32 as measured on the outside threads, thereby preventing
the thread of the fastening screw
32 from engaging with the adjusting element
62, i.e., the adjusting element
62 can be rotated in the direction
of the arrows d—d of FIG. 3 without also turning the fastening screw.
A recess
70 is provided in the lever-like extended portion of the actuating
section for receiving the tip of a screwdriver. To rotate the adjusting element
62, a screwdriver can be inserted into the recess
70 to apply a force
along the direction of the arrows d—d. When the adjusting element is rotated,
the cam which is supported against the longitudinal edges of the through opening
30 of the mounting plate
28, displaces the mounting plate
28
relative to the fastening plate
34 in the direction of the arrows c—c.
As shown with particularity in FIG. 8, the section of the lug-like projection
60 of the adjusting element
62 that engages with the bearing bore
58 has a peripheral annular projection
72, which interlocks with
a complementary annular groove
74 in the bearing bore
58. After the
hinge is installed, the fastening plate
34, the mounting plate
28
and the adjusting element
62 are all held in the intended arrangement relative
to one another, when the fastening screw
32 is either completely or partially
unscrewed from the fixing tenon
44.
It is therefore evident that when the fastening screw is unscrewed, the clamping
connection between the end face
18 of the frame element
16 and the
underside of the fastening plate
34 is also loosened, allowing an adjustment
of the fastening plate in the longitudinal direction of the end face
18
of a corresponding frame element
16—i.e., in the direction of the
arrows b—b in FIG.
2. When the fastening screw
32 is unscrewed,
the height of a door leaf
12 that is connected to a cupboard body with a
hinge according to the invention can be adjusted. To lock a selected height setting,
the fastening screw is then again tightened, wherein the free end face of the cam
urges the fastening plate
34 against the end face
18, thereby locking
the selected position. For adjusting the gap spacing of the door leaf, the adjusting
element is rotated in the direction of the arrows d—d of FIG. 2 by exerting
a corresponding force in the adjustment direction with a tool inserted into the
recess
70. In this case, the fastening screw
32 that fixes the fastening
plate
34 on the frame element
16 need not be unscrewed, i.e., the
height and/or the gap spacing of the hinge can be adjusted independently, without
running the risk of unintentionally also making changes in the other adjustment directions.
*
