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EP-4623174-B1 - HINGE AND CABINET INCORPORATING THE SAME

EP4623174B1EP 4623174 B1EP4623174 B1EP 4623174B1EP-4623174-B1

Inventors

  • JEUP, JOSEPH JOHN
  • POTTER, CASEY LEE

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20231025

Claims (14)

  1. A hinge (300) comprising: a lateral adjustment bracket (302) comprising at least one lateral adjustment opening (339); a vertical adjustment bracket (303) comprising at least one vertical adjustment opening (336); an upper housing member (304); a lower housing member (305) coupled to the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket; a hinge pin (327) in a hinge pin opening defined by the upper and lower housing members; at least one lateral adjustment eccentric fastener (307) configured to extend into the at least one lateral adjustment opening in the lateral adjustment bracket; and at least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener (308) configured to extend into the at least one vertical adjustment opening in the vertical adjustment bracket, characterized in that the hinge further comprises: a fore-aft adjustment bracket (301) comprising at least one fore-aft adjustment opening (313), wherein the upper housing member is coupled to the fore-aft adjustment bracket; a pair of guide pins (330, 331) in a pair of arcuate channels (334, 335) defined by the lower housing member; and at least one fore-aft adjustment eccentric fastener (306) configured to extend into the at least one fore-aft adjustment opening in the fore-aft adjustment bracket.
  2. The hinge of claim 1, further comprising an upper cover plate (362) configured to cover a portion of the upper housing connected to the fore-aft adjustment bracket.
  3. The hinge of claim 2, further comprising a rear cover plate (358).
  4. The hinge of claim 3, further comprising a guide bracket (347) between the lateral adjustment bracket and the rear cover plate, the guide bracket comprising: a backing plate (348) comprising a pair of openings (350, 351) accommodating the at least one lateral adjustment eccentric fastener and the at least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener; and a support rail (349) on a front surface of the backing plate, the support rail supporting the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket.
  5. The hinge of claim 4, wherein each of the at least one fore-aft adjustment eccentric fastener, the at least one lateral adjustment eccentric fastener, and the at least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener comprises: a head (309); a stem (311) coupled to the head; and a cam (312) coupled to an end of the stem, wherein the stem is axially offset from a centerline of the head.
  6. The hinge of claim 5, wherein the upper housing comprises: a cylindrical portion (318); an extension portion (319) extending rearward from the cylindrical portion; and a pair of fore-aft adjustment guide pins (322, 323) extending upward from the extension portion.
  7. The hinge of claim 6, wherein the fore-aft adjustment bracket comprises a pair of fore-aft guide openings (314, 315) elongated in a fore-aft direction, and wherein the pair of fore-aft adjustment guide pins are slidable in the pair of fore-aft guide openings.
  8. The hinge of claim 7, wherein the lateral adjustment bracket comprises a pair of vertical adjustment guide pins (343, 344).
  9. The hinge of claim 8, wherein the vertical adjustment bracket comprises a pair of vertical guide openings (337, 338) elongated in a vertical direction, and wherein the pair of vertical adjustment guide pins are slidable in the pair of vertical guide openings.
  10. The hinge of claim 9, wherein the guide bracket comprises a pair of lateral adjustment guide pins (352, 353).
  11. The hinge of claim 10, wherein the lateral adjustment bracket further comprises a pair of lateral guide openings (340, 341) elongated in a lateral direction, and wherein the pair of lateral adjustment guide pins are slidable in the pair of lateral guide openings.
  12. The hinge of claim 11, wherein the lateral adjustment bracket further comprises a pass-through opening (342), and wherein the stem of the at least one vertical adjustment eccentric fastener extends through the pass-through opening.
  13. A cabinet (200) comprising: a framework (201); a cabinet door (202); and the hinge (300) of claim 1 hingedly coupling the cabinet door to the framework.
  14. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein: an inner surface (205) of an upper wall (206) of the framework comprises a first recess (204) accommodating the fore-aft adjustment bracket; and an inner surface (208) of the cabinet door comprises a second recess (207) accommodating the vertical adjustment bracket.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/384,733, filed November 22, 2022. BACKGROUND 1. Field The present invention relates to hinges and cabinets including a hinge. 2. Description of the Related Art A variety of different types of hinges exist, including scissor hinges, butt hinges, ball-bearing hinges, barrel hinges, concealed hinges, knife hinges, piano hinges, pivot hinges, strap hinges, offset hinges, overlay hinges, and cylinder hinges. However, these conventional hinges do not include sufficient adjustability, soft-closing, and swing retention. Additionally, some of these conventional hinges are bulky and unsightly, particularly once they are installed to secure a door to a cabinet. DE 197 32 702 A1 discloses a hinge lug for a door or window. The lug has a section fixed to the surface of the door-leaf or frame, and against this an adjustable section bears, this supporting a hinge half. Surfaces on the fixed section form a straight guide for the adjustable section. Adjustment is effected by an eccentric mechanism. The mechanism can comprise an eccentric fixed to a bearing trunnion turning in one of the halves and enclosed by an annular guide block with opposite parallel sides. These sides work between parallel sides of a guide in the other half and which is at right angles to the first guide. US 89 605 457 B2 discloses a three-dimensionally adjustable hinge receives a pivotable element. A housing has an adjustable pivot support block inside adjusted in two directions by bolts extending through different walls of the housing and threaded into the pivot support to move the block in two different directions by turning the two different bolts. A supporting wedge with a threaded bolt moves the block the box-like enclosure in a third direction. Alternately, stacked adjusting plates with longitudinal bolts threaded through threaded openings in center sliders move the sliders in center slots aligned in different directions in the different plates to adjust a pivotable element attached to a top plate in two different directions. The plate assembly is pivotally attached to a base by an adjustable height bolt assembly for adjustment in a third direction. SUMMARY The present invention relates to a hinge and a cabinet including a hinge. According to the invention, the hinge includes a fore-aft adjustment bracket, a lateral adjustment bracket, and a vertical adjustment bracket including a fore-aft adjustment opening, a lateral adjustment opening, and a vertical adjustment opening, respectively. The hinge also includes an upper housing member coupled to the fore-aft adjustment bracket, and a lower housing member coupled to the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket. The hinge further includes a hinge pin accommodated in a hinge pin opening defined by the upper and lower housing members, a pair of guide pins accommodated in a pair of arcuate channels in the lower housing, and a fore-aft adjustment eccentric fastener, a lateral adjustment eccentric fastener, and a vertical adjustment eccentric fastener configured to extend into the fore-aft adjustment opening, the lateral adjustment opening, and the vertical adjustment opening, respectively. The hinge may also include an upper cover plate configured to cover a portion of the upper housing connected to the fore-aft adjustment bracket. The hinge may also include a rear cover plate. The hinge may include a guide plate between the lateral adjustment bracket and the rear cover plate. The guide plate may include a backing plate including a pair of openings accommodating the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener and the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener, and a support rail on a front surface of the backing plate. The support rail supports the lateral adjustment bracket and the vertical adjustment bracket. Each of the fore-aft adjustment eccentric fastener, the lateral adjustment eccentric fastener, and the vertical adjustment eccentric fastener may include a head, a stem coupled to the head, and a cam coupled to an end of the stem, wherein the stem is axially offset from a centerline of the head. The upper housing may include a cylindrical portion, an extension portion extending rearward from the cylindrical portion, and a pair of fore-aft adjustment guide pins extending upward from the extension portion. The fore-aft adjustment bracket may include a pair of fore-aft guide openings elongated in a fore-aft direction, and the pair of fore-aft adjustment guide pins may be slidable in the pair of fore-aft guide openings. The lateral adjustment bracket may include a pair of vertical adjustment guide pins. The vertical adjustment bracket may include a pair of vertical guide openings elongated in a vertical direction, and the pair of vertical adjustment guide pins may be slidable in the pair of vertical guide openings. The guide bracket may include a pair