Jaybee Manufacturing Corporation

Frank A Holmes

Benjamin H Stansbury, Jr

A cabinet structure has side-by-side slab cabinet doors that nearly abut each other. Linkage elements, mounted on the inside, support the doors for a compound pivotal movement whereby the initial opening movement of the door includes a shifting component so that the door does not invade the space occupied by the adjacent door. A spring arrangement provides not only a self-closing operation, but also a shock mounting in the open position whereby high leverage stresses upon the hardware is eliminated.

Concealed self-closing hinge for panel door cabinet structure

A springless self-latching hinge is provided having a pair of hinge members pivotally connected by a hinge pin and formed of resilient material configured to snap the hinge closed and to releasably maintain the hinged closed. The first hinge member includes a pair of raised, spaced hinge pin receiving knuckles and a boss protruding toward the pin. The second hinge member has a hinge knuckle incompletely encircling the pin and forming a bearing sleeve. A portion of the bearing sleeve forms an exterior, concave cam which is compressed against the boss as the hinge is operated. The compression between the boss and the sleeve is a maximum just prior to closure of the hinge and is maintained at less than maximum when the hinge is fully closed. The hinge thus snaps closed after partial closure and is held releasably closed until sufficient effort is exerted to rotatably open the hinge against the force of the resilient members.

Self-latching hinge

The hinge comprises a pair of hinge members pivotally connected by a hinge pin. One hinge member, while made of relatively flexible plastic, is made dimensionally rigid between spaced fasteners by virtue of its attachment to one cabinet member. A flexible strap integrally formed on the one hinge member is engaged by a cam part of the companion hinge member to generate a substantial turning torque between the members as a function of angular movement, the turning torque reaching a maximum and changing directions just before a limit of relative angular movement is achieved whereby a self-closing or self-latching results.

Self latching cabinet hinge having a resilient tension strap

In a springless self-latching hinge having a pair of hinge members pivotally connected by a hinge pin, one hinge member is formed of resilient material configured releasably to maintain the hinge closed. This resilient hinge member includes a spaced pair of hinge pin receiving knuckles extending from a base portion which may be slightly bowed toward the pin. The other hinge member has a hinge knuckle terminating at a bearing sleeve a portion of which incompletely encircles the pin to define a recess. A boss projects from the central base portion of the resilient hinge member to engage the bearing sleeve recess when the hinge is closed. As the hinge is opened, the bearing sleeve depresses the boss to place the central region under compression. Thus the hinge is held releasably closed until sufficient opening effort is exerted to rotate the hinge and thereby compress the resilient member. In an alternative embodiment, the resilient hinge member contains a central pin receiving knuckle and a pair of bosses which cooperate with a pair of recessed bearing sleeves on the other hinge leaf to perform the latching function.

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Ventura, CA, United States of America

Frank A Holmes