GB2042057A

GB2042057A - Pivoted stays

Info

Publication number: GB2042057A
Application number: GB7905708A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Spegelstein & Son Ltd S
Current assignee: Spegelstein & Son Ltd S
Priority date: 1979-02-19
Filing date: 1979-02-19
Publication date: 1980-09-17
Also published as: GB2042057B

Abstract

There is disclosed a stay of the type which includes a bar 5 pivotally connected at or near one of its ends to a first bracket 1 which is connectable to the lid or door of an article of furniture, and a slide 13 through which the bar is slidable and which is pivotally connected to a second bracket 23, which bracket in use would be attached to a fixed part, e.g. a wall of an article of furniture. The slide is of a resilient, preferably plastics material, and at least one face of the slide is provided with means, preferably an aperture 17, for releasably engaging a raised, thickened or deformed portion 7 of the bar. This portion is located at or near the end of the bar distant from the first bracket, and there may be a second raised, thickened or deformed portion 11 inwardly adjacent to the first bracket. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Stay This invention relates to a stay, and more particularly, to a stay for furniture, e.g. wardrobes or cabinets having hinged doors, lids or other hinged attachments, such as "lift-up" or "fall" flaps, which can either be raised or lowered from a vertical position towards a horizontal position or vice versa.

The type of stay to which this invention relates, hereinafter called a stay of the type described, includes a bar pivotally connected at or near one of its ends to a first bracket, and a slide through which the bar is slidable and which is pivotally connected to a second bracket, which bracket in use would be attached to a fixed part, e.g. a wall of an article of furniture. In a known stay of this type, in order that the lid or door may be held in its opened or closed position, the bar of the stay is provided at or near each of its ends with a stud which releasably engages a corresponding cut-out portion provided at each end of the slide. When one of the studs on the bar engages with the cut-out portion on the slide, then the door or lid is held, in its open or closed position.

In the present invention however, the construction of the stay is improved and considerably simplified, thus eliminating the necessity for the stud and corresponding cut-out portion.

According to the present invention, therefore, we provide a stay of the type described, wherein, the slide is formed of a resilient material, at least one face of said slide being provided with means for releasably engaging a raised, deformed or thickened portion (hereinafter called "deformed portion") of said bar, which portion is located at or near the end of said bar which is distant from said first bracket.

Thus, when the deformed portion of said bar engages with the resilient slide, the two hinged parts, between which, in use, the stay is acting, are releasably held in an open position.

In a preferred embodiment, the means for engaging said deformed portion comprises an aperture provided in the resilient slide. When the lid or door to which the first bracket is attached is being opened, the bar will move through the slide until the deformed portion engages an end of the slid. By applying further manual force to the door, the deformed portion can be forced past the end of the slide, the slide deforming and then snapping back releasably to trap the deformed portion in the aperture.

Preferably, the bar is provided with a second raised, deformed or thickened portion which is situated inwardly adjacent or near to said first bracket. This second deformed portion may then engage in the aperture in the resilient slide so that the two hinged parts between which the stay acts can be releasably secured in a closed position.

The slide is preferably formed of a plastics material, and more preferably of nylon or polypropylene.

The stay bar is preferably provided with a stop means at or near the end of the bar distant from said first bracket and disposed beyond said first deformed portion. The stop means, retains the slide on the bar and prevents the slide from passing beyond said first deformed portion. In a preferred arrangement, this stop means is formed by punching partially through the bar, thus creating a protruding cut-out portion. However, the stop means may be in the form of a pin or rivet, or the bar may be bent over at its end to form the stop means.

Preferably, the first and second deformed portions, and the stop are formed by a single stamping operation.

Preferably, an inner face of the slide has at least one raised portion thereon for engagement with an end face of the deformed portion(s) of the bar.

In a preferred embodiment the first deformed portion comprises a sloping lead-in portion and a more steeply sloping step portion, so that when a manual force is applied to the lid or door, the slide engages the deformed portion with relative ease. A greater force on the door is then required to move the deformed portion out of engagement with the slide since the raised portion of the slide then has to pass over the step portion. This means that when the stay is acting between, for example, a cupboard and its lid, the lid can be easily opened and then held securely but releasably in an open position. In this preferred embodiment the second deformed portion comprises two similar gently sloped portions so that a small manual force on the lid need only be applied, since the lid does not usually need to be held so securely in the closed position as it does in its open position.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a stay; Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in cross section of the stay; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line A-A of Fig. 1; Figure 4 shows the stay holding a !open and towards a horizontal position, and Figure 5 shows the stay in use, hold the lid closed in a vertical position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the stay includes a first bracket 1, which in use, is attached (by screws passing through apertures 2) to the movable part (not shown) of two hinged parts between which the stay acts. The bracket 1 is pivotally attached by a pin or stud 3 to a bar 5. Towards the end of the bar 5 distant to the first bracket 1 there is provided a first raised portion 7, which is stamped by a pressing operation into the bar, beyond which there is a stop 9, which again is formed in the bar 5 by a stamping operation. A second raised portion 11 is provided at the end of the bar 5 near to the first bracket 1, and a resilient slide 1 3 is slidable along the bar 5 between the stop 9 and the second raised portion 11. It will be noticed that the first raised portion 7 comprises a gently sloping lead-in portion 7a and a steep step portion 7b.The second raised portion 11 however, includes two similarly sloped portions 11 a and 11 b.

The slide 1 3 is provided on its upper face 15 with an aperture 1 7. The lower face 19 of the slide 1 3 is attached by a stud 21 to a second bracket 23, which, in use, is attached by screws passing through apertures 25 and 27 to the fixed part (not shown) of the two hinged parts between which the stay acts.

As can best be seen in Fig. 3, two relieved portions 33 are provided on an inner face 31 of the slide which extend along the length of the slide on either side of the aperture 17, and between these two relieved portions 33 is a middle area 35. When the slide 1 3 is engaging either of the raised portions 9 or 11, only the middle area 35 of the inner face of the slot 29 in the slide (between the two relieved portions 33) contacts the raised portion 9 or 11, so that the sides of the slot are flexed inwardly.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the stay is shown in use, acting between an article 37 which has a door 39 attached thereto by a hinge 41. Fig. 4 shows the door 39 in an open position, the slide 1 3 being held at one end of the bar 5 by the first raised portion 7, with the aperture 1 7 overlying it. The slide 1 3 is prevented from sliding off the end of the bar 5 distant from the first bracket 1 by the stop 9, against which the edge of the slide 1 3 is brought to bear when the stay is in this position.

When the door 39 is to be closed, a manual downward force on the door 39 causes the slide 1 3 resiliently to deform so that the first raised portion 7 is forced past the slide 1 3. The bar 5 slides through the slot 29 in the slide 1 3 until the slide 1 3 bears against the second raised portion 11. A further manual force on the door 39 again causes the slide 1 3 to deform so that the side 1 3 "snaps" over the second raised portion 11. The resiliency of the slide 1 3 releasably engages the second-raised portion 11 in the aperture 1 7 of the slide 1 3. In this position, as shown in Fig. 5, the stay is acting releasably to secure the door 39 in a closed position.

The bar may be of any suitable length and cross-section, depending on the particular application for which the stay is intended.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A stay comprising a bar pivotally connected at or near one of its ends to a first bracket, and a resilient slide through which said bar is slidable, said slide being pivotally attached to a second bracket, and at least one face of said slide being provided with means for releasably engaging a raised, thickened or deformed portion (hereinafter called "deformed portion") of said bar, which portion is located at or near the end of said bar which is distant from said first bracket, and, in use, said stay acting between two parts which are pivotally connected together, said first bracket being attached to one of said two parts and said second bracket being attached to the second of said two parts. 2. A stay according to claim 1, wherein said means for engaging said deformed portion comprises an aperture in at least one face of said slide. 3. A stay according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said bar is provided with a second deformed portion located on said bar inwardly adjacent to said first bracket. 4. A stay according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said resilient slide is formed of a plastics material, such as nylon or polypropylene. 5. A stay according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said bar is provided with a stop means at or near the end of the bar distant from said first bracket and beyond said deformed portion of said bar, said stop means preventing the slide from disengaging said bar. 6. A stay according to claim 5 when dependent on claim 3, wherein said deformed portion, said second deformed portion and said stop means have all been formed by a single stamping operation. 7. A stay according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an inner face of said slide has at least one raised portion thereon for engagement with an end face of the deformed portion(s) of the bar. 8. A stay substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. CLAIMS (24 Jan 1980)

1. A stay comprising a bar pivotally connected at or near one of its ends to a first bracket, said bar being provided with a raised, thickened, or deformed portion (hereinafter called "deformed portion"), which portion is located at or near the end of said bar which is distant from said first bracket, and a resilient sleeve through which said bar, including said deformed portion, is slidable, said sleeve being pivotally attached to a second bracket, a wall of said sleeve being provided with means for the releasable engagement of said de formed portion and, in use, said stay acting between two parts which are pivotally connected together, said first bracket being attached to one of said two parts and the second bracket being attached to the second of said two parts.

2. A stay according to claim 1 wherein both the engagement and the subsequent disengagement is made possible by distortion or further distortion of the said sleeve.

3. A stay according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said means for engaging said deformed portion comprises an aperture in the wall of said sleeve.

4. A stay according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said bar is provided with a second deformed portion located on said bar inwardly adjacent to said first bracket.

5. A stay according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said resilient sleeve is formed of a plastics material.

6. A stay according to claim 5 wherein the plastics material is nylon or polypropylene.

7. A stay according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said bar is provided with a stop means at or near the end of the bar distant from said first bracket and beyond said deformed portion of said bar, said stop means preventing the sleeve from disengaging said bar.

8. A stay according to claim 7 when dependent on claim 4, wherein said deformed portion, said second deformed portion and said stop means have all been formed by a single stamping operation.

9. A stay according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an inner face of said sleeve has at least one raised portion thereon for engagement with an end face of the deformed portion(s) of the bar.

10. A stay substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.