Self-aligning tension door hinge
View Patent ↗A Self-Aligning Tension Door Hinge is disclosed comprised of two specifically designed hinge pins that bind the top and bottom hinge plates while protruding into the sleeved arms of said hinge plates and thereby securing the adjacent hinge plates (in a non-binding manner) that allows for free rotation of the movable hinge plates. Paramount to the present invention is a sleeve insert made of any material that will accomplish a compression binding of the two or more movable hinge plates to accomplish the goal of keeping the door from swinging open or shut due to gravity forces. Also, the present invention is designed and engineered to fold flat when closed, thus eliminating the costly need to mortise the door slab or the door jamb. Additionally, the present invention features two or more angled projections on each hinge plate to allow for a perfect alignment of this hinge to the door slab and to the door jamb during the installation of the door.
1 . A hinge adapted to be mounted between a door and a doorframe, the hinge comprising:
a top hinge plate with two angled projections and having an outer arm and an inner arm formed on an edge thereof,
a bottom hinge plate with two angled projections and having an outer arm and an inner arm formed on an edge thereof,
each of said outer arms and inner arms being of tubular shape, and the outer arm and the inner arm of said top hinge plate interdigitally mating the outer arm and the inner arm of said bottom plate such that the inner arms and the outer arms are coaxially aligned,
a compressible insert sized to fit at least partially inside of both the inner arms of the top hinge plate and the bottom hinge plate,
a top hinge pin shaped to fit into the outer arm of the top hinge plate and tapered to fit into the inner arm of the bottom hinge plate to apply compression force upon said insert,
a bottom hinge pin shaped to fit into the outer arm of the bottom hinge plate and tapered to fit into the inner arm of the top hinge plate to apply compression force upon said insert, and
wherein said insert maintains a constant pressure on the inner arms to prevent the door from swinging due to gravity.
2 . The hinge of claim 1 , wherein the top hinge plate comprises one or more projections.
3 . The hinge of claim 1 , wherein the bottom hinge plate comprises one or more projections.
4 . The hinge of claim 2 , wherein the one or more projections are configured to align the hinge with a door slab.
5 . The hinge of claim 3 , wherein the one or more projections are configured to align the hinge with a door jamb.