Furniture hinge and folding mechanism

摘要

A bench has first and second benchtop halves. A leg assembly is mounted to each half and collapses independently of the other and is movable between an extended position and a stowed position. A locking hinge pivotally connects the halves and automatically disengages a locking feature of the hinge when one of the leg assemblies is pivoted. The hinge includes first and second hinge members. The second hinge member includes a pawl pin slot and a pawl pin, which slides in the slot between a first position and a second position. Rotation of the first hinge member with respect to the second hinge member is prevented in the first position and is permitted in the second position. A cable is mounted between the leg assembly and the pawl pin. Pivoting the leg assembly causes the pawl pin to be automatically moved from the first position to the second position.

主权项

1. A furniture and locking hinge assembly for pivotally connecting together furniture support surface halves and for automatically disengaging a locking feature of the hinge assembly when a furniture leg is pivoted from an extended position to a stowed position, the assembly comprising:
first and second support surface halves, each support surface half having a first side frame member mounted to the support surface half and disposed along a first edge thereof and a second side frame member mounted to the support surface half and disposed along a second edge thereof; a first furniture leg having a crossbar rotatably mounted between the first and second side frame members of the first support surface half and a second furniture leg having a crossbar rotatably mounted between the first and second side frame members of the second support surface half, wherein each crossbar rotates as the respective furniture leg is pivoted from an extended position to a stowed position; a first support member pivotably mounted to the first furniture leg and a second support member pivotably mounted to the second furniture leg; a first hinge member mounted to the first support surface half and having a notch for selectively engaging a pawl pin; a second hinge member mounted to the second support surface half and pivotally connected to the first hinge member for pivotally connecting together the support surface halves, the second hinge member having a slot configured to receive the pawl pin; a hinge rod that rotationally connects the first and second hinge members together and extends across the width of the support surface halves; the pawl pin disposed in the slot of the second hinge member and operable to slide in the slot between a first position and a second position,
wherein the pawl pin engages the notch of the first hinge member when in the first position, thereby preventing rotation of the first hinge member with respect to the second hinge member, andwherein the pawl pin disengages the notch of the first hinge member when in the second position, thereby allowing rotation of the first hinge member with respect to the second hinge member; a third furniture leg mounted to, and extending down from, the hinge rod; and a cable having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the cable is secured to a portion of the first furniture leg and the second end of the cable is secured to the pawl pin, such that moving the first furniture leg from an extended position to a stowed position causes movement of the second end of the cable, thereby moving the pawl pin from the first position to the second position to disengage the pawl pin from the notch.