If you are like most people, you have probably never even heard of concealed hinges, let alone devoted any amount of thought to them. This is why they are the best tool you never knew you used: they are essential components for many of the products taken for granted Ie Role In Garment Industry by modern society, but they go largely unappreciated. They are not appreciated by design, however. Concealed hinges are not meant to be seen – they earned their name because when the cabinet or compartment door is closed, the entire pivot point is hidden.
Where can I find these concealed hinges?
Concealed hinges are found in places where space is at a premium. Consider an airplane, a boat, or even your car: in each of these locations, people are trying to get the maximum use out of a limited amount of space, and enable people to get more use from their space because:
– Less restriction of the door movement. Most concealed hinges allow the door to swing 180 degrees only, and some will open even less – just 90 degrees. This keeps the door of the cabinet from interfering with the path of another cabinet door, even if the cabinets are right next to each other.
– The doors can open vertically or horizontally without complex installation. This means that the overhead compartment on the airplane can be opened without hitting both of the passengers in aisle seats in the head!
– They lend themselves to closing automatically. In fact, many are designed so that the compartments door moves back into the closed Learn From Industry Experts position automatically; minimizing the likelihood that turbulence will lead to all of the contents falling out of a given cabinet.
– They are easily adjusted after installation. Anyone who has been in a car accident knows that it is impossible to repair something back to its original condition, so cars, airplanes, trains and boats need cabinets with a little more flexibility.
Concealed hinges, also called European hinges, are also found in residential settings on frameless cabinets. Whether or not you think this type of axis is attractive or ideal, it is nearly impossible not to appreciate the many important purposes these pivot points serve. Next time you open the gas tank to fill up your car or go through turbulence on an airplane without being hit in the head with someone’s laptop case, remember that these little axles were part of the innovation that made this possible.
