All about overhead hinges

The appearance of furniture equipped with hinged doors largely depends on the correct choice and installation of their fasteners. Modern furniture hinges of the overhead type are a rather complex mechanism by means of which you can adjust the height of the position of the door, as well as the angle of its opening.

The overhead hinge is a device with which the doors are attached to the cabinet furniture structure. In addition to overhead options, the hinge for furniture can also be inset. In terms of their structural structure, both types of fittings are similar, since they consist of a bowl fixed to a mounting strip, a hinge device and a second symmetrical fastening loop.

In addition, there are other differences between inset and overhead hinges.

• If an inset structure is used, then when opening the cabinet door, go into the depth of the cabinet. Applying an overhead mount when opening, the door closes a part of the end plate of the cabinet.
• Overhead options can be used for door leafs with different thicknesses. Inset mounts require drilling a blind hole, the depth of which is 11 mm, and if the door leaf is thin, then this type of hinge cannot be installed on it.
• The bend of the mating symmetrical part of the fittings of the inset and overhead type is different. In the case of an inset fastening, this bending is minimal, because the doors are opened due to the hinge mechanism.

Overhead hinges can open the door from 90 to 175 degrees. Besides, furniture overhead structures have a low cost, which allows them to be most in demand in the manufacture of furniture products. They are used for cabinets, nightstands, dressers, kitchen sets and so on.

By its design, the product has a powerful spring attached to the mounting bar, while the mounting cup has a snug fit to the sash. For fastening such door fasteners, self-tapping screws are used, the length of which is 15 mm.

Overhead hinges for furniture have a different appearance and internal structure.

• Mezzanine - used for horizontally opening doors. The mechanism has a powerful spring. Often such products are produced with a door closer.
• Lombernaya - the design gives the doors the ability to open 180 degrees. Installation takes place on the ends of furniture parts and is most often used to equip folding tables.
• Inverse - opens 180 degrees and contains 2 plates fixed by a movable mechanism.
• Corner - designed for fixing the front door at an angle of 45 degrees, and there are also models designed for an opening range of 30 to 175 degrees. Installation takes place without a tie-in.
• Secreternaya - used for doors opening horizontally. Consists of 2 fastening plates connected by a hinge mechanism.
• Adit - furniture hinge, which is used to fix the doors to the end posts of the cabinet or to fix the false panels.
• Pendulum - the product makes it possible to swing the door 180 degrees and is most often used for bar-type furniture.

Overhead furniture fasteners can also be subdivided based on their purpose. Straight overhead hinges opening 90 or 110 degrees:

• external - this type of fastening allows the doors to completely cover the front of the cabinet or bedside table;
• semi-invoice - type of hinge, in which the door covers half of the end plate of the cabinet structure;
• deposit - it is used for the installation of doors that close, going deep into the cabinet structure or for wall cabinets, where the doors open upwards in the form of a visor;
• straight - this type is used for the installation of false panels, which are located on the facade of the furniture.

Separately, there is a variety of carousel loops, which are popularly called "crocodile". This type of fastener is used for doors that open in the form of an accordion. Carousel hinges are often used in combination with inverse hinges. All four-hinged furniture fasteners are available in standard sizes. Devices can be with a closer, that is, equipped with a device with which the furniture door closes slowly and smoothly.

In addition to those listed, there are varieties of piano and card options that are used to connect the doors to the furniture body, while the adjustment for such hinges is not provided for by their design. An example of this is the products PN5-40, PN1-110, PN5-60. The fastening process for such products is quite simple, most often they are used in the manufacture of book tables or folding surfaces in the form of a small table.

There is also a more rare type of patch loops, which are called patch loops. They are fixed in the area of ​​the ends of the furniture facades. Most often, such mini-mounts can be seen in antique or exclusive models of cabinets or dressers.

Hardware enterprises produce overhead-type hinges by stamping. For this, fastener parts are formed from a steel sheet of durable steel using presses with a special nozzle. Often, the surface of furniture hinges in the factory is coated with a layer of nickel, which protects the metal from corrosion and gives it a presentable appearance. Products with a galvanized nickel coating are not afraid of high humidity, therefore they are installed on kitchen sets and bathroom furniture.

The spring mechanism, which is part of the structural composition of many overhead fasteners, is made of extra strong steel grades. The finished spring is embedded inside the hinge, it provides the hinge with the ability to open / close and contributes to the tight fit of the doors to the furniture body. In addition, the hinge contains 2 hinge mechanisms, with their help the possibility of a rotational action of the fastening is provided.

Furniture fittings are easy to install with your own hands. For this purpose, you will need to prepare certain tools:

• ruler and pencil;
• screwdriver or screwdriver;
• electric drill and drill for wood;
• self-tapping screws.

Before starting the installation, it is necessary to make accurate markings. To do this, 2 cm recede from the edge of the end where the hinge will be attached, from the bottom and top of the door the indents should be at least 12 cm.In the case where 3 hinges are to be placed, the distance for the location of the middle mount is calculated based on the size of the door.

The next step is to mark the place where the fittings are attached. To do this, put the door in its place, apply a loop and mark the points where you have to screw in the screws to fix the cup.If the loop is detachable, then a blind hole must be provided for it, and then the loop is placed with the cup inserted into the hole and points are marked for drilling the mounting holes, where the screws will be screwed.

When the first part of the hinge is fixed, the door must be put back to the cabinet body. Next, you need to make a markup for screwing in the screws already on the plane of the cabinet wall and fix the mating part of the hinge. It is important to check and align the door so that it is level when closing, relative to the front side of the cabinet.

The beauty of the appearance of furniture largely depends on how correctly and neatly the doors for the cabinet, bedside table or chest of drawers are fixed. Often, hinges are also placed under a furniture false panel, and this must also be done carefully. In addition to the accuracy of fastening, the correct choice of hinges also plays an important role in the appearance of the furniture product. The service life of the furniture also depends on the quality of the fastening, therefore, special attention should be paid to the selection of such accessories.

Experts recommend paying attention to the following significant nuances when selecting furniture hinges.

• Determine the dimensions and weight of the door for which you want to select the fasteners. If the door is heavy, then 4-5 hinges may be required for its installation, and for small doors, 2 fasteners are enough.
• Give preference to well-known brands and manufacturers who have earned a good reputation in the sales market for their quality products.
• Inspect the loop before purchasing - there should be no dents, chips, cracks or rust on it.
• All accessories sold in Russia are certified, do not hesitate to ask the seller for this document confirming the quality of the products he sells.
• Buy furniture hinges in specialized specialized outlets that sell only original goods - the risk of buying a fake is the smallest here. If you are at a loss with a choice, contact our consultants, they will prompt you the right solution and help you choose the right product.
• Pay attention to the value for money. An original product with high quality indicators cannot be very cheap.

Correct selection of the furniture hinge is the key to its long service life. With such fittings, the furniture will be pleasant and comfortable to use. Today, the assortment of furniture hinges is quite extensive, and you can pick up almost any mounts for any product - cabinets, tables, nightstands, and so on.

For information on how to install a furniture hinge without milling, see the next video.