What is a Concealed Hinges? Types and Application

July 22, 2023

What are Concealed Hinges?

Concealed hinge is one of the hinge types, also known as European hinge. It fits inside the door or drawer, with no visible hardware exposed when the door or drawer is closed, and it features: no damage, safety from external vandalism and an overall clean, stylish look.

According to the different designs of pins and blades, there are many styles of concealed hinges to meet different needs in practical applications. The hidden hinge also has multiple functions such as easy disassembly and slow closing. Concealed hinges are made of carbon steel, stainless steel and other materials, and are galvanized and polished. In practice, concealed hinges for industrial applications are able to support heavier and larger doors.

What are the three types of Concealed Hinges?

There are three basic types of concealed hinges, depending on the actual application frame, there are recessed hinges, full-cover hinges and half-cover hinges. Each model has been specially produced and designed to meet different application scenarios and achieve the purpose of use in the most suitable way.

Recessed Hinges: Recessed hinges are common, and this hinge differs in that it has an oversized crank that allows the door to open inward. Installation of such hinges is usually simple.

Full Coverage Hinges: Full Coverage Hinges use straight arms that allow the door to completely cover the cabinet, allowing the door to open and close at a wider angle than other types of hinges, i.e. allowing greater offset.

Half Covering Hinges: Half covering hinges allow the door to be installed on either side and cover half the size of the side where it is installed, which allows two doors to be installed in one position, and the two doors can be opened together without bumping into each other. Half-cover hinges use cranked hinge arms and raised mounting plates to reduce the door’s footprint and also allow for a perfect fit.

Application of Concealed Hinges

Concealed hinges are used in a wide variety of applications, the following are common examples of home and industrial applications:

Home Concealed Hinges:

Cabinet doors: Cabinets such as kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, wardrobes, bookcases, etc., can use hidden hinges to create a neat and beautiful appearance.
Interior doors: Concealed hinges can also be applied to interior doors to create a stylish and modern interior environment and reflect the overall aesthetics.

Concealed hinges for industrial applications:

Distribution box: Concealed hinges can be used in the enclosure of the distribution box to provide a safe and durable application solution.
Medical equipment: Medical equipment can use hidden hinges, reflecting the advantages of hygiene and easy cleaning.
Auto parts: use hidden hinges to install to car doors, trunks, etc., providing stylish aesthetics and improved functionality.
Aerospace equipment components: Concealed hinges can provide lightweight and durable application solutions, and pay more attention to practicality.

Advantages and disadvantages of concealed hinges

Advantages of concealed hinges:

No exposed hardware, increasing the aesthetic feeling
Make the product built-in, more secure
The material is stable and not easy to damage
Moderate price and durable
Easy to disassemble and use

Disadvantages of hidden hinges:

The installation process. Concealed hinges are a bit more complicated to install than other hinges. The level, installation skills and installation accuracy of the installers are highly required. Improper installation can cause the door to not function properly and eventually lead to damage to the door frame. It is recommended to let professional staff do the installation process.
Later maintenance. Concealed hinges are more difficult to maintain than other hinges. If it becomes loose after a long time or needs to be adjusted later, it is very likely that the door frame will need to be removed as a whole to carry out subsequent maintenance work.
Angle adjustment. The angle adjustment of hidden hinges is often limited, and it is difficult to adjust the position and use of the cabinet door.
Weight limit. Most concealed hinges are not suitable for heavy doors. Most products may not be able to support the weight of the door and will wear out quickly after regular use. It is necessary to use hinges specially designed for heavy doors, and depending on the actual situation, the number of hidden hinges installed may need to be increased.

How thick do cabinet doors with concealed hinges need to be?

In general, most types of concealed hinges can be installed on almost any type of door, but to ensure that the concealed hinge is functional and safe once installed, the required cabinet door thickness should be at least 1/2 inch .

How to install the concealed hinge?

Installing concealed hinges is a bit more complicated than installing ordinary hinges, and it is recommended to let a professional complete the installation. If you want to do it yourself, it is recommended to be done under the guidance of professionals, with patience and the use of the right tools. Taking the cabinet installation as an example, the steps are as follows:

Observe and measure the installation position of the cabinet door and the hinge on the cabinet body and mark it with a pencil to ensure that the opening and closing of the cabinet door will not be affected after installation.
Use a power drill to drill holes for the hinge cups at the marked locations on the rear of the cabinet door. The size of the hole refers to the size of the cup used, which is then screwed into the hole.
Use a power drill to drill a hole of the same size at the location marked on the cabinet, and screw the hinge cup into the hole.
Install the hinge arm to the door cup using the supplied screws.
Place the door on the cabinet body and secure the hinge arms to the hinge cups of the cabinet body with the supplied screws.
Adjust the screws and hinges, and try to open and close the cabinet door to ensure that the cabinet door is flush with the cabinet body, and the process of opening and closing the cabinet door can be made smoothly.
Repeat the above steps for the other hinge, and finally test the fluency of the cabinet door opening and closing.

In actual installation and use, it is necessary to select the appropriate hinge size according to the cabinet body. Some special hinges may require additional drilling or other installation steps, so also check the concealed hinge manufacturer’s instructions carefully before beginning to install the hinge.

Conclusion

The use of concealed hinges provides a clean and uncluttered appearance as well as a safe and durable application solution. A variety of different hidden hinges can be flexibly applied in various scenarios to meet different application requirements and better achieve the purpose of use.

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