Hinges are a common component used doors, cabinets and other types of furniture. Consisting of a mechanical bearing — typically with two leafs, a knuckle and a pin — they are designed to offer a limited angle of rotation when installed. Installing a hinge on a door, for example, will allow you to open the swing open the door. While all hinges serve this basic purpose, some of them use a different design than others. Detent position hinges are particularly useful because of their ability to hold connected objects in place. What are detent position hinges exactly, and how do they work?
An Introduction Detent Position Hinges
A detent position hinge is a type of hinge that’s designed to hold connected objects in place. Like most hinges, they are often used in doors and cabinets. A detent position hinge can be installed on a door or cabinet, thus allowing it to swing open. With that said, detent position hinges are different in the sense that they can hold doors and cabinets in place.
Most traditional hinges allow a free but limited angle of rotation. You can pull a hinge-connected door open, and you can push it closed. Detent position hinges are designed to hold connected objects in place. When installed on a door, you’ll be able to pull open the door. After opening the door, it will remain in place thanks to its detent position hinge. All detent position hinges are able to hold connected objects in place.
How Detent Position Hinges Work
You might be wondering how detent position hinges work. Although there are available in a variety of materials and sizes, most of them rely on an embedded spring to hold connected objects in place. As shown in the photo above, detent hinges look similar to traditional hinges. They contain two leafs that are joined together at a knuckle. Within a detent position hinge, though, is an embedded spring. This spring applies force from within the detent position hinge, thus allowing it to hold doors or other connected objects in place.
Benefits of Using Detent Position Hinges
Detent position hinges offer several benefits. For starters, they are convenient. Detent position hinges are arguably more convenient than traditional hinges because of their ability to hold connected objects in place. When installed on a door. you don’t have to worry about the door swinging open or closed by itself. Detent position hinges have a spring that’s able to hold doors in place.
You can also find detent position hinges in different detent angles. A detent angle is the angle at which the hinge locks in place. Some of them have an 80-degree detent angle, whereas others have a 120- or 150-degree detent angle.
Detent position hinges are easy to install. They generally require the same method of installation as traditional hinges. If you know how to install a traditional hinge, you shouldn’t have trouble installing a detent position hinge.