Concealed or ‘invisible’ hinges have come a long way from those patented by Joseph Soss a century ago. His concept of morticing the mechanism of a hinge into the door and frame and having involuted arms or members has held good to this day. The design allows the door to be opened a full 180º whilst remaining very strong and unseen when closed. Architects as far back as Frank Lloyd Wright have been firm fans.

 

However the original is not without its flaws – it has to be very accurately installed for the door to hang correctly and if the door settles or warps slightly – they usually do – there is no easy way of compensating for this movement.

 

Improving upon an idea is one of the things that Sugatsune does exceedingly well. Hinges such as the HES3D-190 address the shortcomings of the original with great flair being used for substantial entrance doors to places like hotels, institutions and aspirational homes. The flawless smooth movement and rock solid engineering reflect well upon the prestige of the building. They are fully adjustable on three axes so that a perfect fit for the door can be maintained from installation and on through the years.

 

Sadly for many designers the HES3D-190 would be massive overkill for interior doors – that is until a recent arrival at the Sugatsune UK offices.

 

The HES3D-120 looks to all intents and purposes like the HES3D-190 but it’s about half the size. Not only does it retain its big brothers good looks but also all of its functionality.

 

Allen keys allow the hinge to be adjusted up, down, left, right, in or out. It is designed for doors up to 30kgs when two hinges are used and predictably the solidity of the mechanism is remarkable. The load of the door is distributed between seven links which allow the arms to move sweet and free and completely without play.

 

In use it has particular advantages. The body of the hinge is not as deep as other hinges in this class which may have positive ramifications for the type and design of door used.

 

Like its bigger brothers, installation is a one man job. The two halves of the hinge are installed on door and frame and then simply brought together on a locating pin to drop into a slot with gravity. A simple enhancement like this can really reduce the hassle on a multi door installation.

It comes in either a silver or champagne gold finish and sells at a competitive price.

 

The HES3D-120 is a much awaited addition to the Sugatsune range; for years at trade shows architects have been asking for a smaller hinge with the same values as the HES3D-190 and now Sugatsune is pleased it can deliver.