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Nov 18

What Is A Swing Clear Hinge?

What is a swing clear hinge?

Swing clear hinges are special hinges that swing a door completely out of the opening. This allows for maximum clear width of the opening.

Swing Clear HInges1A popular application for swing clear hinges is hospital corridors. Having the door tucked out of the opening reduces damage to the door edge by stretchers and carts. Swing clear hinges can protect more than the door edge.  Think of protecting the knuckles of wheel chair patients, a concern of many nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

You can also use swing clear hinges if you need the full width of the door way to move large equipment or to achieve the required 32″ minimum clear width for ADA compliance.

They are non-handed and come in different sizes and finishes. They are made for both square edge or beveled edge doors, be sure to select the one appropriate for your project. Swing clear continuous hinges are also available.

The door needs to be open approximately 95 degrees to get the door totally out of the opening.  You will see in the large picture below that a recessed pocket was built in the wall for the door to sit flush with the wall when opened.

The hinge itself is an “L” shape when in the closed position and can be a little less than aesthetically pleasing. In the case of busy hospital corridor doors that are typically “held open”, this is not a concern.

standard hinge detail-Model  swing clear hinge detail-Model

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