Concealed Cup Hinges Suitable for Alno Kitchens

A concealed cup hinge is a hidden furniture fitting recessed into a door routing, featuring a standard cup diameter of 35 mm in European kitchen cabinets. When cabinet doors begin to sag over the years, no longer close accurately, or the soft-close mechanism fails, replacing the hinges becomes necessary. If you are looking for a replacement for Alno kitchens, you do not necessarily need to source identical manufacturer parts. Fittings from furnica are compatible with Alno, provided fundamental technical parameters such as the drilling pattern and application type match.

This guide explains the technical requirements for identifying the correct hinge and shows fitters and experienced DIYers how to carry out the replacement precisely.

What to Look for Regarding Compatibility

Replacing a hinge is much like changing spark plugs in a car: if the thread and spacing match precisely, the mechanics interact smoothly. To fit an alternative to Alno hinges, three essential dimensions must be checked on the existing kitchen front and cabinet carcase.

1. Cup Diameter

The most important dimension is the routing in the door, known as the cup. In virtually all modern kitchen cabinets, the diameter is exactly 35 mm. Less commonly, mostly on very narrow bathroom furniture or lightweight glass doors, a dimension of 26 mm is found. The drilling depth for a standard cup hinge is approximately 11.5 mm to 12 mm.

2. Cup Hole Pattern

Alongside the large 35 mm hole, there are two smaller screw holes that secure the cup in the door. The distance between these two screw holes varies depending on the original manufacturer. Common centres are 45 mm, 48 mm, or 52 mm. If the new hinge features a different drilling pattern, the old holes must be plugged and new pilot holes drilled.

3. Mounting Plate and System 32

The counterpart to the hinge is the mounting plate, which is attached to the interior of the cabinet carcase. This generally utilises System 32. This means the pre-drilled holes in the cabinet (the line boring) have a vertical spacing of exactly 32 mm from one another. The distance from the front edge of the carcase to the first row of holes is standardly 37 mm. If these dimensions match, the new mounting plate will directly fit Alno cabinets and can be screwed in without any new drilling.

The Correct Application Type for Your Kitchen Front

Concealed cup hinges differ primarily in their cranking, meaning the bend of the hinge arm. This determines how the door is positioned on the carcase when closed. Choosing the wrong type means the door cannot be mounted or opened properly.

• Full overlay: When closed, the cabinet door rests almost entirely across the end face of the carcase side. The hinge arm is straight (0 mm cranking).
• Half overlay (twin overlay): Two doors share a central carcase partition, for instance in a wide double cabinet. Each door covers only half the side wall. The hinge arm is slightly curved (approx. 9.5 mm cranking).
• Inset: The door sits flush with the outer edges of the cabinet and lies entirely within the carcase frame. The hinge arm is heavily cranked (approx. 16 mm cranking).

Functional Upgrades When Replacing Hinges

Replacing hinges offers the ideal opportunity to technically upgrade the functionality of the kitchen cabinet. A modern replacement for Alno hardware frequently features integrated soft-close damping.

Opening Angle and Soft-Close

The standard opening angle for standard cabinet doors is 95° or 110°. For corner units or cabinets with internal pull-outs, this is often insufficient. In these cases, wide-angle hinges with a 155° or 165° opening angle are installed. These swing the door completely clear of the internal carcase width. This is essential if you are retrofitting kitchen cabinet pull-outs, as a kitchen cabinet pull-out 60 cm would otherwise rub against the door when extended.

The damping (soft-close) cushions the door over the final few centimetres and pulls it shut silently. This operates via a small hydraulic cylinder located in the hinge arm.

Upgrading the Entire Cabinet

When overhauling the functionality of an old sink base unit, it is common to replace more than just the concealed hinges. To match the renewed door kinematics, a kitchen waste separation bin can be screwed to the carcase base. If the exterior kitchen furniture handles are also replaced during the renovation, the cabinet receives a full technical and visual refresh.

If the faulty fitting is not a traditional hinged door but an upward-opening flap on a wall unit, standard cup hinges are not used. In this scenario, you will need specialised flap stays or gas struts for heavy flaps. The force of these struts is specified in Newtons (N) and must be matched precisely to the weight of the front panel. Such wall cabinets directly above the sink area are frequently used to conceal a wall cabinet dish drainer rack.

Installation and Assembly: Replacing Cup Hinges

Replacing concealed cup hinges requires precision, but is straightforward to accomplish using standard tools.

Required Tools:

• Cordless drill or screwdriver (PZ or TX drive, matching existing screws)
• Folding rule or tape measure
• 35 mm Forstner bit if preparing a new door

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Dismantling: Loosen the screw at the rear section of the hinge arm or press the release catch at the end of the arm (on clip-on hinges) to detach the door and hinge from the mounting plate in the cabinet.
2. Remove old hinges: Unscrew the fasteners on the cup (in the door) and carefully lever the old hinge out of the 35 mm recess.
3. Replace mounting plates: Unscrew the old mounting plates from the carcase. Fasten the new plates into the existing 32 mm hole line using 5 mm diameter Euro screws.
4. Insert new hinges: Press the cup of the new hinge into the door routing. Ensure the hinge arm sits at an exact 90° angle to the door edge before driving in the two fixing screws.
5. Hang the door: Offer the hinge up to the mounting plate in the carcase. With modern clip-on systems, hook the hinge arm onto the front of the plate and press the rear until it audibly clicks into place.

Setting the Gap Dimensions (3D Adjustment)

Following assembly, the door rarely hangs perfectly straight straight away. Modern cup hinges feature three adjustment screws for alignment in all directions:

• Lateral adjustment (side-to-side): The front screw on the hinge arm moves the door left or right, allowing you to align the gap between two doors parallel.
• Depth adjustment: The rear screw on the hinge arm (often under a cover cap) regulates the distance between the door and the carcase. A gap of approximately 1.5 mm to 2 mm is ideal to prevent the door rubbing against the carcase when opened.
• Height adjustment: Loosening the screws on the mounting plate allows the door and hinge to be shifted up or down by a few millimetres before tightening the screws again.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Compatibility

Can I install soft-close hinges in an older kitchen? Yes. As long as the 35 mm cup diameter and the mounting plate hole pattern (System 32) match, older un-damped hinges can easily be replaced with a soft-close alternative.

How do I measure the cup diameter correctly? Measure the internal diameter of the circular routed recess in the cabinet door across its centre. The standard dimension for kitchen furniture is exactly 35 mm.

What is the difference between a cup hinge and a concealed hinge? A cup hinge is simply the technical term for a concealed furniture hinge that is recessed into a drilled cup hole. In practice, both terms are used interchangeably.

Do I always need to replace the mounting plate inside the cabinet? Yes. Even if hinges from different manufacturers appear visually similar, the latching mechanisms between the hinge arm and mounting plate vary by millimetres. A secure fit is only guaranteed when the hinge and plate originate from the same system.