Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
o
Background of the Invention
. _
This invention rela-tes generally to hinges and more
particularly to a molded hinge assembly comprised o-f components that snap
together to form the hinge assembly,
Hinges are oF course well known in the ar-t. U.S. paten-ts
4,005,800 dated February 1, 1977 by P.T. Schurman and 4,029,234 da-ted June
14, 1977 by E.M. Johnson, JrO et al depict but two types of plas-tic
hinges.
Sumrnary oF the Invention
_ .
The present invention is direc-ted to a hinge assembly
particularly suited For attaching a cover (or the like) to a piece of
equipment. The hinge is characterized by two cylindrical pins9 on
opposite sides of the cover, and by two receptacles (or hinge nnembers) on
the equipment into which the pins mate. The receptacles on the equipment
are bifurcated so as to allow the pins on -the cover to be accep-ted into a
recess (or deten-t) in the receptacle. The recess then retains the pins
and allows the pins to rotate, thus allowing the cover to pivot abou-t the
pins. This has the distir,ct advantage that the cover can be moldetl as one
entity, complete with inteyral pins. The cover is then attached to the
equipment by pushing the pins into the receptacles until enga()ement
occurs. An additional Feature, in the preterred embocliment, is the
inclusion of integral stop portions, molded into the receptacle, so as to
limit the movement of the cover and -to thereby provide a "s-top" for the
cover at one of its extremities of movement (e.g. as a stop to retain the
cover open).
Stated in other terms, the present invention is a hinge
assembly comprising: a hinge member, the hinge rrlember having a main body
%~
portion supporting two arms which define a slot in the hinge member, and a
deten-t formed by the two arms and situated closer to the free ends oF -the
arms than to the main body portion; a pin member, for engagement with the
detent, such that the pin can enter the slot and proceed to the detent
where it is retained.
Stated in yet other terms, the present invention is a hinged
element, the element comprising: a first device to be hingedly mounted;
pin means, securely mounted to, and protruding from opposite ends of the
first device along a common axis; hinge member means, spaced apart so as
to rnate with the pin means, in a one-to-one relationship whereby the
hinged members each comprise a main body portion supporting two arms which
deFine a slot in the hinge member, and a deten-t formed by the two arms and
situated closer to the free ends of the arms than to the main body
portion.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will now be described in more detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts in each of the
several figures are identified by the same reference character, and
wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of the hinge assembly, shown with
the cover in its down, or closed, posi-tion;
Figure 2 is sirnilar to Figure 1, but shows the cover in its
up, or open, position;
Figure 3 is a side view of the hinge receptacle by itself;
Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3, but shows the other side of
the hinge receptacle;
Figure 5 is an end view of the Figure 4 structure, taken
along the section 5-5 as depicted in Figure 4; and
Figure 6 is a front view showing the cover in its open
position (as taken along the section 6-6 of Figure 2).
Detailed Description
Figure 1 depicts, in simplified fashion, the cover 10
hingedly attached to a piece oF equipment (not shown). Cover 10 is
attached to the equipment (not shown) by hinges 11a and 11bo Note that in
Figures 1 and 2, hinge llb is hidden behind hinge 11a. Both hinges 11a
and llb can be seen in Figure 6.
Hinge 11a is comprised of bifurcated member 12a and pin 15a.
Bifurcated member 12a has a first arm 13a, a second arm 14a~ a main body
portion 20a and a gap 16a defined by arms 13a and 14a. A circular gap 17a
is formed by the arms 13a and 14a near their extremities. Gap 17a can be
seen better in Figure 30
Pin 15a is mounted to a generally triangular shaped support
piece 18a which in turn is mounted to cover 10. In the preferred
embodiment, cover 10, support pieces 18a and 18b, ancl pins 15a ancl l5b are
molded as a unitary component.
The bifurcated members 12a and 12b are connectecl to (or are
part of) the equipment (not shown). The cover 10 is pivo-tally connectecl
to melnbers 12a and 12b by placing pins 15a and 15b into circular gaps 17a
and 17b, respectively Pin 15a is placed into circular gap 17a by forcing
pin 15a past the free ends of arms 13a and 14a of member 12a. Gap 16a
permits the arms 13a and 14a to deflect sufficiently so as to allow pin
15a to move into circular gap 17a. Once pin 15a is situated in gap 17a,
arms 13a and 14a return to their undisturbed position, thereby trapping
pin 15a in gap 17a. Pin 15a is approximakely the same size as gap 17a so
as to allow pin 15a to rotate in gap 17a with a minimum amount of
friction, yet pin 15a is sufficiently large so that it is not easily
removed from gap 17aO
In its designed application, cover 10, in its closed
position, will rest in an approximately horizontal plane as depicted in
Figure 1. The equipment housing (not shown) provides support for the
edges of cover 10.
Figure 2 depicts the assembly of Figure 1, but with cover 10
in its open or up position, The components o-f Figure 2 are of course the
same as those of Figure 1. The Function of stop member 19a is best seen
in Figure 2.
From Figure 2 it can be seen that cover 10 is pivoted
several degrees past the vertical and the triangular shaped support piece
1~3a contacts stop member 19a. Stop member 19a limits -the opening movemen-t
of cover 10, and because cover 10 is moved past the vertical (as depicted
in Figure 2), cover 10 is in a stable, stationary open position. The
diameter of pin 15a is a nominal 0.25 inches and it protrudes
approximately 0.25 inches from support piece 1~3a. Support piece 1~3a is
approximately 0.20 inches thick.
Figure 3 depicts bifurcated member 12a by itself so as to
show more detail. Gap 17a has a nominal radius of 0.125 inches, and gap
16a is approximately 1.1~ inches long from the centre of gap 17a to the
bottom of gap 16a. Second arm 1~a extends approximately 0.65 inches
beyond the centre of gap 17aO The thickness of member 12a (excluding s-top
19a) is approximately OJ25 inches. Bifurcated member 12b is of course the
mirror image of member 12a.
6~
Cover 10 and members 12a and 12b are constructed of
structural foam such as NORYL FN-215 (a trademark of General Electric).
Figure 4 is the same dS Figure 3, but shows the opposite
side of member 12a so that stop member l9a is visible Figure 5 is an end
view of member 12a taken along the section line 5~5 of Figure 4.
Figure 6 is a front view showing cover 10 in i-ts open (or
up) position and depicting both hinges 11a and 11b. The view of Figure 6
is taken along the section line 6-6 of Figure 2
