CA1189260A - Hinge assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

HINGE ASSEMBLY
Abstract of the Disclosure A hinge assembly for mounting a cover (or the like) to a piece of equipment is disclosed. The hinge is characterized by two cylindrical pins, on opposite sides of the cover, and by two receptacles (or hinge members) 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 accepted into a recess (or detent) in the receptacle. The recess then retains the pins and allows the pins to rotate thus allowing the cover to pivot about the pins.

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Description

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.

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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

Claims (4)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A hinge assembly for pivotally mounting a cover such that said cover has a limit to its movement, said hinge assembly comprising:
a hinge member, said hinge member having a main body portion supporting two arms which define both an elongated gap and a circular gap, said circular gap forming a detent situated closer to the free ends of said arms than to said main body portion;
a pin member, for engagement with said detent, such that said pin can enter said gap defined by said two arms and proceed to said detent where it is retained; and a stop member supported by one of said two arms for selectively engaging a member connected to said pin thereby limiting the rotational movement of said pin in said detent.

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal axis of said pin is approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said elongated gap, and said longitudinal axis of said pin is approximately parallel to a normal from the plane defined by said two arms.

3. The hinge of claim 1 or 2 wherein said detent is comprised of two approximate arcs of a circle, one said approximate arc in each said arm, and said approximate arcs centered about a common origin situated in said elongated gap.

4. The hinge assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein said hinge member and said pin are both constructed out of plastic.