US2646188A - Hinge construction - Google Patents

Description

y 3 w. Q UEsCHER 2,646,188

HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g mzazerafluzschze 2? 29 23 2410 88 29 INVENTOR.

y 1953 w. c. BUESCHER 2,646,188

HINGE CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 24, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

i E26. 4. BY Z44) fi'OP/VEK Patented July 2 1, 1953 HINGE CONSTRUCTION Wilbert C. Buescher, Alhambra, Calif., assignor' to General Controls 00., Glendale, -Calif., a

corporation of California Application November 24, 1947, Serial No. 787,747

. .1. The present invention relates to devices forming the pivotal connections between cooperating members, such for example as the base and cover of a'room thermostat. a a An object of the invention is to provide an improved, inexpensive hinge construction, which has relatively few parts.

' Another-object of the invention is to provide a hinge construction, in which the main members I cooperate with each other to form their own pivotal interconnection, and in which suchmenh bers alsohold themselves in appropriate as: sembled relation. v A further object of the invention is' to provid a unit having components pivotally interconnected by a hinge :device, in which one of the components, by itself, serves to secured the hinge device in assembled relation.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a thermostat unit having an improved hinge connection between its base and overlying housing. 7

Yet a further'object' of the invention is to provide a hinge construction which is capable of holding the hinge partsin open position, without tending to move such parts following their place! This. invention possesses many. other advanmentin closed position.

' tages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown aform in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. The form will now be describedin detail-illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of'this invention is best dc fined by theappended claims. 7

Referring to the drawings: V I j r Figure 1 is a pictorial, isometric representation of an articulated thermostat in openv position;

Fig. 2 is an isometric projection of the hinge construction itself, with its .main parts in relatively open position, as seen When looking toward the device from the front and upper'le'ft side'of Fig. 1.;

Fig. 3 is an exploded, isometric projection-of the hinge construction, as seen when looking toward the device from the front upper rightside of Fig. 1; j a

Fig. 4 is a. section through the hinge devicein open position, assembled to the thermostat base and housing, takenealon'g the plane 44 on Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is anisometric projection of the hinge structure, as seen from'the rear of Fig. 2; and

,5 Claims. (01. 220-41) Fig. 6 is a section taken along the plane 56 on Fig. 4.

The hinge construction exemplifying the inven- I tion is illustrated in Fig. l, as applied to a ther mostat, which includes a'base Ill and an overlying housing, plate or cover II. The base may have a plurality of holes I2 through its bottom portion;

through which suitable fastening elements, such I as screws (notshown), may pass in securing the thermostat to a wall or post (not shown). The upper end of the housing I I is preferably pivoted to the upper end of the base In, while its lower end is releasably secured tothebase, to hold; the

housing in closed positionadja'centthe base. To accomplish this last-mentioned purpose, a spring latch I3 is attached'to the lower end of the housing for engagement behind a suitable catch or lug [4 formed at the lower portion of the base;

' As disclosedin Fig. l, the housing or cover H contains a'suitable thermometer l 5 for indicating 'room' temperature; thermostat elements [6,

whose temperature operating range can be varied by a rotatable dial ll, which may be manually manipulated by a knurled flange l8; and a switch l9 for selectively controlling the operating or in operative condition of the thermostat.

As aforementioned, the housing II is hingedly connected to the base Ill. The hinge structure is formed primarily by a first hinge plate 20 secured to the base'and a second hinge plate 2! secured to the housing. r V

g-To attach thehinge plate 20 .to the base, the

latter is provided with'a pair ofspaced' parallel slots 22 and also with a hole 23 between the slots having an upper countersunk portion 24. -,The body 25. of the hinge plate 20 extends part way across the base l0, and 'has a countersunk central head 26 seating within the countersunk portion the base-slots 22 to the lower surface-.28 of the base, where the le s are inturned toward one another to form feet 29 snugly engaging the lower to the body 25 of the plate. These arms are provided at the outer portions of the midsection 30, and have forearms 32 extending outwardly in opposite directions beyond the ends of the midsection 30. Fingers 33 extend outwardly beyond The base hinge plate 2 0 further includes an Spaced arms 3|, integral with the midsection 30, extend generally parallel the forearms and above shoulders 34 at the ends of the forearms.

An intermediate tongue 35 also projects from the midsection between the armsv 3!. This tongue is separated from the latter by suitable notches 36, to enable it to assume an upwardly and outwardly inclined position with respect to the body;25. v

It is to be noted that the hinge "member 20 just described is in one piece, and that it can be made from sheet metal, allowing its elements to portion, and are integral with its ends, extendingv toward the upper end wall, Ila of the housing. These arms each have a relatively deep notch 40 and an adjacent relatively shallow notch 4I communicating with one another. In efiect, the notches form upper and lower ledges or projections 42, 43 on the arms, which extends toward the upper end wall Ila of the housing II. For the purpose of avoiding interference with the tongue 35 on the other hinge member during movement of the parts, the main body portion,

31 may be providedwith a suitable recess 44.

. When the hinge structure-is assembled, the outwardly directed fingers 33 on the base hinge member 20 are inserted within the shallow notches M in the housing hinge-member 2|. It is to be noted that the fingers extend completely through such notches, and that the shoulders 34 are disposed within and adjacent the innersurfaces of the arms 39. Relative transverse movement between the. hinge members 20, 2 I; is thereby prevented to any substantial extent, since such movement. causes one or the other of the shoulders to engage an adjacent arm' 39 and forestall endwise'movement of the fingers'33 from the shallow notches 4I. Movement of ';the fingers through the open end of the shallow notches is prevented by the top wall l Ia .of the housing, which-extends. across the open ends of the notches adjacent their projections '42, 43, and, in efiect,'forms a closurefor them.=

It is evident that the disposition of the fingers 33 in the notches M, and their confinementbe tween the arms 39 and the housingwa'll I I a,form

a pivotalor articulated connection'between the main hinge members 20, 2l,'.and, consequently, between the thermostat base I0 and housing 'I I.

It is also desired to maintain the housing in openposition at times, as depicted in Fig. l, and yet avoid the presence of any force tending to move the housing from its closed position adjacent the base. To accomplish this objective, a leaf spring 45 is disposed within the 'housingunit plate 2I, extending across the plate substantially at right angles to its body portion 31. The spring is bowed toward the tongue 35 of the other'plate 20. The corners of the leaf spring 45 are notched to provide outwardly directed lugs or projections 46 fitting within the deep notches 40 in the plate arms 39, and also shoulders or abutments 41' engageable with the inner surfaces of the arms In Figs. 2 and 3, this bracket is.

39, to prevent substantial endwise movement of the leaf spring.

The upper wall I la, of the housing confines the spring 45 in the deep notches 45 by closing their open ends, in the same manner as it confines the hinge fingers 33 within the shallow notches M. In other words, the upper wall IIa serves the double purpose of holding, both the "spring 45 and fingers 33 in their respective notches, assisting materially in maintaining the entire construction in appropriate assembled relation.

The projecting tongue 35 of the base hinge plate '20 is relatively movable transversely across the adjacent bowed face of the leaf spring 45 as the housing I! is swung between open and closed position with respect to the base I0. When in substantially fully opened position, the tongue 35 does not engage the spring 45. However, partial movement of the housing I I toward the base It causes the spring 45 to engage the tongue 35, the latterelement thentending to straighten the-spring against-its resisting springforce;

which provides resistance to movement of the housing to closed position. This positionis shown in Fig. 4. However, sufficient force can be -exerted to'move the housing against this force-to closed position. During this movement; the tongue 35 wipes transversely across therspring 45, and in so doing, first straightens the spring and then allows it to reassume its initial bowed condition. When the housing I I approaches the.-

base Ii], the tongue 35 engages the spring 45, but lightly, or may be disengaged entirely therefrom. Accordingly, no spring force is present tending to move the housing to open position. Whenthe.

housing is in open position,'as shown in Figs. 1 ands, thetongue is bearing fully against the spring, which exerts sufficient force-to holdthe housing in elevated position.

The tongue and spring arrangement thus -provideior automatically holding the housing I I in open position, while still eliminating any tendency forzthe housing to be shifted from its closed position.

The inventor claims:

1. In a hinge structure: a first plate-having a pair of arms extending at right angles ofithe ends of the plate, and in the same-direction, each armbeing provided \vith'a shallow notch and'a deep notch; a second plate having'a pair of: op positely directed fingers pivotally mounted in said shallow notches; a spring extending across said' first plate, the ends of said spring being received within'said deep notches; means on said second.

plate cooperating with said spring to control relative movement between said plates; and means for retaining said fingers and said spring in their respective notches.

2. In a hinge structure: a first plate having'a' pair of arms extending at right angles of the ends of the plate, and in the same direction, each arm being provided with a shallow notch anda deep notch; a second plate having a pair of oppositely directed fingers pivotallymounted in'said shallow notches; a spring extending across said'first 'plate, the ends of said spring being received within said deep notches; means on said second plate cooperating with said spring to control relative movement between said plates; and a housing secured to said first plate and extending across the open ends of said notches to retain said fingers and spring in their respective notches.

3. In combination: a base having slots therein; a housing adapted to be disposed inclosed relation over said base; a first plate secured to said housing and having a pair of arms extending a V at right angles of the ends of the plate, and in the same direction, each arm being provided with a shallow notch and a deep notch; a second plate having legs extending into said base slots, said second plate having a pair of oppositely directed fingers pivotally mounted in said shallow notches a spring extending across said first plate, the ends of said spring being received within said deep notches"; means onisaid' second plate coor arms extending at right angles of the ends of the plate, and in the same direction, each arm being provided with a shallow notch and a deep notch; a second plate having legs extending into projections, the spaced projections of one memher being hingedly connected respectively toithe spaced projections of theother member, the axis of the hinged connections falling along a common line; a leaf spring extendingbetween the spaced projections of one of-the members and carried thereby; saidleaf spring having relatively wide parallel surfaces and narrow edges; the wide surfaces of the spring being spaced from the axis; and an abutment rigidly fastened to the other member and between its two spaced v projections, said abutment engaging the leaf spring on one wide surface thereof and forming a rest for the said one member yieldingly to maintain the housing and the base in open hinged position; the place of contact between the abutment and the spring being spaced from said base slots, said legs terminating in feet disposed against the bottom of said base; said second plate having a pair of oppositely directed elements, each element including an outer finger pivotally mounted in saidshallow notch anda shoulder adjacent said finger engageable with an arm to prevent substantial endwise movement of said finger from said shallow notch; a spring 7 leaf extending across said first plate, the ends 5. In combination: a base; a housing cooprespectively rigidly fastened to the housing and erating with the'base; a pair of hinge members' 4 the base; each ofqsaid members having spaced Number.

the hinge axis so that when the hinge is being closed, said rest slides transversely off the said wide surface. 4 I

WILBERT o. BU ESCHER. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 'Name V 7, 193,208, 7 Arnold July 17, 1877 722,624 Pickop Mar. 10, 1903 823,911 Anderson "June 19, 1906' 1,165,894 7 Negraval Dec. 28, 1915 2,041,566 Mischler v May 19, 1936 2,126,049 Shifiman et a1. Aug. 9, 1938 2,160,623 Persons- May 30, 1 939 2,208,871 Rogers 'July 23, 1940 2,231,909 Hempel Feb. 18, 1941' 2,243,065 Barrett May 27, 1941 2,279,666 Etnyre Apr. 14, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain May 2, 1929

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