US2783495A

US2783495A - Hood or deck lid hinge

Info

Publication number: US2783495A
Application number: US399931A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vigmostad Trygve
Original assignee: Chrysler Corp
Current assignee: Old Carco LLC
Priority date: 1953-12-23
Filing date: 1953-12-23
Publication date: 1957-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1974-03-05

Description

March 5, 1957 T. vlGMosTAD 2,783,495

Hoon 0R DECK un HINGE File Dec. 25, 195s 2 Sheiets-Sheet 1 Wifi/ 9 l/ma S22] B Y March 5, 1957 T. vlGMos'rAD l 2,783,495

HOOD OR DECK LID HINGE Filed Dec. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H001) R DECK LID HINGE Trygve Vigmostad, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Chrysler Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application December 23, 1953, Serial No. 399,931

6 Claims. (Cl. 16-180) This invention relates to hinge structures for swinging lids or closures and in particular to ahinge structure that is especially useful for the hood or deck lid of an automobile body and which embodies spring means elective to raise or assist in raising the hood or deck lid and counterbalance the weight thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a hinge structure for a swinging lid or closure, such as a hood or deck lid for an automobile body, having swinging hinge arm means attached to the lid and torsional spring means operatively connecting the hinge arm means and body to exert a lifting force effective to raise or assist in raising the lid to open position.

ln accordance with the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein by way of example, a pair of coaxial hinge arms are pivoted on the body and are attached to the lid or closure adjacent opposite sides thereof to swing the same to and from closed positions. A pair of spring torsional members extend side by side transversely of the lid or closure and parallel to the axis of the coaxial hinge arms. Each torsional member is pivoted adjacent one end on one of each of a pair of transversely spaced supports xed on the body and is also secured adjacent said one end to one end of one of each of a pair of swinging toggle links so as to swing the latter. From the support on which it is pivoted, each torsional member extends toward the other support and is fixedly connected thereto. Each of a second pair of toggle links is pivotally connected at one end to the other end of one of each of the first toggle links and is pivotally connected at its other end to one of each of the hinge arms to swing the same to and from open and closed positions of the lid or closure upon unfolding and folding of the toggle links.

' The spring torsion members are initially twisted to a predetermnied angular degree so as to exert a swinging effort upon the toggle links to which they are connected, tending to unfold the toggle links and thereby to urge the lid upward from closed position. Accordingly when the lid is unlatched, the torsional spring means acting through the toggle links and hinge arms will swing or assist in swinging the lid upwardly to open position.

it will be apparent that the torsional spring means provide simple, efficient, and economical lifting or counterbalancing means for a hood or deck lid of an automobile body. Moreover by utilizing torsion members arranged so that each comprises the support and pivot axis for the toggle link mounted thereon, a particularly compact structure is provided. It will also be seen that by virtue of this construction, equivalent lifting forces are applied at opposite sides of the lid tending to raise the latter smoothly and evenly.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view looking rearfred States Patent 0 F"ice wardly from below the cowl toward the hinge means embodying the present invention, the latter being shown in application holding the hood of an automobile body in raised position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similarto Fig. 4, showing the hood in closed position.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawings, the hinge structure embodying the present invention is illustrated in association with the hood of an automobile body. It will be understood that this is but illustrative of one use of the invention,l since the same may be applied equally well for example with the deck or rear compartment lid.

In the illustrated example the front cowl panel of the body is shown at 10 and the upwardly swinging hood is shown at 11. The cowl panel 10 is crowned transversely and terminates at its forward edge in a transverse trough or gutter 12 underlying the rear transverse edge of the hood. Below the cowl panel and extending transversely of the hood is a generally upright rigid body frame member 13. Suitably secured to the under side of the hood at each lateral side thereof is a depending bracket 14.

The hinge means supporting the hood for Vertical swinging movement comprises a pair of similar hinge arms or members 15 mounted beneath the cowl at each lateral side thereof. Each hinge member is provided with a forwardly extending arm 15a underlying a bottom laterally extending ange 14a of the bracket 14 and rigidly secured thereto and to a reinforcing plate 16 above -the flange 14a by a plurality of bolts 17. Each hinge member also has a goose-neck portion 15b adapted to provide clearance for the trough 12 when the hood 11 is swung upwardly to its open position as shown in Fig. 4. An upper hub 15C of each goose-neck portion is pivotally mounted on a transverse pivot pin 18 suitably supported by a channel bracket 19 which in turn is secured to the frame portion 13 by a plurality of bolts 20. The two pins 18 for the hinge arms 15 have a common transverse axis whereby the hood 11 is supported to swing vertically to and from open and closed positions. The bracket 19 at the right in Figs. l and 2 is provided with a forwardly extending vertical ange 21. Similarly the bracket 19 at the left in Figs. l and 2 is. provided with a forwardly extending vertical flange 22.

The spring means acting on the hinge members 15 comprise rearward and forward torsion rods or members 23 and 24 respectively which extend side by side each other parallel to the axis of the coaxial pins 18. The torsion rod 23 has a square end 23a snugly iitting within a mating square socket in the flange 21, Fig. 3. The opposite end 23b of the torsion rod 23 is cylindrical and is rotatably supported Within a mating cylindrical socket in the ange 22. Similarly the torsion rod 24 is provided with a square end 24a keyed within a mating square v hole in the ange 22 and is provided at its opposite end 3 with a cylindrical portion 2411 rotatably supported Within the flange 21. Thus one end of each rod 23 and 24 is held against rotation with respect to the body and the other end is free to turn upon the application of torsional force thereto. f

In order to swing the hinge members 15, the torsion rods 23 and 24 are provided adjacent and inward of their corresponding cylindrical ends with portions 23C and 24e respectively of square cross section on which are keyed swinging

toggle links

25 and 26 respectively of substantially equal length. Thus as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the squared portions 23C and 24e extend snugly through correspondingly shaped square holes 25a and 26a in the

links

25 and 26 respectively. Adjacent and laterally of the squared portions 23C and 24C are the cylindrical portions 23b and 24b respectively, Fig. 2, whereby the

toggle links

25 and 26 are pivotally mounted on the body by means of the torsion rods 23 and 24, which in turn are rotatably supported by the

body flanges

22 and 21 adjacent their respective toggle links.

A second pair of toggle links 27 and 2S are pivotally connected at one end of each at 29 and 39 to the swinging ends of the

links

25 and 26 respectively. The other end of the link 27 is pivotally connected to the hinge arm at the left in Fig. l by means of a horizontal transverse pin 31 extending through an upwardly projectng boss located within the trough of the goose-neck portion 15b of that hinge arm, Fig. 4. Similarly the other end of the link 28 is connected to the other hinge arm 15 by means of a pivot 32 through an upwardly projecting boss located Within the trough of the gooseneck portion 15b at the right in Fig. l, and coaxial with the pin 31.

By virtue of the fact that the link 26 is pivotally supported forwardly of the pivotal support for the link 25, and that the transversely spaced hinge arms 1S have coaxial pivots, the link 27 is somewhat longer than link 28.

The torsion rods 23 and 24 are under tension initially tending to swing the links and 26 clockwise in Figs. 4 and 5, thereby urging unfolding movement of the toggle links and upward swinging of the hinge arms 15 and hood 11 from the latters closed position, Fig. 5. Accordingly when the hood is unlatched at its front end, the hinge members 15 under the inlluence of the torsion members and toggle links will exert upward forces on the hood raising or assisting to raise the same to its open position shown in Fig. 4. The magnitude of the raising forces applied to the hood is preferably predetermined so as to cause the spring torsion members to counterbalance the weight of the hood and also to hold the same at full open position. At this position, stops 33 and 34 on the swinging ends of

links

25 and 26 respectively engage the links 27 and 23 to limit unfolding movement. As indicated in Fig. 4, the limit of unfolding movement is reached before the toggle links attain end-to-end alignment, so that the latter will readily swing to the folded condition of Fig. 5 upon the application of suthcient downward force on the hood 11 to overcome the counterbalancing action of the torsion members 23 and 24.

I claim:

l. In a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehicle body, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attached at their outer ends tothe closure and pivotally connected at their inner ends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pair of longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extending torsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectively fixed against turning and free to turn and the corresponding opposite ends of the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and xed against turning, a pair of upstanding levers spaced transversely of the body and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of said bars,

clt)

and a link pivotally connecting the upper end of each lever to the associated hinge member to provide for torsional angular deection of said bars during upward opening movement of the closure.

2. In a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehicle body, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attached at their outer ends to the closure and pivotally connected at their inner ends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pair of longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extending torsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectively fixed against turning and free to turn and the corresponding opposite ends of the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and fixed against turning, a pair of opstanding levers spaced transversely of the body and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of said bars,

and a link pivotally connecting the upper end of each lever to the associated hinge member to provide for torsional angular deection of said bars during upward opening movement of the closure, the pivotal connection of each link to the hinge member being disposed at a point rearwardly of the pivotal connection of the hinge member in the closed position of the closure.

3. In a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehicle body, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attached at their outer ends to .the closure and pivotally connectedl at their inner ends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pair of longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extending torsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectively xed against turning and tree to turn and the corresponding opposite ends of the its forward end to the upper end of each lever and pivoted at its rear end to the associated hinge member at a point lower than the pivot point at the forward end of the link in the closed position of the closure, said links and levers providing for torsional angular deflection of the torsion bars lduring upward opening movement of the closure.

4. ln a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehicle body, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attached at their outer ends to the closure and pivotally connected at their inner ends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pair of longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extending torsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectively xed against turning and free to turn and the corresponding opposite ends of the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and fixed against turning, a pair of upstanding levers spaced transversely of the body and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of said bars, and a link pivoted at its forward end to the upper end of each lever and pivoted at its rear end to the associated hinge member at a point lower than the pivot point at the forward end of the link and rearwardly of the pivotal connection of the hinge member in the closed position of the closure, said links and levers providing for torsional angular deflection of the torsion bars during upward opening movement of the closure.

5. In a vehicle body having a supporting structure and a vertically swingable closure, a pairy of transversely spaced hinge members attached at their outer rear ends to the closure and pivoted at their inner forward ends to the supporting structure to swing up and down about a common axis, a pair of longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extending torsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectively lixed against turning and free .to turn and the corresponding opposite ends of the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and fixed against turning, a pair of upstanding levers spaced transversely of the body and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of said bars, a link pivotally connecting the upper end of each lever to the associated hinge member to provide for torsional angular deflection of said bars during upward opening movement of the closure, the pivotal connection of each link to the hinge member being disposed at a point rearwardly of the pivotal connection of the hinge member in the closed position of the closure.

6. In a vehicle body having a supporting structure and a vertically swingable closure, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members attached at their outer rear ends to the closure and pivoted at their inner forward ends to the supporting structure to swing up and down about a common axis, ya pair of longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extending torsion bars, the opposi-te ends of one torsion bar being respectively xed against turning and free to turn and the corresponding opposite ends of the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and fixed against turning, a pair of upstanding levers spaced transversely of the body and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of said bars, a link pivotally connecting the upper end of each lever to the associated hinge member to provide for torsional angular deflection of said bars through a range appreciably less than ninety degrees during travel of said closure from closed to open position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,439,005 Kyle Dec. 19, 1922 2,381,132 Marchand Aug. 7, 1945 2,612,651 Roethel Oct. 7, 1952