US3636589A

US3636589A - Four-ball plastic hinge

Info

Publication number: US3636589A
Application number: US10931A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert K Jacobsen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-02-12
Filing date: 1970-02-12
Publication date: 1972-01-25
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-25

Abstract

An improved and more readily molded four-ball hinge for box sections is provided by arranging three elongated parallel grooves in one of the two sets of two balls, with one end of each groove being closed off by an abutment, and with one groove opening in a direction opposite to the opening direction of the other two grooves. All of the grooves are provided inwardly of the outermost portions of the snapped-together hinge, and the balls of the hinge have substantially the same nominal diameter.

Description

United States Patent t J acobsen 51 Jan. 25, 1972 [s 1 FOUR-BALL PLASTIC HINGE [72] lnventor: Robert K. Jacobsen, 3l2l N. Nagle Ave.,

Chicago, Ill. 60634 [22] Filed: Feb. 12, 1970 [21] Appl. No.2 10,931

[52] US. Cl ..l6/l7l [51] Int. Cl ..E05d 1/06 [58] Field otSearch ..l6/l71, l28;220/3l SR [561 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,061,137 10/1962 Suoboda et a] ..230/31 SR 3,077,282 2/1963 Eggers 16/128 13 3,179,28l 4/l965 Suoboda et al ..230/3l SR Primary Examiner Bobby R. Gay Assistant ExaminerDoris L. Troutman Attorney-Norman Lettvin [57] ABSTRACT An improved and more readily molded four-ball hinge for box sections is provided by arranging three elongated parallel grooves in one of the two sets of two balls, with one end of each groove being closed off by an abutment, and with one groove opening in a direction opposite to the opening direction of the other two grooves. All of the grooves are provided inwardly of the outermost portions of the snappedtogether hinge, and the balls of the hinge have substantially the same nominal diameter.

1 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAImIEums-mz 3,636,589

/2 6 I N VEN'TOR.

ROBERT K c/ACOBSEN ATTORNEY FOUR-BALL PLASTIC HINGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improvement in a four-ball molded hinge.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide improved molded hinge means formed integrally with box sections, all

- molded of plastic material or the like, in which the hinge elements may be readily snapped into interlocking relationship, and particulatized in having the arrangement of ball-receiving grooves aligned in parallel relationship so as to provide for improved facility in molding and for simplicity in the construction of molds for forming the same.

In US. Pat. Nos. 3,061,137 and 3,179,281 of which I am copatentee, ball-receiving grooves or recesses for the hinge are provided positioned at right angles to each other to insure interlocking of the hinge elements. The molding of such grooves or recesses at right angles to each other poses problems and complexities both in molding of the parts and in constructing molds to effect proper molding of the parts, because such prior constructions use moving pins in the molds, substantial flashing occurs, and substantial breakage has been noted.

This invention is an improvement over the constructions disclosed in said patents in that all the grooves of the four-ball hinge of this application extend in parallel relation to each other, with stability of the interlocked hinge parts being achieved by use of three elongated abutment-ended, ballreceiving grooves arranged so that two of the grooves on spaced balls of the hinge are mirror images and together define an open-ended socket for one ball, and the third groove opening in a diametrically opposite direction to one of the pair of said grooves and being located on the same ball member with said one of the pair of grooves.

Such a construction is simpler and less expensive to mold than the prior art hinges, as the moving mold-pins required for prior constructions are eliminated, and both flashing and breakage are materially reduced.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyin g drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box utilizing two four-ball hinges made in accord with the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the box of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view partly in cross section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, a plastic box is shown fonned of two identical molded sections 12 formed with integral hinge portions. A description of only one section is necessary, but the description of the interconnection of the portions of the ball hinge requires reference to both sections of the box.

Each section 12 of the box 10 is dish-shaped, providing a box-side 12a and a continuous side flange 12b that defines a portion of the boxs front edge 12c, the boxs end edges 12d and the boxs rear edge 12. The side flange 12b terminates in a peripheral edge 12f located in a flat plane and adapted to abut a similar edge on the opposite section 12.

The front edge 120 has formed integrally thereon means that comprise a closure for the box. The means includes a pair of spaced elongated retainers 14a adapted to resiliently receive therebetween an elongated stub 14b that is positioned to have a portion thereof located outwardly of edge 120 a distance greater than retainers 14a. To effect a cooperative arrangement, retainers 14a are molded directly adjacent front edge 12c and taper longitudinally from furthest outward extent adjacent the plane of edge 12f toward the box-edge 12c in a direction moving away from edge 12f. The stud 14b, on the other hand, is located on an outwardly extending rib at a greater distance from box-edge 12c than the projecting retainers 14a, and stud 14b extends longitudinally from the plane of edge 12f in a direction opposite to the direction of taper of the retainers 14a. The rib 14c, being cantilevered from box-edge 120, provides sufficient resiliency to permit the stud 14 b to pass over the ridge defined between the pair of retainers 14a to form a releasable lock for the box. By offsetting the center of the pair of retainers 14a and center of stud 14b in equal opposite directions from the midlength of side 12c, identical sections 12 provide the box closure as seen in FIG. 1.

The boxs rear edge 12a is provided with two

different hinge portions

16 and 18 spaced equally from the closest adjacent end edge 12d. Considering the bottom section 12 seen in FIG. 2, the left-hand hinge portion is 16 and the right-hand portion is 18. Because of the rotational arrangement of the upper section 12 relative to lower section 12, the hinge portions thereon are reversed, so that each hinge portion 16 cooperates with a hinge portion 18 to define each of the two four-ball hinges, H, for the box.

The hinge portion 16 provides a pair of spaced, generally spherical, balls 16a and 16b each integrally molded at the extended end of a triangular brace-support 16c that projects outwardly of rear box-edge 12a.

The hinge portion 18 also provides a pair of spaced

balls

18a and 18b each integrally molded at the extended end of a triangular brace-support 18c that projects outwardly of rear box-edge 12. But while the operative portions of balls 16a and 16b provide only a spherical periphery, balls 18a arid 18b are carefully formed to provide for and accommodate a snaptogether arrangement. Ball 180 is an outmost ball of the fourball hinge of FIG. 4, and it provides, on the inner side facing ball 18b, an elongated groove 20a with a seat, or curved abutment, 20b at one end. The other ball 18b is an inner ball being located between balls 16a and 16b. Ball 18b is formed with elongated grooves 220 and 24a on opposite sides of ball 18b. The grooves 22a and 240 are parallel to each other and to groove 20a. But grooves 22a and 24a, while each having one open end, open in opposite directions. Preferably groove 22a which faces groove 20a opens in the same direction as groove 200. This construction provides that the curved abutments, or seats, 22b and 24b are arranged so that they are diametrically opposite on the same ball 18b, but seat 22b is on the same spherical curvature as 20b so as to form spaced segments of a seat for the one interior ball 16b.

The foregoing structural arrangement permits the

balls

16 and 18 to be substantially of the same nominal diameter and has been found to provide a very effective four-ball hinge that easily snaps together or apart with a forcing pressure, yet provides a structurally stable four-ball hinge.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In integrally molded four-ball hinges for box sections wherein two spaced first balls carried by one box section interengage with two spaced second balls carried by asecond box section to provide a snapped-together hinge; the improvement comprising providing three elongated grooves in the set of first balls lying in parallel relation to each other, each groove having one open end, for receiving therethrough a portion of a ball of the set of second balls, and an abutment at the said one direction, each abutment at an end of a groove having a spherical curvature to serve as a socket portionfor a ball of the set of second balls, and the balls of both sets of balls have substantially the same nominal diameter.

Claims

1. In integrally molded four-ball hinges for box sections wherein two spaced first balls carried by one box section interengage with two spaced second balls carried by a second box section to provide a snapped-together hinge; the improvement comprising providing three elongated grooves in the set of first balls lying in parallel relation to each other, each groove having one open end, for receiving therethrough a portion of a ball of the set of second balls, and an abutment at the other end, the three grooves being arranged so that two of the grooves open through their open end in one direction and are arranged to face toward each other on the set of first balls, the third groove being on one of the set of first balls and opening through its open end in a direction diametrically opposite the said one direction, each abutment at an end of a groove having a spherical curvature to serve as a socket portion for a ball of the set of second balls, and the balls of both sets of balls have substantially the same nominal diameter.