AUTOMOBILE DOOR HINGE

• US 20090056074A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Daniel A. Chase
• Original Assignee: Daniel A. Chase
• Inventors: Chase, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US11/846,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20090056074A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/321
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 5/062 specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/04 Hinges adjustable relative to the wing or the frame
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/06 to allow tilting of the members
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1091 with a gas spring E05F1/1292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A novel single axis automobile door hinge allows the door to open and close through an arc oriented at an oblique angle to the horizontal and vertical. A single hinge is utilized for each door. The hinge fits within existing vacant space forward of the door and between the chassis and fender such that little if any removal of original equipment manufactured body or parts is called for during installation, other than usually simple unbolting of the manufacturer-supplied traditional vertical axis door hinges. Often the novel hinge can be installed by bolting directly to the existing door hinge bolt holes.

Claims

1. A hinge system for moving a door of an automobile through an arc about a single axis comprising

at most one binge element comprising (i) two tabs extending substantially radially outward from the axis, the second tab being pivotable about the axis relative to the first tab, (ii) a chassis base affixed to the first tab, (iii) an elongated and affixed at a first end to the second tab, and (iv) a door base affixed to the end of the elongated arm opposite the first end,

in which the axis is oriented at a substantially oblique angle to horizontal and vertical directions, and

in which the second tab, arm and door base defines a U-shaped channel

2. The binge system of claim 1 in which the chassis base is adapted for fixed attachment to an outward facing wall of a chassis of the automobile forward of the door, in which the door base is adapted for fixed attachment to a forward facing wall of the door and in which all of the system fits within the space forward of the forward facing wall and between the outward facing wall and an interior wall of a fender of the automobile opposite the outward facing wall.

3. The binge system of claim 2 in which the space includes voids defined by original equipment manufactured vertical axis door hinges removed from the automobile.

4. The binge system of claim 3 in which at least one of the chassis base and the door base is adapted for fixed attachment to the automobile by bolts inserted into OEM bolt holes for the original equipment manufactured vertical axis door hinges.

5. The hinge system of claim 2 which further comprises a mounting alignment component operative to join the chassis base to the outward facing wall of the chassis such that the door can be adjusted and set to hold a door closed alignment of a substantially original equipment manufactured quality fit and finish clearance with respect to a jamb surrounding the door.

6. The hinge system of claim 5 in which the chassis base has a, planar back side surface and defines a plurality of holes extending through the chassis base normal to the back side surface.

7. The hinge system of claim 6 in which the mounting alignment component comprises a planar face substantially congruent with the back side surface of the chassis base and a plurality of studs protruding outward from the face, each stud positioned to insert within a corresponding hole of the chassis base and adapted to be affixed to the chassis base by a nut fastener, and in which all of the holes except one is oversized relative to its corresponding stud.

8. The hinge system of claim 6 in which the mounting alignment component comprises a planar face substantially congruent with the back side surface of the chassis base and defines a plurality of bores penetrating inward from the face, each bore positioned to meet a, corresponding hole of the chassis base and adapted to affix the chassis base by a bolt fastener, and in which all of the holes except one is oversized relative to its corresponding bolt fastener.

9. The hinge system of claim 5 which further comprises a, chassis mounting plate having an area substantially greater than that of the chassis base and adapted to deploy between the outward facing wall of the chassis forward of the door and the chassis base.

10. The hinge system of claim 9 in which the mounting alignment component is sandwiched between the chassis mounting plate and the chassis base.

11. The hinge system of claim 9 in which the mounting alignment component is an integral part of the chassis mounting plate.

12. The hinge system of claim 2 which further comprises a chassis mounting plate having an area substantially greater than that of the chassis base and adapted to deploy between the outward facing wall of the chassis forward of the door and the chassis base in which the chassis defines OEM bolt holes for two original equipment manufactured vertical axis door hinges, and in which the chassis mounting plate defines mounting holes that correspond in position with the OEM bolt holes for at least one of said vertical axis door hinges such that the chassis mounting plate can be bolted to the chassis using bolts inserted into the OEM bolt holes provided for at least one of said vertical axis door hinges.

13. The binge system of claim 12 in which the mounting holes correspond in position with the OEM bolt holes of both of said vertical axis door hinges such that the chassis mounting plage can be bolted to the chassis using bolts inserted into the OEM bolt holes provided for two of said vertical axis door hinges.

14. The hinge system of claim 2 which further comprises a chassis mounting plate having an area substantially greater than that of the chassis base and adapted to deploy between the outward facing wall of the chassis forward of the door and the chassis base in which the chassis mounting plate has a lower section extending vertically below and distant from the axis of the hinge, and a length-varying lifting strut spanning between the lower section and the door,

15. The hinge system of claim 14 in which the lifting strut is a gas spring.

16. The hinge system of claim 14 which further comprises extension limiting means for stopping the door from opening beyond a preselected point.

17. The hinge system of claim 1 in which the door comprises a forward facing wall which defines bolt holes provided to mount at least one original equipment manufactured vertical axis door hinge, and which further comprises a door mounting plate sandwiched between the forward facing wall of the door and the door base, said door mounting plate defining bolt holes positioned to enable bolting the door mounting plate to the door with said bolt holes provided for at least one of said original equipment manufactured vertical axis door hinges.

18. The hinge system of claims 17 in which the door mounting plate defines bolt holes poistioned to enable bolting the door mounting plate to the door utilizing bolts inserted into the bolt holes provided for two of the original equipment manufactered vertical hinges.

19. The hinge system of claim 1 in which the automobile comprises a windshield that defines a first plane, the door defines a second plane and in which the position and oblique angle of the axis are effective to move the door in an arc between a closed position latched in a doorjamb of the automobile and an open position in which the second plane of the door is substantially coplanar with the first plane of the windshield.

20. A method of retrofitting a door of an automobile to open obliquely comprising the steps of

(A) providing an automobile having a chassis, a fender and an originally manufactured door with a vertical axis hinge that opens the door only in a horizontal arc,

(B) removing the vertical axis hinge from the automobile and from the door,

(C) providing a hinge system comprising at most one hinge element comprising (i) two tabs extending substantially radially outward from the axis, the second tab being pivotable about the axis relative to the first tab, (ii) a chassis base affixed to the first tab, (iii) an elongated and affixed at a first end to the second tab, and (iv) a door base affixed to the end of the elongated arm opposite the first end, in which the axis is oriented at a substantially oblique angle to horizontal and vertical directions, and in which the second tab, arm and door base define a U-shaped channel,

(D) affixing the door base to a forward facing wall of the door,

(E) positioning the hinge system between an outward facing wall of the chassis and an interior wall of the fender opposite said outward facing wall, and

(F) affixing the chassis base to the outward facing wall.