Translating Hinge

• US 20100246130A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Cheyne, Scott R., Paquette, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/704
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/022 allowing an additional lateral movement, e.g. for sealing
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/02 Arrangements for de-icing; Arrangements for drying-out ; Arrangements for cooling; Arrangements for preventing corrosion
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/0025 Modular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/061 Two dimensional planar arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/16 on hinges or pivots

Abstract

A translating hinge includes a translation element which provides translational movement between two objects coupled by the translating hinge and a rotating assembly coupled to the translation element.

Claims

1. A translating hinge for coupling first and second objects, the translating hinge comprising:

a translation element configured to move between a closed position and a translated position with the movement being solely in a substantially vertical direction between the first and second objects; and

a rotating assembly coupled to said translation element, said rotating assembly configured to allow the first object to be rotated relative to the second object when the translation element is in a translated position.

2. The hinge of claim 1 wherein said translation element comprises:

a hinge pin having a bore provided therein, said hinge pin configured to coupled to said rotating element; and

a shaft having a first end coupled to the first object and having a second end coupled to the second object, said shaft disposed through the bore of said hinge pin, wherein a length of said shaft is selected such that said shaft projects through said hinge pin.

3. The hinge of claim 2 wherein a translation length of the translating hinge can be changed by changing the length of said shaft.

4. The hinge of claim 2 wherein said shaft is provided as a screw having a head and a shank with a portion of said shank being threaded and wherein the shank is disposed through the bore of said hinge pin, wherein a length of said screw is selected such that said screw projects through said hinge pin while a head of said screw stays within the bore of said hinge pin.

5. The hinge of claim 2 wherein said translation element further comprises a spring coupled to said hinge pin and said screw.

6. The hinge of claim 4 wherein said spring is provided as a coil spring having an outside diameter and an inside diameter with the outside and inside diameters selected such that said coil spring fits over the shaft portion of said screw.

7. The hinge of claim 6 wherein said coil spring is selected having a spring force and a compression characteristic such that the force provided from said coil spring exceeds a weight of the object the hinge is supporting when the translation element is in the translated position.

8. The hinge of claim 2 wherein said rotating assembly comprises a pair of yokes rotatably coupled to opposing ends of said hinge pin.

9. The hinge of claim 2 wherein said screw is provided as a shoulder screw and the bore in said hinge pin is provided as a counter-bored threaded hole for said shoulder screw, wherein the counter-bored threaded hole ensures precise alignment between the first and second objects

10. A hinge assembly comprises:

a hinge pin having first and second opposing surfaces with a first or top surface of said hinge pin having a hole provided therethrough;

a pair of yoke blocks movably coupled to and projecting from opposing ends of said hinge pin;

a screw disposed through the hole in said hinge pin;

a first washer disposed over a shank of said screw and disposed against a second or bottom surface of said hinge pin;

a spring disposed over a shank of said screw with a first end of said spring disposed against a surface of said first washer

a second washer disposed over the second end of said spring wherein said first and second washers keep said spring centered on said screw.

11. The hinge assembly of claim 10 wherein the hole in said hinge pin is provided having a counter bore provided therein which accepts a head of said screw while a shank of said screw passes through said hinge pin such that the counter bore in said hinge pin keeps the hinge assembly low profile by allowing the head of said screw to reside in the hinge pin counter bore after translation is complete.

12. The hinge assembly of claim 10 wherein said spring is selected having a spring stiffness which ensures translation only occurs when desired.

13. The hinge assembly of claim 10 wherein said screw is provided as a shoulder screw having a predetermined diameter.

14. The hinge assembly of claim 10 wherein said yolks are provided having alignment slots provided therein.

15. A method of operating a hinge coupling a first object to second object, the method comprising:

(a) translating the hinge from a closed position in which mating surfaces of the first and second objects are spaced apart by a first distance to a translated position in which the mating surfaces of the first and second objects are spaced apart by a second distance wherein the direction of translation is substantially perpendicular to the mating surfaces of the first and second objects; and

(b) with the hinge in the translated position, rotating the first object away from the second object.

16. A radio frequency (RF) system comprising:

a first assembly having a first surface;

a second assembly having a first surface and disposed over said first assembly;

a translating hinge coupled to said first and second assemblies, said translating hinge configured to translate in a direction normal to the first surface of a first one of said first and second assemblies and to rotate the first assembly away from the second assembly.

17. The RF system of claim 16 wherein said first assembly corresponds to a first heat sink and said second assembly corresponds to a second heat sink.

18. The RF system of claim 16 wherein said first and second heat sinks correspond to cold plates.

19. The RF system of claim 16 wherein said translating hinge comprises:

a translation element configured to move between a closed position and a translated position with the movement being solely in a substantially vertical direction between the first assembly and second assembly; and

a rotating assembly coupled to said translation element, said rotating assembly configured to allow the first assembly to be rotated relative to the second assembly when the translation element is in a translated position.

20. The RF system of claim 19 wherein said translation element comprises:

a hinge pin having first and second opposing surfaces with a first or top surface of said hinge pin having a hole provided therethrough;

a pair of yoke blocks movably coupled to and projecting from opposing ends of said hinge pin, said yoke blocks coupled to a first one of said first and second assemblies;

a screw disposed through the hole in said hinge pin and coupled to a second one of said first and second assemblies;

a first washer is disposed over the shank of said shoulder screw and disposed against a second or bottom surface of said hinge pin;

a spring disposed over the shank of the screw with a first end of said spring disposed against a surface of the first washer; and

a second washer disposed over the second end of said spring wherein the first and second washers keep said spring centered on said screw.

21. The RF system of claim 19 wherein said rotational element comprises:

a pair of yoke blocks rotatably coupled to said translation element and coupled to a first one of said first and second assemblies such that said first assembly can rotate about said translation element.

22. A radio frequency (RF) system comprising:

a panel array antenna;

a heat sink structure;

a translating hinge which couples said panel array to said heat sink structure.

23. The RF system of claim 22 wherein said translating hinge comprises:

a translation element which allows for true vertical translation;

a rotating assembly coupled to said translation element; and

a spring selected having a size and resistance such that the hinge is self supporting during a rotation operation and firmly holds said rotating assembly in a retracted position during rotation and wherein said rotating assembly provides the hinge having an axis of rotation within an assembly envelope.

24. A radio frequency (RF) system comprising:

a panel array antenna;

a first heat sink having a first surface thermally coupled to said panel array antenna and having a recess region provided in a second opposing surface;

a first electronics circuit disposed in the recess of said first heat sink;

a second heat sink having a first surface having a recess provided therein and a second opposing surface; and

a second electronics circuit disposed in the recess of said second heat sink with the first surface of said second heats sink coupled to the second surface of said first heat sink such that said first and second electronics circuits are disposed in a cavity region between the first and second heat sinks.

25. The RF system of claim 24 further comprising a translating hinge which couples said first heat sink to said second heat sink.

26. The RF system of claim 25 wherein said translating hinge comprises:

a translation element which allows for true vertical translation; and

a rotating assembly coupled to said translation element.

27. The RF system of claim 26 said translation element comprises:

a hinge pin having a bore therethrough;

a screw disposed through the bore in said hinge pin; and

a spring disposed over the screw with a first end of said spring disposed against a first surface of said hinge pin and a second end of said spring disposed against the first surface of said second heat sink.