Hinge units for joining a case and its lid

• US 4,884,317 A
• Filed: 02/07/1989
• Issued: 12/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ping-Hsiung Liu
• Original Assignee: Ping-Hsiung Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Ping-Hsiung
• Primary Examiner(s): Seidel, Richard K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/307,049
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 16/16, 16/286, 16/289, 16/290, 16/292, 16/223, 16/246, 16/297, 16/306, 16/325, 16/333, 16/341, 16/342, 16/343, 16/334, 16/335, 16/385, 16/DIG. 13, 49/396, 220/334, 220/335
• US Class Current: 16/289
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furniture, e.g. cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 16/13 Plastic hinge

Abstract

This invention relates to the design and construction of hinge units for joining a case and its corresponding lid, which comprises: a pair of bend units with a receptacle body in between for keeping a spring integrally connected to a side wall of a case; a guide member slidably inserted in the hollow space of the receptacle body and supported by the spring; a joint plate having a through opening running transversely through the lower portion thereof to be joined with the bend units by means of an inserted pin; and a socket integrally connected to a side wall of a lid for receiving a portion of the joint plate therein.

Claims

1. Improved hinge units for joining a case and a lid, each unit comprising:

a pair of bend units integrally connected to a side wall of said case in spaced apart relation, each of said bend units having tunnel-shaped passages extending horizontally and aligned one with respect to the other;

a receptacle body including a bottom wall and a circumferential wall extending upwardly from the periphery of said bottom wall, said receptacle body being integrally connected to said side wall of the case and positionally located between and slightly below the bend units;

a spring disposed within said receptacle body;

a guide member having a top plate with a flat top surface and at least a pair of opposing side plates, said guide member being slidably received within said receptacle body and supported by said spring;

a joint plate having a through opening formed in a lower portion of said joint plate, said through opening extending transversely through said lower portion of said joint plate, said lower portion of said joint plate including a bottom slope member having a plurality of surfaces, whereby a different one of said surfaces is in contiguous contact with said flat top surface of said guide member top plate responsive to positioning of said lid relative to said case for stably maintaining said lid position, said joint plate having an upper portion wherein there is formed a resilient lock member;

a pin extending through said through opening formed in said lower portion of said joint plate and having opposing ends engaged in said tunnel-shaped passages of the bend units; and

a socket member integrally connected to a side wall of said lid, said socket member having a cavity adapted to receive said upper portion of said joint plate and provide locking engagement with said resilient lock member.

2. The improved hinge units for joining a case and a lid as recited in claim 1 wherein each unit further comprising an opening formed through the side wall of the case to provide open communication between an interior space of the receptacle body and an interior portion of said case.