Door hinge with movable and fixed cams

• US 5,109,571 A
• Filed: 10/10/1990
• Issued: 05/05/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sugatsune Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sugatsune Industrial Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ohshima, Kazuyoshi, Nakayama, Yojiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Lowell A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCKEON, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/595,371
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 16/329, 16/330, 16/53, 16/54, 16/75, 16/307, 16/308, 16/284
• US Class Current: 16/307
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 13/10 Devices for raising and lowering, e.g. tilting or lifting mechanismsthereby controlling flushing valves E03D5/04; Collapsible or rotating seats or covers
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/06 Devices for limiting the opening movement of hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/08 Friction devices between relatively-movable hinge parts E05D7/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1078 the maintaining means acting parallel to the pivot
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/14 with fluid brakes of the rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/254 Fluid or viscous friction
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/266 rotary
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/49 Wrap springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass

Abstract

According to the invention, there is provided a door hinge comprising a spring that plays the role of both a torsion spring and a compression spring, wherein its resilient force is used for axially pressing a movable cam against a matching fixed cam it comprises and thereby facilitating the opening and closing motion of the door with which it is used by giving said cams such specific configurations that the spring accelerates the opening motion of the door from a given angular position of the door and locks the door at a particular open position and at a closed position. Since a door using such a hinge that comprises a spring whose resilient force constantly biases the door to open can be either opened to any desired angle or closed and sustained there under a locked condition when the rotary shaft of the hinge is firmly connected to the door, it can be used for a flap door or another vertically rotatable door such as a toilet lid to sustain the door to an open position under a locked condition even if the resilient force of the spring is nullified at that position and the door is liable to be pushed back by an obstacle such as a wire located behind the toilet assembly comprising the lid. Therefore, the door is protected against any turning effort and other forces which are unintentionally applied to the door.

Claims

1. A hinge comprising a pair of movable members arranged within a casing for being rotated with a rotary shaft to be rigidly fitted to a swing door, a space between said movable members being filled with a viscous fluid, said hinge further comprising a spring carrier so arranged between said rotary shaft and said movable members that it can be engaged with and disengaged from said movable members by means of a spring one-way clutch for being rotated with said movable members only in one direction, said hinge further comprising a movable cam so arranged as to be rotatable with and axially slidable relative to said rotary shaft and a fixed cam so arranged as to be capable of being engaged with said movable cam, a spring being disposed between said spring carrier and said movable cam within said housing, an end of said spring being held by said spring carrier and the other end being axially slidably hooked to said casing, said movable and fixed cams being so configured that a torque is generated within the hinge to rotate the rotary shaft in one direction within a given range of rotation of the rotary shaft.

2. A hinge comprising a pair of movable members arranged within a casing for being rotated with a rotary shaft to be rigidly fitted to a swing door, a space between said movable members being filled with a viscous fluid, said hinge further comprising a spring carrier so arranged between said rotary shaft and said movable members that it can be engaged with and disengaged from said movable members by means of a spring one-way clutch for being rotated with said movable members only in one direction, said hinge further comprising a movable cam so arranged as to be rotatable with and axially slidable relative to said rotary shaft and a fixed cam so arranged as to be capable of being engaged with said movable cam, a spring being disposed between said spring carrier and said movable cam within said housing, an end of said spring being held by said spring carrier and the other end being axially slidably hooked to said casing, said movable and fixed cams being so configured that a torque is generated within the hinge to rotate the rotary shaft in the same direction of rotation of the opening of the door in the initial stages of the opening operation and within a given range of rotation of the rotary shaft.