Hinge for passing power

• US 5,727,960 A
• Filed: 03/28/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond E. Zehrung
• Original Assignee: Raymond E. Zehrung
• Inventors: Zehrung, Raymond E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Application Number:
  US08/623,171
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 16/223, 439/31, 439/165
• US Class Current: 439/165
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/0081 for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/132 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/02 Flexible line connectors without frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/00 Arrangements of electric cables or lines between relatively-movable parts

Abstract

A hinge for transferring power between a wall jamb and a door. The hinge includes a pair of hinge leaves having interleaved knuckles axially aligned to share a common bore and engaged to allow the door to rotate. At least one cable enters a recess in a rear surface of one hinge leaf, passes through a longitudinal passageway in the hinge leaf, across the common bore, through a longitudinal passageway in the other hinge leaf, and exits a recess in the rear surface of the other hinge leaf. The passageways are aligned or accessible from the common bore and have tapered openings to enable the cable to be routed or fished after the hinge is mechanically assembled.

Claims

1. A power transfer hinge comprising:

a right hinge leaf having at least one knuckle;

a left hinge leaf having at least one knuckle axially aligned to a common bore with said knuckle of said right hinge leaf;

at least one right passageway opening into said common bore; and

at least one left passageway opening into said common bore, the left passageway having a common center line with the right passageway.

2. The hinge of claim 1, further including:

a cable passing through the left passageway, said common bore, and the right passageway.

3. The hinge of claim 2, further including:

a second cable passing through a second one of the left passageway, said common bore, and a second one of the right passageway.

4. The hinge of claim 2, wherein:

the cable is an electrical coaxial cable.

5. The hinge of claim 2, wherein:

the cable is a wire bundle having at least one electrical wire.

6. The hinge of claim 2, wherein:

the cable is an optical cable.

7. The hinge of claim 5, wherein:

the cable includes five wires.

8. The hinge of claim 1, wherein:

the right hinge leaf includes three of said knuckle; and

the left hinge leaf includes two of said knuckle; and

further including

at least one pin, disposed in said common bore, for pivotally engaging said right and left hinge leaves.

9. The hinge of claim 1, further including:

a right hinge recess in the rear surface of the right hinge leaf, said right hinge recess connecting to the right passageway; and

a left hinge recess in the rear surface of the left hinge leaf, said left hinge recess connecting to the left passageway.

10. A method for constructing a hinge for passing power comprising steps of:

providing a hinge having a right hinge leaf having at least one knuckle and a left hinge leaf having at least one knuckle axially aligned to a common bore with said knuckle of said right hinge leaf;

making at least one longitudinal right passageway in said right hinge leaf connecting into said common bore; and

making at least one longitudinal left passageway having a common center line with said right passageway in said left hinge leaf connecting into said common bore.

11. The method of claim 10, further including a step of:

routing a cable through said right passageway, said common bore, and said left passageway.

12. The method of claim 11, further including a step of:

routing a second cable through a second said right passageway, said common bore, and a second said left passageway.

13. The method of claim 11, further including a step of:

assembling said right hinge leaf, said left hinge leaf, and a pin for pivotally engaging said right hinge leaf with said left hinge leaf into said hinge; and

wherein;

the step of routing a cable further including routing said cable without disassembling said hinge.

14. The method of claim 10, further including a step of:

starting at said common bore, routing a cable from said common bore through said right passageway and from said common bore through said left passageway.

15. The method of claim 14, further including a step of:

starting at said common bore, routing a second cable from said common bore through a second said right passageway and from said common bore through a second said left passageway.

16. The method of claim 14, further including a step of:

assembling said right hinge leaf and said left hinge leaf into said hinge; and

wherein;

the step of routing a cable further includes routing said cable without disassembling said hinge.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the step of making at least one right longitudinal passageway includes a step of tapering said passageway to increase the diameter of said passageway at said common bore.

18. The method of claim 10, further including steps of:

making a right hinge recess in the rear surface of the right hinge leaf, and

making a left hinge recess in the rear surface of the left hinge leaf; and

wherein;

said right hinge recess and said right passageway are connecting; and

said right hinge recess and said right passageway are connecting.

19. A power transfer hinge comprising:

a first hinge leaf having an outer knuckle;

a second hinge leaf having at least one knuckle axially aligned to a common bore with said outer knuckle;

at least one first passageway in the first hinge leaf having a first center line opening into said common bore; and

at least one second passageway having a second center line opening into said common bore, the second center line and the first center line having an intersection that is one of (i) within said common bore within said outer knuckle and (ii) axially aligned with said common bore outside of said outer knuckle.

20. The hinge of claim 19, further including:

at least one cable for passing through the left passageway, said common bore, and the right passageway.