Cam-assisted lid hinge

• US 6,892,423 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wild Manufacturing Group Limited
• Original Assignee: ITW Limited (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheal, Jonathan Paul Anthony, Proffitt, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/350,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 162/89, 162/82, 162/84, 16286-288, 163/08, 163/70, 163/11, 163/12, 296/76, 296/146.4, 296/146.8, 296/107.08, 493/86, 49344-346, 180/69.2, 180/69.21
• US Class Current: 16/289
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/145 specially adapted for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1276 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1292 with a gas spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/022 specially adapted for vehicles, e.g. for hoods or trunks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/422 for opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/424 for the final opening movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/426 for the initial opening movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/488 Traction springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/638 Cams; Ramps
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/548 Trunk lids

Abstract

A hinge for a vehicle lid includes a main biasing element operable to urge the hinge into an open position, and a mechanism for assisting the initial opening of the hinge from a closed position. The mechanism includes a rotary cam engagable with another portion of the hinge to provide assistance, and a further biasing element which acts on the cam to rotate it relative to the other portion of the hinge. A lifting aid includes a main biasing element for attachment between a lid and a body, which lid is pivotally moveable towards and away from the body. The main biasing element is operable to urge the lid from a closed position relative to the body to an open position. The lifting aid further has a cam attachable to the body for relative rotation thereto and a further biasing element for attachment between the body and the cam and operable to rotate the cam relative to the body and lid. The cam is operable to assist the initial opening of the lid.

Claims

1. A hinge for a vehicle lid, the hinge comprising:

a first hinge part;

a second hinge part moveable relative to said first hinge part between a closed position and an open position;

main biasing means directly attached to said first and second hinge parts for urging said second hinge part into the open position; and

a mechanism for assisting the initial movement of the second hinge part from the closed position, the mechanism comprising;

a rotary cam being rotatable about an axis and having a first portion engageable with the second hinge part to provide said assistance; and

auxiliary biasing means acting on a second portion of the cam for rotating said cam relative to said second hinge part, thereby causing, via said engagement, said second hinge part to move;

wherein said second portion of the cam is farther from said axis than said first portion of the cam, whereby a force applied by the cam to the second hinge part is greater than a force applied to the cam by said auxiliary biasing means.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the hinge further comprises first and second links, each being pivotally attached to both said first and second hinge parts, to define a four-link hinge.

3. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein

said first hinge part is a body link adapted to be attached to a vehicle body,

said second hinge part is a lid link adapted to be attached to a vehicle lid,

said first and second links are short and long links, respectively, and

the main biasing means comprises a gas strut attached between the body and lid links.

4. The hinge according to claim 3, wherein the cam is pivotally attached to the long link and engageable with the lid link.

5. The hinge according to claim 3, wherein the lid link includes a cam follower for engagement with the cam.

6. The hinge according to claim 5, wherein the cam engages with the cam follower only when the lid link is in the closed position and during the initial opening of the lid link from the closed position.

7. The hinge according to claim 6, wherein the auxiliary biasing means comprises a mechanical spring.

8. The hinge according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary biasing means comprises a helical tension spring.

9. The hinge according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary biasing means is attached between the cam and the long link.

10. The hinge according to claim 9, wherein the auxiliary biasing means is so attached to the long link and the cam as to be disposed generally along the long link when the lid link is in the closed position.

11. The hinge according to claim 3, wherein the lid link is adapted to be attached to a boot lid of a car, and the body link is adapted to be attached to the body of the car.

12. A vehicle, comprising a body and a lid respectively defining the first and second hinge parts of the hinge in accordance with claim 1.

13. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of said cam disengages from the second hinge part once the latter has reached a predetermined intermediate position between the closed and open positions.

14. The hinge according to claim 13, wherein, in said intermediate position, a line of action of a biasing force of said auxiliary biasing means extends through said axis.

15. A hinge, comprising:

a first hinge part;

a second hinge part moveable relative to said first hinge part between a first position and a second position via a third, intermediate position between said first and second positions;

a first spring element being attached to both said first and second hinge parts and urging said second hinge part into the second position;

a link pivotally attached to both said first and second hinge parts;

a moving member being moveably attached to said link and engageable with the second hinge part when said second hinge part is at a location between said first and third positions, whereby a movement of said member in a predetermined direction will cause said second hinge part to move from the first to the third positions; and

a second spring element acting on said moving member and urging said member to move in said predetermined direction.

16. The hinge according to claim 15, wherein said member disengages from the second hinge part when said second hinge part is at a location between said second and third positions.

17. The hinge according to claim 15, wherein said member is a rotary element attached to said link to be pivotable about an axis, said rotary element including:

a first portion engageable with the second hinge part when said second hinge part is at a location between said first and third positions; and

a second portion upon which said second spring element acts to urge said rotary element to rotate in said predetermined direction.

18. The hinge according to claim 17, wherein said first portion is closer to said axis than said second portion, whereby a force applied by the rotary element to the second hinge part is greater than a force applied to the rotary element by said second spring element.

19. The hinge according to claim 17, wherein, in said third position, a line of action of a biasing force of said second spring element extends through said axis.

20. The hinge according to claim 15, wherein the hinge further comprises another link which is shorter than said link and pivotally attached to both said first and second hinge parts.

21. The hinge according to claim 20, wherein the first spring element comprises a gas strut and said second spring element comprises a helical spring.

22. The hinge according to claim 17, wherein said rotary element and said link are pivotally attached the said second hinge part by a common pivot.

23. A hinge, comprising:

a first hinge part;

a second hinge part moveable relative to said first hinge part between a first position and a second position via a third, intermediate position between said first and second positions;

a gas strut being attached to both said first and second hinge parts and urging said second hinge part into the second position;

a rotary element rotatable about an axis and having a first portion engageable with the second hinge part when said second hinge part is at a location between said first and third positions, whereby a rotational movement of said rotary element in a predetermined direction will cause said second hinge part to move from the first to the third positions; and

a spring element acting on a second portion of said rotary element and urging said rotary element to rotate in said predetermined direction;

wherein said first portion is closer to said axis than said second portion, whereby a force applied by the rotary element to the second hinge part is greater than a force applied to the rotary element by said spring element.

24. The hinge according to claim 23, wherein the first portion of said rotary element disengages from the second hinge part when paid second hinge part is at a location between said second and third positions.

25. The hinge according to claim 23, further comprising a link pivotally attached to both said first and second hinge parts, wherein the spring element has first and second opposite ends attached to said link and said rotary element, respectively.