Drop-in damped hinge module

• US 8,104,142 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southco Incorporated (South Chester Tube Company)
• Original Assignee: Southco Incorporated (South Chester Tube Company)
• Inventors: Lowry, David, Novin, Eugene, Cooper, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US12/281,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20090133219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 163/07, 163/08, 163/04, 163/74, 163/75, 16/50, 16/54, 163/00, 162/98, 162/99
• US Class Current: 16/307
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/082 with substantially radial friction, e.g. cylindrical friction surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1215 with a canted-coil torsion spring
• 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 2800/205 forming a unit

Abstract

A damped hinge module is disclosed and includes a first member, a second member and a torsion spring. The second member is rotationally movable relative to the first member between a first position and a second position. The second member being received at least in part within the first member. The torsion spring is located internally with respect to the first member and biases the second member toward the first position relative to the first member. The spring has a preload with the second member in the first position relative to the first member.

Claims

1. A hinge module comprising:

a first member;

a second member rotationally movable relative to said first member between a first position and a second position, said second member being received at least in part within said first member; and

a torsion spring located internally with respect to said first member and biasing said second member toward said first position relative to said first member, said spring having a preload with said second member in said first position relative to said first member,

wherein said first member is an outer housing having an interior and an interior surface, said second member is an inner housing having an interior and an exterior surface, said inner housing is received at least in part within said interior of said outer housing with said exterior surface of said inner housing opposite at least a portion of said interior surface of said outer housing, and said torsion spring is received at least in part in said interior of said inner housing, and

wherein said inner housing has an exterior end portion exterior to said outer housing, said exterior end portion of said inner housing has a hole, said outer housing has an end portion distal from said exterior end portion of said inner housing, said end portion of said outer housing has a hole in registry with said hole of said exterior end portion of said inner housing, the hinge module further comprising;

a pair of pins positioned to extend through said hole of said end portion of said outer housing and said hole of said exterior end portion of said inner housing, respectively; and

a compression spring provided intermediate said pair of pins to bias each of said pair of pins outward from a respective one of said hole of said end portion of said outer housing and said hole of said exterior end portion of said inner housing.

2. The hinge module according to claim 1, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.

3. A hinge module comprising:

a first member;

a second member rotationally movable relative to said first member between a first position and a second position, said second member being received at least in part within said first member; and

a torsion spring located internally with respect to said first member and biasing said second member toward said first position relative to said first member, said spring having a preload with said second member in said first position relative to said first member,

wherein said first member is an outer housing having an interior and an interior surface, said second member is an inner housing having an interior and an exterior surface, said inner housing is received at least in part within said interior of said outer housing with said exterior surface of said inner housing opposite at least a portion of said interior surface of said outer housing, and said torsion spring is received at least in part in said interior of said inner housing, and

wherein said inner housing has an exterior end portion exterior to said outer housing, said exterior end portion of said inner housing has a hole, said outer housing has an end portion distal from said exterior end portion of said inner housing, said end portion of said outer has a hole in registry with said hole of said exterior end portion of said inner housing, the hinge module further comprising;

a bracket having first and second sleeves positioned to register with said hole of said end portion of said outer housing and said hole of said exterior end portion of said inner housing, respectively;

a rod passing through said first and second sleeves and said hole of said end portion of said outer housing and said hole of said exterior end portion of said inner housing to pivotally support said bracket relative to said outer housing; and

an eccentrically located axial projection attached to said exterior end portion of said inner housing, said axial projection being capable of engaging said bracket to rotate said bracket with said inner housing.

4. The hinge module according to claim 3, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.

5. A hinge module comprising:

a first member;

a second member rotationally movable relative to said first member between a first position and a second position, said second member being received at least in part within said first member; and

a torsion spring located internally with respect to said first member and biasing said second member toward said first position relative to said first member, said spring having a preload with said second member in said first position relative to said first member,

wherein said first member is an outer housing having an interior and an interior surface, said second member is an inner housing having an interior and an exterior surface, said inner housing is received at least in part within said interior of said outer housing with said exterior surface of said inner housing opposite at least a portion of said interior surface of said outer housing, and said torsion spring is received at least in part in said interior of said inner housing,

wherein said outer housing has a circumferential groove and said inner housing has a radial projection positioned in said groove to thereby limit the amount of relative rotation between said inner housing and said outer housing, and

wherein said outer housing has an axial groove communicating with said circumferential groove and said inner housing is capable of moving axially relative to said outer housing against axial bias provided by said torsion spring when said radial projection is aligned with said axial groove.

6. The hinge module according to claim 5, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.

7. A hinge module comprising:

a first member;

a second member rotationally movable relative to said first member between a first position and a second position, said second member being received at least in part within said first member; and

a torsion spring located internally with respect to said first member and biasing said second member toward said first position relative to said first member, said spring having a preload with said second member in said first position relative to said first member,

wherein said first member is an outer housing having an interior and an interior surface, said second member is an inner housing having an interior and an exterior surface, said inner housing is received at least in part within said interior of said outer housing with said exterior surface of said inner housing opposite at least a portion of said interior surface of said outer housing, and said torsion spring is received at least in part in said interior of said inner housing, and

wherein said outer housing has a pair of arc-shaped slots and said inner housing has a pair of snap legs that engage said pair of arc-shaped slots to limit the amount of relative rotation between said inner housing and said outer housing.

8. The hinge module according to claim 7, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.

9. A hinge module comprising:

a first member at least defining an outer housing;

a second member having a shaft portion and a sleeve portion, said sleeve portion of said second member being tubular, said second member rotationally movable relative to said first member between a first position and a second position, said second member being received at least in part within said outer housing;

a torsion spring located internally with respect to said first member and biasing said second member toward said first position relative to said first member, said spring having a preload with said second member in said first position relative to said first member,

said shaft portion of said second member extending at least in part within said outer housing, said torsion spring having coils that surround said shaft portion of said second member, said torsion spring having a radial projection that engages said shaft portion, and said torsion spring having an axial projection that engages said outer housing;

a compression spring received within said sleeve portion of said second member; and

a pin that is received at least in part within said sleeve portion of said second member, said compression spring housed within said sleeve portion of said second member biasing said pin outward from said sleeve portion of said second member.

10. The hinge module according to claim 9, wherein said shaft portion has an end portion that has a slot that defines prongs in said end portion of said shaft, and said radial projection of said torsion spring extends into said slot in said end portion of said shaft.

11. The hinge module according to claim 10, wherein said outer housing is partitioned by a wall into a torsion spring compartment and a sleeve portion compartment, wherein said torsion spring compartment has an opening opposite said wall, the hinge module further comprising a disk that caps said opening of said torsion spring compartment, said disk having slots that receive said prongs in said end portion of said shaft.

12. The hinge module according to claim 11, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.

13. The hinge module according to claim 10, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.

14. A damped hinge module comprising:

two separate hinge modules according to claim 9, that are placed in end to end arrangement; and

a spacer bushing extending from said disk of a first one of said two separate hinge modules to said disk of a second one of said two separate hinge modules.

15. The hinge module according to claim 14, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.

16. The hinge module according to claim 9, wherein said second member is provided with a radially extending lever to provide an engagement surface for said second member.