Ball hinge structure

• US 9,194,165 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: S-Moon Corporation
• Original Assignee: S-Moon Corporation
• Inventors: Kang, Gi Dong, Kim, Hak Ho, Seo, Young Seon, Seo, Ho Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US14/131,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 162/24, 403/125, 403/132, 403/133, 403135-138, 403/144, 403/146, 248/288.31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/04 relating to the use of free balls as bearing-surfaces E05D7/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0652 combined with a damper other than elastic linings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/08 with resilient bearings

Abstract

Provided is a ball hinge structure in which a ball hinge can be freely rotated in various directions and maintain a fixed state. The ball hinge structure includes a ball hinge rotatably installed in a hinge housing; and a first hinge resistor and a second hinge resistor elastically supported with respect to each other by a second spring, wherein the second hinge resistor is closely attached to a circumference at a side of a sphere of the ball hinge, the first hinge resistor is elastically supported by a first spring provided on a top surface of a hinge housing cap coupled to a lower portion of the hinge housing, and a groove is formed in the bottom of the ball hinge, and thus the first hinge resistor is lifted in a position as high as the height of the groove.

Claims

1. A ball hinge structure, comprising:

a ball hinge rotatably installed inside a hinge housing; and

a first hinge resistor and a second hinge resistor elastically supported with respect to each other by a second spring,

wherein the second hinge resistor is in contact with a circumference of the ball hinge,

the first hinge resistor is elastically supported by a first spring provided on a top surface of a hinge housing cap coupled to a lower portion of the hinge housing,

the ball hinge includes a groove, and when the ball hinge is maintained in a normal position thereof, the first hinge resistor is faced with the groove having a smaller circumference than a circumference having a radius of the ball hinge to apply a weak compression force to the first spring elastically supporting the first hinge resistor, and when the ball hinge is tilted, the circumference of the ball hinge having the radius pushes the first hinge resistor according to a tilted angle thereof, thereby applying a strong compression force to the first spring, and a compression force opposite to the compression force of the first hinge resistor is applied to the second hinge resistor, so a fixing force of the ball hinge changes according to the position of the ball hinge.

2. The ball hinge structure of claim 1, wherein a protrusion is formed in an arc portion of the hinge housing so that the ball hinge is easily rotated.

3. The ball hinge structure of claim 2, wherein a groove is formed in a circumference of the first hinge resistor so that a lower part of the second spring that is a compression spring is inserted, a groove is entirely formed along the bottom of a ring-shaped body of the second hinge resistor so that an upper part of the second spring is inserted into the groove, an urethane contact portion is formed in an upper portion of the second hinge resistor so as to come into close contact with the sphere of the ball hinge, and a support protrudes in a cylindrical shape in the center of the bottom of the first hinge resistor and is supported to be vertically movable through a hole formed in the center of the hinge housing cap.

4. The ball hinge structure of claim 1, wherein the center of a top surface of the first hinge resistor has a gentle arc shape, and an edge of the top surface has the same curvature as that of the sphere of the ball hinge, so that, when the groove formed in a bottom of the ball hinge is placed on the top surface of the first hinge resistor and a connecting rod of the ball hinge is positioned vertically relative to the top surface of the first hinge resistor, the first hinge resister is located at the uppermost position, and when the connecting rod is positioned horizontally relative to the top surface of the first hinge resistor, the first hinge resistor is located at the lowermost position so that the compression force acting on the first spring changes.

5. The ball hinge structure of claim 4, wherein a groove is formed in a circumference of the first hinge resistor so that a lower part of the second spring that is a compression spring is inserted, a groove is entirely formed along the bottom of a ring-shaped body of the second hinge resistor so that an upper part of the second spring is inserted into the groove, an urethane contact portion is formed in an upper portion of the second hinge resistor so as to come into close contact with the sphere of the ball hinge, and a support protrudes in a cylindrical shape in the center of the bottom of the first hinge resistor and is supported to be vertically movable through a hole formed in the center of the hinge housing cap.

6. The ball hinge structure of claim 1, wherein a groove is formed in a circumference of the first hinge resistor so that a lower part of the second spring that is a compression spring is inserted, a groove is entirely formed along the bottom of a ring-shaped body of the second hinge resistor so that an upper part of the second spring is inserted into the groove, an urethane contact portion is formed in an upper portion of the second hinge resistor so as to come into close contact with the sphere of the ball hinge, and a support protrudes in a cylindrical shape in the center of the bottom of the first hinge resistor and is supported to be vertically movable through a hole formed in the center of the hinge housing cap.

7. The ball hinge structure of claim 1, wherein a bellows is installed to entirely cover both a side of a connecting rod of the ball hinge and an outer surface of the hinge housing.