Hinge pin

• US 6,104,916 A
• Filed: 06/15/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, William A., Schuelke, Aaron M., Steinhoff, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US09/097,577
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/347, 455/348, 455/349, 455/351, 455/550, 455/128, 16/342, 16/229, 16/254, 16/380, 379/433, 379/434, 379/428
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge

Abstract

A hinge pin assembly for a communication device (100) includes a partially assembled hinge base (105). The base (105) has a receiving receptacle (148), an edge (153) of the receiving receptacle, and a socket (160) having a wall (164). A hinge body member (125) has a first opposed surface (123) and a second opposed surface (124), and an aperture (126) extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface, a side (128) adjoining the first and second opposed surfaces and a slot (141) cut into the side extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface. A hinge ledge member (142) protrudes around the periphery of the second opposed surface and an optional hinge leg member (146) extends from the second opposed surface at the ledge member for allowing the body member to be pressed and snapped into the receiving receptacle of the partially assembled hinge base by slightly collapsing the edges of the slot through the receiving receptacle until the ledge member plugs against the edge of the receiving receptacle of the partially assembled hinge base and the leg member is received into the socket of the partially assembled hinge base while the leg member is pressed against the wall of the socket.

Claims

1. A hinge pin assembly for a communication device, the hinge pin comprising:

a partially assembled hinge base having a receiving receptacle, an edge of the receiving receptacle, and a socket having a first wall;

a hinge body member having a first opposed surface and a second opposed surface, an aperture extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface, a side adjoining the first and second opposed surfaces and a slot cut into the side extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface; and

a hinge ledge member integrally protruding around the periphery of the second opposed surface for allowing the body member, through the slot, to be pressed and snapped into the receiving receptacle of the partially assembled hinge base and the ledge member to plug against the edge of the receiving receptacle of the partially assembled hinge base.

2. The hinge pin assembly of claim 1, wherein the hinge pin assembly further includes a leg member extending from the second opposed surface at the ledge member for allowing the leg member to be received into the socket of the partially assembled hinge base while the leg member is pressed against the first wall of the socket.

3. The hinge pin assembly of claim 2, wherein the hinge body member comprises:

a barrel having an angled annular periphery at the first opposed surface;

a rim raised from the barrel and integrally connected to the ledge member; and

a seam-like ridge raised from the barrel and the rim and integrally connected between the barrel and the rim.

4. The hinge pin assembly of claim 3, wherein the partially assembled hinge base comprises:

a door cover having at least one wire terminated by a wire connector for a transducer disposed in the door cover and having a hub for coupling through the at least one wire and the wire connector; and

a housing having a substantially S shaped stepped-down frame portion including a higher level member, a lower level member, and an interconnecting joining member between the lower level and higher level members, wherein the underside of the higher level member forms the socket, the interconnecting joining member forms the edge of the receiving receptacle for abutting against the rim, the lower level member forms the receiving receptacle for receiving the barrel as a rotation track, and the upper side of the lower level member receives the hub for the barrel to fit inside the hub wherein an edge of the hub rotates about the seam-like ridge for using the barrel as a hinge shaft, the hinge shaft rotating within the upper side of the lower level member as the rotation track to rotatably couple the door cover to the barrel about an axis of rotation extending through the hinge shaft and the rotation track, and the substantially S shaped stepped-down frame portion integrally formed into the housing and having electrical circuitry within the housing for coupling to the wire connector.

5. The hinge pin assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the hinge ledge member has an extended guide protruding away from the hinge ledge member.

6. The hinge pin assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the hinge ledge member has an extended L-shaped hook protruding away from the hinge ledge member for mounting within a subsection of the socket of the partially assembled hinge base.

7. The hinge pin assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the hinge leg member has an L shape corner end; and

the socket has a second wall wherein the L shape corner end and the second wall pressed together substantially limit the movement of the hinge leg member within the socket.

8. The hinge pin assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the hinge ledge member comprises a C shape ring and includes the side of the hinge body member to serve as a substantially planar edge for providing the top and bottom ends of the C; and

the socket has a third wall perpendicular to the first wall and facing the second wall, wherein the top and bottom ends of the C and the third wall pressed together substantially limit the movement of the ledge member against the third wall.

9. A hinge pin, comprising:

a body member having a first opposed surface and a second opposed surface, an aperture extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface, a side adjoining the first and second opposed surfaces and a slot cut into the side extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface for allowing at least one electrical wire terminated by a wire connector to slip through the slot and into the aperture before plugging the body member into a first receptacle;

a ledge member protruding around the periphery of the second opposed surface; and

a leg member extending from the second opposed surface at the ledge member for mounting the leg member within a second receptacle for locating the wire connector.

10. A hinge pin assembly comprising:

a partially assembled hinge base having a hub and a socket coupled to the hub;

a hinge body member having a first opposed surface and a second opposed surface, an aperture extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface, a side adjoining the first and second opposed surfaces and a slot cut into the side extending from the first opposed surface to the second opposed surface;

a hinge ledge member protruding around the periphery of the second opposed surface;

at least one wire coupling through the hub of the partially assembled hinge base; and

a wire connector terminating the at least one wire and the wire connector coupling through the hub and the socket of the partially assembled hinge base, wherein the body member snaps into the hub with the at least one wire slipping into the aperture through the slot.