Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Pliant or elastic hinge
Patent
1996-11-27
1998-08-18
Mah, Chuck
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Pliant or elastic hinge
16221, 16319, 16337, 16DIG13, 220339, 220 422, E05D 100
Patent
active
057943087
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resilient hinge arrangement and, more particularly, to a resilient hinge arrangement without a main film in which a first and second hinge part can assume a plurality of stable positions with respect to each other.
2. Description of Relevant Art
For the jointed hinge connection, in particular of plastic closures injection-molded in one piece, various designs are known. Generally, in the case of such one-piece plastic closures, two hinge parts to be pivoted with respect to each other are connected by a main hinge or a plurality of main hinges lying on an axis (axial portions). In order to obtain a snap effect on actuating the hinge, i.e. perceptible and defined opening and closing positions by overcoming a dead center position, there is generally provided at least one additional intermediate element, spring element, taut band or corresponding elements. These are arranged laterally of the main hinge, or in the case of a plurality of main hinges between them, and are connected to the two hinge parts. The intermediate elements or taut bands are in this case arranged such that the main hinge lies outside the plane(s) defined by the connecting locations of the intermediate elements with the closure parts. This offset of the main hinge with respect to the coupling locations of the intermediate elements (joint axis offset) leads during the opening and closing of the hinge to tensile and compressive forces, which are transferred and absorbed by the intermediate elements and the main hinge and bring about the snapping effect.
Such a functional principle based on a joint axis offset, in which the hinge parts pivot about a defined main axis, arranged rigidly with respect to the hinge parts, and supplementary functional elements experience a geometrical deflection with respect to their coupling locations on the hinge parts are known, for example, from patent specifications DE 1813187, EP 0056469, CH 488085, EP 0447357, or patent applications EP 524275 and DE P 43 35 107.7 of 14.10.1993.
Apart from the generally known problem of high or disproportionate material stresses (risk of material tears or ruptures in the hinge region), a further disadvantage of such systems is that, owing to the required main film hinges, the spatial path of movement of the hinge parts is greatly restricted and, owing to the necessary offset, the main film hinges protrude beyond the closure contour. The mutual position of the hinge parts in the two positions of rest, i.e. in the closed state and opened state, and also during the movement is not significantly influenceable, since a pure axial rotation takes place. Moreover, the corresponding hinge arrangements bring with them various restrictions and constraints with respect to the aesthetic and geometrical configuration of the hinge parts. The kinematics of such designs is also influenced greatly by the actual configuration of the hinge parts, the material used and, in the case of plastic injection-molded parts, by the actual production process, the mold and by the production tolerances. It is not uncommon for such constraints to bring about designs which are not appropriate for the material, are susceptible to damage in production and with respect to the service life in normal use.
A design without a main hinge is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,135,456. Two parts of a container to be pivoted with respect to each other are connected to each other there by an elastomeric lug attached on the outside. This design does not solve the problem of high material elongations, but seemingly circumvents it by elastomeric, highly extensible material being used. The hinge is subjected to high material loads and furthermore has an extremely unstable, unpredictable large-area inversion behavior.
European patent specification EP 0 331 940 discloses a bistable hinge device which takes account of the above disadvantages in significant regions. This hinge device avoids a main hinge directly connecting the two hinge parts. The hin
REFERENCES:
patent: 3135456 (1964-06-01), Palazzole
patent: 3152716 (1964-10-01), Feldhahn
patent: 3516115 (1970-06-01), Koleske
patent: 3793612 (1974-02-01), Driscoll
patent: 4158902 (1979-06-01), Chernack et al.
patent: 4503991 (1985-03-01), Joyce
patent: 4594816 (1986-06-01), Goldstein
patent: 4636065 (1987-01-01), Kanemitsu et al.
patent: 5445471 (1995-08-01), Wexler et al.
Mueller Bruce
Rentsch Rudolf
Creanova AG
Mah Chuck
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