Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-10-16
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Having means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of hinge...
C016S386000, C016S387000, C446S120000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301747
ABSTRACT:
This is a National Stage of International Application No. PCT/BE98/00001, filed Jan. 6, 1998, which claims the benefit of Belgian Application No. 09700006, filed Jan 6, 1997.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hinge connection comprising a male member applied on a base plate, said male member having protrusions provided to be hingedly and resiliently fitted between a pair of female members applied on a further base plate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such a hinge connection is known from FR-A-2 534 484 to Bersani wherein said male and female members are provided on construction elements. Both the male and female members are formed by cylindrical projections, wherein the male members comprise protrusions, fitting in corresponding excavations provided in the female members, or vice versa. The male and female members are thus plain cylinders with protrusions or excavations and are thus relatively thick. This thickness ensures a good stability of the hinge connection. Such a thickness is however inconvenient for manufacturing purposes, since upon moulding such a hinge connection, considerable cooling times are required for cooling the male and female members.
The problem of the invention is to provide a hinge connection having a reduced cooling time upon moulding but which still ensures a good stability of the connection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This problem is solved by the hinge connection according to the invention which is characterised in that said male member is formed by two parallel male legs, wherein each leg comprises one of said protrusions, and that each of said female members comprises a through hole for engaging one of said protrusions.
The hinge connection is ensured by connecting the male legs with protrusions between the female members having through holes. The particular construction of the male and female members, i.e. two male legs and two female members having through holes, enables one to keep the thickness of the elements forming the hinge connection limited so that the cooling time may be kept relatively short.
In a first preferred embodiment of the hinge connection according to the invention, each of said female members is formed by two parallel female legs connected by an intermediary piece. Preferably, said intermediary pieces are mounted offset from said further base plate. This enables to further reduce the thickness of the female members and consequently to further reduce the cooling time upon moulding and still ensure the stability of the connection.
In order to improve the hinge movement of the hinge connection according to the invention, said intermediary pieces are cylindrical pieces and said through holes and protrusions are cylindrical. In addition or as an alternative, said male and female members are provided with rounded free ends.
Preferably, said legs comprise rounded borders. This facilitates the engagement or removal of the hinge connection.
For enabling one to use the hinge connection according to the invention for connecting relatively large plates, said legs comprise an enlarges base applied on said base plate, and respectively on said further base plate.
For enabling to use the hinge connection according to the invention for connecting relatively large plates, said legs comprise an enlarged base applied on said base plate, respectively further base plate.
The hinge connection according to the invention may further comprise a locking member for locking the connection of said male member to said female member, wherein said locking member comprises a locking leg provided to be placed between said male legs and a release leg extending essentially perpendicularly to said locking leg. This particular construction of locking member can easily be inserted manually between the male legs and removed by gripping the release leg with a pair of pincers.
The hinge connection according to the invention may further form a construction element comprising at least one base plate with at least one male member and at least one further base plate with at least one female member. This construction element may be used as a toy and enables one to create complex structures wherein planning and use of imagination is required. This contributes to the development of a child playing with those construction elements.
In particular, the construction element comprises at least three base plates forming a closed area, wherein said base plates are connected by a connection plate extending in a plane perpendicular to said base plates. This connection plate enhances the strength of the construction element and also enables one to form a container for receiving all kinds of objects or goods, for example sweets. The formed container may also be used as packaging.
In particular, the construction element comprises at least three base plates forming a closed area, wherein said base plates are connected by a connection plate extending in a plane perpendicular to said base plates. This connection plate enhances the strength of the construction element and enables also to form a container for receiving all kinds of objects or goods, for example sweets. The formed container may also be used as packaging.
A preferred embodiment of the construction element according to the invention comprises two parallel base plates and two further parallel base plates forming together a square, wherein the two base plates each comprise said male legs applied symmetrically with respect to the middle of the base plate and wherein the two further base plates each comprise said pair of female members, each female member of said pair extending at an extremity of the further base plate in such a manner that one of said female legs extends in prolongation from an extremity of one of said base plates. Preferably, the distance between the female legs is equal to L, the distance between the male legs is equal to L, the height of the legs is equal to L, the length of the base plates is equal to 3L and the height of the base plates is equal to L. This enhances the possibilities of forming complex structures by using several of such construction elements, since two construction elements of this type may be connected in four different ways to each other and each hinge connection provides a full 180 degrees positioning.
The present invention further relates to a tool provided for disconnecting a connection of a female from a male member, wherein said tool comprises two spaced apart lever legs, each lever leg being provided for being positioned between said two female legs for tilting said female member out of said male member.
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Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Knight Anthony
LandOfFree
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