Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Having plural hinge axes
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-17
2001-07-10
Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3626)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Having plural hinge axes
C016S050000, C016S283000, C016S301000, C016S302000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256839
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the hinges, and more particularly to a structure improvement of spring hinge, which is to place incision holes at the surface of the tension adjustment stands, and insert the insertion portions at two ends of the spring into these holes to increase the stability of the positioning of the torque spring, and to reduce the noise when operate, the difficulties in manufacturing and assembling, moreover, the tension adjustment stand made of plastic composite material because of the high durability, in order to avoid having the metal tubing part, and to simplify the composition such, and hence, reduce the difficulties in production and assembly.
FIG. 1
shows the prior art of a regular hinge used in large-scale heavy duty doors. This kind of the hinge is composed of a double-tube base plate
10
, a pair of torque springs
12
placed inner of the tubes
11
, and a pair of tension adjustment stands
13
,
13
′ placed at the ends of the tubes
11
. Place the ends
121
of the torque spring
12
inner the bottom of the trench, at the perimeter of the tension adjustment stand
13
, setup a plurality of adjustment holes
132
at equal distance in order to use a double-headed pin
14
to adjust the tension of the spring
12
. Also, there are a pair of turning flanges
20
that utilize the tips of the rods
22
to connect the tubes
11
at turned angle of the flanges
21
, and then, fasten the ends of the tubes
11
with a pair of threaded caps
23
.
FIG. 2
shows an assembled spring hinge of FIG.
1
. This kind of the spring hinge utilizes the torque spring to store the tensile strength in order to accomplish the function of automatic door closing. However, this design included the following disadvantages:
1) The tension adjustment stand is made of metal, the manufacturing of such is difficult and expensive.
2) Furthermore, the stair-like hard surface is closely attached to the interior walls of the tubes
11
, after constant torque and turns, the diameters of the tubes will expand, which in turn, causes the hinge to disfigure.
3) Because the axle tips
22
are also made of metal, and the axles pass through the center of the tension adjustment base
13
. Furthermore, the a pair of tips of the torque springs
22
only rest on the groves of the tension adjustment bases
13
, that is, the a pair of ends of the torque springs circle around the stair-like surface of the tension adjustment bases. So when the torque spring
22
turns against the tension adjustment base, the movements are apparent and the contacts between the axle tips
22
and the interior walls create noises. If cracks appear at the trench
131
, it must be damaged by the torque of the spring
12
.
Based on the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art, the applicant reinvented an improved spring hinge which had already granted patent by the U.S. PTO (Application Filed Number 08/590,631), please refer to
FIGS. 3 and 4
, which consists of a rectangular base plate
30
with a pair of tubes at the sides, as a unit, to form a pair of guiding tubes
31
, each of the guiding tube
31
contains a torque spring
32
, a ring cap
35
with a protruding lip
351
that matches with the diameter of the guiding tube
31
, and a first tension adjustment stand
33
made of plastic, which further contains a small metal tube
34
clips onto one end of the torque spring
32
. The first tension adjustment stand
33
inserts into a tip of the tube
31
and utilizes its cylindrical main body to rest on the ring cap
35
, a second tension adjustment stand
36
, made of plastic, directly inlays into the bottom of the guiding tube
31
where it also contains a small metal tube
34
′ for clipping unto the other end of the torque spring
32
. A pair of flanges
40
using their turned angle protrusions
41
to hold the exteriors of the first and second tension adjustment stands
33
and
36
, and utilizing the tip of an axle rods
50
and a threaded cap
52
to connect to the second guiding tube
31
. A pair of adjustment pins
60
are inserted into an adjustment holes
336
at the perimeter of the first adjustment stand
33
for adjustment of the tension at the torque spring
32
and to press against the ends of the flanges
40
.
With the aforementioned improvement, the spring hinge will smoothly closes the door automatically without any noise or distortion. These improved portions are enough to ensure the structural stability, enhance durability, and increase actual functions. However, though the first and second adjustment stands
33
and
36
are made of enhanced plastic, still the inserted small metal tubes
34
and
34
′ are necessary to sustain the opposite force exerted at the ends of the torque spring
32
. Otherwise, under the constant torque resistance from the torque spring
32
, the ends of the spring is likely to damage the first and second adjustment stands
33
and
36
. The small metal tubes
34
and
34
′ are actually made of sheet metal bend into a tubular shape. When they are inserted into the first and second adjustment stands
33
and
36
, because of their elastic nature, they are closely fitted into the first and second adjustment stands
33
and
36
, hence they won't fall off the first and second adjustment stands
33
and
36
. The small metal tubes
34
and
34
′ are difficult to manufacture, and the assembling of these tubes into the first and second adjustment stands
33
and
36
are quite difficult. Moreover, the end of the spring of the torque spring
32
winds into the side opening of the small metal tubes
34
and
34
′, and positioned through these small metal tubes
34
and
34
′. When the torque spring
32
turns, because of the tension is concentrate in the end of the spring
32
, the end of the spring
32
will fall off easily and cause a separation with the small metal tubes
34
and
34
′ to cause any possible dangerous. The positioning of the torque spring
32
is not stable nor is it reliable, and the part of the stands
33
and
36
which touch with the end of the spring
32
will distract because of the torque spring
32
is in operate.
The present invention is arisen to militate and/or obviate the aforediscussed disadvantages in order to provide a new and novel structure hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention has a main object to provide a structure improvement of spring hinge, which is to place incision holes at the ends of the tension adjustment stands, and insert the insertion portions at two ends of the spring into the holes to increase the stability of the positioining of the torque spring, and to reduce noises when operate, and to reduce the difficulties in manufacturing and assembling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a structure improvement of spring hinge, which has a tension adjustment stand made of plastic composite material because of the high durability, in order to avoid having the metal tubing part, and to simplify the composition such, and hence, reduce the difficulties in production and assembly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 727697 (1903-05-01), Sargent
patent: 966380 (1910-08-01), Bommer
patent: 971281 (1910-09-01), Keene et al.
patent: 1138484 (1915-05-01), Katzenberger
patent: 3965533 (1976-06-01), Frohlich
patent: 4751765 (1988-06-01), Wu
patent: 4756051 (1988-07-01), Shy
patent: 5152029 (1992-10-01), Pai
patent: 5383253 (1995-01-01), Lin
patent: 5606774 (1997-03-01), Wu
patent: 258540 (1964-12-01), None
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