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US 11,686,137 B2Granted
Gate supportive, signal transmitting hinge
AssigneeErgomat, Inc.
InventorsJohn Joseph Girard, Claus Munch Lendal
Life of this patent
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AssigneeErgomat, Inc.
InventorsJohn Joseph Girard, Claus Munch Lendal
Estimating the term…
A hinge has a first component that pivotally supports a second component of the hinge. The first hinge component carries an energy harvesting switch having a movable operator such as a spring-projected plunger that is positioned to be depressed or otherwise moved by the second hinge component in response to relative pivotal movement of the first and second hinge components. If a gate is fastened to the second hinge component, at least some of the weight of the gate is transferred from the second hinge component to the first hinge component. When the gate is pivoted away from a closed orientation toward an open orientation, the second hinge component moves the operator of the energy harvesting switch thereby causing the energy harvesting switch to emit a radio frequency signal.
A hinge comprising a first hinge component that pivotally supports a second hinge component so the first and second hinge components can pivot relative to each other, with the hinge also including an energy harvesting switch (of the type having a housing that encloses a radio frequency transmitter that emits a radio frequency signal in response to movement relative to the housing of an operator of the switch that extends from the housing of the switch), with the housing of the switch being connected to and supported by the first hinge component, and with the second hinge component being configured to cause the operator of the switch to move relative to the housing of the switch in response to relative pivotal movement of the first and second hinge components.
A signal-emitting hinge, comprising a first hinge component that pivotally supports a second hinge component for relative pivotal movement, wherein the first hinge component defines a generally cylindrical passage, wherein the second hinge component defines a generally cylindrical formation that depends into the generally cylindrical passage to an assembled position, with the hinge also including an energy harvesting switch that has a housing of the switch connected to and carried by the first hinge component, with the switch also having an operator extending from the housing that is configured and positioned to be moved relative to the housing of the switch by the second hinge component when the first and second hinge components pivot relative to each other to thereby cause the switch to emit a radio frequency signal in response to said relative pivotal movement of the first and second hinge components.
A signal transmitting switch, comprising:
A hinge comprised of first and second pivotally connected hinge components, with the first hinge component being configured to fixedly carry a housing of an energy harvesting switch, and with the second hinge component being configured to move an operator of the energy harvesting switch relative to the housing of the switch in response to relative pivotal movement of the first and second pivotally connected hinge components to cause transmission of a radio frequency signal when the operator of the switch is moved in response to relative pivotal movement of the first and second hinge components of the hinge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.