Hinge system and method for a segmented door
AssigneeOverhead Door Corporation
InventorBradley J. Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hinge for movably attaching parts together incudes a first gear, a second gear, a cover configured to attach the first gear to the second gear, first and second sliding surfaces on the cover wherein the first gear slides on the first sliding surface and the second gear slides on the second sliding surface when the hinge is operated, and an area on the first gear with no teeth configured to slide past the second gear to allow the first gear to enter the cover. Assembling a hinge includes moving a surface without gear teeth on a first gear past a toothed surface on a second gear, moving the first and second gears into a cover, meshing a tooth on the first gear with a tooth on the second gear, and holding the first and second gears together with the cover.
Claims18
A hinge for movably attaching a pair of parts together along a longitudinal reference line, comprising:
- a first gear on a first part of the pair of parts, the first gear having a first center of rotation aligned along a second reference line perpendicular to the longitudinal reference line and having a) a toothed area with one or more first teeth and b) an area with no teeth, the area with no teeth being disposed on both sides of the second reference line when the hinge is in a closed position;
- a second gear on a second part of the pair of parts, the second gear having a second center of rotation and having one or more second teeth, wherein the longitudinal reference line extends through the first and second centers of rotation;
- a cover configured to attach the first gear to the second gear;
- a first sliding surface on the cover defining the first center of rotation;
- and
- a second sliding surface on the cover defining the second center of rotation, wherein the first gear slides on the first sliding surface and the second gear slides on the second sliding surface when the hinge is operated,
- the area on the first gear with no teeth shaped and sized to slide past the second gear without engagement of the one or more first teeth and the one or more second teeth to introduce the first gear into the cover after a portion of the second gear is located in the cover.
A hinge for movably attaching a pair of parts together along a longitudinal reference line, comprising:
- a first gear on a first part of the pair of parts, the first gear having a first center of rotation aligned along a second reference line perpendicular to the longitudinal reference line and having a) a toothed area with one or more first teeth and b) an area with no teeth, the area with no teeth being disposed on both sides of the second reference line when the hinge is in a closed position;
- a second gear on a second part of the pair of parts, the second gear having a second center of rotation and having one or more second teeth, wherein the longitudinal reference line extends through the first and second centers of rotation;
- a cover configured to attach the first gear to the second gear, the cover comprising:
- a first protrusion;
- and
- a second protrusion facing the first protrusion, the first protrusion fitting into a recess in the first gear and the second protrusion fitting into a recess in the second gear;
- a first sliding surface on the first protrusion defining the first center of rotation;
- and
- a second sliding surface on the second protrusion defining the second center of rotation, wherein the first gear slides on the first sliding surface and the second gear slides on the second sliding surface when the hinge is operated, wherein the area with no teeth is shaped and sized to allow a portion of the first gear to slide past the second gear without engagement of the one or more first teeth and the one or more second teeth to introduce the first gear into the cover after a portion of the second gear is located in the cover.
A hinge for movably attaching a pair of parts together along a longitudinal reference line, comprising:
- a first gear on a first part of the pair of parts, the first gear having a first center of rotation aligned along a second reference line perpendicular to the longitudinal reference line and having a first portion with one or more first teeth and a second portion with no teeth, the second portion with no teeth being disposed on both sides of the second reference line when the hinge is in a closed position;
- a second gear on a second part of the pair of parts, the second gear having a second center of rotation and having one or more second teeth, wherein the longitudinal reference line extends through the first and second centers of rotation;
- a cover configured to attach the first gear to the second gear after the first and second gears have entered the cover through an opening defined by a first protrusion of the cover and a second protrusion of the cover,
- wherein the second portion with no teeth is shaped and sized to be introduced into the cover through the opening by sliding past the second gear while a portion of the second gear is located in the cover without engagement between the one or more first teeth and the one or more second teeth, and
- wherein the one or more first teeth are configured to engage the one or more second teeth after the second portion of the first gear is introduced into the cover;
- a first sliding surface on the cover defining the first center of rotation;
- and
- a second sliding surface on the cover defining the second center of rotation,
- wherein the first gear slides on the first sliding surface and the second gear slides on the second sliding surface when the hinge is operated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.