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US 12,078,001 B1Granted
Spring-biased hinge
AssigneeEACH Jewels LLC
InventorsAbigail L. Dubois, Lawrence H. Dubois
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring-biased hinge includes two hinge leaves each having a retaining structure extending along an inner edge thereof, each of two ends of one or more springs received in a spring-receiving aperture of one of the retaining structures and connected to one of the hinge leaves. The springs thereby join the hinge leaves together with the inner ends of the hinge leaves in abutting engagement to form an engagement seam which hides the springs.
Claims19
A spring-biased hinge comprising:
- two hinge leaves, each hinge leaf having one or more retaining structures, each of the one or more retaining structures disposed at an inner edge of one of the two hinge leaves, at least one of the one or more retaining structures of each of the hinge leaves having an abutment face, and
- one or more springs, each of the one or more springs having a tensed configuration and a relatively relaxed configuration, each of the one or more springs having two or more spring ends, each of the two or more spring ends retained by one of the one or more retaining structures of one of the two hinge leaves, such that the one or more springs connect the two hinge leaves,
- the two hinge leaves pivotable about their inner edges between an open configuration and a closed configuration,
- in the closed configuration the one or more springs in the relaxed configuration and the abutment faces of one or more retaining structures of each of the two hinge leaves are in proximal disposition with the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of the other of the two hinge leaves, and
- in the open configuration the one or more springs in the tensed configuration and the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of each of the two hinge leaves are distally disposed from the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of the other of the two hinge leaves, and
- the one or more springs biasing the two hinge leaves from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
3 more elements
A spring-biased hinge comprising:
- two hinge leaves, each hinge leaf having one or more retaining structures, each of the one or more retaining structures disposed at an inner edge of one of the two hinge leaves and extending perpendicularly from the face of the hinge leaf, the inner edges of the hinge leaves in abutting engagement forming an engagement seam therebetween, at least one of the one or more retaining structures of each of the hinge leaves having an abutment face and a retaining wall spaced from the abutment face, each of the abutment faces having an aperture, and
- one or more helical springs, each of the one or more springs received in the aperture of the abutment face of one of the one or more retaining structures, each of the one or more springs having a tensed configuration in which the spring is stretched and a relatively relaxed configuration in which the spring is shortened, each of the one or more springs having two or more spring ends, each of the two or more spring ends disposed in one of the one or more retaining structures of one of the two hinge leaves and retained by the retaining wall thereof, a length of each of the one or more springs extending between the retaining wall and the abutment face of one of the one or more retaining structures, such that the one or more springs connect the two hinge leaves,
- the two hinge leaves pivotable about their inner edges between an open configuration and a closed configuration,
- in the closed configuration the one or more springs in the relaxed configuration and the abutment faces of one or more retaining structures of each of the two hinge leaves are in proximal disposition with the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of the other of the two hinge leaves, and
- in the open configuration the one or more springs in the tensed configuration and the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of each of the two hinge leaves are distally disposed from the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of the other of the two hinge leaves, and
- the one or more springs biasing the two hinge leaves from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
3 more elements
A spring-biased hinge comprising:
- two hinge leaves, each hinge leaf having one or more retaining structures, each of the one or more retaining structures disposed at an inner edge of one of the two hinge leaves and extending perpendicularly from the face of the hinge leaf, at least one of the one or more retaining structures of each of the hinge leaves having an abutment face, and
- one or more springs, each of the one or more springs including two coils and an integral resilient connector that joins the two coils,
- at least one of the one or more retaining structures of each of the hinge leaves having a bore sized to receive one of the two coils, each of the two coils received in the bore of one of the one or more retaining structures of each of the hinge leaves, whereby the one or more springs connect the two hinge leaves,
- each of the one or more springs having a tensed configuration and a relatively relaxed configuration, each of the one or more springs having two or more spring ends, each of the two or more spring ends retained by one of the one or more retaining structures of one of the two hinge leaves, such that the one or more springs connect the two hinge leaves,
- each of the two coils of each of the one or more springs having a distal end and an axially extending pivot axis, the distal end of each said coil fixed to one of the one or more retaining structures of one of the hinge leaves thereby forcing the distal end of each of the two coils to move and the coil to wind or unwind with movement of one of the hinge leaves,
- the two hinge leaves pivotable about their inner edges between an open configuration and a closed configuration,
- in the closed configuration the one or more springs in the relaxed configuration and the abutment faces of one or more retaining structures of each of the two hinge leaves are in proximal disposition with the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of the other of the two hinge leaves, and
- in the open configuration the one or more springs in the tensed configuration and the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of each of the two hinge leaves are distally disposed from the abutment faces of the one or more retaining structures of the other of the two hinge leaves, and
- the one or more springs biasing the two hinge leaves from the open configuration to the closed configuration.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.