Counterbalance hinge assembly
AssigneeAustin Hardware & Supply, Inc.
InventorsRobert Walden, David Lay, Daye Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A counterbalance hinge assembly includes a cam and compression device that counterbalances a weight of a door or a ramp. The compression device biases against a rotation of the door or ramp. The downward movement of the door or ramp drives cam followers in angled slots or cam surfaces of the cam. The angled slots or cam surfaces include varying angles of incline to correspond to varying torque forces of the door or ramp during the opening or closing movement of the door or ramp.
Claims21
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a first fixed end support;
- a second fixed end support;
- the housing positioned between the first fixed end support and the second fixed end support;
- the housing is configured to rotate relative to the first fixed end support and the second fixed end support;
- a compression device is engaged to the housing, the compression device is configured to apply a bias to a rotation of the housing;
- a cam follower holder, the cam follower holder comprising a first cam follower and a second cam follower;
- the compression device biasing the cam follower holder;
- a cam defining cam surfaces;
- the housing is configured to drive against the first cam follower and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- and
- the second cam follower is configured to drive against the cam surfaces of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against the bias of the compression device.
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a support;
- the housing is rotatably engaged to the support;
- the housing is configured to rotate in first and second directions relative to the support;
- a compression device is engaged to the housing;
- a rotation of the housing in the first direction transfers rotational torque to a linear force that compresses the compression device and stores energy in the compression device;
- a cam follower holder, the cam follower holder comprising a first cam follower and a second cam follower;
- the compression device biasing the cam follower holder;
- a cam defining cam surfaces;
- the housing is configured to drive against the first cam follower and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- and
- the second cam follower is configured to drive against the cam surfaces of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against a bias of the compression device.
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a cam follower holder, the cam follower holder comprising a first cam follower and a second cam follower;
- a compression device biasing against the cam follower holder;
- the cam follower holder configured to engage a moveable member;
- a cam defining cam surfaces;
- the housing is configured to drive against the first cam follower to impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- and
- the second cam follower is configured to drive against the cam surfaces of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against a bias of the compression device.
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a support;
- the housing configured to rotate in first and second directions relative to the support;
- a cam follower holder, the cam follower holder comprising a first cam follower and a second cam follower;
- a compression device biasing against the cam follower holder;
- a cam defining cam surfaces;
- the housing is configured to drive against the first cam follower and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- and
- the second cam follower is configured to drive against the cam surfaces of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against a bias of the compression device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.