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US 12,270,238 B2Granted
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.
Claims24
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing configured to engage to a movable member;
- a compression device configured to at least partially counterbalance a weight of the movable member;
- a cam follower holder rotatably engaged to the housing, the cam follower holder comprising a first cam follower and a second cam follower;
- a cam defining slots having a varying angle of incline;
- and
- the housing configured to drive against the first cam follower of the cam follower holder and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder, and the second cam follower of the cam follower holder configured to drive against the slots of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against the compression device.
3 more elements
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing, the housing comprising cam follower guides;
- a shaft positioned proximate the housing;
- a cam follower holder mounted to the shaft, the cam follower holder comprising first cam followers and second cam followers;
- a compression device biasing against the cam follower holder;
- a cam forming cam surfaces;
- the cam follower guides positioned by the housing to drive against the first cam followers and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- and
- the second cam followers configured to drive against the cam surfaces of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against the bias of the compression device.
5 more elements
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft positioned proximate the housing;
- a cam follower holder mounted to the shaft, 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 cam surfaces having a varying angle of incline;
- wherein the angle of incline transitions from having a first incline, to having a second incline, and to having a third incline, wherein the second incline is greater than both the first incline and the third incline;
- the housing configured to drive against the first cam follower and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- and
- the second cam follower configured to drive against the cam surfaces of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against the bias of the compression device.
6 more elements
A counterbalance hinge assembly, comprising:
- a housing, the housing comprising cam follower guides;
- a shaft positioned proximate the housing;
- a cam follower holder comprising a central passage, the shaft passing through the central passage, the cam follower holder comprising first cam followers and second cam followers;
- a compression device biasing against the cam follower holder;
- a cam defining slots, the slots configured to receive the second cam followers;
- the cam follower guides positioned by the housing to drive against the first cam followers and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- and
- the second cam followers configured to drive against the slots of the cam to drive the cam follower holder parallel to an axis of rotation of the shaft and against the bias of the compression device.
5 more elements
A method of moving a movable member relative to a support:
- providing a counterbalance hinge assembly, the counterbalance hinge assembly comprising:
- a housing engaged to a movable member and a support;
- a compression device to at least partially counterbalance a weight of the movable member;
- the housing comprising cam follower guides;
- a shaft positioned proximate the housing;
- a cam follower holder mounted to the shaft, the cam follower holder comprising a first cam follower and a second cam follower;
- the compression device biasing against the cam follower holder;
- a cam defining cam surfaces, the cam surfaces having a varying angle of incline;
- the cam follower guides positioned by the housing to drive against the first cam followers and impart a rotational force to the cam follower holder;
- the second cam followers to drive against the cam surfaces of the cam to drive the cam follower holder against the bias of the compression device;
- and
- moving the movable member relative to the support.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.