Hinge
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorGlenn Eric Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hinge for coupling components for pivotal movement relative to one another is disclosed. The hinge includes a housing. A torque engine and a torque adjusting unit are positionable within the housing. The torque engine provides frictional resistance to pivotal movement of the coupling components, and includes a shaft and a torque element frictionally engaging the shaft. The torque adjusting unit includes a spring arbor configured to connected to the shaft when the hinge is assembled, and a spiral torsion spring wrapped around the spring arbor. The spiral torsion spring has a coiled body having a number of plurality of rotations extending between a first spring end and a second end, with the number of plurality of rotations being selected to adjust the frictional resistance.
Claims17
A hinge for coupling components for pivotal movement relative to one another, the hinge comprising:
- a housing;
- a torque engine positioned within the housing and configured to provide frictional resistance to pivotal movement of the components, the torque engine comprising (i) a shaft defining a pivot axis, and (ii) at least one torque element frictionally engaging the shaft;
- a torque adjuster positioned within the housing, the torque adjuster comprising (i) a spring arbor having a first open end configured to receive a head of the shaft, and (ii) a spiral torsion spring configured to be wrapped around an exterior surface of the spring arbor to form a coiled body;
- wherein the coiled body comprises a number of rotations extending between a first spring end secured to the spring arbor and a second spring end secured to an interior surface of the housing, the number of rotations being selected to adjust the frictional resistance.
A hinged system comprising:
- a first component;
- a second component;
- and
- a hinge coupling the first component to the second component in a pivot connection so as to allow pivotal movement of the first component relative to the second component, the hinge including:
- a housing;
- a torque engine positioned within the housing and configured to provide frictional resistance to pivotal movement of the first component and the second component, the torque engine comprising (i) a shaft defining a pivot axis, and (ii) at least one torque element frictionally engaging the shaft;
- a torque adjuster positioned within the housing, the torque adjuster comprising (i) a spring arbor having a first open end configured to receive head of the shaft, and (ii) a spiral torsion spring configured to be wrapped around an exterior surface of the spring arbor to form a coiled body;
- wherein the coiled body comprises a number of rotations selected to adjust the frictional resistance;
- wherein a mounting surface of an adapter is mounted to the first component;
- and
- wherein a mounting portion of the housing is mounted to the second component.
A hinge subassembly configured for use with components having pivotal movement relative to one another, the hinge subassembly comprising:
- a torque engine configured to provide frictional resistance to the pivotal movement of the components, the torque engine comprising (i) a shaft defining a pivot axis, and (ii) at least one torque element frictionally engaging the shaft;
- and
- a torque adjuster coupled to the torque engine and comprising (i) a spring arbor having a first open end configured to receive a head of the shaft, and (ii) a spiral torsion spring configured to be wrapped around an exterior surface of the spring arbor to form a coiled body;
- wherein the coiled body comprises a number of rotations extending between a first spring end secured to the spring arbor and a second spring end secured to an interior surface of the housing, the number of rotations being selected to adjust the frictional resistance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.