Closure hinge mechanism

In combination, a vehicle having a window and body members immediately adjacent the window which define an opening to a compartment, a closure covering the opening when in a closed operative mode and having an edge extending adjacent the window, hinging and opening means for the closure to bodily move the adjacent edge upward and away from the window while generally pivoting the closure from a closed to an open operative position, the hinging and opening means including a hinge arm attached at one end portion to the closure and extending through the opening and beneath the window, a track supported by the vehicle and extending beneath the window and in a generally horizontal direction, track follower means between a second end portion of the hinge arm and the track to provide a movable pivotal support for the hinge arm and closure, a torsion bar member including an elongated portion with one end affixed to the closure in a manner preventing rotations thereof and a radially extending crankarm portion located adjacent the other end of the torsion bar which is engaged by the vehicle adjacent the opening therein in a manner permitting rotation about an axis generally parallel with the elongated portion whereby upon moving the closure between open and closed operative modes, the torsion bar alternatively twists and untwists to provide a force on the closure tending to open same and simultaneously pivots about the crankarm end to bodily shift the adjacent edge upward and away from the window while causing the track follower means to move from one end of the track to the other, thus providing a rearwardly sliding pivot for the closure.

In a vehicle having window means located adjacent body portions of the vehicle which define an access opening to a compartment such as a luggage compartment, an improved combination hinge and opening bias mechanism for a closure characterized by simultaneous pivoting and bodily shifting movement of the closure with respect to the access opening and the window preventing interference between the window and an adjacent hinged forward edge portion of the closure, comprising:

• guide track means supported by the vehicle and extending beneath the lower edge portion of the window in a horizontal and longitudinal orientation with respect to the vehicle;
• an elongated hinge arm with one end portion fixedly secured to the closure near the forward edge thereof and extending downwardly and forwardly through the access opening when the closure is in its closed covering position thereto;
• a track follower supported by the other end portion of the hinge arm and engaging the guide track means to provide a horizontally sliding pivotal support for the hinge arm and closure;
• torsion bar means between the closure and the vehicle including an elongated member with one end affixed to prevent rotative movement and with the other end formed into a crank portion extending radially from the elongated portion for twisting the elongated portion;
• means supporting the torsion bar at a location near the one end portion of the hinge arm member and in a manner exerting an opening force on the closure as the torsion bar untwists whereby upward pivotal and bodily shifting movement of the closure takes place about the elongated portion of the torsion bar and the rearwardly moving point of engagement between the track follower and the guide track as controlled by unwinding movement of the torsion bar about the end of the crank arm.

A combination hinge and opening mechanism for a closure which is movable from a closed position in which a closure edge lies adjacent a stationary edge portion of an opening to an open position in which the closure edge moves upwardly and away from the stationary edge portion, comprising:

• a hinge arm with one end portion affixed to the closure adjacent the closure edge and with an opposite end portion extending from the closure edge and downward through the opening;
• a stationary track located beneath the stationary edge portion;
• a track follower on the opposite end portion of the hinge arm engaging the track in sliding relation to bodily shift the hinge arm and closure away from the stationary edge portion during an opening operation;
• torsion bar means improving an elongated twist portion and a laterally offset crank arm portion, the closure supporting the end of the twist portion in one nonrotative fixed fashion for torsional twisting thereabout;
• means near the midpoint of the hinge arm engaging the twist portion of the torsion bar adjacent the crank arm portion in a manner permitting the elongated twist portion to move therein;
• stationary support means engaging the end of the crank arm to permit rotation therein thus requiring the closure and twist portion to pivot upward during the opening operation simultaneously accompanied by movement of the track follower in the stationary track resulting in overall movement of the closure edge upward and away from the stationary edge portion in bodily shifting fashion.