Door hinge having torsion bar hold-open structure

A door hinge and check structure, adapted for mounting a door onto a vehicle body, comprising:

• first and second hinge members and means, interconnecting the members, for permitting pivotal movement of the second hinge member relative to the first hinge member, about a hinge axis, between a first position corresponding to a closed position of the door relative to the vehicle body and a second position corresponding to a fully open position of the door, the first hinge member having an elongated body extending from the hinge axis, the body having a distal end portion spaced from the hinge axis;
• a torsion bar structure carried by the first hinge member, the torsion bar structure comprising an elongated, axially extending torsional section having first and second end portions;
• means anchoring the first end portion of the torsional section to the distal end portion of said elongated body portion, the torsion bar structure further comprising a lever arm continuous with the second end portion of the torsional section and extending laterally of the torsional section toward a portion of the first hinge member spaced along the first hinge member body from the body distal end portion, the lever arm having a distal end portion and a detent portion spaced between the distal end portion and the torsional section;
• receiving means, in said first hinge member, for receiving the distal end portion of the lever arm, for preventing substantial lateral displacement of the distal end portion of the lever arm relative to said hinge body, the receiving means further comprising means providing a fulcrum and permitting pivotal movement of the lever arm, about its distal end portion, upon the fulcrum;
• the anchoring means further comprising means imparting a torsional preload stress to the torsional section urging the lever arm distal end portion and detent portion in a first rotational direction about the torsional section axis and against the fulcrum;
• and
• striker means carried by the second hinge member in alignment with the detent portion of the lever arm and at a radial distance from the hinge axis at which the striker means is urged against the lever arm detent portion upon the second hinge member being pivoted about the hinge axis from either of its first and second positions.

A door hinge and check structure of the type having a torsion bar structure for opposing relative movement of the hinge members, the door hinge and check structure comprising:

• a first hinge member having an elongated body portion;
• a second hinge member pivotally connected to the first hinge member for pivotal movement about a hinge axis;
• a torsion bar structure carried by the first hinge member and having an elongated torsional section extending along the elongated hinge body portion, and having a lever arm portion extending laterally from the torsional section;
• means for preventing substantial lateral displacement of the lever arm relative to the first hinge member;
• and
• striker means, carried by the second hinge member, for deflecting the lever arm upon the second hinge member being pivoted through a predetermined positional range relative to the first hinge member.

A door hinge and check structure comprising:

• a first hinge member;
• a second hinge member;
• means for connecting one of the hinge members to a support structure and means for connecting the other hinge members to a door;
• means pivotally interconnecting the first and second hinge members for permitting relative pivotal movement of the hinge members about a hinge axis;
• a torsion bar structure carried by the first hinge member and having an elongated torsional section having first and second end portions and a lever arm extending from the first end portion and laterally on the torsional section, the lever arm having a distal end portion and a detent portion spaced between the lever arm end portion and the torsional section;
• the first hinge member having an elongated body having an end portion adjacent the hinge axis and another distal end portion;
• means anchoring the torsional section to the first hinge member distal end portion;
• means for preventing substantial lateral displacement of the distal end portion of the lever arm relative to the first hinge member elongated body;
• and
• striker means for deflecting the detent portion of the lever arm during relative pivotal movement of the hinge members, and for imparting torsional stress to the torsional section.

A door hinge and check structure of a type having two hinge members pivotally connected and a torsion bar structure carried by one of the hinge members for reacting with a striker means on the other of said hinge members and for opposing relative pivotal movement of the hinge members, the door hinge and check structure comprising:

• a first hinge member having an elongated body of channel cross-sectional configuration having first and second flange portions projecting from a mid-portion extending between the flanges, the body having a distal end portion spaced from the hinge axis and at least one opening formed through one of the flanges at a location spaced from the distal end portion;
• a second hinge member pivotally connected to the first hinge member;
• a torsion bar structure carried by the first hinge member and having an elongated torsional section having first and second end portions and a lever arm extending laterally from the second end portion, the lever arm having a distal end portion;
• means anchoring the first end portion of the torsion bar structure to the first hinge member body adjacent the hinge body distal end, the torsional section extending from the hinge body distal end along the elongated body of the first hinge member;
• the lever arm extending toward and within the opening, the opening comprising means permitting pivotal movement of the lever arm;
• means preventing substantial lateral displacement of the lever arm relative to the elongated hinge body of the first hinge member;
• and
• striker means, carried by the second hinge member, for depressing the lever arm at a location spaced between the lever arm distal end portion and the torsional section and for inducing pivotal movement of the lever arm within the opening about an axis substantially parallel to the torsional section.