Friction hinge

A hinge to be attached to a door, comprising:

• a hinge pin;
• a first hinge leaf fixed to said hinge pin;
• a second hinge leaf being rotatably mounted to said hinge pin;
• means for biasing said second hinge leaf towards said first hinge leaf;
• friction means for generating a friction force to arrest the relative movement of said second hinge leaf with respect to said first hinge leaf, said friction means including:
• a casing having a plurality of spaced bored holes on a top end, a hollow receiving space on a bottom end, and a plurality of inwardly projecting axial projections;
• a plurality of biasing members, each biasing member being received by one of said plurality of bored holes of said casing;
• a plurality of engaging members, each engaging member having a hollow space for receiving one of said plurality of biasing members;
• alternately interleaved first and second sets of friction plates contained inside said hollow space of said casing, said first set of friction plates each having a plurality of peripheral cuts for receiving said plurality of axial projections of said casing whereby said first set of friction plates are stationary with respect to said casing;
• means for urging said plurality of friction plates towards said top end of said casing;
• a ratchet mechanism associated with said rotatable hinge leaf in such a manner that said ratchet mechanism does not engage with said friction means when said second hinge leaf moves against the biasing force and engages with said friction means when otherwise, whereby friction force is applied to arrest the movement of said second hinge leaf when said second hinge leaf moves with the biasing force.