Bed panel with torsion pin hinge
AssigneeM & C Corporation
InventorMichael John Duffy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for coupling a vehicle body panel partition for pivotal movement between an upright and a retracted position. A mounting includes hinge sets formed from two hinge leafs, each hinge leaf being used to retain one of the alternate ends of the torsion rod pin extending through aligned pivot portions on each pin leaf. Preferably, each hinge set is integrally formed with the torsion pin by retainers holding ends of the torsion pin with respect to each of the leafs. In the preferred embodiment, a return bent end of the torsion pin is received in an extended support member while the other end is retained in a returned bent portion of the second leaf, each end extending in a radial direction aligned at an angle to the direction of the other end.
Claims37
A vehicle compartment partition for a vehicle body having a floor panel comprising:
- frame structure including a mount for a hinge leaf;
- at least one first hinge leaf including a mount portion dimensioned to mate with said frame structure mount, and an extended support portion, a first pivot portion carried by said extended support portion at a spaced position from said mount portion;
- at least one second hinge leaf including a mount portion dimensioned for mating with a portion of the floor panel, and an extended support portion, a second pivot portion carried by said extended support portion for alignment with said first pivot portion;
- and
- a torsion rod having an elongated leg extending through aligned first and second pivot portions, said torsion rod having a first rod end retained against rotation with respect to one of said first and second hinge leafs, and a second rod end return bent from an aligned longitudinal portion and retained with respect to a support portion of the other of said first and second hinge leafs.
A method for assembling a vehicle body panel hinge having a first leaf with a first pivot portion and a second leaf with a second pivot portion comprising:
- aligning said first and second pivot portions along a common axis;
- inserting a torsion rod into said aligned first and second pivot portions;
- bending a first end of said torsion rod to a return bent position;
- engaging said first end into fixed engagement with one of said leafs;
- and
- retaining a second end of said torsion rod in a fixed engagement with the other of said first and second leafs.
A vehicle hinge comprising:
- at least one first hinge leaf including a mount portion for mounting a panel to be hinged, an extended support portion, and a first pivot portion carried by said extended support portion at a spaced position from said mount portion;
- at least one second hinge leaf including a mount portion for mounting to a support panel to be hinged, an extended support portion, and a second pivot portion carried by said extended support portion for alignment with said first pivot portion;
- and
- a torsion rod having an elongated leg extending through aligned first and second pivot portions, said torsion rod having a first rod end retained against rotation with respect to one of said first and second hinge leafs, and a second rod end return bent from an aligned longitudinal portion and retained with respect to a support portion of the other of said first and second hinge leafs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.