Momentum lockout detented-dampened hinge
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorFabrice Vitry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A detented and dampened hinge mechanism, with push-pull, and pull-push operation includes a first and second arms pivotally connected to move relative to one another in a scissor fashion between a closed and open positions. A cam and cam follower track establish a detent-type hold at both closed and open positions and add a radial motion component to the general pivotal motion. A damper limits relative movement of the arms. A biasing spring is utilized to bias the first and second arms toward the open position. A free moving anti-gravity ball moves in a channel when a momentum is imparted to the hinge mechanism. With the ball in its normal, lower position, arms are free to move; and moved to an upper position, the arms become locked out from full movement by the interference of the ball. Bumper materials are added.
Claims20
A momentum lockout hinge mechanism, comprising:
- a first fixed member;
- a second member connected to said first member and movable in relation thereto;
- a pathway positioned on said first member;
- and
- a ball positioned for free movement in the pathway from a first position thereof to a second position thereof;
- wherein the pathway extends at least partially vertically to cause the ball to move against gravity when momentum is imparted to it thereby moving the ball from the first pathway position to the second pathway position, the momentum is caused by a movement of the hinge mechanism;
- wherein the ball interferes with the movement of the first and second members when in the second pathway position.
A method of operating a hinge mechanism for momentum lockout comprising the steps of:
- permitting two hinge members to rotate with respect to one another, with the second member pivoting with respect to the first member under the operation of an operator from between an open and a closed positions with a pull-push open and a push-pull close operation;
- articulating the rotation of the second member in a radial direction to the first member during the beginning portion of the rotation to open;
- engaging an anti-gravity lockout member for free movement between a rest position and an interfering position wherein when in the interfering position the lockout member prohibits the rotation of the two hinge members;
- and
- permitting the second hinge member to move from a closed position to an open position under a momentum force imparted to the hinge, and the anti-gravity member to move from a non-interfering position to the interfering position under the same imparted momentum force, whereby the anti-gravity member reaches the interfering position before the second hinge member can rotate to the open position with respect to the first hinge member.
The method of operation of a hinge mechanism 9, also including adjusting the detent force at the closed position by adjusting the angle with respect to the vector of gravity of the first member.
A hinge mechanism, comprising:
- a first fixed arm;
- a second movable arm attached to the first arm and rotatably movable in relationship thereto to define a rotated closed position and a rotated open position thereof at the respective extreme positions of rotation;
- a channel in said fixed arm, being positioned to extend at least partly upwardly, the channel having a first position and a second position;
- and
- a momentum member being freely movable in said channel between the first position and the second position;
- wherein when a momentum is imparted to said momentum member by the movement of the hinge mechanism, the momentum member moves to the channel second position wherein when in said second position, said momentum member prohibits the rotation of said second arm with respect to said first arm;
- and
- wherein said momentum member returns to said channel first position under the force of gravity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.