Pivot pin with gripper feature
OwnerJoseph V. Ambroseinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A swinging door hinge has a panel and a frame. The frame includes a horizontal portion, and the horizontal portion has an aperture therethrough. An elongated pivot pin is vertically disposed through the aperture. The pivot pin is coupled to the panel such that the pivot pin and the panel rotate about a longitudinal axis of the pivot pin relative to the horizontal portion of the frame. A gripper feature is located on a surface of the pivot pin. The gripper feature engages a corresponding surface on the panel such that when the panel is rotated, a resulting torsional force transferred to the pivot pin is spread over contact area between the gripper feature and the surface of the panel. Because the torque is transferred over a greater area, stress concentrations in the panel are reduced and the panel is not deformed.
Claims18
A swinging door assembly, comprising:
- a panel;
- a frame having a horizontal portion, the horizontal portion having an aperture therethrough;
- an elongated pivot pin vertically disposed through the aperture, the pivot pin being coupled to the panel such that the pivot pin and the panel rotate about a longitudinal axis of the pivot pin relative to the horizontal portion of the frame;
- a gripper feature located on a surface of the pivot pin, the gripper feature engages a corresponding surface on the panel such that when the panel is rotated, a resulting torsional force transferred to the pivot pin is spread over a contact area between the gripper feature and the surface on the panel;
- a torsional spring having two spring arms, the torsional spring being coaxially disposed around the pivot pin, wherein the torsional spring biases the panel into a position that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the horizontal portion of the frame;
- and
- a bent arm fixed to the pivot pin, the bent arm being positioned between the spring arms such that when the panel and the pivot pin and the bent arm coupled thereto are pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the pivot pin, one arm of the torsional spring acts upon the bent arm to oppose the rotation.
A swinging door assembly, comprising:
- a panel;
- a frame having a horizontal portion, the horizontal portion having an aperture therethrough;
- an elongated pivot pin vertically disposed through the aperture, the pivot pin being coupled to the panel such that the pivot pin and the panel rotate about a longitudinal axis of the pivot pin relative to the horizontal portion of the frame;
- a gripper feature located on a surface of the pivot pin, the gripper feature engages a corresponding surface on the panel such that when the panel is rotated, a resulting torsional force transferred to the pivot pin is spread over a contact area between the gripper feature and the surface on the panel;
- a torsional spring having two spring arms, the torsional spring being coaxially disposed around the pivot pin, wherein the torsional spring biases the panel into a position that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the horizontal portion of the frame;
- a bent arm fixed to the pivot pin, the bent arm being positioned between the spring arms such that when the panel and the pivot pin and the bent arm coupled thereto are pivoted about the longitudinal axis of the pivot pin, one arm of the torsional spring acts upon the bent arm to oppose the rotation;
- and
- a vertical plate coupled to a vertical portion of the frame, the vertical plate being vertically aligned with, and offset to, the longitudinal axis of the pivot pin, the vertical plate also being disposed between the spring arms of the torsion spring such that the vertical plate opposes rotation of the torsional spring relative to the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.