U.S. patent application number 09/767122 was filed with the patent office on 2002-07-25 for door hinge assembly for an electrical appliance enclosure.
Invention is credited to Gupta, Pankaj, Marvin, Harry, Narang, Amit, Soares, Gilbert A., Thorn, David, Wallace, Robert Bruce, Yee, Edgar.
Application Number | 20020095744 09/767122 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25078541 |
Filed Date | 2002-07-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020095744 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Narang, Amit ; et
al. |
July 25, 2002 |
DOOR HINGE ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE ENCLOSURE
Abstract
A door hinge assembly for use in an electrical appliance cabinet
includes a door hinge member having a door plate attached to one
side of an elbow, a hinge pin sleeve attached to the opposite side
of the elbow, and a flange extending upwardly from the elbow. A
hinge pin is removably engageable with the hinge pin sleeve, which
is further removably engageable with a top edge on the flange.
Inventors: |
Narang, Amit; (Somajiguda,
IN) ; Gupta, Pankaj; (Ameerpet, IN) ; Yee,
Edgar; (Chapel Hill, NC) ; Thorn, David;
(Burlington, NC) ; Soares, Gilbert A.; (Mebane,
NC) ; Marvin, Harry; (mebane, NC) ; Wallace,
Robert Bruce; (Mebane, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Philmore H. Colburn II
Cantor Colburn LLP
55 Griffin Road South
Bloomfield
CT
06002
US
|
Family ID: |
25078541 |
Appl. No.: |
09/767122 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
16/229 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H02B 1/38 20130101; Y10T
16/553 20150115; Y10T 16/557 20150115; E05D 7/1005 20130101; Y10T
16/53607 20150115; E05Y 2900/208 20130101; Y10T 16/527 20150115;
Y10T 16/5595 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
16/229 |
International
Class: |
E05D 007/10 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A door hinge assembly for use in an electrical appliance
cabinet, comprising: a door hinge member, said door hinge member
further comprising: a door plate, attached to one side of an elbow;
a hinge pin sleeve, attached to the opposite side of said elbow;
and a flange, extending upwardly from said elbow; and a hinge pin,
removably engageable with said hinge pin sleeve, said hinge pin
further removably engageable with a top edge on said flange.
2. The door hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said flange further
comprises a ledge surface formed within said top edge thereof, said
hinge pin removably engageable with said ledge surface.
3. The door hinge assembly of claim 2, wherein said hinge pin is
disengaged from said hinge pin sleeve when said hinge pin is
engaged with said ledge surface.
4. The door hinge assembly of claim 2, wherein said flange further
comprises a notched portion formed within a bottom edge thereof,
said hinge pin pivotally engageable with said notched portion.
5. The door hinge assembly of claim 4, wherein said hinge pin is
engaged with said hinge pin sleeve when said hinge pin is engaged
with said notched portion.
6. The door hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein said hinge pin is
L-shaped.
7. The door hinge assembly of claim 4, wherein said hinge pin
sleeve further comprises an upper hinge pin sleeve and a lower
hinge pin sleeve.
8. The door hinge assembly of claim 7, wherein said hinge pin is
engaged with said upper hinge pin sleeve and disengaged with said
lower hinge pin sleeve when said hinge pin is engaged with said
ledge surface.
9. The door hinge assembly of claim 7, wherein said hinge pin is
engaged with both said upper hinge pin sleeve and said lower hinge
pin sleeve when said hinge pin is engaged with said notched
portion.
10. The door hinge assembly of claim 7, wherein said upper hinge
pin sleeve and said lower hinge pin sleeve are cylindrically
shaped.
11. An enclosure for electrical equipment, comprising: a housing,
having a door pivotally mountable to a door jamb; and a door hinge
assembly pivotally connecting said door to said door jamb, said
door hinge assembly further comprising: a door plate mountable to
said door; a hinge pin sleeve, joined to said door plate by an
elbow; a flange, extending upwardly from said elbow; and a hinge
pin, removably engageable with said hinge pin sleeve, said hinge
pin further removably engageable with a top edge on said
flange.
12. The enclosure of claim 11, wherein said flange further
comprises a ledge surface formed within said top edge thereof, said
hinge pin removably engageable with said ledge surface.
13. The door hinge assembly of claim 12, wherein said hinge pin is
disengaged from said hinge pin sleeve when said hinge pin is
engaged with said ledge surface.
14. The door hinge assembly of claim 12, wherein said flange
further comprises a notched portion formed within a bottom edge
thereof, said hinge pin pivotally engageable with said notched
portion.
15. The door hinge assembly of claim 14, wherein said hinge pin is
engaged with said hinge pin sleeve when said hinge pin is engaged
with said notched portion.
16. The door hinge assembly of claim 11, wherein said hinge pin is
L-shaped.
17. The door hinge assembly of claim 14, wherein said hinge pin
sleeve further comprises an upper hinge pin sleeve and a lower
hinge pin sleeve.
18. The door hinge assembly of claim 17, wherein said hinge pin is
engaged with said upper hinge pin sleeve and disengaged with said
lower hinge pin sleeve when said hinge pin is engaged with said
ledge surface.
19. The door hinge assembly of claim 17, wherein said hinge pin is
engaged with both said upper hinge pin sleeve and said lower hinge
pin sleeve when said hinge pin is engaged with said notched
portion.
20. The door hinge assembly of claim 17, wherein said upper hinge
pin sleeve and said lower hinge pin sleeve are cylindrically
shaped.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to a door hinge assembly
and, more particularly, to a door hinge assembly for use in an
electrical appliance enclosure.
[0002] Electrical appliance cabinets, such as motor control
centers, are enclosures which typically feature removable doors.
The doors are oftentimes shipped apart from the main enclosure.
Thereafter, the door is installed on the housing by means of a
hinge assembly, which typically includes a hinge and a hinge pin.
In most instances, the hinge assembly is included with the door
itself.
[0003] During shipping, it is desirable to prevent the hinge pin
coming out of the hinge and becoming lost. One method of
accomplishing this is to simply apply a length of adhesive taping
to the hinge pin, thereby keeping it secured directly within the
hinge itself or secured to some other area within the door
assembly. Alternatively, some manufacturers will opt to attach a
temporary "securing member" to the hinge pin, such as a gasket, to
keep the pin positioned within the hinge. A third method is to
provide a hinge pin having a pair of flexible legs, the ends of
which are outwardly bent after insertion into the hinge, thereby
locking the pin in place.
[0004] In any case, however, it becomes necessary at some point to
remove the taping or gasket such that the hinge pin can be
temporarily removed from the hinge during installation of the door
onto the housing. Once the securing means is disposed of, it may
then be difficult to secure or keep track of the hinge pin should
the door need to be removed subsequent to its initial installation.
This is often the case where it is desired to make repairs within
the motor control center, or when it is desired to relocate unit
doors within a motor control section. A need, therefore, exists for
a hinge assembly which allows for relatively easy insertion and
removal of a hinge pin within a hinge, as well as the ability to
securely store the hinge pin in a "disengaged" position without the
need for an external securing means.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The above discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies of
the prior art are overcome or alleviated by a door hinge assembly
for use in an electrical appliance cabinet. In an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention, a door hinge assembly for use
in an electrical appliance cabinet includes a door hinge member
having a door plate attached to one side of an elbow, a hinge pin
sleeve attached to the opposite side of the elbow, and a flange
extending upwardly from the elbow. A hinge pin is removably
engageable with the hinge pin sleeve, which is further removably
engageable with a top edge on the flange.
[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the flange has a ledge surface
formed within the top edge thereof, with the hinge pin being
removably engageable with the ledge surface. The flange also
includes a notched portion formed within a bottom edge thereof,
with the hinge pin being pivotally engageable with the notched
portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Referring to the exemplary drawings wherein like elements
are numbered alike in the several Figures:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a section of a motor control
center, having one of its control unit doors in an open position
and illustrating a prior art door hinge assembly;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the door
hinge assembly of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the door hinge
assembly, illustrating the hinge pin engaged with the flange of the
hinge and disengaged from the lower hinge pin sleeve; and
[0011] FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the door hinge
assembly, mounted within a door of a motor control unit,
illustrating the hinge pin disengaged with the flange of the hinge
and engaged with the lower hinge pin sleeve.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a motor control center
section 10 is shown. The motor control section 10 has a housing 11
containing individual motor control units (not shown) which are
positioned inside a control unit compartment 12. In a typical
application, several motor control sections 10 are generally placed
side by side in an industrial location to control the electrical
equipment of a plant. A horizontal bus bar compartment cover 14,
located at the top of the motor control section 10, covers the area
which houses horizontal bus bars (not shown) and their connection
to vertical bus bars (not shown). A supply source supplies
electrical power through the horizontal bus bars and vertical bus
bars to the individual control units. Each control unit is enclosed
in its control compartment 12 with a door 16 pivotally mountable to
a door jamb 17 located on housing 11.
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a door hinge assembly 20
used to pivotally mount a door 16 to a door jamb 17 on a motor
control center 10. Assembly 20 features a door hinge member 22 and
an L-shaped hinge pin 24 which is removably insertable into the
hinge member 22. The hinge member 22 is preferably formed from a
unitary piece of metal and has a door plate 26 with mounting holes
28 formed therein for securing hinge member 22 to door 16. A pair
of hinge pin sleeves includes an upper hinge pin sleeve 30 and a
lower hinge pin sleeve 32. Sleeves 30, 32 are generally
cylindrically shaped, having a hollow interior therein and are
oriented along a common longitudinal axis 34 through which hinge
pin 24 is removably engageable. The upper and lower hinge pin
sleeves 30, 32 are separated from door plate 26 by opposite ends 36
of an elbow 38.
[0014] Extending upwardly from elbow 38 is a flange 40 which serves
as a resting surface for hinge pin 24 when the door 16 is to be
removed from housing 11 (FIG. 1). The flange 40 has a ledge surface
42 formed within a top edge 44 thereof. As can be seen in FIG. 3,
the ledge surface 42 is of a sufficient width so as to accommodate
the foot portion 46 of hinge pin 24 thereon and prevent the leg
portion 48 of hinge pin 24 from passing beyond the interior portion
of the upper hinge pin sleeve 30 and down into the lower hinge pin
sleeve 32.
[0015] The flange 40 also features a notched portion 50 formed
within a bottom edge 52 thereon. Notched portion 50 allows the foot
portion 46 of hinge pin 24 (after insertion through both upper and
lower hinge pin sleeves 30, 32) to pivot and lock into place as the
door 16 is mounted to housing 11 and closed. Hinge pin 24 is shown
engaged with both upper and lower hinge pin sleeves 30, 32 in FIG.
4.
[0016] It should be noted that in order for the door 16 to be
securely mounted to the housing 11 of motor control center 16, a
corresponding mating sleeve (not shown) must be provided on door
jamb 17, such that when the mating sleeve is positioned between
upper and lower hinge pin sleeves 30, 32 along axis 34, hinge pin
24 may be inserted therethrough. For illustrative purposes only,
hinge pin 24 is shown in its inserted position in FIG. 4 without
the corresponding mating sleeve.
[0017] Through the use of flange 40, the need for an external
securing means, such as adhesive tape or washer is obviated. Ledge
surface 42 provides a convenient resting place for hinge pin 24
when removed from lower hinge pin sleeve 32. In addition, hinge
assembly 20 may be mounted within the interior of door 16 in a
location suitably close enough to the top edge 54 of door 16 such
that hinge pin 24 will not slide out from upper hinge pin sleeve 30
if the door 16 is removed and tilted upside down.
[0018] While the invention has been described with reference to a
preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be
substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope
of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to
adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.
Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the
particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for
carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include
all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended
claims.
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