Side-pivoted Self-contained Fastener-concealing Hinge Leaf

Abstract

A hinge leaf of synthetic plastic material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, is provided with fastener holes to secure the hinge leaf to the toilet seat or lid or other hinge member, and also has a recess adjacent these holes. Formed integral with the hinge leaf so that it cannot be lost or misplaced and is always at hand is a fastener hole cover which swings downward to conceal the fastener holes and has a tongue or lug which fits snugly into the recess as a detent to hold the cover in place. The cover is hinged along a side edge of the hinge leaf so as to swing thereover into detent engagement with the undercut opposite side edge.

Parent Case Text

This is a division of our co-pending application Ser. No. 7,757, filed Feb. 2, 1970, for Self-Contained Fastener-Concealing Hinge Leaf, now U. S. Pat. No. 3,665,552 issued May 30, 1972.

Description

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one form of the invention, with the cover in its closed position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the hinge leaf of FIG. 1 with the cover in its open position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line 3--3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view looking downwardly and rearwardly from above, of the hinge leaf shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 show a self-contained fastener-concealing hinge construction, generally designated 80, according to one form of the invention as consisting of a hinge leaf body 12 having a base portion 14 and an upwardly-inclined arm 16 at one end thereof containing a hinge pin bore 18 for receiving the hinge pin (not shown) with which the hinge leaf 80 is associated.

In the hinge leaf 80, the body 12 has straight parallel portions 82 and 84 along opposite side edges, the portion 84 having an undercut portion or rabbet 86 which serves as a detent portion (FIG. 3). The cover 88 is tapered at its opposite ends to conform to the contour or outline of the body portion 12 but has a straight intermediate inner edge portion or hinge portion 90 which is integrally-attached to the straight portion 82 at its junction with the flat-bottom surface 92. The cover 88 otherwise has an inclined inner side portion 94 joining the hinge portion 90 to the top wall 96, which at its opposite edge 98 has an inclined side portion or detent portion 100 terminating in a straight inwardly-projecting detent rib or bead 102. Accordingly, when the cover 88 is swung in a counterclockwise direction as shown by the arrow 104 in FIG. 4, the rib or bead 102 snaps into the undercut portion 86 while the top wall 96 covers the fastener holes 106 and the fasteners (not shown) therein.

The hinge leaf body 12 and the cover 88 integral therewith are formed of a suitable flexible synthetic plastic material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene plastic, so that the cover 88 can be swung freely upward and downward into fastener-hole revealing and fastener-hole concealing positions respectively. The flexing takes place around the flexible pivotal connection 90, as shown by the contrasting positions of FIGS. 1 and 4.

In the installation of the hinge leaf 80, the cover 88 is swung upward and outward so that it is inclined away from the base 14 sufficiently to uncover the fastener holes 106. The workman then lines up the hinge leaf 80 with the toilet seat, lid or other article to which the hinge leaf is to be attached, drills the necessary holes, if such drilling has not already been done, inserts the screws or other fasteners in the holes 106 and drives them in with a screw driver or power tool. When the fasteners are properly seated, the operator swings the cover 28 forward and downward so that the rib or bead 102 enters the recess 86 and frictionally engages the side walls thereof with a detent action. Thereafter, if such access is required, the operator pries up the cover 88 by inserting a knife blade or screw driver between it and the base 14, whereupon the screws or other fasteners are exposed for tightening, removal or other desired action.

Claims

We claim:

1. A self-Contained fastener-concealing hinge leaf, comprising

a hinge leaf body of flexible synthetic plastic material having an elongated base portion with elongated opposite sides having elongated straight and parallel opposite edge portions thereon with a pair of fastener holes therethrough, said hinge leaf body having at one end an enlarged portion integral with said base portion and containing a hinge-pin-receiving bore,

an elongated fastener cover having elongated straight and parallel opposite edge portions thereon and having on one of said edge portions an integral elongated cover hinge portion forming a pivotal connection with one of said parallel edge portions of said body and swing-able therearound into concealing relationship with said holes,

an elongated body detent portion on the side of said body opposite the side thereof having said cover hinge portion,

and an elongated cover detent portion also on the side of said cover opposite the side thereof having said cover hinge portion and movable with said cover into and out of yieldingly-detained engagement with said elongated body detent portion, wherein said body detent portion comprises a recess disposed beneath the edge of said base portion opposite said pivotal connection, and wherein said cover detent portion has a projection on the side edge thereof opposite said pivotal connection and adapted to be mated detainingly with said recess.