U.S. patent number 3,860,995 [Application Number 05/352,535] was granted by the patent office on 1975-01-21 for locking spring hinge.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Karl Lautenschlager KG Mobelbeschlagfabrik. Invention is credited to Gerhard Lautenschlager, Karl Lautenschlager, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,860,995 |
Lautenschlager, Jr. , et
al. |
January 21, 1975 |
LOCKING SPRING HINGE
Abstract
A resiliently biased locking element travels in free sliding
relation over an arcuate surface throughout the major extent of
oscillatory movement of a rocking lever associated with a linked
lever system of a door hinge especially useful for pieces of
furniture, whereby the door is freely movable between a fully open
position and a fully closed position, the resiliently biased
locking element engaging a detent surface leading from the arcuate
surface close to the fully closed position of the door, avoiding
terminal slamming of the door, but obtaining a satisfactory locked
door relationship. By having either the locking element or the
surfaces on which it runs formed of or treated with a
self-lubricating material such as a suitable plastic, wear-free
operation is effected.
Inventors: |
Lautenschlager, Jr.; Karl
(Reinheim, DT), Lautenschlager; Gerhard (Wersau,
DT) |
Assignee: |
Karl Lautenschlager KG
Mobelbeschlagfabrik (N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
25763126 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/352,535 |
Filed: |
April 19, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
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Apr 21, 1972 [DT] |
|
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2219616 |
Feb 15, 1973 [DT] |
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2307365 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
16/332 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05D
3/16 (20130101); E05D 11/1021 (20130101); Y10T
16/540257 (20150115); E05Y 2900/20 (20130101); E05D
2003/166 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E05D
11/00 (20060101); E05D 3/06 (20060101); E05D
11/10 (20060101); E05D 3/00 (20060101); E05d
011/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;16/139,140,145,146,184,180 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gilliam; Paul R.
Assistant Examiner: Troutman; Doris L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hill, Gross, Simpson, Van Santen,
Steadman, Chiara & Simpson
Claims
We claim as our invention:
1. A locking spring hinge having means for fixed mounting on a wall
adjacent an access opening in a piece of furniture, means for
mounting to a door adapted to close the opening, and articulating
lever arm structure pivotally connected to and between said means
and operable to support the door and control movement of the door
between open and closed positions relative to the opening,
comprising:
an oscillatable rocking lever pivotally connected at one end to a
lever arm of said lever arm structure and pivotally connected at an
opposite end to one of said means;
a locking element carried by and movable with said rocking
lever;
a locking element carried by said one means;
one of said locking elements being resiliently biased toward the
other of said locking elements;
said other locking element having a glide surface along which said
biased locking element rides and maintaining said one element
against bias thrust effect in a closed door direction throughout a
major extent of rocking oscillations of said rocking lever between
the open door and closed door positions;
said other locking element having a locking shoulder surface
leading from said glide surface and with which shoulder surface
said biased locking element engages in the closed door position of
said rocking lever for thereby maintaining the closed door position
by resilient thrust of the biased locking element against said
locking shoulder surface;
said other of said locking elements comprising a mounting ear rigid
with said one of said means;
said rocking lever having a slot within which said ear is
received;
pivot means connecting the rocking lever to said ear;
said ear having said glide and locking shoulder surfaces thereon in
cam profile; and
said resiliently biased locking element being carried by said
rocking lever within said slot.
2. A hinge according to claim 1, said rocking lever having a pivot
pin extending across said slot spaced from said fixed locking
element, and said resiliently biased locking element including a
generally U-shaped spring having its bight engaged over said pivot
pin, shoulder means on said lever and providing a thrust backing
for one leg of said spring, and another leg of said spring being
thereby maintained in tensioned bias toward said fixed locking
element.
3. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein said other locking element
comprises a metal core having fixedly thereon a plastic portion
providing said surfaces.
4. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein said other locking element
has a lobed cam profile providing said surfaces and including a
lobe extension of said glide surface in the direction of closing
movement of said resiliently biased element along the glide surface
effecting an increase of tension of the biased element as it
approaches a dead center position adjacent to said locking shoulder
surface, and movement of said resiliently biased element from dead
center to said locking surface being within a small incremental
remaining movement of said rocking lever into the closed door
position, whereby to avoid acceleration in the door closing
movement.
5. A locking spring hinge having first means for fixed mounting on
a wall adjacent an access opening in a piece of furniture, second
means for mounting to a door adapted to close the opening, and
articulating lever arm structure pivotally connected to and between
said means and operable to support the door and control movement of
the door between open and closed positions relative to the opening,
comprising:
an oscillatable rocking lever pivotally connected at one end to a
lever arm of said lever arm structure and pivotally connected at an
opposite end to said first means;
a locking element carried fixedly by said one means adjacent to
said rocking lever and having a glide surface and a locking
shoulder surface leading from said glide surface;
a resiliently biased locking element comprising a generally
U-shaped spring carried by and movable with said oscillatable
rocking lever and having one leg biased toward said glide and
locking surfaces; and
said rocking lever being made from plastic material and having a
low-friction detent shoe comprising a finger element integrally
connected flexibly with the rocking lever and interposed between
said spring leg and said surfaces and functioning in oscillating
movements of the rocking lever to ride along said surfaces,
maintaining the elements free from door closing bias effect of the
spring while the detent shoe rides said glide surface and effecting
a door closing engagement with said locking shoulder in the closed
door position of the elements.
6. A locking spring hinge having means for fixed mounting on a wall
adjacent an access opening in a piece of furniture, means for
mounting to a door adapted to close the opening, and articulating
lever arm structure pivotally connected to and between said means
and operable to support the door and control movement of the door
between open and closed positions relative to the opening,
comprising:
an oscillatable rocking lever pivotally connected at one end to a
lever arm of said lever arm structure and pivotally connected at an
opposite end to one of said means;
a locking element carried by and movable with said rocking
lever;
a locking element carried by said one means;
one of said locking elements being resiliently biased toward the
other of said locking elements;
said other locking element having a glide surface along which said
biased locking element rides and maintaining said one element
against bias thrust effect in a closed door direction throughout a
major extent of rocking oscillations of said rocking lever between
the open door and closed door positions;
said other locking element having a locking shoulder surface
leading from said glide surface and with which shoulder surface
said biased locking element engages in the closed door position of
said rocking lever for thereby maintaining the closed door position
by resilient thrust of the biased locking element against said
locking shoulder surface;
a lever arm pivotally attached at one end to said rocking lever and
having an opposite end comprising a pair of spaced co-extensive
parallel side portions;
the remaining of said mounting means comprising a member having
parallel slots therein within which said parallel side portions are
pivotally engaged; and
a pivot pin securing said parallel side portions pivotally to said
mounting member and in said slots.
7. A knuckle joint hinge assembly including a first member adapted
to be mounted on a wall adjacent to an opening adapted to be closed
by a door and a second member adapted to be mounted on the door,
comprising:
a hinge arm connected to the second member;
a rocking lever for at least controllably connecting the rocking
lever with said one member, including means pivotally connecting
the rocking lever to said one member and a hinge pin connecting the
rocking lever to said hinge arm;
a U-shaped locking spring having a closed end engaged about said
hinge pin with one leg of the spring bearing against a fixed
abutment on said rocking lever;
a guide surface fixedly on said one member and toward which a
second arm of the spring thrusts with spring bias;
said guide surface having a portion thereof which is arcuate
substantially concentric with an arc of movement of said hinge pin
in movements of the hinge arm and rocking lever during opening and
closing movements of the door such that bias of said second spring
leg toward the arcuate surface avoids influencing the door in
closing direction; and
said guide surface having an end portion of substantially decreased
radius and leading to a locking surface such that the second spring
leg can act with an easy transition from the open door bias toward
said arcuate portion of the surface to the locking portion of the
surface wherein bias of the second leg maintains the closed door
position releasably.
8. A knuckle joint hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein
said surface comprises a low friction plastic material.
9. A knuckle joint hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein
said surface comprises a lobed cam profile including a lobe
extension of said arcuate surface portion in the direction of
closing movement of the second spring leg along the surface and
effecting an increase of tension of the second leg as it approaches
a dead center position adjacent to said locking portion of the
surface, and movement of said second leg from the dead center
position to the locking portion of the surface being within a small
incremental remaining movement of the rocking lever into its closed
door position, whereby to avoid acceleration in the door closing
movement.
10. A knuckle joint hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein
said surface is provided on a mounting ear rigid with said first
member, said rocking lever having a slot within which said ear is
received, pivot means connecting the rocking lever to said ear, and
said spring being located within said slot.
11. A knuckel joint hinge assembly according to claim 10, including
a low-friction detent shoe comprising a finger element flexibly
connected to the rocking lever within said slot and interposed
between said second spring leg and said surface.
12. A knuckle joint hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein
said second spring leg engages directly with said surface.
13. A knuckle joint hinge assembly according to claim 7, including
complementary interlocked interlock means on said first spring leg
and on said rocking lever.
14. A knuckle joint hinge assembly according to claim 7, wherein
said hinge arm has one end thereof pivotally connected to said
rocking lever by said hinge pin and has in the opposite end thereof
a pair of spaced coextensive parallel side portions, said second
mounting member having parallel slots therein within which said
parallel side portions are pivotally engaged, and a pivot pin
traversing said slots and extending through said side portions.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to locking spring hinges, and in particular
to hinges of this type especially useful in furniture such as
cabinets and the like.
There has been considerable development in hinges for furniture
doors provided with means for automatically locking and retaining a
fully closed position of the door until the door is deliberately
opened manually. Hinges of this type are provided with parts that
are respectively attached to the door and to a stationary part of
the associated piece of furniture, with a suitable connecting lever
system, with a locking spring and detent arrangement such that when
the door is at approximately half-open position, the locking spring
causes the door to be urged into its complete closing position and
then to maintain it closed. In most cases the dead center is close
to the open position. Therefore, shortly after start of closing a
completely opened door, the spring will begin exerting a closing
force so that if the door is released from restraint, the spring
acts in a manner to accelerate movement of the door to closing
position in spite of decreasing spring tension. This results in
often undesirable slamming of the door, and can have a dangerous
smashing effect on a person's hand or finger.
It is, accordingly, an important object of the present invention to
overcome the foregoing and other disadvantages, deficiencies,
inefficiencies, shortcomings and problems in prior self-locking
hinges of the character indicated, and to attain important
improvements and advantages and new and improved results in a novel
locking spring hinge as will hereinafter become apparent.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved
locking spring hinge in which the locking effect is attained
efficiently and with adequate resilient bias force, but without
effecting a closing force on the door until the door is almost
fully closed.
A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved
locking spring hinge which has an excellent door locking function,
but is free from undesirable door closing acceleration.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and
improved door hinge especially suitable for furniture doors and
which has a new and improved self-locking device free from
undesirable terminal closing acceleration effects.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
readily apparent from the following description of certain
preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be
effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel
concepts embodied in the disclosure, and in which:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional plan view of a hinge construction embodying
features of the invention, showing the relationship of parts in a
partially open position of a door with which associated;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, generally schematic
illustrative section plan view demonstrating the relationship of
the resiliently biased locking element and the fixed locking and
control element of the hinge assembly in fully door open and fully
door closed relationships;
FIG. 3 is an outer end elevational view of the door-mounted
hinge-anchoring socket member of the hinge assembly;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a slight
modification;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing another
modification; and
FIG. 6 is a similar view showing a further modification.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
By way of illustration, a typical knuckle hinge joint embodying
features of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 wherein a supporting
wall 1 alongside an opening in, for example, a piece of furniture
such as a cabinet, has associated therewith a door 2 for closing
the opening. Supporting and connecting the door 2 for opening and
closing movements relative to the wall 1, is a knuckle joint hinge
assembly comprising a linked lever system including hinge arms and
rocking levers connected to and between a wall supported stop
bracket comprising an anchoring member 3 suitably attached by means
of a mounting plate 4 to the wall 1. Mounted in the customary
manner recessed within the inner face of the door 2 adjacent to its
edge nearest the supporting wall 1 is a hinge socket 5 which may be
made as an injection molded plastic part. Connected to and between
the stop bracket member 3 and the stop socket 5 is a linked lever
system including a hinge arm 6 and a hinge arm 7 connected together
in relatively pivotal relation by a pivot pin 8. In this instance
the hinge arm 7 comprises twin coextensive spaced arm portions 7a
connected by an integral web 7b, with the arm 6 extending from its
pivotal connection 8 in generally crosswise direction relative to
the arm 7 and having one end pivotally attached by means such as a
hinge pin 9 to an end portion of the bracket member 3 located
adjacent to the door 2 and in the fully closed position of the door
received in the door mounted stop member 5 which is of generally
dished shape, as shown, for this purpose. Pivotal connection of the
arm 7 to the member 5 is by means of a hinge pin 10. Connection of
an opposite end of the arm 6 with the member 5 is through the
medium of a rocking lever 11, and connection of an opposite end of
the arm 7 with the bracket member 3 is through the medium of a
rocking lever 12. Pivotal connection of the lever 11 with the
member 5 is by means of a hinge pin 13 while a hinge pin 15
connects the lever 11 with the arm 6. Connection of the rocking
lever 12 with the member 3 is by means of a hinge pin 14 and
connection of the rocking lever 12 with the arm 7 is effected by
means of a hinge pin 16. Through this arrangement, the door 2 is
guided by the linked lever system between a fully open and a fully
closed position, the position of the door 2 in FIG. 1 being at
about a 45.degree. open position.
According to the present invention, new and improved self-locking
means are provided in the hinge structure which will function
efficiently to hold the door against unintentional opening, which
will release with moderate manual door-opening force, which will
permit the door to be swung easily and without restraint between
fully open and almost fully closed positions, unless additional
locking or semi-locking positions are desired at intervals in the
opening of the door, and which will act with only minimal terminal
closing effect upon the door after the door reaches nearly the
fully closed position so that accelerated closing or slamming of
the door are avoided. To this end, the hinge assembly is provided
with a resiliently biased locking element and a control locking cam
element cooperatively related thereto. Although it will be apparent
that these cooperating locking elements may take various forms and
may be located in their cooperative relation at various places in
the assembly, and in association with the linked lever system and
either the door 2 or the wall 1, a preferred arrangement comprises
mounting the locking elements in association with the rocking lever
12 and the bracket member 3, substantially as shown in FIGS. 1 and
2. For this purpose, one of the rocking levers 11 or 12, and in the
illustrated instance the rocking lever 12 carries as a resiliently
biased locking element an integral finger portion 17 swingably
located in a slot 18 provided within the body of the lever 12 in a
plane normal to the axes of the pivots 14 and 16 and with the
finger 17 attached as by means of an integral connection 19 to the
body of the lever 12 which for this purpose may be formed from
suitable plastic material as by an injection molding process, or
any other preferred process wherein the body of the lever 12 and
the finger 17 comprise a one piece structure. At its free end, the
swingably supported locking element finger 17 cooperates with a
fixed locking and control element 20 carried by the adjacent end
portion of the mounting bracket member 3 and desirably comprising
an integral ear-like projection thereon of a width to be received
freely in the slot 18 and serving as support for the pin 14 on
which the adjacent end portions bifurcated by the slot 18 of the
lever 12 are mounted. In a desirable construction, the bracket
member 3 with the ear-like element 20 may be a metal piece which
can be readily mass produced as a die casting.
A cooperative relationship between the locking element 17 and the
locking element 20 attaining the desirable objects of the present
invention results from riding of a detent tip formation 21 on the
free end of the element on a cam edge surface 22 on the element 20.
For this purpose, a cam surface 22 is of a segmental arcuate shape
and throughout the major extent of its length concentric with the
axis of the pin 14 and thereby concentric with the arc of movement
of the pivot pin 16, except for a short distance at its end remote
from the door 2 and facing generally away from the lever system and
which provides a locking shoulder 23 desirably formed on a rapidly
diminishing radius relative to the axis 14. Through this
arrangement, when the lever 12 is in the position assumed in the
fully closed position of the door 2, the locking element detent 21
will lockingly engage the locking shoulder 23 and resist opening of
the door to the extent of resilient bias of the locking element 17.
The locking cooperation of the detent 21 and the shoulder 23 is
enhanced by complementary shape of the opposed locking surfaces
whereby the locking surface of the detent 21 engages substantially
throughout the length of the shoulder 23 which may be formed on a
radius of curvature substantially the same as the radius of
curvature of the major extent of the cam edge 22 and joining the
same on a curved transition surface area 24 at a lobe projection of
the element 20 and over which the detent 23 travels in movement as
the rocking lever 12 moves to and between the door closed position
thereof as shown in FIG. 2 and the door open position thereof as
shown in dot-dash outline in FIG. 2. Because the smoothly rounded
shape of the cam edge surfaces 22, 23 and 24 and the complementary
contacting locking edge of the detent 21 of substantial length, an
exceedingly smooth riding of the detent on the cam surfaces assures
ease and smoothness of operation. Furthermore, as the detent
surface rides over the transition surface 24 of the cam, bias of
the element 17 toward the cam will have minimal door closing effect
so that not until the rocking lever 12 has reached very close to
the fully door closed position will the detent 21 attain its
locking effect and draw the door completely closed and hold the
door in such closed position. Likewise, in opening the door after
only a short opening swinging of the rock lever 12 with the opening
door, the detent 21 leaves the shoulder 23 due to the substantial
differential in center of radius between the shoulder surface 23
and the main surface 22 of the cam edge and the detent 21 rides
smoothly on the transition surface 24 toward the main extent of the
surface 22 smoothly for easy continuing opening of the door.
Although the locking or detent finger element 17 may through its
integral attachment 19 with the body of the lever 12 be possessed
of adequate resilient bias toward the locking element, in the
interests of compactness and ease and uniformity of operation, the
connection 19 may, as shown, be relatively flexible and mechanical
biasing means in the form of a spring 25 supplied to provide a
desired resilient bias for the element 17. While the spring 25 may
take any desired form such as coiled compression, hairpin wire
torsion, and the like, a preferred, economical, simple and
efficient form comprises a generally U-shaped leaf spring structure
the bight of which is engaged on the pivot pin 16 within the slot
18. A biasing leg 26 of the spring bears against the inner side of
the finger 17 to thrust it outwardly toward the element 20, while a
backup leg 27 of the spring engages an abutment 28 provided on the
lever 12, maintaining the spring under tension for thrusting of the
leg 26 toward the element 17. To prevent the spring 25 from
accidentally displacing out of the slot 18 and away from its bight
engagement with the pin 16, interlock means are provided on the
spring leg 27 comprising a return bent or hooked interlock shoulder
terminal 29 engaging interlockingly with an oppositely facing
interlock shoulder 30 at the adjacent end of the thrust shoulder
formation 28. Through this arrangement, the spring 25 moves with
the rocking lever 12 and the locking shoe element 17 and maintains
a constant resilient bias on the locking element 17 toward the
locking element 20. Assembly of the spring 25 into the hollow slot
space 18 within the rocking lever 12 is easily effected by
inserting the legs 26 and 27 into the outer open end of the hollow
slot space 18 and pushing the spring inwardly until its bight
engages the pin 16 and the interlocking shoulder terminal 29 snaps
behind the innerlock shoulder 30. In the assembled relationship
with the finger locking element 17, ample space is provided between
the spring legs 26 and 27 for full range of resilient flexing
movements of the leg 26 with the locking detent finger element 17
between the relatively expanded locking relationship in the closed
door position of the rock lever 12 as shown in full in FIG. 2 and
the relatively compressed relationship of the spring in the open
position of the lever 12 shown in dot-dash position in FIG. 2.
For some purposes, it may be desirable to have, in addition to the
door closed locking position at least one intermediate door locking
position and alternatively, or in addition, a fully door open
locking position and in which additional locking positions an
equally firm retention of the door as in the closed door position
may be provided for, although the additional locking position or
positions may be of lesser locking or door arresting retention
magnitude. As shown in FIG. 4, wherein all features of the device
are the same as in FIG. 2 except for the additional locking
positions, the detent 21' of the locking shoe element 17' may be
accentuated as a small radius projection. Not only is the detent
projection 21' engageable in locking relation with the shoulder 23,
but also in any one or more desired locking positions along the
otherwise free riding or gliding control cam profile edge surface
22. For example, an intermediate door open position may be
determined by a detent receiving interlock shoulder recess 31 in
the surface 22. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, an open door
interlock recess 32 may be provided in the surface 22 receptive of
the detent 23 in the fully open position of the door.
As previously stated, the door mounting member 5 of the hinge
assembly may be in the form a cast or injection molded plastic
member of generally dish shape. For a better understanding of this
part, attention is directed to FIG. 3 showing a plan view looking
into the member which is provided at opposite sides with means such
as screw hole bores 33 to facilitate securing the member as set
into the door with which associated. In order to withstand the
unlocking and other operating forces to which the hinge assembly is
subjected in use, and for efficient and reliable supporting of the
associated members of the hinge lever system and to preclude
looseness or shifting in the direction of the axis of rotation,
special attachment provisions are made for the knuckle joint arm 7.
For this purpose, the member 5 is provided with sturdy land body
portions at the opposite sides through which the respective pivot
pins 10 and 13 are engaged, and respective slot recesses 34 are
provided for sliding guiding reception of the terminal portions of
the arm side plate parts 7a. Thus, by supporting these two terminal
portions of the arm 7 from both sides thorough resistance is
provided for against the weight of the door causing a shifting
relative to the arm 7. Furthermore, continuations of the two slot
recesses 34 comprising elongated grooves 35 receive shoulder
portions 36 of the arm parts 7a. By having the shoulder portions 36
slightly extended as shown in FIG. 1 and engaging closely within
the shallow slots 35 in the closed position of the door, increased
mechanical stability is attained.
Although the arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 4 provides effective
results with the provision of the fixed locking element of metal
and the resiliently biased locking element of plastic and thus
provided with a plastic detent sliding shoe in engagement with the
control surface of the fixed element, for situations where an even
more wear-resistant relationship and to extend the life expectancy
attainable where one of the elements has a plastic rubbing or shoe
surface, the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 may be
employed. In these forms of the invention, the fixed locking and
control element 20' comprises a metal core 37 which may be
similarly as in the case of the previously described element 20
formed integrally with the mounting bracket member 3' and serve as
pivot anchorage through the pivot pin 14' for the rocking lever 12'
which carries the pivot pin 16' by which the lever is operatively
connected with the hinge lever system. To provide a lobed control
cam surface a plastic cover 38 is permanently mounted on the core
37. If preferred for proper conditions, the entire element 20' may
be made from plastic either integral with the bracket member 3' or
secured thereto. Through this arrangement, a continuous plastic
control and locking surface structure is provided including a
semicircular segmental free riding surface length 22' (FIG. 5) a
locking surface 23' and a transition arcuate surface 24' between
the surface portions 22' and 23'. Thereby a long plastic path is
provided for engagement by the resiliently biased locking element
which in this instance comprises the spring 25' directly having on
its tensioned leg 26' a locking interlock shoe 39 functioning to
engage in locking relation with the locking shoulder surface 23' in
the closed door position of the lever 12' and gliding with limited
contact over the surfaces 22' and 24' in the opening and closing
movements of the door whereby wear per unit area is diminished to a
minimal fraction. In this instance, of course, the hollow space
provided by the slot 18' within the lever 12' is fully open toward
the fixed element 20' for thrusting of the spring leg 26'
thereagainst as maintained under tension by backing of the leg 27'
of this U-shaped spring 25' against the shoulder surface 28' within
the lever. Interlocking of the spring leg 27' against displacement
of the spring 25' from the hollow lever 12', in cooperation with
the pivot pin 16' about which the bight of the spring is engaged,
is provided for by an interlock lug 40 projecting inwardly from the
thrust shoulder surface 27' into an interlock aperture 41 formed in
the leg 27'. In this construction, similarly as in the previously
described construction, the spring 25' is adapted to be assembled
by thrusting its legs into the hollow 18' within the lever 12'
until the spring bight engages about the pivot pin 16' and the
interlock aperture 41 receives the interlock lug 40 and at which
time the turned detent shoe 39 of the spring leg 26' will engage
tensionably with the fixed locking member 20'.
Another feature which may be noted in the form of FIG. 5 resides in
that the dead center position between the resiliently biased and
fixed locking elements, as represented by the transition surface
24' between the free riding surface 22' and the locking surface 23'
is extended in the door closing direction as compared, for example,
with the position of the intermediate or dead center surface 24 in
FIG. 2. Thereby, on closing of the door, a slightly greater closing
push force must be exerted in order to overcome the slightly
increased tensioning of the locking spring to move it beyond dead
center to the closing position. In addition, of course, the closing
effect is improved in the last short interval of movement to the
fully closed position, and the resiliently biased locking element
attains a particularly advantageous locking tension with the
locking surface 23'.
If it is desired to shorten the interval at closing of the door
during which the resiliently biased locking element assumes locking
control, the dead center position may be correspondingly lengthened
in the direction of the door closing movement, as represented in
FIG. 6. Therein all parts of the disclosure are the same as in FIG.
5, except that the plastic cam surface part 38' has an extended
lobe 42 which thereby effects an extension in length of the free
glide surface 22" whereby the spring leg 26' is placed under
substantial increased tension as it approaches the transition
surface 24" and the locking engagement of the spring leg 26' occurs
in the final very close to door closed position with the locking
engagement of the leg with the locking surface 23" occurring close
to the surface 24" in an extremely small interval of travel.
However, by reason of the substantially increased tensioning of the
locking spring, immediately upon leaving the dead center position
to the locking position, an extremely reliable tension locking
relationship is attained, the locking tension being greater than in
either of the forms of FIG. 2 or 5. Because the locking engagement
of the spring with the fixed locking element is so close to the
arcuate transition surface 24", a smooth opening of the door can be
readily effected when desired. Moreover, due to the substantial
tension of the locking spring element leg 26' thrusting against the
beginning reach of the glide surface 22' after leaving the
transition surface 24", a desirable door opening bias is provided
to facilitate opening of the associated door, with the tension
diminishing as the rocking lever 12' advances toward the fully open
door position.
It will thus be apparent that the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6
provide for a wide selective range of locking spring action to meet
numerous and varied requirements. Such variations can be attained
in a particularly simple and inexpensive manner in that it is not
necessary to produce a special hinge construction for each
requirement, but the desired result can be attained by varying the
cam surface profile of the plastic control portion 38, 38' of the
fixed locking element 20'. Thereby the core part 37 and other parts
of the hinge assembly can be standardized in construction, and any
selected form of the plastic portion, of which a range of sizes may
be stocked in inventory, can be applied to the standard core.
Product costs and inventory problems are thus reduced while
enabling inexpensive attainment of a large range of cam surface
profiles to meet numerous requirements speedily.
Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those
versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody
within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such
embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our
contribution to the art.
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