Hinge-like device for caps or covers

Abstract

Device for automatically placing a cap or cover on the upper open end of a jar or container. The cap is retained at an opening angle relative to the horizontal by a leaf spring.

Description

The present invention relates to a hinge-like device, which makes it possible to set a cap, a cover or the like in a desired angle relative to the horizontal plane.

Many products are provided with a protective cover or cap of various kinds which must be opened to make the product accessible. Here it is desirable to provide the cover/cap with some form of hinge which at the same time forms a support for the cover/cap in one or several positions, so that said product is accessible with both hands. Usually the usual type of hinges is used together with some kind of supporting pin for the cover/cap, or alternatively specially manufactured friction hinges have been used. All of said constructions comprise several parts and are therefore often expensive.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge-like device comprising as small as possible a number of parts, but still can support the cover in a reliable way in a desired angle relative to the horizontal plane. Thus, according to the invention, a vertical segment is provided at the joint part of the cover, said segment having the shape of a quarter of a circle with the periphery directed forwards/downwards or downwards/backwards. The periphery surface is provided with one or several recesses which, one after the other being influenced by spring pressure, will keep the cover safely up at a certain opening angle relative to the horizontal plane. According to the invention the cover can further be easily completely removed without that the reliability of the adjustability of the cover is changed.

The advantages of the present invention will be more clearly revealed in the following description and by the enclosed drawing. The drawing shows a cover in an inclined position relative to the horizontal plane, where the segment is directed forwards/downwards. In order to make the drawing as clear as possible only part of the cover is shown, as the rest of the form of the cover is not part of the invention.

As is shown in the drawing the supporting device is constructed as a lever, and the force which neutralizes the weight of the cover and its striving to go back to the horizontal position from an opened position is provided by a circular rubber member 3 and a leaf spring 2 which together support the recesses of the segment. The primary point is the strength of the force and the direction of the force towards a point A in front of the rotation centre 4 of the cover.

The invention has the advantage that the construction can easily be adapted to different sizes and weights of cover. The diameter and the thickness respectively as well as the hardness of the rubber member can, like the radius of the segment, be varied. At very small forces required, the leaf spring alone may be a sufficient support for the cover. The friction member may also be replaced by a coil spring, its force being directed towards the point A.

The supporting device is located at the back part of the side of the cover, but may also be an extension of the cover. Especially at the production of covers of injection moulded plastic it is advantageous, considering both the costs and the design, to let the cover and the segment of the supporting device be made of one part. The supporting device comprises a segment with the shape of a quarter of a full circle and with a thickness which is determined by the required stiffness of the segment, and being provided with one or several recesses in the periphery. Furthermore, the supporting device comprises a spring, which is located on the box or the like that the cover is intended to be attached to. The spring force is directed along the line A-A1, and hereby a lever is provided between the rotation centre of the cover and the point A. When the cover is set in an inclined position, one of the recesses of the segment periphery will be supported by the spring in the point B. The spring force is so dimensioned that it will neutralize the striving of the cover to go back to the horizontal position. The inclination angle of the cover is determined by the direction of the spring force and the then used recess of the segment.

The recesses are in the described embodiment formed for a leaf spring, but can also have other shapes, for example the shape of a half circle in order to suit a spring loaded ball. The important thing is to use a segment and the lever principle thereby offered.

In certain cases it may be advantageous to use two supporting devices, for example when the radius of the segment must be limited due to small space.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. A hinge-like supporting device for a horizontally arranged cover or the like, which is intended to be opened upwards around its back end, characterized by the fact, that a vertically located segment (1) substantially having the shape of a quarter of a complete circle and being attached to and extending downwards or alternatively backwards from the cover at said back end in a plane which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cover, and where the peripheral surface of the segment is formed in steps with two or more recesses, which at the movement of the segment around the rotation centre (4) of the cover is in steps influenced by a spring force directed towards a point (A) in front of said rotation centre, so that the lever produced and the strength of the spring force will neutralize the weight of the cover at each step, whereby the cover will be retained at the opening angle relative to the horizontal plane corresponding to the position on the periphery of the segment of the recess (B) spring loaded at the respective moment.