US2509462A - Spring hinge - Google Patents

Description

R. VOGEL May 3% 950 SPRING HINGE Filed mg. 415,

m INVENTOR. .Hynmlf Vm BEL a/'TM/ ATTUFNEY Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PA'iENT FFICE.`

S'RlNG HINGE Rudolf Vogel, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application August l5, 1946, Serial` No. 690,678

(Cl. 22d- 35) 3 Claims. l

The present invention relates to a, spring hinge, and has for an object to provide a device of this charactei` formed from a single length of wire, and which includes a helical coil portion and a pair of attaching bail portions extending therefrom and which are adapted to have hinged movement with respect to each other about the axis` of the coil through winding action applied to the coil. It is further proposed to provide a spring hinge in which the bail` portions are respectively extended. from the two ends of the coil and have their terminal ends respectively inserted within the. opposite ends oi; the coil, to the end that the bail portions are iirmly supported against distortion and their Germinal ends constitute axial pivot pins within the coil.

Another object is to provide a spring hinge having` attaching bail portions adapted` to be attaolfled` to the receptacle and cover parts of the container simply by inserting the bait portions in pocket formations provided in the receptacle and cover parts oi the container, thus providing a` spring hinge which may be quickly assembled without the necessity of employing extraneous attaching` means, Hence, the spring hinge of the invention is advantageously adapted for use in a` container formed of` moulded plastic material, in which pocket formations` for receiving the bails of the spring hinge may be formed during the moulding of theplastic parts.

Another object is toprovide a spring hinge in which the hingeaxis is adapted to have limited lateral movement with respect to the receptacle part of a container during opening and closing of the cover part, and` whereby a component of lateral force is exerted by the spring hinge upon the cover,` part to retain it in closed position.

With the above and` other objects in` View., `an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:`

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of aspringhinge, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Eig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken alongthe line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3` is a side elevation of a container in which isl incorporated the spring` hinge of the invention, the container being shown in` closed position.

Fig. 4. is arearward endyiew thereof.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View, partially broken away, showing the cover in its open position.

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the container in the open position as shown in Fig. 5t.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional viewl partially broken away, showing the cover in partially closed4 position.

Fig.` 8 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partially broken away, showing the` cover in fully closed position.

Similar reference characters indicate correspending parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the spring hinge, according to the illustrated` exemplary embodiment ot the invention, isformed from a single length of wire bent to; shape, and comprises an intermediate helical coil portion l-G, at one end of which, the wire is extended to forma substantially rectangular shaped bail` portion` `l I', one leg of which extends from said one end of the coil While the other legis bent at its. terminal end portion l2 ata substantial right angle and is inserted, within` the passage through the coil at the opposite end. The other `attaching bail i3 is similarly formed from an extensioniof the wire from the opposite end'` of` the coil, its terminalend I4 being bent at a substantial right angle and inserted in the endof the coilopposed to the end` in which the terminal` end |2- is inserted.

The transverse end portions of the hails are outwardly crimpeohasA at l5 and, i5, for the purpose of frictionally retaining the attaching balls in suitable pocket formations in the receptacle and covei` parts` of thecontainer or other hinged structure, as will presently more fully appear. The bail il` is preierablyoutwardly oiiset. from the coil by means of bends iTi-tl-inits two side legs in relatively close proximity tothe coil, for the purpose of enabling the coil portion to have a slight lateral swinging movement withirespect to the bail portion, as will presently more fully appear. The spring is` illustrated as formed and tempered so that thebails, are atsubstantial right angles to each other inthe normal or untensioned state. Itwillbe understood, however, that the bails may be in anyothersuitableirelation to each other in their normal` or untensioned state, depending upon the,` particular design of the hinged` structurein which the spring hinge" is to be used. t

In Figs. 3 to 8 thespring; hinge of the invention is shown incorporated in` a` container formed .of

plastic material, and which is substantially similar to the container disclosed and claimed in my co-pending patent application for Container for a cigarette package or the like, Serial No. 634,270, led December 11, 1945, now Patent No. 2,483,304. This container comprises a receptacle part, indicated generally as l, and a cover part, indicated generally as i9, and which, because of the resilient characteristics of the plastic material from which the parts are constructed, have a limited degree of resilient yieldability.

The receptacle part I8 of the container has provided at its upper end portion a relatively thin lip iiange 20 extending entirely around its four sides, a stop shoulder 2i being provided at the lower edge of the flange 2&3 at the outer side of the receptacle part. The rearward wall of the receptacle part is relatively thicker than the side and front walls, and is provided with a recess 22 extending downwardly from the shoulder 2l and having its end walls inwardly spaced from each of the side walls of the receptacle part. The base wall of' the recess is horizontally disposed, its end walls are vertically disposed and its inner wall is substantially flush with the outer surface of the flange 25. In the base wall of the recess 22 there is provided a vertically disposed pocket 23 extending downwardly in the rearward wall of the receptacle, and adapted to receive the attaching bail portion l l of the spring hinge, the transverse crimped portion l of the bail portion being sprung as it is engaged with the pocket so that it frictionally retains the bail portion in the pocket. The bends l'l-il of the bail portion ll are substantially in line with the base wall of the recess 22, and in the open position of the cover part, as shown in Fig. 5, extend outwardly in the recess.

The cover part I9 is provided within its lower end with an internal recess 24 extending about its four sides, and in which the flange 2B of the receptacle part is adapted to fit in the closed position of the cover, the lower edge of the cover part in the closed position seating upon the shoulder 2l, and the shoulder of the recess 26 seating upon the upper flange 25. In closed position the inner and outer surfaces of the cover part are substantially iiush along its four sides with the inner and outer surfaces of the receptacle part. As in the case of the receptacle part, the rearward wall of the cover part is substantially thicker than the side and front walls, and is provided in its lower surface with a pocket 25 extending vertically upwardly in said rear wall. This pocket 25 is substantially identical to the pocket 23 of the receptacle part and is adapted to have the bail portion I 3 of the spring hinge inserted and retained therein, the crimped transverse portion l5 being sprung to provide frictional retaining pressure.

In the assembled relation of the spring hinge the helical coil il! is disposed in the recess 22, and through the bends lI-ll is adapted to have slight lateral movement within the recess 22. The rearward wall of the cover part is of such thickness that in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 8, there is a, clearance space 25 between the inner side of the wall and the rearward side of the flange 20, and which permits of limited lateral movement of the cover part with respect to the receptacle part. This lateral movement is utilized for causing a, retaining projection 2l formed on the forward wall of the flange 21'! to engage within a, retaining recess 23 in the forward wall of the cover part, this lateral movement being permitted by the floating axis of the spring hinge which is facilitated by the bends l'i-ll of the bail portion II.

In the open position, as shown in Fig. 5, the pre-set form of the spring is such that the cover stands substantially vertically and entirely clear of the interior of the receptacle part. In closing the cover it is first swung to a position as seen in Fig. 7, this swinging movement taking place through winding of the coil l@ of the hinge about a relatively fixed axis. The forward end of the cover part contacts the upper surface of the forward end of the flange 2i?, which is preferably made somewhat lower than the rearward end by forming the upper edge of the forward portion of 'the flange at a downward incline, as at 29. Also this forward end is slightly rounded as at 3U, to provide a camming surface over which the forward edge of the cover may move. At this point in the closing movement the cover part is rearwardly oixset, so that there is substantial lateral clearance between the rearward wall of the cover part and the rearward wall of the flange 2li. The cover part is thereupon forced into its fully closed position by moving it laterally over the rounded surface E@ and at the same time swinging it downwardly against the stop shoulder 2l, the lateral movement being suihcient to enable the retaining projection 2l and recess 28 to interengage. In this closed position the coil of the spring hinge is sprung forwardly about the bending points l'l-i'l, creating sufficient tension within the legs of the bail portion to exert a rearward lateral force upon the cover to retain it closed.

In order to open the container, it is simply necessary to apply slight pressure to one of the corners of the receptacle part, which is so constructed that slight pressure will sufficiently distort its basic shape to cause the frictional pressure between the receptacle and cover parts set up by the lateral force of the spring hinge to be momentarily released, and also to cause the projection 2l to disengage from the recess 28 sufficiently to allow the opening force of the spring hinge to become effective. Thereupon the spring hinge swings the cover to open position, the cover moving laterally as it is initially swung from' the closed position to the position shown in Fig. 7, and thereupon swinging about a substantially fixed axis to the open position shown in Fig. 5.

While the spring hinge of the invention is illustrated in connection with a particular type of container, it will be obvious that it can be incorporated in any suit-able type of hinged structure, and it will also be evident that the attaching bail portions of the spring hinge may be connected to the respective parts of the hinged structure by other suitable means than the pocket formations illustrated, for instance, the bail portions may be secured by staples, by adhesive strips, and by other obvious means.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A spring hinge formed from a single length of spring wire comprising an intermediate helical coil portion having an axial passage therethrough, a transversely extending bail portion for attaching to one part of a hinged structure having one side leg extending from one end of said coil portion and its other side leg engaging at its terminal end within the other end of said coil portion, and a second transversely extending bail portion for attaching to another part of said hinged structure having one side leg extending from said other end of said coil portion and its other side leg engaging at its terminal end within said rst mentioned end of said coil portion, each of the side legs of at least one of said bail portions having bends in relatively close proximity to said coil portion whereby the plane of the part of said bail portion outwardly of said bends is outwardly offset from said coil portion and the portions of the side legs inwardly of said bends are adapted to flex when said bail portion is anchored outwardly of said bends.

2. A spring hinge formed from a single length of spring wire comprising an intermediate helical coil portion having an axial passage therethrough, a transversely extending bail portion for attaching to one part of a hinged structure having one side leg extending from one end of said coil portion and its other side leg engaging at its terminal end within the other end of said coil portion, and a second transversely extending bail portion for attaching to another part of said hinged structure having one side leg extending from said other end of said coil portion and its other side leg engaging at its terminal end within said rst mentioned end of said coil portion, said bail portions each having a crimp respectively provided therein and projecting outwardly of the plane of the side legs.

3. The combination in a hinged structure of a pair of members having substantially opposed pocket formations, and a spring hinge formed from a single length of spring wire comprising an intermediate helical coil portion having an axial passage therethrough, a transversely extending bail portion engaged in one of said pocket formations having one side leg extending from one end of said coil portion and its other side leg engaging at its terminal end within the other end of said coil portion, and a second transversely extending bail portion engaged in said other pocket formation having one side leg extending from said other end of said coil portion and its other side leg engaging at its terminal end within said first mentioned end of said coil portion, said bail portions each having a crimp respectively provided therein and projecting outwardly of the plane of the side legs and adapted to frictionally engage a wall of the pocket formation engaged thereby under spring pressure.

RUDOLF VOGEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 371,308 Dumas Oct. 11, 1887 741,626 Chesney Oct. 20, 1903

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