Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »
Advanced Patent Search | Web History | Sign in

Patents

A door is mounted to hinge about a horizontal axis between a closed position and an open position. A torsion bar is mounted in pretensioned manner to bias the door from the closed position to the open position and to hold the door in the open position in a tensioned manner. The vehicle body is made of molded reinforced plastic while the hinges and mounting plates are metal.

InventorJohn Z. DeLorean
Original AssigneeDelorean Research Limited Partnership
Current U.S. Classification49/379; 16/308; 49/386; 267/154; 296/146.11
International Classification: E05F 100

View patent at USPTO
Search USPTO Assignment Database

Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US2197950Aug 17, 1939Apr 23, 1940SCHWENK
US2567287Feb 14, 1946Sep 11, 1951INGRAM
US2876037Jan 17, 1955Mar 3, 1959VEHICLE BODY SHELL
US2903296Apr 4, 1955Sep 8, 1959BARENYI
US3067453Nov 20, 1959Dec 11, 1962TORSIONALLY BALANCED HATCHWAY DOOR CONSTRUCTIONS
US3490756Jan 4, 1966Jan 20, 1970TORSION BAR ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME
US3511530Apr 10, 1967May 12, 1970SWINGABLE PIVOTAL LATERAL DOORS
US4017117Oct 8, 1975Apr 12, 1977The Budd CompanyRoof hinged door in an automobile
US4092180May 3, 1977May 30, 1978Grumman Aerospace CorporationManufacture of torsion bars

Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US4485945Mar 4, 1983Dec 4, 1984Tafco Equipment CompanyVehicle spare tire carrier
US4555867Mar 13, 1984Dec 3, 1985Security window cover
US4637167Feb 11, 1985Jan 20, 1987Termofrost Sweden ABDoor
US4663885Dec 2, 1985May 12, 1987Security window cover
US5013082Jul 26, 1990May 7, 1991General Motors CorporationDoor opening system
US5664289Oct 16, 1996Sep 9, 1997M & C CorporationHinge strap assembly with convoluted torque rod
US5758389May 6, 1994Jun 2, 1998M & C CorporationTorsion rod assisted hinges
US5988724Aug 15, 1997Nov 23, 1999Tailgate hinge mechanism
US6071064Oct 2, 1997Jun 6, 2000Wheel chair transport vehicle
US6174124Sep 1, 1998Jan 16, 2001Crown Equipment CorporationLoad trays for personnel carrying vehicles
US6619723Sep 27, 2002Sep 16, 2003M & C CorporationBed panel with torsion pin hinge
US6648398Jan 9, 2001Nov 18, 2003M&C CorporationBed panel with torsion pin hinge
US6796592Mar 12, 2003Sep 28, 2004M & C CorporationTailgate counterbalancing hinge
US7156441Jan 10, 2005Jan 2, 2007M & C CorporationTailgate counterbalancing hinge
US7156450May 20, 2005Jan 2, 2007M & C CorporationIntegrated torsion bar liftgate
US7159928Jan 7, 2005Jan 9, 2007Ford Global Technologies, LLCVehicle door insert
US7195300Mar 10, 2005Mar 27, 2007M&C CorporationTailgate counterbalancing hinge
US7243977Nov 1, 2006Jul 17, 2007M & C CorporationIntegrated torsion bar liftgate
US7258395Jan 23, 2004Aug 21, 2007Club Car, Inc.Composite body for a golf car and utility vehicle
US7281746Sep 1, 2005Oct 16, 2007M&C CorporationRetrofit tailgate counterbalancing hinge
US7281747May 31, 2006Oct 16, 2007M&C CorporationTailgate counterbalancing hinge

Claims

1. In combination:

a vehicle body;
a door;
a pair of hinges disposed on a common hinge axis, for mounting said door on said vehicle body for movement between a closed position and an open position, each hinge having a mounting plate, a hinge plate and a pin mounted on said axis and in said mounting plate with said hinge plate pivoted thereon;
means securing said mounting plate to said vehicle body;
at least one bolt securing each respective hinge plate to said door frame, said bolt having a projecting head for abutting said vehicle in a recessed manner in a closed position of said door; and
a torsion bar having one end secured to said door and another end secured to said vehicle body biasing said door toward said open position.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge plate of one of said hinges includes a socket receiving one end of said torsion bar in non-rotatable manner whereby upon movement of said door towards said closed position said torsion bar is twisted.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said torsion bar is coaxial with said hinge axis at said one end and offset from said axis at an opposite end.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said torsion bar is fixedly secured at an end opposite said one end.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said torsion bar is a cryogenic torsion bar.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body is made of glass fiber reinforced plastic.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hinge axis is horizontal.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said torsion bar is pre-tensioned to hold said door in said open position.