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. |
Citations|
| US2197950 | Aug 17, 1939 | Apr 23, 1940 | | SCHWENK | | US2567287 | Feb 14, 1946 | Sep 11, 1951 | | INGRAM | | US2876037 | Jan 17, 1955 | Mar 3, 1959 | | VEHICLE BODY SHELL | | US2903296 | Apr 4, 1955 | Sep 8, 1959 | | BARENYI | | US3067453 | Nov 20, 1959 | Dec 11, 1962 | | TORSIONALLY BALANCED HATCHWAY DOOR CONSTRUCTIONS | | US3490756 | Jan 4, 1966 | Jan 20, 1970 | | TORSION BAR ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME | | US3511530 | Apr 10, 1967 | May 12, 1970 | | SWINGABLE PIVOTAL LATERAL DOORS | | US4017117 | Oct 8, 1975 | Apr 12, 1977 | The Budd Company | Roof hinged door in an automobile | | US4092180 | May 3, 1977 | May 30, 1978 | Grumman Aerospace Corporation | Manufacture of torsion bars |
Referenced by|
| US4485945 | Mar 4, 1983 | Dec 4, 1984 | Tafco Equipment Company | Vehicle spare tire carrier | | US4555867 | Mar 13, 1984 | Dec 3, 1985 | | Security window cover | | US4637167 | Feb 11, 1985 | Jan 20, 1987 | Termofrost Sweden AB | Door | | US4663885 | Dec 2, 1985 | May 12, 1987 | | Security window cover | | US5013082 | Jul 26, 1990 | May 7, 1991 | General Motors Corporation | Door opening system | | US5664289 | Oct 16, 1996 | Sep 9, 1997 | M & C Corporation | Hinge strap assembly with convoluted torque rod | | US5758389 | May 6, 1994 | Jun 2, 1998 | M & C Corporation | Torsion rod assisted hinges | | US5988724 | Aug 15, 1997 | Nov 23, 1999 | | Tailgate hinge mechanism | | US6071064 | Oct 2, 1997 | Jun 6, 2000 | | Wheel chair transport vehicle | | US6174124 | Sep 1, 1998 | Jan 16, 2001 | Crown Equipment Corporation | Load trays for personnel carrying vehicles | | US6619723 | Sep 27, 2002 | Sep 16, 2003 | M & C Corporation | Bed panel with torsion pin hinge | | US6648398 | Jan 9, 2001 | Nov 18, 2003 | M&C Corporation | Bed panel with torsion pin hinge | | US6796592 | Mar 12, 2003 | Sep 28, 2004 | M & C Corporation | Tailgate counterbalancing hinge | | US7156441 | Jan 10, 2005 | Jan 2, 2007 | M & C Corporation | Tailgate counterbalancing hinge | | US7156450 | May 20, 2005 | Jan 2, 2007 | M & C Corporation | Integrated torsion bar liftgate | | US7159928 | Jan 7, 2005 | Jan 9, 2007 | Ford Global Technologies, LLC | Vehicle door insert | | US7195300 | Mar 10, 2005 | Mar 27, 2007 | M&C Corporation | Tailgate counterbalancing hinge | | US7243977 | Nov 1, 2006 | Jul 17, 2007 | M & C Corporation | Integrated torsion bar liftgate | | US7258395 | Jan 23, 2004 | Aug 21, 2007 | Club Car, Inc. | Composite body for a golf car and utility vehicle | | US7281746 | Sep 1, 2005 | Oct 16, 2007 | M&C Corporation | Retrofit tailgate counterbalancing hinge | | US7281747 | May 31, 2006 | Oct 16, 2007 | M&C Corporation | Tailgate counterbalancing hinge |
Claims1. 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. |