Patent Grant
7162775
This invention generally relates to motor vehicles, and more particularly, hinges for a boot or trunk lid of a motor vehicle.
The aggressively competitive automobile industry continuously strives to provide new and exciting features to the new model automobiles. A focus toward style, creature comforts and safety has been a major factor in differentiating one competitor's products from others and premium models from budget models.
With many automobile owners not satisfied with the style, quality, and availability of the features provided by the automakers, owners have turned to aftermarket component manufacturers and even automobile kit manufacturers for satisfaction. The owners of hot rod, street rod, and classic automobiles are always looking for ways to customize and differentiate their cars from others, and styling, shape and form are high on the list of attributes that these owners wish to improve.
One aspect of the automobile that has changed little is the flip-up trunk lid.
The flip-up trunk lid 12 is suspended from the automobile 10 such that the trunk lid 14 pivots about the pivot axis A moving from a generally horizontal orientation in the closed position to a generally vertical position in the open position.
The hinge arms 20 are formed into a preferred shape to provide an extension necessary to permit the hinge brackets 18 to be mounted inside the trunk 13 while allowing the trunk lid 14 to pivot and clear the trunk opening 19. The preferred shape of the hinge arms 20 is adapted to extend the front edge 15 of the trunk lid 14 upward so as to clear the trunk opening 19 and other structures of the automobile 10, such as the rear windscreen. The stock hinge arm 20 shape can also act as a counter-weight to preferentially balance the trunk lid 14 so as to make the operation of the trunk lid 14 easier.
The hinge arms 20 are commonly manufactured from square or rectangular steel tubing that define a substantially square or rectangular bore cross-section, respectively.
The common pivot axis A permits rotation of the trunk lid 14 only within one plane. As the trunk lid 14 is opened, the rear trunk lid edge 17 swings up from the automobile 10 in a substantially vertical plane, whereby a space for access into the trunk 13 is formed like a clam shell with the trunk lid 14 pivoting up and toward the front of the automobile 10.
Many automobile enthusiasts consider it highly desirable to incorporate exotic features into their ordinary stock automobiles. Modifying the opening characteristics of the flip-up trunk lid 12 has, for the most part, been out of reach of the aftermarket enthusiast.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to have components and assemblies that provide automobile manufacturers and aftermarket enthusiasts the ability to impart various opening characteristics to the flip-up trunk lid of currently designed automobiles without major modification to the automobile body or trunk lid structures.
A trunk lid hinge in accordance with embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to operate a trunk of an automobile in a conventional manner as well as in an unconventional manner about two pivot axes. The trunk lid hinge comprises a hinge mount, a hinge bracket, and a locking element. The hinge mount is an elongated member having a mount first end and a mount second end opposite the mount first end. The hinge bracket is pivotally coupled to the mount second end and is adapted to be positioned at and between a first pivot position and a second pivot position about a pivot axis in addition to the stock pivot axis. Embodiment of the present invention permit the automobile enthusiast to retrofit the conventional trunk lid to operate as in an unconventional manner and allow the automobile manufacturers to incorporating trunk lids in automobiles with unconventional opening characteristics without requiring major redesign of the current trunk lids.
These and other embodiments, aspects, advantages, and features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following description of the invention and referenced drawings or by practice of the invention. The aspects, advantages, and features of the invention are realized and attained by means of the instrumentality's, procedures, and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
The trunk lid 14 is suspended from the automobile 10 such that the trunk lid 14 pivots about the pivot axis A moving from a generally horizontal orientation in the closed position to a generally vertical orientation in a first open position as shown in
The hinge bracket 35 comprises a flange 36 adapted to couple with the trunk lid 14. The hinge bracket 35 comprises a plurality of through holes 37 adapted to receive a suitable fastener, such as, but not limited to, bolts and screws. In other embodiments in accordance with the present invention, the hinge bracket 35 is coupled to the trunk lid 14 by any suitable means, such as, but not limited to, welding and brazing, negating the need for through holes 37.
The hinge bracket 35 further comprises a bracket hinge-pin bore 38. The hinge mount second end 34 comprises a mount hinge-pin bore 39. The hinge bracket 35 and the hinge mount second end 34 are adapted to engage pivotally coupled with axial alignment of the bracket hinge-pin bore 38 and the mount hinge-pin bore 39 with a hinge pin 31 therethrough. In an embodiment, the hinge bracket 35 provides a bore or sleeve 40 adapted to accept the hinge mount second end 34 therein.
In an embodiment, the hinge mount second end 34 is rounded to facilitate pivoting the hinge bracket 41 about the hinge pin 31 to a predetermined amount without being hindered by impacting the hinge mount second end 34. It is understood that there are many suitable configurations wherein the hinge bracket 41 and hinge mount 32 may be pivotally coupled.
The hinge mount 32 and the hinge bracket 41 pivot, generally, from a first pivot position wherein the flange 36 is substantially parallel with the hinge mount 32, to a second pivot position wherein the flange 36 is substantially perpendicular to the hinge mount 32, as shown in
The mount first end 33 is adapted to be slidingly received into the bore 23 of the stock hinge arm 20 at the trunk lid end 22 and then coupled thereto such as, but not limited to, bolts and welding. Stock hinge arms 20 are commonly manufactured from square or rectangular steel tubing that define a substantially square or rectangular bore cross-section, respectively. In embodiments in accordance with the present invention, the mount first end 33 comprises a complimentary cross-section so as to be inserted into the bore 23 of the stock hinge arms 20. In another embodiment, the hinge mount 32 comprises a stop 44 lip that is larger than the bore 23 and about the trunk lid end 22 to prevent over-insertion of the hinge mount 32 into the bore 23.
The trunk lid hinge 30 further comprises a locking element 46 adapted to control the pivoting of the hinge bracket 41; from freely pivoting to fixed. The locking element 46 is coupled to the hinge bracket 41 and is adapted to engage the hinge bracket 41 and the hinge mount 32 so as to prevent rotation about the hinge pivot 31 wherein the trunk lid 14 is orientated in the first open position as shown in
The locking pin first end 49 is adapted to provide a handle to allow the user to grab and pull the locking pin 46 out of engagement with the hinge mount 32 to permit pivoting of the trunk lid 14 as shown in
In assembly, the trunk lid 14 is removed from the hinge arm 20. The mounting bracket 35 is coupled to the trunk lid 14 with suitable fasteners coupling the flange 36 to the trunk lid 14. The hinge mount 32 is slidably inserted into the stock hinge arm 20 at the trunk lid end 21 and coupled thereto.
Referring again to
The trunk lid 14 is closed by the reverse of the method above. The trunk lid 14 is pivoted about the trunk lid hinge 30 from the second open position to the first open position, wherein the locking element 46 becomes engaged with the hinge mount 32 to prevent further pivoting about the trunk lid hinge 30. The trunk lid 14 is thereafter closed in the conventional way.
The hinge mount 62 is adapted to couple with the stock hinge arm 20. The hinge mount 62 comprises a plurality of through holes 74 adapted to receive a suitable fastener, such as, but not limited to, bolts and screws. In another embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the hinge mount 62 is coupled to the stock hinge arm 20 by any suitable means, such as, but not limited to, welding and brazing, negating the need for through holes.
Referring again to
The hinge bracket 70 is adapted to couple with the trunk lid 14. The hinge bracket 70 comprises a plurality of through holes 74 adapted to receive a suitable fastener, such as, but not limited to, bolts and screws. In another embodiment in accordance with the present invention, the hinge bracket 70 is coupled to the trunk lid 14 by any suitable means, such as, but not limited to, welding and brazing, negating the need for through holes.
The hinge bracket 70 further comprises a bracket hinge pin bore 76. The hinge mount second end 63 comprises a mount hinge pin bore 68. The hinge bracket 70 and the hinge mount second end 64 are adapted to engage pivotally coupled with axial alignment of the bracket hinge pin bore 76 and the mount hinge pin bore 68 with a hinge pin 31 therethrough. In an embodiment, the hinge mount second end 63 is rounded to facilitate pivoting the hinge bracket 70 about the hinge pin 31 to a predetermined amount without being hindered by impacting the hinge mount second end 64. It is understood that there are many suitable configurations wherein the hinge bracket and hinge mount may be pivotally coupled.
The hinge mount 62 and the hinge bracket 70 pivot, generally, from a first pivot position wherein the hinge bracket 70 is substantially parallel with and nested within the groove 65 of the hinge mount 62, to a second pivot position wherein the hinge bracket 70 is substantially perpendicular to the hinge mount 62. Wherein the hinge bracket 70 is substantially parallel with the hinge mount 62, the trunk lid 14 is orientated in the standard flip-up position as shown in
The trunk lid hinge 60 further comprises a locking element 66 adapted to control the pivoting of the hinge bracket 70 from freely pivoting to fixed. The locking element 66 is adapted to engage the hinge bracket 70 and the hinge mount 62 so as to prevent rotation about the hinge pivot wherein the trunk lid 14 is orientated in the standard flip-up position as shown in
The locking pin first end 79 is adapted to provide a handle to allow the user to grab and pull the locking pin 78 out of engagement with the hinge mount 62 to permit pivoting of the trunk lid 14 as shown in
The trunk lid hinge 60 comprises a material suitable to its purpose, for example, but not limited to, steel, stainless steel, chromium steel, aluminum, brass, or plastic and may be fabricated, stamped, forged, cast, molded, or assembled from one or more sub-assemblies of suitable materials.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein for purposes of description of the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
Persons skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and variations are possible in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts and actions which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention and that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit and scope of the teachings and claims contained therein.
This application is a non-provisional application claiming benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 121 of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/518,130, filed Nov. 4, 2003.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3330593 | Pollak | Jul 1967 | A |
| 3643775 | Kittel et al. | Feb 1972 | A |
| 5004287 | Doyle | Apr 1991 | A |
| 6609583 | Schillaci et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6904826 | Hesener | Jun 2005 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050125953 A1 | Jun 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60518130 | Nov 2003 | US |
