Patent Application
20200190881
The present invention is a CIP of application Ser. No. 16/212,685, filed Dec. 7, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
A conventional spring hinge is a simple mechanical device that uses an elastic element such as a spring or elastic piece to generate a torsional force to drive a door leaf to open and close, generally used to cause the door leaf to be closed automatically or to keep the door leaf open. In terms of general spring hinge action, it includes one-way movement of the door leaf and two-way movement of the door leaf Upon use, one leaf of the spring hinge is fixed to a door frame and another leaf thereof the door leaf, and the door leaf can be closed again or kept open after the movement thereof by means of the torsional physical movement generated from the elastic element such as the spring or elastic piece fixed in a hinge tube.
Such kinds of spring hinges are applied to public building fire doors, indoor kitchens, living room compartment doors, outdoor fence doors, etc., and the base for the provision of the torsional movement of the hinge spring or elastic piece is generally purely made of a single material such as copper, aluminum, iron, zinc alloy and plastic fiber by means of die casting, turning, injection, etc. However, the elastic elements such as the clamping springs or elastic piece of the base (including fixation seat and adjustment seat) made of copper, aluminum, iron, zinc alloy and plastic fiber with soft material and low density are easily deformed or severely worn and twisted, further causing the failure of the torsion or the severe weakening of the torsion of the spring or elastic piece of the spring hinge, because they have no sufficient strength to bear the overlarge pressure generated from the high-frequency movement caused by a thick and heavy door leaf.
The spring hinge elastic element base (including fixation seat and adjustment seat) made of copper, aluminum, iron, zinc alloy and plastic fiber cannot bear the high torsional movement of the elastic elements, resulting in the shortened operation life of the spring hinge.
US20070136991 does not provide any disclosure, suggestion or teaching of solving the long-term conventional technical problem by using two separate members to form a combined cover. US20070136991 discloses that the locking unit having a cover and an engagement member is integrally formed of a single material and of one piece. It is noted that in the field of the spring hinge, there is no reasons or motivation to provide the cover and the engagement member in two separate members. In the prior arts, based on considerations of production yield, efficiency and cost, and considerations of consistence of material matching, color and appearance, one skilled in the art would not be motivated to make the cover in two separate members since this can cause low production yield and efficiency, high production cost, and low consistence of material matching, color and appearance. It is unreasonable and incomprehensible how one skilled in the art would construct a cover by two separate members.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.
To overcome the defects mentioned above, the present invention is proposed.
The present invention proposes a spring hinge base structure, including: a body, having a first tube and a first plate portion fixedly connected with the first tube; a plurality of locking units, each having a cover and an engagement member which are two separate members integrally connected with each other, a center of each cover comprising a first through hole, one end of each cover comprising a groove, each first through hole positioned inside the respective groove, each engagement member being engaged inside the respective groove and comprising an engagement groove, a first one of the plurality of locking units being connected to an end of the first tube and movable together with the first tube, a second one of the plurality of locking units being located at another end of the first tube and rotatable with respect to the first tube; an elastic element, two ends thereof respectively engaged with the respective engagement grooves of the first one and the second one of the plurality of locking units; a second plate portion, upper and lower ends of one side thereof respectively projected with a blocking portion, each blocking portion comprising a second through hole; and a shaft, disposed through one said first through hole and one said second through hole, wherein the second plate portion is integral and rotatably movable together with the second one of the plurality of locking units by a bump component which is adjustably connected to the second one of the plurality of locking units and abutted between the second plate portion and the second one of the plurality of locking units.
Referring to
Each locking unit 20 has a cover 21 and an engagement members 22 which are two separate members integrally connected with each other; the center of each cover 21 comprises a first through hole 211; one end of each cover 21 comprises a groove 212 where the first through hole 211 is positioned inside. Furthermore, each engagement member 22 is engaged inside of the respective groove 212. Each engagement member 22 is slotted diametrically through the respective engagement member 22 (or the respective engagement member may be slotted, non-diametrically, on the tubular wall) to form an engagement groove 221, which facilitating the engagement of the elastic element 30 to the engagement member 22 and provides various adjustment options for pre-load of elastic force. A first one of the plurality of locking units 20 is fixedly connected, by a pin 201 or the like, to an end of the first tube 11 and movable together with the first tube 11, a second one of the plurality of locking units 20 is located at another end of the first tube 11 and rotatable with respect to the first tube 11.
The top of cover 21 comprises a flange 213 extending annularly and abutted against the end of the first tube 11. Furthermore, the inner wall of the groove 212 of the cover 21 comprises internal threads 214, and one end of the engagement member 22 comprises external threads 222 engaging with the internal threads 214 of the respective cover, thereby allowing the engagement member 22 to be detachably engaged with the groove 212, but the present invention is not limited thereto, the engagement may also be welding, positioning hole riveting, bolt or buckle fastening. Specifically, each engagement member further includes a non-threaded section 224 near the external threads 222, and the respective engagement groove 221 is formed by being slotted from an end of the respective non-threaded section 224. Preferably, the respective engagement groove 221 is entirely within the respective non-threaded section 224. Each of the two ends of the elastic element 30 is sleeved around the respective non-threaded section 224, and the external threads 222 of the respective engagement member 22 are entirely outside the respective non-threaded section 224. Each of the two ends of the elastic element 30 is distanced from the outer circumferential surface 223 of the respective engagement member 22 annularly, to form an annular gap 225. As viewed in an axial direction of the respective engagement member 22, the external threads 222 are entirely within the outer circumferential surface 223 of the respective engagement member 22. As a result, the elastic element 30 cannot be inferenced and affected by the external threads 222 so the elastic element 30 can provide smooth and stable torsion without being stuck or dragged due to contact of the external threads 22 with the coil(s) of the elastic element 30 when wound (shortening) or unwound (elongating).
According various applications, the cover 21 may be made of copper, aluminum, zinc alloy or plastic fiber, and the engagement member may be, for example, made of iron or heat-treated steel and has stiffness and tensile strength higher than the cover. Therefore, the engagement member 22 can bear the high torsional movement of the elastic element 30 without being easily deformed and damaged. Preferably, the first tube 11 and each cover 21 are made of the same material. Each cover 21 and the respective engagement member 22 are two separate members which are integrally connected with each other and which are detachably assembled. Preferably, the first tube and each cover are made of the same material.
The two ends of the elastic element 30 are respectively engaged with the respective engagement grooves 221 of the first one and the second one of the plurality of locking units 20, where the elastic element 30 may be a spring or any elastic piece.
The upper and lower sides of one side of the second plate portion 40 are respectively projected with a blocking portion 41 comprising a second through hole 411; each blocking portion 41 is abutted against the outer side of the cover 21, allowing each second through hole 411 to be in communication with the corresponding first through hole 211.
A shaft 50 is disposed through one said first through hole 211 and one said second through hole 411. The second plate portion 40 is integral and rotatably movable together with the second one of the plurality of locking units 20 by a bump component 60 which is adjustably connected to the second one of the plurality of locking units 20 and abutted between the second plate portion 40 and the second one of the plurality of locking units 20.
In this embodiment, the spring hinge base structure 1 further includes a second elastic element 70, a third plate portion 80 and a second shaft 90. The body 9 is integrally formed of one piece and further includes a second tube 12, the first plate portion 10 is connected between the first tube 11 and the second tube 12, a third one of the plurality of locking units 20 is fixedly connected, by a pin 801 or the like, to an end of the second tube 12 and movable together with the second tube 12, a fourth one of the plurality of locking units 20 is located at another end of the second tube 12 and rotatable with respect to the second tube 12, two ends of the second elastic element 70 are respectively engaged with the respective engagement grooves 221 of the third one and the fourth one of the plurality of locking units 20, the second shaft 90 is disposed through one said first through hole and a respective end of the third plate portion 80, and the third plate portion 80 is integral and rotatably movable together with the fourth one of the plurality of locking units 20 by a second bump component 100 which is adjustably connected to the fourth one of the plurality of locking units 20 and abutted between the third plate portion 80 and the fourth one of the plurality of locking units 20. The body 9 is formed from a single sheet member, the first plate portion 10 includes a first end plate 101, an intermediate plate 102 and a second end plate 103, the first tube 11 integrally extends from a side of the first end plate 101, the intermediate plate 102 integrally extends between and connects the first tube 11 and the second tube 12, the second end plate 103 integrally extends from the second tube 12, and the intermediate plate 102 is fixedly connected with and between the first end plate 10 and the second end plate 103 by welding, positioning hole riveting, bolt or buckle fastening. The first end plate 101, the intermediate plate 102 and the second end plate 103 preferably have substantially the same width between the first tube 11 and the second tube 12, thus providing good structural strength. Preferably, the respective outer circumferential surface 223 is threaded from an end periphery thereof to a bottom of the respective engagement groove 221. Alternatively, the outer circumferential surface may be threaded from end to end. This improves engagement, provides higher stiffness and tensile strength, and is easy to assemble/disassemble, for the engagement member and the cover.
To sum up, the spring hinge base structure of the present invention can have a higher bearing performance and strength against high-pressure torsional movement because of the combination structure of the cover with engagement member and the use of different materials.
While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16212685 | Dec 2018 | US |
| Child | 16801935 | US |
