A DAMPENED HINGE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A dampened hinge assembly has a male leaf and a female leaf. The female leaf has spaced apart first and second end barrels coaxially rotating with respect to a central barrel of the male leaf therebetween. An axial shaft is fixed to the second end barrel of the female leaf at a proximal end of the axial shaft. The axial shaft has a distal helicoidally threaded spindle. A compression gear having a helicoidally threaded bore matching the helicoidal thread of the spindle displaces towards the first end barrel when the leaves move into alignment and towards the second end barrel when the leaves move out of alignment. The dampened hinge assembly may be reconfigured to provide soft closure, end-of-range soft closure and/or backcheck damping.

Claims

1. A dampened hinge assembly comprising a male leaf and a female leaf, the female leaf comprising spaced apart first and second end barrels coaxially rotating with respect to a central barrel of the male leaf therebetween, an axial shaft fixed to the second end barrel of the female leaf at a proximal end of the axial shaft, the axial shaft having a distal helicoidally threaded spindle, a compression gear having a helicoidally threaded bore matching the helicoidal thread of the spindle, the compression gear having external longitudinal threading matching interior longitudinal threading of the central barrel wherein the helicoidal threading between the leaves causes the compression gear to displace towards the first end barrel when the leaves move into alignment and towards the second end barrel when the leaves move out of alignment and wherein the first end barrel engages a removable end closure having an axial bore such that: the removable end closure can be removed in use for the installation of an optional elongate end-of-range soft closure compression strut within the bore in use for bearing against a central distal bearing face of the compression gear to act between the removable end closure and the compression gear across an end-of-range soft closure relative rotation offset range between the leaves; and wherein the compression gear defines a peripheral distal bearing face and the removable end closure defines an oppositely facing peripheral bearing face such that the removable end closure can be removed in use for the installation of an optional soft closure helicoidal compression spring coaxially with respect to the axial bore to act between the peripheral distal bearing face and the oppositely facing peripheral bearing face across a soft closure relative rotation offset range between the leaves, the soft closure offset range between the leaves being greater than the end-of-range soft closure offset range between the leaves.

2. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second end barrel engages a second removable closure such that the second removable enclosure can be removed in use for the installation of an optional backcheck helical compression spring around the shaft to act between a peripheral proximal bearing face of the compression gear and the second removable closure across a backcheck relative rotation offset range between the leaves.

3. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of range soft closure relative rotation offset range between the leaves is less than 30 between the leaves.

4. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the soft closure compression strut does not contact the central distal bearing face of the compression gear when the leaves are outside the end-of-range soft closure relative rotation offset range.

5. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removal end closure comprises a removable end cap and a collar, the collar defining the axial bore.

6. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second removable enclosure comprises a shaft stay comprising longitudinal threading slidably retained within matching interior longitudinal threading of the second end barrel.

7. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the shaft stay comprises a bore comprising longitudinal threading within which a proximal end of the shaft, comprising matching longitudinal threading, is retained.

8. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the compression strut.

9. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the soft closure helicoidal compression spring.

10. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising both the compression strut and the soft closure helicoidal compression spring, the helicoidal compression spring coaxially retained with respect to the compression strut.

11. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the backcheck helicoidal compression spring.

12. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the backcheck helicoidal compression spring is coaxially retained about the shaft.

13. A dampened hinge assembly as claimed in claim 2, further comprising all of the compression strut, the soft closure helicoidal compression spring and the backcheck helicoidal compression spring.

14. A method of reconfiguring closure damping of a hinge as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising removing the removable end closure from the first end barrel and inserting at least one of the soft closure compression strut and the soft closure helicoidal compression spring via the first end barrel, and replacing the removable end closure.

15. A method of reconfiguring backcheck damping of a hinge as claimed in claim 2, the method comprising removing the second removable end closure from the second end barrel and inserting the backcheck helicoidal compression spring via the second end barrel and replacing the second removable end closure.

16. A method of in-situ servicing a hinge as claimed in claim 1, the method comprising removing the removable end closure from the first end barrel and replacing at least one of the soft closure compression strut and the soft closure helicoidal compression spring via the first end barrel, and replacing the removable end closure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an improved hinge assembly in accordance with an embodiment;

[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates backcheck, soft closure and end-of-range soft closure ranges;

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a disassembled view of the hinge in accordance with an embodiment;

[0050] FIG. 4 shows an assembled view of the hinge in accordance with an embodiment;

[0051] FIG. 5 illustrates the hinge configured for end-of-range soft closure action only;

[0052] FIG. 6 illustrates the hinge configured for soft closure action only; and

[0053] FIG. 7 illustrates a torsion hinge in accordance with an embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0054] A dampened hinge assembly 100 comprises a male leaf 106 and a female leaf 107.

[0055] The female leaf 107 comprises a spaced apart first end barrel 108 and a second end barrel 109. The first and second end barrels 108, 109 of the female leaf 107 coaxially rotate with respect to a central barrel 110 of the male leaf 106.

[0056] The hinge assembly 100 is typically used in conjunction with the torsion hinge 136 shown in FIG. 7 which may employ the same types of leaves 106, 107. The torsion hinge 136 provides closure torsion whereas the dampened hinge assembly 100 provides optional soft closure, end-of-range soft closure and or backcheck damping.

[0057] The torsion hinge 136 comprises a torsion barrel 137 which comprises a plurality of radial ports 139 through which a pin interlocks through an external aperture 140 to fix the torsion barrel 136 once wound. A torsion spring 109 acts on the torsion barrel 137 for torsion closure.

[0058] With respect to the dampened hinge 100, an axial shaft 119 is fixed to the second end barrel 109 of the female leaf 107 at a proximal end of the axial shaft 119.

[0059] The axial shaft 119 has a distally helicoidally threaded spindle 120.

[0060] A shaft stay 116 may interface the second end barrel 109 and the shaft 119. The shaft stay 116 may comprise exterior longitudinal threading which is slidably and non-rotatably engaged by matching longitudinal threading of an interior of the second end barrel 109.

[0061] The shaft stay 116 may comprise an interior bore comprising longitudinal threading within which a proximal end of the shaft 119, comprising matching longitudinal threading, is inserted.

[0062] The assembly 100 further comprises a compression gear 121 slidably retained within the central barrel 110 of the male leaf 106.

[0063] The compression gear 121 comprises external longitudinal threading matching interior longitudinal threading 122 of the central barrel 110.

[0064] The compression gear 121 further comprises a helicoidally threaded bore matching the helicoidal thread of the spindle 120.

[0065] The helicoidal threading of the spindle 120 and the central bore of the compression gear 121 is arranged such that when the leaves 106, 107 move into alignment, the compression gear 121 moves within the central barrel 110 towards the first end barrel 108 and, when the leaves 106, 107 move out of alignment, the compression gear 121 moves towards the second end barrel 109.

[0066] The first end barrel 108 engages a removable end closure 127. In embodiments, the removable end closure 127 may comprise a removable end cap 114 and collar 113. The removable end cap 114 may comprise threading so as to be able to be unscrewed from the first end barrel 108.

[0067] The removal end 127 has an axial bore 129. As such, in use, the removable end closure 127 can be removed for the installation of an optional elongate compression strut 112.

[0068] The elongate compression strut 112 may comprise a body and a plunger 130. The elongate compression strut 112 may be a gas or liquid compressed compression strut 112.

[0069] The compression strut 112 acts as a shock absorber between a central distal bearing face 131 of the compression gear 122 and the removable enclosure 127 across an end-of-range soft closure relative rotational offset range 105 between the leaves 106, 107, typically within the last 30 of closure. When outside this range, the compression strut 112 does not contact the central distal bearing face 131 of the compression gear 122.

[0070] The compression gear 122 defines a peripheral distal bearing face 125 and the removable enclosure defines an oppositely facing peripheral bearing face 126.

[0071] As such, the removable enclosure 127 can be removed in use for the installation of an optional helicoidal compression spring 111 coaxially with respect to the axial bore 129. The helicoidal compression spring 111 acts between the peripheral distal bearing face 125 of the compression gear 121 and the oppositely facing peripheral bearing face 126 of the removable enclosure 127 across a soft closure relative offset range 104 between the leaves 106, 107.

[0072] FIG. 5 illustrates the installation of the compression strut 112 to only provide only the end-of-range soft closure action 105. FIG. 6 illustrates the installation of the helicoidal compression spring 111 only to provide only the soft closure action 104.

[0073] FIG. 4 illustrates the coaxial installation of both of the compression strut 112 and the helicoidal idle compression spring 112 to provide both soft closure 104 and end-of-range soft closure 105.

[0074] The assembly 100 may further comprise a second removable closure 128 engaged by the second end barrel 109. The second removable closure 128 may comprise an enclosure cap 115 which can be removed to slide out the shaft stay 116. In embodiments, the second removable enclosure 128 may further comprise a female shaft stay 133 and Teflon bushing 132.

[0075] As such, the second removable enclosure 128 can be removed in use for the installation of an optional backcheck helicoidal compression spring 134 to provide backcheck action 103.

[0076] The compression gear 121 may define a proximal peripheral bearing face 124 and the second end closure 128 may comprise an oppositely facing peripheral bearing face 123 (which may be defined by a formation in the shaft 119, by a washer 135 or the like) which cooperate to compress the backcheck helicoidal compression spring 134 therebetween.

[0077] The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practise the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed as obviously many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the following claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.