US3541730A - Closure bias - Google Patents

Description

1970 o. BALLANTYNE CLOSURE BIAS Filed July 31, 1969 INVEN'IOR. Davzd 6. Hal la 13 Y ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,541,730 CLOSURE BIAS David B. Ballantyne, Southfieltl, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 31, 1969, Ser. No. 846,456 Int. Cl. Ef 1/14 U.S. Cl. 49-386 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A bias for selectively and alternately biasing a closure member to either closed or open positions with respect to a support member which includes an arcuate semi-rigid channel portion adapted to be secured to one member, a stem portion adapted to be secured to the other member and a pair of arcuately shaped flexible legs extending from a common integral juncture to the stem portion, each leg being integrally hinged to a respective side of the channel portion. The legs are normally biased apart a distance greater than the distance between the hinge axes. When the closure member is in closed position, the legs extend inwardly of the channel portion to pull the closure downwardly and movement of the closure to an open position folds the legs with respect to each other so that the legs slightly bias the legs of the channel member apart and thereafter move outwardly and unfold to bias the closure member to open position.

This invention relates to a closure bias and more particularly to a closure bias for interconnecting a swingable closure and its support and selectively and alternately biasing the closure to closed and open positions with respect to the support.

Conventionally, closures are selectively and alternately biased to closed and open positions with respect to their supports by various types of over-center spring arrangements. Such arrangements work well but have certain disadvantages.

The closure bias of this arrangement works equally as well as conventional arrangements and has the advantages of not requiring any springs and of being formed of plastic so that it does not require lubrication and is not subject to deterioration due to ambient conditions.

In the preferred embodiment, the closure bias can be continuously extruded of a suitable plastic material, such as polypropylene, and thereafter a section of the continuous extrusion can be cut oil? to provide a closure bias having the force necessary to bias a particular closure to its open or closed positions.

Generally, the closure bias includes a semi-rigid channel portion of arcuate cross section having asymmetrically shaped sides or arms in integral connecting means for connection to either the closure or support. The bias further includes a stem portion having integral connecting means for connection to the other of either the closure or support and a pair of flexible legs which extend oppositely from a common juncture to the stern portion and have their free ends integrally hinged to the free ends of the arms of the channel portion. Normally the legs are integrally biased apart a distance greater than the distance between the free ends of the arms. Thus, when the closure is in closed position, the flexible legs extend inwardly of the channel portion to pull the stem inwardly thereof and resist movement of the closure to an open position. When the closure moves to open position, the legs fold with respect to each other until the line of engagement of the legs becomes coplanar or congruent with the hinge axes to slightly bias the arms apart with respect to each other. As

soon as the line of engagement passes out of congruency Patented Nov. 24, 1970 with the hinge axes, the arms return to their normal position and the flexible legs unfold to thereby bias the closure to open position and, of course, resist movement of the closure from this position to its closed position.

One feature of this invention is that the bias includes a pair of flexible legs extending from a common juncture to one member and hinged to the other member for movement on opposite sides of the plane of the hinge axes, with the legs being integrally biased apart a distance greater than the distance between the hinge axes so as to thereby selectively and alternately bias the one member to the side of the axes from which the legs extend. Another feature is that the flexible legs are integrally hinged to spaced arms secured to the other member. A further feature is that the flexible legs have a common integral juncture with the one member and are integrally hinged to spaced arms secured to the other member, with the legs and the common integral juncture being moved inwardly and outwardly with respect to the arms to selectively and alternately bias the one member to opposite sides of the hinge axes.

These and other features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a container having a swingable cover, with the cover and container being interconnected by a closure bias according to this invention, with the bias biasing the cover to closed position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG, 1 showing the bias biasing the cover to open position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the cover in a position intermediate closed and open positions and the bias in a respective position; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bias.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a conventional container or support member 10 includes a cover or closure member 12 conventionally hinged thereto at 14 for movement between a closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, and an open position, as shown in FIG. 2. The cover 12 is alternately biased to its closed position or to its open position by a closure bias designated generally 16 according to this invention. Additionally, the bias 16 resists movement of the closure 12 from either terminal position toward the other terminal position.

With reference particularly to FIG. 4, the closure bias 16 includes a generally arcuately shaped channel portion 18 having an asymmetrical pair of integral semi-rigid arcuately shaped sides or arms 20. Extending from the juncture of the arms 20 is an integral, generally T-shaped portion 22 which, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is adapted to be received within a shouldered slot or groove 24 in the lower wall of container 10 so as to secure the bias 16 thereto. It will be understood, of course, that any other type of suitable attaching means or securement of the channel portion 18 to the container may likewise be used.

The bias 16 further includes a stem portion 26 having at the free end thereof a generally T-shaped portion 28 which is adapted to be forced through a slot in the cover 12 so as to secure the stem portion 26 thereto. Again, as with the portion 22, any other suitable securement may be used. It will also be understood that the stem portion 26 likewise can be secured to the container and the channel portion 18 secured to the cover.

A pair of integral arcuate asymmetrical flexible legs 30 extend oppositely'of each other from a common integral juncture 32 to the stern portion 26. The free end of each leg 30 is integrally hinged at 34 to the free end of a respective arm 20 of the channel portion 18.

It is intended that the closure bias 16 be formed by any suitable method, such as by continuous extrusion, or by molding. If formed by extrusion, whatever section of bias is necessary for a particular closure and support, will be cut from the extrusion. While any suitable plastic material can be used, preferably the bias 16 is formed of polypropylene.

With particular regard to FIG. 4, normally the legs 30 have an integral bias tending to force the free ends of the legs apart with respect to each other a distance which is greater than the distance between the axes of hinges 34. Thus, when the legs 30 extend inwardly of the arms 20 of channel portion 18, this integral bias of the legs 30 acting against the arms 20 through hinges 34 tends to pull or bias the common integral juncture 32 inwardly of the channel portion 18. This in turn moves the stem portion 26 inwardly of the channel portion to bias the cover 12 to its closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, and to likewise resist movement of the cover toward its open position.

When the cover is moved from its closed position of FIG. 1 toward its open position of FIG. 2, the flexible legs 30 told with respect to each other or move into engagement with each other from their common integral juncture 32 as the stem portion 26 and the common integral juncture move outwardly from between the arms 20 of the channel portion 18. When the line of engagement of the engaged portions of the legs moves into congruency with the hinge axes 34 or becomes coplanar therewith, as shown in FIG. 3, the bias is in a theoretical equilibrium position wherein it does not bias the closure 12 to either position. In this position, it will be noted that the legs 30 have slightly forced the arms 20 apart with respect to each other from their normal position, shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. Thereafter upon any slight movement'of the line of engagement out of congruency with the hinge axes 34, the bias of the legs 30 and the bias of the arms 20 immediately apply a bias to the cover 12 biasing the cover to its open position, as shown in FIG. 2, and of course resisting any movement of the cover 12 toward closed position. The position of the bias shown in FIG. 3 is ordinarily not a stable position since it is ditficult to maintain the line of engagement of legs 30 congruent or coplanar with the axes of hinges 34. Although the bias 16 has been shown with the legs 30 integral with the stem portion 26, these legs could likewise be formed in a separated condition and thereafter joined to each other to form the stem portion. Likewise, although these legs are shown integrally hinged to the arms 20, they could be hinged to the arms 20 in the conventional manners without being integral therewith.

Thus this invention provides an improved I claim:

1. In combination with a closure member swingably mounted on a support member, a closure bias for selectively and alternately biasing the closure member to closed closure bias.

and open positions comprising, in combination, means secured to one member and providing a pair of spacedhinge axes, a pair of flexible legs extending oppositely of each other from a common juncture to the other member and being integrally biased apart a distance greater than the transverse distance between the hinge axes, eachleg being hinged about a respective one of the axes, the legs being movable between an unfolded position with respect to each other wherein the legs extend in one direction from the hinge axes to bias the common juncture in the one direction and bias the closure member to oneposition thereof, and a folded position with respect to each other wherein the legs extend in an opposite direction from the hinge axes to bias the common juncture in the opposite direction and bias the closure member to the other position thereof, the portions of the legs adjacent the common juncture moving into engagement with each other as the legs move in the opposite direction until the L1 engaged portions of the legs move outwardly of the plane of the hinge axes, the engaged portions of the legs thereafter moving out of engagement with each other.

2. In combination with a closure member swingably mounted on a support member, a bias for selectively and alternately biasing the closure member to closed and open positions comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced arms secured to one member, a pair of flexible legs extending oppositely of each other from a common juncture to the other member and being integrally biased apart a distance greater than the distance between the arms, each leg being integrally hinged to a respective one of the arms, the legs being movable between an unfolded position with respect to each other wherein the legs extend inwardly of the arms from the integral hinges to bias the common juncture inwardly of the arms and bias the closure member to one position thereof, and a folded position with respect to each other wherein the legs extend outwardly of the arms from the integral hinges to bias the common juncture outwardly of the arms and bias the closure member to the other position thereof, the portions of the legs adjacent the common juncture thereof moving into engagement with each other as the legs move outwardly of the arms until the line of engagement of the engaged portions becomes congruent with the integral hinge axes, the engaged portions of the legs thereafter moving out of engagement with each other as the line of engagement moves out of congruency with the integral hinge axes.

3. In combination with a closure member swingably mounted on a support member, an integral bias for selectively and alternately biasing the closure member to closed and open positions comprising, in combination, a pair of integral spaced semi-rigid arms secured to one member, a pair of flexible legs extending oppositely of each other from a common integral juncture to the other member and being integrally biased apart a distance greater than the distance between the arms, each leg being integrally hinged to a respective one of the arms, the legs being movable between an unfolded position with respect to each other wherein the legs extend inwardly of the arms from the integral hinges, the bias of the legs being resisted by the arms whereby the legs bias the common integral juncture inwardly of the arms to bias the closure member to one position thereof, and a folded position with respect to each other wherein the legs extend outwardly of the arms from the integral hinges, the bias of the legs being resisted by the arms whereby the legs bias the common integral juncture outwardly of the arms to bias the closure member to the other position thereof, the portions of the legs adjacent the common integral juncture thereof moving into engagement with each other as the legs move outwardly of the arms to move the arms apart with respect to each other whereby the arms resist until the engaged portions of the legs move outwardly of the integral hinges, the engaged portions of the legs thereafter moving out of engagement with each other as the arms return to their normal position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,514,033 7/1950 Dean 16-73 2,850,200 9/1958 Hofmann. 2,985,335 5/1961 Slater. 3,287,757 11/1966 Van Noord l672 KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner US. (:1. X.R. l6-72; 220 31, 35

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