JP2006070996A - Hinge device with built-in counterbalance - Google Patents

Abstract

A hinge device incorporating a counter balance that exhibits a hinge action, provides a compact and large torque, has a small friction torque, and has a small difference between a swing torque in one direction and a swing torque in the other direction. I will provide a.
A first frame (2) attached to the box body and a second frame (6) attached to the opening / closing lid are slidably coupled by a central shaft (10). Then, the counter balance (15) is incorporated. The counter balance (15) includes a compression coil spring (16) and guide members (20, 17) for guiding the compression coil spring. The guide member is composed of a cylinder (20) and a slide shaft (17) that is removably inserted into the cylinder (20). One of the compression coil springs (16) is a spring receiver integrated with the cylinder (20). The other part is received by the spring receiving bracket (26) on the part (21). The unitized counter balance (15) is swingably attached to predetermined positions of the first and second frames (2) and (6).
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention comprises a first frame attached to one member and a second frame attached to the other member, and these frames are coupled so as to be swingable by a central axis, whereby the one member And the other member are swingable with respect to each other, and the hinge device is provided with a counter balance for assisting the swinging force between the first and second frames. The present invention relates to a hinge device incorporating a counter balance suitable for application to a box body and a lid provided on the box body so as to be freely opened and closed.

  The lid provided in the opening of the box is attached to the box so as to be openable and closable by a hinge device or a hinge. Similarly, doors such as a door for a building frame and a back door for a vehicle are also attached to the frame or the vehicle body via a hinge device or a hinge. When such a lid, door, or the like that is opened / closed with respect to the main body is heavy, a large force is required for the opening / closing operation. Therefore, a counter balance is provided to assist the opening / closing operation force. A large number of hinge devices having such a counter balance have been proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 and the like.

JP-A-6-33656 JP2000-280938 JP2003-252059

  Conventionally known counter balances including the counter balances disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 can be classified into the following two types. That is, it is roughly divided into those provided separately from the hinge device and those integrally formed. A gas spring is known as one of counter balances provided separately. This gas spring is composed of a cylinder and a piston that is reciprocally movable in the cylinder, and gas is sealed in the cylinder. Therefore, for example, when the cylinder is attached to the door frame and the piston is attached to the door, the cylinder can be opened and closed with a relatively small force by the reaction force of the gas compressed by the opening and closing operation of the door. A compression coil spring is also known as a separate counter balance. Even with this compression coil spring, when one end of the compression coil spring is attached to the door frame and the other end is attached to the door, the compression coil spring is compressed by the opening and closing operation of the door. It can be opened and closed with a small force.

  As a monolithic counter balance, a torsion bar, a torsion spring, etc. that also serve as a hinge are known. When one end of this bar or spring is attached to the door frame, for example, and the other end is attached to the door, the torsion bar or torsion spring is twisted by the opening and closing operation of the door, and the restoring force causes the door to have a relatively small force. Can be opened and closed. In addition, a cam type counter balance is known in which friction is slid between a cam and a spring receiving portion and a difference between torque in one direction and torque in the other direction is used.

  The counter balance proposed as described above has some effects and is put to practical use, but various problems or points to be improved are also recognized. For example, the counter balance separate from the hinge device must be mounted on the user side, but there is an inconvenience that the mounting position must be selected in consideration of moment characteristics, reaction force characteristics, and the like. In addition, there is a drawback that generally requires a large installation space. Furthermore, in the case of a gas spring, if the use environment temperature changes greatly, gas leakage or the like may occur, and the reaction force may drop and a predetermined torque characteristic may not be obtained. In any case, the inconvenience of having a separate counter balance cannot be avoided.

  On the other hand, it can be said that the integrated type has few problems as described above. In particular, the cam type counter balance has an advantage that a friction torque is generated depending on the rotation direction. However, when the weight of the driven body, such as a door or an opening / closing lid, increases, the friction torque increases, which may not be suitable for driving the driven body. Further, when the spring load increases, the frictional force inevitably increases, and for example, the distance between the closing direction torque and the opening direction torque of the opening / closing lid increases. When gravity characteristics or spontaneous fall characteristics are desired in the direction of closing the lid, the closing torque is given priority. This time, the opening torque is greatly separated from the moment of the lid, and a large force is required when opening or raising it. There is a drawback that is required. It is said that humans feel a burden when an operation force of 2 kgf or more is required. For example, if the difference between the moment of the opening / closing lid and the opening torque is 200 kgf · cm, the operating force at a position 50 cm away is 4 kgf far away from the allowable operating force 2 kgf, and cannot be performed roughly. In the cam type counter balance, the larger the moment, the larger the spring load, and this problem arises. In addition, when a sliding portion such as a cam or a spring receiver is formed of a synthetic resin having a small friction coefficient in order to reduce the frictional force, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to use at a high temperature. In general, when the synthetic resin reaches 60 ° C., there is a problem that the strength is halved, and it becomes difficult to use in a high temperature environment.

  The present invention is intended to provide a counter ballast that eliminates the above-described problems and disadvantages of the prior art. Specifically, the counter ballast has a hinge function, and a compact and large torque can be obtained, and the friction torque is small. An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge device incorporating a counter balance in which the difference between the rotational torque in one direction and the rotational torque in the other direction is small and the operability is good.

  In the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the hinge and the counter balance are integrated. The counter balance is unitized from a compression coil spring that is relatively small and provides a large reaction force, and a guide member that guides the compression coil spring. That is, the guide member is composed of a cylinder and a slide shaft in which one end portion is removably provided in the cylinder. One of the compression coil springs is supported as a unit by a spring receiving part integral with the cylinder, and the other is supported by a spring receiving bracket to which the other end of the sliding shaft is attached. The counter balance unitized in this way is incorporated into the hinge. The hinge includes, for example, a first frame attached to the box and a second frame attached to the opening / closing lid, and these frames are coupled to each other so as to be rotatable or swingable by a central axis. . Thus, the unitized counter balance is incorporated at a predetermined position of the first and second frames of the hinge configured to be swingable.

  Thus, in order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 comprises a first frame attached to one member and a second frame attached to the other member, and these frames are centered. The one member and the other member are swingably coupled to each other by a shaft, and a counterbalance for assisting the swinging force is provided between the first and second frames. The counter balance includes a compression coil spring and a guide member inserted into the compression coil spring, and the guide member has a spring receiving portion formed at one end thereof. And a sliding shaft with one end portion telescopically inserted into the cylinder and the other end portion attached to a spring support bracket. One of the compression coil springs is received by the spring receiving portion and the other is received by the spring receiving bracket. The spring receiving portion of the cylinder is rotatably attached to the first frame, and the spring receiving portion is provided. The bracket is rotatably attached to the second frame at a position deviated by a predetermined amount from the central axis, and is configured so that the load axis of the compression coil spring and the line of action substantially coincide with each other. . According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the hinge device according to the first aspect, a nut is attached to a tip end portion of the sliding shaft located in the cylinder, and on the inner peripheral side of the open end portion of the cylinder. A step portion is formed in which the nut abuts and acts as a stopper, and the invention according to claim 3 is the hinge device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spring receiving portion is machined integrally with the cylinder. And the spring support bracket is manufactured by sheet metal processing, and the invention according to claim 4 is the hinge device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one member is a box body and the other is A member is comprised so that it may be freely opened and closed in the opening part of the said box main body.

As described above, the present invention comprises the first frame attached to one member and the second frame attached to the other member, and these first and second frames can swing around the central axis. Since the one member and the other member can swing with respect to each other, they function as a hinge.
According to the present invention, the counterbalance includes a compression coil spring and a guide member inserted into the compression coil spring, and the guide member is a cylinder in which a spring receiving portion is formed at one end. And one end portion is telescopically inserted into the cylinder, and the other end portion is a sliding shaft attached to a spring receiving bracket, one of the compression coil springs is in the spring receiving portion, and The other is respectively received by the spring receiving bracket, and the spring receiving portion of the cylinder is rotatably attached to the first frame, and the spring receiving bracket is deviated by a predetermined amount from the central axis. Since the load axis of the compression coil spring and the line of action are substantially coincident with each other, the compression coil spring is rotatably attached to the second frame. Rubane is a predetermined stroke compressible, that the reaction force corresponding to the compression amount or restoring force is obtained, unique effects are obtained in the present invention. According to the present invention, the spring receiving portion of the cylinder is rotatably attached to the first frame, and the spring receiving bracket is rotatably attached to the second frame at a position deviated by a predetermined amount from the central axis. Therefore, the load action line coincides with the load axis and acts on the center of the rotation axis of the first frame and the rotation axis of the second frame. This enables accurate reaction force calculation, facilitates distance calculation from the center of rotation, and makes the calculated torque coincide with the actual torque. In addition, an accurate reaction force can be obtained, and a compact and large torque or auxiliary force can be obtained. Furthermore, the frictional force is mainly generated in the central axis, the torque is very small, and the torque curve as a hinge has almost no difference between the closing direction torque and the opening direction torque, so the other member to which the second frame is attached. For example, if a torque matching the moment of the opening / closing lid is obtained, an effect of preventing an increase in the operating force of the opening / closing lid can be obtained.
Further, according to the present invention, since a friction member is not required, all parts can be manufactured from metal by cutting, pressing or the like, and can also be used in a high temperature environment such as 60 ° C.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The hinge device incorporating the counter balance according to this embodiment can be applied to a frame and door of a building, a vehicle and its door, etc., but for the sake of simplicity, a box and an opening of the box will be described below. An example applied to a lid that can be freely opened and closed will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a partial cross section of an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a side view, which are shown in these drawings. As described above, the hinge device 1 in which the counter balance unit 10 is incorporated includes the first frame 2 and the second frame 6 that forms a pair with the first frame 2. The first frame 2 includes a main body 3 having a semi-cylindrical shape having a predetermined length in the axial direction or a grooved steel shape having an open bottom. The attachment plates 4 and 4 are fixed to the lower edge of the frame 2 by welding or the like. A plurality of through holes 5, 5,... Are formed in the mounting plates 4, 4, and the first frame 2 is attached to the box through these through holes 5, 5,. The second frame 6 also has a semi-cylindrical shape or a grooved steel like a cylinder divided into two, and a mounting plate 7 is fixed to the lower edge of the second frame 6. A plurality of through holes 8, 8,... Are also formed in the mounting plate, and are attached to the lid F using these through holes 8, 8,. According to the present embodiment, since the first and second frames 2 and 6 are grooved steel, they can be manufactured by press working from, for example, a stainless steel plate having a large strength and a relatively thin thickness.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the left end portion of the second frame 6 is an action portion 9 that is inclined downward. The first and second frames 2 and 6 are coupled to the center shaft 10 so as to be rotatable or swingable with the second frame 6 inward at the base portion of the action portion 9. Thereby, a hinge action is obtained between the first and second frames 2 and 6.

  A counter balance unit 15 is provided inside the first frame 2. The counter balance unit 15 includes a compression coil spring 16 having a predetermined length in the axial direction, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. A sliding shaft 17 for guiding the compression coil spring 16 in the axial direction is provided inside the compression coil spring 16. According to the present embodiment, one end of the sliding shaft 17 ends in the cylinder 20. More specifically, the cylinder 20 has a predetermined length in the axial direction, a spring receiving portion 21 is integrally formed at the left end portion thereof, and the right end portion is a thrust bearing portion 22 that is narrowed toward the inner diameter side. Yes. A left end portion of the sliding shaft 17 in FIG. 2 extends into the cylinder 20 through the bearing portion 22, and a double nut 23 acting as a stopper is screwed into the tip portion. As a result, the sliding shaft 17 can be freely inserted and removed or telescopic, but cannot be removed.

  The aforementioned spring receiving portion 21 having the shaft hole 24 is attached to the left end portion of the cylinder 20 thus configured. In the present embodiment, the cylinder 20 and the spring receiving portion 21 are integrally manufactured by machining such as cutting. The right end portion of the sliding shaft 17 passes through the receiving plate 27 of the spring receiving bracket 26 and is fixed by a nut 28. As shown in FIG. 1A, the spring receiving bracket 26 has leg portions 29, 29 extending rearward from both side portions of the receiving plate 27, and the leg portions 29, 29 have shafts. A hole 30 is formed. In this embodiment, the spring receiving bracket 26 and the leg portions 29 and 29 are manufactured by press working or sheet metal working.

  The counter balance unit 15 configured as described above is attached to the first and second frames 2 and 6 at the following positions. That is, the center shaft 10 that exerts the hinge action is located at the base of the action portion 9 as shown in FIG. 1 (B) in particular, so that the compression coil spring 16 is based on this position. Accurate torque is obtained according to the restoring force, and a position where a compact and large torque can be obtained is determined by calculation. A mounting example based on the calculation is shown in FIG. In FIG. 1B, the spring receiving portion 21 of the counter balance unit 15 is swingably attached to the first frame 2 by a shaft 31 at a position that is substantially the same height as the central shaft 10. On the other hand, the spring receiving bracket 26 is pivotally attached by a shaft 32 using a shaft hole 30 at a position deviated by a predetermined amount from the central shaft 10 of the action portion 9 of the first frame. Thereby, the sliding shaft 17 expands and contracts according to the angular displacement of the second frame 6, the load acting line coincides with the shafts 31 and 32, and the restoring force of the compression coil spring 15 acts on the centers of the shafts 31 and 32.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be implemented in various forms. For example, since the counter balance unit 15 is provided in the main body 3 of the first frame 2, the main body 3 also acts as a cover, but the counter balance unit 15 can be provided in an exposed state. Is clear. Further, according to the illustrated embodiment, the cylinder 20 is positioned on the first frame 2 side, but may be provided on the second frame 6 side. Furthermore, when other members including the first and second frames 2 and 6 are made of a metal material such as stainless steel, an effect that can be used even in a relatively high temperature environment such as 60 ° C. is obtained.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows an embodiment of the present invention typically with a partial cross section, and (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. It is a side view which shows the counter balance unitized concerning embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hinge apparatus 2 1st flame | frame 6 2nd flame | frame 10 Central axis 15 Counter balance unit 16 Compression coil spring 17 Slide axis 20 Cylinder

Claims (4)

It consists of a first frame (2) attached to one member and a second frame (6) attached to the other member, these frames being pivotably coupled by a central shaft (10), Thus, the one member and the other member can swing with each other, and a counter balance (15) for assisting the swinging force is provided between the first and second frames (2, 6). A hinge device,
The counter balance (15) includes a compression coil spring (16) and guide members (20, 17) inserted into the compression coil spring (16).
The guide member (20, 17) includes a cylinder (20) in which a spring receiving portion (21) is formed at one end portion, and one end portion is telescopically inserted into the cylinder, and the other end portion. Comprises a sliding shaft (17) attached to a spring support bracket (26),
One of the compression coil springs (16) is received by the spring receiving portion (21), and the other is received by the spring receiving bracket (26).
A spring receiving portion (21) of the cylinder is rotatably attached to the first frame (2), and the spring receiving bracket (26) is displaced by a predetermined amount from the central axis (10). 2. A hinge apparatus incorporating a counterbalance, wherein the counterbalance is pivotally attached to the frame (6) of the two, whereby the load axis and the line of action of the compression coil spring (16) substantially coincide with each other. .   The hinge device according to claim 1, wherein a nut (23) is attached to a tip end portion of the sliding shaft (17) located in the cylinder (20), and an inner periphery of the open end portion of the cylinder (20). A hinge device incorporating a counterbalance, in which a step portion on which the nut (23) abuts to form a stopper is formed on the side.   The counterbalance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spring receiving portion (21) is manufactured integrally with the cylinder (20) by machining, and the spring receiving bracket (26) is manufactured by sheet metal processing. Hinge device with built-in.   The hinge apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one member is a box main body, and the other member is a lid that is provided at an opening of the box main body so as to be freely opened and closed. Hinge device with built-in.

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