US3019473A - Lid hinge and counterbalance - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1962 J. P. BOGATER LID HINGE AND COUNTERBALANCE Original Filed June 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor J01? gya/e? Attorney Feb. 6, 1962 J. P. BOGATER LID HINGE AND COUNTERBALANCE Original Filed June 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney tates This invention relates to a hinge and counterbalance device, and more particularly to a deck lid hinge and counterbalance for an automobile. This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 592,- 459, which was filed on June 19, 1956 and which issued on January 26, 1960, as Patent No. 2,922,184.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an improved hinge and counterbalance; another feature of the invention is that it provides a novel hinge and counterbalance particularly adapted for use with an automobile deck lid; still another feature of the invention is that the deck lid is urged toward open position by a toggle linkage connected to a tension spring which biases the toggle linkage toward extended position so that the moment leverage increases as the deck lid opens to provide a yieldable hold-open when the deck lid is in its open position; and yet a further feature of the invention is that the tension spring may be mounted outside the walls of the hinge box with the result that the hinge box can be made relatively small.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary section through a portion of the rear quarter and deck lid of an automobile showing the invention, the deck lid being closed and part of the hinge box being broken away to show underlying struc ture;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 1 but with the deck lid open.

Automobile deck lids conventionally are provided with a counterbalance device to assist in opening the rather heavy lid and generally these counterbalance devices are incorporated into the hinge for the deck lid rather than being formed as structures separate and disconnected from the hinge. This invention provides improved counterbalance devices of this type for an automobile deck lid utilizing a toggle linkage operative directly upon the swinging hinge strap and having a helical tension spring connected to the toggle linkage. The spring is loaded as the deck lid is closed, but as the deck lid is closed, the toggle linkage is folded, thus rendering the spring force least efiective to iift the lid even though the spring is most fully compressed when the lid is closed. Because of the toggle linkage arrangement, the moment leverage increases and the spring is most effective to support the lid when the lid is open so that the spring and toggle linkage arrangement provide a holdopen for yieldably maintaining the lid in its open position.

Referring to the drawings, is the rear quarter shelf of an automobile which extends across the back of the automobile body adjacent the lower edge of the rear window 12. A sealing weather strip 14 is secured to the window and to the shelf ltl and an ornamental trim strip 16 is mounted on this weather strip and extends around the periphery of the window. Inside the automobile body partition 13 projects forwardly and downwardly from its point of attachment with the Weather strip 14 and the shelf 1% to define the top and forward wall of the rear deck compartment and to separate the i atet rear deck compartment from the passenger compartment. Beneath the shelf 10 and the partition 18 and secured thereto by bolts or any other conventional means is a generally U-shaped hinge box 20 between the walls 20a and 20b of which a gooseneck hinge strap 22 is pivotally mounted on a pin 24 so that the strap comprises one hinge member and the hinge box comprises the other hinge member. It will be understood that there is one of these hinge arrangements at each side of the rear deck compartment although only one is shown in the drawings since the two are identical in construction. The reference character 26 designates the outer panel of the deck lid, said lid having an inner panel 28 which is secured by bolts 30 to the hinge strap 22. The shelf 10 is formed with a peripheral trough in which a sealing weather strip 32 seals against the inner panel 23 of the deck lid to keep dirt and moisture out of the rear compartment.

A first toggle link is pivoted at 82 on the hinge strap 22. As shown in FIG. 1, this toggle link has an arm forming a stop abutment 84. A second toggle link 36 is articulated at 88 to the long arm of the toggle link 80 and is pivoted by a pin 90 on the wall of the hinge box, the link being rigidly mounted on pivot pin 90. This toggle link has a complementary stop abutment portion 92 adapted to abut the stop portion 84 of the link 80, as shown in FIG. 3, to limit opening movement of the deck lid. The pin 90 projects through the wall of the hinge box and outside the hinge box wall a bracket 94 is rigidly mounted on the pin so that the bracket 94 and the toggle link 86 are locked together. Bracket 94 has a turned flange 96 which anchors one end of a helical tension spring 98. The other end of the spring is anchored in a bracket which is welded to the wall of the hinge box. Since the spring acts directly on the toggle linkage, there is no force multiplication.

When the deck lid is closed, the toggle linkage is folded as shown in FIG. 1. The angular relationship between the bracket 94 and the toggle link 86 is such that in this closed position the mechanical advantage is relatively slight despite the fact that the spring is fully loaded. When the deck lid swings from the closed position of FIG. 1 toward the open position of FIG. 3, the toggle linkage and bracket 94 swing in a manner to increase the mechanical advantage so that the counterbalance force of the spring exerted on the deck lid increases and is suflicient to overcome the gravity of the deck lid when the lid is fully open as in FIG. 3. As the lid swings closed, the spring is reloaded in preparation for the next cycle. The provision of the bracket 94 which is separate from but locked with the toggle link 86 allows the spring 98 to be mounted outside the hinge box waHs, thus reducing the amount of metal required in the hinge box.

While 'I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A hinge and counterbalance for body and lid members, comprising in combination, a hinge strap connected to the lid member; a hinge box mounted on the body member; means pivotally connecting said hinge strap to the hinge box between opposite walls thereof to permit swinging said lid between open and closed positions; a toggle linkage including first and second links and pivot means connecting the links; means pivotally connecting said first link to said hinge strap between said opposite walls at a point between the connection of the hinge strap to the lid member and the means pivotally connecting said strap to the hinge box; means pivotally connecting said second link to said hinge box between the walls thereof; a bracket mounted on said last-men tioned pivotal connecting means outside a wall of said hinge box in fixed angular relationship to said second 5 link for swinging movement thereof; a spring; and means connecting said spring to said bracket at a location such that the force of the spring is efiective on the link at a point spaced from the pivotal connections of the link to form a lever, the construction and arrangement being 10 such that the spring is loaded when the lid is closed and the moment arm of this lever increases as the lid is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Roethel June 1, 1943 Galla July 21, 1953 Squire Sept. 14, 1954 Thomas et a1 Mar. 8, 1955 Johnson et al. Sept. 4, 1956

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