Hinge equipped with spring

Abstract

In the present invention, at least one rotation base among two bases is supported so as to be rotatable relative to a hinge shaft, and the two bases have hinge shaft support parts arranged on both sides of the hinge shaft. Provided is a hinge equipped with a spring, in which: collars having cylinder parts into which the hinge shaft is fitted and a spring member is inserted are provided between the spring member and the hinge shaft support parts; both end parts of the spring member each bias one of the two bases; and at least one of the collars has a rotation-stop part (protrusion part) engaged with the rotation base to regulate rotation in the circumferential direction.

Description

Spring-loaded hinge

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-190137, filed on November 7, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, doors installed at entrances and exits of buildings have employed hinges that fix the door to a fixed surface so that the door can rotate around a vertical rotation center. As shown in Patent Document 1, for example, a spring-equipped hinge is known that includes a hinge shaft that coaxially supports two bases and a coil-shaped spring member wound around the hinge shaft, and the spring member biases the two bases to maintain a predetermined angle.

[0003] In such a spring hinge, at least one of the two bases is supported for relative rotation with respect to the hinge shaft. The two bases have hinge shaft support portions disposed on both sides of the hinge shaft. A collar having a tubular portion that fits onto the hinge shaft and through which the spring member is inserted is provided between the spring member and the hinge shaft support portion.

[0004] Patent No. 5297764

[0005] However, in a conventional spring hinge such as that disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the rotating base and the spring member are integrally provided, and the collar is integrally provided with the hinge shaft due to frictional force. Therefore, since the rotation of the collar itself is not restricted, when the rotating base is rotated, the spring member and the collar rotate relative to each other, generating friction due to rotation between the spring member and the collar. This causes friction between the rotating collar and the spring member, resulting in the generation of abrasion powder from the collar, abnormal noise, and reduced durability of the hinge. Furthermore, since the rotation of the collar is not restricted, the rotation of the hinge becomes unstable, leaving room for improvement in this regard.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a spring-equipped hinge that prevents wear due to relative rotation between the spring member and the collar, suppresses the generation of wear powder and abnormal noise, thereby preventing a decrease in durability, and further stabilizes the rotational operation of the hinge.

[0007] (1) Aspect 1 of the spring hinge of the present invention is a spring hinge comprising two bases, a hinge shaft supporting the two bases coaxially, and a coil-shaped spring member wound around the hinge shaft, and wherein the spring member biases the two bases to maintain a predetermined angle, wherein at least one of the two bases has a rotating base supported so as to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft, the two bases have hinge shaft support portions disposed on both sides of the hinge shaft, a collar is provided between the spring member and the hinge shaft support portion and has a tubular portion that is fitted onto the hinge shaft and inserted into the spring member, both ends of the spring member each bias one of the two bases, and at least one of the collars has a rotation prevention portion that engages with the rotating base to restrict rotation in the circumferential direction.

[0008] In the spring hinge of the present invention, the anti-rotation portion of at least one collar engages with the rotating base, causing the collar to rotate synchronously with the rotating base. At this time, the spring member biases the rotating base, causing the spring member to rotate synchronously with the rotating base and collar. That is, when the two bases rotate in a direction that reduces the angle between them, the rotating base, spring member, and collar are integrally arranged and move simultaneously, causing the hinge shaft and collar to rotate relative to each other, and the spring member and collar to move as a unit. This eliminates sliding wear caused by the relative rotation between the collar and spring member, as in conventional hinges, suppressing the generation of wear powder and abnormal noise, thereby minimizing deterioration in durability. Furthermore, in the present invention, the rotating base, spring member, and collar move simultaneously, stabilizing the rotational movement of the hinge.

[0009] (2) In aspect 2 of the present invention, in the spring-equipped hinge of aspect 1, it is preferable that one of the two bases, the rotating base, is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the hinge axis, and the other, the fixed base, is supported so as not to be rotatable relative to the hinge axis, and that the spring member has a first end on one side that biases the rotating base and a second end on the other side that biases the fixed base.

[0010] In this case, the fixed base cannot rotate relative to the spring member, and the collar does not move relative to the spring member. On the other hand, as described above, the anti-rotation portion of the collar engages with the rotating base, and the collar rotates in synchronization with the rotating base, so the spring member also rotates in synchronization with the rotating base and the collar. In other words, by using one side as a fixed base, a hinge with superior durability can be realized.

[0011] (3) In aspect 3 of the present invention, in the spring-loaded hinge of aspect 1 or aspect 2, it is preferable that the anti-rotation portion has a convex portion that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the collar, and that the convex portion engages with a concave portion provided in the rotating base.

[0012] In this case, an engagement structure is provided in which the convex portion does not come out of the concave portion, so that a rotation stopper for the collar can be provided simply and reliably.

[0013] (4) In aspect 4 of the present invention, in the spring-equipped hinge of aspect 3, when the angle between the two bases is 180 degrees horizontally, it is preferable that the distance from the intersection of a line passing through the center of the hinge axis and the surfaces of the two bases as viewed from the axial direction to the recess is smaller than the radius dimension of the collar.

[0014] In this case, the engagement portion between the convex portion and the concave portion, which acts as a rotation prevention position for the collar, is near the center of the hinge shaft, and is a position where the rotation moment of the rotating base is small, making it difficult for the convex portion to come out of the concave portion.

[0015] The spring-equipped hinge of the present invention prevents wear caused by relative rotation between the spring member and the collar, and suppresses the generation of wear powder and abnormal noise, thereby preventing a decrease in durability and stabilizing the rotational operation of the hinge.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a spring hinge according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the spring hinge according to Fig. 1, seen from the spring member side. Fig. 3 is a side view of the spring hinge, taken along line II in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a spring hinge according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of a collar of a spring hinge according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of a rotation base and a collar according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 2.

[0017] Hereinafter, a spring hinge according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the spring hinge 1 of this embodiment is a hinge for fixing a door, such as a door installed at the entrance of a building, to a fixed surface such as a wall surface so that the door can rotate around a rotation center O in the vertical direction.

[0019] The spring hinge 1 includes two bases 10, a hinge shaft 20 that coaxially supports the two bases 10, and a coil-shaped spring member 30 wound around the hinge shaft 20.

[0020] Here, the spring hinge 1 is fixed to a fixed surface (not shown) so that the center of rotation O of the base 10 relative to the hinge shaft 20 is parallel to the vertical direction, for example. In the spring hinge 1, the direction revolving around the center of rotation O is called the circumferential direction. The direction parallel to the hinge shaft 20 is called the axial direction X. For convenience, in the axial direction X, the direction in which the nut 25 threaded onto one end of the hinge shaft 20 is disposed is called the first direction X1, and the opposite side is called the second direction X2.

[0021] The base 10, hinge shaft 20 and spring member 30 are formed from metal members, but may also be made from hard plastic.

[0022] Each of the two bases 10 is plate-shaped. One of the two bases 10, a rotating base 10A, is supported so as to be rotatable relative to a hinge shaft 20. The other, a fixed base 10B, is supported so as not to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft 20. The rotating base 10A and the fixed base 10B have hinge shaft support portions 13A, 13B arranged on both sides of the hinge shaft 20 at opposing side edges 10a, 10b (see FIG. 4).

[0023] The rotating base 10A and the fixed base 10B have base bodies 11A and 11B that are rectangular plate-shaped when viewed in a plane, and support walls 12A and 12B that protrude from the side edges on both axial sides of the base bodies 11A and 11B in a direction perpendicular to the upper surfaces 11a of the base bodies 11A and 11B.

[0024] The base body 11A of the rotating base 10A has a shape with a slightly longer side than the base body 11B of the fixed base 10B. That is, the length of the fixed base 10B in the axial direction X is a length that allows it to be placed between the pair of support walls 12A, 12A of the rotating base 10A.

[0025] 5 to 7, a recess 14 is formed on the upper surface 11a of the base body 11A of the rotating base 10A at a position facing a flange 42 of a first collar 40A (described later). The recess 14 penetrates the base body 11A in the thickness direction. However, the recess 14 may be a recess that does not penetrate the base body 11A.

[0026] The base bodies 11A and 11B are formed with a plurality of screw holes 11c for mounting to a fixing surface.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 4-6 , the support walls 12A, 12B are integrally provided with the aforementioned hinge shaft support portions 13A, 13B that protrude toward the hinge shaft 20. The hinge shaft support portions 13A, 13B are each formed with a first through hole 131A and a second through hole 132A through which the hinge shaft 20 can be inserted. One hinge shaft support portion 13A of the rotating base 10A is formed with a circular first through hole 131A, and the other hinge shaft support portion 13A is formed with a non-circular (approximately rectangular) second through hole 132A. One hinge shaft support portion 13B of the fixed base 10B is formed with a circular first through hole 131B, and the other hinge shaft support portion 13B is formed with a non-circular (approximately rectangular) second through hole 132B. The first through hole 131B and the second through hole 132B are arranged coaxially in the axial direction. The rotary base 10A and the fixed base 10B are joined together by inserting the hinge shaft 20 through the first through-hole 131B and the second through-hole 132B.

[0028] 2 and 4 , the hinge shaft 20 is inserted through the spring member 30 and also through the first through holes 131A, 131B and the second through holes 132A, 132B of the support walls 12A, 12B. The outer diameter of the hinge shaft 20 is smaller than the inner diameter of the spring member 30. One end 20a of the hinge shaft 20 on the first direction X1 side has a male thread portion 21 formed on the tip side and a non-circular cross-sectional portion 22 formed on the inside of the male thread 21 in the axial direction X.

[0029] The male thread portion 21 is rotatably inserted into a circular first through-hole 131A formed in the support wall 12A of the rotating base 10A. A nut 25 is fastened to the portion of the male thread portion 21 protruding from the first through-hole 131A via a plurality of washers 26A and disc springs 26B. The non-circular cross-sectional portion 22 is non-rotatably inserted into a non-circular second through-hole 132B formed in the support wall 12B of the fixed base 10B.

[0030] The other end 20b of the hinge shaft 20 on the second direction X2 side is rotatably supported in a non-circular second through hole 132A formed in the support wall 12A of the rotating base 10A via the rotation holding portion 27, and is rotatably inserted into a circular first through hole 131B formed in the support wall 12B of the fixed base 10B.

[0031] The spring member 30 biases the two bases 10 to maintain a predetermined angle. The length of the spring member 30 is shorter than the distance between the pair of support walls 12B, 12B of the fixed base 10B.

[0032] The spring member 30 has a coil portion 31 wound around the hinge shaft 20 via a collar 40 (described later), a first end portion 32 extending linearly from the coil portion 31 along the surface of the base body 11A of the rotating base 10A, and a second end portion 33 extending linearly from the coil portion 31 along the surface of the base body 11B of the fixed base 10B. The first end portion 32 of the spring member 30 on the first direction X1 side biases the base body 11A of the rotating base 10A, and the second end portion 33 on the second direction X2 side biases the base body 11B of the fixed base 10B.

[0033] 1 and 4, a collar 40 having a tubular portion 41 fitted onto the hinge shaft 20 and inserted into the spring member 30 is provided between the spring member 30 and the hinge shaft support portion 13. The collar 40 is made of a resin such as plastic. A first collar 40A is disposed on the first direction X1 side of the spring member 30, and a second collar 40B is disposed on the second direction X2 side.

[0034] The collar 40 is provided so as to be able to slide smoothly in the axial direction X between the inner periphery of the spring member 30 and the outer periphery of the hinge shaft 20. As shown in Figure 7, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 41 of the collar 40 is larger than the outer diameter of the hinge shaft 20, allowing the collar 40 to rotate relative to the hinge shaft 20. In addition, the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 41 of the collar 40 is smaller than the inner diameter of the coil portion 31 of the spring member 30.

[0035] 3 and 5 , the cylindrical portion 41 of the collar 40 has a flange 42 on the hinge shaft support portion 13 side that abuts against the end surface 13 a of the hinge shaft support portion 13. The flange 42 protrudes radially outward from the entire circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 41, and buffers the gap between the coil end surface 30 c of the spring member 30 and the end surface 13 a of the hinge shaft support portion 13.

[0036] The collar 40 is provided to be rotatable relative to the rotating base 10A in the same manner as the hinge shaft 20, and is provided to be non-rotatable relative to the fixed base 10B in the same manner as the hinge shaft 20. In other words, since the fixed base 10B and the hinge shaft 20 are non-rotatable relative to each other, the collar 40 does not require a rotation stopper relative to the fixed base 10B.

[0037] The flange 42 of the first collar 40A has a protrusion 43 (rotation stopper) that engages with the rotating base 10A to restrict circumferential rotation. The protrusion 43 protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral edge 42a of the flange 42. The protrusion 43 engages with a recess 14 provided in the rotating base 10A. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the angle between the pair of rotating bases 10A and the fixed base 10B is 180 degrees horizontally, the distance L from the intersection K0 between the surface of the pair of rotating bases 10A and the fixed base 10B and the recess 14 is smaller than the radius r of the collar 40. The protrusion 43 and the recess 14 are formed in the same shape and engage with each other through surface contact, so the protrusion 43 will not slip out of the recess 14.

[0038] The first collar 40A configured in this manner is rotatable in synchronization with the rotary base 10A because the convex portion 43 is engaged with the concave portion 14.

[0039] Next, the operation of the spring hinge 1 described above will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The spring hinge 1 according to this embodiment includes two bases 10, a hinge shaft 20 that coaxially supports the two bases 10, and a coil-shaped spring member 30 wound around the hinge shaft 20. The spring member 30 biases the two bases 10 to maintain a predetermined angle. At least one of the two bases 10, a rotating base 10A, is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft 20. The two bases 10 have hinge shaft support portions 13 disposed on both sides of the hinge shaft 20. A collar 40 is provided between the spring member 30 and the hinge shaft support portion 13. The collar 40 is fitted onto the hinge shaft 20 and has a cylindrical portion 41 through which the spring member 30 is inserted. Each of the two ends of the spring member 30 biases one of the two bases 10. At least one of the collars 40 has a rotation stopper (protrusion 43) that engages with the rotation base 10A to restrict rotation in the circumferential direction.

[0040] In the spring hinge 1 according to this embodiment, the anti-rotation portion (protrusion 43) of at least one collar 40 (first collar 40A) engages with the rotating base 10A, causing the collar 40 to rotate synchronously with the rotating base 10A. At this time, the spring member 30 biases the rotating base 10A, causing the spring member 30 to rotate synchronously with the rotating base 10A and collar 40. That is, when the two bases 10 rotate in a direction that reduces the angle between them, the rotating base 10A, spring member 30, and first collar 40A are integrally provided and move simultaneously, causing the hinge shaft 20 and first collar 40A to rotate relative to each other, and the spring member 30 and first collar 40A to move integrally. This eliminates sliding wear due to the relative rotation between the collar 40 and spring member 30, suppressing the generation of wear powder and abnormal noise, thereby minimizing deterioration in durability. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotation base 10A, the spring member 30, and the first collar 40A move simultaneously, so that the rotational movement of the hinge can be stabilized.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one of the two bases 10, the rotating base 10A, is supported rotatably relative to the hinge shaft 20, and the other, the fixed base 10B, is supported non-rotatably relative to the hinge shaft 20. The spring member 30 biases the rotating base 10A at one end 32 and the fixed base 10B at the other end 33. With this configuration, the fixed base 10B is non-rotatable relative to the spring member 30, and the second collar 40B does not move relative to the spring member 30. Meanwhile, as described above, the anti-rotation portion (protrusion 43) of the first collar 40A of the rotating base 10A engages with the rotating base 10A, and the first collar 40A rotates synchronously with the rotating base 10A. Therefore, the spring member 30 also rotates synchronously with the rotating base 10A and the first collar 40A. In other words, by using the fixed base 10B as one of the bases, a hinge with superior durability can be realized.

[0042] In this embodiment, the anti-rotation portion has a protrusion 43 that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral edge 42a of the first collar 40A. The protrusion 43 is engaged with a recess 14 provided in the rotating base 10A. This provides an engagement structure that prevents the protrusion 43 from slipping out of the recess 14, making it possible to easily and reliably provide an anti-rotation mechanism for the collar 40.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the angle between the two bases 10 is 180 degrees horizontally, the distance from the intersection K0 between the surface of the two bases 10 and the line K passing through the center of the hinge shaft 20 as viewed from the axial direction X and the recess 14 is smaller than the radius of the first collar 40A. With this configuration, the engagement portion between the recess 14 and the convex portion 43, which serves as the anti-rotation position for the collar 40, is near the center of the hinge shaft 20, and this is a position where the rotation moment of the rotating base 10A is small, making it possible to achieve a structure in which the convex portion 43 is less likely to come out of the recess 14.

[0044] As described above, the spring hinge 1 according to this embodiment prevents wear caused by relative rotation between the spring member 30 and the collar 40, and suppresses the generation of wear powder and abnormal noise, thereby preventing a decrease in durability and stabilizing the rotational operation of the hinge.

[0045] Although the embodiment of the spring hinge according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention.

[0046] For example, in the above-described embodiment, one of the two bases 10, the rotating base 10A, is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft 20, and the other, the fixed base 10B, is supported so as not to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft 20, but this is not limiting. That is, the hinge shaft 20 may be a spring-loaded hinge that is rotatable relative to both of the two bases 10. In other words, if both of the two bases 10 are rotating bases, it is sufficient to provide anti-rotation portions on both of the collars 40 arranged on both sides of the spring member 30.

[0047] In addition, in this embodiment, the anti-rotation portion is a protrusion 43 that protrudes radially outward from the flange portion 42 of the collar 40, but this is not limited to this and anti-rotation portions of other shapes and configurations may be used.

[0048] In addition, the components in the above-described embodiments can be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0049] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Spring-equipped hinge 10 Base 10A Rotating base 10B Fixed base 11A, 11B Base body 13, 13A, 13B Hinge shaft support portion 14 Recessed portion 20 Hinge shaft 30 Spring member 31 Coil portion 32 First end portion 33 Second end portion 40 Collar 40A First collar 40B Second collar 41 Cylinder portion 42 Flange portion 43 Convex portion (rotation prevention portion)

Claims

1. A spring hinge comprising two bases, a hinge shaft supporting the two bases coaxially, and a coil-shaped spring member wound around the hinge shaft, the spring member biasing the two bases to maintain a predetermined angle, wherein a rotating base of at least one of the two bases is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft, the two bases have hinge shaft support portions arranged on both sides of the hinge shaft, a collar is provided between the spring member and the hinge shaft support portion, the collar having a tubular portion that is fitted onto the hinge shaft and inserted into the spring member, both ends of the spring member each bias one of the two bases, and at least one of the collars has a rotation prevention portion that engages with the rotating base to restrict circumferential rotation.

2. A spring-equipped hinge as described in claim 1, wherein one of the two bases, the rotating base, is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft, and the other, the fixed base, is supported so as not to be rotatable relative to the hinge shaft, and wherein a first end of the spring member biases the rotating base, and a second end of the spring member biases the fixed base.

3. A spring hinge as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the anti-rotation portion has a protrusion that protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential edge of the collar, and the protrusion is engaged with a recess provided in the rotating base.

4. A spring hinge as described in claim 3, wherein when the angle between the two bases is 180 degrees horizontally, the distance from the intersection of a straight line passing through the center of the hinge axis and the surfaces of the two bases when viewed in the axial direction to the recess is smaller than the radial dimension of the collar.