Patent ID: 6317928
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: E05D,Y10T

Abstract:
A lockable hinge device attached to a door assembly during a mass production manufacturing process comprising:a female flap and a male flap for attachment to structures to be hinged together and having interfittable knuckles defining together a passageway; anda hinge pin insertable into the passageway to pivotally connect the female flap to the male flap; and wherein,the female flap has a first outermost knuckle and a second outermost knuckle, at least one of said first and second outermost knuckles having a longitudinal slot extending through the entire length thereof and the male flap has a knuckle with an outer edge adjoining an inner edge of said at least one of said first and second outermost knuckles of the female flap, said outer edge having first and second cuts spaced angularly apart and located on said outer edge, said flaps being pivotable between a manufacturing position where said first cut is in an aligned relationship aligned with the slot, an unlock position where said second cut is in an aligned relationship with said slot, and a lock position where said first and second cuts are in an unaligned relationship with the slot; and whereinthe hinge pin has along its length a tooth projecting therefrom, said tooth being sized to freely slide in said slot and to fit entirely in each of said cuts, thereby allowing the hinge pin to be displaced in the passageway while the flaps are pivoted in the manufacturing and unlock positions with the slot guiding the tooth up to each of said cuts to sit therein, and then as the flaps are pivoted in the lock position, the tooth sitting in either of said cuts is caused to slide under the inner edge of said at least one of said first and second outermost knuckles of the female flap, thereby locking the hinge pin in the passageway;the lockable hinge device being characterized in that said slot and said cuts are located respectively on said at least one of said first and second outermost knuckles of the female flap and on said outer edge of the male flap such that the hinge pin is inserted in the manufacturing position where flaps are at 0.degree. angle to each other in the manufacturing position.