Patent ID: 9062483
Filing Date: 2015-06-23
Classification: E05D

Abstract:
1. A free-wheeling hinge assembly comprising, in combination: a) a base element comprising: a solid cast geometric end comprising geometric shapes selected from the group consisting of ovals, oblongs, triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, and other multi-sided polygons capable of securely holding the free-wheeling hinge assembly between corresponding external member component geometric recesses and transferring directional forces applied to the external member components to the free-wheeling hinge assembly; a cylindrical length comprising an external side and an internal side; a central longitudinal axis; an open end; and an annular groove around the cylindrical length internal side, the groove defining a plane transverse to the central longitudinal axis; b) a cap element comprising: a solid cast geometric end comprising geometric shapes selected from the group consisting of ovals, oblongs, triangles, squares, rectangles, pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, and other multi-sided polygons capable of securely holding the free-wheeling hinge assembly between corresponding external member component geometric recesses and transferring directional forces applied to the external member components to the free-wheeling hinge assembly; a cylindrical length comprising an external side and an internal side; a central longitudinal axis; a cylindrical recess defined by the cylindrical length internal side; an open end sized to be received by and interference fitted into base open end; and an annular groove around the cap cylindrical length external side, the annular groove defining a plane transverse to the base central longitudinal axis; and c) an O-ring sized to be received within (i) the annular groove around the base cylindrical length internal side, and (ii) the annular groove around the cap cylindrical length external side, the O-ring serving to provide a pivot surface between the base element and the cap element;  wherein the free-wheeling hinge assembly provides a 360 degree pivot feature around the O-ring between the cap element and the base element, the pivot action being along a plane transverse to the central longitudinal axis and about the central longitudinal axis.