Abstract:
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a pivoting and sliding member is provided. The pivoting and sliding member includes a housing covering controls for a combustion appliance, a first and second pivot pin attached to the housing in a substantially parallel manner having sufficient strength to permit the housing to pivot and slide about the first and second pivot pins, and an elongated receiving slot configured to receive one of the first or second pivot pins and dimension to permit at least one of the first and second pivot pins to pivot within and slide along the elongated receiving slot. A method of manipulating a control cover on a combustion device is provided.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to hinge mechanisms. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hinge mechanism that both pivots and slides on a control panel cover on a boiler.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Household appliances, particularly appliances that are combustion devices such as boilers or furnaces, are often controlled with electronic controllers. Electronic controllers may, in some instances, be sensitive and require protection from external influences. The need for protection from external influences may be increased due to the fact that household combustion appliances often emit substances such as hot gases or water or vapor, which can damage electronic instruments.  
         [0003]     In addition, household appliances may be located in a utility space such as a closet or basement which again may be subject to dust and other influences that can damage electronic equipment. Therefore, a cover protecting the electronic equipment from these sorts of influences is desired.  
         [0004]     From time to time, a user of the boiler or maintenance personnel may desire to access the electronic equipment. Therefore, it is desired that a cover be moveable to selectively expose the electronic equipment at desired times so that a user may access the equipment. In keeping with the requirements of permitting selective access to electronic equipment, the cover should be selectively moveable to a covering (or protecting position) to a noncovering position. It may be desirable to have the cover be able to move to a position where it exposes the electronic equipment yet is also out of the way and does not require a user to continue to hold or keep hold of the cover of the electronic equipment in an exposed position. In other words, move the cover to a stable, out-of-the-way position. By using the word “stable,” what is meant is that the cover will stay in an out-of-the-way position.  
         [0005]     Furthermore, due to the economic realities of the marketplace, it is desirable that a cover for the electronic equipment be easy to manufacture and assemble be made of relatively inexpensive materials and be easily fitted and assembled with associated components of the appliance to which it is associated.  
         [0006]     In addition, it may be desirable to be able to secure the cover to the covering position so that vibrations or other influences do not permit the cover to be moved and exposed to the sensitive electronic equipment. Some embodiments provide a feature that allows the cover to fasten in a closed position.  
         [0007]     In keeping with the desire to make manufacturing of the cover simple, it would be useful if the mechanism that keeps the cover in the closed position be simple. It would be useful if the cover did not require tight tolerances to ensure the cover will be in a position where when the cover is closed, the cover will fasten to a closed position. It would be desirable for the cover to be able to be easily moved and manipulated to fasten when placed in the closed position. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus such as a cover that can selectively protect and expose sensitive electronic equipment and also a method for selectively protecting electronic equipment from external influences.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present invention, wherein in one aspect an apparatus is provided that in some embodiments a cover is provided that can protect sensitive electronic equipment and easily move to a stable out of the way position to expose the electronic equipment and thereby provide access to the electronic equipment. Some embodiments provide a feature that allows the cover to fasten in a closed position.  
         [0009]     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a pivoting and sliding member is provided. The pivoting and sliding member includes a housing covering controls for a combustion appliance, a first and second pivot pin attached to the housing in a substantially parallel manner having sufficient strength to permit the housing to pivot and slide about the first and second pivot pins, and an elongated receiving slot configured to receive one of the first or second pivot pins and dimension to permit at least one of the first and second pivot pins to pivot within and slide along the elongated receiving slot.  
         [0010]     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of manipulating a control cover on a combustion device is provided. The method includes pivoting and sliding a hinge pin in a slot to move the control cover to a desired position, sliding a fastener in a slot in the control cover to align the fastener with a receiver, and fastening the control cover to a secured position with the fastener communicating with the receiver wherein the secured position is a position where an opening in the control cover is aligned to prevent a display located under the control cover to be displayed through the hole in the control cover.  
         [0011]     In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a pivoting and sliding member is provided. The pivoting and sliding member includes means for housing covering controls for a combustion appliance, means for providing pivoting and sliding motion attached to the housing for permitting the housing means to pivot and slide, and an elongated receiving slot configured to receive the pivoting and sliding means and permit the pivoting and sliding means to move the elongated receiving slot.  
         [0012]     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.  
         [0013]     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
         [0014]     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the hinge mechanism of a control cover in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a control cover of  FIG. 1 . showing the control cover installed in a boiler.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a electronic control mounting surface which includes a fastener receiver for receiving the cover fastener.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the hinge mechanism of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the cover and the front door of a boiler. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a cover for electronic control equipment used in household appliances such as a boiler.  
         [0021]     An embodiment of the present inventive apparatus is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The cover  10  includes a housing  12 . Mounted on the housing  12  is a hinge assembly  14  mounted on either end of the housing  12 . The hinge assembly  14  includes hinge pins  16  which are connected to the housing  12  by a support arm  18 . The hinge pins  16  are oriented so that the hinge pins  16  extend outwardly away from each other, as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0022]     In some embodiments of the present invention, the support arm  18  is flexible and permits flexture in a direction of the two support arms  18  to move inward toward each other. The flex movement of the support arms  18  allows the two hinge pins  16  to be moved toward each other sufficiently to avoid the edges of the slots  62  (see  FIG. 4 ) to permit the housing  12  to be inserted and removed from the appliance to which it is applied.  
         [0023]     Located on the back of the housing  12  are stops  20 . The stops  20  define a surface for the housing  12  to rest on when the housing  12  is in a raised, or “up” position. The stops  20  may be made of the same or different material as the housing  12 .  
         [0024]     In some embodiments of the invention, the raised, or “up” position exposes components of the appliance normally protected by the cover  12 . The raised or “up” position is a greater than  90 ° rotation so that when the cover  12  rests on the stops  20  the cover  12  is stable (will not move unless acted upon by an external force). The stops  20  are mounted to a back surface  22  of the housing  12 . Also located on the back surface  22  is a spacer bar  24 .  
         [0025]     A fastener  26  which is in some embodiments, as illustrated in  FIG. 1  is a machine screw, is used to secure the housing  12  in a down or protective position. The machine screw  26  is configured to mate with a corresponding receiver (discussed more below).  
         [0026]     In some embodiments of the invention, a washer  28  is included and located on the fastener  26 . The machine screw  26  fits in a fastener slot  30 . Then the washer  28  is placed on the fastener  26  and located on the underside of the housing  12  opposite the head of the machine screw  26 .  
         [0027]     In some embodiments of the invention, the slot  30  may be a round hole or it may be elongated which permits the housing  12  to be slid or moved to position the housing  12 , in a desired location without requiring the fastener  26  to also be moved. The fastener slot  30  is located in a dimple  32  within the housing  12 . The dimple  32  is an optional feature that may be round or elongated according to the shape of the slot  30 .  
         [0028]     The housing  12  also includes a display opening  34 , which in some embodiments of the invention, permits display features mounted on a structure located beneath the housing  12  to be displayed without the housing  12  covering those features when the cover  10  is in a down or protective position.  
         [0029]     The housing  12  also includes ventilation slots  36  which permit warm or hot gases located below the housing  12  to be vented through the slots  36 . These gases are the result of compulsion within the appliance. The ventilation slots  36  are optional and, of course, are not necessarily present in embodiments where they are not needed.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of housing  12  located on a boiler  38  according to one embodiment of the invention. The stop bar  40 , located on the boiler  38 , provides a surface for the stops  20  to urge against and hold the housing  12  in a raised position. The stop bar  40 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , is part of the top jacket  42  of the boiler  38 . In other embodiments of the invention, the stop bar  40  may be a separate element.  
         [0031]     A space  44  exists between the stop bar  40  and the spacer bar  24  and the stops  20  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In some embodiments of the invention, the space  44  provides relief so that the housing  12  can be rotated and/or slid along the hinge pin  16  to a raised position. The space  44  also permits the cover  10  to be rotated to a position past vertical. Therefore, when the stops  20  are placed against the stop bar  40 , the cover  10  will be in a stable, raised position.  
         [0032]     The display opening  34  is dimensioned in the housing  12  to permit the control panel  46  to be seen even though the control panel  46  is located beneath the housing  12 . In some embodiments of the invention, location of the fastener slot  30  is chosen so that when the fastener  26  is located in its receiver, the display opening  34  is properly aligned with the control panel  46 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of the control mount  48  that is located beneath the housing  12  when the housing  12  is in the down position as shown in  FIG. 2 . The down position shown in  FIG. 2  is also a protection position (i.e., while in this position the cover  12  protects sensitive electronic parts).  
         [0034]     The control mount  48 , in some embodiments of the invention, and as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , includes a tongue  50  which has a hole  52 . A grommet  54  is located within the hole  52 . The grommet  54  and the hole  52  provide a receiver to receive the fastener  26  and hold the fastener  26  securely. Holding the fastener  26  securely then will cause the housing  12  to be held in a secure position. In the embodiments shown in the figures, the grommet  54  is threaded so that the machine screw  26  is screwed into the grommet  54  and holds  54  the machine screw  26  securely.  
         [0035]     The location of the tongue  50  and the hole  52  and the grommet  54  are selected so that when the housing  12  is located to the lower position as shown in  FIG. 2 , the display opening  34  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) is aligned to permit the control panel  46  to be surrounded by, but substantially not covered, by the housing  12 . Thus controls located on the control panel  46  may be manipulated and displays located on the control panel  46  may be viewed when the housing  12  is in the protective (lowered position).  
         [0036]     In some embodiments of the invention, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the control panel  46  includes cutouts  56 ,  58  and  60 . These cutouts  56 , 58  and  60  provide mounting surfaces for control switches, actuators or indicators associated with the boiler  38 . The cutouts  46 ,  58  and  60  are located so that when the cover  12  is in the lowered position, the cutouts are positioned within the display opening  34 .  
         [0037]     In some embodiments of the invention, if some cut-outs are not used, plugs may be inserted into the cut-outs.  
         [0038]     Turning now to  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 4  is a broken side view of the top bar  40  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The top bar  40  defines an elongated slot  62 . The hinge pin  16  is located in the elongated slot  62 . Thus, the hinge pin  16  mounted on the support arm  18  can either pivot within the elongated slot  62  or slide along the elongated slot  62 . The housing  12  can pivot or slide for a combination of both pivot and sliding motion.  
         [0039]     One characteristic of some embodiments of the present invention is to permit the cover  12  to move in a both and sliding and pivoting motion to align the fastener slot, shown in  FIG. 1 , with the receiver defined by the tongue  50  hole  52  and grommet  54  in order to permit the fastener  26  to be fitted into the grommet  54  and hole  52  to secure the housing  12 .  
         [0040]     As mentioned, the housing  12  may be equipped with a housing fastening slot  30  to permit the housing  12  to be moved even when the fastener  26  is located in the fastener slot  30  and grommet  54  and hole  52 , but not necessarily tightened all the way down. In some embodiments of the invention, a desired location is one that permits the display opening  34  to display the control panel  46  (see  FIG. 3 ).  
         [0041]     In some embodiments of the invention, the cover  10  is installed or removed from the boiler  38  by installing or removing the hinge pins  16  into or from the elongated slot  62 .  
         [0042]     In some embodiments of the invention, the hinge pin  16  is entered into the slot  62  or removed from the slot  62  by flexure of the support arms  18  toward each other. By flexing the support arms  18  toward each other, the hinge pins  16  are moved toward each other and leave the elongated slot  62 , at which point the cover  12  can be removed provided the fastener  26  is not engaged with the grommet  54  and hole  52 .  
         [0043]     To replace the hinge pin  16  back into the elongated slot  62 , again the support arms  18  may be flexed so that the hinge pins  16  are in a position adjacent to the elongated slot  62 . Then the force that is flexing the support arms  18 , may be relieved to permit the support arms  18  to move back to a biased position which causes the hinge pins  16  to be inserted back into the elongated slots  62 .  
         [0044]     In some embodiments of the invention, the housing  12  may be made of a single material such as a blow molded and/or injection molded plastic, or rubber. In other embodiments of the invention, the housing  12  may be metal. In other embodiments of the invention, the housing  12  may be comprised of multiple parts assembled together. The descriptions of the way the housing is made or may be constructed is not meant to be limiting and in no way affects the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the claims.  
         [0045]     One optional feature of some embodiments of the invention is that the housing  12  is dimensioned so that the housing  12  does not interfere with removal and replacement of a front door associated with the appliance (often a boiler) to which the housing  12  is associated.  
         [0046]     For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the housing  12  is located on the boiler  38 . A front door  64  has a top portion  66 . The front door  64  is removable and comes off the boiler  38  in the direction shown by arrow A in a conventional manner. In other embodiments of the invention, the door  64  may swing on hinges to an open position. A seam  68  is defined by the border between the cover  12  and the top portion  68  of the front door  64 .  
         [0047]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the cover  12  and top portion  68  of the front door  64  are configured so that the movement of the cover  12  to an open position does not require opening of the front door  64 . Further, opening the front door  64  does not require movement or opening of the housing  12 . Thus, the operation of the housing  12  and the door  64  do not interfere with each other nor does the operation of one require the operation of the other.  
         [0048]     The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.