Lockable hinge arrangement

A lockable hinge arrangement comprising a first hinge plate and a second hinge plate, wherein the first and the second hinge plates being hingedly connected to one another at one elongated first edge thereof to comprise the hinge arrangement. The hinge arrangement further a longitudinally displaceable elongated locking plate slidably attached to a second elongated edge of the second plate, the displaceable locking plate arranged to secure and release the first plate and the second plate from one another. A locking plate cam arrangement effects and permits the locking and forced separating release of the first plate and the second plate from rigid securement with one another. The elongated locking plate is acted upon by both a first cam arrangement and a second cam arrangement.

DISCUSSION OF THE ART

Hinges by their nature are the weak link in any structure. They must keep their adjoining/attached articulatable structure portions in secure alignment with one another and they must provide rigid continuity of components with minimal likelihood of failure or separation. This is particularly critical when such hinge is utilized to connect structural portions which support something for example, a human being, as identified in latter one of the aforementioned Provisional Applications.

It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hinge arrangement which is readily lockable and unlockable.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a hinge arrangement with multiple interlocking securement points.

It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a hinge arrangement which permits communication through and between corresponding portions of the hinge arrangement's connected structures.

It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a biased release mechanism to open the hinge arrangement.

It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple cammed engagement between the side components of the hinge arrangement.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide yet a further cam arrangement interlocking the side portions of the hinge arrangement together.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a lockable hinge arrangement for enabling the folding of an attached pair of structures from a locked, size extended configuration, as shown in the aforementioned application, to a folded, compressed structural configuration so as to minimize storage space, as also shown and described in the foregoing referenced application, and facilitate carrying of that folded structure, for example, a foldable bicycle frame, as may be seen in the aforementioned provisional application.

Such a lockable hinge arrangement has a first side plate and a second side plate pivotally secured to one another by a pintle, which pintle is connectively inserted through a first plate knuckle and a pair of spaced-apart second plate knuckles. The lockable hinge arrangement absent any structures secured as by for example, welding, bolts or the like, to the respective first and second side plates, as may be seen in the aforementioned provisional application, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The lockable hinge in a closed locked configuration has an elongated locking plate which is slidably secured to a front edge of the first plate, by a spaced apart pair of locking plate securement pins. The locking plate has a pair of elongated slots through which the locking plate securement pins extend to permit secured, slot-limited longitudinal movement of the elongated locking plate when biased downwardly into a hinge-locked configuration, by the action of a lever actuated eccentric dual-surface cam pressing against a cam plate mounted on the locking plate flange.

The lockable hinge (release) lever is snap secured in a lever catch. In this stage, the release lever is stored parallel to the first and the second plates upper side. The lever catch mounted on the upper surface of the first plate has a catch flange on one side thereof. The lever is releasable by a downward pressure on the catch flange. Movement of the lever effects a rotation of the dual surface cam about its rotational axis to reduce the pressure of the cam on the cam plate mounted on the locking plate flange.

Upon release of the downward pressure effected by the dual surface cam, a biasing spring arranged between the underside of the locking plate flange and the upper side of the first plate effects a longitudinal displacement of the locking plate thus releasing the upper engagement pin, the middle engagement pin and the lower engagement pin from their locked and secured engagement with the upper engagement pin receiving slot, the middle engagement pin receiving slot and the lower engagement pin receiving slot, respectively. The upper engaging pin receiving slot and the middle engagement pin receiving slot each have a somewhat “S” shaped curvilinear cam surface so as to effectuate a biasing against the upper engagement pin and the middle engagement pin on the first plate thus facilitating the pivoting of the first plate from the second plate around the pintle connecting the first plate and the second plate.

First and second plate structure-to-structure have communication ports. Such communication ports each receive their respective ends of a collapsible or shrinkable structure-to-structure communication conduit. The structure-to-structure flexible, tubular, length-compressible communication conduit is utilized to safely enclose and protect therewithin any cables, electrical lines or fluid conduits which might otherwise be exposed to wear or damage.

Such cables or electrical lines may be envisaged in the aforementioned provisional patent application cited hereinabove, which extend between a structure attached to the first plate and a structure attached to the second plate.

It is to be noted that the release spring for biasing the locking plate from engagement with the respective upper engagement pin, the middle engagement pin and the lower engagement pin, is secured about a spring supporting shaft which spring supporting shaft extends through the locking plate flange, the cam plate being disposed on the upper side of the locking plate flange and the release spring having an upper end which is being biased against the lower side of the locking plate flange, they release spring having a lower end which biases against a shoulder on the first plate within its upper side thereof.

The locking plate flange may have an upstanding finger having a distal end which mates with and tracks arcuate guide track arranged on each outwardly facing side of the dual surface cam.

Thus, what is shown and described is a unique hinge for connecting and locking together and enabling the unlocking from one another, two elongated structures, which however remain pivotally connected to one another.

The invention thus comprises a lockable hinge arrangement for enabling the dimensional conversion of an elongated pair of structures, wherein one of the pair of structures is arranged to be attached to a first hinge plate and the other of the pair of structures is arranged to be attached to a second hinge plate, the first and the second hinge plates being hingedly connected to one another at one elongated first edge thereof to comprise the hinge arrangement, the hinge arrangement further comprising: a longitudinally displaceable elongated locking plate slidably attached to a second elongated edge of the second plate, the displaceable locking plate arranged to secure and release the first plate and the second plate from one another, and a locking plate cam arrangement for effecting and permitting locking and forced separating release of the first plate and the second plate from rigid securement with one another. The locking plate cam arrangement preferably comprises a rotatable lever actuated first cam attached onto the top edge of the second plate, to enable simple locking and unlocking of the locking plate cam arrangement from above. The locking plate cam arrangement preferably includes a forced-plate-release second cam arrangement engaged with the second elongated edge of the first plate and the second plate. The second cam arrangement comprises at least one pin arranged on the second elongated edge of the first hinge plate. The second cam arrangement also comprises a plurality of pin receiving curvilinear slots having cam surfaces for enabling the forced separating, by pushing, of the first and second plates apart when the locking plate is displaced. The locking plate is movably secured to the second elongated edge of the second hinge plate. A biasing spring is utilized to displace the locking plate when the locking plate first cam is rotatably released by the rotatable lever. The first cam has an axis of rotation which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the at least one pin extending from the second elongated edge of the first hinge plate. The locking plate cam arrangement comprises two sets of cams, wherein a first cam movement enables actuation of a second cam movement, to enable a biased hinged separation of the first and the second hinge plates. The first and second hinge plates each have a co-aligned conduit accepting port extending thereacross to enable secure conduit enclosed communication between the structure attached to each respective hinge plate.

The invention also comprises a method of releasing a lockable hinge relationship of a first hinge plate and a second hinge plate secured in a parallel relationship, to a first hinge plate and a second hinge plate biased-open non-parallel relationship, comprising one or more of the steps of: arranging a first cam arrangement on an upper edge of the second hinge plate; arranging a second cam arrangement on an elongated edge of the first hinge plate; rotating the first cam arrangement about a first axis to enable an elongated locking plate attached to the second hinge plate to bias pivotable open the first hinge plate from the second hinge plate; pivoting a lever comprising a part of the first cam arrangement so as to enable the rotation of the first cam arrangement about the first axis to enable release-directed movement of the elongated locking plate from a hinge locked configuration on the second hinge plate to a hinge openable configuration; pushing a flanged upper end of the elongated locking plate upwardly away from the upper edge of the second hinge plate to enable released displacement of the elongated locking plate with respect to the first elongated edges of the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate; enabling the pushing of the flanged upper end of the elongated locking plate by the placement of a compressed spring placed between the upper edge of the second hinge plate and the flanged upper end of the elongated locking plate; rubbing a pin extending perpendicularly outwardly from the elongated edge of the first hinge plate against a sloped curvilinear cam surface of a slot arranged in the released, displaced elongated locking plate to effect a cammed pushing open of the elongated edge of the first plate from the elongated edge of the second plate; and arranging a communication port through correspondingly adjacent locations in the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate to permit a communication conduit to be safely arranged therebetween.

The invention also comprises lockable hinge arrangement comprising a first hinge plate and a second hinge plate, the first and the second hinge plates being hingedly connected to one another at one elongated first edge thereof to comprise the hinge arrangement, the hinge arrangement further comprising: a longitudinally displaceable elongated locking plate slidably attached to a second elongated edge of the second plate, the displaceable locking plate arranged to secure and release the first plate and the second plate from one another, and a locking plate cam arrangement for effecting and permitting locking and forced separating release of the first plate and the second plate from rigid securement with one another. The elongated locking plate is acted upon by a first cam arrangement and a second cam arrangement. Movement of the first cam arrangement effects movement of the second cam arrangement, and the first cam arrangement comprises a lever movable eccentrically rotated wheel pressing against a portion of the elongated displaceable locking plate, and the second cam arrangement comprises at least one pin on the first hinge plate in a cammed relationship with at least one cam slot on the elongated locking plate to effect a biasing apart of the first hinge plate from the second hinge plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly toFIG. 1, there is shown the present invention which comprises the lockable hinge20for enabling the folding of an attached pair of structures from a locked, size extended configuration, as shown in the aforementioned Provisional Application No. 62/123,292, to a folded, compressed structural configuration so as to minimize storage space, as also shown and described in the foregoing referenced application, and facilitate carrying of that folded structure, for example, a foldable bicycle frame, as may be seen in such aforementioned '292 provisional application.

Such a lockable hinge20has a first side plate22having a facial plane23and a second side plate24pivotally secured to one another at a first elongated edge thereof by a pintle26, which pintle26is connectively inserted through a first plate knuckle28and a pair of spaced-apart second plate knuckles30. The lockable hinge arrangement20secured to a pair of structures S1and S2, represented in phantom inFIG. 1, may be secured as by for example, welding, bolts or the like, to the respective first and second side plates22and24as may be seen in the aforementioned provisional application, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The lockable hinge20in a closed locked configuration as shown inFIG. 1, has an elongated, inverted, generally L-shaped locking plate32which is slidably secured to a second elongated edge34, best seen inFIG. 4, of the second plate24, by a spaced apart pair of locking plate securement pins36, shown inFIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The L-shaped locking plate32has an arrangement of elongated slots38, in parallel alignment with the longitudinal axis L1of the locking plate32, and through which the locking plate securement pins36extend to permit secured, slot-limited longitudinal movement of the elongated locking plate32when biased downwardly into a hinge-locked configuration, represented inFIG. 1, by the action of a eccentrically rotated circularly shaped dual-surface cam40pressing against a single cam plate42mounted on the biased locking plate flange44. The dual surface cam40is rotated about its eccentric axis46arranged normal to the second side plate24by a release lever48fixedly secured to the cam40. The eccentric axis46is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L1of the locking plate32to properly align the lever48to line up with the second plate24and facilitate release and locking of the lever48with respect to the lever catch flange54.

The lockable hinge (release) lever48is snap secured in a lever catch50. In this stage, the release lever48is stored parallel to the upper surface52of the first and the second plates22and24and the lever catch50is fixedly attached to the upper surface52of the second plate24, as may be seen inFIGS. 1, 2 and 7. The lever catch50mounted on the upper surface52of the second plate24has a catch flange54on one side thereof. The lever48is releasable the locking configuration of the lever catch50by a downward pressure on the catch flange54. Lifting movement of the lever48effects a rotation of the dual surface cam40about its eccentric rotational support axis46to reduce the pressure of the cam40on the cam plate42mounted on the locking plate flange.

Upon release of the downward pressure effected by the position-locked dual surface cam40, a biasing spring58, best seen inFIGS. 3 and 5, is arranged between the underside of the locking plate flange44and the upper surface52of the second plate24effects an upward longitudinal displacement of the locking plate32thus slidably releasing the upper engagement pin62, the middle engagement pin63and the lower engagement pin64from their locked and secured engagement with their respective upper engagement pin receiving slot66, the middle engagement pin receiving slot68and the lower engagement pin receiving slot70, respectively. The engagement pins62,63and64have a longitudinal axis65which extend in a plane parallel to the facial plane23of the first side plate22. The upper engaging pin receiving slot66and the middle engagement pin receiving slot68each have a somewhat “S” shaped curvilinear cam surface72so as to effectuate a biasing against the upper engagement pin62, the middle engagement pin63and the lower engagement pin64on the second elongated edge or front edge surface74of the first plate22thus facilitating the biased opening and pivoting of the first plate22from the second plate24around the pintle26connecting the first plate22and the second plate24. Release of the lever48from the locking plate flange54thus permits/effects rotation of the eccentrically mounted cam40about its axis46permitting the biasing spring58to push the L-shaped locking plate32from securement with the engagement pins62,63and64, the respective S shaped curve72on the upper and the middle slots66and68and thus releasing the first plate22from locked adjacent capture against the second plate24. Reversal of the lever58will enable sliding engagement and locking of the locking plate32into engagement with the pins62,63and64on the front edge surface74of the first plate22.

The first and second plates22and24of the hinge arrangement20structure-to-structure each have axially aligned conduit-connected communication ports80and82, as may be seen inFIGS. 1 and 2, and 10, 11 and 12. Such communication ports80and82each receive their respective ends of a collapsible or axially shrinkable structure-to-structure communication conduit84, as may be seen inFIGS. 10, 11 and 12. The structure-to-structure flexible, tubular, length-compressible communication conduit84is utilized to safely enclose and protect therewithin any cables, electrical lines or fluid conduits which might otherwise be exposed to wear, crimping or damage by the surfaces or edges of the hinge20.

Such cables or electrical lines may be envisaged in the aforementioned provisional patent application cited hereinabove, which extend between a structure (i.e. a portion of a bicycle frame) welded or boltably attached to the outwardly facing surface of the first plate22and a structure (i.e. another portion of the to-be-folded bicycle frame) welded or boltably attached to the outwardly facing surface of the second plate24.

It is to be noted that the release spring58for biasing the locking plate32from engagement with the respective upper engagement pin62, the middle engagement pin63and the lower engagement pin64, is secured about a spring supporting shaft90which spring supporting shaft90extends through the locking plate flange44, the cam plate42which is disposed on the upper side of the locking plate flange44and the release spring58having an upper end92which is being biased against the lower side of the locking plate flange44, as shown inFIGS. 3, 5 and 9, the release spring58having a lower end94which biases against a shoulder96on the second plate24on its upper side thereof, as may be seen inFIG. 3.

The locking plate flange44may have an upstanding finger45, as shown inFIG. 10, having a distal end which mates with and tracks arcuate guide track47, as shown inFIG. 10, and also inFIG. 3, arranged on each outwardly facing side of the dual surface cam40.

Thus, what is shown and described is a unique hinge for connecting and locking together and enabling the unlocking from one another, two elongated structures, which however remain pivotally connected to one another.