Door hinge

A door hinge has a bottom bracket and a bottom bracket mounting rib extends from the bottom bracket. A piston has a piston housing and a piston extension connecting in telescopic connection to the piston housing. The piston housing is connected to the bottom bracket at a bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint. The door bracket extension extends from the door bracket. A connection between the door bracket extension and the piston connector is a door bracket extension ball joint. An intermediate connector is connected to the door bracket at an intermediate door bracket joint, wherein the intermediate door bracket joint is a swivel joint. The top bracket is connected to the intermediate connector at a top bracket axle.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Application Ser. No. 11/014,022 for Adjustable Hinge For A Motor Vehicle filed Dec. 15, 2004 by the inventor Johnnie Yip relates to a front door car hinge, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In the previous application, the inventor explained that motor vehicles such as automobiles, typically have a door that rotates horizontally about a hinge. Other hinges with scissor type opening doors have also been developed, but are much less conventional. As seen in the prosecution history of application Ser. No. 11/014,022, a wide variety of door hinge mechanisms have been developed for automobile applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has several moving parts which are all preferably made of metal such as steel. A bottom bracket is secured to a automobile frame at a lower portion of the door hinge mounting. The bottom bracket is connected to a piston. A piston has a piston housing and a piston extension connecting to a piston connector. The piston connector is connected to a door bracket. A door bracket mounts to a door and is connected to an intermediate connector. The intermediate connector is connected to a top bracket. A top bracket is secured to an automobile frame at an upper portion of the door hinge mounting. The moving parts have joint connection between them.

The bottom bracket is connected to the piston housing at a piston base via a ball joint. The piston is connected to the piston extension by a telescopic configuration. The piston connector is connected to the door bracket by a ball joint. The door bracket is connected to an intermediate connector at an intermediate connector door bracket joint. The intermediate connector is connected to the top bracket at a top bracket axle.

The following call out list of elements is used consistently to refer to the elements of the drawings as follows:40bottom bracket41bottom bracket top bolt mount42bottom bracket bottom bolt mount43bottom bracket mounting rib44bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint50piston51piston housing52piston base retainer53piston base54piston extension55piston extension threading56piston connector tip57piston connector58piston connector socket60door bracket61door bracket extension62door bracket extension tip63door bracket bottom bolt mount64door bracket top bolt mount65door bracket flat face66door bracket extension ball joint68door bracket tongue69door bracket platform80intermediate connector81intermediate connector first stopper82intermediate connector door bracket joint83intermediate connector door bracket joint aperture84intermediate connector second stopper90top bracket91top bracket bolt mount92top bracket platform93top bracket lower mounting rib94top bracket upper mounting rib95top bracket axle99intermediate connector protrusion

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The bottom bracket40is preferably made of a thick plate of steel which is cut so that there is a bottom bracket top bolt mount41and a bottom bracket bottom bolt mount42. The bottom bracket top bolt mount41is preferably shaped as a pill shaped slot above the bottom bracket bottom bolt mount42which is also preferably shaped as a pill shaped slot. The bottom bracket top bolt mount41may further include a horizontal offset from the bottom bracket bottom bolt mount42. A bottom bracket mounting rib43is preferably made of a planar member, such as a thick plate of steel, and welded at a periphery to the bottom bracket40, between the bottom bracket top bolt mount41and the bottom bracket bottom bolt mount42so that the bottom bracket mounting rib43is in rigid connection with the remainder of the bottom bracket40. Preferably, the bottom bracket mounting rib43is formed as a flange protruding approximately, preferably about a perpendicular angle to the plane of the bottom bracket40. The bottom bracket40is preferably made in a curved profile. The bottom bracket mounting rib43further includes an aperture receiving a bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint44. The bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint is mounted in the bottom bracket mounting rib43. The bottom bracket mounting rib43and its ball joint44extends inward toward the bottom of the page as shown onFIG. 1of the drawings. The bottom bracket mounting rib has a flat or rounded face on an outside side as shown on the top of the page ofFIG. 1. The bottom bracket mounting rib43thus leans inward exposing a flat area on an outside side.

The bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint44is preferably connected to a piston base53of a piston50. The piston base53is preferably formed as a cylindrical extension extending from a piston housing51. The piston base53is preferably secured to the bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint44by a piston base retainer52. The piston base retainer52can be a pin extending from one face of the piston base53to an opposite face of the piston base53. The pin would thus be in a through extension through the piston base. An aperture in the piston base can receive the pin. Optionally, a clip can retain the pin. The piston base53preferably extends through an aperture in the bottom bracket mounting rib43. A ball joint can be mounted on the bottom bracket mounting rib43so that the ball joint becomes the bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint44. Although the pin may retain the bottom bracket mounting rib ball joint44on the piston base53, optionally, the ball joint can be secured, or unsecured to the piston base53. The piston base53supports the piston housing51. The piston housing51has a telescopic relationship with a piston extension54. The piston extension54is disposed as a rod entering through an aperture of the piston housing51so that the piston extension54moves in coaxial translation relative to the piston housing51. The piston housing51is biased with gas or spring or both to provide an extension force pushing the piston extension54outward away from the piston housing51. The piston extension54has a terminal area opposite the piston housing51. The terminal area is optionally threaded to form a piston extension threading55.

A piston connector57has a piston connector tip56which is bent and threaded at an aperture to receive the piston extension threading55. The bent piston connector tip56has a flat face with an aperture which faces the piston extension threading55. The piston extension threading55can be detached from the piston connector57by rotating the piston extension54. Rotating the piston extension54allows removal of the piston for easy replacement if necessary. The piston connector57has an upper end with an aperture. The preferably circular aperture forms a piston connector socket58on the piston connector57.

The door bracket60has a door bracket extension ball joint66. The preferably circular aperture is shaped to receive a ball joint which is the door bracket extension ball joint66. The door bracket extension ball joint is mounted to the door bracket extension tip62so that the piston connector socket58receives the door bracket extension ball joint66. The door bracket60has a door bracket extension61which is preferably made from a plate of steel welded perpendicular to the door bracket60, also preferably made from a plate of steel. The perpendicular welding joint occurs at a lower area of the door bracket60. The door bracket60is formed as a planar member with a door bracket flat face65and a door bracket bottom bolt mount63below a door bracket top bolt mount64. The door bracket flat face65is preferably between the door bracket bottom bolt mount63and the door bracket top bolt mount64. The door bracket extension being perpendicularly welded to the door bracket60, also further includes a door bracket extension tip62. The door bracket extension tip62forms a planar face perpendicular to the door bracket flat face65. A ball of a door bracket extension ball joint66is preferably mounted on a flat face of the door bracket extension tip62. The door bracket extension tip62extends downward away from the door bracket60. The door bracket extension tip62is attached to the door bracket at a connection or weld which begins on an area on an inside side of the door bracket bottom bolt mount63. The door bracket extension tip62curves around the door bracket bottom bolt mount63. The door bracket extension tip62has at least one fold in it. The door bracket flat face65has a door bracket platform69protruding as a wedge shaped column from the door bracket flat face65. The door bracket platform69preferably begins above the interface between the door bracket extension tip62and the door bracket60at a lower half of the door bracket. The door bracket further includes a door bracket tongue68. The door bracket tongue68is bent at an angle to the door bracket flat face65. The door bracket tongue angle is preferably less than 90°.

The intermediate connector80has an inside portion and an outside portion that join at a beveled edge extending across a width of the intermediate connector80along an interface. The intermediate connector80has an intermediate connector door bracket joint82on an outside portion which connects to the door bracket tongue68. The intermediate connector door bracket joint82swivels relative to the door bracket tongue68on a plane parallel to a surface of the door bracket tongue68. The door bracket tongue68optionally abuts and stops on a top bracket platform92,FIG. 4. The intermediate connector80also has an intermediate connector first stopper81. The intermediate connector first stopper has a threaded exterior and is shaped as a cylinder. The threaded exterior of the intermediate connector first stopper81is in threaded connection with a threaded aperture having threads on an internal surface. The threaded aperture is located on the surface of the intermediate connector80. The threaded aperture is sized to receive the threaded exterior surface of the intermediate connector first stopper81. The intermediate connector first stopper81may have a hexagonal drive for allowing rotation by a hexagonal screwdriver. The intermediate connector first stopper81can be adjusted for stopping against a top bracket platform92. An intermediate connector protrusion99extends from the intermediate connector80outside portion. The intermediate connector protrusion99preferably abuts the door bracket platform69. The intermediate connector protrusion99may optionally include an aperture for receiving an intermediate connector second stopper84. The intermediate connector second stopper84can have the same physical construction as the intermediate connector first stopper81with the hexagonal drive and externally threaded surface. The intermediate connector door bracket joint has an intermediate connector door bracket joint aperture83,FIGS. 6,7.

A top bracket90can be connected to the intermediate connector80using a top bracket axle95which passes through the intermediate connector80between the inside portion and outside portion of the intermediate connector80. The top bracket axle95can be formed as a cylinder which is held in place by a circle clip received in a groove of the top bracket axle95. The top bracket axle95has an axis of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the intermediate connector door bracket joint82. The top bracket axle95is structurally supported by a top bracket lower mounting rib93and a top bracket upper mounting rib94. The top bracket lower mounting rib93and the top bracket upper mounting rib94extend as a pair of flanges protruding approximately perpendicular to the planar level of the top bracket90. The top bracket lower mounting rib93and the top bracket upper mounting rib94preferably have rounded exterior portions, and are preferably made of steel plate of approximately the same thickness as the top bracket90. The top bracket platform92is preferably disposed between the pair of top bracket bolts mounts91. The top bracket lower mounting rib93and the top bracket upper mounting rib94are preferably disposed between the top bracket bolts mounts. The top bracket platform92is preferably disposed between the top bracket lower mounting rib93and the top bracket upper mounting rib94. The top bracket platform92can also be made of a portion of steel plate cut to a rectangular block and welded to the top bracket90. The top bracket platform92is preferably placed in a middle area at an inside edge of the top bracket90, and extending halfway across the width of the top bracket90. The top bracket platform92receives abutment of the intermediate connector first stopper81. The top bracket platform92is preferably rectangular and the top bracket90is also preferably generally rectangular.

It is also possible to reverse the piston so that the piston base53of the piston housing is connected to the piston connector57and the piston extension54is connected to the bottom bracket mounting rib43. The ball joints can be substituted with a joint that has the same or greater degree of freedom. The swivel joints can be substituted with a joint having the same or greater degree of freedom. Thus, although the invention has been disclosed in detail with reference only to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other embodiments can be provided without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is defined only by the claims set forth below.