HINGE

Abstract: A hinge for connecting an edge of a sheet member to a preferably planar surface, said hinge being intended to be used e.g. in foldable boxes and the like. This is made possible according to the invention in that a hinge member (5) having an annular portion (6) and a straight portion (7) extending substantially radially from the annular portion is arranged with a portion of the sheet member (1) between the edge and an opening (8) close to the edge extending through the annular portion (6) and with the straight portion (7) rotatably but axially non-slidably mounted in an opening in the planar surface (3).

Description: Hinge The present invention relates to a hinge for con¬ necting an edge of a sheet member to a preferably planar surface, said hinge having many uses, e.g. for foldable boxes and similar objects. • In order to connect an edge of a sheet member to a planar surface hinges of different kinds are generally used. Howeverj these hinges only permit pivotal movement of the sheet member around a single, stationar pivot axis, said pivot axis also often being positioned at a distance from the planar surface. However, in many cases it is de¬ sirable that the sheet member can be pivoted around a pivot axis parallel to the planar surface and that said pivot axis can be turned in a plane that is parallel to the planar surface. This is, however, not possible with previously known devices, at least not unless very com¬ plicated and expensive designs are used. The object of the present invention is to provide a hinge of the kind mentioned above, said hinge meeting the requirements given above and further being of very simple design and cheap to manufacture. According to the invention this is accomplished in that a hinge member hav¬ ing an annular portion and a straight portion extending substantially radially from the annular portion is arrang¬ ed with a portion of the sheet member between the edge and an opening close to the edge extending through the annular portion and with the straight portion rotatably but axially non-slidably mounted in an opening in the planar surface. The invention is described more closely below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hinge according to one em¬ bodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows a section along the line II-II in Fig. 1. In the drawing there is shown a sheet member 1, in the shown embodiment a flat sheet metal member, one edge 2 of which is intended to be connected to a planar surface 3 on a second sheet member 4, in the shown em- bodiment also a flat sheet metal member. The connection between the two sheet members is made by means of a hinge member , which as is most clearly shown in Fig. 2 in¬ cludes an annular portion 6 and a straight portion 7- In the embodiment shown in the drawing the hinge member consists of a metal wire or the like, whereby the annular portion 6 is made of the middle portion of the wire and the straight portion 7 is made of the end portions of the wire, which are folded as parallel legs substantially radial in relation to the annular portion 6. The annular portion 6 surrounds, as will be clear from the drawing, a portion of the sheet member 1 between the edge 2 of thi and an opening 8 close to this edge. Thereby the opening 8 is positioned at a distance from the edge 2 substantial ly corresponding ro the inner diameter in the annular portion 6 of the hinge member. The straight portion 7 is passed through an opening in the second sheet member 4 and is rotatably but axially non-slidably mounted in said opening in that the legs of the straight porti n 7 are folded in opposite directions at the opposite side of the second sheet member. Thereby it is possible to use a common split pin of standard type as hinge member. As is shown most clearly in Fig. 1 the sheet member 1 is movable in different direction relative to the second sheet member 4. From the position shown with full lines the sheet member 1 is pivotable 180 around a pivot axis situated adjacent the edge 2, which in turn ha contact with or is positioned at a very small distance from the planar surface 3 of the second sheet member 4. Further the sheet member 1, as also shown in Fig. 1, is pivotable around an axis that is perpendicular to the planar surface 3 and passes through the opening in said surface. This means that the hinge according to the in¬ vention gives the sheet member 1 very great mobility rela- tive to the second sheet member 4. The invention is of course not limited to the em¬ bodiment described above, but changes may be made within the scope of the accompanying claims. O'.PI

Claims: Claims : 1. Hinge for connecting an edge (2) of a sheet member (1) to a preferably planar surface (3), characterized in that a hinge member (5) having an annular portion (6) and a straight portion (7) extending substantially radially from the annular portion is arranged with a portion of the sheet member (1) between the edge and an opening (8) close to the edge extending through the annular portion (6) and with the straight portion (7) rotatably but axially non- -slidably mounted in an opening in the planar surface (3). 2. Hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (8) in the sheet member (1) is positioned at a distance from the edge (2) of the sheet member sub¬ stantially corresponding to the inner diameter of the annular portion (β) of the hinge member (5)- 3- Hinge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hinge member (5) comprises a wire or the like bent to open annular shape, the ends of the wire being bent to parallel legs and extending substantially radial¬ ly relative to the annular portion (6) in order to form the straight portion (7). 4. Hinge according to claim 3j where the planar sur¬ face comprises one surface of a second sheet member (4), characterized in that the hinge member (5) is mounted in the opening in the planar surface in that the legs (7) are bent in different directions on the opposite side of the sheet member (4).

Inventors: LUNDBERG H
Applicants: LUNDBERG H, PRIMUS SIEVERT AB
Application year: 1979
Main classification: F16C11
IPC codes: F16B5, F16C11