Hinging system for containers

Abstract: Hinging system serving to attach a cover, which cover comprises a top face and cover side walls projecting from it, to an open container bounded by container side walls and open at one side, comprising a first hinge component in the form of a horizontally extending hinge pin connected to the container and a second hinge component that is fitted in or onto a cover side wall and projects outwardly from it, which second hinge component is provided with a slot bounded by at least two slot walls, in which slot the hinge pin can be accommodated rotatably and detachably, the slot walls enclosing a slot which runs substantially parallel to the top face of the cover and which is at least open at the side facing away from the container.

Description: The invention relates to a hinging system serving to attach a cover, which cover comprises a top face and cover side walls projecting from it, to a container bounded by container side walls and open at a top side, comprising a first hinge component in the form of a horizontally extending hinge pin and a second hinge component that is provided with a slot bounded by at least two slot walls, in which slot the hinge pin can be accommodated rotatably and detachably, wherein the hinge pin is connected to the container, the second hinge component is fitted in or onto the side of a cover side wall facing away from the top surface, and the slot walls enclose a slot which runs substantially parallel to the top surface of the cover and which is open at the side facing away from the container, Such a hinging system is known from WO-A-89/08057. The opening through which the hinge pin has to be introduced into the slot is smaller than the thickness of the pin, which means that moving as well as taking off - which in fact is not provided for, nor envisaged in the publication - of the cover are attended by considerable friction. A further drawback of the known system is that it is less suitable for application in containers the cover of which has to be taken off and put on again frequently, for instance in the case of waste disposal boxes which have to be cleaned regularly and thoroughly. The object of the invention is to provide a hinging system in which said drawback is absent or reduced. This object is achieved according to the invention in that the slot is bounded by at least two slot walls and that the distance between the two slot walls is at least equal to the largest diameter of the hinge pin. In the hinging system according to the invention the cover in the vertically opened position is fully supported by the hinge pin. Enhanced friction between the hinge pin and the slot is avoided in the hinging system according to the invention, so that the cover can be moved, taken off and put back on without undue effort. Further, wear is reduced and moreover it has no adverse effect on the quality of the attachment of the cover. An additional advantage of the hinging system according to the invention is that in the virtually vertical open position the lid is easy to remove. From US-A-4,349,120 a hinge system to attach a cover to a container is known with a slot opening downwardly and bounded by two slot walls. However, the hinge pin is fitted to the cover and the container is provided with the slot. In the vertical position the cover is not resting on the pin. The cover cannot be removed in its vertical position. Further the pin cannot move virtually freely in the slot since the pin snaps into the slot and the friction force generated by the springiness of the slot walls should prevent the pin, when the cover is in the vertically opened position, from slipping out of the slot and thus the cover coming loose from the container. In the beginning, removing and putting on the cover is made difficult by the strong friction between the pin and the slot. On the other hand, as a result of use in the course of time the risk of the cover falling off increases, because due to wear and ageing the pin will get a looser fit in the slot. Where in the foregoing and in the following the expression 'virtually vertical' is used in respect of the opened position of the cover, this is understood to mean that the cover is at least opened at an angle which is just large enough to prevent the cover, if it is no longer kept hold of, from falling back into the closed position, but on the other hand is fixed in the opened position by means which prevent sinking down to a larger opening angle by the effect of the cover's own weight. Depending on the place of the centre of gravity of the cover relative to the axis of the hinge pin, the minimum angle will in general be between 80° and 95° to 100°. The opening angle is in general limited to 100-120°. If the maximum opening angle is larger, the user will have to stoop too deeply in order to close the cover again. The means for limitation of the maximum opening angle may for instance be stop pegs provided on the cover or on parts of the hinging system. Another possibility is that the hinging system is so designed that it provides for limitation of the opening angle. Depending on the size and the weight of the cover, several hinges may be used. In general at least two of the hinging systems according to the invention are used for attaching a cover to a container. For the purpose of fastening a hinge pin to the container side wall, two ribs can be fitted normal to the holder side wall at some distance from and parallel to each other, between which the hinge pin can be fixed in a horizontal position. The pin may be integrated into one piece with the ribs, but it may also have been accommodated rotatably with its ends in holes made in the ribs. The hinge pin preferably is in one piece with the ribs. Another way of fastening the hinge pin to the container side wall is by means of a rib fitted to and projecting perpendicularly from the container side wall, with the centre of the hinge pin coinciding with the rib and the pin protruding at either side from the rib. The slot is of such a shape that the pin can be accommodated rotatably in it. The slot is preferably formed by three walls combined in a U-shape, the legs of the U being the slot side walls. The middle slot wall then is the bottom of the slot. The slot side walls need not be of the same length, but they should be of sufficient length to keep the cover in all positions stably connected to the container. Taking out should only be possible in a virtually vertical direction. This possibility is provided for in that the slot is U-shaped and so open at one long side. If one leg of the U is very short, the slot can even be effectively open at two sides. The distance between the slot side walls preferably is at least equal to the largest thickness of the hinge pin, so that the pin can move virtually without friction in the slot. The hinge pin may have the same diameter over its entire length, but in order to further reduce the friction it is advantageous if sections have a smaller diameter. In that case only part of the length of the hinge pin is in contact with the slot side walls and the slot bottom, which results in reduced friction and thus in lighter handling of the cover. The ribs are preferably designed in the form of flat plates, each of which is fitted with one of its thin side edges to a container side wall and projects perpendicularly from it. Their thickness is mainly determined by the required stoutness in connection with the weight and dimensions of the cover. If the container and cover are made of plastic the thickness is for instance between 2 and 10 mm. In order to save material the plates may also be provided with reinforcement ridges, so that the plates themselves can be designed thinner. How the ribs are shaped exactly is not critical and is mainly determined by the required interaction with the slot made in the cover, in which relation in particular the boundaries of the slot and the shape of the ribs have been chosen in mutual relationship. The invention will be elucidated by means of the following drawings, where Fig. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the attachment of the hinge pin to a container side wall; Fig. 2 is a cross section along line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevational view, the cover being in the closed position, of a container side wall and a cover side wall at a hinging system according to the invention whereby cover and container are connected; Fig. 4 is a side view of a cross section of a cover and container combination along line B-B of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a cross section along line C-C of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a cross section according to Fig. 5, with the cover opened; Fig. 7 is a cross section according to Fig. 4, with the cover opened. In Fig. 1, 2 is a side wall of a container with turned-over upper edge 4. Two ribs 6 are provided at the holder side wall between which the hinge pin 10 is fixed. In the embodiment shown the pin 10 is accommodated rotatably in holes 8 of each of the ribs 6. In Fig. 2 it can be seen that rib 6 has the shape of a flat plate which projects perpendicularly from the outside of container side wall 2. The turned-over edge 4 of the container side wall and the hole 8 in which hinge pin 10 is fixed are also visible in this figure. In Fig. 3, 20 is a cover side wall in which a second hinge component 22 is present. In the hinge component 22 there is a slot 24 which is bounded by slot side walls 26 and 28. This part of the construction is also visible in Fig. 4. The hinge pin 10 is accommodated in the slot 24. The slot side wall 26 at both ends passes into a thickened section 30 which consists of three parts. The first part 34, directly adjacent to slot side wall 26, extends at an angle of about 90° with it in the direction of the top face 32 of the cover. The second part 36 extends adjacent to the first one parallel to the top face 32 of the cover, while the third part 38 links up with the second one and extends at an angle of about 90° with it in the direction of the bottom edge 40 of the cover side wall 20 and ends at that edge. The bottom 42 (visible in Fig. 4) and the second side wall 28 of the slot end at the first part 34 of thickened section 30, so that this thickened section 30 encloses an opening 44 in the cover side wall 20, in which rib 6 fits freely. As a result the cover, when rotating around hinge pin 10, at least up to a certain angle remains clear of rib 6. Fig. 4 shows the position of cover and container relative to each other when the cover is closed. The cover with top face 32 and side wall 20 closes over the upper edge 4 of the container. Hinge pin 10 is accommodated in slot 24 and the cover cannot be removed in this position, but it can rotate freely from the closed to an opened position. In Fig. 5 it can be seen that at the thickened section 30 the cover side wall 20 is clear of rib 6 and also remains clear of it when the cover is opened by rotation around axis 10 until, as can be seen in Fig. 6, at an opening angle of about 100°, part 36 of the thickened section abuts against the edge of rib 6 and so prevents further opening of the cover. In Fig. 7 it can be seen that in this position of the cover and in a more closed position of it up to about 80°, the cover can be removed simply from the container by lifting it up in a virtually vertical direction.

Claims: Hinging system serving to attach a cover, which cover comprises a top face (32) and cover side walls (20) projecting from it, to a container bounded by container side walls (2) and open at a top side, comprising a first hinge component in the form of a horizontally extending hinge pin (10) and a second hinge component that is provided with a slot (24) bounded by at least two slot walls (26, 28), in which slot (24) the hinge pin can be accommodated rotatably and detachably, wherein the hinge pin (10) is connected to the container, the second hinge component is fitted in or onto the side of a cover side wall (20) facing away from the top surface (32), and the slot walls enclose a slot which runs substantially parallel to the top surface of the cover and which is open at the side facing away from the container, characterized in that the distance between the two slot walls (26, 28) is at least equal to the largest diameter of the hinge pin (10). Hinging system according to claim 1, provided with means (6, 36) which stabilize the cover in a virtually vertical open position. Hinging system according to claim 1 or 2, in which the hinge pin (10) is attached to at least one rib (6) fitted to a side wall (2) of the container.

Inventors: VAN BERNE JOOST, VAN BERNE, JOOST
Applicants: DSM NV, DSM N.V.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B65F1
IPC codes: B65F1