Patent Abstract:
A decklid hinge is provided for a rear compartment of a vehicle. The decklid hinge includes a body side strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle. The decklid hinge also includes a decklid side strap adapted to be connected to a decklid for closing a recess of the rear compartment. The decklid hinge includes a first link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for allowing rotation therebetween. The decklid hinge also includes a second link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for guiding pivoting action of the hinge along a predefined path. The decklid hinge further includes a counterbalance spring interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap to counterbalance a weight of the decklid in an open position.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to hinges for vehicles and, more particularly, to a decklid hinge for a vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known to provide a decklid for a vehicle to open and close a rear compartment of a vehicle body of the vehicle. Typically, the deck lid is attached to the vehicle body with at least one, preferably a pair of laterally spaced hinges. Currently, the decklid hinges do not allow springs to be used as a counterbalance mechanism due to the use of spring pre-tensioners and instead include a gas strut for counter-balancing the weight of the decklid. However, gas struts are expensive, and provide varying force with change in temperatures. Further, to install a backlite glass, the decklid needs to be removed and reinstalled to the vehicle body to provide access for glass load and install. This requires another set of fixtures and creates the possibility of paint damage. There is also added labor associated with refitting the decklid after the glass is installed. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a decklid hinge for a vehicle that includes a counterbalance spring to counter the weight of the decklid. It is also desirable to provide a decklid hinge for a vehicle that eliminates the need for removing and reinstalling the decklid. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a decklid hinge for a vehicle that meets these desires. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new decklid hinge for a vehicle. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a decklid hinge for a vehicle that includes a counterbalance spring. 
     To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a decklid hinge for a decklid on a rear compartment of a vehicle including a body side strap adapted to be connected to a vehicle body of the vehicle. The decklid hinge also includes a decklid side strap adapted to be connected to a decklid for closing a recess of the rear compartment. The decklid hinge includes a first link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for allowing rotation therebetween. The decklid hinge also includes a second link interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap for guiding pivoting action of the hinge along a predefined path. The decklid hinge further includes a counterbalance spring interconnecting the body side strap and the decklid strap to counterbalance a weight of the decklid in an open position. 
     One advantage of the present invention is that a decklid hinge having a counterbalance spring is provided for a decklid of a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge eliminates the need for using a more expensive gas strut as a counterbalance by allowing installation of the counterbalance spring. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge has a service position that eliminates the need for a spring pre-tensioner tool. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge has a service position that eliminates the need for removing and reinstalling the decklid in general assembly for loading and installing a rear backlite glass. A further advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge eliminates a closeout or glass molding/seal at the bottom edge of the backlite or decklid to glass interface by creating room to tuck the bottom edge of the glass under the leading edge of the decklid. As a result, the decklid does not require retrofitting to meet the gap and flushness specifications after glass install. Yet a further advantage of the present invention is that the decklid hinge eliminates decklid refit fixtures for general assembly. 
    
    
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a decklid hinge, according to the present invention, illustrated in operational relationship with a vehicle. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the decklid hinge of FIG. 1 illustrated in a service position. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the decklid hinge of FIG. 1 illustrated in a normal operating position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings and in particular FIG. 1, one embodiment of a decklid hinge  10 , according to the present invention, is shown for a vehicle such as a motor vehicle, generally indicated at  12 . Such motor vehicles  12  typically include a vehicle body  14  (partially shown) forming a rear compartment  16 . The rear compartment  16  has a recess  18  therein. The recess  18  is formed by a floorpan  20  and side walls  22  extending upwardly from the floorpan  20  and generally perpendicular thereto. The vehicle body  14  also includes a decklid  26  closing the recess  20 . The decklid  26  is attached to the rear compartment  16  of the vehicle body  14  by at least one, preferably a pair of laterally spaced decklid hinges  10 , according to the present invention. It should be appreciated that only one decklid hinge  10  is illustrated in FIG.  1  and will be subsequently described. It should also be appreciated that, except for the decklid hinge  10 , the vehicle  12  is conventional and known in the art. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the decklid hinge  10  includes a body side strap  28  to allow the decklid hinge  10  to be mounted to the vehicle body  14 . The body side strap  28  is generally rectangular in shape. The body side strap  28  extends longitudinally and has at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  30  extending therethrough. The decklid hinge  10  also includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  32  such as bolts to attach the body side strap  28  to the vehicle body  14 . Each of the fasteners  32  may include a washer  34  and extend through some of the apertures  30  and corresponding apertures (not shown) in the vehicle body  14  and are engaged by nuts (not shown) to prevent the fasteners  32  from disengaging the apertures  30 . It should be appreciated that the fasteners  32  are conventional and known in the art. 
     The body side strap  28  also includes a flange  36  extending generally perpendicularly and outwardly at one end thereof. The flange  36  is generally rectangular in shape. The flange  36  may have an elongated aperture  38  extending therethrough for a function to be described. The flange  36  may include a spring retention hook  40  extending laterally and longitudinally therefrom. The body side strap  28  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a decklid side strap  42  to allow the decklid  26  to be attached to the decklid hinge  10 . The decklid side strap  42  is generally L shaped. The decklid side strap  42  extends longitudinally, relative to the decklid, and has a base wall  44  and a pair of side walls  46  spaced laterally and extending generally perpendicular to the base wall  44 . The base wall  44  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures  48  extending therethrough. The decklid hinge  10  also includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  50  such as bolts to attach the decklid side strap  42  to the decklid  26 . Each of the fasteners  50  may include a washer  52  and extend through some of the apertures  48  and corresponding apertures (not shown) in the decklid  26  and are engaged by nuts  54  to prevent the fasteners  50  from disengaging the apertures  48 . The decklid side strap  42  is made of a rigid material such as metal. It should be appreciated that the fasteners  50  are conventional and known in the art. 
     The decklid hinge  10  also includes a first or short link  56  to allow pivoting action of the decklid hinge  10 . The first link  56  extends longitudinally and has a base wall  58  and a side wall  60  extending generally perpendicular to the base wall  58 . The base wall  58  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures (not shown) extending therethrough. The first link  56  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  62  such as rivets or bolts to attach the first link  56  to the decklid side strap  42  at a forward end thereof and to the body side strap  28  at a forward end thereof. The first link  56  also includes a flange  64  extending generally perpendicularly and outwardly at one end thereof. The flange  64  may have an aperture  66  extending therethrough to receive a fastener  68  such as a bolt. It should be appreciated that the fasteners  62  and  68  are conventional and known in the art. 
     The decklid hinge  10  also includes a second or upper link, generally indicated at  69 , to guide the pivoting action of the hinge  10  along a predetermined path. The upper link  69  includes an upper long link  70  extending longitudinally to allow pivoting action to a service position to be described. The upper long link  70  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of apertures (not shown) extending therethrough. The upper long link  70  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes at least one, preferably a plurality of fasteners  72  such as bolts to attach the upper long link  70  to the decklid side strap  42  at a forward end thereof. The upper link  69  also includes a lower long link  74  extending longitudinally to provide a secondary pivot location for the service position to be described. The fasteners  72  attach the lower long link  74  to a rearward end of the upper long link  70  and a rearward end of the body side strap  28 . The upper link  69  further includes a fastener  76 , FIG. 3, such as a lock bolt extending through apertures  75 , FIG. 2, in the upper long link  70  and lower long link  74  to hold the links  70  and  72  together for normal operation. The upper link  69  also includes a nut  78  engaging the fastener  76  to prevent the fastener  76  from disengaging the apertures  75 . The lower long link  70  is made of a rigid material such as metal. It should be appreciated that the fasteners  72  and  76  are conventional and known in the art. 
     The decklid hinge  10  includes a pop and hang link  80  to enable the decklid  26  to pop and hang at an approximately forty-five degrees (45°) open condition. The hang link  80  has an aperture (not shown) extending therethrough to receive the fastener  62 . The hang link  80  also has a flange  82  extending outwardly and overlapping the hang link  80 . The flange  82  has an aperture  84  extending therethrough for a function to be described. The hang link  80  is made of a rigid material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  further includes a counterbalance spring  86  to power the decklid  26  to a pop and hang position by applying a force to the pop and hang link  80 . The counterbalance spring  86  is of a coil type and has a first end extending through the aperture  84  and connected to the hang link  80 . The counterbalance spring  86  also has a second end connected to the spring retention hook  40 . The counterbalance spring  86  is made of a spring material such as metal. 
     The decklid hinge  10  may include a spring cover  88  extending longitudinally and having a first end  90  extending through the aperture  38  and a second end,  92  disposed about the first end of the spring  86 . The spring cover  88  is made of a rigid material such as plastic. It should be appreciated that the spring cover  88  moves with the spring  86 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the decklid hinge  10  is shown in a service position. In this position, the spring  86 , spring cover  88 , and fastener  76  are not attached. This allows the upper long link  70  and lower long link  74  to pivot and be oriented at approximately ninety degrees (90°). 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the decklid hinge  10  is shown in a normal operating position. In this position, the spring  86 , spring cover  88 , and fastener  76  are attached to the decklid hinge  10 . This allows the upper long link  70  and lower long link  74  to be held together and pivot as a single unit and for the spring  86  to urge the decklid  26  to a pop and hang position by applying a force to the pop and hang link  80 . As a result, the counterbalance spring  86  counterbalances the weight of the decklid  26  in the open position. It should be appreciated that the decklid hinge  10  allows the decklid  26  to be rotated open and closed. 
     The decklid hinge  10  allows installation of the counterbalance spring  86  without the need for a spring pre-tensioner tool. The decklid hinge  10  also allows installation of backlite glass without the need for removing and reinstalling the decklid  26  in the vehicle assembly plant and vehicle dealerships for service. The decklid hinge  10  provides customer convenience without reducing volume of the recess  18  of the rear compartment  16  or complicating the hinge assembly process to the vehicle  12 . 
     The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
     Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8