Patent ID: 8347460

Claim:
A checker-equipped door hinge device for a vehicle, comprising: a first bracket fixed to one of a body and a door; a second bracket fixed to the other of the body and the door; a hinge pin connecting the first and second brackets to each other while allowing the brackets to be relatively rotatable; an inner cylinder connected integrally to the first bracket and disposed coaxially with the hinge pin; an outer cylinder connected integrally to the second bracket and disposed so as to surround the inner cylinder in a rotatable manner relative to the inner cylinder; and a checking-force generating mechanism provided between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and generating a checking force against the door at predetermined positions of the door, the predetermined positions including a fully closing position, an intermediate-opening position, and a fully opening position, the checking-force generating mechanism including a holding member attached to one of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, the holding member being capable of moving toward and from the other of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, an elastic member biasing the holding member toward the other of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, wherein at least one of the holding member and the elastic member encompass the inner cylinder, a detent roller held rotatably in a holding groove formed axially in the holding member, said detent roller being capable of moving in a rotational manner on a peripheral surface of the other of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and a fully closing detent groove, an intermediate detent groove, and a fully opening detent groove which are provided in the peripheral surface of the other of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder and at which the detent roller is capable of holding the door in the fully closing position, the intermediate-opening position, and the fully opening position, respectively, by a biasing force of the elastic member causing the detent roller to engage a corresponding one of the fully closing detent groove, the intermediate detent groove, and the fully opening detent groove, wherein the detent roller is configured to apply a compression load to the elastic member through the holding member even in a state where the detent roller is engaged with any of the detent grooves, and an assembly groove is provided in the peripheral surface of the other of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, the assembly groove allowing the detent roller to be inserted into the holding groove in a state where the holding member is in contact with the peripheral surface of the other of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder.