Patent ID: 8061656

Claim:
A hinge apparatus having automated decoupling, comprising: a first hinge member comprising a first connecting apparatus and an actuatable assembly; and a second hinge member comprising a second connecting apparatus, which is coupled to the first connecting apparatus; wherein said actuatable assembly comprises a shear pin, an actuatable rod-like piston connected to the first connecting apparatus, said piston comprises a first end with a proximate first groove and a first o-ring with a first edge, a medial section, a second groove and a second o-ring with a second edge, an opposing end, and a first aperture that receives a first portion of the shear pin, an elongate slotted barrel-like housing with a stop, said housing provides a slot for linear movement of the first connecting apparatus and a barrel-like space for linear movement of the piston, where said stop defines a maximum translational distance that the piston of a specified length moves, a compression chamber adjacent to the opposing end of the piston, a second aperture that receives a second portion of the shear pin, and a first mounting bracket for mounting said elongate slotted barrel-like housing and the piston contained therein to a door/canopy frame, and a capping housing component that provides access to load loading the piston into the elongate slotted barrel-like housing, where said capping housing component is comprised of a combustion chamber adjacent to the first end of the piston, where said combustion chamber holds high pressure gases with sufficient force to move, linearly, the piston, which shears off the shearing pin, compresses air in the compression chamber and upon coming into the proximity of the stop, decouples the first hinge member from the second hinge member, and wherein the first edge of the first o-ring and the second edge of the second o-ring limit contact between the actuatable rod-like piston and the slotted barrel-like housing and the capping housing component, therein has a limited frictional resistance, and prevents binding of the piston itself with at least one of the slotted barrel-like housing and the capping housing component.