The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 20, 1977
Filed:
Jan. 07, 1976
Michael Lutz, Watchung, NJ (US);
Other;
Abstract
An article having two sections which are articulated to one another by at least one hinge that includes a substantially spherical male hinge member disposed within a recess provided by a surface of a female hinge member. The hinge includes retaining means for confining the male hinge member within the recess while permitting rotational motion of the male hinge member within the recess. The male member is a continuous molded extension of one section of the article and the female hinge member is a continuous molded extension of the other section of the article. A mold for use in manufacturing the above-described article includes upper and lower mold sections which, when brought into mating relationship with each other, provide article section forming compartments adjacent to each other for forming the sections of the article. A female hinge member forming compartment communicates with one of the section forming compartments. A mold segment interrupts the female hinge member forming compartment. This mold segment includes walls having an outer periphery about which the recess in the female hinge member is formed, and an inner, substantially spherical periphery providing a male hinge member forming compartment. Slots extend through walls of the mold segment which interrupt the female hinge member forming compartment for communicating the female hinge member forming compartment with the substantially spherical male hinge member forming compartment. The retaining means for confining the male hinge member within the recess of the female hinge member are formed within these slots. An additional slot in the mold segment provides communication between the substantially spherical male hinge member forming compartment and the other article section forming compartment. From the above description it can be seen that a continuous passage for the flow of molding material is provided between the two article section forming compartments so that each part of the hinge is integrally formed with its respective article section, and with the substantially spherical male hinge member confined within the recess of the female hinge member.