Hinge device for storage cases and storage case having the same

Abstract

A hinge device for storage cases to hingedly connect a case body and a door. The hinge device includes a housing fixed to one of the case body and the door, first and second hinge shafts rotatably attached to opposite ends of the housing, respectively, such that the first and second hinge shafts are fixed to the other of the case body and the door, a cam driving unit disposed at the first hinge shaft in the housing, and a torsion spring having one end fixed to the second hinge shaft and the other end fixed in the housing such that the rotation resistance of the door is increased when the door is closed, and the torsion spring is returned to its original state when the door is opened.

1 . A hinge device for storage cases to hingedly connect a case body and a door, the hinge device comprising: 
 a housing fixed to one of the case body and the door;    first and second hinge shafts rotatably attached to opposite ends of the housing, respectively, wherein the first and second hinge shafts are fixed to the other of the case body and the door;    a cam driving unit disposed at the first hinge shaft in the housing; and    a torsion spring having one end fixed to the second hinge shaft and the other end fixed in the housing such that a rotation resistance of the door is increased when the door is closed, and the torsion spring is returned to an original state thereof when the door is opened.    
     
     
         2 . The hinge device according to  claim 1 , wherein the cam driving unit comprises: 
 a first cam disposed at the first hinge shaft;    a moving member having a second cam disposed opposite to the first cam; and    a compression spring to elastically push the moving member toward the first cam.    
     
     
         3 . The hinge device according to  claim 2 , wherein the second cam is integrally formed with a side surface of the moving member.  
     
     
         4 . The hinge device according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a fixing member disposed in the housing at a side of the second hinge shaft, wherein the rotation of the fixing member is prevented, to fix the end of the torsion spring at a side opposite to the second hinge shaft.    
     
     
         5 . A storage case comprising: 
 a case body having a storage compartment opened at the top thereof;    a door to open or close a top of the case body; and    a hinge device comprising: 
 a housing fixed to one of the case body and the door,  
 first and second hinge shafts rotatably attached to opposite ends of the housing, respectively, wherein the first and second hinge shafts are fixed to the other of the case body and the door,  
 an elastic member having one end fixed to the second hinge shaft and the other end fixed in the housing such that the rotation resistance of the door is increased when the door is closed, and the elastic member is returned to an original state thereof when the door is opened,  
 a connection hole formed at a cover to cover the housing at a side of the second hinge shaft,  
 a rotation preventing pin inserted in the connection hole to prevent rotation of the second hinge shaft, and  
 a catching part formed at the second hinge shaft such that the catching part is caught by the rotating preventing pin to prevent the rotation of the second hinge shaft, wherein the door is attached to the case body while the second hinge shaft is rotated such that the door is closed.  
   
     
     
         6 . The hinge device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second cams comprise valley-shaped and crest-shaped cam surfaces, the cam surfaces comprising opening guide surfaces formed at an oblique angle and a closing guide surface formed substantially horizontally.  
     
     
         7 . The hinge device according to  claim 6 , further comprises a leakage preventing member disposed at an outside of the first or second cam to prevent lubricant applied to the respective cam surfaces from leaking out of the cams.  
     
     
         8 . The hinge device according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a shaft disposed in the housing between the first hinge shaft and the second hinge shaft, the shaft extending in a longitudinal direction of the housing such that opposite ends of the shaft are mounted to the hinge shafts, respectively, the shaft being inserted through the cam driving unit and the torsion spring.    
     
     
         9 . The hinge device according to  claim 8 , wherein the opposite ends of the shaft are rotatably mounted to the hinge shafts, respectively.  
     
     
         10 . The hinge device according to  claim 8 , wherein the opposite ends of the shaft are mounted to the hinge shafts, respectively, while the rotation of the shaft is restricted.  
     
     
         11 . A storage case comprising a case body having a storage compartment opened at the top thereof, a door to open or close the top of the case body, and a hinge device to hingedly connect the case body and the door, wherein the hinge device comprises: 
 a housing fixed to one of the case body and the door;    first and second hinge shafts rotatably attached to opposite ends of the housing, respectively, wherein the first and second hinge shafts are fixed to the other of the case body and the door;    a cam driving unit disposed at the first hinge shaft in the housing; and    a torsion spring having one end fixed to the second hinge shaft and the other end fixed in the housing such that a rotation resistance of the door is increased when the door is closed, and the torsion spring is returned to an original state thereof when the door is opened.    
     
     
         12 . The storage case according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a cam driving unit disposed at the first hinge shaft in the housing, wherein the cam driving unit includes:    a first cam disposed at the first hinge shaft;    a moving member having a second cam disposed opposite to the first cam; and    a compression spring to elastically push the moving member toward the first cam.    
     
     
         13 . The storage case according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a fixing member disposed in the housing at a side of the second hinge shaft, such that the rotation of the fixing member is prevented, to fix the end of the torsion spring at a side opposite to the second hinge shaft.    
     
     
         14 . A hinge device for storage cases to hingedly connect a case body and a door, the device comprising: 
 a housing;    first and second hinge shafts rotatably attached to opposite ends of the housing, respectively;    a cam driving unit disposed at the first hinge shaft in the housing; and    a damping unit disposed at the second hinge shaft in the housing such that a rotation resistance of the door is increased when the door is closed, wherein    the cam driving unit is constructed such that an operating section of the door includes a closing section, within which the door is closed by a weight of the door, and an opening section, within which a rotating force is applied to the first hinge shaft in the door opening direction, and thus, the door is maintained opened, and    wherein the damping unit applies the rotating force to the second hinge shaft in the door opening direction such that the second hinge shaft resists the weight of the door throughout the operating section of the door.    
     
     
         15 . The hinge device according to  claim 14 , wherein the damping unit comprises a torsion spring, the torsion spring having one end fixed to the second hinge shaft and the other end fixed in the housing.  
     
     
         16 . The hinge device according to  claim 14 , wherein 
 if the door is opened more than a predetermined angle, the rotating force in the opening direction is applied to the first hinge shaft and the door remains opened, and    if the door is opened less than the predetermined angle, the first hinge shaft is rotated in a door closing direction by the weight of the door.    
     
     
         17 . The hinge device of according to  claim 14 , wherein the damping unit comprises a torsion bar, the torsion bar having one end fixed to the second hinge shaft and the other end fixed in the housing.  
     
     
         18 . The hinge device according to  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a fixing member disposed in the housing at a side of the second hinge shaft, such that a rotation of the fixing member is prevented, to fix the end of the torsion bar at the side opposite to the second hinge shaft.    
     
     
         19 . The hinge device according to  claim 18 , wherein the torsion bar comprises first and second fixing parts formed at opposite ends thereof such that the first and second fixing parts are fitted into a center of the fixing member and the second hinge shaft, respectively.  
     
     
         20 . The hinge device according to  claim 19 , wherein the first and second fixing parts each comprise flat surfaces, and the fixing member and the second housing comprise first and second fixing grooves, corresponding respectively to the flat surfaces of the first and second fixing parts, such that a rotation of the torsion bar relative to the fixing member and the second hinge shaft is prevented and the torsion bar is twisted by a rotation of the second hinge shaft.