Self centering hinge design for concentric sealing of an enclosure

Abstract

A waterproof, clam-shell style enclosure including a first cover, a second cover that is hingedly coupled to the first cover to pivot about an axis of rotation between an open state and a closed state defining an enclosed interior region of the enclosure, a seal positioned to limit or prevent the passage of fluid into the enclosed interior region of the enclosure, and a hinge that is configured to accommodate translation of the second cover with respect to the first cover in two different, perpendicular directions upon pivoting the second cover to a closed state to achieve uniform compression of the seal along its circumference.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A waterproof, clam-shell style enclosure comprising:
 a first cover;   a second cover that is hingedly coupled to the first cover to pivot about an axis of rotation between an open state and a closed state, wherein, in a closed state, the first cover and the second cover define an enclosed interior region of the enclosure for storing an object;   a seal positioned on a sealing surface of either the first cover or the second cover, wherein the seal is positioned to inhibit the passage of fluid or gas into or out of the enclosed interior region of the enclosure in the closed state of the enclosure; and   a hinge connecting the first cover to the second cover that is configured to accommodate translation of the second cover with respect to the first cover in two different, perpendicular directions ‘X’ and ‘Y’ upon pivoting the second cover to a closed state to achieve uniform compression of the seal along its circumference.   
     
     
         2 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge is configured to accommodate translation of the second cover with respect to the first cover along both an X-axis and a Y-axis of a Cartesian coordinate system. 
     
     
         3 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is a battery pack that includes circuitry for establishing an electrical connection to terminals of a battery. 
     
     
         4 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the first cover is releasably captivated to the second cover. 
     
     
         5 . The enclosure of  claim 1 , wherein the seal is formed from an elastomeric material. 
     
     
         6 . The enclosure of  claim 1  further comprising a flexible tab extending from one of the covers, wherein the flexible tab is configured to releasably engage the other cover to retain the enclosure in a closed state. 
     
     
         7 . The enclosure of  claim 6  further comprising a recess formed in said other cover, wherein the flexible tab is configured to releasably engage the recess of said other cover to retain the enclosure in a closed state. 
     
     
         8 . A waterproof, clam-shell style enclosure comprising:
 a first cover;   a second cover that is hingedly coupled to the first cover to pivot about an axis of rotation between an open state and a closed state, wherein, in a closed state, the first cover and the second cover define an enclosed interior region of the enclosure;   a seal positioned on a sealing surface of either the first cover or the second cover, wherein the seal is positioned to inhibit the passage of fluid into the enclosed interior region of the enclosure in the closed state of the enclosure;   a hinge connecting the first cover to the second cover that includes a knuckle extending from either the first cover or the second cover and a pin positioned within a recess formed in the knuckle, wherein the knuckle is configured to rotate about the pin; and   a gap, having a pre-determined size, defined between an exterior surface of the pin and the recess of the knuckle, wherein, upon pivoting the second cover to the closed state, the gap accommodates translation of the second cover with respect to the first cover in a direction that is orthogonal to both the axis of rotation and the sealing surface to achieve uniform compression of the seal along its circumference.   
     
     
         9 . The enclosure of  claim 8 , wherein the recess of the knuckle and the outer surface of the pin are both substantially cylindrical, and a diameter of the recess is greater than a diameter of the pin such that a difference between the diameters establishes the gap. 
     
     
         10 . A waterproof, clam-shell style enclosure comprising:
 a first cover;   a second cover that is hingedly coupled to the first cover to pivot about an axis of rotation between an open state and a closed state, wherein, in a closed state, the first cover and the second cover define an enclosed interior region of the enclosure;   a seal positioned on a surface of either the first cover or the second cover, wherein the seal is positioned to inhibit the passage of fluid into the enclosed interior region of the enclosure in the closed state; and   a gap, having a pre-determined size, defined between a hinge component of the first cover and a hinge component of the second cover, wherein, upon pivoting the second cover to the closed state, the gap accommodates translation of the second cover with respect to the first cover in a direction that is parallel to the axis of rotation to achieve uniform compression of the seal along its circumference.   
     
     
         11 . The enclosure of  claim 10 , wherein the hinge component of the first cover is a hinge knuckle and the hinge component of the second cover is two opposing ribs, wherein the hinge knuckle is positioned between the two opposing ribs, and the gap is formed between the hinge knuckle and at least one of the opposing ribs.