초록 ▼

A hinge assembly includes a housing, an arm and at least one spring. A damping device includes a damper having a piston rod, a maintaining member secured in the housing and an adjustment member. The adjustment member is movably connected to the maintaining member and has a protruded portion located

A hinge assembly includes a housing, an arm and at least one spring. A damping device includes a damper having a piston rod, a maintaining member secured in the housing and an adjustment member. The adjustment member is movably connected to the maintaining member and has a protruded portion located corresponding to the piston rod of the damper. When the adjustment member is moved to a first position relative to the maintaining member, the protruded portion of the adjustment member is located toward the piston rod of the damper, so that the piston rod contacts the protruded portion and retracts to perform damping function. When the adjustment member is moved to a second position relative to the maintaining member, the protruded portion of the adjustment member is moved away from the piston rod of the damper, and no damping function is available.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A hinge assembly comprising: a housing having a chamber defined therein, an arm pivotably connected to the housing, a spring located in the chamber to provide a force to allow the pivotal movement between the housing and the arm;a damping device having a maintaining member secured in the chamber

1. A hinge assembly comprising: a housing having a chamber defined therein, an arm pivotably connected to the housing, a spring located in the chamber to provide a force to allow the pivotal movement between the housing and the arm;a damping device having a maintaining member secured in the chamber of the housing and the maintaining member having a path, a damper located in the path and located corresponding to the arm, the damper having a piston rod;an adjustment member movably connected to the maintaining member and having a protruded portion which is protruded into the maintaining member and located corresponding to the piston rod of the damper;when the adjustment member is moved to a first position relative to the maintaining member, the protruded portion of the adjustment member is located toward the piston rod of the damper, when the housing is closed relative to the arm, the damper is pushed by the arm, so that the piston rod of the damper contacts the protruded portion of the adjustment member and retracts to perform damping function, andwhen the adjustment member is moved to a second position relative to the maintaining member, the protruded portion of the adjustment member is moved away from the piston rod of the damper, when the housing is closed relative to the arm, the piston rod of the damper cannot contact the protruded portion of the adjustment member, and no damping function is available. 2. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adjustment member has a protrusion, the maintaining member has a top portion which has a first contact portion and a second contact portion on a periphery thereof, when the adjustment member is moved to the first position relative to the maintaining member, the protrusion of the adjustment member contacts the first contact portion of the maintaining member, when the adjustment member is moved to the second position relative to the maintaining member, the protrusion of the adjustment member contacts the second contact portion of the maintaining member. 3. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first contact portion of the maintaining member is a fixed surface and the second contact portion of the maintaining member is a resilient latch. 4. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a resilient member connected between the maintaining member and the adjustment member, the adjustment member maintained at the first position in response to the resilient member. 5. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the maintaining member has a first hook, the adjustment member has a second hook, and the resilient member is hooked between the first and second hooks. 6. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein both of the first and second contact portions of the maintaining member are two resilient latches. 7. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the maintaining member has a bottom portion which has a curved lip on a periphery thereof, the maintaining member has a body connected between the top portion and the bottom portion, the adjustment member has a top piece, a bottom piece and a side panel connected between the top and bottom pieces, the top piece of the adjustment member contacts the top portion of the maintaining member, the bottom piece of the adjustment member contacts the lip of the bottom portion of the maintaining member. 8. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the top piece of the adjustment member has an operation portion. 9. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the top portion of the maintaining member has a first index and a second index, the top piece of the adjustment member has a tip, when the adjustment member is moved to the first position relative to the maintaining member, the tip points the first index, when the adjustment member is moved to the second position relative to the maintaining member, the tip points the second index. 10. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first index is represented by a description “ON” marked thereon and the second index is represented by a description “OFF” marked thereon. 11. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the path of the maintaining member has a linear guide section defined in an inside thereof, the damper has a stop which is located to contact an end of the guide section. 12. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chamber of the housing has two positioning holes, the maintaining member has two engaging members on two sides thereof, the two engaging members are engaged with the positioning holes to secure the maintaining member in the chamber of the housing. 13. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chamber of the housing is defined by two side walls, an inner bottom, a front wall and a rear wall, the front wall is connected to a front end of the two side walls, the rear wall is connected to a rear end of the side walls, each of the side walls of the housing has a pivotal hole, the two pivotal holes are located adjacent to the front wall, the arm has two cam portions and a reception portion which is connected between the two cam portions, a pivot extends through the pivotal holes and the reception portion to pivotably connect the arm to the housing. 14. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two springs which are torsion springs and each spring has a first leg, a second leg and a coil portion connected between the first and second legs, the housing has two pin holes in the side walls, the inner bottom has two lugs, each lug has a through hole which is located corresponding to the pin hole corresponding thereto, the springs are connected between the side walls of the housing and the lugs, a pin extends through one of the pin holes, one of the coil portions of the springs and one of the through holes of the lugs to connect one of the springs to the housing. 15. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the two side walls each have an insertion hole and the two respective second legs of the two springs are inserted into the two insertion holes.