CPC A61F 5/0125 (2013.01) [A61F 5/0123 (2013.01); E05D 1/00 (2013.01); E05D 1/02 (2013.01); A61F 5/0102 (2013.01); F16C 11/12 (2013.01); F16C 2204/00 (2013.01); F16C 2208/20 (2013.01); F16C 2220/04 (2013.01); F16C 2316/10 (2013.01)] | 16 Claims |
1. A hinge, comprising:
a hinge body forming an articulating section extending at a central location between a first end and a second end of the hinge and adapted to bend from a neutral axis when the first end and the second end are parallel to an angular range in which the first end is arranged among a plurality of angles within the angular range relative to the second end;
wherein the hinge body includes a first strut and a second strut each arranged on opposed ends of the articulating section, the first strut and the second strut having a first width transverse to the neutral axis, and the articulating section having a second width more narrow than the first width, the hinge body tapering from the first width to the second width;
wherein the articulating section is structured differently from the first and second struts of the hinge body;
wherein the hinge body is continuously formed from a single material from the first end to the second end of the hinge;
wherein the hinge body continuously extends without interruption from the first end to the second end of the hinge in a longitudinal direction along the neutral axis;
wherein the hinge body defines a receptacle along the articulating section;
an insert arranged for insertion into the receptacle, the insert modifying a stiffness of the hinge in the angular range and arranged parallel to the neutral axis;
wherein the hinge body is adapted to bend about the articulating section such that the first end of the hinge body remains coplanar to the second end of the hinge body throughout the annular range.
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