Self-closing pivotal joint with concealed hinge

Claim 1

A pivotal joint for two relatively swingable components, comprising: a first member adapted to be secured to one of said components; a second member adapted to be secured to the other of said components, said first member being provided with a channel open toward said second member, said second member having an extension received in said channel in one limiting position of said members; an articulated linkage interconnecting said members, said linkage including a first pair of parallel pintles on said first member disposed in said channel, a second pair of parallel pintles on said second member and two hinge straps each anchored to a respective pintle of each pair, one pintle of said second pair being mounted on said extension; a resilient tongue on said first member extending from within said channel toward said second member and having a free end outside said channel disposed to engage said one pintle in an intermediate position remote from said one limiting position upon relative swinging of said members toward said one limiting position for exerting upon said second member a camming force tending to complete the swing, said tongue becoming disengaged from said one pintle upon a partial swinging of said members toward an opposite limiting position, said tongue extending generally tangentially of said one pintle in said intermediate position; and an elastically compressible insert wedged in between said tongue and a wall portion of said first member bounding said channeL, said insert bearing upon said free end in a sense resisting deflection of said tongue by said one pintle upon initial engagement thereof by said free end.