A hinge has a catch mechanism including a pressure spring which is arranged in a bush member of plastic material. When the hinge is closed the pressure spring acts through the bush member on a hinge link. A steel pin has a head which rests against a hinge link axle and is provided within the pressure spring.

A bidirectional retaining clutch capable of stopping rotation of a rotated object such as a revolving shaft of a pivoted cover of a personal computer, a door sheave of a sliding door or the like in one direction at any desired position while keeping it freely rotatable, as well as ensuring free rotation of the rotated object in an opposite direction as desired when torque of a predetermined level or more is applied. An outer cylindrical structure arranged so as to rotated relative to a shaft includes a pair of roller positioning members each provided on an inner surface with roller receiving recesses of an elliptic shape. The rollers which are received in the recesses selectively move in the recesses so as to permit the shaft to be revolved relative to the outer cylindrical structure in one direction while preventing revolution of the shaft in an opposite direction. When torque of a predetermined level or more in the opposite direction is applied to the shaft, the rollers move in the recesses again to permit it to be rotated in the opposite direction.

A combined flush hinge and hold-open is described for hinging a panel flush with respect to a surface, such as may be used for hinging a liquid crystal display to a portable computer. The panel is connected to the surface through a pair of hinges, which are mounted on spring-activated follower parts which lie flush with the surface when the panel is closed. Upon rotation of the panel from the closed position, a cam surface on the panel, shaped in the form of an outward spiral, cooperates with an involute surface within the recess to displace the hinge outwardly, which permits the panel to rotate past the upper edge of the recess to opening angles greater than 90 degrees relative to the closed position, including up to 180 degrees. The panel is held open in the selected angular position by means of the frictional fit between an O-ring and the end of a bearing which is rotatably retained within the follower to compress the O-ring between it and the follower such that the frictional resistance between the bearing and the follower may be adjusted to control the holding force on the panel.

A door hinge having a particularly reliable and solid stop and holding device. The movable part (13) of the hinge lies along the hinge pin (1) between the fixed part (14) and a housing (17) which contains the holding mechanism and is integral with the fixed part (14). In the housing, a pivotable lever (19) is rotationally fastened to the movable part (13) and supports a roller (26) against which one or more notches (42, 45) are pushed by a spring-loaded device (31, 40). The notches define the open positions of the door (11). The housing (17) is sealed and fits onto the fixed part and the hinge pin. The hinge can be used particularly in motor vehicle doors.

An automobile door checker includes a check plate, a shoe holder housed in a case, a shoe that is held by the shoe holder and the shoe slides on the check plate accompanying relative movement between the case and the check plate, and a check spring that resiliently urges the shoe holder toward the check plate in order to press the shoe against the check plate. The shoe is axially supported in the shoe holder so that the shoe can swing from a neutral position to forward and backward swing limits. The shoe is provided with return-to-neutral means for exhibiting a return force that makes the shoe return to the neutral position. The contact area between the shoe and the check plate is arranged so that the frictional force in the contact area becomes the smallest when the shoe reaches the shoe swing limits.