Fastening and Joining Technology Guide
EVAN DOWELL, CHRISTOPHER JEZNACH | Applications Engineers
Spirol International Corp.
Danielson, Conn.
Using Coiled
Spring-pin Hinges
Engineers can easily tailor
the fit and feel of hinges by
using coiled spring pins.
ENGINEERS WORK-
ING ON everything
from laptops to cos-
metic cases to glove
boxes commonly use
coiled spring-pin hinges
because they can tailor
them to their designs. They
can adjust the “feel” of how a device
opens and closes and how far it opens,
which affects consumers’ opinion on the device’s quality.
Designers can choose between friction-fit versions that hold
a position or free-fit hinges that let components swing freely.
For example, the hinges that join a laptop display screen to
its keyboard are usually friction-fit versions. They hold the
screen in any position and do not let it move, regardless of
how the laptop is held.
Hinges generally consist of two or more components that
rotate relative to each other about a shared rotational axis.
There are several types of hinges, and they can be manu-
factured from materials ranging from thermoplastic and
thermoset plastics to various metals. Although some hinges
do not use pins as rotational axes, they are typically limited
in performance and durability, more prone to failure, and
intended for shorter-lived applications such as the lid on a
Tic Tac case.
58
An automotive window
opener/lock contains sev-
eral coiled spring hinges.
Let’s take a closer look at how engineers can get the most
out of coiled spring-pin hinges.
COILED SPRING-PIN BASICS
It is important to understand how coiled spring pins func-
tion. They are formed from a strip of material rolled into
coils — typically wound 2.25 times. The pin’s outer diameter
should be larger than the diameter of the hole into which it
is installed as this creates friction. Engineers can adjust this
friction by changing the pin diameter or the size of one of the
holes the pin goes through.
The pin material does not exceed its elastic limit during
installation, so it exerts tension on the walls of the hole as it
tries to expand back to its preinstalled diameter. The inner
edge of material can coil inward when the hinge rotates or is
subjected to vibrations or shocks.
Coiled spring pins come in light, standard, and heavy duty,
09.05.13 MACHINE DESIGN
Host
material
Coiled spring pin
Hole
This image shows a coiled spring pin compressed and inserted into a hole. Note that the inner
coil can move in the direction of the red arrow shown (and back in the opposite direction) as
a hinge is rotated, or is subject to vibrations or shocks.
which refers to the thickness of the material used to make the pin. Light duty uses
the thinnest gauge material and heavy duty has the thickest.
Light-duty pins are flexible and work well in plastic hinges. Hinges made of
unhardened steel usually have standard-duty pins. And heavy-duty pins are used
for hinges made of hardened steels.
Using a pin with the wrong duty is a common cause of walking or lateral move-
ment. And installing too rigid a pin in a flexible or easily damaged host material
can deform the hole, which can causes the pin to become tapered as the hinge is
used over time.
ADJUSTING FRICTION
In a free-fit hinge, the pin is held tightly in one or two retaining holes sized so
as to not let the pin move. Outside of the retaining holes, the pin passes through a
larger hole in the opposing part. (Experts recommend the nonretaining holes be at
least 0.002 in. larger.) This means the hinge will swing freely. If it does not, increase
the diameter of the middle hole in increments of 0.001 in. until it does.
Coiled spring pins can also be used in friction-fit hinges. Holes in both compo-
nents have the same diameter and are sized so that the pin is always in contact with
the sides of all the holes. This contact creates the friction and it can be adjusted by
specifying the size of the pin and/or holes.
To prevent the pin from moving laterally or walking, engineers can exploit the
tendency of coiled spring pins to uncoil and get wider the farther they extend
beyond a retaining hole. The amount the pin expands depends on several factors:
pin length, diameter of the pin, stiffness of the pin material, and length of the
unsupported section of the pin.
GO TO MACHINEDESIGN.COM 59
Fastening and Joining Technology Guide

THREE-COMPONENT FRICTION-FIT HINGE

This illustration shows how
a coiled spring pin can be
used to create a free-fit hinge.
The hole of component A is Friction is
HEAVY DUTY highest
designed to be large enough between
so that component A can pin and
Hinge
retaining
rotate freely about the installed components
holes (At)
coiled spring pin, and the hole
of component B is designed
smaller so that it retains the
pin to hold it in place.

Pin expands outside of retaining holes

other. So when the hinge
STANDARD rotates (that is, torque
DUTY applied to either compo-
nent), the pin remains
stationary in one compo-
The outer part should have a thickness
nent as the hinge opens or (At) that is 1.5× the pin’s diameter
closes. This component is
said to be exerting “pri-
mary retention.”
To maximize friction in
a friction-fit hinge, holes
should all be precision TWO-COMPONENT HINGE
LIGHT DUTY
matched in terms of diam-
eters. (This is commonly
Part A Part B
done by drilling or ream-
ing all of the holes in one
operation rather than sep-
Pin
arate steps.) The pin then
uniformly exerts tension
Coiled spring pins come in a variety of duties on all hinge components.
or stiffness. Heavy-duty springs are stronger It’s important to note 60% of pin’s length
and can exert more friction, but they also that engineering drawings
cause the most stress in the host material, may indicate that holes
which may be damaging to light materials are precision matched,
such as plastics. but holes in production
parts may differ from the
Making the hole through the middle print. Technicians should
component slightly larger lets the pin always use calibrated gage
expand, locking the pin in place lateral- pins to check the actual On a two-component hinge, 60% of the pin’s length
ly and preventing it from working itself diameters. should be in the retaining hole to prevent the hinge
out of the hinge holes. from moving. In this illustration, the retaining hole is
For a friction-fit hinge, there must be SPLITTING TOLER- a blind hole, i.e., it does not pass all the way through
spring tension and, therefore, friction, ANCE AND ADJUSTING the hinge component on Part A. To ensure the proper
between the pin and each hinge com- FRICTION friction between the pin and hole B, experts recom-
ponent. But that frictional force is typi- Of ten it is not fe a- mend the pin extend beyond the component, thus
cally greater on one component than the sible to get pre cision ensuring all of the hole is in contact with the pin.

60 09.05.13 MACHINE DESIGN

 Fastening and Joining Technology Guide

matched holes. If so, designers can

DECIPHERING COILED-PIN
use a method called “splitting the
NOMENCLATURE
tolerance.” For example, consider a
0.125-in.-diameter coiled spring pin COILED SPRING PINS usually carry a
that will be installed into a hinge. It six-field identifier. The first is an acronym,
has a recommended hole size rang- CLDP, which specifies a coiled spring pin.
ing from 0.125 to 0.129 in. If holes The next two are the nominal diameter
through both hinge components can- followed by the length (mm).
not be precision matched, then the The fourth is the duty or stiffness of the
tolerance range (0.125 to 0.129 in.) is pin in terms of coiling. It is either L for light,
split between the components. In this M for medium or H for heavy.
case, the middle component would be The fifth designates the material. B for
drilled to 0.127 +0.002/-0.000 in., and carbon steel; C for chrome stainless steel;
outer component would be drilled to D for nickel stainless steel; or W for alloy
0.127 +0.000/-0.002 in. This ensures steel.
the hole through the middle compo- The final field indicates the finish: K for
nent is always larger than or equal to plain,oiled; P for passivated, oiled; R for
holes through the outer component. phosphate coated; or T for zinc plated.
This helps lock the pin in place and
ensures a friction fit. component hinge). In these cases, 60%
Friction can also be adjusted by of the pin should fit into the retain-
using different pin diameters. Larger ing hole. Otherwise, the pin could
pins means more friction as more of eventually take on a tapered shape,
the pin’s surface area touches the holes’ expanding as it extends outside of
walls. the retaining hole. This increases the
likelihood the pin will work itself out
GENERAL GUIDELINES of the retaining hole, lowering the
For a typical t hree-comp onent amount of friction between the pin
hinge, the minimum thickness of the and retaining hole. Shock and vibra-
outer components should be 1.5× the tion will accelerate pin movement.
pin’s nominal diameter. (The nominal If it is necessary to put the pin in a
diameter is the installed diameter.) blind hole in a two-component hinge
But if the outer components’ thick- (i.e., a hole that does not go complete-
nesses are less than that, then the ly through that component), it should
retention hole should pass through be the retention hole as it provides
the middle component. And because additional security against lateral
the pin compresses as it goes through movement in at least one direction. It
t he hol e, t he e nd t hat is pushe d is also good practice to size the length
through (the sized end), will be small- of the pin in these instances so that it
er than the other (unsized) end. For extends past the component with the
a free-fit hinge, holes in the outside through-hole. This ensures maximum
components should then be set to the engagement between pin and com-
measured diameter of the unsized end ponent.
plus a clearance factor, usually 0.001 The coefficient of friction of the pin’s
in. This usually means a technician and component’s material will vary, so
will have to put a similar pin through a trial-and-error approach may needed
a prototype of the middle to dial-in the desired
component. RESOURCES: ”feel” of the hinge. MD
I n t w o - c o m p o n e n t Spirol International Corp.,
hinges, there are no outer www.spirol.com Edited by Stephen Mraz,
or middle parts (see Two- stephen.mraz@penton.com

62 09.05.13 MACHINE DESIGN