Indexing hinge

1. An electronic equipment enclosure installation, comprising

(a) an electronic equipment enclosure, including a first structure and a second structure, at least one of which is a door structure against which air is directed, and

(b) an indexing hinge rotatably supporting the door structure, comprising:

(i) a two arm hinge half, including two hinge arms, a projecting indexing element disposed therebetween, and a first mounting element adapted to mount and connect the two arm hinge half to the first structure of the electronic equipment enclosure; and

(ii) an axle hinge half, including two axles, each extending from a toothed indexing element, and a second mounting element adapted to mount and connect the axle hinge half to the second structure of the electronic equipment enclosure;

(iii) wherein when the axle hinge half is connected to the two arm hinge half by interconnecting each axle with a respective hinge arm, the projecting indexing element abuts the toothed indexing element in such a way as to prevent rotation of the door structure, when air is directed against the door structure, unless an additional rotational torque is applied;

(c) wherein the door structure may be selectively positioned to control the flow of air in the electronic equipment enclosure; and

(d) wherein the door structure and the indexing hinge are both entirely disposed within an interior of the electronic equipment enclosure.

2. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 1 , wherein each axle has two flat surfaces arranged therein to permit interconnection of the axle to a respective hinge arm.

3. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 1 , wherein the toothed indexing element is formed in the shape of a nearly complete cylinder and extends from a proximal end of the second mounting element such that the axis of the cylinder generally parallels the proximal end of the mounting element.

4. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 3 , wherein the cylinder defines curved surfaces and two bases, wherein the toothed indexing element includes a plurality of teeth covering the curved surfaces of the cylinder, and wherein the teeth extend generally from one cylinder base to the other and define a plurality of detents therebetween.

5. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 1 , wherein the projecting indexing element includes a short protrusion with a rounded or beveled tip that abuts the toothed indexing element in such a way as to prevent rotation unless an additional rotational torque is applied.

6. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 1 , wherein the two hinge arms each include an approximately arcuate hinge barrel section for interconnection with a respective axle.

7. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 6 , wherein each hinge barrel section defines a partially-enclosed opening of substantially cylindrical cross-section, and the two hinge barrel sections are aligned such that the cylindrical openings are collinear.

8. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 7 , wherein a distance from a tip of the projecting indexing element to a center of the cylindrical openings is greater than a radius of the cylindrical openings and wherein the tip of the projecting indexing element is arranged to interact with the toothed indexing element in such a way as to prevent rotation unless an additional rotation torque is applied.

9. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 1 , wherein the first mounting element and the second mounting element each include a first mounting section and a second mounting section separated by a slot, wherein a U-shaped structure is disposed.

10. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 9 , wherein the U-shaped structure includes a ramped structure and a tapered structure disposed in opposing facing relation to one another to aid in mounting the corresponding hinge half to a door, wall or other planar structure.

11. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 1 , wherein the hinge arms act as a spring by extending and contracting slightly as the projecting indexing element and toothed indexing element interact with one another when the additional rotational torque is applied to the indexing hinge to cause rotation thereof.

12. The electronic equipment enclosure installation of claim 1 , wherein the door structure is a panel adapted to redirect air toward the other of the first and second structures when the air is directed toward the door structure; and wherein the projecting indexing element abuts the toothed indexing element in such a way as to enable selective positioning resistant to flowing air.

13. A passive air control device indexing hinge, comprising:

(a) a two arm hinge half, including two hinge arms, a projecting indexing element disposed therebetween, and a first mounting element adapted to mount and connect the two arm hinge half to a first structure; and

(b) an axle hinge half, including two axles, each extending from a toothed indexing element, and a second mounting element adapted to mount and connect the axle hinge half to a second structure;

(c) wherein at least one of the first and second structures is a panel adapted to redirect air toward the other of the first and second structures when the air is directed toward the panel;

(d) wherein when the axle hinge half is connected to the two arm hinge half by interconnecting each axle with a respective hinge arm, the projecting indexing element abuts the toothed indexing element in such a way as to prevent rotation and enable selective positioning resistant to the flowing air unless an additional rotational torque is applied by user;

(e) wherein the two arm hinge half, the axle hinge half, and the first and second structures are all entirely disposed within an interior of an electronic equipment enclosure; and

(f) wherein the at least one of the first and second structures that is a panel adapted to redirect air toward the other of the first and second structures is adapted to redirect air flowing through the interior of the electronic equipment enclosure.

14. The indexing hinge of claim 13 , wherein each axle has two flat surfaces arranged therein to permit interconnection of the axle to a respective hinge arm.

15. The indexing hinge of claim 13 , wherein the toothed indexing element is formed in the shape of a nearly complete cylinder and extends from a proximal end of the second mounting element such that the axis of the cylinder generally parallels the proximal end of the mounting element.

16. The indexing hinge of claim 15 , wherein the cylinder defines curved surfaces and two bases, wherein the toothed indexing element includes a plurality of teeth covering the curved surfaces of the cylinder, and wherein the teeth extend generally from one cylinder base to the other and define a plurality of detents therebetween.

17. The indexing hinge of claim 13 , wherein the projecting indexing element includes a short protrusion with a rounded or beveled tip that abuts the toothed indexing element in such a way as to prevent rotation unless an additional rotational torque is applied.

18. The indexing hinge of claim 13 , wherein each hinge barrel section defines a partially-enclosed opening of substantially cylindrical cross-section, and the two hinge barrel sections are aligned such that the cylindrical openings are collinear.

19. The indexing hinge of claim 18 , wherein a distance from a tip of the projecting indexing element to a center of the cylindrical openings is greater than a radius of the cylindrical openings and wherein the tip of the projecting indexing element is arranged to interact with the toothed indexing element in such a way as to prevent rotation unless an additional rotation torque is applied.

20. The indexing hinge of claim 13 , wherein the first mounting element and the second mounting element each include a first mounting section and a second mounting section separated by a slot, wherein a U-shaped structure is disposed.

21. The indexing hinge of claim 20 , wherein the U-shaped structure includes a ramped structure and a tapered structure disposed in opposing facing relation to one another to aid in mounting the corresponding hinge half to a door, wall or other planar structure.

22. The indexing hinge of claim 13 , wherein the hinge arms act as a spring by extending and contracting slightly as the projecting indexing element and toothed indexing element interact with one another when the additional rotational torque is applied to the indexing hinge to cause rotation thereof.

23. An electronic equipment enclosure installation, comprising

(a) an electronic equipment enclosure, including a first structure and a second structure, at least one of which is a door structure against which air is directed, and

(b) an indexing hinge rotatably supporting the door structure, comprising:

(i) a two arm hinge half, including two hinge arms, a projecting indexing element disposed therebetween, and a first mounting element adapted to mount and connect the two arm hinge half to the first structure of the electronic equipment enclosure; and

(ii) an axle hinge half, including two axles, each extending from a toothed indexing element, and a second mounting element adapted to mount and connect the axle hinge half to the second structure of the electronic equipment enclosure;

(iii) wherein when the axle hinge half is connected to the two arm hinge half by interconnecting each axle with a respective hinge arm, the projecting indexing element abuts the toothed indexing element in such a way as to prevent rotation of the door structure, when air is directed against the door structure, unless an additional rotational torque is applied;

(c) wherein the door structure may be selectively positioned to control the flow of air in the electronic equipment enclosure;

(d) wherein the door structure and the indexing hinge are both entirely disposed within an interior of the electronic equipment enclosure;

(e) wherein the indexing hinge is configured such that, when the two arm hinge half is mounted to the first structure of the electronic equipment enclosure and the axle hinge half is mounted to the second structure of the electronic equipment enclosure, the first structure is rotatable relative to the second structure.