Electronic hinges needed for Tricorder prop

[subxinu]

Hello! I'm searching for some small hinges for use with a Tricorder build I'm planning. I want to run lights in the flip out without the wiring showing. I know something must exist as many applications have them (i.e. cell phones). Any ideas? The hinges I have used for static builds are 3/4" narrow hinges. Thanks!

 

[silverskyes402]

You can just wire up the hinges themselves, pos neg

 

[00MrNotWrong00]

All the ones I've seen are just normal hinges and the switch is magnetic. You hide the magnet on the side opposite your batteries. That way it opens the magnet is moved away from the switch and the item turns on. Like those little lights people put in closets.

 

[NakedMoleRat]

Sand the hinges to rough them up and solder wires to them. As mentioned positive and negative, one for each hinge.

 

[subxinu]

All the ones I've seen are just normal hinges and the switch is magnetic. You hide the magnet on the side opposite your batteries. That way it opens the magnet is moved away from the switch and the item turns on. Like those little lights people put in closets.

I'm sort of familiar with the door magnetic switches, are they are available in smaller sizes as well? Also, if I wanted to wire other electronic components, such as buttons, I guess just simply wiring the hinges would not work. Any suggestions for an option here?

 

[silverskyes402]

Not sure abou the buttons, but you can get very small magnetic reed switches, I have one thats as big as about a dime in diamiter

 

[subxinu]

Thanks for the info ...if I decide to go with some buttons on the flip out then I assume I may need to include a hollow hinge into the prop somehow to run wires; I'm thinking two female attachment "posts" either side of the main body and hollow "tube" with a static male insertion on one end and a spring loaded male end on the other. Or, even removable posts to eliminate the need to anything spring loaded. Wow, this could be a really fun project afterall. lol

I was really hoping something already existed for an application such as this but making things work is half the fun too.

 

[Mr.Engineer]

I have often been thinking on that too. There is a theory on this, just like the DSL system. You need a carrier voltage to power up the circuit at the hinge and inside the carrier voltage, embed a signal voltage inside it. So, on both ends of the circuit, you would need to make some sort of a communication system to filter out the carrier voltage and get the signal, which, must be duplex. Then you create a circuit to detect push buttons and transform that into the signal voltage to be sent to the Tricorder body.

Either that or you just create holes on the hinges and put up sets of Infra-red LEDs. When you press a button on the hinge, one IR LED will light up, which will be detected on the Body and so on.

Does this make sense?:wacko

 

[subxinu]

I have often been thinking on that too. There is a theory on this, just like the DSL system. You need a carrier voltage to power up the circuit at the hinge and inside the carrier voltage, embed a signal voltage inside it. So, on both ends of the circuit, you would need to make some sort of a communication system to filter out the carrier voltage and get the signal, which, must be duplex. Then you create a circuit to detect push buttons and transform that into the signal voltage to be sent to the Tricorder body.

Either that or you just create holes on the hinges and put up sets of Infra-red LEDs. When you press a button on the hinge, one IR LED will light up, which will be detected on the Body and so on.

Does this make sense?:wacko

Humm, wow. Signal filtering is most definitely out of my skill set but would be interesting nonetheless. :love

I may go ahead and try the button application. Maybe create a mock third hinge using a pinless pivot point in the space between the two "real hinges." Another idea that has come to me is to have contacts on the main body and the flip out that connect when the flip out is opened. This latter one may be the easiest solution for me.

First, I need to get started on hollowing out one of my solid castings. :unsure

 

[Chris2082]

I know this is a fairly old thread to be replying to, but I've been trying to find a solution to the same question. I even tore apart my old flip phone to get an idea how I could make a similar hinge.

I would be very interested to know what solution you may have found since you started this thread.

Thanks!