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Soft close hinge assembly

  • US 10,053,902 B1
  • Filed: 08/31/2015
  • Issued: 08/21/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A hinge assembly for an appliance, said hinge assembly comprising:

  • a lever arm adapted to be engaged with a mounting receptacle of an associated appliance body;

    a channel pivotally connected to the lever arm at a first pivot point, the channel adapted to be connected to an associated appliance door;

    a control link comprising inner and outer ends, the inner end of the control link pivotally connected to the lever arm;

    a slide body located adjacent the channel and comprising an inner end connected to the outer end of the control link, the slide body adapted for reciprocal sliding movement relative to the channel toward and away from the first pivot point in response to pivoting movement of the channel relative to the lever arm between a first position and a second position;

    a spring operably located between the slide body and the channel and resiliently biasing the channel toward the first position;

    a snubber system connected to the channel in a location where the slide body is located between the snubber system and the first pivot point, the snubber system comprising at least one snubber comprising a piston that is biased to an extended position and selectively moveable to a retracted position against a damping resistance;

    wherein the slide body contacts the snubber system during movement of the slide body away from the first pivot point when the channel moves from the second position toward the first position and the slide body causes movement of the snubber piston from its extended position to its retracted position such that the snubber system damps movement of the slide body away from the first pivot point and damps movement of the channel toward the first position;

    wherein said slide body is located between first and second side walls of the channel and includes at least one elongated slot, said hinge assembly comprising a slide pin that extends between the first and second side walls of the channel and through the at least one elongated slot of the slide body; and

    ,wherein the spring includes an outer end connected to the slide pin and includes an inner end connected to at least one of the slide body and control link.

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