Hinge assembly for oven or other appliance

• US 10,295,194 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mansfield Engineered Components, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mansfield Engineered Components, Inc.
• Inventors: SirLouis, Nicholas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Delisle, Roberta S
• Application Number:
  US15/246,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20170059176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 16 84, 16284-285, 16289, 16290, 16335
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4261 Connections of the door to the casing, e.g. door hinges
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/40 Opening or locking status of doors
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/20 Parameters relating to constructional components, e.g. door sensors
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/14 Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/06 Devices for limiting the opening movement of hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/02 with one pin
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1261 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/10 with piston brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/416 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/30 for domestic appliances
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/308 for ovens
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/023 Mounting of doors, e.g. hinges, counterbalancing

Abstract

An appliance hinge includes a control link subassembly operably connected between a base and a door mounting arm. The control link subassembly includes a control link with a first end pivotally connected to the door mounting arm and a second end spaced from the first end. The control link subassembly also includes a spring-arm including an outer end pivotally connected to the second end of the control link and an inner end engaged with the base and adapted for both pivoting and sliding movement relative to the base. The control link subassembly also includes a spring engaged with the spring-arm and exerting a biasing force on the spring-arm that urges said spring-arm toward its extended position. The spring-arm selectively moveable toward a retracted position. The hinge assembly further includes a link controller connected to the base. The spring biases the control link into abutment with the link controller.

Claims

1. An appliance hinge assembly comprising:

a base;

a door mounting arm pivotally connected to the base and adapted for pivoting movement relative to the base between a first position and a second position;

a control link subassembly operably connected between the base and the door mounting arm, said control link subassembly comprising;

a control link comprising a first end pivotally connected to the door mounting arm and a second end spaced from the first end, said control link further comprising a first edge;

a spring-arm comprising an outer end pivotally connected to the second end of the control link and comprising an elongated slot on an inner end engaged with the base and adapted for both pivoting and sliding movement relative to the base, said spring-arm moveable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to said base;

a spring coaxially positioned on the spring-arm and exerting a biasing force on the spring-arm that urges said spring-arm toward its extended position, said spring-arm selectively moveable against the biasing force toward its retracted position;

a link controller connected to the base, wherein said spring biases the first edge of the control link into abutment with the link controller and pivoting movement of said door mounting arm relative to the base alters a contact location where said first edge of the control link contacts the link controller such that pivoting movement of the door mounting arm relative to the base induces pivoting movement of the control link relative to the door mounting arm to alter a door-closing force Fc exerted on the door mounting arm by the biasing spring through the control link.

2. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said appliance hinge assembly further comprises a slide fastener that projects outwardly from the base and that is slidably located in the elongated slot of the spring-arm such that the spring-arm is adapted to both pivot about the slide fastener on an arc and slide axially along the axis of the slot relative to the slide fastener.

3. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the slide fastener comprises a rivet connected to the base.

4. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the spring comprises a coil spring, and wherein the spring-arm extends axially through a hollow core of the coil spring whereby the spring is operably located between the base and the outer end of the spring-arm such that the spring is operative as a compression spring to bias the spring-arm toward its extended position.

5. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first edge of the control link comprises a stop located adjacent the outer end of the control link, wherein the stop comprises a raised portion defined in the first edge that contacts the link controller when the door mounting arm is moved to its second position.

6. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the control link further comprises a second edge located opposite the first edge, and wherein the second edge abuts a fixed location of the base when the door mounting arm is moved to its second position and said link controller is in contact with said stop.

7. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein:

the door mounting arm is pivotally connected to the base by a main pivot fastener;

the control link further comprises a second edge located opposite the first edge; and

,

the second edge of the control link abuts the main pivot fastener when the door mounting arm is moved to its second position and when said link controller is in contact with said stop.

8. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein the control link further comprises a second edge located opposite the first edge, and wherein the second edge comprises a secondary stop location comprising a stop lobe that projects outwardly from the second edge, and wherein the base comprises a stop aperture for selectively receiving an associated temporary stop member that abuts the secondary stop location of the control link such that the control link is blocked from moving inwardly as required for the door mounting arm to return to its first position from its second position.

9. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base comprises a main wall and a front wall oriented transversely relative to the main wall, and wherein the front wall comprises an opening or slot through which the control link extends.

10. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base is connected to the body of an oven appliance and the door mounting arm is connected to a door of the oven appliance.

11. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first fluid damper connected to the base and operably positioned to be engaged by the spring-arm during at least a portion of movement of the door mounting arm from its first position to its second position.

12. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a second damper connected to the base and operably positioned to be engaged by the spring-arm during at least a portion of movement of the door mounting arm from its second position to its first position.

13. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 11, further comprising a damper connected to the base and operably positioned to be engaged by the spring-arm during at least a portion of movement of the door mounting arm from its second position to its first position.

14. An oven appliance comprising:

a body including a chamber with an opening;

a door adapted to selectively close the chamber opening;

first and second hinge assemblies that pivotally connect the door to the body such that the door is adapted for pivoting movement relative to the body between a closed position where the door closes the chamber opening and an opened position where the door is moved away from the chamber opening, at least one of the hinge assemblies comprising;

a base connected to the appliance body;

a door mounting arm connected to the appliance door, said door mounting arm pivotally connected to the base and adapted for pivoting movement relative to the base between a first position and a second position, wherein said first position corresponds to the closed position of the door and the second position corresponds to the opened position of the door;

a control link subassembly operably connected between the base and the door mounting arm, said control link subassembly comprising;

a control link comprising a first end pivotally connected to the door mounting arm and a second end spaced from the first end, said control link further comprising a first edge;

a spring-arm comprising an outer end pivotally connected to the second end of the control link and comprising an elongated slot on an inner end engaged with the base and adapted for both pivoting and sliding movement relative to the base, said spring-arm moveable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to said base;

a spring coaxially positioned on the spring-arm and exerting a biasing force on the spring-arm that urges said spring-arm toward its extended position, said spring-arm selectively moveable against the biasing force toward its retracted position;

a link controller connected to the base, wherein said spring biases the first edge of the control link into abutment with the link controller and pivoting movement of said door mounting arm relative to the base alters a contact location where said first edge of the control link contacts the link controller such that pivoting movement of the door mounting arm relative to the base induces pivoting movement of the control link relative to the door mounting arm to alter a door-closing force Fc exerted on the door mounting arm by the biasing spring through the control link.

15. The oven appliance as set forth in claim 14, wherein said at least one hinge assembly further comprises a slide fastener that projects outwardly from the base and that is slidably located in the elongated slot of the spring-arm such that the spring-arm is adapted to both pivot about the slide fastener on an arc and slide axially along the axis of the slot relative to the slide fastener.

16. The oven appliance as set forth in claim 15, wherein the slide fastener comprises a rivet connected to the base.

17. The oven appliance as set forth in claim 15, wherein the spring comprises a coil spring, and wherein the spring-arm extends axially through a hollow core of the coil spring whereby the spring is operably located between the base and the outer end of the spring-arm such that the spring is operative as a compression spring to bias the spring-arm toward its extended position.

18. The oven appliance as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first edge of the control link comprises a stop located adjacent the outer end of the control link, wherein the stop comprises a raised portion defined in the first edge that contacts the link controller when the door mounting arm is moved to its second position.

19. The oven appliance as set forth in claim 18, wherein the control link further comprises a second edge located opposite the first edge, and wherein the second edge abuts a fixed location of the base when the door mounting arm is moved to its second position and said link controller is in contact with said stop.

20. The oven appliance as set forth in claim 14, further comprising a fluid damper connected to the base and adapted to be engaged by the spring-arm when the door mounting arm is pivoted such that the damper cushions movement of the door mounting arm.