Domestic appliance and hinge of a domestic appliance

• US 10,309,141 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hettich-Oni GmbH & Co KG
• Original Assignee: Hettich-Oni GmbH & Co KG
• Inventors: Rommelmann, Cord
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y
• Application Number:
  US15/554,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20180238093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/14 Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1007 with positive locking
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 5/02 Parts for attachment, e.g. flaps
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/12 Mechanisms in the shape of hinges or pivots, operated by springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1284 with a leaf or similar spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/14 with fluid brakes of the rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/16 with friction brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/22 Additional arrangements for closers, e.g. for holding the wing in opened or other position
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/02 specially for preventing the slamming of swinging wings during final closing movement, e.g. jamb stops
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/218 Holders
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/48 Leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/26 Form, shape
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/465 Pressing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/674 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/312 for washing machines

Abstract

The invention relates to a hinge for a domestic appliance for pivotably fastening a lid to a body of the domestic appliance, comprising a first hinge element and a second hinge element, which are pivotably connected to each other and which can be pivoted in relation to each other between an open position and a closed position. The hinge is characterized in that a control lever is rotatably supported on the first hinge element and a control gate is formed on the second hinge element, in which control gate a control pin formed on the control lever is guided, wherein the control gate is shaped in such a way that, during a closing motion of the hinge, an intermediate position is assumed and held until the closing motion is continued to the closed position, whereas the hinge is pivoted to the open position during an opening motion from the closed position. The invention further relates to a domestic appliance, in particular a top-loading washing machine, comprising a body, to which a lid is pivotably fastened by means of at least one such hinge.

Claims

1. A hinge for a domestic appliance for pivotable fastening of a lid on a body of the domestic appliance, having a first hinge element and a second hinge element, which are pivotably connected to one another and can be pivoted in relation to one another between an open position and a closed position, wherein

a control lever is rotatably mounted on the first hinge element and a control curve is formed on the second hinge element, in which a control pin formed on the control lever is guided, wherein a catch is formed into the control curve and is configured to engage and selectively hold the control pin during a closing movement of the hinge, but not during an opening movement of the hinge, so that an intermediate position of the hinge is assumed and held when the hinge is moved from the open position toward the closed position until the closing movement is continued into the closed position, while in contrast during an opening movement of the hinge out of the closed position, the hinge pivots into the open position, and wherein

the first and the second hinge elements are formed as U-shaped, each having a base and legs arranged laterally on the base, wherein the legs of the first hinge element are disposed between the legs of the second hinge element in the region of a pivot axis extending through the legs of the first and second hinge elements.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second hinge element are produced from sheet metal in a stamping and bending process.

3. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the control lever is mounted on one of the legs of the first hinge element and the control curve is formed in one of the legs of the second hinge element.

4. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the control curve at least sectionally forms a circumferential path for the control pin.

5. The hinge according to claim 4, wherein the circumferential path of the control curve extends in a heart shape.

6. The hinge according to claim 4, wherein an outer contour of the control curve is formed by a recess in one of the legs of the second hinge element and an inner contour of the circumferential path of the control curve is formed by an insert, which is inserted into the recess in the leg one of the legs of the second hinge element.

7. The hinge according to claim 6 wherein the control lever is elastic so that the control pin may disengage from the catch groove and the control curve during an opening movement of the hinge.

8. The hinge according to claim 6 wherein the control lever is elastically mounted on the first hinge element so that the control pin may disengage from the catch groove and the control curve during an opening movement of the hinge.

9. The hinge according to claim 6 wherein the insert is elastically mounted on the second hinge element so that the control pin may disengage from the catch groove and the control curve during an opening movement of the hinge.

10. The hinge according to claim 4, wherein a further section of the control curve, in which the control pin enters in the open position of the hinge, adjoins the circumferential path of the control curve.

11. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the control curve is embossed in a deep embossing process in one of the legs of the second hinge element.

12. The hinge according to claim 1, having a damper connected between the first hinge element and the second hinge element, which at least sectionally damps a movement of the two hinge elements in relation to one another.

13. The hinge according to claim 12, wherein the damper is a rotation damper having a gearwheel, which is fastened on one of the hinge elements, wherein a gearwheel segment, in which the gearwheel engages, is formed on the other of the hinge elements.

14. The hinge according to claim 13, wherein the gearwheel engages in the gearwheel segment upon approach to at least one of the open position and the closed position of the hinge.

15. The hinge according claim 1, having a spring which is arranged between the two hinge elements.

16. The hinge according claim 15, wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

17. A domestic appliance having a body on which a lid is pivotably fastened using at least one hinge according to claim 1.

18. The domestic appliance according claim 17, wherein the domestic appliance is a top loading washing machine.