Silent spring hinge

• US 10,597,924 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UNID Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: UNID Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hu, Nengjun, Cheng, Meiyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y
• Application Number:
  US16/097,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20190169904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/06 Roasters; Grills; Sandwich grills
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/06 Devices for limiting the opening movement of hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1014 for maintaining the hinge in only one position, e.g. closed
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/105 the maintaining means acting perpendicularly to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/02 with one pin
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/122 Gear hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1261 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/224 Stops
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/264 linear
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/638 Cams; Ramps
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/71 Toothed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/712 with incomplete toothing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/626 Plates or brackets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/30 for domestic appliances
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/308 for ovens

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of spring hinges, and to a silent spring hinge, which addresses the technical shortcoming that relatively high noise is generated when an existing spring hinge used in a household appliance drives a cabinet door to close. The silent spring hinge includes a fixing base, a hinge arm and a spring assembly, a damping assembly corresponding to a side edge of a rotating wheel being further provided on the fixing base, the damping assembly including a sleeve body, a steel ball, a spring and a lock nut, an outer wall of the sleeve body being snap-fitted on the fixing base, the steel ball, the spring and the lock nut being mounted within the sleeve body in sequence, a portion of the steel ball being exposed from the sleeve body and being elastically connected to the side edge of the rotating wheel, and a deceleration groove and a self-locking groove mated with the steel ball at a final stage of the process of closing a cabinet door being provided on a gear edge of the rotating wheel. By means of the present invention, the closing speed of the cabinet door is effectively reduced, and an effect of damping is achieved, such that the cabinet door is closed in a more stable manner, and a force of the spring assembly is not affected after the spring assembly drives the cabinet door to close. The present invention is particularly suitable for use on such products as ovens and microwave ovens.

Claims

1. A silent spring hinge for a cabinet door, comprising:

a fixing base;

a hinge arm; and

a spring assembly, the hinge arm being rotatably connected to the fixing base and being engaged with a rotating wheel mounted on the fixing base, and the spring assembly being mounted on the fixing base and being eccentrically and elastically connected to a wheel surface of the rotating wheel,

wherein a damping assembly corresponding to an edge of the rotating wheel is further provided on the fixing base, the damping assembly comprising a sleeve body, a steel ball, a spring and a lock nut, an outer wall of the sleeve body being snap-fitted on the fixing base, the steel ball, the spring and the lock nut being mounted within the sleeve body in sequence, a portion of the steel ball being exposed from the sleeve body and being elastically in contact with the edge of the rotating wheel, and a deceleration groove and a self-locking groove, provided on the edge of the rotating wheel, being successively in contact with the steel ball at a final stage of the process of closing the cabinet door.

2. The silent spring hinge of claim 1, wherein the rotating wheel is a first gear including gear teeth, the fixing base being connected to the first gear through a first gear shaft, a crank shaft being provided on a gear surface of the first gear, the crank shaft being pivotally connected to a pull rod, the spring assembly being sleeved on the pull rod, a front end of the spring assembly being mated with and snap-fitted to the fixing base;

and the hinge arm comprises a connecting arm and a second gear, the second gear being provided on an end of the connecting arm, the second gear and the connecting arm forming an integral structure, the second gear being connected to the fixing base through a second gear shaft, the second gear being meshed with the first gear.

3. The silent spring hinge of claim 2, wherein the hinge arm further comprises a mounting member with a mounting hole;

an anti-detaching positioning groove is provided on a side edge of the connecting arm, both corners of a rear end of the connecting arm being chamfered; and

a connecting arm groove for mating and snap-fitting with the connecting arm is provided on the mounting member, an elastic jaw for mating and snap-fitting with the anti-detaching positioning groove being provided on a groove wall of the connecting arm groove.

4. The silent spring hinge of claim 3, wherein a first leaf spring structure mated and elastically clamped with the side edge of the connecting arm is provided on a side wall of the connecting arm groove, and a second leaf spring structure mated and elastically clamped with a side of the connecting arm is provided on a bottom wall of the connecting arm groove.

5. The silent spring hinge of claim 2, wherein the spring assembly comprises a bottom stopping piece, a spring and a lock nut that are sleeved on the pull rod in sequence, two raised lugs being provided on a first side and a second side of the bottom stopping piece respectively, and lug grooves mated with the two lugs being provided on the fixing base.

6. The silent spring hinge of claim 1, wherein a stopping and limiting portion mated with the fixing base for position limiting is provided on the connecting arm.