Appliance hinge
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An appliance hinge, said appliance hinge comprising:
- a frame, said frame having a first frame end and a second frame end and a frame axis extending through said first frame end and said second frame end, a slot adjacent said second frame end, said slot having a long axis, said long axis being substantially parallel to said frame axis;
a plunger, said plunger having a first plunger end and a second plunger end, a biasing element retainer adjacent said first plunger end and a plunger joint adjacent said second plunger end;
a biasing element, said biasing element biasing the first plunger end away from the frame;
a link, said link having a first link end, a second link end, and a link joint, said link joint being located adjacent said second link end;
a follower, said follower having a first follower end, a second follower end, a follower axis extending through said first follower end and said second follower end, and a follower surface, said follower surface having a profile;
a fulcrum, said fulcrum being mounted to said frame; and
an adapter plate, said adapter plate having a first adapter end and a second adapter end, an appliance engagement, a hinge joint and a follower joint, said hinge joint being located adjacent said first adapter end and said appliance engagement being located adjacent said second adapter end, said follower joint being located at a distance from said first end;
wherein said link is rotatably connected to said plunger adjacent the first follower end by said link joint;
wherein said follower adjacent the first follower end is connected to said link by said link joint;
wherein said plunger joint comprises a pin extending through said slot, said pin constraining motion of the plunger joint in a direction substantially parallel to said frame axis;
wherein said follower is connected to said adapter plate adjacent the second follower end via said follower joint;
wherein said adapter is rotatably connected to said frame adjacent the first frame end via said hinge joint;
wherein said follower surface bears against said fulcrum;
wherein when said adapter plate is rotated, the position of said follower is constrained by contact between said follower surface and said fulcrum; and
wherein the contact between the fulcrum and the follower surface varies the motion of the follower such that force applied to the adapter plate through the follower joint varies with respect to the amount of force applied by the biasing element to the plunger.
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Abstract
The present invention is a hinge assembly for engaging an appliance door to an appliance, such that rotational forces generated by the door as a function of the door position are balanced against a rotation force exerted about an axis of rotation for the door. The hinge assembly may be engaged to an interface using a locking bar to prevent translation of the adapter plate relative to the interface. The hinge assembly may further have a plunger incorporating an ovoid shaped retention pin bore for retaining an elastic element to the plunger.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An appliance hinge, said appliance hinge comprising:
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a frame, said frame having a first frame end and a second frame end and a frame axis extending through said first frame end and said second frame end, a slot adjacent said second frame end, said slot having a long axis, said long axis being substantially parallel to said frame axis;
a plunger, said plunger having a first plunger end and a second plunger end, a biasing element retainer adjacent said first plunger end and a plunger joint adjacent said second plunger end;
a biasing element, said biasing element biasing the first plunger end away from the frame;
a link, said link having a first link end, a second link end, and a link joint, said link joint being located adjacent said second link end;
a follower, said follower having a first follower end, a second follower end, a follower axis extending through said first follower end and said second follower end, and a follower surface, said follower surface having a profile;
a fulcrum, said fulcrum being mounted to said frame; and
an adapter plate, said adapter plate having a first adapter end and a second adapter end, an appliance engagement, a hinge joint and a follower joint, said hinge joint being located adjacent said first adapter end and said appliance engagement being located adjacent said second adapter end, said follower joint being located at a distance from said first end;
wherein said link is rotatably connected to said plunger adjacent the first follower end by said link joint;
wherein said follower adjacent the first follower end is connected to said link by said link joint;
wherein said plunger joint comprises a pin extending through said slot, said pin constraining motion of the plunger joint in a direction substantially parallel to said frame axis;
wherein said follower is connected to said adapter plate adjacent the second follower end via said follower joint;
wherein said adapter is rotatably connected to said frame adjacent the first frame end via said hinge joint;
wherein said follower surface bears against said fulcrum;
wherein when said adapter plate is rotated, the position of said follower is constrained by contact between said follower surface and said fulcrum; and
wherein the contact between the fulcrum and the follower surface varies the motion of the follower such that force applied to the adapter plate through the follower joint varies with respect to the amount of force applied by the biasing element to the plunger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An appliance hinge, said appliance hinge comprising:
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a frame, said frame having a first frame end and a second frame end and a frame axis extending through said first frame end and said second frame end, a slot adjacent said second frame end, said slot having a long axis, said long axis being substantially parallel to said frame axis;
a plunger, said plunger having a first plunger end and a second plunger end, and a plunger joint adjacent said second plunger end;
a biasing means, said biasing means for biasing the first plunger end away from said frame;
a biasing means retainer means adjacent said first plunger end, said biasing means retainer means for retaining said biasing means to said plunger;
a link, said link having a first link end, a second link end, and a link joint, said link joint being located adjacent said second link end;
a follower, said follower having a first follower end, a second follower end, and a follower axis extending through said first follower end and said second follower end;
an adapter plate, said adapter plate having a first adapter end and a second adapter end, an appliance engagement means for engaging the adapter plate to an appliance, a hinge joint and a follower joint, said hinge joint being located adjacent said first adapter end and said appliance engagement being located adjacent said second adapter end, said follower joint being located at a distance from said first end; and
a cam means, said cam means for controlling the translation of the follower relative to the link and the adapter plate, wherein said control of such translation biases rotation of said adapter plate in a non-linear relation with the force exerted by the biasing means;
wherein said link is rotatably connected to said plunger adjacent the first link end by said plunger joint;
wherein said follower is connected to said link adjacent the first follower end by said link joint;
wherein said plunger joint comprises a pin extending through said slot, said pin constraining motion of the plunger joint in a direction substantially parallel to said frame axis;
wherein said follower is connected to said adapter plate via said follower joint; and
wherein said adapter is rotatably connected to said frame via said hinge joint. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An appliance hinge, said appliance hinge comprising:
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a frame, said frame having a first frame end and a second frame end and a frame axis extending through said first frame end and said second frame end, a hinge bore adjacent said first frame end, a slot adjacent said second frame end, said slot having a long axis, said long axis being substantially parallel to said frame axis;
a plunger, said plunger having a first plunger end and a second plunger end, a biasing element retainer adjacent said first plunger end and a plunger joint adjacent said second plunger end;
a biasing element, said biasing element biasing the first plunger end away from the frame;
a link, said link having a first link end, a second link end, and a link joint, said link joint being located adjacent said second link end;
a follower, said follower having a first follower end, a second follower end, and a follower surface, said follower surface having a profile;
a roller, said roller being mounted to said frame; and
an adapter plate, said adapter plate having a first adapter end and a second adapter end and an adapter axis extending through the first adapter end and the second adapter end, an appliance engagement, a hinge joint and a follower joint, said hinge joint being located adjacent said first adapter end and said appliance engagement being located adjacent said second adapter end, said follower joint being located at a distance from said first end, said appliance engagement comprising a pair of engagement channels extending along an axis substantially perpendicular to the adapter axis and being sized to fit over a plurality of mounting pins, said adapter plate further comprising a locking bar for preventing motion of the adapter plate relative to the mounting pins, such that said mounting pins are retained in said engagement channels;
wherein said link is rotatably connected to said plunger adjacent the first link end by said plunger joint;
wherein said follower is connected to said link adjacent the first follower end by said link joint;
wherein said plunger joint comprises a pin extending through said slot, said pin able to slide along the slot and constraining motion of the plunger joint in a direction substantially parallel to said frame axis;
wherein said follower is connected to said adapter plate via said follower joint;
wherein said adapter is rotatably connected to said frame via said hinge joint;
wherein said locking bar further comprises a receiver and said follower comprises a should, wherein said locking bar is rotatble into a position wherein said follower surface bears against said roller; and
wherein when said adapter plate is rotated, the position of said follower is constrained by contact between said follower surface and said roller such that the force exerted by said biasing element provides a varying resistance to rotation of said adapter plate relative to said frame, said varying resistance substantially offsetting torque created by the weight of an appliance door as the appliance door is rotated from an open position to a closed position or from a closed position to an open position.
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Specification