LID HINGE ASSEMBLY WITH SNUBBER AND COUNTERBALANCE SPRING

• US 20170130502A1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mansfield Engineered Components, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mansfield Engineered Components, Inc.
• Inventors: Collene, James
• Granted Patent: US 10,538,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/14 Doors or covers; Securing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/20 General details of domestic laundry dryers D06F59/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 13/1207 with tension springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/00 Hinges or pivots of special construction used for special suspension arrangements E05D15/00; so as to be self-closing E05F1/06, E05F1/12; with means for raising wings before being turned E05F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/10 with a spring, other than a torsion spring, and a piston, the axes of which are the same or lie in the same direction
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/18 with counteracting springs double-acting springs E05F1/14
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/10 with piston brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/312 for washing machines or laundry dryers

Abstract

A hinge assembly for pivotally connecting an associated appliance lid to an associated appliance body includes a base adapted to be connected to the associated appliance body. The hinge assembly also includes a snubber housing connected to the base. A cam is rotatably supported on the snubber housing, and the cam is adapted to be engaged by the associated appliance lid and rotate about a lid pivot axis in a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. A snubber is operatively connected to the snubber housing. The cam exerts a snubber activation force on the snubber when the cam rotates about the lid pivot axis in the second direction corresponding to movement of the associated appliance lid from an opened position toward a closed position and such that the snubber damps movement of the cam when the cam rotates in the second direction. A counterbalance spring is operatively engaged between the base and the cam and exerts a counterbalance force on the cam that biases the cam in the first direction.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for pivotally connecting an associated appliance lid to an associated appliance body, said hinge assembly comprising:

a base adapted to be connected to the associated appliance body;

a snubber housing connected to the base;

a cam rotatably supported on the snubber housing, said cam adapted to be engaged by the associated appliance lid and rotatable about a lid pivot axis in a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite the first direction;

a snubber operatively connected to the snubber housing, wherein the cam exerts a snubber activation force on said snubber when said cam rotates about said lid pivot axis in the second direction corresponding to movement of the associated appliance lid from an opened position toward a closed position and such that said snubber damps movement of said cam when said cam rotates in said second direction;

a counterbalance spring operatively engaged between said base and said cam and exerting a counterbalance force on said cam that biases said cam in said first direction.

2. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said snubber comprises:

a snubber body including a bore defined therein;

a piston slidably located in the bore and a piston rod connected to and projecting outwardly from the piston through a first end wall of the snubber body;

said piston slidable to and between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein said piston is located closer to said first end wall of said snubber body and said piston rod projects outwardly away from the first end wall of the snubber body to a greater extent when said piston is located in said extended position as compared to when said piston is located in said retracted position.

3. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said snubber body further comprises a second end wall that is spaced from the first end wall, and said snubber further comprises a piston return spring that urges the piston toward its extended position.

4. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a damping fluid located in the snubber bore such that:

said snubber activation force causes the piston to move from its extended position toward its retracted position, and the damping fluid resists inward movement of the piston toward said bottom wall;

when the snubber activation force is removed from said snubber, the piston return spring urges the piston toward its extended position to reset the snubber.

5. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the piston is configured such that the damping fluid passes by the piston with less resistance when the piston is moving from its retracted position toward its extended position as compared to when the piston is moving from its extended position toward its retracted position such that said snubber provides greater damping force during movement of the piston from its extended position toward its retracted position as compared to movement of the piston from its retracted position toward its extended position.

6. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, further comprising a primary spring operatively positioned between said snubber housing and said snubber body and biasing said snubber body toward a first position, said snubber body selectively moveable by said snubber activation force into said bore toward a second position.

7. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said snubber housing comprises a one-piece polymeric construction.

8. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said snubber comprises:

a snubber rod movably connected to said snubber housing and adapted for reciprocal linear sliding movement between a first position and a second position;

a primary spring located between said snubber housing and said snubber rod and biasing said snubber rod toward its first position;

wherein said snubber rod moves from said first position toward said second position against said biasing force of said primary spring in response to said snubber activation force exerted thereon by said cam when said cam rotates about said lid pivot axis in said second direction and said primary spring damps movement of said cam when said cam rotates in said first direction.

9. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein said piston return spring is operatively located in the snubber bore between the second end wall and the piston.

10. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein said piston return spring is located external relative to said snubber body and is operatively located between the snubber body and an outer end of said piston rod.

11. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said primary spring biases said snubber body into continuous abutment with the cam for all operative positions of said cam.

12. An appliance comprising:

a body including a chamber with an open mouth;

a lid for selectively covering the open mouth of the chamber; and

a hinge assembly for pivotally connecting an associated appliance lid to an associated appliance body, said hinge assembly comprising;

a base adapted to be connected to the associated appliance body;

a snubber housing connected to the base;

a cam rotatably supported on the snubber housing, said cam adapted to be engaged by the associated appliance lid and rotatable about a lid pivot axis in a first direction and in a second direction that is opposite the first direction;

a snubber operatively connected to the snubber housing, wherein the cam exerts a snubber activation force on said snubber when said cam rotates about said lid pivot axis in the second direction corresponding to movement of the associated appliance lid from an opened position toward a closed position and such that said snubber damps movement of said cam when said cam rotates in said second direction;

a counterbalance spring operatively engaged between said base and said cam and exerting a counterbalance force on said cam that biases said cam in said first direction.