OVEN DOOR HINGE

• US 3,749,080 A
• Filed: 03/02/1972
• Issued: 07/31/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Walter H. Kleinhenn
• Original Assignee: Walter H. Kleinhenn
• Inventors: Kleinhenn, Walter H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dority, Jr., Carroll B.
• Application Number:
  US05/231,126
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 126/191,194 16/145,146
• US Class Current: 126/191
• CPC Class Codes: F24C 15/023 Mounting of doors, e.g. hinges, counterbalancing

Abstract

A structure especially useful as a hinge to support an oven door comprising a spring which is self contained within a casing and a counter balancing system operatively connected between the door and the spring together with latch mechanism operative during assembly of the hinge to the oven to lock the hinge in a partially open position so that the same cannot close and injure the assembler and damage the oven.

Claims

1. A hinge structure for a cook oven having a hollow body with a door providing access to the body, the hinge permitting the door to rotate relative to the body in a vertical direction as between open, partially open and closed positions, the hinge comprising:

an elongated casing adapted to be mounted in a fixed position on the body wherein the casing extends vertically and mounts the hinge on the oven;

a rotatable carrier arm constructed to fit into a socket on the oven door to thereby support the door for rotation therewith;

pivot means connecting the casing and the carrier arm and providing for the arm to rotate relative to the casing in a vertical direction as between the open and closed positions;

operating mechanism including a compression spring connected between the carrier arm and the casing, the spring exerting a force on the carrier arm to cause rotation of the arm toward the closed position when the carrier arm is free from said socket;

latch means movable as between operative and inoperative positions; and

latch control mechanism for moving the latch to the inoperative position when the carrier arm is in the door socket so that the latch does not interfere with rotation of the carrier arm to closed position and also for moving the latch when the carrier arm is free from thedoor socket to the operative position so that the latch holds the carrier against the force of the spring in a partially open position, the latter position being for use when the hinge is being assembled to the oven.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said pivot means includes a pivot bracket connected to the casing and extending outwardly therefrom, the bracket having a locking land formed thereon;

said latch means includes a bar extending thru a slot on the carrier arm and movable as betWeen opposite ends of the slot, one end of the slot being the operative position of the bar and the other end being the inoperative position;

said latch control mechanism includes a cam and a control spring, the cam being connected to the bar and adapted to engage the door socket and be moved in a direction to move the bar to the inoperative position wherein the bar does not engage the locking land with rotation of the carrier arm, and the control spring being mounted on the carrier arm and connected with the cam and biasing the cam to move in a direction to move the bar to the operative position wherein the bar engages the locking land at a predetermined position of the carrier cam to establish said partially open position.

3. A construction is accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said pivot means includes a pivot bracket connected to the casing and extending outwardly therefrom, the bracket having a locking land formed thereon;

said latch includes a bar mounted on said carrier arm for rotation as between the operative and inoperative positions;

said latch control mechanism includes a cam and a control spring, the cam being connected to the bar for rotation therewith and adapted to engage the door socket and be rotated in a direction to rotate the bar to a position wherein rotation of the carrier arm out of the partially open toward the closed position causes the bar to engage the locking land and the engagement and further rotation of the carrier arm rotating the bar to the inoperative position and the control spring being mounted on the carrier arm and connected with the cam and biasing the cam to rotate in a direction to rotate the bar to the operative position wherein the bar engages the locking land at a predetermined position of the carrier arm to establish said partially open position.

4. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said pivot means includes a pivot bracket connected to the casing and extending outwardly therefrom;

said latch means includes a bar mounted on said pivot bracket and a slot formed in said carrier arm for receiving said bar, the bar being mounted for rotation between the operative and inoperative positions;

said latch control mechanism includes a cam and a control spring, the cam being connected to the bar for rotation therewith and adapted to engage the door socket and be rotated in a direction to rotate the bar to the inoperative position wherein the bar cannot be received by said carrier arm slot and the control spring being mounted on the carrier arm and connected with the cam and biasing the cam to rotate in a direction to rotate the bar to the operative position wherein the bar is received by the carrier arm slot at a predetermined position of the carrier arm to establish said partially open poisition.

5. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said operating mechanism includes:

a lever arm;

pivot means connecting the lever arm to the carrier arm and providing for the arms to be rotatable relative to one another;

a bracket slidably mounted on said casing;

pivot means connecting the lever arm and the bracket and providing for the same to be rotatable relative to one another, one end of the compression spring being connected to said bracket and said spring force being transmitted to the carrier arm via the bracket and the lever arm.

6. A construction in accordance with claim 5 wherein said latch control mechanism and said latch means are constructed from a single wireform.