Refrigerator door closer

• US 5,027,473 A
• Filed: 07/20/1989
• Issued: 07/02/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sub-Zero Freezer Company Incorporated (Sub-Zero Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sub-Zero Freezer Company Incorporated (Sub-Zero Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hottmann, Philip F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spruill, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuda, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US07/383,193
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 16/49, 16/80, 16/286, 16/291, 49/386
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1269 with a traction spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/024 Door hinges

Abstract

A door closer assembly for a household refrigerator of the type having a door frame with a front faced surface and a door having a confronting surface, the assembly including a hinge plate mounted on the door frame and having a pivot pin mounted on the hinge plate in a spaced relation to the front faced surface, a door plate mounted on the door and having an aperture spaced from the confronting surface of the door and a pivot post spaced from the aperature, the door plate being mounted on the hinge plate with the pivot pin aligned with the aperature, and an offset arm connected to the pivot post and biased by a spring in a door closing direction.

Claims

1. A household refrigerator of the type having a door frame with a front faced surface and a door having a confronting surface overlapping the front faced surface, and door closer assembly for supporting the door for pivotal movement between open and closed positions with respect to the front faced surface, said assembly comprising:

a planar hinge plate mounted on the frame;

a pivot pin mounted on said hinge plate in a spaced relation to the front faced surface;

a planar door plate mounted on the door and having an aperture spaced from the confronting surface of the door, said door plate being mounted on said hinge plate with said pivot pin aligned in said aperture;

a pivot post mounted on said door plate in a spaced relation to said aperture; and

an arm having an aperture at one end thereof directly connected to said pivot post and means mounted on the refrigerator for biasing said arm in a door closing direction.

2. The door closer assembly according to claim 1 wherein said biasing means comprises:

a housing mounted on the refrigerator;

a compression spring mounted in said housing;

a linkage connecting said arm to said spring, said linkage comprising;

a U-shaped link extending through said compression spring; and

a spring retainer mounted on the end of said link for holding the spring in a compressed condition.

3. The door closer assembly according to claim 2 including a resilient bumper mounted in the housing in a position to engage said arm and a guide mounted on said bumper for guiding the movement of the arm past the bumper.

4. The door closer assembly according to claim 1 wherein said biasing means includes a compression spring mounted in a housing which is mounted on the refrigerator;

and a connecting link, and means for connecting said link to said arm, said pivot post being located in a position to move outwardly around the pivot pin whereby the bias force of said compression spring increases as the door is opened.

5. The door closer assembly according to claim 4 wherein said arm includes a hook at the other end having a pivot axis and being operably connected to said compression spring, said aperture at said one end operably connected to pivot about the axis of said pivot post, and a center portion offset from a line connecting said hook axis and said pivot post axis to allow said arm to rotate past the pivot pin.

6. The door closer according to claim 5 including stop means mounted on said pivot pin for selectively limiting the pivotal motion of the door to intermediate points between fully opened and fully closed.

7. A door closer assembly for supporting a door for movement into engagement with the front face surface of the frame of a refrigerator, said assembly comprising:

a first planar hinge plate mounted on said frame;

a pivot pin mounted on said plate in a spaced relation to the front face surface of the frame;

a second planar hinge plate mounted on the door, said second hinge plate having an aperture spaced from the side of the door for engagement with said pivot pin whereby the door is pivotable between opened and closed positions with respect to said frame;

a post mounted on said second hinge plate for pivotal movement about said pivot pin; and

a pivot arm having an aperture at one end thereof directly connected to said post and means including said pivot arm for biasing the door to a closed position with respect to the frame, said pivot arm having an offset body portion to provide clearance for said pivot pin when the door is opened and closed.