Hinge assembly having improved stop

• US 6,968,597 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mansfield Assemblies Co.
• Original Assignee: Mansfield Assemblies Co.
• Inventors: Habegger, Jeffrey D., Cummins, Steven O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kyle, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US10/452,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20030221285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 163/43, 163/21, 163/62, 163/74, 163/31, 163/32, 162/89, 162/97, 493/86, 493/87, 126190-194
• US Class Current: 16/297
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1075 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/308 for ovens

Abstract

A hinge assembly for an appliance comprises a channel and a stop connected to the channel. A door mounting lever pivots relative to the channel about a pivot axis on an arc between a first operative position where the door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a first direction about said pivot axis on the arc and second operative position where the door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a second direction opposite the first direction about the pivot axis on the arc. A glide is operatively coupled to the door mounting lever, e.g., by way of a spring cam member, and is movable slidably on the stop in response to movement of the door mounting lever. A spring biases the glide into continuous engagement with the stop when the door mounting lever is located in both the first and second operative positions and when the door mounting lever moves between the first and second operative positions.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly comprising:

a channel comprising first and second opposite ends;

a stop defined separately from and immovably connected to said channel between said first and second ends, said stop comprising at least one dwell point and comprising a glide surface including a tail portion and a curved camming portion;

a door mounting lever that pivots relative to said channel about a pivot axis on an arc between a first operative position where said door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a first direction about said pivot axis on said arc and second operative position where said door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a second direction opposite the first direction about said pivot axis on said arc;

a glide operatively coupled to said door mounting lever and movable relative to said channel toward and away from said first and second opposite ends of said channel slidably on both said tail and curved camming portion of said glide surface of said stop and selectively seatable in said at least one dwell point in response to movement of said door mounting lever; and

,

a spring that biases said glide into continuous engagement with said stop when said door mounting lever is located in both said first and second operative positions and when said door mounting lever moves between said first and second operative positions.

2. A hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a spring cam member pivotally connected to said door mounting lever and including said glide, wherein said spring extends between an anchor point and said spring cam member.

4. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said spring cam member is pivotally connected to said door mounting lever at a pivot point located between first and second ends of said spring cam member, and wherein said glide is located at said first end of said spring cam member and said spring is connected to a second end of said spring cam member.

5. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein said anchor point to which said spring is connected is an anchor point connected to said channel.

6. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said glide is formed as a one-piece construction with said spring cam member.

7. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said glide comprises a plastic material and is secured to said spring cam member.

8. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said stop comprises at least two separate dwell points separated from each other by a peak portion, said peak portion comprising first and second sloped outer surfaces that converge with each other to define said peak portion.

10. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said stop comprises a one-piece molded construction comprising a plastic material or a filled-plastic material.

11. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said curved camming portion of said stop comprises a convexly curved portion and a concavely curved portion that interconnects said convexly curved portion to said tail portion.

3. A hinge assembly comprising:

a channel;

a stop defined separately from and immovably connected to said channel;

a door mounting lever that pivots relative to said channel about a pivot axis on an arc between a first operative position where said door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a first direction about said pivot axis on said arc and second operative position where said door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a second direction opposite the first direction about said pivot axis on said arc;

a glide operatively coupled to said door mounting lever and movable slidably on said stop and selectively in response to movement of said door mounting lever; and

,

a spring that biases said glide into continuous engagement with said stop when said door mounting lever is located in both said first and second operative positions and when said door mounting lever moves between said first and second operative positions;

a spring cam member pivotally connected to said door mounting lever and including said glide, wherein said spring extends between an anchor point and said spring cam member, wherein said door mounting lever comprises a tail that projects through said channel and wherein said spring cam member is pivotally connected to said tail of said-door mounting lever.

9. A hinge assembly comprising:

a channel;

a stop connected to said channel;

a door mounting lever that pivots relative to said channel about a pivot axis on an arc between a first operative position where said door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a first direction about said pivot axis on said arc and second operative position where said door mounting lever is moved a maximum extent in a second direction opposite the first direction about said pivot axis on said arc;

a glide operatively coupled to said door mounting lever and movable slidably on said stop in response to movement of said door mounting lever, wherein said stop defines a glide surface on which said glide moves slidably relative to said stop, said glide surface comprising a tail portion that lies parallel to a wall of said channel against which said stop is abutted and a curved camming portion, and wherein said stop further comprises at least one dwell point in which said glide selectively seats; and

,

a spring that biases said glide into continuous engagement with said stop when said door mounting lever is located in both said first and second operative positions and when said door mounting lever moves between said first and second operative position.

12. An appliance hinge assembly comprising:

a metal channel adapted for connection to an appliance chassis, said channel comprising a main channel member comprising first and second ends and defining a recess between an inner wall and first and second sidewalls;

a plastic stop located in said recess of said main channel member, said stop comprising a glide surface spaced above said inner wall of said main channel member;

a door mounting lever adapted for connection to an appliance door and movable relative to said channel about a pivot axis;

a glide operably coupled to said door mounting lever and movable slidably on said glide surface of said stop toward and away from said first and second ends of said main channel member in response to movement of said door mounting lever relative to said channel; and

,

at least one spring for biasing said door mounting lever to a first operative position and for biasing said glide into abutment with said stop for all pivoting operative movement of said door mounting lever about said pivot axis.

13. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein said stop is secured in said recess of said channel by a fastener.

14. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said stop comprises a one-piece molded construction comprising a polymeric material.

15. The appliance hinge construction as set forth in claim 14, wherein said polymeric material comprises Nylon.

16. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said fastener is countersunk into said stop.

17. The appliance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein said glide is operably connected to said door mounting lever by a spring cam member that is pivotally connected to said door mounting lever, said glide located at a first end of said spring cam member and said at least one spring connected to a second end of said spring cam member.

18. A hinge assembly comprising:

a channel comprising first and second axially spaced-apart ends and defining a recess between an inner wall and first and second spaced-apart sidewalls;

a door mounting lever pivotally connected to said channel for pivoting movement about a pivot axis on an arc between a first operative position and a second operative position;

a spring cam member connected to the door mounting lever;

a glide located at a first end of the spring cam member;

a stop immovably connected to said channel and comprising a glide surface including a flat tail portion including a tail glide surface spaced above said inner wall of said channel and a cam portion including a convexly curved cam glide surface, said stop further defining a dwell point connected to said cam glide surface, wherein said glide moves slidably on said glide surface and is in continuous contact with said stop when said door mounting lever moves to and between said first and second operative positions on said arc, wherein said stop lies between said glide and said inner wall of said channel for all positions of said door mounting lever.