Hinge arrangement

• US 7,886,407 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Suspa GmbH (Tyrol Equity AG)
• Original Assignee: Liebherr-Hausgerate-Ochsenhausen, Suspa GmbH (Tyrol Equity AG)
• Inventors: Resnik, Corinne, Hecht, Josef, Blersch, Dietmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson; Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): SULLIVAN, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US11/909,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 162/86, 162/77, 162/82, 16287-291, 163/56, 163/70, 163/71, 312/325, 312/319.1, 312/319.2, 312/322, 312/323, 493/45, 296/146.12, 296/100.08, 180/69.2
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/16 with seven parallel pins and four arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1091 with a gas spring E05F1/1292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/108 with piston rod protruding from the closer housing; Telescoping closers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/604 Transmission members
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/624 Arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/686 Rods, links
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators

Abstract

The invention relates to a hinge arrangement, in particular refrigerator housing comprising a refrigerator door pivotably articulated thereto, with a first part, with a second part pivotably articulated to the first part via a hinge, with a piston cylinder damping unit, which is operatively arranged between the first part and the second part for damping a pivoting movement of the two parts relative to one another, and which is articulated to at least one part.

Claims

1. A hinge arrangement, comprising:

a. a first part (2),

b. a second part (4) pivotably articulated to the first part (2) via a hinge (3;

3a;

3b;

3c), and

c. a piston cylinder damping unit (6),

i. which is operatively arranged between the first part (2) and the second part (4) for damping a pivoting movement of the two parts (2, 4) relative to one another, and

ii. which is articulated to at least one of the first and the second part (2, 4),

wherein

d. a first fitting (64) and a second fitting (63) are connected to the first part (2) and to the second part (4), respectively,

e. the hinge (3a;

3b;

3c) is a multi-jointed hinge,

f. the hinge (3a;

3b;

3c) comprises a first four-point joint (44, 50, 51, 47) articulated to the first fitting (64), to which a second four-point joint (50, 53, 55, 52) is articulated, to which in turn the second fitting (63) is articulated,

g. the piston cylinder damping unit (6) is articulated to a central hinge arm (45) of the multi-jointed hinge via a fastening arm (70), and

h. the central hinge arm (45;

45c) is a component of the first four-point joint (44, 50, 51, 47) and of the second four-point joint (50, 53, 55, 52)

i. the hinge comprises the central hinge arm (45), a support arm (46), and a first intermediate arm (49), and

j. one end of the first intermediate arm (49) connects to a middle portion of the central hinge arm (45), and a middle portion of the first intermediate arm (49) connects to one end of the support arm (46).

2. A hinge arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the piston cylinder damping unit (6) comprises a piston (30) displaceably guided in a housing (7), wherein the piston (30) divides a working space (29) into a first partial working space (31) and a second partial working space (32).

3. A hinge arrangement according to claim 2, wherein in the housing (7) a return spring (38) connected to the piston (30) is provided for returning the piston (30) from a withdrawn position into an initial position.

4. A hinge arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the working space (29) is partially filled by a damping fluid (33).

5. A hinge arrangement according to claim 4, wherein at least along one part of the internal wall (17) of the housing (7) at least one damping groove (39) is provided for altering the damping behavior.

6. A hinge arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the central hinge arm (45;

45c) is indirectly articulated to at least one of the first and the second part (2, 4).

7. A hinge arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the central hinge arm (45;

45c) is directly articulated to the second part (4) via a joint (44).

8. A hinge arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the central hinge arm (45;

45c) is articulated to the first part (2) via at least one separate arm (49, 54).

9. A hinge arrangement, comprising:

a. a first part (2),

b. a second part (4) pivotably articulated to the first part (2) via a hinge (3;

3a;

3b;

3c), and

c. a piston cylinder damping unit (6),

i. which is operatively arranged between the first part (2) and the second part (4) for damping a pivoting movement of the two parts (2, 4) relative to one another, and

ii. which is articulated to at least one of the first and the second part (2, 4),

wherein

d. a first fitting (63) and a second fitting (64) are connected to the first part (2) and to the second part (4), respectively,

e. the hinge (3a;

3b;

3c) is a multi-jointed hinge,

f. the hinge (3a;

3b;

3c) comprises a first four-point joint (44, 50, 51, 47) articulated to the first fitting (64), to which a second four-point joint (50, 53, 55, 52) is articulated, to which in turn the second fitting (63) is articulated,

g. the piston cylinder damping unit (6) is articulated to a central hinge arm (45) of the multi-jointed hinge via a joint (53), and

h. the central hinge arm (45;

45c) is a component of the first four-point joint (44, 50, 51, 47) and of the second four-point joint (50, 53, 55, 52).

10. A hinge arrangement, comprising:

a. a first part (2),

b. a second part (4) pivotably articulated to the first part (2) via a hinge (3;

3a;

3b;

3c), and

c. a piston cylinder damping unit (6),

i. which is operatively arranged between the first part (2) and the second part (4) for damping a pivoting movement of the two parts (2, 4) relative to one another, and

ii. which is articulated to at least one of the first and the second part (2, 4),

wherein

d. a first fitting (64) and a second fitting (63) are connected to the first part (2) and to the second part (4),

e. the hinge (3a;

3b;

3c) is a multi-jointed hinge,

f. the hinge (3a;

3b;

3c) comprises a first four-point joint (44, 50, 51, 47) articulated to the first fitting (64), to which a second four-point joint (50, 53, 55, 52) is articulated, to which in turn the second fitting (63) is articulated,

g. the piston cylinder damping unit (6) is articulated to a central hinge arm (45c) of the multi-jointed hinge, whereas said central hinge arm (45c) is outwardly extended by a portion (76) that is fastened by a journal (78) with the piston cylinder damping unit (6), and

h. the central hinge arm (45;

45c) is a component of the first four-point joint (44, 50, 51, 47) and of the second four-point joint (50, 53, 55, 52).

11. A hinge arrangement, comprising:

a first part, connecting to a second fitting;

a second part, connecting to a first fitting, the second fitting is pivotably connected to the first fitting via a hinge; and

a piston cylinder damping unit, connecting at least one of the first part and the second part and damping a pivot motion between the first and second part, wherein the hinge comprises,

a central hinge arm, a support arm, a first intermediate arm, and a second intermediate arm,

the central hinge arm and the support arm each connects to the first fitting, and the first intermediate arm, respectively, forming a first four-bar linkage,

the first and second intermediate arms each connects to the central hinge arm and the second fitting, forming a second four-bar linkage, and

one end of the first intermediate arm connects to a middle portion of the central hinge arm, and a middle portion of the first intermediate arm connects to one end of the support arm.

12. The hinge arrangement according to claim 11, further comprising:

a compression spring connecting middle portions of the first and second intermediate arms, respectively.

13. The hinge arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the first part is a refrigerator door and the second part is a refrigerator housing.