Multi-link hinge

• US 8,225,459 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hettich-Oni GmbH & Co KG
• Original Assignee: Hettich-Oni GmbH & Co KG
• Inventors: Waltemate, Dieter-Hermann, Hunger, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Application Number:
  US12/593,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20100101052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 312/322, 312/323, 312/325, 312/319.2, 312/319.6, 312/319.7, 163/66, 163/67, 163/70, 163/71, 162/80, 162/81, 162/82, 162/86, 162/87, 162/88, 292/70, 292/73, 292/75, 292/76, 292/77, 292/79, 292/262, 292/267, 492/54, 492/60, 492/55, 492/46, 493/71
• US Class Current: 16/366
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 3/16 with seven parallel pins and four arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1253 with a compression spring
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1261 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/02 specially for preventing the slamming of swinging wings during final closing movement, e.g. jamb stops
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/412 for the final closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/41 Concealed
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/31 for refrigerators

Abstract

A multi-link hinge for a door includes a fastening element that is securable to a furniture body. A pivotable door bearing is movable with respect to the fastening element. The pivotable door bearing defines an opened position, a closed position, and a pivot range between the opened position and the closed position. Several levers are connected to one another in a scissored arrangement. The levers connect the fastening element to the pivotable door bearing. A spring is operably disposed between the fastening element and the pivotable door bearing. The spring is pre-tensioned to bias the pivotable door bearing into the closed position. A linear damper is operably disposed between the fastening element and the pivotable door bearing. The linear damper dampens a closing movement of the door bearing. The multi-link hinge may be employed to prevent slamming of refrigerator doors, for example.

Claims

1. A multi-link hinge for a door, comprising:

a fastening element securable to a furniture body;

a pivotable door bearing movable with respect to the fastening element, the pivotable door bearing defining an opened position, a closed position, and a pivot range between the opened position and the closed position;

a plurality of levers pivotably connected to one another, the plurality of levers connecting the fastening element to the pivotable door bearing;

a spring operably disposed between the fastening element and the pivotable door bearing, the spring being pre-tensioned to bias the pivotable door bearing into the closed position;

a linear damper operably disposed between the fastening element and the pivotable door bearing, the linear damper dampening a closing movement of the door bearing; and

wherein the damper is fixed at a first end via a pin to a rotatable driver disk mounted on the fastening element, and a rotation range of the rotatable driver disk is limited by a stop resting against the fastening element.

2. The multi-link hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the damper is effective only over a portion of the pivot range of the pivotable door bearing.

3. The multi-link hinge as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pivot range between the opened position and the closed position is greater than 100°

and the damper is effective in a closing movement of the pivot range between 20° and

40°

.

4. The multi-link hinge as claimed in claim 3, wherein the closing movement of the pivot range is between 25°

to 35°

.

5. The multi-link hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring urges a closing movement of the pivotable door bearing in a first pivot range that is larger than a second pivot range in which the damper is effective.

6. The multi-link hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of levers comprises four levers and seven rotational shafts connecting the pivotable door bearing to the fastening element;

and

wherein the four levers include a first lever, a second lever, a third lever, and a fourth lever, the first and the second levers being rotatably mounted via two of the rotational shafts on the fastening element, and further wherein the third lever and the fourth lever are rotatably mounted via another two of the rotational shafts on the pivotable door bearing.

7. The multi-link hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a spring bearing to which the spring is mounted at a first end of the spring;

a spring carriage to which the spring is mounted at a second end of the spring; and

a roller on which the spring carriage is mounted.

8. The multi-link hinge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a control curve by which one end of the spring moves, the control curve being coupled to the pivotable door bearing and against which control curve rests a roller, and the spring being pretensioned against the roller.