Hinge assembly for domestic appliance

• US 8,833,877 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Home Appliances Corporation (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Elkasevic, Suad, May, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkens, Janet M
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROERSMA, ANDREW MARK
• Application Number:
  US13/470,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20130300274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 312/319.2, 312/319.3, 312/327, 312/328, 162/86, 493/39, 493/44, 296/56
• US Class Current: 312/319.2
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1261 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/08 with springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/474 Compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/412 against friction
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/308 for ovens

Abstract

A hinge assembly is provided for pivotably attaching a door to a domestic appliance. The hinge assembly includes a damper cylinder; a rod partially located inside the cylinder and partially located outside the cylinder, the rod having an outer surface and being slidable relative to the cylinder in a reciprocating motion between a fully contracted position and a fully extended position; and a coil spring positioned inside the cylinder and around the rod such that the rod extends through a center of the coil spring, the coil spring having an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface of the rod contacts the inner surface of the coil spring to prevent the outer surface of the coil spring from contacting the inside surface of the cylinder.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for pivotably attaching a door to a domestic appliance, the hinge assembly comprising:

a hinge body configured to attach to the door such that the hinge body is fixed relative to the door;

a damper cylinder attached to the hinge body and having an inside surface;

a foot attached to the hinge body and the cylinder, the foot being configured to engage a foot receiving portion of the domestic appliance such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the domestic appliance;

a rod partially located inside the cylinder and partially located outside the cylinder, the rod having an outer surface and being slidable relative to the cylinder in a reciprocating motion between a fully contracted position and a fully extended position; and

a coil spring positioned inside the cylinder and around the rod such that the rod extends through a center of a coil of the coil spring, the coil spring having an inner surface that is an inside surface of the coil of the coil spring, and an outer surface that is an outside surface of the coil of the coil spring,

wherein the rod has a first portion that is the entire portion of the rod that is inside the coil of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully contracted position,

the first portion of the rod has a uniform diameter, and

the outer surface of the rod contacts the inner surface of the coil spring to prevent any portion of the outer surface of the coil spring from contacting the inside surface of the cylinder.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully contracted position.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully extended position.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the coil spring has a length in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to an outer diameter of the coil, and the length is longer than the outer diameter of the coil when the rod is in the fully contracted position.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the length is at least five times the outer diameter of the coil.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the damper cylinder contains a fluid.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the fluid is a viscous liquid.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully extended position,

the coil spring has a length in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to an outer diameter of the coil,

the length is at least five times the outer diameter of the coil, and

the damper cylinder contains a fluid.

9. A door assembly for pivotably attaching to a domestic appliance, the door assembly comprising:

a door; and

a hinge assembly including

a hinge body attached to the door such that the hinge body is fixed relative to the door;

a damper cylinder attached to the hinge body and having an inside surface;

a foot attached to the hinge body and the cylinder, the foot being configured to engage a foot receiving portion of the domestic appliance such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the domestic appliance;

a rod partially located inside the cylinder and partially located outside the cylinder, the rod having an outer surface and being slidable relative to the cylinder in a reciprocating motion between a fully contracted position and a fully extended position; and

a coil spring positioned inside the cylinder and around the rod such that the rod extends through a center of a coil of the coil spring, the coil spring having an inner surface that is an inside surface of the coil of the coil spring, and an outer surface that is an outside surface of the coil of the coil spring,

wherein the rod has a first portion that is the entire portion of the rod that is inside the coil of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully contracted position,

the first portion of the rod has a uniform diameter, and

the outer surface of the rod contacts the inner surface of the coil spring to prevent any portion of the outer surface of the coil spring from contacting the inside surface of the cylinder.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully contracted position.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully extended position.

12. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the coil spring has a length in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to an outer diameter of the coil, and the length is at least five times the outer diameter of the coil when the rod is in the fully contracted position.

13. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the damper cylinder contains a fluid.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the fluid is a viscous liquid.

15. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully extended position,

the coil spring has a length in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to an outer diameter of the coil,

the length is at least five times the outer diameter of the coil when the rod is in the fully contracted position, and

the damper cylinder contains a fluid.

16. A domestic appliance, comprising:

a domestic appliance body having a foot receiving portion;

a door; and

a hinge assembly including

a hinge body attached to the door such that the hinge body is fixed relative to the door;

a damper cylinder attached to the hinge body and having an inside surface;

a foot attached to the hinge body and the cylinder, the foot engaging the foot receiving portion of the domestic appliance such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the domestic appliance;

a rod partially located inside the cylinder and partially located outside the cylinder, the rod having an outer surface and being slidable relative to the cylinder in a reciprocating motion between a fully contracted position and a fully extended position; and

a coil spring positioned inside the cylinder and around the rod such that the rod extends through a center of a coil of the coil spring, the coil spring having an inner surface that is an inside surface of the coil of the coil spring, and an outer surface that is an outside surface of the coil of the coil spring,

wherein the rod has a first portion that is the entire portion of the rod that is inside the coil of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully contracted position,

the first portion of the rod has a uniform diameter, and

the outer surface of the rod contacts the inner surface of the coil spring to prevent any portion of the outer surface of the coil spring from contacting the inside surface of the cylinder.

17. The domestic appliance of claim 16, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully contracted position.

18. The domestic appliance of claim 17, wherein the outer surface of the rod is in contact with the inner surface of the coil spring when the rod is in the fully extended position.

19. The domestic appliance of claim 16, wherein the coil spring has a length in a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to an outer diameter of the coil, and the length is at least five times the outer diameter of the coil when the rod is in the fully contracted position.

20. The domestic appliance of claim 16, wherein the damper cylinder contains a fluid.