Domestic appliance hinge assembly with hinge keeper

• US 8,911,036 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• 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): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): AYRES, TIMOTHY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/472,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20130307392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 312325-329
• US Class Current: 312/328
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/08 with springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/308 for ovens
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 3/38 with a horizontal axis of rotation at the top or bottom of the opening E06B3/5036 takes precedence

Abstract

A hinge assembly is provided for pivotably attaching a door to a domestic appliance. The hinge assembly has a hinge body that attaches to the door; a damper including a damper cylinder attached to the hinge body; a foot attached to the hinge body and the cylinder and engaging a foot receiving portion of the domestic appliance; and a hinge keeper fixedly attached to the appliance body of the domestic appliance. The hinge keeper has a retaining portion that contacts the foot, the retaining portion having an edge that contacts the foot from above such that the foot is prevented from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance, and a fixing portion fixed to the appliance body of the domestic appliance and preventing the retaining portion from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for pivotably attaching a door to a domestic appliance having an appliance body, 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 including a damper cylinder attached to the hinge body, the damper cylinder having a rod partially located inside the cylinder and partially located outside the cylinder, and a coil spring located inside the cylinder and around the rod such that the rod extends through a center of a coil of the coil spring, the damper damping the movement of the rod relative to the cylinder;

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; and

a hinge keeper configured to be fixedly attached to the appliance body of the domestic appliance such that the hinge keeper is rotationally fixed relative to the appliance body, the hinge keeper having

a retaining portion that contacts the foot, the retaining portion having an edge that contacts the foot from above such that the foot is prevented from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance, and

a fixing portion that is adapted to be fixed to the appliance body of the domestic appliance and prevent the retaining portion from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance,

wherein the retaining portion is planar and the fixing portion is planar,

the retaining portion is parallel to the fixing portion, and

the retaining portion and the fixing portion are not co-planar.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixing portion comprises an aperture adapted to receive a fastener for fixing the fixing portion to the appliance body.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the hinge keeper further comprises an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion connecting the retaining portion to the fixing portion.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the intermediate portion is perpendicular to the retaining portion and the fixing portion.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the retaining portion further comprises a notch in the edge, the notch receiving the foot such that the foot is restrained by the notch.

6. A door assembly for pivotably attaching to a domestic appliance having an appliance body, the door assembly comprising:

a door; and

a hinge assembly for pivotably attaching the door to the appliance body of the domestic appliance, the hinge assembly comprising;

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

a damper including a damper cylinder attached to the hinge body, the damper cylinder having a rod partially located inside the cylinder and partially located outside the cylinder, and a coil spring located inside the cylinder and around the rod such that the rod extends through a center of a coil of the coil spring, the damper damping the movement of the rod relative to the cylinder;

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; and

a hinge keeper configured to be fixedly attached to the appliance body of the domestic appliance such that the hinge keeper is rotationally fixed relative to the appliance body, the hinge keeper having

a retaining portion that contacts the foot, the retaining portion having an edge that contacts the foot from above such that the foot is prevented from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance, and

a fixing portion that is adapted to be fixed to the appliance body of the domestic appliance and prevent the retaining portion from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance,

wherein the retaining portion is planar and the fixing portion is planar,

the retaining portion is parallel to the fixing portion, and

the retaining portion and the fixing portion are not co-planar.

7. The door assembly of claim 6, wherein the fixing portion comprises an aperture adapted to receive a fastener for fixing the fixing portion to the appliance body.

8. The door assembly of claim 6, wherein the hinge keeper further comprises an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion connecting the retaining portion to the fixing portion.

9. The door assembly of claim 8, wherein the intermediate portion is perpendicular to the retaining portion and the fixing portion.

10. The door assembly of claim 6, wherein the retaining portion further comprises a notch in the edge, the notch receiving the foot such that the foot is restrained by the notch.

11. A domestic appliance, comprising:

an appliance body having a foot receiving portion;

a door; and

a hinge assembly pivotably attaching the door to the appliance body of the domestic appliance, the hinge assembly comprising;

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

a damper including a damper cylinder attached to the hinge body, the damper cylinder having a rod partially located inside the cylinder and partially located outside the cylinder, and a coil spring located inside the cylinder and around the rod such that the rod extends through a center of a coil of the coil spring, the damper damping the movement of the rod relative to the cylinder;

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

a hinge keeper fixedly attached to the appliance body of the domestic appliance such that the hinge keeper is rotationally fixed relative to the appliance body, the hinge keeper having

a retaining portion that contacts the foot, the retaining portion having an edge that contacts the foot from above such that the foot is prevented from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance, and

a fixing portion that is fixed to the appliance body of the domestic appliance and prevents the retaining portion from moving vertically upward relative to the appliance body of the domestic appliance,

wherein the retaining portion is planar and the fixing portion is planar,

the retaining portion is parallel to the fixing portion, and

the retaining portion and the fixing portion are not co-planar.

12. The domestic appliance of claim 11, wherein the fixing portion comprises an aperture that receives a fastener that fixes the fixing portion to the appliance body.

13. The domestic appliance of claim 11, wherein the hinge keeper further comprises an intermediate portion, the intermediate portion connecting the retaining portion to the fixing portion.

14. The domestic appliance of claim 11, wherein the retaining portion further comprises a notch in the edge, the notch receiving the foot such that the foot is restrained by the notch.