Hinge assembly for household appliances having an horizontally-pivoted front door

• US 8,985,717 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Home Products Incorporated (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Marzorati, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKENS, JANET MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/881,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 162/86, 493/86, 312/319.2, 312/319.3, 312/327, 312/328, 312/228, 126/191, 126/194
• US Class Current: 312/319.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/00 Details of cabinets, racks or shelf units not covered by a single one of groups A47B43/00 - A47B95/00; General details of furniture doors E06B
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 7/00 Hinges or pivots of special construction used for special suspension arrangements E05D15/00; so as to be self-closing E05F1/06, E05F1/12; with means for raising wings before being turned E05F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1261 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/492 Spring tensioners, tension sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/638 Cams; Ramps
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/686 Rods, links
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/696 Screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/634 Spacers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/22 of not identical elements of the same category, e.g. combinations of not identical springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furnitures, e.g. cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/302 for built-in appliances
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/304 for dishwashers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/308 for ovens

Abstract

Hinge assembly for household appliances having an horizontally-pivoted front door, and which comprises: a first coupling element; a second coupling element; and a door-weight balancing device; the door-weight balancing device in turn comprising a supporting rod; a compression-preloaded elastically-deformable member which is fitted to the supporting rod so as to have a first end firmly fixed to the distal end of the supporting rod and a second end; a linking mechanism which connects the proximal end of the supporting rod to the second coupling element, so that the supporting rod is axially moved to further compress the elastically-deformable member when the second coupling element rotates from the first to the second working position; and an adjustable spacer element which is structured so to allow a manually-operated adjustment, thus varying the compression preload of the elastically-deformable member fitted on the supporting rod.

Claims

1. Hinge assembly (1) for household appliances (2) having an horizontally-pivoted front door (4), and which comprises:

a first coupling element (6) structured for being firmly fixed to a household appliance casing (3);

a second coupling element (7) structured for being firmly fixed to the front-door (4), and which is pivotally jointed to the first coupling element (6) so as to be able to rotate about a given articulation axis (R), between a first working position wherein the front door (4) is arranged in the raised position, and a second working position wherein the front door (4) is arranged in the completely lowered position; and

a door-weight balancing device (9) which is interposed between the first (6) and the second coupling element (7) and is structured to elastically hamper rotation of the second coupling element (7) at least from the first to the second working position;

the door-weight balancing device (9) in turn comprising a supporting rod (10) which extends in sliding manner through a supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6), a compression-preloaded elastically-deformable member (12) which is fitted to the supporting rod (10) so as to have a first end (12a) fixed to the distal end (10a) of the supporting rod (10) and a second end (12b) acting on the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6), and a linking mechanism (13) which connects the proximal end (10b) of the supporting rod (10) to the second coupling element (7), so that the supporting rod (10) is axially moved to further compress the elastically-deformable member (12) when the second coupling element (7) rotates from the first to the second working position;

the hinge assembly (1) being characterized in that the door-weight balancing device (9) also comprises an adjustable spacer element (14) which is interposed between the second end (12b) of the elastically-deformable member (12) and the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6), and which is structured so to allow a manually-operated adjustment, between a lower value and a higher value, of the distance (h) between the second end (12b) of the elastically-deformable member (12) and the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6), thus varying the compression preload of the elastically-deformable member (12) fitted on the supporting rod (10).

2. Hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustable spacer element (14) comprises two substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20, 21) which are piled up roughly aligned to the longitudinal axis (L) of the supporting rod (10), and are fitted to the supporting rod (10) between the second end (12b) of the elastically-deformable member (12) and the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6);

the two substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20, 21) being additionally structured so to be able to move one onto the other along a given travelling direction (d) having a vectorial component parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the supporting rod (10), so that any reciprocal movement of the two substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20, 21) causes a variation of the distance (h) between the second end (12b) of the elastically-deformable member (12) and the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6).

3. Hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that said travelling direction (d) is locally tilted of an angle (a) ranging between 5°

and 85°

with respect to the longitudinal axis (L) of the supporting rod (10).

4. Hinge assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that said travelling direction (d) is locally tilted of an angle (a) approximately equal to 30°

or 45°

with respect to the longitudinal axis (L) of the supporting rod (10).

5. Hinge assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the adjustable spacer element (14) is also provided with manually-operated adjusting means (22) which are structured so to both prevent any undesired reciprocal movement of the two substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20, 21), and to selectively move the two substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20, 21) one with respect to the other along said travelling direction (d).

6. Hinge assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that a first of the substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20) is firmly fixed to the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6);

that a second of the substantially wedge-shaped blocks (21) abuts against the elastically-deformable member (12) with a substantially flat upper surface locally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L) of the supporting rod (10); and

that said manually-operated adjusting means (22) rigidly connect the second substantially wedge-shaped block (21) to the first coupling element (6), and are also structured so to selectively move the second substantially wedge-shaped block (21) with respect to the first coupling element (6) along said travelling direction (d).

7. Hinge assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that said manually-operated adjusting means (22) comprise a connecting screw (22) which is fixed in axially rotating manner to the first coupling element (6), beside one of the two substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20, 21), and extends towards said substantially wedge-shaped block (20, 21) up to reach and screw into the body of said wedge-shaped block (20, 21), so that any rotation of the connecting screw (22) causes a reciprocal movement of the two substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20, 21) along said travelling direction (d).

8. Hinge assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that a first of the substantially wedge-shaped blocks (20) abuts against the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6) with the possibility to slide above said supporting portion (11) in a transversal direction locally inclined to the longitudinal axis (L) of the supporting rod (10);

that a second of the substantially wedge-shaped blocks (21) is fitted in axially sliding manner to the supporting rod (10); and

that said manually-operated adjusting means (22) rigidly connect the first substantially wedge-shaped block (20) to the first coupling element (6), and are also structured so to selectively move the first substantially wedge-shaped block (20) with respect to the first coupling element (6) along said travelling direction (d).

9. Hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastically-deformable member

(12) is a helical spring (12) fitted on the supporting rod (10).

10. Hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the linking mechanism (13) comprises:

a movable guide member (15) which is fixed in sliding manner onto the first coupling element (6), between the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6) and a transversal pin (8) connecting the first (6) to the second coupling element (7), so as to be substantially aligned to the supporting rod (10) on opposite side of the supporting portion (11) of said first coupling element (6) with respect to the adjustable spacer element (14), and to freely move onto the first coupling element (6) towards and backwards said supporting portion (11) in a direction locally substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the supporting rod (10); and

a connecting arm (16) which has a first end (16a) directly hinged to the second coupling element (7), at a given distance from the transversal pin (8) connecting the first (6) to the second coupling element (7), and a second end (16b) hinged to the movable guide member (15), so to transform the rotating movement of the second coupling element (7) about the pin reference axis (R) into an axial reciprocating movement of the supporting rod (10) through the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6);

the movable guide member (15) being rigidly connected to the proximal end (10b) of the supporting rod (10) so as to move axially the supporting rod (10) (11) with respect to the supporting portion (11) of the first coupling element (6).

11. Household appliance (2) comprising an outer casing (3) which is structured for being stably fitted into a piece of kitchen furniture (not shown) and/or for resting on the floor, and it is provided with inner chamber which communicates with the outside through a loading/unloading opening realized in a front wall (3a) of said outer casing (3);

and a front door (4) which is pivotally-jointed to the front wall (3a) of the outer casing (3) via two reciprocally aligned hinge assemblies (1) which are located on opposite sides of the front door (4), so to allow free rotation of the front door (4) about a substantially horizontally-oriented rotation axis (A) which lays on or extends locally substantially parallel to the front wall (3a) of the outer casing (3), immediately beneath the loading/unloading opening;

the household appliance (2) being characterized in that at least one of said hinge assemblies (1) is realized according to claim 1.

12. Household appliance according to claim 11, characterized in that said household appliance is a stand-alone or built-in, front-loading dishwasher (2) or a stand-alone or built-in oven.