Soft close hinge assembly

• US 9,121,211 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mansfield Engineered Components, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mansfield Engineered Components, Inc.
• Inventors: White, Brian, Collene, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Batson, Victor
• Assistant Examiner(s): SULLIVAN, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US14/069,324
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 16/57, 16/58, 16/68, 162/86
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1276 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/02 with pneumatic piston brakes rotary type E05F3/14
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/10 with a spring, other than a torsion spring, and a piston, the axes of which are the same or lie in the same direction
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/18 with counteracting springs double-acting springs E05F1/14
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 3/20 in hinges
• 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 2900/308 for ovens

Abstract

A hinge assembly includes a lever arm and a channel connected to the lever arm. The channel is adapted to be connected to an associated appliance door. A control link is pivotally connected to the lever arm. A slide body includes an inner end connected to the control link. The slide body is adapted for sliding movement in response to pivoting movement of the channel relative to the lever arm between a first (door-closed) position and a second (door-opened) position. A spring resiliently biases the channel toward the first position. A snubber system includes at least one snubber with a piston that is biased to an extended position and moveable to a retracted position against a fluid or other damping resistance during movement of the slide body away when the channel moves from the first position to the second position.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly for an appliance, said hinge assembly comprising:

a lever arm adapted to be engaged with a mounting receptacle of an associated appliance body;

a channel pivotally connected to the lever arm at a first pivot point, the channel adapted to be connected to an associated appliance door, said channel comprising first and second spaced-apart side walls defining a space therebetween;

a slide in that extends between the first and second side walls of the channel across the space of the channel;

a control link comprising inner and outer ends, the inner end of the control link pivotally connected to the lever arm;

a slide body nested in said space defined between the first and second side walls of the channel and comprising an inner end connected to the outer end of the control link, the slide body adapted for reciprocal sliding movement relative to the channel toward and away from the first pivot point in response to pivoting movement of the channel relative to the lever arm between a first position and a second position, said slide body including first and second slide body side walls and first and second elongated slots defined respectively in said first and second slide body side walls, wherein said slide in extends through both said first and second elongated slots of said slide body to slidably capture said slide body in said space of said channel;

a spring operably connected between the slide body and the channel and resiliently biasing the channel toward the first position, said spring including an outer end operably engaged with the slide pin and including an inner end operably engaged with at least one of the slide body and control link;

a snubber system connected to the channel and located in the space between the first and second channel side walls in a location where the slide body is located between the snubber system and the first pivot point, the snubber system comprising at least one snubber comprising a piston that is biased to an extended position and selectively moveable to a retracted position against a damping resistance;

wherein the slide body contacts the snubber system during movement of the slide body away from the first pivot point when the channel moves toward the first position from the second position such that the slide body moves the snubber piston from its extended position to its retracted position and the snubber system damps movement of the slide body away from the first pivot point and damps movement of the channel toward its first position.

2. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the inner end of the slide body is connected to the outer end of the control link by a slide body fastener, and wherein the inner end of the spring is engaged with the slide body fastener.

3. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a control follower supported in the space between first and second side walls of the channel, wherein said control link comprises an elongated contoured slot, and wherein said control follower is located in said elongated contoured slot.

4. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the slide body is separated from the snubber system when the channel is moved fully to the second position, the slide body contacts the snubber system when the channel is located in an intermediate position located between the first and second positions, and the slide body maintains continuous contact with the snubber system between the intermediate position and the first position.

5. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the snubber system comprises a base that supports the at least one snubber, the at least one snubber comprising a piston rod connected to the piston and projecting outwardly from the base toward the first pivot point, wherein the slide body contacts the piston rod for all locations of the channel between and including the intermediate position and said first position.

6. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 4, wherein the snubber system comprises a base that supports the at least one snubber, wherein the base is slidably connected to the channel and movable toward and away from the first pivot point, the at least one snubber comprising a piston rod connected to the piston and projecting outwardly from the base away from the first pivot point, wherein the slide body contacts at least one of the base and the snubber for all locations of the channel between and including the intermediate position and the first position and the slide body urges the snubber base away from the first pivot point when the channel moves from the intermediate position toward the first position.

7. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said snubber system comprises first and second snubbers each comprising a piston that is biased to an extended position and selectively moveable to a retracted position against a damping resistance.

8. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 7, wherein said slide body comprises a spring rod and said spring comprises a helical coil spring through which said spring rod extends, wherein said spring is operatively positioned between said channel and said spring rod and biases said spring rod away from said first pivot point.

9. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a connector link comprising inner and outer ends, said inner end of said connector link pivotally connected to the outer end of the control link and the outer end of the connector link pivotally connected to the spring rod.

10. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 9, wherein said spring rod is located between first and second side walls of the channel, wherein said first and second channel side walls comprise respective elongated slots, said hinge assembly comprising a slide member located in said elongated slots and engaged with said spring rod.

11. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one snubber of said snubber system comprises at least one of a hydraulic fluid cylinder, a gas or pneumatic cylinder, a mechanical spring damper.

12. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one snubber is configured to require more force to cause movement of the piston from its extended position toward its retracted position as compared to movement of the piston from its retracted position toward its extended position.

13. A hinge assembly for an appliance, said hinge assembly comprising:

a lever arm adapted to be engaged with a mounting receptacle of an associated appliance body;

a channel pivotally connected to the lever arm at a first pivot point, the channel adapted to be connected to an associated appliance door, said channel comprising first and second spaced-apart side walls defining a space therebetween;

a slide pin that extends between the first and second side walls of the channel across the space of the channel;

a control link comprising inner and outer ends, the inner end of the control link pivotally connected to the lever arm;

a slide body nested in said space defined between the first and second side walls of the channel and comprising an inner end connected to the outer end of the control link, the slide body adapted for reciprocal sliding movement relative to the channel toward and away from the first pivot point in response to pivoting movement of the channel relative to the lever arm between a first position and a second position, said slide body including first and second slide body side walls and first and second elongated slots defined respectively in said first and second slide body side walls, wherein said slide pin extends through both said first and second elongated slots of said slide body to slidably capture said slide body in said space of said channel;

a spring operably connected between the control link and the channel and resiliently biasing the channel toward the first position;

a snubber system connected to the channel and located in the space between the first and second channel side walls in a location where the slide body is located between the snubber system and the first pivot point, the snubber system comprising at least one snubber comprising a piston that is biased to an extended position and selectively moveable to a retracted position against a damping resistance;

wherein the slide body contacts the snubber system during movement of the slide body away from the first pivot point when the channel moves toward the first position from the second position such that the slide body moves the snubber piston from its extended position to its retracted position against the damping resistance and the snubber system damps movement of the slide body away from the first pivot point and damps movement of the channel toward its first position.

14. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said spring includes an outer end operably engaged with the slide pin and includes an inner end operably engaged with at least one of the slide body and control link.

15. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 14, wherein the inner end of the slide body is connected to the outer end of the control link by a slide body fastener, and wherein the inner end of the spring is engaged with the slide body fastener.

16. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a control follower supported in the space between first and second side walls of the channel, wherein said control link comprises an elongated contoured slot, and wherein said control follower is located in said elongated contoured slot.

17. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein the slide body is separated from the snubber system when the channel is moved fully to the second position, the slide body contacts the snubber system when the channel is located in an intermediate position located between the first and second positions, and the slide body maintains continuous contact with the snubber system between the intermediate position and the first position.

18. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein the snubber system comprises a base that supports the at least one snubber, the at least one snubber comprising a piston rod connected to the piston and projecting outwardly from the base toward the first pivot point, wherein the slide body contacts the piston rod for all locations of the channel between and including the intermediate position and said first position.

19. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said snubber system comprises first and second snubbers each comprising a piston that is biased to an extended position and selectively moveable to a retracted position against a damping resistance.

20. The hinge assembly as set forth in claim 13, wherein said at least one snubber is configured to require more force to cause movement of the piston from its extended position toward its retracted position as compared to movement of the piston from its retracted position toward its extended position.