Domestic appliance hinge assembly with cylinder alignment shoulder bushing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10633904-B2
Application number	US-201213478277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2012
Priority date	May 23, 2012
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A hinge assembly is provided for attaching a door to a domestic appliance. The hinge assembly includes a hinge body; a damper; a foot pivotably attached to the damper and having a pivot end, the foot engaging a foot receiving portion of the appliance such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the appliance; and a shoulder bushing attached to the pivot end of the foot and to a pivot point of the hinge body such that the foot pivots relative to the hinge body around the pivot point, the shoulder bushing having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion. The pivot end of the foot is fixed to the shoulder bushing at a fixing area of the small diameter portion such that a side surface of the pivot end of the foot is in contact with a side surface of the large diameter portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge assembly for pivotably attaching a door to a domestic appliance having an appliance body, the hinge assembly comprising:
a hinge body;
a damper having a central longitudinal axis and 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, and the rod extending along the central longitudinal axis of the damper;
a pair of linkage members coupled to the damper and forming a slot therein to receive a linkage member pin;
a foot pivotably attached to the pair of linkage members and having a pivot end, the foot operable to engage a foot receiving portion of the appliance body such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the appliance body; and
a shoulder bushing attached to the pivot end of the foot and to a pivot point of the hinge body such that the foot pivots relative to the hinge body around the pivot point, the shoulder bushing having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion,
wherein the pivot end of the foot is fixed to the shoulder bushing at a fixing area of the small diameter portion such that a side surface of the pivot end of the foot is in contact with a side surface of the large diameter portion.

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the linkage member pin includes a roller that rotates around a center portion of the linkage member pin, which is attached to the hinge body.

3. The hinge assembly of claim 2 , wherein the slot is curved.

4. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slot is curved.

5. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shoulder bushing has an outer portion that includes the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion, the outer portion having a through hole, and an inner portion that extend through the through hole and around which the outer portion rotates.

6. The hinge assembly of claim 5 , wherein the inner portion of the shoulder bushing is a rivet.

7. A door assembly for pivotably attaching to a domestic appliance having an appliance body, the door assembly comprising:
a door;
a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly having a hinge body;
a damper having a central longitudinal axis and 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, and the rod extending along the central longitudinal axis of the damper;
a pair of linkage members coupled to the damper and forming a slot therein to receive a linkage member pin;
a foot pivotably attached to the pair of linkage members and having a pivot end, the foot operable to engage a foot receiving portion of the appliance body such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the appliance body; and
a shoulder bushing attached to the pivot end of the foot and to a pivot point of the hinge body such that the foot pivots relative to the hinge body around the pivot point, the shoulder bushing having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion,
wherein the pivot end of the foot is fixed to the shoulder bushing at a fixing area of the small diameter portion such that a side surface of the pivot end of the foot is in contact with a side surface of the large diameter portion.

8. The door assembly of claim 7 , wherein the linkage member pin includes a roller that rotates around a center portion of the linkage member pin, which is attached to the hinge body.

9. The door assembly of claim 8 , wherein the slot is curved.

10. The door assembly of claim 7 , wherein the slot is curved.

11. The door assembly of claim 7 , wherein the shoulder bushing has an outer portion that includes the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion, the outer portion having a through hole, and an inner portion that extend through the through hole and around which the outer portion rotates.

12. The door assembly of claim 11 , wherein the inner portion of the shoulder bushing is a rivet.

13. A domestic appliance, comprising:
an appliance body having a foot receiving portion;
a door; and
a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly having a hinge body;
a damper having a central longitudinal axis and 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, and the rod extending along the central longitudinal axis of the damper;
a pair of linkage members coupled to the damper and forming a slot therein to receive a linkage member pin;
a foot pivotably attached to the pair of linkage members and having a pivot end, the foot operable to engage a foot receiving portion of the appliance body such that the hinge body and the door pivot relative to the appliance body; and
a shoulder bushing attached to the pivot end of the foot and to a pivot point of the hinge body such that the foot pivots relative to the hinge body around the pivot point, the shoulder bushing having a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion,
wherein the pivot end of the foot is fixed to the shoulder bushing at a fixing area of the small diameter portion such that a side surface of the pivot end of the foot is in contact with a side surface of the large diameter portion.

14. The domestic appliance of claim 13 , wherein the linkage member pin includes a roller that rotates around a center portion of the linkage member pin, which is attached to the hinge body.

15. The domestic appliance of claim 14 , wherein the slot is curved.

16. The domestic appliance of claim 13 , wherein the slot is curved.

17. The domestic appliance of claim 13 , wherein the shoulder bushing has an outer portion that includes the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion, the outer portion having a through hole, and an inner portion that extend through the through hole and around which the outer portion rotates.

18. The domestic appliance of claim 17 , wherein the inner portion of the shoulder bushing is a rivet.

19. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slot has a substantially uniform width.

20. The hinge assembly of claim 19 , wherein the linkage member pin has a smooth rolling relationship with the slot.

Assignees

• Elkasevic Suad
• Bsh Home Appliances Corp

Inventors

• Elkasevic Suad

Classifications

• F24C15/023

  Mounting of doors, e.g. hinges, counterbalancing · CPC title

• E05F3/108 Primary

  with piston rod protruding from the closer housing; Telescoping closers · CPC title

• E05Y2900/308

  for ovens · CPC title

• E05F1/1261

  for counterbalancing · CPC title

• E05Y2201/21

  Brakes · CPC title