Hinge assembly for an appliance lid and installation method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021198835-A1
Application number	US-201916730313-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2019
Priority date	Dec 30, 2019
Publication date	Jul 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet having a top panel that defines an aperture for selectively accessing a treatment chamber defined within the cabinet. A lid is rotationally operable relative to the aperture of the top panel between open and closed positions. Hinge assemblies extend between the lid and the top panel. The hinge assemblies include a first hinge assembly. A second hinge assembly is selectively retractable into the lid to a retracted position. A biasing member biases the second hinge assembly out to an extended position. At least the second hinge assembly is operable to the retracted position to bypass a portion of the top panel to define an installed position where the first and second hinge assemblies are engaged with respective hinge receptacles of the top panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A laundry appliance comprising:
a cabinet having a top panel that defines an aperture for selectively accessing a treatment chamber defined within the cabinet; a lid that is rotationally operable relative to the aperture of the top panel between open and closed positions; and hinge assemblies that extends between the lid and the top panel, the hinge assemblies comprising:
a first hinge assembly;
a second hinge assembly that is selectively retractable into the lid to a retracted position; and
a biasing member that biases the second hinge assembly out to an extended position, wherein at least the second hinge assembly is operable to the retracted position to bypass a portion of the top panel to define an installed position where the first and second hinge assemblies are engaged with respective hinge receptacles of the top panel.

2 . The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first hinge assembly includes a respective biasing member that biases the first hinge assembly to a respective extended position.

3 . The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second hinge assembly includes a maintenance portion positioned at an edge of the lid, wherein the maintenance portion is incorporated within one of a pin and a hinge member of the second hinge assembly.

4 . The laundry appliance of claim 3 , wherein the maintenance portion is integral with the pin.

5 . The laundry appliance of claim 3 , wherein the installed position is defined by the pin extending into the respective hinge receptacle and the maintenance portion is accessible between the lid and the top panel.

6 . The laundry appliance of claim 3 , wherein when the lid is in the installed position, the maintenance portion is operable to bias the second hinge assembly to the retracted position, wherein the lid is separable from the top panel when the second hinge assembly is in the retracted position.

7 . The laundry appliance of claim 3 , wherein the pin and the maintenance portion are accessible through a cap of the second hinge assembly.

8 . The laundry appliance of claim 1 , wherein the lid and the first and second hinge assemblies are operable to place the lid into the installed position and remove the lid from the installed position while maintaining the lid and the first and second hinge assemblies as a unitary assembly.

9 . A method for installing a lid onto an appliance comprising steps of:
positioning a guide structure on a cabinet; aligning a sloped portion of the guide structure to slope downward and toward a lid opening of the cabinet; positioning a least one of a first hinge and a second hinge on the sloped portion; sliding said lid downward and along the sloped portion and toward the lid opening, wherein the sloped portion biases the first hinge and the second hinge toward a retracted position; disposing said lid below the sloped portion and into the lid opening, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are each biased outward toward respective hinge receptacles of the cabinet; and engaging the first and second hinges within the respective hinge receptacles to secure said lid to the cabinet.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of positioning the guide structure includes positioning opposing guide members of the guide structure that define respective sloped portions that slope toward the respective hinge receptacles.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of positioning at least one of the first and second hinges on the sloped portion includes positioning the first hinge, defining a damper, positioning the second hinge, and defining a lift-assist mechanism, onto the sloped portions of the opposing guide members.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the damper is a one-way damper that operates only when said lid moves from an open position to a closed position relative to the cabinet.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of positioning the guide structure includes configuring the sloped portions of the opposing guide members to cooperate with an installation spring of the first hinge and an installation spring of the second hinge, respectively.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sloped portions of the opposing guide members define different slopes, wherein the different slopes are calibrated according to the installation springs of the first and second hinges.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the opposing guide members of the guide structure are separate components that are separately attached to the cabinet.

16 . A method for installing a lid onto an appliance comprising steps of:
positioning a guide member on a cabinet; aligning a sloped portion of the guide member to slope downward and toward a lid opening of the cabinet; positioning a first hinge within a hinge receptacle of respective hinge receptacles within the lid opening; positioning a second hinge on the sloped portion; rotating said lid about the respective hinge receptacle and in a downward direction; sliding the second hinge along the sloped portion and toward the lid opening, wherein the sloped portion biases at least the second hinge toward a retracted position; disposing said lid below the sloped portion and into the lid opening, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are each biased outward toward the respective hinge receptacles of the cabinet; engaging the first and second hinges within the respective hinge receptacles to secure said lid to the cabinet.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of positioning the first hinge includes positioning a damper of said lid into the hinge receptacle.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second hinge is biased to the retracted position at least partially by compression of an installation spring of the damper that is positioned within a hinge cavity.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second hinge is a lift-assist mechanism that includes an installation spring and wherein the step of engaging the second hinge with a hinge receptacle of the respective hinge receptacles includes the installation spring biasing the second hinge away from the retracted position and into the hinge receptacle.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of positioning the guide member includes selectively securing the guide member to a surface of a top panel for the cabinet.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Jeffery James
• Lobaccaro Paula
• Schooley Nicholas C
• Walter David

Classifications

• E05D2007/1094

  Guiding devices therefor · CPC title

• E05D2007/1027

  by axially moving free pins · CPC title

• E05Y2600/50

  Mounting methods; Positioning · CPC title

• E05D11/00

  Additional features or accessories of hinges {(edge protecting devices E06B3/88)} · CPC title

• E05D7/00 Primary

  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 title