Reversible door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9752272-B2
Application number	US-201514840684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2011
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

A laundry handling apparatus having a body provided with an inlet, a door to open/close the inlet, and a hinge assembly for the door to be rotatably installed to the body. The door is provided at both sides of a rear surface thereof with a hinge installation part at which the hinge assembly is installed, and the hinge assembly is installed at one of the two hinge installation parts, thereby enabling the change of an opening/closing direction of the door in a convenient manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A door for a laundry appliance, comprising:
a front frame;
a rear frame coupled to the front frame;
a transparent window configured to provide visual access to an inside of the laundry appliance through the transparent window;
a pair of hinge installation parts provided at opposing sides of the rear frame, respectively, each of the hinge installation parts comprising a cut-out portion of the rear frame; and
a hinge assembly configured to be installed at either of the pair of hinge installation parts,
wherein the hinge assembly comprises
a first hinge bracket having a hinge supporting part, at least a portion of the first hinge bracket being exposed through the cut-out portion of the rear frame;
a second hinge bracket coupled to the front frame and having a hinge groove; and
a hinge member having a hinge shaft disposed between the hinge supporting part and the hinge groove such that the hinge member is rotatably coupled to the door.

2. The door of claim 1 , wherein the hinge member further comprises:
a fixation part configured to be coupled to the laundry appliance; and
a connecting part configured to connect the hinge shaft to the fixation part such that the hinge shaft protrudes from both sides of the connecting part.

3. A laundry appliance, comprising:
a main body provided with an opening to load a laundry into the main body;
a reversible door coupled to either side of the opening;
a pair of hinge installation parts provided at opposing sides of the reversible door, each of the hinge installation parts comprising a recessed portion recessed from a rear surface of the reversible door; and
a hinge assembly configured to be coupled to either of the pair of hinge installation parts,
wherein the hinge assembly comprises
a first hinge bracket having a hinge supporting part, at least a portion of the first hinge bracket being exposed through the recessed portion of the rear surface;
a second hinge bracket having a hinge groove; and
a hinge member having a hinge shaft disposed between the hinge supporting part and the hinge groove such that the hinge member is rotatably coupled to the door.

4. The door of claim 3 , wherein the hinge member further comprises:
a fixation part configured to be coupled to the main body; and
a connecting part configured to connect the hinge shaft to the fixation part such that the hinge shaft protrudes from both sides of the connecting part.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yeom Chang Bae
• Seong Ji Hoon
• Shin Nu Ri

Classifications

• D06F39/14 Primary

  Doors or covers; Securing means therefor · CPC title

• D06F58/04

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title

• E05Y2900/312

  for washing machines or laundry dryers · CPC title

• E05D15/50

  for opening at either of two opposite edges {(hinges or pivots of special construction to allow easy separation or connection of the parts at the hinge axis E05D7/10; to allow easy detachment of the hinge from the wing or the frame E05D7/12)} · CPC title

• D06F58/20

  General details of domestic laundry dryers  (D06F59/00 takes precedence) · CPC title