EP0737792B1

EP0737792B1 - Hinge device particularly for the door of household electrical appliances or the like

Info

Publication number: EP0737792B1
Application number: EP96105677A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Eros Gherardi; Teresa Ghedini; Ermes Degli Esposti
Original assignee: CMI SRL
Current assignee: CMI SRL
Priority date: 1995-04-12
Filing date: 1996-04-11
Publication date: 2000-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 2016-04-11
Also published as: EP0737792A1; DE69611198D1; IT238944Y1; DE69611198T2; ES2153513T3; ITBO950060V0; ITBO950060U1

Description

The present invention concerns the technical field for the production of components for household electric appliances and the like.
It is known that the doors of appliances such as ovens, dishwashers and the like, are fixed to the frame structure of the household electric appliance by means of hinge devices allowing the rotation of the same doors between a closing position and an opening position. Conventionally the opening position is rotated of an angle of 85 degrees as regards the vertical closing position.
Besides defining the closing and opening positions of the door, the cited hinge devices must fulfil an appropriate weight balancing of the door, so as to prevent the sudden rotation downward of this latter during the opening operation.
A known hinge device includes a coupling member constituted by a suitably shaped plaque, fixed to the structure of the household electric appliance and having pivoted, on a transversal pivot, a support member fixed to the door. Such support is carried out by using a plate section along which an elastic clamping member, having a transversal roll, is assembled slidingly and opposed by suitable spring members; such roll is fit to engage, at the closing position, an housing shaped on the cited coupling member.
The opening position of the door is defined by a pivot assembled transversely to the cited support member and designed to meet, at the aforesaid opening position, an housing made on the coupling member.
The document FR-A-2.662.204 discloses a hinge device, particularly for household appliance, consisting of a first support mean fixed to the body of an appliance, and pivoted to a second support member fixed to the door of the household appliance by means of a main pivot and containing an "reversed U" shaped element that is pivoted to the first support mean thanks to a secondary pivot. This element slides longitudinally along the second support means.
In this invention, the stop of the door rotation into the opening position is mainly kept by means of the contact of the walls of the "reversed U" shaped element against the main pivot. For stopping the door, this arrangement operates as a leverage with a torque arm whose length is the same as the distance from the contact point of walls against the main pivot (fulcrum pin) till the secondary pivot (resistance point).
In the mechanical arrangement, the last distance is quite short and cannot be increased, consequentially the stress on the pivots and walls is relevant and can cause damages to the hinge in case of opening shock.
European Patent Application No. EP-A-0 589 853 discloses a hinge device for horizontally hinged doors having a stopping feature identical to the above mentioned in the document FR-A-2 662 204 and an additional stop feature based on a crosspiece assembled on a second support element in proximity of an opening carried out in this latter. In an opening position of the door, the crosspiece meet a slot carried out in a cam shaped support member fixed to the structure of an appliance. In correspondence of the slot, the section area of the cam shaped support member is reduced causing a reduction of mechanical resistance in a stressed zone with risks of hinge damages.
A complained problem of the cited hinge devices is due to the stresses weighing thereon in correspondence of the opening position of the door.
It is generally scheduled that the hinge devices could also support an additional load, for instance depending on the objects supported by the open door, if necessary, besides the door weight. In other words, it is necessary to prevent that, in consequence of stresses greater than the expectation, a deformation of the same hinge devices will occur, so as to cause a defective closing of the door.
It is necessary to consider the fact that, due to the destination of the product to a wide use, the hinge devices in object must be cheap, so as to avoid the use of complex and expensive solutions therefore.
The object of the present invention consists of making an hinge device designed to support high stresses without undergoing deformations during the opening operation, also maintaining a structure having an enormous constructive and functional simplicity and a wide productive cheapness.
The cited object is achieved according to what it is claimed in claim 1.
The features of the invention will be underlined in the following description, with particular reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a sectional longitudinal median view of the hinge device in object, at a closing position;
Figure 2 shows a corresponding view of Figure 1 at an opening position;
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a portion, partially broken, of the device in object, representing in detail a stiffening member;
Figures 4 and 5 show a longitudinal partial sectional view of a different embodiment of the hinge device, respectively at closing and opening position;
Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a portion of the aforesaid different embodiment of the hinge device.

With reference to the aforesaid figures, reference numeral 1 indicates a coupling member of the hinge device, constituted by a suitably shaped plaque, fixed to the structure 10 of the household electric appliance.
The coupling member 1 is pivoted, on a transversal pivot 3, to a support member 2 fixed to the door of the household electric appliance, not shown. More precisely, the coupling member 1 substantially lies on a longitudinal median plane of the support member and is inserted with its protruding portion la inside the support member 2, through an opening 4 carried out frontally to this latter.
The support member 2 is carried out, in a known way, from a plate section along which the body 7 of an elastic clamping member 8 is assembled slidingly and is opposed by suitable spring members 5 and 6.
This body 7 is made in turn from a plate section, suitably folded up so as to define two faced sides 17; such sides 17 are adjacent to corresponding sides of the support 2, at the assemblage position.
The elastic clamping member 8 has a transversal roll 9 that is fit to engage, at the closing position, an housing 11 shaped on the cited coupling member 1, along the upper edge.
The opening position of the door is defined by a pivot 12 transversely assembled as regards to the support member 2, in correspondence to the cited opening 4, and it is fit to meet, at the aforesaid opening position, a slot 13 carried out on the protruding portion la of the coupling member 1.
In correspondence of the hinging zone of the support 2 with the coupling member 1, the hinge device has a stiffening member 14 fit to meet the same coupling member 1, at the aforesaid opening position. The stiffening member 14 is made from the body 7 that support the elastic clamping member 8.
More particularly, as it is shown in detail in Figure 3, the stiffening member 14 is constituted by at least a wing 15 shaped at the end of one of the sides 17 of the aforesaid body 7, on a plane parallel to that of the same side 17; the wing 15 is partially protruding from the opening 4 of the support 2, in correspondence of the assemblage position.
On the upper part the wing 15 shapes a hollow 16 fit to engage a pin 18 protruding transversely from the coupling member 1, at the opening position of the aforesaid door.
Actually it is possible that also the second side 17 of the body 7 has, at its end, an analogous wing, for clarity represented with the outlined line 15a in Figure 3. Obviously it is needed that the pin 18 is protruding bilaterally from the coupling member 1, so as to be engaged simultaneously by the hollow 16 of the cited wings 15, 15a.
Suitably the wings 15, 15a extend from respective tabs 19, achieved by refolding the sides 17 of the body 7, and lie on planes parallel to the same sides 17, at a mutual distance smaller than these latter. In this way the wings 15, 15a are lain substantially behind with the opposite lateral faces of the coupling member 1.
Practically, the stiffening member 14 is able of carrying out a distribution of the stresses weighting heavily on the hinge device at the opening position of the door, shown in Figure 2. The load acting on the support 2 of the hinge device is really transferred, by virtue of the engagement of the coupling member 1 with the pin 18, on the hollow 16 of the wings 15, 15a, and also acts directly on the pivot 12 meeting the slot 13 of the coupling member 1.
The member 14 is therefore a considerable stiffening of the support 2 in correspondence of the hinging zone with the coupling member 1, mostly subject to the stresses.
The described hinge device reaches therefore the object of withstanding without buckling under high stresses, during the opening operation of the door.
An important prerogative of the device is constituted by the fact that such result is achieved with a very simple structure, keeping the cheapness features of the product. The stiffening of the hinge devices really achieved without additional components, on the contrary drawing the member 14 with simple mechanical operations of shearing and folding of a plate element already provided in the traditional devices.
In the Figures 4, 5 and 6 a different embodiment of the hinge device is shown, in which the stiffening member 14 comprises a peg 20 transversely fixed to a pair of wings 21 that constitute practically the extension of the said tabs 19 of the sides 17 of the body 7.
The peg 20 is fit to engage, at the opening position of the aforesaid door, a hollow 22 carried out on the protruding portion la of the coupling member 1. Simultaneously the aforesaid wings 21 are pushed through a slot 23 carried out on the bottom of the support member 2, adjacent to the opening 4, till the beat of the tabs 19 against the same bottom of the support member 2. This enable the increment of the general resistance in sensitive manner.
It must be observed that in this solution the support member 2 is deprived of the transversal pivot 12, the function of this latter having carried out substantially by the peg 20.

Claims

Hinge device, particularly for the door of household electric appliances and the like, of the kind comprising a coupling member (1) constituted by a shaped plaque adapted to be fixed to the structure (10) of the appliance; a support member (2) adapted to be fixed to said door and pivoted, at its bottom end, on a pivot (3), perpendicularly fixed to said coupling member (1), with said coupling member (1) lying substantially on a longitudinal median plane of said support member (2) and having a protruding portion (la) inserted inside said support member (2) trough an opening (4) carried out in front of this latter in correspondence of a closing position of the door; an elastic clamping member (8) assembled slidingly along the longitudinal direction of said support member (2), opposed by spring means (5 and 6), and having a transversal roll (9) fit to engage a cam (11) shaped on said coupling member (1), in correspondence of said closing position of said door; said device being characterised in that it includes a stiffening member (14), shaped to the end of a body (7), supporting said elastic clamping member (8), in correspondence of a hinging zone of said support member (2) with said coupling member (1), and said stiffening member (14) being fitted to engage stop means (18, 22), that are carried out from the same coupling member (1) in proximity of said opening (4) far from said pivot (3), and fitted to partially extend out of said opening (4) in correspondence of an opening position of said door.
Device according to claim 1, characterised in that further includes a pivot (12) fixed to said support member (2) perpendicularly to said coupling member (1) and fit to meet a slot (13) carried out on said coupling member (1) in correspondence of said opening position of the door.
Device according to claim 1, characterised in that said stiffening member (14) comprises at least a wing (15) shaped at the end of a wall (17) of said body (7), on a plane parallel to that of the wall (17).
Device according to the claim 3, characterised in that said wing (15) shapes on the upper part a hollow (16) fit to engage, at said opening position of the door, a pin (18) extending perpendicularly from the coupling member (1).
Device according to claim 1, characterised in that said body (7) comprises a pair of parallel walls (17), mutually faced, having at an end respective tabs (19) refolded so as to lie on planes parallel to said parallel walls (17), at a mutual distance smaller in comparison with said parallel walls (17), and shaping respective wings (15, 15a) fit to define said stiffening member (14).
Device according to claim 1, characterised in that said stiffening member (14) comprises a peg (20) supported transversely to a pair of wings (21) extending from parallel walls (17) of said body (7), with said peg (20) fit to engage a hollow (22) carried out on said coupling member (1), in correspondence of said opening position of the door.
Device according to claim 6, characterised in that said wings (21) are fit to be inserted, in correspondence of said opening position of the door, through a slot (23) extending said opening (4) in the direction of said pivot (3), till the meeting of tabs (19) of said body (7) against the bottom end of said support member (2).