WO2007031425A1

WO2007031425A1 - Housing for a household device

Info

Publication number: WO2007031425A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/065981
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jürgen DIEBOLD
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2005-09-12
Filing date: 2006-09-04
Publication date: 2007-03-22
Also published as: RU2008111573A; RU2407962C2; DE202005014372U1; EP1926876A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a housing for a household device, which comprises a body (1) and a door leaf (2) which is connected to the body (1) by means of a first and a second hinge (78, 79). The hinges (78, 79) displace the door leaf (2) in a pivotable manner over a maximum opening angle counter to a counter rotational movement. In an angle area immediately before the maximum opening angle, the first hinge (78) can be freely rotated, and the second hinge (79) exercises an increasing counter rotational movement having an increasing opening angle.

Description

Housing for a household appliance

The present invention relates to a housing for a household appliance, in particular a refrigerator or freezer, with a body, a door and a hinge, which is arranged adjacent to an edge of the body and body and door connects.

Simple hinges used for the suspension of a household appliance door generally have a hinge pin which engages from above or below in a bearing sleeve of the door, thus defining a pivot axis of the door, and an arm, via which the hinge pin is firmly connected to the body. This arm is visible from the outside, which is distracting.

Although it is conceivable to hide such a hinge behind a fixed to the door housing, but here arises the problem that the pivoting movement of the door must be limited to prevent that in a wide open position of the door, the housing and The arm collide and the housing is damaged.

It is known to limit the maximum pivoting angle of a door leaf, a chimney cover or the like by a device such as a string or chain, which is attached to the door leaf and on a door opposite the door leaf at a distance from the pivot axis and in the maximum open Position of the door is taut. From the furniture is also known an opening limitation by means of a rod, one end of which is articulated on the door leaf and the other on a sliding block which is slidable on a rail mounted on the door frame. Both the chain and the rod interfere in the open state access to the interior of a device or furniture body to which the door is mounted.

In particular, in the field of built-in home appliances, it is known to use multi-joint hinges whose hinged together arms by design have only a limited angular freedom. Such multi-joint hinges are expensive because of their necessarily complicated structure, and they claim a considerable installation depth, the provision of which can be problematic especially in household appliances in stand construction.

The object of the invention is to provide a housing for a household appliance, are connected to the body and door by a simply constructed, yet reliable and resilient opening-limited hinge.

The object is achieved in that in a housing with a body and a door leaf, which is connected to the body by a first and a second hinge, which each oppose a pivoting movement of the door leaf over a maximum opening angle beyond a counter torque, in an angular range directly before reaching the maximum opening angle, the first hinge is freely rotatable and the second exerts an increasing counter-torque with increasing opening angle.

While with two hinges with a hard stop there is a risk that, if due to manufacturing tolerances or the like, the maximum opening angle of the two hinges differ slightly, always only one hinge must absorb the entire mechanical load, and the other is charged only when the the first due to overload is no longer able to distributed, the mechanical stress in the case of the invention, provided that the force used to open the door is even large enough to the door to the maximum

Open opening angle, always on both hinges.

When the door leaf is in the maximum opening angle position, the counter-torque exerted by the first hinge should be at least as great as that exerted by the second. In practice, this generally means that both hinges are elastically deformable in parts, wherein the elastic deformation at the first hinge begins only at a larger opening angle than the second, the counter torque as a function of the opening angle but then faster than the second hinge increases.

According to a preferred embodiment, the second hinge comprises a hinge pin and a hinge sleeve, which rotatably engage in one another and one of which is fixed to the door leaf and the other to a support arm, that of a door frame the body protrudes, and on the support arm, a buffer body is mounted, which is elastically deformed in the position of the maximum opening angle by contact with a portion of the door leaf.

A pierced by the hinge pin of the second hinge bore of the buffer body may advantageously serve to hold the buffer body.

The portion of the door panel then preferably contacts the buffer body at a location located between the bore and a second attachment point of the buffer body to the support arm such that the force exerted by the portion of the door panel is distributed to the hinge pin and the second attachment point.

In order to allow with a small number of parts mounting the door with either right or left stop, it is preferred that the support arm has two holes on which the hinge pin is fastened, and that of the two holes on which the hinge pin is not is fastened, is penetrated by a projection of the buffer body to form the second attachment point.

When the hinge is a lower hinge, the support arm can be advantageously realized as a first end portion of a one-piece fitting member, a middle portion of which is fixed to the door frame, and a second end portion angled on a side opposite the first end portion of the middle piece a holder for a Foot, preferably a height-adjustable foot, the housing forms.

Moreover, at the side of the center piece opposite the first end section, a third end section can be bent in an opposite direction to the second end section, which abuts an underside of the body in order to support it.

Preferably, the door leaf in a conventional manner comprises a central piece and upper and lower end pieces, which close a cavity of the center piece. In this case, the portion elastically deforming the buffer body is preferably part of an angle secured to one of the end pieces, in particular the lower end piece. - A -

The angle can be embedded in a recess of the end piece for fixing.

According to a second embodiment, the second hinge comprises a hinge pin and a hinge sleeve which pivotally engage with each other and one of which is fixed to the door leaf and the other to a support arm projecting from a door frame of the body, and a hook is attached to the door leaf, which is elastically deformed in the position of the maximum opening angle by contact with the support arm.

In general, these two embodiments are combinable with one another in that a part of the support arm which the hook touches in its elastically deformed position is in turn elastically deformed by the contact with the hook.

The hook may in particular comprise a hairpin spring.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator, to which the present invention is implemented with the door closed;

2 is a perspective view of the refrigerator with an open door.

Figure 3 is an exploded view of an upper front corner of the body of the refrigerator, an arm and a journal for the rotatable suspension of a door.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through a front right corner of

Refrigeration unit housing with the door closed;

FIG. 5 shows a section similar to FIG. 4 with the door open; FIG.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section along the line Vl-Vl of Fig. 5; Figure 7 is an exploded view similar to Figure 3 of a lower front corner of the body of the refrigerator, an arm and a journal for the rotatable suspension of the door.

Fig. 8 is a view of the corner shown in Fig. 7 from below with the door closed;

Fig. 9 is a view of the same corner with the door open;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken along the line X-X of Fig. 9;

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view, similar to FIG. 7, of hinge parts; FIG. and

Fig. 12 is a vertical section through a lower corner of a door panel according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an inventive household appliance, a refrigerator stand or table construction with a body 1 and a door leaf 2, which is hinged to the body about an axis 3 pivotally. The axis 3 extends through the door leaf 2 adjacent to a in Fig. 1 facing the viewer side surface 4 of the body. 1

The door leaf 2 is composed of an upper and a lower end piece 5 and 6, which is injection molded in one piece of plastic, and a center piece 7. The middle piece 7 has an outer wall formed of a bent sheet metal and a molded plastic inner wall, the their vertical edges are interconnected and which define a top and bottom closed by the end pieces 5, 6 filled with insulating foam material cavity.

The top of the body 1 is located at the same height as that of the upper end piece 5. In a body 1 facing the recess of the upper end piece 5 engages a projection 8 of the body 1, at its hidden in Fig. 1 front side displays and controls of the refrigerator are arranged. An upper hinge connecting body 1 and door leaf 2 and defining the axle 3 is concealed between the upper end piece 5 and the body 1, respectively. A lower hinge is hidden by the door leaf 2 in the perspective of FIG.

Fig. 2 shows the refrigerator of Fig. 1 with the door open. A piece of the door leaf 2 facing the front frame 9 of the body 1 is exposed here, and the projection 8 can be clearly seen. The two hinges are also largely hidden, only a voltage applied to the frame 9 tip of a hinge arm 10 can be seen.

3 shows an exploded perspective view of an upper corner of the body 1 and the hinge arm 10 of the upper generally designated 78

Hinge. The arm 10 is formed from an edgewise-oriented strip of strong sheet and formed by two approximately right angles 1 1 in three sections, one to be mounted on the front frame 9 first end portion 12, one parallel to the

End portion 12 at a distance from the frame 9 extending second end portion 13 and a connecting portion 14 which divides the end portions 12,

13 connects with each other. The end portion 13 is longitudinally slotted at its free end, and tongues above and below the slot 15 are rolled up into a sleeve 16.

A recess 17 on the front frame receives the first end portion 12 in a form-fitting manner. At the bottom of the recess 17 are two threaded holes 18 can be seen, which are provided to receive (not shown) screws extending through

Holes 19 extend in the first end portion 12 and hold it pressed into the recess 17. Since the outline of the recess 17 mates exactly form-fitting with the shape of the first end portion 12, the arm 10 can be quickly and without taking dimension attached to a precisely predetermined position of the frame 9. As a result of the positive engagement of the end portion 12 in the recess 17 is the

Accuracy of positioning also not affected when the diameter of the

Holes 19 is greater than that of the screws passing through them. Recesses 17 are located at all four corners of the frame. 9

Of the two holes 19 of the end portion 12 is one of a circular opening 21 and the other the slot 15 of the end portion 13 opposite. Through the opening 21 and the slot 15 through each of the individual screws in the holes 19 and the threaded holes 18 are introduced. To fasten the screws, a screwdriver or the like can also pass through the opening 21 or the slot 15.

In height of the angle 1 1 two beads 20 are embossed in the arm 10 for stiffening.

A provided for insertion into the sleeve 16 hinge pin is designated 22. The hinge pin is in the form of a cylindrical pin, which is divided by a circumferential ridge 23 in an engaging in the sleeve 16 upper portion 24 and a lower portion 25. In the embodiment considered here, the upper portion 24 is rotatably received in the sleeve 16, and the lower portion 25 rotatably engages in a (not shown in Fig. 3) hinge sleeve of the door 2 a. It would also be conceivable, however, to anchor the hinge pin 22 in the door leaf in a rotationally fixed manner and to turn it in the sleeves 16, or to allow a rotation of the hinge pin 22 both relative to the arm 10 and the door leaf 2.

An opening limiting body 41 is like the support arm 10 of a blank made of strong sheet metal integrally formed. The opening limiting body 41 has a flat base plate 42 in which a bore 43 is formed, and is provided to be fitted on the lower portion 25 of the hinge pin 22. From the base plate 42 is on a side facing the arm 10, a plate-shaped first portion 44 which is radially aligned with respect to the pivot axis 3 of the hinge 78. In the illustrated in Fig. 3, a closed door corresponding orientation of the opening limiting body 41, the first portion 44 extends between the sleeve 16 and the opposite bore 19 of the first end portion 12. A second, also plate-shaped portion 45 is of the base plate 42 in opposite direction, away from arm 10, angled. The area of the second portion 45 is substantially larger than that of the first portion 44, and also the distance from the pivot axis at the second portion 45 is significantly larger than the first portion 44. The function of the opening limiting body 41 will be more apparent from the following description of FIG. 4 to 6.

4 shows a horizontal section through the upper right corner of the body 1 and the door leaf 2 at the level of the arm 10. The end piece 5 has on its rear side facing the frame 9 a spacious recess 26 into which the arm 10 engages. The arm 10 defines a recess 27 which is open to the side surface 4. The first portion 44 of the opening limiting body 41 extends transversely through the entrance area of the recess 27. A side wall 28 of the end piece 5 extends in front of the recess 27 and is substantially flush with the side surface 4.

The distance between the front frame 9 and the end 29 facing it of the side wall 28 is selected so that when the door leaf 2 is pivoted about the axis defined by the hinge pin 22 in the position shown in Fig. 5, it on his by a Arrow 30 designated track just not touched the frame 9.

An open stop position of the door is defined by the fact that the first portion 44 of the opening limiting body 41 rests against the inside of the end portion 13. When opening the door, the portion 44 abuts the end portion 13, acts on the end portion 44 relative to the pivot axis, a torque which must be compensated by an opposing same, acting on the second portion 45 torque. This counter-moment is, as will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 6, exerted by the end piece 5 of the door leaf into which the second section 45 engages.

In the swung-open position of Fig. 5, the side wall 28 engages deep into the recess 27 of the arm. Maximum opening angles of the door of well over 90 degrees are readily achievable with the geometry shown in the figures. Even larger opening angles can be realized if the end section 13 is not rectilinear, as shown in the figures, but is curved toward the front.

Fig. 6 shows a vertical section through the upper portion of the door 2 at the level of the line Vl-Vl of Fig. 5. The end piece 5 is here composed of two mold parts, a lower part 31 and an upper part 32. The upper part 32 is substantially plate-shaped with protruding on its underside anchoring pins 33 which engage frictionally engaged in blind holes 34 of the lower part 31. The lower part 31 has a bottom plate 38 which closes the hollow space 35 of the middle piece 7 which is filled with insulating foam (not shown in the figure). Front and rear wall 36, 37 of the center piece 7 abut against a web 39 protruding from the bottom plate 38. In the bottom plate 38 are integrally formed a hinge sleeve 40 which receives the lower portion 25 of the hinge pin 22, and an elongated transverse to the cutting plane pin 46 in the cavity 35 of the central piece 7 integrally formed integrally. The pin 46 defines an upwardly open slot 47 with the insulating foam of the cavity 35 toward closed walls, in which the second portion 45 of the opening limiting body 41 is received without play. The double-walled pin 46 and the closely adjacent thereto, on the rear wall 37 of the central piece 7 web 39 form a rigid structure which is able to exert the required torque on the second section 45. If necessary, an additional stiffening of the end piece, for example in the form of a perpendicular to the cutting plane extending steel bar 48, shown in Fig. 6 as a dashed outline, be inserted into the space between the pin 46 and the rear web 39.

The recess 26 extends over the entire width of the door, from the one side wall 28 of the end piece 5 to the mirror-symmetrically opposite. Adjacent to this opposite side wall, a second, not shown, hinge sleeve 40 is formed to allow a stop change of the door.

Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of parts of a lower hinge 79 of the refrigerator, wherein a lower right corner of the body 1 is shown in dashed lines transparent. A like the arm 10 integrally formed from a strong sheet metal fitting member 50 has a not visible in the figure screws on the frame 9 of the body attached central portion 51, of which along an upper edge, a support arm 52 is angled horizontally. At a lower edge of the central portion 51, two sections 53, 56 are separated from each other by an arcuate notch and angled in opposite directions. A projecting portion 53 is provided with a threaded bore 54 provided to receive an externally threaded height adjustable foot 55 of the refrigerator. The rearwardly angled portion 56 forms a support surface for the body 1 and is provided with two holes 57 which are provided to receive, not shown, from below into the body 1 engaging screws.

The support arm 52 is also provided with two holes 58. One of the bores 58 serves to receive a lower hinge pin 59. In the present case, the Holes 58 threaded holes, and the hinge pin 59 has a screw head 60 and a shaft 61 which carries in a head 60 adjacent portion 62 a matching to the internal thread of the bores 58 thread and has a smooth cylindrical outer surface in a side facing away from the head portion 63. Alternatively, the holes 58 could also be threadless and the hinge pin 59 soldered or welded in one of the holes.

A buffer body 64 made of a solid, dimensionally elastically deformable material has a ring portion 65, which passes through the cylindrical portion 63 of the hinge pin 59 in the assembled state, and a cantilever arm 66 projecting from the ring portion 65. On the cantilever arm 66, a latching pin 67 is formed, in the assembled state, the second bore 58 passes through and is locked in it. The locking pin 67 here consists of two separated by a slot hollow, habzylindrischen segments.

The fitting element 50 has a not shown in the figure mirror symmetry plane. Therefore, the same fitting element 50 can also be used to form a lower hinge for a left front corner of the body 1 by the hinge pin 59 is mounted in the left of the two threaded holes 58 and the locking pin 67 of the buffer body 64 in the right threaded hole 58 locked becomes.

Above the buffer body 64, there is shown a metal-formed hook 68 which is provided to be fixed to the lower end piece 6 of the door panel 2. The hook 68 has a horizontal, pierced at one end portion 69 and a vertical portion 70. To stiffen the right angle between the two sections 69, 70, the vertical portion 70 is curved in section, and a longitudinal bead 71 is in the horizontal Section 69 impressed.

Arrangement and function of the hook 68 will be more apparent from Figures 8, 9 and 10, each showing a view of the lower right corner of the body 1 and the door panel 2 from below and a section through the lower portion of the door leaf along the line X-X of Fig. 9 show. In the views of Figs. 8 and 9, the buffer body 64 is covered with the exception of its locking pin 67 by the support arm 62 and therefore dashed shown. Also, the hook 68 is substantially obscured by the support arm 52 in the closed position of the door shown in FIG. It is fixed to the lower end piece 6 of the door leaf 2 by, as shown in Fig. 10, its horizontal portion 69 positively engages in a formed on the underside of the end piece 6 groove, and by a bore of the section 69 passing through screw 75 (FIG. see Fig. 9) or rivets anchored to the end piece 6.

When the door is swung open, the hook 68 moves from the position of FIG. 8 parallel to the extension arm 66 of the buffer body 64 to the position shown in FIG. 9, in which the horizontal section 69 extends above the extension arm 66 and the vertical section 70 on one side of the extension arm 66, between the ring portion 65 and locking pin 67 strikes. While the hook 68 is substantially rigid, the cantilever arm 66 may deflect slightly under the force of the hook 68. The door opening angle at which the portion 70 of the hook 68 contacts the extension arm 66 of the buffer body 64 is slightly smaller than that at which the portion 44 of the opening restriction body 41 abuts the arm 10 of the upper hinge 78. On the other hand, the difference between the opening angles is small enough so that when the portion 44 abuts against the arm 10 and the opening movement of the door panel 2 stops hard, the buffer body 64 is only elastically deformed by the hook 68. Thus, the buffer body 64 slows the door to pivot before the upper hinge 78 reaches its stop, thus protecting it from overload, while the abutment of the upper hinge 78 in turn prevents the buffer body 64 from being deformed beyond its elastic limit.

Fig. 1 1 shows in a perspective view analogous to Fig. 7, a second embodiment of the lower hinge 79. The fitting element 50 differs from that of Figure 7 only by a small projection 72 which is punched out of the horizontal support arm 52 and angled upwards is. The buffer body 64 is reduced here to the ring portion 65 alone and therefore has no buffer function, but only serves to keep the end piece 6 spaced from the support arm 52 and thus to prevent grinding of the end piece 6 on the support arm 52 and a low-friction rotation of the To ensure door leaf 2. Instead of the rigid hook 68, a hook 73 elastically deformable by a hairpin spring 74 is provided here.

As shown in Fig. 12, which shows a section through the lower right corner of the door leaf 2 parallel to the frame 9, here also a horizontal portion 69 of the hook 73 is positively inserted into a groove of the lower end piece 6 and held by a screw 75. The hairpin spring 74 is playfully received in a formed on the end piece 6 blind hole. According to this embodiment, when the door panel 2 reaches the opening limit position of the lower hinge 79, the free end 77 of the hairpin spring protruding from the blind hole 76 abuts against the projection 72 and is elastically deflected to the left in FIG. The effect is the same as explained above for the elastic deformation of the buffer body 64.

Claims

claims

1 . A housing for a household appliance comprising a body (1) and a door leaf (2) which is connected to the body (1) by first and second hinges (78, 79) respectively pivoting the door leaf (2) over a maximum opening angle to oppose a counter torque, characterized in that in an angular range immediately before reaching the maximum opening angle, the first hinge (78) is freely rotatable and the second (79) exerts increasing counter-torque with increasing opening angle.

2. Housing according to claim 1, characterized in that when the door leaf (2) is in the position with the maximum opening angle, the counter-torque exerted by the first hinge (78) is at least as large as that exerted by the second hinge (79) ,

3. Housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second hinge (79) at least one element 64; 74) which is elastically deformed when the door leaf (2) is in the angular range immediately before reaching the maximum opening angle.

4. Housing according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second hinge (79) comprises a hinge pin (59) and a hinge sleeve (40) which engage rotatably and one of which on the door leaf (2) and the other at one Support arm (52) is fixed, which projects from a door frame (9) of the body (1), and in that on the support arm (52) a buffer body (64) is mounted, which in the position of the maximum opening angle by contact with a portion ( 70) of the door panel (2) is elastically deformed.

5. Housing according to claim 4, characterized in that the buffer body (64) from the hinge pin (59) of the second hinge (79) interspersed bore.

6. Housing according to claim 5, characterized in that the portion (70) of the door leaf (2) the buffer body (64) at one between the bore and a second attachment point (67) of the buffer body (64) on the support arm (52) located Touched point (66).

7. Housing according to claim 6, characterized in that the support arm (52) has two bores (58) to which the hinge pin (59) can be fastened, and that of the two bores (58) on which the hinge pin (59) is not fastened, is penetrated by a projection (67) of the buffer body (64).

8. Housing according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized by a one-piece fitting element (50), of which a central portion (51) is fixed to the door frame (9), on a first side of the central portion (51) angled first end portion of the Support arm (52) forms and an angled on an opposite side of the center piece second end portion (53) forms a holder for a height-adjustable foot (55) of the housing.

9. Housing according to claim 8, characterized in that on the opposite side of the central portion (51) a third end portion (56) opposite to the second end portion (53) is angled and that the third end portion rests against an underside of the body (1).

10. Housing according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the door leaf (2) comprises a central piece (7) and upper and lower end pieces (5, 6) which close a cavity (35) of the central piece (7), and that the portion (70) is part of an angle (68) secured to one of the end pieces (6).

1 1. Housing according to claim 10, characterized in that the angle (68) in a recess of the end piece (6) is embedded.

12. Housing according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second hinge (79) comprises a hinge pin (59) and a hinge sleeve (40) which engage rotatably and one of which on the door leaf (2) and the other on a support arm (52) which projects from a door frame (9) of the body (1), and in that on the door leaf (2) a hook (73) is mounted, which in the position of the maximum opening angle by contact with the Beam

(52) is elastically deformed.

13. Housing according to claim 12, characterized in that the hook (73) a

Hairpin spring (74).