CN112154247A

CN112154247A - Hinge device for refrigerator and furniture

Info

Publication number: CN112154247A
Application number: CN201980029774.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 伊曼纽尔·特伦齐
Original assignee: CMI Cerniere Meccaniche Industriali SRL
Current assignee: C.M.I.铰链机械工业有限公司; CMI Cerniere Meccaniche Industriali SRL
Priority date: 2018-05-03
Filing date: 2019-05-03
Publication date: 2020-12-29
Also published as: EP3788223A1; WO2019211435A1; IT201800005039A1

Abstract

The present invention discloses a hinge device for a refrigerator, other household appliances and furniture, comprising, in an operating state assembled to the refrigerator or other household appliances and furniture: a first member (3) fixed to the refrigerator body and a second member (5) fixed to or provided in the door of the refrigerator, wherein the first member (3) and the second member (5) are connected to each other by means of a hinge pivot (7) to rotate the door. The hinge pivot (7) is constrained to rotate in a first seat (9) provided in a shelf device (11) fixed to the first member (3) and has at least one connecting portion (13) whose polygonal section engages in a complementary connecting seat (15) of a connecting device (17) and is located in a complementary housing (18) of the second member (5) to prevent mutual rotation between the hinge pivot (7), the second member (5) and the connecting device (17), the connecting device (17) being rotatably connected to a first end of a connecting rod device (21), a second end of the connecting rod device (21) being rotatably connected to a crank device (25), the crank device (25) rotating about a self-rotating pin (27) fixed to the first member (3). The crank means (25) have at least a first cam profile (29), on which the roller (31) acts under the action of the elastic force of elastic means (33), the elastic means (33) being connected at a first end to the first member (3) and at a second end to said roller (31) by drive means (35). The first cam profile (29) is shaped to transmit the closing coupling to the hinge pivot (7) and to the door in the end closed condition, and to close to said closed condition.

Description

Hinge device for refrigerator and furniture

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of hinges, and relates to a hinge device for furniture and appliances, in particular refrigerators, having a door, window or revolving door about a vertical or horizontal hinge axis and capable of imparting a door spring force to such a prefixed.

Background

Known hinges for vertical refrigerator doors are generally each composed of a shelf fixed to the refrigerator frame or body and having a vertical axis hole for a vertical hinge pin engaged in a respective cylindrical seat having a vertical axis fixed to the door or refrigerator door.

A disadvantage of these known hinges is that they do not contribute in any way to the closing of the door, which may for example remain half-open, with obvious consequences.

Another drawback of these known hinges is that they do not limit or inhibit the closing and opening rotation of the door, mainly in the second case, causing the risk of damaging the door or adjacent objects.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to propose a hinge device for refrigerators and furniture, which has a vertical hinge axis, which at the same time is very compact, can be installed even in current refrigerators, appliances and furniture, and is capable of providing the closing spring force of the door from a predetermined opening angle of the door.

Another object is to propose a device which can be manufactured in a manner that provides closing forces, opening forces and metastable intermediate positions according to the application and requirements.

Another object is to propose a device capable of braking the angular speed of the door.

Drawings

The features of the invention are illustrated below with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows isometric views of two embodiments of a hinge device for refrigerators and furniture, object of the present invention, associated with the upper parts of two refrigerator doors;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 1, with some details removed to better highlight other details;

FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the device of FIG. 2 from a different angle;

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 in an over-run condition associated with the door section at approximately 4 of closed and accessible without the door seal, with some details removed to better highlight other details;

figures 5, 6 and 7 show the arrangement of figure 4 in a closed condition in which the door seals abut, a partially open condition of about 40 ° and a fully open condition of about 135 °, respectively;

FIG. 8 shows an isometric view of the device of FIG. 7 in a partially exploded state;

FIG. 9 shows an isometric exploded view of the device of FIG. 3;

figures 10 and 11 show horizontal and vertical views, respectively, of the device taken in a longitudinal plane.

Detailed Description

With reference to fig. 1 to 11, numeral 1 indicates a hinge device for refrigerators F, for other household appliances and generally for appliances and furniture, having a door or window a and for example having a vertical or horizontal rotation axis, for the purposes of the present invention; hereinafter, for the sake of brevity, this hinged device for a refrigerator will also be referred to as hinged device or simply device, and the term "refrigerator" will also be used to denote other household appliances and furniture, such as electric, gas and microwave ovens, dishwashers, wall cupboards, frames, furniture and the like.

In an operatively assembled condition with a refrigerator or other element, the device 1 comprises a first member 3 fixed to the refrigerator body and a second member 5 fixed to or provided in the refrigerator door. In the case of the second member 5 provided in the door, the complete realisation of the hinging means is carried out in the assembled condition; however, the hinge falls within the scope of this document even if the second member 5 is not provided for it.

Hereinafter, the terms upper, lower, upper and lower refer to the hinge device shown in the drawings in an operating state and mounted at the upper end of the door or wing side having a vertical rotation axis. The above terms will be reversed when the device is mounted at the lower end of the door or wing side.

In the case of installation in an appliance or furniture with a door rotating about a vertical axis, the high and low references will be used as right and left.

These first and second members 5 are interconnected by means of a hinge pivot 7 (vertical in the figures for example) so as to allow the door to rotate between said end-open condition O and end-closed condition C about the longitudinal geometrical axis of said hinge pivot 7.

The hinge pivot 7 has an upper cylindrical portion constrained to rotate in a first circular or cylindrical seat 9, the first circular or cylindrical seat 9 being formed in a shelf 11 fixed to the first member 3 or made in the first member 3.

The hinge pivot 7 also carries a connecting portion 13 coaxial with the cylindrical portion, having a polygonal cross section, preferably square, and divided into two parts by an intermediate ring or annular spacer.

The upper polygonal portion interposed between the upper cylindrical portion and the spacer is engaged in the complementary connecting seat 15 of the connecting device 17. The remaining polygonal portion below the spacer engages in a complementary housing 18 of the second member 5, preventing mutual rotation between the hinge pivot 7, the second member 5 and the connecting means 17, which therefore rotate integrally about the axis of the hinge pivot 7. The hinge pivot 7 may be made of metal, for example solid steel or zinc alloy or other die cast alloy or composite material, preferably composite or reinforced material. The connecting means 17 may for example be a stamped and folded metal plate having two parallel and spaced apart main walls.

The connecting means 17 is rotatably connected to a first end of the connecting rod means 21 by a first pin 19, and a second end of the connecting rod means 21 is rotatably connected to a crank means 25 rotatable about its own rotation pin 27 fixed to the first member 3 by a second pin 23.

The crank means 25 are preferably plane with a circular plan shape or, as shown, approximately circular or irregularly curved, and can be better obtained by die-cutting or by cutting from a metal plate.

The distance between the axis of the hinge pivot 7 and the first pin 19 is smaller than the distance between the first pin 19 and the second pin 23, for example, the first distance may be between one third and one fifth of the second distance. The

pins

19, 23 and the rotation pin 27 may be of the metal correction type, to reduce the rotation friction and/or be provided with bushings.

The crank means 25 have at least a first cam profile 29 on which the roller 31 or roller acts under the effect of the elastic force provided by elastic means 33 acting on the roller itself.

A first end of the elastic means 33 is connected to the member 3 and a second end is connected by a drive means 35 to a pin acting as a rotation axis of said roller 31. Preferably, the elastic means 33 consist of a helical spring. For example, in harmonic steel, it works in traction and its first end is connected at a position furthest from the roller with respect to the first end, and furthermore the straight line connecting these ends and substantially coinciding with the longitudinal axis of the spring intersects with or passes near the axis of the rotation pin 27.

The geometrical longitudinal axes of the hinge pivot 7, the connecting seat 15, the first pin 19 and the second pin 23, the rotation pin 27 and the rotation pin of the roller 31 are parallel to each other.

The first cam profile 29 is shaped to transmit a closing and/or opening torque to the hinge pivot 7 and the door in an angular portion or sector of rotation of the door. For example, and as shown in the figures, the first cam profile 29 may be shaped to transmit a closing torque to the wing or door in an end closed state, and close to the closed state.

The first cam profile 29 comprises a profiled groove provided entirely in the crank device 25 and has an edge 30 that abuts against a roller 31, which edge 30 rolls along the roller 31.

The grooves and edges 30 may have segments in the shape of arcs of a circle centred on the axis of the rotation pin 27 and have straight or curved segments that are distant or close to the axis of the rotation pin 27 and are therefore inclined with respect to the respective radius. The spring force transmitted by the spring of the elastic means 33 is directed substantially radially in the opposite direction to the rotation pin 27, and the edge 30 along which the roller 31 moves to transmit said force is outside the groove of the first cam profile 29. As shown in the figures, in the case of a device so configured, the line of action of the force transmitted by the roller to the first cam profile 29 intersects the axis of the rotation pin 27, in this position and in the portion of the edge 30, the geometric tangent thereof being perpendicular to the respective geometric radius connecting the axis of the rotation pin 27 to this position and portion, the force transmitted by the roller is directed directly onto said rotation pin 27 without generating a torque. Vice versa, at the point of tangential inclination with respect to the radius in the corresponding inclined portion of the edge 30, the roller transmits a portion of the force of the elastic means through the non-zero arm and generates a torque applied to the crank means 25 and transmitted to the door or wing.

In this way, the elastic force can be converted into a torque that is transmitted to the hinge pivot 7, for example to the door or vane, during the final part of the closing stroke, thus avoiding that the door remains partially open and possibly putting the seal in a compressed sealing condition. For example, in the figures, the edge 30 moves away from the rotation pin at the end of the closing rotation, allowing the spring to transmit the closing force to the door at its position close to closed.

The elastic force of the elastic means 33, which bring the roller 31 to bear against the edge 30 of the first cam profile 29, is transmitted to the roller 31 at least by means of first tie means 37, a first end of which is fixed to the rotation pivot of the roller 31 and an opposite second end of which is connected to second interconnecting tie means 39 between said second end of the first tie means 37 and the corresponding end of the elastic means 33 by respective end pins whose axes are perpendicular to the roller 31.

Alternatively, the invention provides that the first end of the first tie means 37 is fixed directly to the corresponding end of the elastic means 33.

The first and second tie means 37, 39 are preferably made of stamped and/or cut and folded sheet metal.

In the present invention, the end of the elastic means 33 opposite to the roller 31 and the drive means 35 may be rigidly and directly attached to the first member 3, or preferably, the device 1 comprises a strut means 41, the strut means 41 being connected to the first member 3 and having a first end connected to the end of the elastic means 33 opposite to the end acting on the roller 31.

The prop means 41 are approximately rectilinear in shape and are connected to the first member 3 by guide means 43, the prop means 41 sliding along a sliding direction parallel to the longitudinal extension of the prop means 41 and incident on or substantially directed towards the axis of the rotation pin 27 of the crank means 25.

A first end of the strut means 41 opposite to said rotation pin 27 and roller is connected to the elastic means 33 by respective connecting pin means, and a second end of the strut means 41 close to said rotation pin 27 and roller has a sliding element 45, which sliding element 45 is slidably engaged with a second cam profile 47 of the crank means 25.

The second cam profile 47 is constituted by a shaped peripheral edge of the crank means 25 and the sliding element 45 has at least one cavity for slidingly and frictionally receiving the shaped peripheral edge. This shaped circumferential edge of the second cam profile 47 may face and/or be adjacent to the edge 30 of the first cam profile 29.

The sliding element 45 may be made of a synthetic material having a coefficient of friction suitable for the desired braking action, or the sliding element 45 may be any material, also metallic, and may be provided with friction pads or pads having the necessary coefficient of friction, for example, in order to obtain stability of the door or window panel in certain positions and to allow the spring to close the wing in the vicinity of the closed state.

The second tie rod means 39 and the prop means 41 are exemplary embodiments of stamped, cut and folded sheet metal and are box-shaped with respective longitudinal cavities.

The second tie rod arrangement 39 is slidably received in the longitudinal cavity half-strut 41.

The device may further comprise damping means 49 of the linear type, housed in a longitudinal cavity of the second tie rod means 39.

One end of the damping means 49 is in contact with a lateral surface of the first tie means 37 (as shown in the figures) or with one end pin of the second tie means 39 and its opposite end is locked, for example by block abutment or by direct contact, to an engagement pin 51 which engages without play or is almost located in a hole 53 made in the prop means 41; furthermore, the connecting pin 51 passes through a sliding slot 55 formed laterally in the second tie rod means 39, so that said pin and the corresponding end of the damping means 49 can slide with respect to the second tie rod 39.

The damping device 49 is cylindrical, with a piston and a rod sliding in a viscous manner, and is equipped with an internal spring for pushing the rod outwards.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the damping device 49 is compressed at the end portion of the closing rotation of the door, preventing it from jumping due to excessive angular velocity. When the door angular velocity is low, the viscous friction is also low and therefore does not significantly oppose the closing of the door.

The guides 43 are placed on both sides of the stud means 41 and each guide 43 comprises a flat lip formed laterally in the side of the stud means 41 and a flap of the first member 3 folded to form a sliding cavity. Obviously, the position of the lip and the sliding chamber can be reversed. Alternatively, the guiding means may be of any material and shape and fixed to the stud means 41 and the first member 3.

The shape of the first cam profile 29 is determined according to the opening angle at which the device must transmit the closing force of the blade, and the radial distance between the first cam profile 29 and the second cam profile 47 with respect to the rotation pin 27 of the crank device 25 is determined according to the force required by the elastic means 33 to act on the roller 31 and on the sliding element 45. In fact, the greater the radial distance, the greater the spring elongation and the greater the force it transmits to the roller 31 and to the sliding element 45.

The invention alternatively provides and contrasts with a spring-type elastic means 33, which spring-type elastic means 33 acts in compression and is provided, for example, with a spring guide which traverses the elastic means 33 longitudinally and transmits the elastic force to the second pull rod means 39.

Claims

1. A hinge device for refrigerators, other electrical appliances and furniture, comprising, in an operating condition assembled to a refrigerator or other device: a first member (3) fixed to the refrigerator body and a second member (5) fixed to or provided in the door of the refrigerator, wherein the first member (3) and the second member (5) are connected to each other by means of a hinge pivot (7) to rotate the door about the longitudinal geometrical axis of the hinge pivot (7) between a fully opened state (a) and a closed state (C); the device (1) is characterized in that: the hinge pivot (7) is constrained to rotate in a first seat (9) provided in a shelf device (11) fixed to the first member (3) or operates in the first member (3) and has at least one connecting portion (13), the polygonal section of which (13) is coupled in a complementary connecting seat (15) of a connecting device (17) and is located in a complementary housing (18) of the second member (5) to prevent mutual rotation between the hinge pivot (7), the second member (5) and the connecting device (17), the connecting device (17) is rotatably connected to a first end of a connecting rod device (21), a second end of the connecting rod device (21) is rotatably connected to a crank device (25), the crank device (25) rotates about a self-rotating pin (27) fixed to the first member (3), the crank device (25) has at least a first cam profile (29), a roller (31) acting on the first cam profile (29) under the action of the elastic force of elastic means (33), the elastic means (33) having a first end connected to the first member (3) and a second end connected to said roller (31) by drive means (35); wherein the first cam profile (29) is shaped to transfer closing and/or opening coupling to the hinge pivot (7) and to the door during a part of the rotation of the door.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first cam profile (29) consists of an edge (30) of a shaped groove formed in said crank means (25), and in that said elastic means (33) act on said roller (31) with an elastic abutment force against said edge (30) at least by means of a first tie-rod (37), a first end of which is fixed on the rotation pivot of the roller (31) and an opposite second end is directly connected to a respective end of the elastic means (33), or is reciprocally connected to a respective end of the elastic means (33) by means of a second tie-rod (39) through respective end pins having an axis perpendicular to the roller (31) between the second end of said first tie-rod (37) and the respective end of the elastic means (33).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a prop means (41) connected to said first member (3) and having a first end connected to the end of said elastic means (33) opposite to the end acting on the roller (31) through the pin means.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said strut means (41) has a substantially rectilinear form and is connected to said first member (3) by guide means (43) sliding along a sliding direction parallel to the longitudinal development of the strut means (41) itself and incident in a direction substantially directed towards the axis of the rotation pin (27) of the crank means (25), wherein the end of the strut means (41) opposite to said rotation pin (27) is connected to the elastic means (33) by respective connection pivoting means, and the end of the strut means (41) close to said rotation pin (27) has a sliding element (45), which sliding element (45) is slidingly engaged with the second cam profile (47) of the crank means (25).

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said second cam profile (47) consists of a shaped peripheral edge of the crank device (25) and in that said sliding element (45) has at least one cavity to slidingly and frictionally receive this shaped peripheral edge.

6. Device according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that at least said second tie-rod (39) and said prop means (41) are box-shaped and have respective longitudinal cavities, and in that said second tie-rod (39) is slidingly housed in a longitudinal cavity of said prop means (41).

7. Device according to claims 2 and 6, characterized in that it comprises a linear damping device (49), said damping device (49) being housed in a longitudinal cavity of said second tie-rod (39) and being in contact, at one end, with said first tie-rod (37) or with one of the end pivots of said second tie-rod (39) and, at the opposite end, with a seat locked on an engagement pin (51), said engagement pin (51) engaging in a hole (53) provided in said prop means (41), passing through a slide slot (55) provided in said second tie-rod (39).

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that said damping means (49) are cylindrical, have a piston and a rod and slide in a viscous manner, and are provided with a thrust spring towards the outside of the stem.

9. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the guide means (43) are placed on both sides of the prop means (41) and that each guide means (43) comprises a flat lip and a folding flap to form a sliding cavity, wherein the lips and folding flaps are fixed in or provided in the prop means (41) and the first member (3) or vice versa.

10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the shape of said first cam profile (29) is determined according to the opening angle at which the device must transmit the closing force of the wing, and the radial distance between said first cam profile (29) and said second cam profile (47) with respect to the rotation pin (27) of said crank device (25) is determined according to the force required by said elastic means (33) to act on said roller (31) and on said sliding element (45).