CN112739881A

CN112739881A - Hinge device for household appliances and furnishings with terminal speed attenuation

Info

Publication number: CN112739881A
Application number: CN201980059010.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 伊曼纽尔·特伦齐
Original assignee: CMI Cerniere Meccaniche Industriali SRL
Current assignee: CMI Cerniere Meccaniche Industriali SRL
Priority date: 2018-09-14
Filing date: 2019-09-12
Publication date: 2021-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 2039-09-12
Also published as: EP3850178A1; CN112739881B; EP3850178B1; WO2020053352A1

Abstract

A hinge device for electric appliances and furnishings, having a terminal speed damping of the closing or opening and having pre-fixed angular sectors of the opening and/or elastic closing. The hinge device (1) comprises, in the operating condition assembled to the household appliance, a first element (3) fixed to the body (F) of the appliance and a second element (5) fixed to the door (D) of the appliance. These first (3) and second (5) elements are connected to each other by a hinge pivot (7) for rotating the door between an open condition (a) and a closed condition (C). The device (1) comprises a crank device (11) connected to the first element (3) by means of a first rotation pin (13), and comprises a link device (17) having a terminal end rotatably connected to the second element (5), the link device (17) also being rotatably connected to the crank device (11) by means of a third rotation pin (21). The portion of the linkage (17) carrying the third rotation pin (21) has an arm device (27) projecting in the opposite direction to the second rotation pin (19), the arm device (27) being intended to move in the closing direction at least at the terminal part of the closing rotation of the door (D). The device comprises a damper means (31), the damper means (31) being connected to a movable element (37) of the damper means (31) to damp the translation of the linkage means (17) and the rotation of the terminal portion to close the door.

Description

Hinge device for household appliances and furnishings with terminal speed attenuation

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the technical field of hinges and relates to a hinge device with terminal speed damping of closing or opening, and optionally with pre-fixed angular sectors of elastic opening and/or closing, for appliances such as household appliances, for doors, windows and furnishings with trapdoors, doors, flaps or swinging doors around vertical or horizontal hinge axes, able to apply to these trapdoors a predetermined speed damping force and an elastic closing and/or opening force, particularly but not exclusively applicable to refrigerators.

In the following, devices and furnishings are only denoted by the term "device" as a whole.

Background

Known hinges for doors of vertical refrigerators generally consist of a bracket fixed to the frame or to the body of the refrigerator, known hinges and having vertical axis holes for vertical hinge pins engaged in respective cylindrical seats, the vertical hinge pins having a vertical axis, fixed to the door or to the refrigerator door.

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

Another drawback of these known hinges consists in the fact that they do not brake or in any way damp the closing and opening rotation of the door, mainly in the second case, with the risk of damaging the door by objects adjacent to or supported by the door.

The prior art documents of EP 1764557 a2, DE 202006010482U 1, DE 102009022737 a1, WO 2006/111236 a1 and WO 2011/045148 a1 disclose a hinge for electric appliances and furnishings having a terminal speed damping for closing or opening.

Disclosure of Invention

The aim of the invention is to propose a hinge device for refrigerators and furniture, which has a vertical hinge axis and is at the same time very compact, so that it can also be installed in current refrigerators, household appliances and furnishings and can damp the speed of the end closing stroke of the door.

Another object is to propose a configurable hinge device for damping the terminal opening speed of a door.

Another object is to provide a device adapted to apply a spring force to the door for closing and/or opening or metastable positioning in angular sectors or predetermined angular positions.

Another object is to propose a device that can brake the door uniformly or according to the door angle.

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

Another object is to propose a device that can be installed in installations and furnishings having one or more doors or doors with vertical axis of rotation, such as refrigerators and some vertical or horizontal furnishings, such as ovens, horizontal refrigerators and furniture with flap doors.

The present invention incorporates components and elements that simultaneously perform multiple operational functions, synergistically contributing to reduced overall size and cost.

Drawings

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

fig. 1 shows two example axonometric views of a hinge device for appliances and furniture, with attenuation of the closing speed, associated with the upper parts of two doors of a refrigerator appliance, of the object of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of a detail of FIG. 1, wherein one of the two devices is shown;

FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the device of FIG. 2 from a different perspective, with some details removed to better highlight other details;

FIG. 4 shows an isometric and exploded view of the device of FIG. 2;

5-7 show top orthogonal views associated with a portion of a door of the device of FIG. 2 with the terminal end closed, or with no door gasket, at intermediate opening or about 45, and at full opening or about 135;

8-11 show top orthogonal views associated with a portion of the gate of the device of FIG. 2 with the terminal closed, initially open or at about 10, more open or at about 30, and fully open or at about 135, with some details removed to better highlight other details;

FIGS. 12 and 13 show enlarged and cross-sectional details of FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively;

fig. 14-17 show isometric views associated with a portion of a door of the device of fig. 2, with some details removed to better highlight other details, under the same or similar conditions of fig. 8-11.

Detailed Description

Best mode for carrying out the invention

With reference to fig. 1-17, numeral 1 indicates an object of the invention (also called hinge device or simply device, for the sake of brevity), a hinge device for appliances and furnishings having a closing speed attenuation and having a predetermined fixed angular sector for the elastic opening and/or closing of refrigerators, other household appliances and generally for appliances and furnishings having one or more flaps or doors a, for example having a vertical or horizontal rotation axis; the term "refrigerator" will also be used to refer broadly to other household appliances, equipment and furnishings, such as electric, gas and microwave ovens, dishwashers, kitchen cabinets, fixtures within a house, furnishings, and the like.

The hinge device 1 comprises, in the operating condition assembled to a refrigerator or appliance, a first element 3, the first element 3 consisting of a metal frame, the first element 3 being for example in the form of a box or a shaped plate, fixed to the body F of the appliance, and a second element 5 fixed to or formed in the door D of said appliance, wherein these first and

second elements

3, 5 are mutually connected by a hinge pivot 7 for rotating the door between an open condition a and a closed condition C about the longitudinal geometric axis of said hinge pivot 7.

The second element 5 consists of a small metal plate fixed to the upper, lower or lateral edge of the respective door D, for example by means of a hinge pivot 7 and/or a second rotation pin 19, which will be better defined hereinafter, and fixed or screwed to the door D; alternatively or additionally, this small metal plate may be fixed to the door by glue or resin. Alternatively, the second element 5 may be integrated or integrated into the door D or the flap.

Said device 1 comprises a crank means 11 of approximately disc-shaped form and is connected to the frame of the first element 3 by one of its first rotation pins 13, almost at the centre of the crank means 11 itself. The first rotation pin 13 is parallel to the hinge pivot 7 and perpendicular to the geometrical plane of the crank means 11.

The crank device 11 may for example be made of bent and sheared sheet metal.

The device 1 also comprises a linkage 17, for example made of bent and sheared sheet material and having an approximately "S" -shaped form, the linkage 17 having a terminal end rotatably connected to the second element 5 by said second rotation pin 19, said second rotation pin 19 being parallel to the hinge pivot 7 and spaced apart from the hinge pivot 7.

The link means 17 are also rotatably connected to the crank means 11 by a third rotation pin 21 parallel to the first rotation pin 13 and spaced from the first rotation pin 13.

These figures show the device configured to damp the speed of the terminal rotation section for closing the door or flap, and the third rotation pin 21 is located on the same side of the hinge pivot 7 with respect to the first rotation pin 13.

The part of the link means 17 carrying the third rotation pin 21 has an arm means 27, which arm means 27 is constituted, for example, by an elongation or projection of the link means 17 itself, the arm means 27 projecting relative to the third rotation pin 21 in the direction opposite to the second rotation pin 19 or at least substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the link means 17. For example, arm arrangement 27 may be substantially aligned with a geometric line connecting second rotation pin 19 to third rotation pin 21.

The arm device 27 is assigned to move in one of its closing directions at the terminal part of the closing rotation of the door D. For example, the closing direction of such an arm device 27 may be substantially tangential to the crank device 11 and/or closed and/or almost closed parallel to the door or flap D.

The device 1 comprises damper means 31 of the linear type housed in respective housing means 33 and opposite the second rotation pin 19 with respect to the first rotation pin 13 and oriented substantially parallel to said closing direction of the arm means 27, during which movement the arm means 27 come into abutment against the movable member 37 of the damper means 31, thus attenuating the translation of the link means 17 and the rotation of the terminal portion in order to close the door.

In particular, the arm means 27 may be oriented so that during the terminal part of the closing rotation of the door D, the longitudinal extension of the arm means 27 is substantially perpendicular to the direction of its own closing movement or to the longitudinal axis of the damper means 31, or such extension is slightly inclined towards the damper means 31, and during this part of the rotation, the movement of the arm means 27 has a component corresponding to the compression direction of the damper means 31.

The housing means 33 has a hollow housing 57 for the damper means 31, the hollow housing 57 being partly closable by a closing means 51, the closing means 51 preventing the damper means 31 from coming out of the hollow housing 57, and the closing means 51 being provided with a window for the free passage of the arm means 27.

The linear damper device 31 may be, for example, of the type having a body with an internally provided chamber with a fluid and in which a piston is equipped with a rod projecting outwards from the body, and in which elastic means push the rod towards the outside of the chamber and the fluid acts on the piston with viscous friction; the movable member 37 of the damper device 31 may be present, for example, in the outer head of the rod or, as shown, in the body of the damper device.

Alternatively and in order to damp the terminal part of the door opening rotation, the invention provides, for example, that the third rotation pin 21 is connected to the half of the crank means 11 opposite the hinge pivot 7 with respect to the first rotation pin 13, that the damper means 31 is on the same side of the hinge pivot 7 with respect to the first rotation pin 13, and that the arm means 27 is bent to connect with the movable part of the damper means 31 to damp the terminal part of the door opening rotation, wherein such opening and closing damping function can also be realized with other equivalent arrangements of the device elements.

The device 1 comprises elastic means 15, the elastic means 15 consisting for example of a helical spring operating in an elongated manner, connected to the first element 3 and acting on the crank means 11 to transmit to the latter a respective elastic force acting in the closing and/or opening of the door D. The elastic means 15 may act directly on the crank means 11, for example by means of a connecting pin, but preferably and in order to adjust the action of the elastic force on the door, the elastic means 15 act on the crank means 11 by means of the connection of the elastic means 15 to one of the opposite ends connected to the end of the first element 3, this connection being at one end of a rocker arm 45, the rocker arm 45 being centrally connected to the first element 3 by means of a respective fulcrum pin 47 parallel to the hinge pivot 7, and it having at the opposite end a rolling means 49, for example consisting of an idle wheel, the rolling means 49 having an axis of rotation parallel to the hinge pivot 7 and rolling on a shaped peripheral cam 43 of the crank means 11, as shown in the figures. Thus, the peripheral cam 43 of the crank means 11 can be shaped so that the rolling means transmit a spring force directed to close, open or to achieve a metastable position of the door.

Preferably, and as shown, the peripheral cam 43 of the crank means 11 has a corresponding shape, for example with a recess, at the location of at least one rolling means 49 in the terminal portion for opening and closing said edge, to apply to the crank means 11 a force for opening or closing the door D, respectively.

The elastic means 15 are connected to the first element 3 by fixing one of its terminal ends opposite to the one connected to the rocker arm to lever means 35, the lever means 35 being rotatably connected to the first element 3 by respective fulcrum pins 38 parallel to the hinge pivot 7.

The housing means 33 of the damper means 31 are fixed to the lever means 35 and the crank means 11 have an edge 39, the edge 39 having a hem or added rim, the edge 39 being substantially arc-shaped and intended to slide with friction on a friction surface 41 of the housing means 33. Wherein the elastic means 15 transmit an elastic force to the lever means 35 which keeps said friction surface 41 against said edge 39. Preferably, the housing means 33 is made of a synthetic material, plastic, simple or reinforced resin or alloy, for example zamak (zamak), and its friction surface 41 may be treated or coated with a friction material in order to determine the friction coefficient according to the specific use requirements of the device.

The static and dynamic clutching between the edge 39 of the added rim and the friction surface 41 brakes the door and, if appropriate, stabilizes the position of the door at any angular position. The invention provides that the folded edge 39 can be formed to adjust the braking effect according to the opening angle of the door or flap.

As can be clearly seen in fig. 4, the crank device 11 is constituted by two almost equal, parallel and spaced-apart disc-shaped bodies with the link device 17 interposed between them; this arrangement allows to increase the contact and friction surface between the double edge 39 and the friction surface 41 and at the same time avoid excessive warping of the linkage 17.

Claims

1. A hinge device for electric home appliances and furnishings having a terminal speed damping of closing or opening and having predetermined angular sectors of elastic opening and/or closing; said hinge device (1), in an operating condition assembled to an electric household appliance, comprises a first element (3) fixed to the body (F) of the appliance and a door (D) fixed to the appliance or a second element (5) obtained in the door (D), in which door (D) the first element (3) and the second element (5) are mutually connected by a hinge pivot (7) for rotating the door between an open condition (a) and a closed condition (C) about the longitudinal geometric axis of the hinge pivot (7); said device (1) comprises crank means (11) rotatably connected to said first element (3) by means of a first rotation pin (13) almost centered parallel to said hinge pivot (7), and comprises link means (17) having a rotatable terminal end connected to said second element (5) by means of a second rotation pin (19) parallel to said hinge pivot (7) and spaced apart from said hinge pivot (7); said link means (17) being further rotatably connected to said crank means (11) by a third rotation pin (21) parallel to said first rotation pin (13) and spaced apart from said first rotation pin (13); the hinge device (1) being characterized in that the portion of the link means (17) carrying the third rotation pin (21) has arm means (27), said arm means (27) projecting in opposite directions from said second rotation pin (19), or at least substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of said linkage (17) and designed to move in a closing direction at least at a terminal part of the closing rotation of said door (D), and it comprises damping means (31) of the linear type, said damping means (31) being housed in respective housing means (33) and being oriented substantially parallel to the closing direction of said arm means (27), during said movement, said arm means (27) is matched to a movable member (37) of said damping means (31), thereby attenuating the translation of the linkage (17) and the rotation of the terminal closing portion of the door.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises elastic means (15) connected to said first element (3) and acting on said crank means (11) to transmit to said crank means (11) a respective elastic force acting upon the closing and/or opening of the door (D).

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said elastic means (15) are connected to said first element (3) by fixing the terminal ends of said elastic means (15) to lever means (35), said lever means (35) being rotatably connected to said first element (3) by respective fulcrum pins (38) parallel to said hinge pivot (7).

4. A device according to claim 3, characterised in that the housing means (33) of the damping means (31) are fixed to the lever means (35) and in that the crank means (11) have a substantially arc-shaped edge (39), said edge (39) being designed to slide by friction on a friction surface (41) of the housing means (33), wherein the elastic means (15) transmit an elastic force to the lever means (35), said elastic force keeping the friction surface (41) against the edge (39).

5. A device according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that said elastic means (15) act on said crank means (11) by connecting one terminal end of said elastic means (15) to one terminal end of a rocker arm (45), said rocker arm (45) being centrally connected to said first element (3) by a respective fulcrum pin (47) parallel to said hinge pivot (7), and said rocker arm (45) having, at the opposite terminal end, rolling means (49), said rolling means (49) having an axis of rotation parallel to said hinge pivot (7), and said rolling means (49) rolling on a shaped peripheral cam (43) of said crank means (11).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the peripheral cam (43) of the crank means (11) has at least one shape to transmit the elastic force of the elastic means (15) at the position of the rolling means (49) in at least one of the opening and closing terminal portions of said edge, giving the crank means (11) a force for opening or closing the door (D), respectively.

7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, at least during the terminal part of the closing rotation of the door (D), the longitudinal extension of the arm means (27) is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the closing movement of the damping means (31) or to the longitudinal axis of the damping means (31), or such extension is slightly inclined towards the damping means (31), and during this part of the rotation, the movement of the arm means (27) has a component according to the compression direction of the damping means (31).

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said linear damper means (31) is of the type having a body with an internally provided chamber with a fluid and in that a piston slides with a rod projecting outwards from said body and elastic means push said rod towards the outside of said chamber and said fluid acts on said piston with viscous friction.

9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said housing means (33) has a hollow housing (57) for said damper means (31) and is partially closed by closing means (51) preventing said damper means (31) from coming out of said hollow housing (57) and is provided with a window for the free passage of said arm means (27).

10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said crank means (11) consist of two almost equal, parallel and spaced-apart disc-shaped bodies, with said connecting rod means (17) placed between them.