EP3292359B1

EP3292359B1 - Door hinge assembly for a household appliance

Info

Publication number: EP3292359B1
Application number: EP15720995.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Semih Erol; Resul Yavuz; Ercan Akyuz; Ibrahim Yilmaz Evren; Gokhan Ozseker
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2015-05-06
Filing date: 2015-05-06
Publication date: 2021-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2035-05-06
Also published as: WO2016177418A1; EP3292359A1; PL3292359T3

Description

The present invention relates to a household appliance, in particular to a refrigerator. The present invention more particularly relates to the door hinge assembly of a household appliance.
Household appliances such as domestic refrigerators are commonly known in the art. Domestic refrigerators are generally installed in the kitchen next to a cabinet and/or beside the wall. Thus, there is a problem that the door of the refrigerator may interfere with the wall and/or the cabinet drawers. In case of interference, the door can easily hit the wall or the cabinet and cause damages. Therefore, the household appliance manufacturers generally provide the doors with adjustable hinge assemblies whereby the maximum opening angle of the door can be adjusted over a specified range. Thereby, the users can reduce the maximum opening angle, for instance, to 90° so as to prevent interference. DE 10 2010 045 187 A1 discloses a prior art door hinge assembly which can be adjusted in the range of 80° to 130°. This prior art door hinge assembly comprises multiple joined hinges which have a complicated structure. KR 2014 0022591 A discloses a door hinge assembly comprising a hinge to pivotably support the door and an adjustment mechanism for selectively fixing an eccentric stop at one of a plurality of angular positions. WO 2015/028310A1 discloses a domestic appliance with a door comprising a door hinge mechanism to set the maximum opening angle of the door. US 2010/0218342 A2 discloses a hinge assembly for adjusting the height of a pivoting door. US 2010/251520 A1 discloses a loose-pin hinge and hinge pin with integrated stop for limiting the pivoting of a door to a maximum pivoting angle.
A common problem with the prior art adjustable door hinge assemblies is that the production and the assemblage thereof incurs considerably high costs both in labor and material.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a hinge assembly for use in a household appliance, in particular a refrigerator which solves the aforementioned problems of the prior art in a cost effective way and which has an uncomplicated structure and enables an improved production, assemblage and a broad range of adjustment.
This objective has been achieved by the hinge assembly as defined in claim 1 and the household appliance as defined in claim 8. Further achievements have been attained by the subject-matters respectively defined in the dependent claims.
The household appliance of the present invention comprises an eccentric abutment which is fixed to the door. The eccentric abutment of the door cooperates with the hinge assembly of the present invention.
The hinge assembly of the present invention comprises an eccentric stop which is configured to directly contact the eccentric abutment so as to block pivotal movement of the door at the corresponding angular position and an adjustment mechanism which is configured to selectively allow fixing of the eccentric stop to one of a plurality of angular positions with respect to the pivotal axis of the hinge.
A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the hinge assembly has an uncomplicated structure which enables a broad adjustment range by way of providing for a plurality of angular positions around the pivotal axis at which the eccentric stop can be selectively fixed via the adjustment mechanism. Thereby, a user can obtain more freedom when installing the household appliance and can adjust the hinge assembly to the desired maximum opening angle. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the hinge assembly can be easily manufactured and assembled with the door. Thereby, the overall costs can be reduced. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the users can increase or decrease the maximum opening angle of the door without the need of a technical qualified service person. Thereby, the user satisfaction can be improved and the costs which are incurred by the technical service can be reduced.
According to the present invention, the adjustment mechanism can be provided with any discretely or continuously adjustable fixing mechanism through which the eccentric stop can be selectively fixed to a desired angular position. According to the present invention, the adjustment mechanism comprises a ratchet mechanism which is linked to the eccentric stop.
In general, the users install their household appliances in various different ways. For instance, a user may desire to adjust the maximum opening angle of the door to 180° or more so as not to block the useful floor space which surrounds the household appliance. Another user may desire to adjust the maximum opening angle to 90° or less so as to prevent interference with the immediately adjacent objects. Therefore, in another embodiment, the angular positions at which the eccentric stop can be fixed are configured to vary approximately between 70° and 230°. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as it becomes possible to meet the requirements of nearly all users. Of course a narrower or a broader range also falls within the scope of the present invention.
According to the invention, the eccentric stop is disposed onto a rotatable support which can be selectively fixed to the angular positions through a ratchet mechanism that can be manually actuated. Thereby, the user can easily and quickly adjust the maximum opening angle by actuating the ratchet mechanism. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the risk of slipping or loosening of the rotatable support from its adjusted angular position has been eliminated or reduced as much as possible by virtue of the ratchet mechanism. Thereby, the door can be more reliably opened up to the adjusted maximum opening angle. Also the need for an auxiliary securing means such that prevents slipping or loosening of the rotatable support has been obviated and the production costs have been further reduced.
According to the invention, the ratchet has two meshing face gears which mesh about the pivotal axis of the door. One of the face gears is fixed with respect to the appliance body whereas the other face gear is fixed to the rotatable support. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the teeth of the face gears firmly engage with each other and securely prevent opening of the door beyond the adjusted maximum angle.
In another embodiment, the door and the hinge are connected via a pivoting pin onto which the ratchet is centered. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the number of parts can be further reduced and the production and assembly costs can be further saved.
In another embodiment, each tooth of the face gears has a sloping face and a vertical face. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the teeth can be rendered more robust and less vulnerable to deformations due to their particular shape.
In another embodiment, the adjustment mechanism is adapted to be actuated by a hand tool, such as a wrench. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the user can use a hand tool for the adjustment work. In another embodiment, the rotatable support can be directly gripped by the hand tool, i.e., the wrench for the adjustment work. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the user can simply actuate the ratchet by way of rotating the support.
In another embodiment, a stowage is formed into the appliance for storing the aforementioned hand tool. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the user can immediately take the hand tool out of the stowage for the adjustment work. In another embodiment the stowage is formed preferably into the door, more preferably into the underside of the door where it is easily accessible to the user but not noticeable. Thereby, the hand tool can be easily taken out of the stowage without opening the door. Alternatively, the stowage can be disposed into any suitable location of the appliance.
In another embodiment, the hinge assembly has letters, numbers or other symbols which inform the user on the angular positions available for the adjustment. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the symbols facilitate the adjustment work.
In another embodiment, the eccentric abutment is retractably pushed into the path of the eccentric stop by a thrusting mechanism. This embodiment is particularly advantageous as the user is enabled to push the eccentric abutment upwards or sidewards and give the eccentric stop a clearance when revolving the same in the closing direction past the eccentric abutment during the adjustment work. According to the present invention, the aforementioned clearance can be obtained in various alternative ways. For instance, the door can be supported by the hinge assemblies through a clearance in the axial direction such that the user can slightly lift the door, including the eccentric abutment upwardly so as to give the eccentric stop a clearance. Alternatively, the aforementioned thrusting mechanism can be similarly applied to the eccentric stop itself.
Additional advantageous effects of the hinge assembly and the household appliance of the present invention will become more apparent with the detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 - is a schematic perspective view of a household appliance, i.e., a refrigerator which has a hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, prior to adjusting the maximum opening angle of the door;
Figure 2 - is a schematic perspective view of the household appliance of Fig. 1, after having adjusted the maximum opening angle of the door;
Figure 3 - is a schematic top view of the household appliance of Fig. 1;
Figure 4 - is a schematic top view of the household appliance of Fig. 2;
Figure 5 - is a schematic partial perspective view of the household appliance of Fig. 2, wherein the pivotal moment of the eccentric abutment of the door is blocked by the eccentric stop of the hinge assembly at the accordingly adjusted maximum opening angle;
Figure 6 - is a schematic top view of the household appliance of Fig. 2, while adjusting the maximum opening angle of the door, wherein the door has been omitted for the illustrative purposes;
Figure 7 - is a schematic partial top view of the household appliance of Fig. 2, wherein the maximum opening angle of the door has been comparatively reduced by rotating the eccentric stop in the closing direction A of the door;
Figure 8 - is a schematic partial top view of the household appliance of Fig. 2, wherein the maximum opening angle of the door has been comparatively increased by rotating the eccentric stop in the opening direction A' of the door;
Figure 9 - is a schematic partial front view of the household appliance of Fig. 7;
Figure 10 - is a schematic partial front view of the household appliance of Fig. 8;
Figure 11 - is a schematic partial front view of the household appliance of Fig. 1, wherein the door has been omitted;
Figure 12 - is a schematic enlarged view of the detail B of Fig. 11;
Figure 13 - is a schematic sectional view of the detail B of Fig. 12, taken along the line C-C;
Figure 14 - is a schematic partially exploded view of the household appliance of Fig. 11;
Figure 15 - is a schematic enlarged view of the detail D of Fig. 14;
Figure 16 - is a schematic perspective view of the hinge which has a fixed toothed face gear according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 17 - is a schematic front view of the hinge of Fig. 16;
Figure 18 - is a schematic perspective view of the rotatable support which has an integral toothed face gear according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 19 - is a schematic front view of the rotatable support of Fig. 18;
Figure 20 - is a schematic perspective view of the door which has a stowage for a hand tool, i.e., a wrench, according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the hand tool has been removed from the stowage;
Figure 21 - is a schematic bottom view of the door of Fig. 20, wherein the hand tool has been replaced into the stowage.

The reference signs appearing on the drawings relate to the following technical features.

1. Hinge assembly
2. Household appliance
3. Body
4. Door
5. Abutment
6. Hinge
7. Stop
8. Adjustment mechanism
9. Support
10. Ratchet
11. Tool (wrench)
12. Face gear
13. Face gear 14. Tooth
14a. Face
14b. Face
15. Tooth
15a. Face
15b. Face
16. Hole
17. Aperture
18. Pin
18a. End
18b. End
19. Fixing means
20. Marking
21. Stowage
22. Cabinet
23. Wall

The hinge assembly (1) is suitable for use in a household appliance (2) which comprises a main body (3) and a door (4).
The hinge assembly (1) comprises a hinge (6) which is configured to pivotably support the door (4) about the pivotal axis (z).
The household appliance (2) of the present invention comprises the eccentric abutment (5) which is fixed to the door (4). The eccentric abutment (5) is configured to cooperate with the hinge assembly (1) of the present invention.
The hinge assembly (1) of the present invention further comprises an eccentric stop (7) which is configured to directly contact the eccentric abutment (5) so as to block pivotal movement of the door (4) at the corresponding angular position and an adjustment mechanism (8) which is configured to selectively allow fixing of the eccentric stop (7) to one of a plurality of angular positions with respect to the pivotal axis (z) of the hinge (6).
The household appliance (2) of the present invention comprises at least one hinge assembly (1).
According to the invention, the hinge assembly (1) further comprises a rotatable support (9) which holds the eccentric stop (7). The adjustment mechanism (8) comprises a ratchet (10) which is linked to the rotatable support (9). The rotatable support (9) can be manually rotated in the closing direction (A) of the door (4) so as to adjust the angular position of the eccentric stop (7).
In another embodiment, the rotatable support (9) has a shape which is adapted to be gripped by a hand tool (11), in particular a wrench (11).
According to the invention, the ratchet (10) comprises a fixed toothed face gear (12) and the rotatable support (9) comprises an integral toothed face gear (13) which is configured to coaxially mesh with the fixed toothed face gear (12) about the pivotal axis (z) such that the teeth (14) of the support (9) ride over the teeth (15) of the fixed gear (12) in the closing direction (A) of the door (4) and engage with the teeth (15) of the fixed gear (12) in the opening direction (A') of the door (4). The teeth (14, 15) are located in correspondence to the angular positions of the eccentric stop (7).
In another embodiment, the door (4) has a pivoting hole (16) coaxial with the pivotal axis (z). In this embodiment, the fixed toothed face gear (13) is fixed to the hinge (6). In addition, the fixed gear (13) has a pivoting aperture (17) coaxial with the pivotal axis (z). In this embodiment, the rotatable support (9) has a pivoting pin (18) with two opposing ends (18a, 18b). The lower end (18a) is configured to engage with the pivoting aperture (17) of the fixed gear (13). The upper end (18b) is configured to engage with the pivoting hole (16) of the door (4).
In another embodiment, each tooth (15) of the fixed gear (13) has a vertical forward face (15a) and a sloping rearward face (15b) along the closing direction (A) of the door (4). And each tooth (14) of the rotatable support (9) has a sloping forward face (14a) and a vertical rearward face (14b) along the closing direction (A) of the door (4).
In another embodiment, the hinge assembly (1) further comprises a fixing means (19) for fixing the hinge (6) to the main body (3) of the household appliance (2).
In another embodiment, the fixing means (19) is further adapted to fix the hinge (6) to the underside of the main body (3) of the household appliance (2).
In another embodiment, the adjustment mechanism (8) comprises markings (20) which are indicative of the angular positions.
In another embodiment, the household appliance (1) further comprises a stowage (21) for receiving the hand tool (11), in particular the wrench (11) for actuating the adjustment mechanism (8) so as to fix the eccentric stop (7) to one of a plurality of angular positions.
In another embodiment, the stowage (21) is disposed into the door (4).
In another embodiment, that the eccentric abutment (5) is disposed onto the underside of the pivotable door (4).
In another embodiment, the household appliance (1) further comprises a thrusting mechanism which retractably pushes the eccentric abutment (5) into the path of the eccentric stop (7).
In the subsequent description, the adjustment of the hinge assembly (1) will be briefly explained by way of example.
First the user takes the hand tool (11), i.e., the wrench out of the stowage (21) in the door (4). This can be done without opening the door (4). Then, the user engages the wrench (11) with the rotatable support (9) and rotates the same in the closing direction (A) of the door (4) to a desired angular position. If necessary, the user may manually actuate the thrust mechanism in case of increasing the maximum opening angle and revolve the eccentric stop past the eccentric abutment (5). This can be done without opening the door (4). After the adjustment work, the user may subsequently and carefully open the door (4) so as to verify whether the door interferes with the wall (23) or any cabinet (22).
Although the drawings show a hinge assembly (1) for right swinging of the door (4), the hinge assembly (1) may also be provided for left swinging of the door (4).
A major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the hinge assembly (1) has an uncomplicated structure which enables a broad adjustment range by way of providing for a plurality of angular positions around the pivotal axis (z) at which the eccentric stop (9) can be selectively fixed via the adjustment mechanism (8). Thereby, the user can obtain more freedom when installing the household appliance (2) and can adjust the hinge assembly (1) to the desired maximum opening angle. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the hinge assembly (1) can be easily manufactured and assembled with the door (4). Thereby, the overall costs can be reduced. Another major advantageous effect of the present invention is that the user can increase or decrease the maximum opening angle without the need of a technical qualified service person. Thereby, the user satisfaction can be improved and the service costs which are incurred by the technical service can be eliminated or reduced as much as possible.

Claims

A hinge assembly (1) for use in a household appliance (2) comprising a main body (3), a door (4) and an eccentric abutment (5) which is fixed to the door (4), the hinge assembly (1) comprising a hinge (6) which is configured to pivotably support the door (4) about the pivotal axis (z), an eccentric stop (7) which is configured to directly contact the eccentric abutment (5) so as to block pivotal movement of the door (4) at the corresponding angular position, an adjustment mechanism (8) which is configured to selectively allow fixing of the eccentric stop (7) to one of a plurality of angular positions with respect to the pivotal axis (z) of the hinge (6), and a rotatable support (9) which holds the eccentric stop (7), wherein the support (9) can be manually rotated in the closing direction (A) of the door (4) so as to adjust the angular position of the eccentric stop (7), characterized in that the adjustment mechanism (8) further comprises a ratchet (10) which is linked to the rotatable support (9), wherein the ratchet (10) comprises one fixed toothed face gear (12) and the rotatable support (9) comprises an integral toothed face gear (13) which is configured to coaxially mesh with the fixed toothed face gear (12) about the pivotal axis (z) such that the teeth (14) of the support (9) ride over the teeth (15) of the fixed gear (12) in the closing direction (A) of the door (4) and engage with the teeth (15) of the fixed gear (12) in the opening direction (A') of the door (4), wherein the teeth (14,15) are located in correspondence to the plurality of angular positions of the eccentric stop (7).
The hinge assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotatable support (9) has a shape which is adapted to be gripped by a hand tool (11).
The hinge assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the door (4) has a pivoting hole (16) coaxial with the pivotal axis (z),characterized in that the fixed toothed face gear (13) is fixed to the hinge (6), wherein the fixed gear (13) has a pivoting aperture (17) coaxial with the pivotal axis (z) and the rotatable support (9) has a pivoting pin (18) with two opposing ends (18a, 18b), wherein the lower end (18a) is configured to engage with the pivoting aperture (17) of the fixed gear (13) and the upper end (18b) is configured to engage with the pivoting hole (16) of the door (4).
The hinge assembly (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that each tooth (15) of the fixed gear (13) has a vertical forward face (15a) and a sloping rearward face (15b) along the closing direction (A) of the door (4) and each tooth (14) of the rotatable support (9) has a sloping forward face (14a) and a vertical rearward face (14b) along the closing direction (A) of the door (4).
The hinge assembly (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that a fixing means (19) for fixing the hinge (6) to the main body (3) of the household appliance (2).
The hinge assembly (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixing means (19) is further adapted to fix the hinge (6) to the underside of the main body (3) of the household appliance (2).
The hinge assembly (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the adjustment mechanism (8) comprises markings (20) which are indicative of the angular positions respectively.
A household appliance (2) comprising a main body (3) and a door (4) and characterized in that an eccentric abutment (5) which is fixed to the door (4) and the hinge assembly (1) as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7.
The household appliance (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that a stowage (21) for receiving a hand tool (11), in particular a wrench (11) for actuating the adjustment mechanism (8) so as to fix the eccentric stop (7) to one of a plurality of angular positions.
The household appliance (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the stowage (21) is disposed into the door (4).
The household appliance (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the eccentric abutment (5) is disposed onto the underside of the pivotable door (4).
The household appliance (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the door (4) comprises pivoting hole (16) coaxial with the pivotal axis (z), wherein the pivoting hole (16) is adapted to engage with the pivoting pin (18) of the hinge assembly (1).
The household appliance (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that a thrusting mechanism which is configured to retractably push the eccentric abutment (5) into the path of the eccentric stop (7).