ES2886847T3 - multifunctional hinge device - Google Patents

Abstract

Multifunctional hinge device having a first connection means (3) assigned to be fixed to a structure or a framework of an appliance; and a second connection means (5), which is rotatable around its own hinge hub means (7), and assigned to be fixed to a door or hatch of the appliance to allow opening and closing movements between closing states and opening ends of said door; in an operating state, the axis of rotation of said hub means (7) is horizontal, and the plane of the door in the closed state is vertical or nearly vertical; at least said device (1) comprising: - a rocker means (10) which is constrained, by means of a first pivot means (11) parallel to the hub means (7), to the first connecting means (3), to rotate freely about the axis of the first pivot means (11) wherein said rocker means (10) carries a second pivot means (13) spaced from and parallel to the first pivot means (11); - a connecting rod means (14) having an end which is attached to the rocker arm means (10) by means of the second pivot means (13), to rotate freely about the axis of said second pivot means, and which has the end opposite that it is attached to the second connection means (5) by means of a third pivot means (15), parallel to the hub means (7), to rotate freely about the axis of said third pivot means (15); - a sliding means (40) that is restricted to the first connection means (3) by guide means (41, 42) for the sliding of the sliding means (40) inside and outside the apparatus and that carries the means ( 7) bushing at an outer end thereof (40); said sliding means (40) being attached to the rocker means (10) whose rotation towards the closed state causes translation of the sliding means (40) towards the internal state; - an elastic means (17) having one end that is attached to the first connecting means (3) and the other end that is attached to the sliding means (40); in which, in the door balancing operating states of the device 1, said elastic means (17) acts on the sliding means (40) with an elastic force applied in the same direction as the closing direction; said device (1) being characterized in that one of the ends of the elastic means (17) is connected to the sliding means (40) by means of a flexible means (12) coupled with a return pulley (16); the other end of the elastic means (17) is fixed or hooked to a swing arm means (32) carrying a fourth pivot means (30) for rotary connection with one end of a lever means (50), and whose opposite end is rotatably connected to the connecting means (3) by a fifth pivot means (52) parallel to the hub means (7).

Description

DESCRIPTION

multifunctional hinge device

technical field

The present invention belongs to the field of hinges for doors and hatches of appliances and household appliances, and relates to a multifunctional hinge device particularly suitable for ovens, dishwashers and appliances equipped with doors having lower horizontal hinge axes.

prior art

Hinge devices are known that have horizontal axes that can balance the weights of the doors to which they are attached; o slow down the final parts of their closing or opening strokes; o apply a static closing force to improve the sealing of the gaskets; or provide metastable intermediate positions; or slow down the doors at the end of their closing strokes.

A drawback of such known hinge devices is that they can provide one or at most two or three of the mentioned functionalities.

Another drawback is that known hinge devices need to be completely redesigned in order to change the type or scope of functionalities thereof.

An additional drawback is that almost all modulation or change of functional parameters of known hinge devices requires almost complete redesign of the same. Documents EP 0702 122 A1 and WO 2017/021500 A1 disclose a hinge device having the features of the preamble of claim 1 hereof.

Disclosure of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional hinge device that can be easily configured to provide door weight balancing along with any combination of the following functionalities: moving the axis of rotation out of the appliance during opening of the appliance , slow down the final parts of the closing and/or opening strokes, stabilize the extreme and/or intermediate opening positions of the door, provide a “multi-balancing” capability, apply a static closing force to improve the sealing of the gaskets sealing, provide metastable intermediate positions, and slow down the door at least in the final part of the closing stroke.

Another object is to provide a multifunctional hinge device, in which the substitution or assembly of some parts allows the functional parameters thereof to be modified.

A further object is to provide a hinge device that is compact and reliable.

Brief description of the drawings

The characteristics of the invention are highlighted below, with specific reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the multifunctional hinge device object of the present invention, in a closed state;

Figures 2 and 3 show the device of Figure 1 in a view from above and in a view from below, respectively;

Figures 4 and 5 show the device of Figure 1 in a front view and in a rear view, respectively; figure 6 shows an enlarged view of a part of figure 1;

- figures 7-9 show an opening sequence of the device of figure 1;

- figures 10-12 show the opening sequence of the device of figure 1, seen from the opposite side to that of figure 1;

- figures 13-15 show the same sequence as figures 10-12, in which some parts have been omitted to better highlight other parts;

- figures 16 and 17 show the same part of figure 1, in the partial and total opening states, respectively;

Figures 18 and 19 show exploded front and axonometric views, respectively, of the device of Figure 1, in a closed state;

Figures 20 and 21 show frontal and axonometric exploded views, respectively, of the device of Figure 1, in an extreme open state.

Best mode for carrying out the invention

With reference to figures 1-21, the number 1 indicates the multifunctional hinge device object of the present invention, which comprises a first connection means 3, which has an approximately rectangular shape or the shape of a quadrilateral, and which has a mainly flat development, intended to be attached to a structure S or framework of an appliance, such as an oven; and a second connection means 5, roughly in the form of an elongated rectangle, which is rotatable around its own pin-type hinge hub means 7, and assigned to be fixed to a door or hatch of the appliance to allow opening movements and closing around the axis of the device 1, that is, of the respective hub means 7, between the extreme closing and opening states of said door.

In an operating state, the axis of rotation of said hub means 7 is horizontal and proximal to the bottom of the vertical or nearly vertical mouth of the apparatus, and the plane of the door in the closed state is vertical or nearly vertical. Alternatively, the axis of rotation of the hub means 7 can also be horizontal and at the top, or vertical and lateral.

Device 1 comprises at least:

- a rocker means 10 whose central part is restricted to the first connecting means 3 by means of a first pivot means 11 parallel to the hub means 7, to rotate freely about the axis of the first pivot means 11 in which a first protruding part said rocker means 10 carries a second pivot means 13 spaced from the first pivot means 11 and parallel thereto;

- an elongated connecting rod means 14, having one end that is attached to the rocker arm means 10 by the second pivot means 13 to rotate freely about the axis of said second pivot means, and having the opposite end attached to the second pivot means connecting 5 by means of a third pivot means 15, parallel to and spaced from hub means 7, to rotate freely about the axis of said third pivot means 15;

- a sliding means 40 that is restricted to the first connection means 3 through guide means 41, 42 for the sliding of the sliding means 40 towards the inside and outside of the apparatus, and which carries the hub means 7 in a outer end thereof; said sliding means 40 being connected to rocker means 10, whereby the rotation of the latter towards the closed state causes a translation of the sliding means 40 towards the internal state, and vice versa;

- an elastic means 17 having one end that is attached to the first connecting means 3 and the other end that is attached to the sliding means 40;

in which in the door balancing operating states of the device 1, said elastic means 17 acts on the sliding means 40 with an elastic force applied in the same direction as the closing direction.

For example, each of the guide means 41, 42 comprises a straight slot obtained in the first connection means 3, parallel to the internal and external directions, whereby in the closed states said slots are perpendicular to the geometric plane defined by the door or hatch; each slot is slidingly engaged by one or two guide pins fixed to the sliding means 40 .

According to the invention, the connection of the slider means 40 to the rocker means 10 is preferably of a rack and pinion type; more specifically, the slider means 40 comprises a rack means 44 coupled with a pinion means 45 which is coaxial with the first pivot means 11 and is constrained to the rocker means 10 to rotate integrally with the latter about the axis of the pivot. first half 11 pivot.

Through the connecting rod means 14, the opening movement of the door or hatch causes a rotation of the rocker means 10 and of the pinion means 45, thus causing the translation of the sliding means 40 and of the hub means 7 towards the outside of the apparatus. .

Preferably, the elastic means 17 is in the form of a helical spring provided with end hooks and works under tension.

One of the ends of the elastic means 17 is connected to the sliding means 40 by means of a flexible means 12 coupled with a return pulley 16. One end of the flexible means 12, consisting of a small steel cable, a cord or a small chain, for example, may be provided with a groove for an end hook of the elastic means 17 and the other end may be provided with a hook. hook, a thimble, or the like, for attachment with a pivot or through a hole in the slider means 40 .

The end of the elastic means 17 opposite the flexible means 12 is fixed or hooked to a swing arm means 32 carrying a fourth pivot means 30 for rotary connection with one end of an elongate nearly linear lever means 50. The end opposite the lever means 50 is rotatably connected to the connecting means 3 by a fifth pivot means 52 parallel to the hub means 7. The fifth pivot means 52 is approximately opposite the second pivot means 13 in relation to the first pivot means 11; in other words, the first pivot means 11 is interposed between the fifth pivot means 52 and the second pivot means 13, and these three pivot means 13, 11, 52 are aligned, or nearly aligned, with each other.

At least one face of the swing arm means 32 has an approximately triangular shape, or a "T" shape, in which the elastic means 17 and the fourth pivot means 30 are positioned at the respective ends of the swing arm means 32 , the third end of which carries an adjustment means 33 of a sliding or rolling type.

The adjustment means 33, consisting of a slider or preferably an idler, for example, slides or rolls along a cam means 35 which is fixed to, or is integral with, or is preferably obtained from de, a folded peripheral edge of the rocker means 10. The elastic force of the elastic means 17 acts on the swing arm means 32 with a component that presses the adjustment means 33 against the cam means 35 which is shaped to elastically counteract, at least in some parts, the opening and/or the closure of the door or hatch of the appliance and not to counteract the movement of such hatch or door in the other parts.

In particular, and as shown in the figures, the camming means 35 may have a main part, corresponding to the states between an extreme opening part and a point near the closing position, which is roughly shaped like an arc. circular centered on the axis of rotation of the first pivot means 11; and an active part, corresponding to the almost closed and extreme open states, which has an almost radial orientation, that is, it is oriented almost towards the first pivot means 11.

These active and main parts are connected to each other by a curved joint part, whose central part corresponds approximately to a 30° opening. Starting from the extreme closed state, opening the door requires the adjustment means 33 to move through both the active and splice portions by rotating the rocker arm means 32 about the fourth pivot means 30 and lengthening the means 17 elastic, the latter thus opposing the opening elastically stabilizing the door in the closed state. The elongation of the spring also implies a greater force acting between a friction means 54, described below, and the camming means 35, with a further stabilization of the closed state.

The lever means 50 is equipped with a friction means 54 which is fixed to the lever means 50 by means of a respective connecting pin 53, and comprises a friction slider which can slide with friction along a circular-shaped part, nearly circular or otherwise shaped cam means 35, ie slidable along said main portion of the latter.

The rocker arm means 32 transmits to the lever means 50 the elastic force of the elastic means 17, in which one of its components acts on such lever means 50 pressing the friction means 54 against the cam means 35, thus slowing down the door movements. Obviously, the main part of the cam means can be shaped to vary the braking effect and increase it at some points by increasing the distance between said points and the geometric axis of the first pivot means 11, and vice versa.

The oscillating arm 32 may comprise a second face, parallel to the triangular or "T" shaped face, whereby the latter, or preferably the second face, may carry a first slot 24 in the form of approximately a circular arc centered on the axis of rotation of the fourth pivot means 30, and assigned to slidably house, with some play, a respective restraining pivot fixed to the first connecting means 3.

The first connection means 3 and the rocker means 10 are equipped with stopper means 21, 22 assigned for mutual contact in the extreme open state, to prevent the door from moving beyond said state. In addition, or alternatively, the first connection means 3 and the rocker means 10 may be equipped with friction means 21, 22 which can slide against each other with friction to slow down the movements of the door or hatch. Preferably, these stop and friction means comprise a sliding groove 22 in the shape of approximately a circular arc centered on the axis of rotation of the first pivot means 11, and a sliding pivot 21, possibly equipped with a sleeve made of a material of friction, frictionally or non-frictionally engaged with the sliding groove 22, wherein said sliding groove 22 and sliding pivot 21 are associated with rocker means 10 and first connecting means 3, respectively, or vice versa.

The end of the sliding means 40 opposite the bushing means 7 bears a contact means 47, for example in the form of a rim or projection, assigned, at least in the final part of the closing stroke, to bear against a mobile end of at least one damping means 60, for example, of the lubricated piston type, whose static part is fixed to the first connection means 3, assigned to slow down at least the closing speed in said final part.

The modular configuration capacity and the possibility of modifying the physical and/or dimensional parameters of the elements of the hinge device allow it to be suitable to satisfy different work needs by making only slight changes, additions and/or substitutions in the assembly stage.

Claims (9)

i. Multifunctional hinge device having a first connection means (3) assigned to be fixed to a structure or a framework of an appliance; and a second connection means (5), which is rotatable around its own hinge hub means (7), and assigned to be fixed to a door or hatch of the appliance to allow opening and closing movements between closing states and opening ends of said door; in an operating state, the axis of rotation of said hub means (7) is horizontal, and the plane of the door in the closed state is vertical or nearly vertical; comprising at least said device (1): - a rocker means (10) which is constrained, by means of a first pivot means (11) parallel to the hub means (7), to the first connecting means (3), to rotate freely about the axis of the first means (11 pivot) wherein said rocker means (10) carries a second pivot means (13) spaced from the first pivot means (11) and parallel thereto; - a connecting rod means (14) having an end which is attached to the rocker arm means (10) by means of the second pivot means (13), to rotate freely about the axis of said second pivot means, and which has the end opposite that it is attached to the second connection means (5) by means of a third pivot means (15), parallel to the hub means (7), to rotate freely about the axis of said third pivot means (15); - a sliding means (40) that is restricted to the first connection means (3) by guide means (41,42) for the sliding of the sliding means (40) towards the inside and outside of the apparatus and that carries the means ( 7) bushing at an outer end thereof (40); said sliding means (40) being attached to the rocker means (10) whose rotation towards the closed state causes translation of the sliding means (40) towards the internal state; - an elastic means (17) having one end that is attached to the first connecting means (3) and the other end that is attached to the sliding means (40); in which, in the door balancing operating states of the device 1, said elastic means (17) acts on the sliding means (40) with an elastic force applied in the same direction as the closing direction; said device (1) being characterized in that one of the ends of the elastic means (17) is connected to the sliding means (40) by means of a flexible means (12) coupled with a return pulley (16); the other end of the elastic means (17) is fixed or hooked to a swing arm means (32) carrying a fourth pivot means (30) for rotary connection with one end of a lever means (50), and whose opposite end is rotatably connected to the connecting means (3) by a fifth pivot means (52) parallel to the hub means (7). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said sliding means (40) comprises a rack means (44) coupled with a pinion means (45) which is coaxial with the first pivot means (11) and is constrained to the means ( 10) rocker arm to rotate integrally with the latter around the axis of the first pivot means (11); in which by means of the connecting rod means (14), the opening movement of the door or hatch causes the rotation of the rocker means (10) and the pinion means (45), thus causing the translation of the sliding means (40) and from the bushing means (7) towards the outside of the apparatus. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lever means (50) is almost linear. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the oscillating arm means (32) has an approximately triangular shape or a "T" shape, in which the elastic means (17) and the fourth spring means (30) pivot are positioned at the respective ends of the rocker arm means (32) whose third end carries an adjustment means (33) of a type that slides or rolls along a cam means (35) which is fixed to, or is integral with, or is obtained from, a peripheral edge of the rocker means (10); wherein the elastic force of the elastic means (17) acts on the swing arm means (32) with a component that presses the adjustment means (33) against the cam means (35) which is shaped to elastically counteract, by least in some parts, the opening and/or closing of the appliance door or hatch and not counteracting the movement of such hatch or door in the other parts. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the lever means (50) is equipped with a friction means (54) that can slide with friction along a part of the cam means (35) of the means (10). in which the oscillating arm means (32) transmits to the lever means (50) the elastic force of the elastic means (17), a component of said elastic means (17) acting on said lever means (50) pressing the friction means (54) against the cam means (35). Device according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the oscillating arm means (32) carries a first slot (24) in the form of approximately a circular arc centered on the axis of rotation of the fourth pivot means (30), and assigned to slidably receive, with some clearance, a respective restraining pivot fixed to the first means ( 3) connection. Device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the friction means (54) is fixed to the lever means (50) by means of a respective connecting pin (53). Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first connection means (3) and the rocker means (10) are equipped with stop means (21, 22) assigned for mutual contact at least in the state of extreme opening to prevent the door from moving beyond such a state; and/or the first connection means (3) and the rocker means (10) are equipped with friction means (21,22) that slide against each other with friction to slow down the movements of the door or hatch; wherein said stop and friction means comprise a sliding groove (22) in the form of approximately a circular arc centered on the axis of rotation of the first pivot means (11), and a sliding pivot (21) coupled with or without friction with the sliding groove (22), in which said sliding groove (22) and sliding pivot (21) are associated with the rocker means (10) and the first connecting means (3), respectively, or vice versa. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end of the sliding means (40) opposite the bushing means (7) bears an assigned contact means (47), at least in the final part of the closing stroke, to rest against a mobile end of at least one damping means (60), whose static part is fixed to the first connection means (3), assigned to at least slow down the closing speed in said end part.