KR20230138411A - Hinge device - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem to be solved] Provide a hinge device (10) with a simple structure and a good operating feel for opening and closing the door (3).
[Solution] The fixed part 11 of the hinge device is mounted on the main body 2, the rotating part 12 of the hinge device is installed on the opening and closing door, and a leaf spring 16 is installed on one end of the fixed part or the rotating part. It is mounted, and a protrusion (11d) is formed at one end, and when the rotating part rotates with respect to the fixed part, the protrusion slides on the surface of the leaf spring, deforming the leaf spring, and opening and closing the door, the rigidity of the leaf spring changes, causing the leaf spring to open and close. The reaction force received from the spring also varies, and depending on the opening angle of the door, the feeling of operation of the door can be improved and complexity of the structure can be avoided.

Description

Hinge device {HINGE DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a hinge device that is mounted between a main body and an opening/closing door and pivots the opening/closing door relative to the main body to enable opening and closing.

Among home appliances, the door is often opened and closed by opening the entrance to the receiving chamber formed inside the main body. For example, a clothes dryer has a storage room for drying clothes inside the main body, opens a hinged door to put clothes into the storage room, and then closes the door to dry the clothes. In addition, oven cookers, grill cookers, etc. have a storage chamber for heating food inside the main body, open the hinged door to put food into the storage room, then close the door to start heating.

Opening and closing of these doors is usually performed manually. A technology has been proposed to improve the feeling of operation when opening and closing by combining a spring and a cam in the hinge device that attaches the opening and closing door to the main body. For example, it is a structure in which an opening and closing door is supported on a bearing part on the main body, and a cam mount is installed on the hinge shaft of the bearing part, and a slider in contact with the cam mount is provided on the main body side, and a pressurizing spring is installed and pressurizes the slider toward the cam mount. A hinge device has been proposed. In this hinge device, when the door is opened, the slider goes up the cam mountain, and when it is opened to a certain angle, it reaches the top of the cam mountain, and when it is opened beyond that point, the slider goes down the cam mountain, so when the door is opened to a certain opening angle, the reaction force received from the pressurizing spring The direction of is changed. Therefore, when the opening angle is small, the door closes by itself, but when the opening angle is large, it is possible to realize the feeling of operation where the door opens by itself (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-309381

However, the proposed conventional hinge device has a problem in that the structure becomes complicated because cam mounts, sliders, pressure springs, etc. are installed.

The present invention is intended to solve these problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a hinge device that can open and close a door with good operation and has a simple structure.

In order to solve the above problem, the hinge device of the present invention includes the following configuration.

The present invention relates to a hinge device mounted on one end of a main body and an opening/closing door, and pivoting the opening/closing door to be able to open/closed with respect to the main body, comprising a fixing part mounted on the main body, mounted on one end of the opening/closing door, and It has a rotating part rotatably supported at the top, a leaf spring is mounted on one end of the fixed part or the rotating part, and one end of the fixed part or the rotating part has the rotating part with respect to the fixed part. It is characterized in that a protrusion is formed that deforms the leaf spring by sliding on the surface of the leaf spring while rotating.

In addition, according to the present invention, when the door is opened and closed, the rotating part mounted on the door rotates with respect to the fixed part mounted on the main body, and the protrusion slides on the surface of the leaf spring according to the rotational movement of the rotating part, thereby deforming the leaf spring.

In this way, when opening and closing the door, force to deform the leaf spring is required. In addition, when the door is opened and closed, the protrusion slides on the surface of the leaf spring, so the stiffness of the leaf spring changes and the reaction force received from the leaf spring also changes. Therefore, the operating force for opening and closing the door can be changed depending on the opening angle of the door, thereby improving the operating feel. In addition, since a leaf spring is mounted on one end of the fixed part or the rotating part, and a protrusion is mounted on one end of the fixed part or the rotating part, the complex structure of the hinge device can be changed into a simple structure.

Additionally, the present invention allows the sliding convex portion to change the width of the leaf spring toward the sliding direction within the range where the protrusion slides on the leaf spring surface.

In this way, the reaction force of the leaf spring can be changed according to the opening and closing of the door, and the operability of the door can be improved even with a simple method.

In addition, in the present invention, the leaf spring shape does not contact the protrusion or is not deformed by the protrusion at a rotation angle corresponding to at least one end of the fully closed or fully opened state of the opening/closing door. It may not be in shape.

In this way, since the leaf spring is not left deformed for a long time, it is possible to prevent the leaf spring reaction force from decreasing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external shape of a clothes dryer 1 equipped with a hinge device 10 in this embodiment.
Figure 2 is an exploded view showing the structure in which the opening and closing door 3 is installed in the main body 2 by the hinge device 10.
Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the detailed structure of the hinge device 10 in this embodiment.
Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed shape of the leaf spring 16.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the hinge device 10 cut through the middle of the leaf spring 16.
Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing how the leaf spring 16 is deformed as the door 3 is opened and closed.
Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how the elastic force of the leaf spring 16 changes as the door 3 is opened and closed.
Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed shape of another type of leaf spring 16.
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge device 10 equipped with another type of leaf spring 16.
Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the leaf spring 16 is deformed according to the opening and closing of the door 3 in another type of hinge device 10.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an exemplary leaf spring 16 provided with a convex portion 16d on a sliding portion 16b.

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of a clothes dryer 1 equipped with a hinge device 10 in this embodiment. The clothes dryer (1) has a cube-shaped body (2) with a large inlet (2a) opened on the front, and an opening/closing door (3) that opens and closes the inlet (2a). The opening/closing door (3) is attached to the main body (2) through a hinge device (10) at the left position when viewed from the front. Therefore, when the handle 3a formed on the right side is pulled forward, the opening/closing door 3 is opened by rotating around the position held by the hinge device 10, and clothing can be put into the input hole 2a.

Figure 2 is an exploded view showing the structure in which the opening/closing door (3) is attached to the main body (2) by the hinge device (10). FIG. 2 shows the hinge device 10 of the clothes dryer 1 viewed from the front (direction of arrow A in FIG. 1). The hinge device 10 has a fixed part 11 mounted on the main body 2 of the clothes dryer 1 and a rotating part 12 mounted on the opening and closing door 3. The fixing part 11 is mounted at a position adjacent to the inlet 2a of the main body 2. The rotating portion 12 forms a part of the annular door frame 3b, and the opening and closing door 3 is formed by assembling the dome-shaped door cover 3c to the annular door frame 3b. Then, the rotating part 12 on the side of the opening/closing door (3) is mounted on the fixing part (11) of the main body (2), so that the opening/closing door (3) is attached to the main body (2).

Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the specific structure of the hinge device 10 in this embodiment. As shown, the fixed part 11 is one member, but the rotating part 12 includes the door side base part 13, the hinge shaft 14, and the fixing plate 15 that form part of the door frame 3b. It is constructed by combining , leaf spring (16), etc.

The fixing part 11 is formed of hard resin or metal material and is used to support the door side base part 13 of the rotating part 12 at two locations on the main body side base part 11a attached to the main body 2. The support 11b has a protruding shape. A through hole 11c into which the hinge shaft 14 is inserted is formed at the tip of each support portion 11b. Additionally, a protrusion 11d is formed in each support portion 11b in parallel with the through hole 11c. Here, the protrusion 11d in this embodiment corresponds to the “sliding convex portion” of the present invention.

The door side base portion 13 is formed by injection molding of hard resin, and insertion holes 13a are opened at two locations on the bottom side for inserting the supports 11b of the fixing portion 11, and each insertion hole (13a) A receiving chamber 13b is formed in the upper part to accommodate the inserted support 11b. The hinge shaft 14 is fixed to the door side base portion 13 while penetrating the two receiving chambers 13b. Therefore, with the support 11b of the fixing part 11 accommodated in the receiving chamber 13b, the hinge shaft 14 is passed through the through hole 11c of the support 11b to the fixing part 11, The door side base portion 13 can be mounted in a rotatable state.

A concave portion (13d) is formed between the two receiving chambers (13b) on the upper surface of the door side base portion (13), and when the hinge shaft (14) is assembled, the hinge shaft (14) penetrates the inside of the concave portion (13d). do. Additionally, a mounting portion 13c for mounting the leaf spring 16 is formed on the upper surface of the door side base portion 13 at a position adjacent to each receiving chamber 13b.

The fixing plate 15 is a sheet metal part that forms a rectangular main body portion 15a and a lowering portion 15b extending vertically downward from the center of one long side of the main body portion 15a. In addition, attachment pieces 15c bent inward are formed at both ends of the hanging portion 15b, and insertion holes 15d for inserting the hinge shaft 14 are formed in each attachment piece 15c. Then, when assembling the hinge shaft 14 to the door side base portion 13, the lowered portion 15b of the fixing plate 15 is inserted into the concave portion 13d of the door side base portion 13 and inserted into the insertion hole. Assemble with the hinge shaft (14) inserted into (15d).

In this way, the fixing plate 15 can be assembled to the door side base portion 13 in a state where it can rotate around the hinge shaft 14. Then, the fixing plate 15 can be fixed to the door side base portion 13 by fastening the mounting bolt 17 to the mounting hole 15e formed in the main body portion 15a. In addition, the main body portion 15a of the fixing plate 15 overlaps the mounting portion 13c of the door side base portion 13 when the fixing plate 15 is fixed to the door base portion 13 with the mounting bolt 17. A rectangular insertion window 15f is formed at the position.

The leaf spring 16 is formed by bending a target spring member.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed shape of the leaf spring 16. As shown, in the leaf spring 16, a sliding portion 16b is formed on one end of the spring body 16a of a certain width, and a mounting portion 16c is formed on the other end. The sliding portion 16b has a shape in which the spring body 16a is formed in a tongue shape, the root portion of the tongue shape is bent diagonally downward, and then the middle portion of the tongue shape is lightly bent upward. Additionally, the sliding portion 16b may be formed so that the entire tongue shape is loosely curved to be convex downward. Additionally, the mounting portion 16c has a shape in which the other end of the spring body 16a is bent downward and the bent end is bent horizontally.

The leaf spring 16 is mounted on the door side base portion 13 as follows. First, in a state where the fixing plate 15 is not fixed with the mounting bolts 17, the fixing plate 15 is rotated around the hinge shaft 14 to separate the main body portion 15a from the door base portion 13. In that state, the mounting portion 16c of the leaf spring 16 is inserted into the insertion window 15f of the fixing plate 15, then the fixing plate 15 is rotated in the reverse direction and the fixing plate (16c) is inserted using the mounting bolt 17. 15) is fixed to the door side base portion (13). Then, the mounting portion 16c of the leaf spring 16 is sandwiched between the mounting portion 13c of the door side base portion 13 and the main body portion 15a of the fixing plate 15, so that the mounting portion 16c is The leaf spring 16 is fixed to the door side base portion 13.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the hinge device 10 cut through the middle of the leaf spring 16. As shown, the leaf spring 16 is attached by inserting the mounting portion 16c between the mounting portion 13c of the door side base portion 13 and the fixing plate 15. In addition, the door side base portion 13 is attached to the fixing portion 11 in a rotatable state by a hinge shaft 14.

Figure 5 shows the opening/closing door 3 in a closed state, and in this state, the protrusion 11d formed on the fixed part 11 and the sliding part 16b of the leaf spring 16 are spaced apart from each other. Therefore, when opening the door 3, the door 3 can be opened and closed with light force without receiving a reaction force from the leaf spring 16. Additionally, since the leaf spring 16 is not deformed, there is no fear that the force of the leaf spring 16 will weaken even over a long period of time. However, when the opening/closing door 3 is opened, the rotating part 12 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing, so that the sliding part 16b of the leaf spring 16 approaches the protruding part 11d of the fixed part 11. Then, when the opening angle of the opening/closing door 3 reaches a predetermined opening angle, the sliding portion 16b abuts the protruding portion 11d, deforming the leaf spring 16, and the reaction force from the leaf spring 16 is It is applied to the opening/closing door (3).

Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the deformation of the leaf spring (16) as the door (3) is opened. Figure 6(a) shows the state immediately after the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16 contacts the protruding portion 11d of the fixed portion 11. If the door (3) is further opened in this state, the leaf spring (16) is deformed and a reaction force due to the deformation is applied to the door (3). In addition, as previously described using FIG. 4, the spring body 16a of the leaf spring 16 is formed to have a constant width, but the sliding portion 16b is formed in a tongue shape, so that the width of the leaf spring 16 increases toward the tip. It gets smaller. Therefore, compared to the spring body 16a, the sliding portion 16b is more likely to be deformed toward the tip. As a result, the sliding portion 16b is mainly deformed within a certain angle range after the leaf spring 16 comes into contact with the protruding portion 11d. Additionally, when the opening/closing door 3 is further opened, the state shown in FIG. 6(b) is reached.

Comparing Figure 6(a) and Figure 6(b), when opening the door (3). The protruding portion 11d of the fixing portion 11 pushes up the leaf spring 16. Additionally, the position at which the protrusion 11d pushes up the leaf spring 16 moves as the door 3 opens. That is, as the door 3 is opened, the protrusion 11d of the fixing part 11 slides on the surface of the sliding part 16b of the leaf spring 16 and pushes up the leaf spring 16. Additionally, the position where the protrusion 11d pushes up the leaf spring 16 becomes closer to the spring body 16a of the leaf spring 16 as the opening/closing door 3 is opened. In the state shown in Fig. 6(b), the protruding portion 11d pushes up the root portion of the sliding portion 16b, but no force is applied to the tip side of the sliding portion 16b. Accordingly, the part that is pushed up and deformed by the protrusion 11d corresponds to the spring body 16a of the leaf spring 16. In FIG. 6(b), the fact that the leaf spring 16 falls off the fixing plate 15 indicates that the leaf spring 16 itself is deformed. In this way, when the leaf spring 16 itself is deformed, the reaction force due to the deformation becomes larger than when the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16 is deformed.

Figure 6(c) shows the opening/closing door (3) fully open. When the door 3 is completely opened, the protrusion 11d passes over the sliding portion 16b, so the protrusion 11d does not deform the leaf spring 16. Figure 6(c) shows that a slight gap is formed between the protrusion 11d and the spring body 16a of the leaf spring 16, but the protrusion 11d may lightly contact the spring body 16a. In this state, since the spring body (16a) is not deformed, no reaction force is applied to the opening/closing door (3). However, when the opening/closing door (3) is opened, the protrusion (11d) deforms the spring body (16a), and the reaction force causes the opening/closing door (3) to open. It is applied to the door (3).

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing how the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 changes when the door 3 is opened. Between the fully closed state and the opening angle θ1, the protruding portion 11d does not contact the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16, so the leaf spring 16 reaction force is not generated, but the opening/closing door 3 When opened to the opening angle θ1, the protruding part 11d comes into contact with the sliding part 16b, thereby pushing up the leaf spring 16. At this time, the position where the protruding part 11d is in contact with the sliding part 16b is a part where the width of the distal end of the sliding part 16b is narrow, so the rigidity of the leaf spring 16 is lowered and the reaction force due to deformation is small, but after that When the door 3 is further opened, the protrusion 11d moves in the direction of the spring body 16a, thereby increasing the rigidity of the leaf spring 16. As a result, the reaction force caused by the leaf spring 16 gradually increases.

Additionally, when the opening/closing door 3 is opened to a certain opening angle, the spring body 16a is deformed and the protrusion 11d moves toward the mounting portion 16c. Therefore, the length from the position where the leaf spring 16 is deformed (i.e., the protrusion 11d) to the mounting part 16c is shortened, and the amount of deformation of the leaf spring 16 increases, so the leaf spring 16 )'s reaction force increases accordingly. Then, when the door 3 is completely opened, the protrusion 11d does not push up the leaf spring 16, so the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 suddenly decreases and becomes zero. Additionally, when the opening/closing door 3 is closed from a fully open state, the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 changes in the reverse direction.

As such, in this embodiment, when the hinge device 10 opens and closes the door 3, the protrusion 11d of the fixing part 11 pushes up the leaf spring 16 and causes the leaf spring 16 to slide. It slides onto the surface of the portion 16b. Accordingly, as the width of the leaf spring 16 changes within the range where the protrusion 11d slides, the rigidity of the leaf spring 16 changes. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 can be complexly varied depending on the opening angle of the door 3, thereby improving the operating feel of the door 3. In addition, the feeling of operation can be improved with a simple structure in which the protrusion 11d simply deforms the leaf spring 16 while sliding on the surface of the sliding part 16b of the leaf spring 16.

In addition, the opening/closing door (3) has the longest time in a fully immersed state and the next longest time in a fully open state. In this embodiment, the hinge device (10) operates when the opening/closing door (3) is in the vicinity of being fully immersed or fully open. The protrusion 11d has a shape that does not deform the leaf spring 16 even in the vicinity. Accordingly, the time during which the leaf spring 16 is deformed can be shortened, thereby preventing the phenomenon of worsening the operating feel of the opening/closing door 3 by weakening the force of the leaf spring 16.

In this embodiment, the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16 is explained using FIG. 4, but the sliding portion 16b may have a different shape. In Figure 8, a leaf spring 16 provided with a different type of sliding portion 16b is shown. In the embodiment of Figure 8, the leaf spring 16 is formed in a tongue shape at one end of the spring body 16a of a certain width, and a sliding portion 16b is formed by vertically lowering the tongue-shaped root portion downward.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the hinge device 10 in another embodiment including the leaf spring 16 shown in FIG. 8. In the hinge device 10 in another embodiment, the leaf spring 16 is mounted with the mounting portion 16c sandwiched between the mounting portion 13c of the door side base portion 13 and the fixing plate 15. In Figure 9, the opening/closing door (3) is shown in a closed state. However, when the opening/closing door (3) is in a closed state, the protrusion (11d) of the fixing portion (11) and the leaf spring (16) are used in other types of hinge devices (10). The sliding portions 16b are spaced apart. Accordingly, the leaf spring 16 is not deformed, and there is no fear that the force of the leaf spring 16 will weaken even over a long period of time. However, when the opening/closing door (3) is in the open state, the rotating part (12) rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure, so that the opening angle of the opening/closing door (3) reaches a predetermined opening angle, so that the sliding part (16b) becomes a protrusion ( 11d) and deforms the leaf spring 16, so the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 affects the opening and closing of the door 3.

Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the deformation of the leaf spring 16 as the door 3 is opened in another type of hinge device 10. Figure 10(a) shows the state immediately after the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16 contacts the protruding portion 11d of the fixed portion 11. Comparing FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 10(a), the hinge device 10 of another type has a protrusion at a smaller opening angle of the opening/closing door 3 than the hinge device 10 in this embodiment already described. (11d) is in contact with the sliding portion (16b). Accordingly, by changing the shape of the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16, the opening angle at which the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 begins to affect the opening and closing of the door 3 can be adjusted.

After the protrusion (11d) contacts the sliding portion (16b), when the opening/closing door (3) is further opened, the protrusion (11d) pushes up the leaf spring (16) and pushes the spring body (16a) onto the surface of the sliding portion (16b). ) and slides in the direction. Figure 10(b) shows a state in which the protruding part 11d pushes up the leaf spring 16 and slides on the surface of the sliding part 16b. As indicated by the thick arrow in the figure, the direction of the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 is toward the hinge shaft 14. Therefore, in another type of hinge device 10, the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 acts as a braking force when opening and closing the door 3. And when the opening/closing door (3) is fully opened, as shown in Figure 10(c), the protrusion (11d) is sandwiched between the fixed plate (15) and the sliding portion (16b), so the leaf spring (16) ) is maintained.

In this other type of hinge device 10, when the door 3 is opened and the leaf spring 16 deforms, the door 3 is opened and closed by the reaction force of the leaf spring 16 until it is in an open state. The brakes are applied. Therefore, the opening/closing door 3 can be maintained at the opening angle desired by the user. In addition, even if the location where the clothes dryer (1) is installed is tilted, it is possible to prevent the opening/closing door (3) from opening or closing by itself in the semi-open state.

Several modified embodiments can be considered in this embodiment or other types of hinge device 10 already described. Below, these modified embodiments will be compared with other embodiments, focusing on the differences.

In this and other embodiments, the hinge device 10 was described as having a flat shape where the protrusion 11d slides on the surface of the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16. However, as illustrated in FIG. 11(a), a small convex portion 16d may be formed on the sliding portion 16b of the leaf spring 16 on the surface on which the protruding portion 11d slides. Here, the convex portion 16d may have a rib shape. In this way, the deformation of the leaf spring 16 increases when the protruding part 11d exceeds the convex part 16d, so that a feeling of operation with small resistance can be realized at any opening angle when opening and closing the door 3. there is. Additionally, when forming a plurality of convex portions 16d, the sizes of the convex portions 16d may be varied, as illustrated in FIG. 11(b). In this way, it is possible to realize a feeling of operation with an arbitrary amount of resistance at an arbitrary opening angle.

In addition, the hinge device 10 in this and other embodiments has been described as having a protrusion 11d formed on the fixed portion 11 and the leaf spring 16 mounted on the rotating portion 12, but the protrusion ( 11d) may be formed on the rotating part 12 and the leaf spring 16 may be mounted on the fixed part 11.

In addition, the hinge device 10 in this and other embodiments has been described by forming a tongue-shaped sliding portion 16b on one end of the leaf spring 16, but the spring body 16a of the leaf spring 16 ), if the rigidity can be changed, it does not necessarily have to be a tongue shape. For example, the width of the leaf spring 16 can be first set narrow and then set wide. Additionally, the sliding portion 16b may be formed by changing the thickness of the leaf spring 16 (for example, decreasing the thickness of the leaf spring 16 toward the tip).

Above, the hinge device 10 has been described in this embodiment and other embodiments and modified embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention. It can be implemented.

One… Clothes dryer 2… main body
2a… Inlet 3… opening/closing door
3a… Handle 3b… door frame
3c… Door cover 10… Hinge device
11… Fixing part 11a… Body side base part
11b… Support 11c… through hole
11d… Protrusion 12… Rotation department
13… Door side base portion 13a… insertion hole
13b… Reception room 13c… Mounting part
13d… Concave portion 14… Hinge Shaft
15… Fixing plate 15a… main body
15b… Underwater 15c… Attachment
5c… Insertion hole 15e… mounting hole
15f… Insertion window 16… leaf spring
16a… Spring body 16b… sliding part
16c… Mounting part 16d… convexity
17… Mounting bolt

Claims (3)

In the hinge device, which is mounted on one end of the main body and the opening and closing door, and pivots the opening and closing door to be able to open and close with respect to the main body,
A fixing part attached to the main body; And a rotating part attached to one end of the opening and closing door and rotatably supported by the fixed part.
A leaf spring is mounted on one end of the fixed part or the rotating part, and the leaf spring is moved to one end of the fixed part or the rotating part by sliding on the surface of the leaf spring while rotating the rotating part with respect to the fixed part. A hinge device characterized in that a deforming protrusion is formed. According to claim 1,
A hinge device, wherein the width of the leaf spring changes in the direction in which the protrusion slides, at least within a range in which the protrusion slides. According to paragraph 1 or 2
The shape of the leaf spring is such that, when the rotation angle of the rotating part with respect to the fixing part corresponds to at least one of the fully closed state and the open state of the opening and closing door, the leaf spring does not contact the protrusion, or A hinge device characterized in that it is not deformed by protrusions.