US20130249371A1 - Hinge assemblies for a domestic refrigerator - Google Patents
Hinge assemblies for a domestic refrigerator Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20130249371A1 US20130249371A1 US13/587,211 US201213587211A US2013249371A1 US 20130249371 A1 US20130249371 A1 US 20130249371A1 US 201213587211 A US201213587211 A US 201213587211A US 2013249371 A1 US2013249371 A1 US 2013249371A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- coupler body
- door
- hinge pin
- shaft
- splines
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
- F25D23/02—Doors; Covers
- F25D23/028—Details
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2323/00—General constructional features not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2323/02—Details of doors or covers not otherwise covered
- F25D2323/024—Door hinges
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates generally to a domestic refrigerator and more particularly to a hinge assembly for a door of a domestic refrigerator.
- a domestic refrigerator is a device used to store food items in a home at preset temperatures.
- a domestic refrigerator typically includes one or more temperature-controlled compartments into which food items may be placed to preserve the food items for later consumption.
- a domestic refrigerator also typically includes a door that permits user access to the temperature-controlled compartment defined in the refrigerator cabinet. The door may be mounted to the cabinet via a hinge assembly.
- a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door positioned at a front of the cabinet.
- the door is operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a cam plate coupled to the door, and the cam plate includes a first cam surface.
- the domestic refrigerator has a coupler body including a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface, a lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body.
- a hinge pin defines the axis of rotation and includes a cylindrical shaft having an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body and a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the cylindrical shaft.
- a plurality of splines extend inwardly from the inner wall of the coupler body, and each spline is received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically relative to the cabinet between a first position and a second position.
- the cylindrical shaft of the hinge pin may have a passageway defined therein, and the adjustment mechanism may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway of the cylindrical shaft. The threaded rod may have an upper end engaged with the coupler body.
- the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface.
- the central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the cylindrical shaft and engaged with the upper end of the threaded rod.
- the threaded rod may have a plurality of outer threads
- the cylindrical shaft of the hinge pin may include an inner wall that defines the passageway therethrough.
- the inner wall of the cylindrical shaft may have a plurality of inner threads defined therein that are engaged with the outer threads of the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction may cause upward movement of the coupler body and the door, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction may cause downward movement of the coupler body and the door.
- the adjustment mechanism may include a stop configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
- the stop may include a substantially smooth section of the inner wall of the cylindrical shaft. The substantially smooth section may be positioned above the plurality of inner threads.
- a distance may be defined between the first position and the second position of the door. The distance may be approximately three millimeters.
- the domestic refrigerator may further include a bushing has the cam plate.
- the door may include a frame and a front panel secured to the frame, and the bushing may be coupled to the frame and positioned behind the front panel.
- the bushing may include a bottom surface having an opening defined therein, an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to an inner surface including the first cam surface, and an aperture defined by the inner wall and the inner surface.
- the coupler body may have an upper end positioned in the aperture of the bushing.
- the plurality of splines may include six splines extending from the inner wall of the coupler body.
- a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a hinge assembly including a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position.
- the adjustment mechanism includes a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin, and a stop positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin.
- the threaded rod is configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door.
- the stop is configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
- the hinge assembly may include a bushing secured to the door, and a coupler body coupled to the hinge pin.
- the bushing may include a first cam surface
- the coupler body may include a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface.
- the coupler body may include a lower surface positioned opposite the second cam surface.
- the lower surface may have an opening defined therein and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to an inner surface.
- the inner wall and the inner surface may define an aperture in the coupler body, and an upper end of the hinge pin may be positioned in the aperture defined in the coupler body.
- the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface.
- the central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin and engaged with an upper end of the threaded rod.
- the hinge pin may include a longitudinal slot defined in an outer surface thereof, and the coupler body may include a spline extending from the inner wall thereof. The spline may be received in the longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- the longitudinal slot may include at least six longitudinal slots
- the spline may include at least six splines extending from the inner wall of the coupler body. Each of the splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- the domestic refrigerator may further include a first bracket secured to the door, and the first bracket may include a first flange coupled to the door and a second flange extending downwardly from the first flange.
- the domestic refrigerator may also include a second bracket including a mounting plate having the hinge pin secured thereto, and a side wall extending upwardly from an upper surface of the mounting plate. The second flange may be engaged with the side wall of the second bracket when the door is in the open position.
- a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, a pair of doors positioned at a front of the cabinet, and a pair of cam plates. Each cam plate is secured to one of the pair of doors and includes a lower cam surface.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a pair of coupler bodies, and each coupler body has an upper cam surface configured to engage with the lower cam surface of one of the pair of doors, and an aperture defined therein.
- the domestic refrigerator includes a first hinge pin and a second hinge pin.
- the first hinge pin has a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in an outer surface thereof, and an upper end positioned in a first coupler body of the pair of coupler bodies.
- the second hinge pin has a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in an outer surface thereof, and an upper end positioned in a second coupler body of the pair of coupler bodies.
- the first coupler body includes a plurality of splines that are received in the plurality of longitudinal slots of the first hinge pin, and the second coupler body includes a plurality of splines that are received in the plurality of longitudinal slots of the second hinge pin.
- the domestic refrigerator may further include a threaded rod engaged with the first coupler body.
- the first hinge pin may have an inner wall extending between an upper opening and a lower opening to define a passageway therethrough.
- the inner wall may have a plurality of threads defined therein engaged with the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction may cause upward movement of the coupler body and a first door of the pair of doors, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction may cause downward movement of the coupler body and the first door.
- the second hinge pin may have a substantially smooth inner wall extending between an upper opening and a lower opening to define a passageway therethrough.
- the domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a cam plate coupled to the door that includes a first cam surface, and a coupler body having a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface, a lower surface positioned opposite the second cam surface, the lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body.
- a hinge pin defines the axis of rotation.
- the hinge pin has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body, and the upper end includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces and a pair of convex surfaces connecting the pair of substantially planar surfaces.
- the inner wall of the coupler body has a pair of substantially planar surfaces engaged with the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the hinge pin to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- the hinge pin may have a passageway defined therein, the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface. The central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin.
- the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position relative to the cabinet.
- the adjustment mechanism may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin.
- the threaded rod may have an upper end engaged with the lower end of the central shaft of the coupler body.
- the threaded rod may have a plurality of outer threads
- the hinge pin may include an inner wall that defines the passageway therethrough.
- the inner wall may have a plurality of inner threads defined therein that are engaged with the outer threads of the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction may cause upward movement of the coupler body and the door, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction may cause downward movement of the coupler body and the door.
- the domestic refrigerator includes a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation, a cam plate coupled to the door that includes a first cam surface, and a coupler body.
- the coupler body has a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface, a lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body.
- the inner wall includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces.
- a hinge pin defines the axis of rotation.
- the hinge pin has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body.
- the upper end includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces engaged with the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the coupler body to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin and engaged with the coupler body.
- the threaded rod is configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door.
- the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface.
- the inner wall and the inner surface may define the aperture in the coupler body, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface.
- the central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin and engaged with an upper end of the threaded rod.
- the domestic refrigerator may include a stop positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin.
- the stop may be configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position.
- the upper end of the hinge pin may include a pair of convex surfaces that connect the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the hinge pin
- the coupler body may include a plurality of ribs extending inwardly from the inner wall. The plurality of ribs may bee engaged with the pair of convex surfaces of the hinge pin.
- the domestic refrigerator may include a bushing secured to the door.
- the bushing may include a bottom surface having an opening defined therein, an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to an inner surface that includes the first cam surface, and the aperture may be defined by the inner wall and the inner surface.
- the coupler body may have an upper end positioned in the aperture of the bushing. The upper end of the coupler body may include the second cam surface.
- a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a bushing secured to the door and a coupler body.
- the bushing has an aperture defined therein, and a first cam surface positioned in the aperture.
- the coupler body has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the bushing, and the upper end includes a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface.
- the coupler body also has a lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body.
- the inner wall includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces.
- a hinge pin defines the axis of rotation.
- the hinge pin has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body, the upper end including a pair of substantially planar surfaces engaged with the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the coupler body to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface.
- the inner wall and the inner surface may define the aperture in the coupler body, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface.
- the central shaft may have a lower end positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin.
- the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position relative to the cabinet. Additionally, in some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin and engaged with the lower end of the coupler body. The threaded rod may be configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door.
- a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein and a door positioned at a front of the cabinet.
- the door is operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is limited and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a closer assembly including a base secured to the door and a downwardly-extending shaft moveably coupled to the base, a mounting bracket coupled to the front of the cabinet, a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and extending upwardly from the mounting bracket, and a coupler body.
- the coupler body has a first inner sidewall that defines a lower aperture that receives an upper end of the hinge pin, and a second inner sidewall that defines an upper aperture that receives a lower end of the shaft.
- the shaft of the closer assembly has a first plurality of splines formed thereon, and the second inner sidewall of the coupler body has a second plurality of splines formed thereon. The second plurality of splines of the coupler body engages the first plurality of splines of the shaft to prevent relative axial rotation between the coupler body and the shaft.
- the coupler body may have a third plurality of splines that extend inwardly from the first inner sidewall.
- the hinge pin may include a shaft having an upper end positioned in the lower aperture of the coupler body, and a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the shaft. Each spline of the third plurality of splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically relative to the cabinet between a first position and a second position.
- the hinge pin may have a passageway defined therein, and the adjustment mechanism may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway of the shaft. The threaded rod may have an upper end engaged with the coupler body.
- the coupler body may include a central shaft positioned in the lower aperture.
- the central shaft may have a lower end that is positioned in the passageway of the shaft and engaged with the upper end of the threaded rod.
- the threaded rod may have a plurality of outer threads
- the hinge pin may include an inner wall that defines the passageway therethrough.
- the inner wall of the hinge pin may have a plurality of inner threads defined therein that are engaged with the outer threads of the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction causes upward movement of the coupler body and the door, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction causes downward movement of the coupler body and the door.
- the adjustment mechanism may include a stop configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
- the stop may include a substantially smooth section of the inner wall of the hinge pin. The substantially smooth section may be positioned above the plurality of inner threads.
- the closer assembly may include a biasing element having a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the base.
- the biasing element may be configured to inhibit movement of the door about the axis of rotation.
- the first plurality of splines may include six splines.
- a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation to an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted.
- the domestic refrigerator further includes a closer assembly, and the closer assembly includes a base secured to the door and a downwardly-extending shaft moveably coupled to the base.
- the domestic refrigerator also includes a hinge assembly, having a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position.
- the adjustment mechanism of the hinge assembly includes a coupler body positioned over the hinge pin, a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin, and a stop positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin.
- the coupler body includes an inner side wall that defines an aperture receiving the shaft of the closer assembly.
- the threaded rod is configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door.
- the stop is configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
- the coupler body may include a central shaft having a lower end that is positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin and is engaged with an upper end of the threaded rod.
- the hinge pin may include a longitudinal slot defined in an outer surface thereof, and the coupler body may include a spline extending from an inner wall thereof. The spline may be received in the longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- the shaft of the closer assembly may have a spline formed thereon, and the coupler body may have a second spline formed thereon.
- the spline of the shaft may engage the second spline of the coupler body to prevent relative axial rotation between the coupler body and the shaft.
- the closer assembly may include a biasing element having a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the base.
- the biasing element may be configured to inhibit movement of the door about the axis of rotation.
- the biasing element may include a coil spring.
- the shaft of the closer assembly may include an upper surface having the spline formed thereon and a lower surface that is substantially smooth.
- the longitudinal slot may include at least six longitudinal slots, and the spline may include at least six splines extending from the inner wall of the coupler body. Each of the splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- a domestic appliance includes a cabinet with a door positioned at a front of the cabinet, a closer assembly secured to the door, a mounting bracket coupled to the front of the cabinet, a hinge pin extending upwardly from the mounting bracket, and a coupler body.
- the closer assembly includes a downwardly-extending shaft.
- the coupler body has a first inner sidewall defining a lower aperture that receives an upper end of the hinge pin, and a second inner sidewall defining an upper aperture that receives a lower end of the shaft.
- the shaft of the closer assembly has a first plurality of splines formed thereon, and the second inner sidewall of the coupler body has a second plurality of splines formed thereon. The second plurality of splines of the coupler body engages the first plurality of splines of the shaft.
- the hinge pin may include a shaft having an upper end positioned in the lower aperture of the coupler body, and a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the shaft.
- the coupler body may have a third plurality of splines that extend inwardly from an inner wall. Each spline of the third plurality of splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a domestic refrigerator
- FIG. 2 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a right-hand door and one embodiment of an adjustable hinge assembly of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hinge pin of the adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a coupler body of the adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 showing the right-hand door in one vertical position relative to the refrigerator cabinet;
- FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the right-hand door in another vertical position relative to the refrigerator cabinet;
- FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional top plan view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 9 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of the left-hand door and one embodiment of a fixed hinge assembly of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 showing the left-hand door in one vertical position relative to the refrigerator cabinet;
- FIG. 11 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a right-hand door and another embodiment of an adjustable hinge assembly of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a hinge pin of the adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 11 ;
- FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of a coupler body of the adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 11 ;
- FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional top plan view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 11 ;
- FIG. 15 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a right-hand door and one embodiment of an adjustable hinge assembly of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a spline shaft, a coupler body, and a hinge pin of the adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 15 ;
- FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of the coupler body of FIG. 16 ;
- FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 15 showing the right-hand door in one vertical position;
- FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 18 showing the right-hand door in another vertical position.
- FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional top plan view of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 with adjustable hinge assembly of FIG. 15 .
- a home appliance is shown as a domestic refrigerator appliance 10 (hereinafter refrigerator 10 ).
- the refrigerator 10 includes a cabinet 12 and a lower frame 14 that supports the cabinet 12 .
- the refrigerator cabinet 12 defines a temperature-controlled, refrigerated compartment 16 into which a user may place and store food items such as milk, cheese, produce, etcetera.
- the refrigerated compartment 16 is operable to maintain stored food items at a predefined temperature.
- the refrigerator cabinet 12 defines a temperature-controlled freezer compartment 18 , which is also operable to maintain food items stored therein at a certain temperature.
- the refrigerator 10 includes a drawer 20 that permits user access to the freezer compartment 18 such that food items may be placed in and retrieved from shelves and drawers positioned therein. When the drawer 20 is in the closed position shown in FIG. 1 , user access to the freezer compartment 18 is prevented.
- a handle 22 is located on the drawer 20 , and the user may use the handle 22 to pull the drawer 20 open.
- the freezer compartment may be positioned above or side-by-side with the refrigerated compartment 16 , either as a free standing refrigerator or a built-in refrigerator. It will be further appreciated that in other embodiments the refrigerator 10 may not have a freezer compartment.
- the refrigerator 10 includes a right-hand door 24 and a left-hand door 26 that permit user access to the refrigerated compartment 16 such that food items may be placed in and retrieved from the refrigerator 10 .
- the right-hand door 24 is hinged to the front of the refrigerator cabinet 12 via an upper hinge assembly 28 and a lower hinge assembly 30 .
- a handle 32 is located on a front panel 34 of the door 24 , and the user may use the handle 32 to pull the right-hand door 24 open.
- the left-hand door 26 is hinged to the front of the refrigerator cabinet 12 via another upper hinge assembly 28 and a lower hinge assembly 36 .
- Another handle 32 is located on a front panel 38 of the door 26 , and the user may use that handle 32 to pull the left-hand door 26 open.
- the lower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 is operable to adjust the closed vertical position of the door 24 relative to the refrigerator cabinet 12 .
- the lower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 is not adjustable and the closed vertical position of the door 26 is fixed.
- the hinge bracket 40 is formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, steel, and is sized to support the weight of the right-hand door 24 .
- the hinge bracket 40 includes a vertical flange 42 and a mounting plate 48 that extends horizontally from the flange 42 .
- the vertical flange 42 is configured to be attached to a front wall 44 of the cabinet 12 via a plurality of bolts (not shown), which extend through holes 46 formed in the flange 42 to engage the cabinet 12 .
- the mounting plate 48 of the hinge bracket 40 extends outwardly from the cabinet 12 when the bracket 40 is secured to the cabinet 12 .
- the mounting plate 48 has an upper surface 50 and a lower surface 52 positioned opposite the upper surface 50 .
- An opening 54 is defined in the upper surface 50 of the mounting plate 48 , and an inner wall 56 extends downwardly from the opening 54 to define a bore 58 through the mounting plate 48 .
- the opening 54 is circular, and the bore 58 is substantially cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the opening may be oblong, square, or other geometric shapes.
- the mounting plate 48 includes a side wall 60 that extends between the surfaces 50 , 52 .
- the side wall 60 defines a pocket 62 positioned adjacent to the lower hinge assembly 30 .
- the mounting plate 48 also includes a flange 64 that extends upwardly from the upper surface 50 .
- the flange 64 has a side wall 66 that is aligned with side wall 60 , and the walls 60 , 66 cooperate to act as a stop for the right-hand door 24 , as described in greater detail below.
- the lower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 includes a hinge pin 68 configured to be secured to the hinge bracket 40 , a bushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24 , and a coupler body 72 positioned between the hinge pin 68 and the bushing 70 .
- the hinge pin 68 has a body 74 and a circular flange 76 that extends outwardly from the body 74 .
- the body 74 has a tail 78 that extends downwardly from the circular flange 76 to a lower end 80 .
- the tail 78 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the bore 58 of the mounting plate 48 .
- the tail 78 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that the tail 78 may be received in the bore 58 .
- the body 74 of the hinge pin 68 includes a cylindrical shaft 82 , which extends upwardly from the circular flange 76 to an upper end 84 .
- the shaft 82 defines a vertically-extending longitudinal axis 86 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the right-hand door 24 is configured to pivot about the axis 86 to move between the closed position and the open position when the hinge assembly 30 and the door 24 are assembled.
- the shaft 82 of the pin body 74 has an outer surface 88 and a plurality of grooves or slots 90 defined in the outer surface 88 . As shown in FIG. 4 , each slot 90 has an opening 92 defined in the upper end 84 of the body 74 .
- a concave surface 94 extends downwardly from each opening 92 and inwardly from the outer surface 88 to define each slot 90 .
- the slots 90 extend parallel to the axis 86 and are spaced apart equally from one another around the outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft 82 .
- the hinge pin 68 includes six slots 90 , but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the hinge pin 68 may include additional or fewer slots.
- the body 74 of the hinge pin 68 has an opening 96 defined in the upper end 84 and another opening 98 defined in the lower end 80 .
- An inner wall 100 extends between the openings 96 , 98 to define a cylindrical passageway 102 through the hinge pin 68 .
- the inner wall 100 of the body 74 includes a lower surface 104 having a number of internal threads 106 defined therein and an upper surface 108 positioned above the lower surface 104 .
- the upper surface 108 of the inner wall 100 is substantially smooth.
- the hinge pin 68 is formed as a single monolithic component from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-formed steel.
- the body 74 and the circular flange 76 may be formed as separate components that are assembled. It should be appreciated that the configuration of one or more of those components of the hinge pin 68 may be modified in other embodiments. It should further be appreciated that in other embodiments one or more of the components may be made from a polymeric material, such as, for example, a rigid plastic.
- the lower hinge assembly 30 also includes a coupler body 72 that is configured to be engaged with the hinge pin 68 .
- the coupler body 72 includes an outer shell 114 formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, nylon. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the outer shell 114 may be formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-rolled steel.
- the outer shell 114 has a flange 116 that extends outwardly from a lower end 118 and a cam plate 120 that is formed on an upper end 122 .
- the lower end 118 of the coupler body 72 has a circular bottom surface 124 .
- An opening 126 is defined in the bottom surface 124 , and an inner wall 128 extends upwardly from the opening 126 to an inner surface 130 .
- the inner wall 128 and the inner surface 130 cooperate to define an aperture 132 in the outer shell 114 .
- the aperture 132 is sized to receive the upper end 84 of the hinge pin 68 , as described in greater detail below.
- the coupler body 72 of the hinge assembly 30 also includes an inner shaft 134 that extends downwardly from the inner surface 130 of the outer shell 114 .
- the shaft 134 is aligned with the center of the circular opening 126 and is sized to be received in the passageway 102 defined in the hinge pin 68 .
- the shaft 134 has an outer surface 136 that is cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the shaft 134 may be tapered or keyed to match the geometric shape of the passageway 102 .
- the coupler body 72 of the hinge assembly 30 has a plurality of ribs 138 that extend from the inner wall 128 into the aperture 132 .
- the ribs 138 are spaced apart equally around the circumference of the inner wall 128 .
- Each rib 138 has a surface 140 that engages the outer surface 88 of the cylindrical shaft 82 of the hinge pin 68 when the hinge assembly 30 is assembled.
- the surface 140 is a convex surface.
- the surface 140 may be substantially planar. It should also be appreciated that in other embodiments the ribs 138 may be omitted such that the inner wall 128 of the coupler body 72 may engage the outer surface 88 of the cylindrical shaft 82 of the hinge pin 68 when the hinge assembly 30 is assembled.
- the coupler body 72 also includes a plurality of splines 142 that extend from the inner wall 128 into the aperture 132 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the splines 142 are positioned between the ribs 138 and spaced apart equally around the circumference of the inner wall 128 . Each spline 142 is sized to be received in a corresponding slot 90 of the hinge pin 68 and has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the geometry of the slot 90 . In the illustrative embodiment, each spline 142 has a convex surface 144 that matches the concave surface 94 of each slot 90 . The number of splines 142 also corresponds to the number of slots 90 defined in the hinge pin 68 .
- the coupler body 72 has six splines 142 . Further, in the illustrative embodiment, two of the six splines are larger than the other splines such that the coupler body 72 and the hinge pin 68 are keyed and may be coupled together in one of two orientations.
- a cam plate 120 is formed on the upper end 122 of the coupler body 72 .
- the cam plate 120 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 150 , 152 that extend downwardly from a substantially-planar top surface 154 of the outer shell 114 to a base surface 156 .
- the surfaces 150 , 152 , 156 cooperate to define a groove 158 in the upper end 122 of the coupler body 72 .
- the cam plate 120 includes another pair of angled cam surfaces 160 , 162 positioned on the opposite side of the outer shell 114 (see FIG. 8 ).
- the cam surfaces 160 , 162 like the cam surfaces 150 , 152 , extend downwardly from the substantially-planar top surface 154 to a base surface 166 .
- the surfaces 160 , 162 , 166 cooperate to define a groove 168 in the upper end 122 of the coupler body 72 .
- the lower hinge assembly 30 also includes a bushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24 .
- the bushing 70 has a body 180 and a flange 182 that extends outwardly from a lower end 184 .
- the body 180 is keyed to match the passageway 238 defined in the door 24 , and includes a rib (not shown) to align the body 180 with the door 24 .
- An opening 186 is defined in a bottom surface 188 of the bushing 70 , and an inner wall 190 extends upwardly from the opening 186 to an inner surface 190 .
- the inner wall 190 of the body 180 is cylindrical, and the inner wall 190 cooperates with the inner surface 192 define a cylindrical aperture 194 in the body 180 .
- the aperture 194 is sized to receive the upper end 122 of the coupler body 72 , as described in greater detail below.
- the bushing 70 also includes a cam plate 200 that is formed on the inner surface 190 of the body 180 .
- the cam plate 200 includes a pair of wedges 202 sized to be received in the grooves 158 , 168 of the cam plate 120 of the coupler body 72 .
- Each wedge 202 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 204 , 206 .
- the body 180 of the bushing 70 has a plurality of planar outer side walls 210 .
- the body 180 has eight side walls 210 such that the outer geometry of the body 180 is octagonal. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the body 180 may have additional or fewer side walls.
- the bushing 70 is formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, acetal. In other embodiments, the bushing 70 may be formed from a metallic material such as cold-formed steel.
- the refrigerator 10 also includes a door stop bracket 214 for the right-hand door 24 .
- the door stop bracket 214 is formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, steel, but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the bracket 214 may be formed from a hard polymeric material.
- the door stop bracket 214 has a horizontally-extending flange 216 configured to be secured to the door 24 and a front flange 218 extending downwardly from the flange 216 .
- a through-hole 220 is defined in the flange 216 and is sized to receive the body 180 of the bushing 70 .
- the through-hole 220 is defined a plurality of side walls (not shown) and has an octagonal shape to match the outer geometry of the body 180 .
- the right-hand door 24 of the refrigerator 10 has a front panel 34 that is secured to a frame 222 .
- the frame 222 has a slot 224 defined in a lower end 226 thereof, and the slot 224 is sized to receive the flange 216 of the door stop bracket 214 .
- the frame 222 includes a plurality of side walls 230 and a lower wall 232 that define the slot 224 .
- the bracket 214 may be secured to the door 24 via one or more fasteners (not shown).
- the lower wall 232 of the frame 222 has an opening 234 defined therein, and a plurality of inner walls 236 extend upwardly from the opening 234 to define a passageway 238 in the frame 222 .
- the passageway 238 is sized to receive the body 180 of the bushing 70 .
- the hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 further includes an adjustment mechanism 250 configured to move the door 24 vertically relative to the cabinet 12 .
- the adjustment mechanism 250 includes a rod 252 that is sized to be positioned in the passageway 102 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the rod 252 has a plurality of external threads 254 defined on an outer surface 256 thereof.
- the external threads 254 of the rod 252 correspond to the internal threads 106 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the external threads 254 of the rod 252 engage the internal threads 106 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the threaded engagement between the rod 252 and the hinge pin 68 permits the rod 252 to be rotated about the axis 86 extending through the hinge pin 68 .
- the lower end 258 of the rod 252 has a socket 260 defined therein to receive a tool that may be used to rotate the rod 252 about the axis 86 .
- a tool that may be used to rotate the rod 252 about the axis 86 .
- the rod 252 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow 262 .
- the rod 252 is moved upward, toward the upper opening 96 .
- the rod 252 is rotated in the opposite direction, the rod 252 is moved downward, toward the lower opening 98 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the upper inner surface 108 of hinge pin 68 is smooth, the rod 252 is prevented from advancing beyond a predetermined position in the passageway 102 . In that way, the upper inner surface 108 is a travel stop 264 for the adjustment mechanism 250 .
- the hinge pin 68 may include one or more tabs, lips, or other structures to provide a mechanical stop for the adjustment mechanism 250 .
- the hinge pin 68 is attached to the mounting plate 48 .
- the tail 78 of the hinge pin 68 is aligned with the bore 58 of the mounting plate 48 .
- the hinge pin 68 is advanced downward so that the tail 78 is received in the bore 58 , and the flange 76 is moved into contact with the upper surface 50 of the mounting plate 48 .
- the tail 78 is swaged to shape the lower end 80 of the tail 78 into a circular flange 270 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the circular flange 270 is engaged with the lower surface 52 of the mounting plate 48 , and the mounting plate 48 is clamped between the flanges 76 , 270 of the hinge pin 68 to join the hinge pin 68 and the mounting plate 48 together.
- the engagement between the flanges 76 , 270 and the mounting plate 48 fix the hinge pin 68 in position and prevent the hinge pin 68 from rotating about the axis 86 .
- the hinge pin 68 may be joined to the mounting plate 48 by welding, a mechanical fastener, or other means.
- the coupler body 72 of the hinge assembly 30 is positioned above the hinge pin 68 .
- the cylindrical shaft 82 is aligned with the aperture 132 defined in the coupler body 72
- the splines 142 of the coupler body 72 are aligned with the slots 90 defined in the hinge pin 68 .
- the coupler body 72 is moved downward, and the inner shaft 134 of the coupler body 72 is advanced into the passageway 102 of the hinge pin 68 as the shaft 82 is moved into the aperture 132 . Additionally, each spline 142 is advanced into one of the slots 90 .
- the bushing 70 is positioned above the coupler body 72 such that the outer shell 114 is aligned with the aperture 194 defined in the bushing 70 .
- the bushing 70 is moved downward to position the outer shell 114 in the aperture 194 and to engage the cam plate 120 of the coupler body 72 with the cam plate 200 of the bushing 70 .
- the bushing 70 may be rotated about the longitudinal axis 86 to advance the wedges 202 of the cam plate 200 into the grooves 158 , 168 of the cam plate 120 .
- the bushing 70 may be secured to the frame 222 of the right-hand door 24 before or after the bushing 70 is attached to the coupler body 72 .
- the door 24 is positioned above the bushing 70 , and the body 180 of the bushing 70 is aligned with the passageway 238 defined the frame 222 .
- the door 24 may be moved downward (or the bushing 70 upward) to advance the bushing 70 into the passageway 238 .
- the inner walls 236 of the frame 222 engage the outer side walls 210 of the bushing 70 when the bushing 70 is attached to the door 24 , thereby preventing relative axial movement between the bushing 70 and the door 24 .
- the lower flange 182 of the bushing 70 engages the flange 216 of the door stop bracket 214 , as shown in FIG. 6 .
- the adjustment mechanism 250 may be used to change the vertical position of the door 24 .
- the rod 252 may be attached to the lower end 80 of the hinge pin 68 and a wrench or other tool may be attached to the socket 260 of the rod 252 .
- the wrench may be used to rotate the rod 252 about the axis 86 in the direction indicated by arrow 262 to move the rod 252 upward along the passageway 102 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the upper end 280 of the rod 252 is advanced into contact with the lower end 282 of the inner shaft 134 of the coupler body 72 .
- continued upward movement of the rod 252 causes the coupler body 72 , the bushing 70 , and the door 24 to move upward to the position shown in FIG. 6 .
- the front panel 34 of the right-hand door 24 has a lower end 284 positioned in front of the flange 218 of the door stop bracket 214 .
- the front panel 34 also has a bottom surface 286 that faces a top surface 288 of the drawer 20 of the refrigerator 10 .
- a gap 290 is defined between the surfaces 286 , 288 when the door 24 is attached to the hinge assembly 30 .
- the gap 290 has a magnitude 292 of approximately twelve millimeters.
- the size of the gap 290 corresponds to the vertical position of the door 24 relative to the cabinet 12 .
- the adjustment mechanism 250 may be used to move the right-hand door 24 higher or lower from the position shown in FIG. 6 , and thereby change the size of the gap 290 .
- the rod 252 may be rotated about the axis 86 in the direction indicated by arrow 262 to move the rod 252 upward along the passageway 102 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the upward movement of the rod 252 causes the coupler body 72 , the bushing 70 , and the door 24 to move upward.
- the travel stop 264 prevents further upward movement of the rod 252 .
- the gap 290 has a magnitude 292 of approximately sixteen millimeters. In that way, the door 24 may be lifted approximately three millimeters between the position shown in FIG. 6 and the position shown in FIG. 7 .
- the rod 252 When the rod 252 is rotated about the axis 86 in the direction indicated by arrow 294 , the rod 252 may be moved downward along the passageway 102 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the movement of the rod 252 causes the coupler body 72 , the bushing 70 , and the door 24 to move downward until the inner surface 130 of the coupler body 72 is advanced into contact with the upper end 84 of the hinge pin 68 , thereby preventing further downward movement of the hinge assembly 30 and the door 24 .
- the gap 290 has a magnitude of approximately ten millimeters.
- the vertical position of the door 24 relative to the drawer 20 (and hence the cabinet 12 ) may be adjusted by approximately six millimeters.
- the right-hand door 24 may be pivoted about the axis 86 to move the door 24 between the open position and the closed position.
- the cam surfaces 204 , 206 of the wedges 202 of the cam plate 200 of the bushing 70 confront the corresponding cam surfaces 150 , 152 , 160 , 162 of the cam plate 120 of the coupler body 72 .
- the door 24 is pivoted about the axis 86 as indicated by arrow 296 in FIG. 8 .
- the wedges 202 of the cam plate 200 apply a load to the cam surfaces 150 , 160 of the coupler body 72 in the direction indicated by arrows 298 in FIG. 8 .
- the load is transferred through the coupler body 72 to the hinge bracket 40 via the hinge pin 68 .
- the engagement between the splines 142 of the coupler body 72 and the slots 90 of the hinge pin 68 prevents the coupler body 72 from pivoting with the door 24 and the bushing 70 .
- the wedges 202 of the bushing 70 slide upwardly along the cam surfaces 150 , 160 of the coupler body 72 as the door 24 is pivoted about the axis 86 , thereby lifting the door 24 as the door 24 is opened.
- the door stop bracket 214 is advanced into the pocket 62 defined in the mounting plate 48 .
- the door stop bracket 214 engages the side wall 62 and the flange 64 such that further movement of the door 24 about the axis 86 is prevented.
- the wedges 202 of the bushing 70 advance along the top surfaces 154 of the cam plate 120 of the coupler body 72 and then downward along the cam surfaces 150 , 160 of the lower cam plate 120 such that the door 24 is lowered as the door 24 is moved to the closed position.
- the refrigerator 10 also includes a left-hand door 26 that is hinged to the front of the cabinet 12 via an upper hinge assembly 28 and a lower hinge assembly 36 .
- the lower hinge assembly 36 is configured to be secured to a hinge bracket 340 .
- the hinge bracket 340 is formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, steel, and is sized to support the weight of the left-hand door 26 .
- the hinge bracket 340 like the hinge bracket 40 , includes a vertical flange 342 configured to be attached to the front wall 44 of the cabinet 12 via a plurality of bolts (not shown), which extend through holes 46 formed in the flange 342 and engage the cabinet 12 .
- the hinge bracket 340 also includes a mounting plate 348 that extends horizontally from the flange 342 .
- the mounting plate 348 of the hinge bracket 340 extends outwardly from the cabinet 12 when the bracket 340 is secured to the cabinet 12 .
- the mounting plate 348 has an upper surface 350 and a lower surface 352 positioned opposite the upper surface 350 .
- an opening 354 is defined in the upper surface 350 of the mounting plate 348 , and an inner wall 356 extends downwardly from the opening 354 to define a bore 358 through the mounting plate 348 .
- the opening 354 is circular, and the bore 358 is substantially cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the opening may be oblong, square, or other geometric shapes.
- the lower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 includes a hinge pin 368 configured to be secured to the hinge bracket 340 , a bushing 70 configured to be secured to the left-hand door 26 , and a coupler body 72 positioned between the hinge pin 368 and the bushing 70 .
- the hinge pin 368 has a body 374 and a flange 376 that extends outwardly from the body 374 .
- the body 374 has a tail 378 that extends downwardly from the flange 376 to a lower end 380 .
- the tail 378 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the bore 358 of the mounting plate 348 .
- the tail 378 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that the tail 378 may be received in the bore 358 .
- the body 374 of the hinge pin 368 includes a cylindrical shaft 382 , which extends upwardly from the flange 376 to an upper end 384 .
- the shaft 382 defines a vertically-extending longitudinal axis 386 of the hinge pin 368 , and the left-hand door 26 is configured to pivot about the axis 86 between the open and closed positions when the hinge assembly 36 and the door 26 are assembled (see FIG. 10 ).
- the shaft 382 of the pin body 374 has an outer surface 388 and a plurality of grooves or slots 390 defined in the outer surface 388 . As shown in FIG. 9 , each slot 390 has an opening 392 defined in the upper end 384 of the body 374 .
- a concave surface 394 extends downwardly from each opening 392 and inwardly from the outer surface 388 to define each slot 390 .
- the slots 390 extend parallel to the axis 86 and are spaced equally apart from one another around the outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft 382 .
- the hinge pin 368 includes six slots 390 , but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the hinge pin 368 may include additional or fewer slots.
- the body 374 of the hinge pin 368 has an opening 396 defined in the upper end 384 and another opening 398 defined in the lower end 380 .
- An inner wall 400 extends between the openings 396 , 398 to define a cylindrical passageway 402 through the hinge pin 368 .
- the surface 404 of the inner wall 400 is substantially smooth.
- the lower hinge assembly 36 also includes a coupler body 72 that is configured to be engaged with the hinge pin 368 .
- the coupler body 72 used in the lower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 is identical to the coupler body 72 used in the lower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 .
- the bushing 70 used in the lower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 is identical to the bushing 70 used in the lower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 .
- the refrigerator 10 also includes a door stop bracket 414 for the left-hand door 26 .
- the door stop bracket 414 has a horizontally-extending flange 416 configured to be secured to the door 24 and a front flange 418 extending downwardly from the flange 416 .
- a through-hole 420 is defined in the flange 416 and, like the through-hole 220 of the door stop bracket 214 , is sized to receive the body 180 of the bushing 70 .
- the through-hole 420 is defined a plurality of side walls (not shown) and has an octagonal shape to match the outer geometry of the body 180 .
- the left-hand door 26 of the refrigerator 10 has a front panel 38 that is secured to a frame 422 .
- the frame 422 has a slot 424 defined in a lower end 426 thereof that is sized to receive the flange 416 of the door stop bracket 414 .
- the frame 422 includes a plurality of side walls 430 and a lower wall 432 that define the slot 424 .
- the bracket 414 may be secured to the door 26 via one or more fasteners (not shown).
- the lower wall 432 of the frame 422 has an opening 434 defined therein, and a plurality of inner walls 436 define a passageway 438 in the frame 422 .
- the passageway 438 is sized to receive the body 180 of the bushing 70 .
- the hinge pin 368 is attached to the mounting plate 348 .
- the tail 378 of the hinge pin 368 is aligned with the bore 358 of the mounting plate 348 .
- the hinge pin 368 is advanced downward so that the tail 378 is received in the bore 358 , and the flange 376 is moved into contact with the upper surface 350 of the mounting plate 348 .
- the tail 378 is swaged to shape the lower end 380 of the tail 378 into a circular flange 470 , as shown in FIG. 10 .
- the circular flange 470 is engaged with the lower surface 352 of the mounting plate 348 .
- the mounting plate 348 is clamped between the flanges 376 , 470 of the hinge pin 368 , thereby joining the hinge pin 368 and the mounting plate 348 together. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the hinge pin 368 may be joined to the mounting plate 348 by welding, a mechanical fastener, or other means.
- the coupler body 72 of the hinge assembly 30 is positioned above the hinge pin 368 .
- the cylindrical shaft 382 of the hinge pin 368 is aligned with the aperture 132 defined in the coupler body 72
- the splines 142 of the coupler body 72 are aligned with the slots 390 defined in the hinge pin 368 .
- the coupler body 72 is moved downward, and the inner shaft 134 of the coupler body 72 is advanced into the passageway 402 of the hinge pin 368 as the shaft 382 of the hinge pin 368 is received in the aperture 132 . Additionally, the each spline 142 of the coupler body 72 is advanced into one of the slots 390 .
- the bushing 70 may be attached to the coupler body 72 as described above. It should be appreciated that the bushing 70 may be secured to the frame 422 of the left-hand door 26 before or after the bushing 70 is attached to the coupler body 72 . To do so, the door 26 is positioned above the bushing 70 such that the body 180 of the bushing 70 is aligned with the passageway 438 defined the frame 422 . The door 26 may be moved downward (or the bushing 70 upward) to advance the bushing 70 into the passageway 438 . As described above, the inner walls 436 of the frame 422 engage the outer side walls 210 of the bushing 70 when the bushing 70 is attached to the door 26 , thereby preventing relative axial movement between the bushing 70 and the door 26 . When the door 26 is properly seated on the bushing 70 , the lower flange 182 of the bushing 70 engages the flange 416 of the door stop bracket 414 , as shown in FIG. 10 .
- the front panel 38 of the left-hand door 26 has a lower end 484 positioned in front of the flange 418 of the door stop bracket 414 .
- the front panel 38 also has a bottom surface 486 that faces a top surface 288 of the drawer 20 of the refrigerator 10 .
- a gap 490 is defined between the surfaces 486 , 288 when the door 26 is attached to the hinge assembly 36 . As shown in FIG. 10 , the gap 490 has a magnitude 492 of approximately thirteen millimeters.
- the left-hand door 26 may be pivoted about the axis 386 to move the door 26 between the closed position and the open position.
- the door 26 is pivoted about the axis 386 and a load is applied to the coupler body 72 by the cam plate 200 of the bushing 70 .
- the engagement between the splines 142 of the coupler body 72 and the slots 390 of the hinge pin 368 prevents the coupler body 72 from pivoting with the door 26 and the bushing 70 .
- the interaction between the coupler body 72 and the bushing 70 lifts the door 26 as the door 26 is moved between positions.
- FIGS. 11-14 another embodiment of a lower hinge assembly (hereinafter lower hinge assembly 530 ) is illustrated.
- Some features of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 11-14 are substantially similar to those discussed above in reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9 . Such features are designated in FIGS. 11-14 with the same reference numbers as those used in FIGS. 1-9 .
- the lower hinge assembly 530 is configured to be secured to a hinge bracket 40 .
- the hinge bracket 40 includes a vertical flange 42 and a mounting plate 48 that extends horizontally from the flange 42 .
- the mounting plate 48 has an upper surface 50 and a lower surface 52 positioned opposite the upper surface 50 .
- An opening 54 is defined in the upper surface 50 of the mounting plate 48 , and an inner wall 56 extends downwardly from the opening 54 to define a bore 58 through the mounting plate 48 .
- the lower hinge assembly 530 includes a hinge pin 568 configured to be secured to the hinge bracket 40 , a bushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24 , and a coupler body 572 positioned between the hinge pin 568 and the bushing 70 .
- the hinge pin 568 has a body 574 and a circular flange 76 that extends outwardly from the body 574 .
- the body 574 has a tail 78 that extends downwardly from the circular flange 76 to a lower end 80 .
- the tail 78 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the bore 58 of the mounting plate 48 .
- the tail 78 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that the tail 78 may be received in the bore 58 .
- the body 574 of the hinge pin 568 includes a cylindrical shaft 582 , which extends upwardly from the circular flange 76 to an upper end 584 .
- the shaft 582 defines a vertically-extending longitudinal axis 86 of the hinge pin 568 .
- the right-hand door 24 is configured to pivot about the axis 86 to move between the closed position and the open position when the hinge assembly 30 and the door 24 are assembled.
- the shaft 582 of the pin body 574 has an outer surface 588 that includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces 590 , 592 and a pair of convex surfaces 594 , 596 .
- the surfaces 594 , 596 extend between the surfaces 590 , 592 and connect the surfaces 590 , 592 to one another.
- the body 574 of the hinge pin 568 has an opening 600 defined in the upper end 584 and another opening 602 defined in the lower end 80 .
- An inner wall 604 extends between the openings 600 , 602 to define a cylindrical passageway 606 through the hinge pin 568 .
- the inner wall 604 of the body 574 includes a lower surface 104 having a number of internal threads 106 defined therein and an upper surface 610 positioned above the lower surface 104 .
- the upper surface 610 of the inner wall 604 is tapered and substantially smooth.
- the hinge pin 568 is formed as a single monolithic component from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-formed steel.
- the body 574 and the circular flange 76 may be formed as separate components that are assembled. It should be appreciated that the configuration of one or more of those components of the hinge pin 568 may be modified in other embodiments. It should further be appreciated that in other embodiments one or more of the components may be made from a polymeric material, such as, for example, a rigid plastic.
- the lower hinge assembly 530 also includes a coupler body 572 that is configured to be engaged with the hinge pin 568 .
- the coupler body 572 includes an outer shell 614 formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, nylon. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the outer shell 614 may be formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-rolled steel.
- the outer shell 614 has a flange 116 that extends outwardly from a lower end 618 and a cam plate 120 that is formed on an upper end 122 .
- the lower end 618 of the coupler body 72 has a circular bottom surface 624 .
- An opening 626 is defined in the bottom surface 624 , and an inner wall 628 extends upwardly from the opening 626 to an inner surface 630 .
- the inner wall 628 and the inner surface 630 cooperate to define an aperture 632 in the outer shell 614 .
- the aperture 632 is sized to receive the upper end 584 of the hinge pin 568 , as described in greater detail below.
- the coupler body 572 of the hinge assembly 530 also includes an inner shaft 634 that extends downwardly from the inner surface 630 of the outer shell 614 .
- the shaft 634 is aligned with the center of the circular opening 626 and is sized to be received in the passageway 606 defined in the hinge pin 568 .
- the shaft 634 has an outer surface 636 that is tapered and has a plurality of longitudinal grooves 638 defined therein. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the shaft 634 may be cylindrical or keyed to match the geometric shape of the passageway 606 .
- the coupler body 72 of the hinge assembly 530 has a plurality of ribs 640 that extend from the inner wall 628 into the aperture 632 .
- the ribs 640 are spaced apart around the circumference of the inner wall 628 .
- Each rib 640 has a surface 642 that engages one of the pair of convex surfaces of 594 , 596 of the hinge pin 568 when the hinge assembly 530 is assembled.
- the surface 642 of the rib 640 is a convex surface. In other embodiments, the surface 642 may be substantially planar.
- the ribs 640 may be omitted such that the inner wall 628 of the coupler body 572 may engage the convex surfaces of 594 , 596 of the hinge pin 68 when the hinge assembly 530 is assembled.
- the inner wall 628 of the coupler body 572 has a pair of substantially planar surfaces 650 , 652 . As shown in FIG. 13 , the surfaces 650 , 652 are positioned on opposite sides of the inner shaft 634 . The surfaces 650 , 652 are configured to engage the surfaces 590 , 592 , respectively, of the hinge pin 568 . The number of substantially planar surfaces formed on the coupler body 572 corresponds to the number of substantially planar surfaces formed on the hinge pin 568 .
- a cam plate 120 is formed on the upper end 122 of the coupler body 572 .
- the cam plate 120 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 150 , 152 that extend downwardly from a substantially-planar top surface 154 of the outer shell 114 to a base surface 156 . As shown in FIG. 14 , the surfaces 150 , 152 , 156 cooperate to define a groove 158 in the upper end 122 of the coupler body 72 .
- the cam plate 120 includes another pair of angled cam surfaces 160 , 162 positioned on the opposite side of the outer shell 614 .
- the cam surfaces 160 , 162 like the cam surfaces 150 , 152 , extend downwardly from the substantially-planar top surface 154 to a base surface 166 .
- the surfaces 160 , 162 , 166 cooperate to define a groove 168 in the upper end 122 of the coupler body 572 .
- the lower hinge assembly 530 also includes a bushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24 .
- the bushing 70 has a body 180 and a flange 182 that extends outwardly from a lower end 184 .
- the bushing 70 has a cylindrical aperture 194 defined therein that is sized to receive the upper end 122 of the coupler body 572 .
- the bushing 70 also includes a cam plate 200 that is formed on the inner surface 190 of the body 180 .
- the cam plate 200 includes a pair of wedges 202 sized to be received in the grooves 158 , 168 of the cam plate 120 of the coupler body 572 .
- Each wedge 202 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 204 , 206 .
- the door 24 has a front panel 34 that is secured to a frame 222 .
- the refrigerator 10 also includes a door stop bracket 214 for the right-hand door 24 that is secured to the frame 222 via one or more fasteners (not shown).
- the frame 222 includes a passageway 238 that is sized to receive the body 180 of the bushing 70 .
- the hinge assembly 530 further includes an adjustment mechanism 680 configured to move the door 24 vertically relative to the cabinet 12 .
- the adjustment mechanism 680 includes a rod 252 that is sized to be positioned in the passageway 606 of the hinge pin 568 .
- the rod 252 has a plurality of external threads 254 defined on an outer surface 256 thereof.
- the external threads 254 of the rod 252 correspond to the internal threads 106 of the hinge pin 568 .
- the external threads 254 of the rod 252 engage the internal threads 106 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the threaded engagement between the rod 252 and the hinge pin 68 permits the rod 252 to be rotated about the axis 86 extending through the hinge pin 68 .
- the lower end 258 of the rod 252 has a socket 260 defined therein to receive a tool that may be used to rotate the rod 252 about the axis 86 .
- the rod 252 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow 262 , the rod 252 is moved upward, toward the upper opening 600 .
- the rod 252 is rotated in the opposite direction, the rod 252 is moved downward, toward the lower opening 602 of the hinge pin 568 .
- the upper inner surface 610 of hinge pin 568 is smooth and tapered, the rod 252 is prevented from advancing beyond a predetermined position in the passageway 606 . In that way, the upper inner surface 610 is a travel stop 682 for the adjustment mechanism 680 .
- the hinge pin 568 may include one or more tabs, lips, or other structures to provide a mechanical stop for the adjustment mechanism 680 .
- the right-hand door 24 may be pivoted about the axis 86 to move the door 24 between the open position and the closed position.
- the cam surfaces 204 , 206 of the wedges 202 of the cam plate 200 of the bushing 70 confront the corresponding cam surfaces 150 , 152 , 160 , 162 of the cam plate 120 of the coupler body 572 .
- the door 24 is opened, the door 24 is pivoted about the axis 86 as indicated by arrow 296 in FIG. 14 .
- the wedges 202 of the cam plate 200 apply a load to the cam surfaces 150 , 160 of the coupler body 572 in the direction indicated by arrows 298 in FIG. 14 .
- the load is transferred through the coupler body 572 to the hinge bracket 40 via the hinge pin 568 .
- the engagement between the surfaces 650 , 652 of the coupler body 572 and the surfaces 590 , 592 , respectively, of the hinge pin 568 prevents the coupler body 572 from pivoting with the door 24 and the bushing 70 .
- the wedges 202 of the bushing 70 slide upwardly along the cam surfaces 150 , 160 of the coupler body 572 as the door 24 is pivoted about the axis 86 , thereby lifting the door 24 as the door 24 is opened.
- the wedges 202 of the bushing 70 advance along the top surfaces 154 of the cam plate 120 of the coupler body 572 and then downward along the cam surfaces 150 , 160 of the lower cam plate 120 such that the door 24 is lowered as the door 24 is moved to the closed position.
- FIGS. 15-20 another embodiment of a lower hinge assembly (hereinafter lower hinge assembly 700 ) is illustrated.
- Some features of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 15-20 are substantially similar to those discussed above in reference to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9 . Such features are designated in FIGS. 15-20 with the same reference numbers as those used in FIGS. 1-9 .
- the lower hinge assembly 700 is configured to be secured to a hinge bracket 40 .
- the hinge bracket 40 includes a vertical flange 42 and a mounting plate 48 that extends horizontally from the flange 42 .
- the mounting plate 48 has an upper surface 50 and a lower surface 52 positioned opposite the upper surface 50 .
- An opening 54 is defined in the upper surface 50 of the mounting plate 48 , and an inner wall 56 extends downwardly from the opening 54 to define a bore 58 through the mounting plate 48 .
- the lower hinge assembly 700 includes a hinge pin 68 configured to be secured to the hinge bracket 40 , a closer assembly 702 configured to be coupled to the door 24 , a coupler body 704 configured to be coupled to the hinge bracket 40 and the closer assembly 702 , and a spacer 706 .
- the coupler body 704 configured to be positioned between the spacer 706 and the closer assembly 702 , as described in greater detail below.
- the spacer 706 is configured to be positioned above the flange 76 of the hinge pin 68 to vertically offset the coupler body 74 from the flange 76 .
- the hinge pin 68 has a body 74 and a circular flange 76 that extends outwardly from the body 74 .
- the body 74 has a tail 78 that extends downwardly from the circular flange 76 to a lower end 80 .
- the tail 78 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the bore 58 of the mounting plate 48 .
- the tail 78 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that the tail 78 may be received in the bore 58 .
- the body 74 of the hinge pin 68 includes a cylindrical shaft 82 , which extends upwardly from the circular flange 76 to an upper end 84 .
- the shaft 82 defines a vertically-extending longitudinal axis 86 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the right-hand door 24 is configured to pivot about the axis 86 to move between the closed position and the open position when the hinge assembly 700 and the door 24 are assembled.
- the shaft 82 of the pin body 74 has an outer surface 88 and a plurality of grooves or slots 90 defined in the outer surface 88 . As shown in FIG. 16 , each slot 90 has an opening 92 defined in the upper end 84 of the body 74 .
- a concave surface 94 extends downwardly from each opening 92 and inwardly from the outer surface 88 to define each slot 90 .
- the slots 90 extend parallel to the axis 86 and are spaced apart equally from one another around the outer circumference of the cylindrical shaft 82 .
- the hinge pin 68 includes six slots 90 , but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments the hinge pin 68 may include additional or fewer slots.
- the body 74 of the hinge pin 68 has an opening 96 defined in the upper end 84 and another opening 98 defined in the lower end 80 .
- An inner wall 100 extends between the openings 96 , 98 to define a cylindrical passageway 102 through the hinge pin 68 .
- the inner wall 100 of the body 74 includes a lower surface 104 having a number of internal threads 106 defined therein and an upper surface 108 that is positioned above the lower surface 104 .
- the upper surface 108 of the inner wall 100 is substantially smooth.
- the hinge pin 68 is formed as a single monolithic component from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-formed steel.
- the body 74 and the circular flange 76 may be formed as separate components that are assembled. It should be appreciated that the configuration of one or more of those components of the hinge pin 68 may be modified in other embodiments. It should further be appreciated that in other embodiments one or more of the components may be made from a polymeric material, such as, for example, a rigid plastic.
- the lower hinge assembly 700 also includes a coupler body 704 that is configured to be engaged with the hinge pin 68 .
- the coupler body 704 includes an outer shell 114 formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, nylon. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the outer shell 114 may be formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-rolled steel.
- the outer shell 114 has a flange 116 that extends outwardly from a lower end 118 and an opening 708 defined in an upper end 710 .
- the lower end 118 of the coupler body 704 has a circular bottom surface 124 .
- An opening 126 is defined in the bottom surface 124 , and an inner wall 128 extends upwardly from the opening 126 to an inner surface 130 .
- the inner wall 128 and the inner surface 130 cooperate to define an aperture 132 in the outer shell 114 .
- the aperture 132 is sized to receive the upper end 84 of the hinge pin 68 , as described in greater detail below.
- the coupler body 704 of the lower hinge assembly 700 also includes an inner shaft 134 that extends downwardly from the inner surface 130 of the outer shell 114 .
- the shaft 134 is aligned with the center of the circular opening 126 and is sized to be received in the passageway 102 defined in the hinge pin 68 .
- the shaft 134 has an outer surface 136 that is cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the shaft 134 may be tapered or keyed to match the geometric shape of the passageway 102 .
- the coupler body 704 also includes a plurality of splines 142 that extend from the inner wall 128 into the aperture 132 . As shown in FIG. 17 , the splines 142 are positioned between ribs 138 and spaced apart equally around the circumference of the inner wall 128 . Each spline 142 is sized to be received in a corresponding slot 90 of the hinge pin 68 and has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the geometry of the slot 90 . In the illustrative embodiment, each spline 142 has a convex surface 144 that matches the concave surface 94 of each slot 90 . The number of splines 142 also corresponds to the number of slots 90 defined in the hinge pin 68 .
- the coupler body 704 has six splines 142 . Further, in the illustrative embodiment, two of the six splines are larger than the other splines such that the coupler body 704 and the hinge pin 68 are keyed and may be coupled together in one of two orientations.
- the coupler body 704 has the opening 708 is formed in the upper end 710 thereof, as shown in FIG. 16 .
- the upper end 710 of the coupler body 704 has a circular top surface 714 .
- An inner wall 716 extends downwardly from the opening 708 to define an aperture 712 in the coupler body 704 .
- the aperture 712 includes an upper chamber 718 and a lower chamber 720 having a smaller cross-sectional diameter than the upper chamber 718 .
- the aperture 712 is sized to receive a portion of a shaft 722 of the closer assembly 702 .
- the coupler body 704 also includes a plurality of splines 724 that extend from the inner wall 716 into the upper chamber 718 of the aperture 712 .
- a slot 726 is defined between each pair of splines 724 .
- the splines 724 are spaced apart equally around the circumference of the inner wall 716 , and each spline 724 has a convex surface 728 .
- the coupler body 704 has six splines 724 extending into the upper chamber 718 .
- the lower hinge assembly 700 also includes a closer assembly 702 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24 .
- the closer assembly 702 includes a shaft 722 that is configured to engage the coupler body 704 .
- the shaft 722 has a base 730 and an alignment pin 732 that extends downwardly from the base 730 .
- the base 730 has a plurality of slots 734 defined therein that correspond to the splines 724 of the coupler body 704 .
- a spline 736 is defined between each slot 734 , which corresponds to each slot 726 defined in the coupler body 704 .
- the slots 734 of the shaft 722 receive and confront the splines 724 of the coupler body 704 and the slots 726 of the coupler body 704 receive and confront the splines 736 of the shaft 722 . In that way, relative axial movement between the shaft 722 and the coupler body 704 is prevented.
- the base 730 of the shaft 722 and the coupler body 704 may be keyed with a different geometrical shape.
- the shaft 722 of the closer assembly 702 is secured to an adaptor 738 positioned in a housing 740 .
- the housing 740 includes a casing 742 that extends from a lower end 744 of the housing 740 to an upper end 746 thereof.
- the housing 740 also includes an arm 748 that extends outwardly from the casing 742 at the lower end 744 of the housing 740 .
- An opening 750 is defined in the lower end 744 of the housing 740 , and the casing 742 includes a number of inner walls 752 that extend upwardly from the opening 750 to define an aperture 754 in the casing 742 .
- the adaptor 738 of the closer assembly 702 is positioned in the aperture 754 and is configured to pivot relative to the casing 742 about the axis 86 defined by the hinge pin 68 .
- the closer assembly 702 includes a biasing element, such as, for example, torsional spring 756 , that is configured to resist the rotation of the adaptor 738 (and hence shaft 722 ) about the axis 86 .
- the spring 756 has an upper end 758 that is fixed to the casing 742 and a lower end 760 secured to the adaptor 738 .
- the door 24 has a front panel 34 that is secured to a frame 762 .
- the refrigerator 10 also includes a door stop bracket 214 for the right-hand door 24 that is secured to the frame 762 via one or more fasteners (not shown).
- the frame 762 includes the passageway 238 that is sized to receive the casing 742 of the housing 740 .
- the casing 742 has a plurality of ribs 766 formed thereon that are sized to be received in a corresponding plurality of slots 768 defined in the frame 762 .
- Each rib 766 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the geometry of a corresponding slot 768 , and the number of ribs 766 also corresponds to the number of slots 768 defined in the frame 762 . In that way, relative axial movement between the casing 742 and the door 24 is prevented. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the casing 742 and the door 24 may be keyed with a different geometrical shape.
- the hinge assembly 700 further includes an adjustment mechanism 250 configured to move the door 24 vertically relative to the cabinet 12 .
- the adjustment mechanism 250 includes a rod 252 that is sized to be positioned in the passageway 102 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the rod 252 has a plurality of external threads 254 defined on an outer surface 256 thereof.
- the external threads 254 of the rod 252 correspond to the internal threads 106 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the external threads 254 of the rod 252 engage the internal threads 106 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the threaded engagement between the rod 252 and the hinge pin 68 permits the rod 252 to be rotated about the axis 86 extending through the hinge pin 68 .
- a lower end 258 of the rod 252 has a socket 260 defined therein to receive a tool that may be used to rotate the rod 252 about the axis 86 .
- the rod 252 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow 772 , the rod 252 is moved upward, toward the upper opening 96 as shown in FIG. 18 .
- the rod 252 is moved downward, toward the lower opening 98 of the hinge pin 68 as shown in FIG. 19 .
- the upper inner surface 108 of hinge pin 68 is smooth and tapered as shown in FIG. 15 .
- the rod 252 is prevented from advancing beyond a predetermined position in the passageway 102 .
- the upper inner surface 108 is a travel stop 774 for the adjustment mechanism 250 .
- the hinge pin 68 may include one or more tabs, lips, or other structures to provide a mechanical stop for the adjustment mechanism 250 .
- the right-hand door 24 may be pivoted about the axis 86 to move the door 24 between the open position and the closed position.
- the splines 142 of the coupler body 704 confront the corresponding slots 90 of the hinge pin 68 .
- the splines 724 of the coupler body 704 are received in the corresponding slots 734 and confront the splines 736 of the shaft 722 .
- the door 24 is pivoted about the axis 86 as indicated by arrow 776 in FIG. 20 .
- the splines 142 of the coupler body 704 apply a load to the slots 90 of the hinge pin 68 in the direction indicated by arrow 780 in FIG. 20 .
- the splines 724 of the coupler body 704 apply a load to the slots 734 and the splines 736 of the shaft 722 in the direction indicated by arrow 782 .
- the load is transferred through the coupler body 704 to the hinge bracket 40 via the hinge pin 68 .
- the engagement between the surfaces 128 , 138 of the coupler body 704 and the surfaces 90 , 92 , respectively, of the hinge pin 68 prevents the coupler body 572 from pivoting with the door 24 .
- the engagement between the splines 724 , 736 of the coupler body 572 and the shaft 722 prevents the shaft 722 from pivoting with the door.
- the bias exerted by the spring 756 of the closer assembly 702 is overcome and the door 24 is pivoted about the axis 86 .
- the spring 756 urges the door to return to the closed position.
- the left-hand door may have an adjustable hinge assembly operable to raise and lower the left-hand door relative to the cabinet.
- the right-hand door may have a fixed hinge assembly that does not permit the right-hand door to be raised and lowered when the door is in the closed position.
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Abstract
A domestic appliance includes a cabinet with a door positioned at a front of the cabinet, a closer assembly secured to the door, a mounting bracket coupled to the front of the cabinet, a hinge pin extending upwardly from the mounting bracket, and a coupler body. The closer assembly includes a downwardly-extending shaft. The coupler body has a first inner sidewall defining a lower aperture that receives an upper end of the hinge pin, and a second inner sidewall defining an upper aperture that receives a lower end of the shaft. The shaft of the closer assembly has a first plurality of splines formed thereon, and the second inner sidewall of the coupler body has a second plurality of splines formed thereon. The second plurality of splines of the coupler body engages the first plurality of splines of the shaft.
Description
- This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/428,031 entitled “HINGE ASSEMBLY FOR A DOMESTIC REFIGERATOR,” by Daryl Reuter et al., which was filed on Mar. 23, 2012, and U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 13/428,067 entitled “ADJUSTABLE HINGE ASSEMBLY FOR A DOMESTIC REFIGERATOR,” which was filed by Julie Mann et al. which was filed on Mar. 23, 2012, both of which are assigned to the same assignee and which are hereby incorporated by reference.
- The present disclosure relates generally to a domestic refrigerator and more particularly to a hinge assembly for a door of a domestic refrigerator.
- A domestic refrigerator is a device used to store food items in a home at preset temperatures. A domestic refrigerator typically includes one or more temperature-controlled compartments into which food items may be placed to preserve the food items for later consumption. A domestic refrigerator also typically includes a door that permits user access to the temperature-controlled compartment defined in the refrigerator cabinet. The door may be mounted to the cabinet via a hinge assembly.
- According to one aspect of the disclosure, a domestic refrigerator is disclosed. The domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door positioned at a front of the cabinet. The door is operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted. The domestic refrigerator also includes a cam plate coupled to the door, and the cam plate includes a first cam surface. The domestic refrigerator has a coupler body including a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface, a lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body. A hinge pin defines the axis of rotation and includes a cylindrical shaft having an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body and a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the cylindrical shaft. A plurality of splines extend inwardly from the inner wall of the coupler body, and each spline is received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically relative to the cabinet between a first position and a second position. In some embodiments, the cylindrical shaft of the hinge pin may have a passageway defined therein, and the adjustment mechanism may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway of the cylindrical shaft. The threaded rod may have an upper end engaged with the coupler body.
- In some embodiments, the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface. The central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the cylindrical shaft and engaged with the upper end of the threaded rod.
- Additionally, in some embodiments, the threaded rod may have a plurality of outer threads, and the cylindrical shaft of the hinge pin may include an inner wall that defines the passageway therethrough. The inner wall of the cylindrical shaft may have a plurality of inner threads defined therein that are engaged with the outer threads of the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction may cause upward movement of the coupler body and the door, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction may cause downward movement of the coupler body and the door.
- In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism may include a stop configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door. In some embodiments, the stop may include a substantially smooth section of the inner wall of the cylindrical shaft. The substantially smooth section may be positioned above the plurality of inner threads. In some embodiments, a distance may be defined between the first position and the second position of the door. The distance may be approximately three millimeters.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may further include a bushing has the cam plate. The door may include a frame and a front panel secured to the frame, and the bushing may be coupled to the frame and positioned behind the front panel. Additionally, in some embodiments, the bushing may include a bottom surface having an opening defined therein, an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to an inner surface including the first cam surface, and an aperture defined by the inner wall and the inner surface. The coupler body may have an upper end positioned in the aperture of the bushing. In some embodiments, the plurality of splines may include six splines extending from the inner wall of the coupler body.
- According to another aspect, a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted. The domestic refrigerator also includes a hinge assembly including a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position. The adjustment mechanism includes a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin, and a stop positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin. The threaded rod is configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door. The stop is configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
- In some embodiments, the hinge assembly may include a bushing secured to the door, and a coupler body coupled to the hinge pin. The bushing may include a first cam surface, and the coupler body may include a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface. In some embodiments, the coupler body may include a lower surface positioned opposite the second cam surface. The lower surface may have an opening defined therein and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to an inner surface. The inner wall and the inner surface may define an aperture in the coupler body, and an upper end of the hinge pin may be positioned in the aperture defined in the coupler body.
- Additionally, in some embodiments, the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface. The central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin and engaged with an upper end of the threaded rod. In some embodiments, the hinge pin may include a longitudinal slot defined in an outer surface thereof, and the coupler body may include a spline extending from the inner wall thereof. The spline may be received in the longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- In some embodiments, the longitudinal slot may include at least six longitudinal slots, and the spline may include at least six splines extending from the inner wall of the coupler body. Each of the splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may further include a first bracket secured to the door, and the first bracket may include a first flange coupled to the door and a second flange extending downwardly from the first flange. The domestic refrigerator may also include a second bracket including a mounting plate having the hinge pin secured thereto, and a side wall extending upwardly from an upper surface of the mounting plate. The second flange may be engaged with the side wall of the second bracket when the door is in the open position.
- According to another aspect, a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, a pair of doors positioned at a front of the cabinet, and a pair of cam plates. Each cam plate is secured to one of the pair of doors and includes a lower cam surface. The domestic refrigerator also includes a pair of coupler bodies, and each coupler body has an upper cam surface configured to engage with the lower cam surface of one of the pair of doors, and an aperture defined therein. The domestic refrigerator includes a first hinge pin and a second hinge pin. The first hinge pin has a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in an outer surface thereof, and an upper end positioned in a first coupler body of the pair of coupler bodies. The second hinge pin has a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in an outer surface thereof, and an upper end positioned in a second coupler body of the pair of coupler bodies. The first coupler body includes a plurality of splines that are received in the plurality of longitudinal slots of the first hinge pin, and the second coupler body includes a plurality of splines that are received in the plurality of longitudinal slots of the second hinge pin.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may further include a threaded rod engaged with the first coupler body. The first hinge pin may have an inner wall extending between an upper opening and a lower opening to define a passageway therethrough. The inner wall may have a plurality of threads defined therein engaged with the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction may cause upward movement of the coupler body and a first door of the pair of doors, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction may cause downward movement of the coupler body and the first door. The second hinge pin may have a substantially smooth inner wall extending between an upper opening and a lower opening to define a passageway therethrough.
- According to another aspect, the domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted. The domestic refrigerator also includes a cam plate coupled to the door that includes a first cam surface, and a coupler body having a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface, a lower surface positioned opposite the second cam surface, the lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body. A hinge pin defines the axis of rotation. The hinge pin has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body, and the upper end includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces and a pair of convex surfaces connecting the pair of substantially planar surfaces. The inner wall of the coupler body has a pair of substantially planar surfaces engaged with the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the hinge pin to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- In some embodiments, the hinge pin may have a passageway defined therein, the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface. The central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin. In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position relative to the cabinet.
- Additionally, in some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin. The threaded rod may have an upper end engaged with the lower end of the central shaft of the coupler body. In some embodiments, the threaded rod may have a plurality of outer threads, and the hinge pin may include an inner wall that defines the passageway therethrough. The inner wall may have a plurality of inner threads defined therein that are engaged with the outer threads of the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction may cause upward movement of the coupler body and the door, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction may cause downward movement of the coupler body and the door.
- According to another aspect, the domestic refrigerator includes a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation, a cam plate coupled to the door that includes a first cam surface, and a coupler body. The coupler body has a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface, a lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body. The inner wall includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces. A hinge pin defines the axis of rotation. The hinge pin has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body. The upper end includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces engaged with the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the coupler body to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation. The domestic refrigerator also includes a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin and engaged with the coupler body. The threaded rod is configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door.
- In some embodiments, the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface. The inner wall and the inner surface may define the aperture in the coupler body, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface. The central shaft may have a lower end positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin and engaged with an upper end of the threaded rod.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may include a stop positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin. The stop may be configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position.
- In some embodiments, the upper end of the hinge pin may include a pair of convex surfaces that connect the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the hinge pin, and the coupler body may include a plurality of ribs extending inwardly from the inner wall. The plurality of ribs may bee engaged with the pair of convex surfaces of the hinge pin.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may include a bushing secured to the door. The bushing may include a bottom surface having an opening defined therein, an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to an inner surface that includes the first cam surface, and the aperture may be defined by the inner wall and the inner surface. The coupler body may have an upper end positioned in the aperture of the bushing. The upper end of the coupler body may include the second cam surface.
- According to another aspect, a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is prevented and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted. The domestic refrigerator also includes a bushing secured to the door and a coupler body. The bushing has an aperture defined therein, and a first cam surface positioned in the aperture. The coupler body has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the bushing, and the upper end includes a second cam surface engaged with the first cam surface. The coupler body also has a lower surface having an opening defined therein, and an inner wall extending upwardly from the opening to define an aperture in the coupler body. The inner wall includes a pair of substantially planar surfaces. A hinge pin defines the axis of rotation. The hinge pin has an upper end positioned in the aperture of the coupler body, the upper end including a pair of substantially planar surfaces engaged with the pair of substantially planar surfaces of the coupler body to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- In some embodiments, the inner wall of the coupler body may extend upwardly from the opening to an inner surface. The inner wall and the inner surface may define the aperture in the coupler body, and the coupler body may include a central shaft that extends downwardly from the inner surface. The central shaft may have a lower end positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position relative to the cabinet. Additionally, in some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin and engaged with the lower end of the coupler body. The threaded rod may be configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door.
- According to another aspect, a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein and a door positioned at a front of the cabinet. The door is operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is limited and an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted. The domestic refrigerator also includes a closer assembly including a base secured to the door and a downwardly-extending shaft moveably coupled to the base, a mounting bracket coupled to the front of the cabinet, a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and extending upwardly from the mounting bracket, and a coupler body. The coupler body has a first inner sidewall that defines a lower aperture that receives an upper end of the hinge pin, and a second inner sidewall that defines an upper aperture that receives a lower end of the shaft. The shaft of the closer assembly has a first plurality of splines formed thereon, and the second inner sidewall of the coupler body has a second plurality of splines formed thereon. The second plurality of splines of the coupler body engages the first plurality of splines of the shaft to prevent relative axial rotation between the coupler body and the shaft.
- In some embodiments, the coupler body may have a third plurality of splines that extend inwardly from the first inner sidewall. The hinge pin may include a shaft having an upper end positioned in the lower aperture of the coupler body, and a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the shaft. Each spline of the third plurality of splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
- In some embodiments, the domestic refrigerator may further include an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically relative to the cabinet between a first position and a second position. In some embodiments, the hinge pin may have a passageway defined therein, and the adjustment mechanism may include a threaded rod positioned in the passageway of the shaft. The threaded rod may have an upper end engaged with the coupler body.
- In some embodiments, the coupler body may include a central shaft positioned in the lower aperture. The central shaft may have a lower end that is positioned in the passageway of the shaft and engaged with the upper end of the threaded rod.
- In some embodiments, the threaded rod may have a plurality of outer threads, and the hinge pin may include an inner wall that defines the passageway therethrough. The inner wall of the hinge pin may have a plurality of inner threads defined therein that are engaged with the outer threads of the threaded rod such that rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction causes upward movement of the coupler body and the door, and rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction causes downward movement of the coupler body and the door.
- In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism may include a stop configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door. In some embodiments, the stop may include a substantially smooth section of the inner wall of the hinge pin. The substantially smooth section may be positioned above the plurality of inner threads.
- In some embodiments, the closer assembly may include a biasing element having a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the base. The biasing element may be configured to inhibit movement of the door about the axis of rotation. Additionally, in some embodiments, the first plurality of splines may include six splines.
- According to another aspect, a domestic refrigerator includes a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein, and a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation to an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted. The domestic refrigerator further includes a closer assembly, and the closer assembly includes a base secured to the door and a downwardly-extending shaft moveably coupled to the base. The domestic refrigerator also includes a hinge assembly, having a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position. The adjustment mechanism of the hinge assembly includes a coupler body positioned over the hinge pin, a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin, and a stop positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin. The coupler body includes an inner side wall that defines an aperture receiving the shaft of the closer assembly. The threaded rod is configured to rotate in a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and a second direction to cause downward movement of the door. The stop is configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
- In some embodiments, the coupler body may include a central shaft having a lower end that is positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin and is engaged with an upper end of the threaded rod. In some embodiments, the hinge pin may include a longitudinal slot defined in an outer surface thereof, and the coupler body may include a spline extending from an inner wall thereof. The spline may be received in the longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- In some embodiments, the shaft of the closer assembly may have a spline formed thereon, and the coupler body may have a second spline formed thereon. The spline of the shaft may engage the second spline of the coupler body to prevent relative axial rotation between the coupler body and the shaft.
- In some embodiments, the closer assembly may include a biasing element having a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the base. The biasing element may be configured to inhibit movement of the door about the axis of rotation. Additionally, in some embodiments, the biasing element may include a coil spring.
- In some embodiments, the shaft of the closer assembly may include an upper surface having the spline formed thereon and a lower surface that is substantially smooth. In some embodiments, the longitudinal slot may include at least six longitudinal slots, and the spline may include at least six splines extending from the inner wall of the coupler body. Each of the splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- According to another aspect of the disclosure, a domestic appliance includes a cabinet with a door positioned at a front of the cabinet, a closer assembly secured to the door, a mounting bracket coupled to the front of the cabinet, a hinge pin extending upwardly from the mounting bracket, and a coupler body. The closer assembly includes a downwardly-extending shaft. The coupler body has a first inner sidewall defining a lower aperture that receives an upper end of the hinge pin, and a second inner sidewall defining an upper aperture that receives a lower end of the shaft. The shaft of the closer assembly has a first plurality of splines formed thereon, and the second inner sidewall of the coupler body has a second plurality of splines formed thereon. The second plurality of splines of the coupler body engages the first plurality of splines of the shaft.
- In some embodiments, the hinge pin may include a shaft having an upper end positioned in the lower aperture of the coupler body, and a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the shaft. The coupler body may have a third plurality of splines that extend inwardly from an inner wall. Each spline of the third plurality of splines may be received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
- The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a domestic refrigerator; -
FIG. 2 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a right-hand door and one embodiment of an adjustable hinge assembly of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hinge pin of the adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of a coupler body of the adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 showing the right-hand door in one vertical position relative to the refrigerator cabinet; -
FIG. 7 is a view similar toFIG. 6 showing the right-hand door in another vertical position relative to the refrigerator cabinet; -
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional top plan view of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 with adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 9 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of the left-hand door and one embodiment of a fixed hinge assembly of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 showing the left-hand door in one vertical position relative to the refrigerator cabinet; -
FIG. 11 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a right-hand door and another embodiment of an adjustable hinge assembly of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a hinge pin of the adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of a coupler body of the adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional top plan view of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 with adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 11 ; -
FIG. 15 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a right-hand door and one embodiment of an adjustable hinge assembly of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a spline shaft, a coupler body, and a hinge pin of the adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 15 ; -
FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of the coupler body ofFIG. 16 ; -
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 15 showing the right-hand door in one vertical position; -
FIG. 19 is a view similar toFIG. 18 showing the right-hand door in another vertical position; and -
FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional top plan view of the refrigerator ofFIG. 1 with adjustable hinge assembly ofFIG. 15 . - While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
- Referring to
FIG. 1 , a home appliance is shown as a domestic refrigerator appliance 10 (hereinafter refrigerator 10). Therefrigerator 10 includes acabinet 12 and alower frame 14 that supports thecabinet 12. Therefrigerator cabinet 12 defines a temperature-controlled, refrigeratedcompartment 16 into which a user may place and store food items such as milk, cheese, produce, etcetera. Therefrigerated compartment 16 is operable to maintain stored food items at a predefined temperature. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , therefrigerator cabinet 12 defines a temperature-controlledfreezer compartment 18, which is also operable to maintain food items stored therein at a certain temperature. Therefrigerator 10 includes adrawer 20 that permits user access to thefreezer compartment 18 such that food items may be placed in and retrieved from shelves and drawers positioned therein. When thedrawer 20 is in the closed position shown inFIG. 1 , user access to thefreezer compartment 18 is prevented. Ahandle 22 is located on thedrawer 20, and the user may use thehandle 22 to pull thedrawer 20 open. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments the freezer compartment may be positioned above or side-by-side with therefrigerated compartment 16, either as a free standing refrigerator or a built-in refrigerator. It will be further appreciated that in other embodiments therefrigerator 10 may not have a freezer compartment. - The
refrigerator 10 includes a right-hand door 24 and a left-hand door 26 that permit user access to therefrigerated compartment 16 such that food items may be placed in and retrieved from therefrigerator 10. The right-hand door 24 is hinged to the front of therefrigerator cabinet 12 via anupper hinge assembly 28 and alower hinge assembly 30. Ahandle 32 is located on afront panel 34 of thedoor 24, and the user may use thehandle 32 to pull the right-hand door 24 open. The left-hand door 26 is hinged to the front of therefrigerator cabinet 12 via anotherupper hinge assembly 28 and alower hinge assembly 36. Another handle 32 is located on afront panel 38 of thedoor 26, and the user may use that handle 32 to pull the left-hand door 26 open. As described in greater detail below, thelower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 is operable to adjust the closed vertical position of thedoor 24 relative to therefrigerator cabinet 12. In the illustrative embodiment, thelower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 is not adjustable and the closed vertical position of thedoor 26 is fixed. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , thelower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 is configured to be secured to ahinge bracket 40. Thehinge bracket 40 is formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, steel, and is sized to support the weight of the right-hand door 24. Thehinge bracket 40 includes avertical flange 42 and a mountingplate 48 that extends horizontally from theflange 42. Thevertical flange 42 is configured to be attached to afront wall 44 of thecabinet 12 via a plurality of bolts (not shown), which extend throughholes 46 formed in theflange 42 to engage thecabinet 12. - The mounting
plate 48 of thehinge bracket 40 extends outwardly from thecabinet 12 when thebracket 40 is secured to thecabinet 12. The mountingplate 48 has anupper surface 50 and alower surface 52 positioned opposite theupper surface 50. Anopening 54 is defined in theupper surface 50 of the mountingplate 48, and aninner wall 56 extends downwardly from theopening 54 to define abore 58 through the mountingplate 48. In the illustrative embodiment, theopening 54 is circular, and thebore 58 is substantially cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the opening may be oblong, square, or other geometric shapes. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , the mountingplate 48 includes aside wall 60 that extends between thesurfaces side wall 60 defines apocket 62 positioned adjacent to thelower hinge assembly 30. The mountingplate 48 also includes aflange 64 that extends upwardly from theupper surface 50. Theflange 64 has aside wall 66 that is aligned withside wall 60, and thewalls hand door 24, as described in greater detail below. - The
lower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 includes ahinge pin 68 configured to be secured to thehinge bracket 40, abushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24, and acoupler body 72 positioned between thehinge pin 68 and thebushing 70. As shown inFIG. 4 , thehinge pin 68 has abody 74 and acircular flange 76 that extends outwardly from thebody 74. Thebody 74 has atail 78 that extends downwardly from thecircular flange 76 to alower end 80. Thetail 78 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match thebore 58 of the mountingplate 48. In the illustrative embodiment, thetail 78 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that thetail 78 may be received in thebore 58. - The
body 74 of thehinge pin 68 includes acylindrical shaft 82, which extends upwardly from thecircular flange 76 to anupper end 84. Theshaft 82 defines a vertically-extendinglongitudinal axis 86 of thehinge pin 68. As described in greater detail below, the right-hand door 24 is configured to pivot about theaxis 86 to move between the closed position and the open position when thehinge assembly 30 and thedoor 24 are assembled. Theshaft 82 of thepin body 74 has anouter surface 88 and a plurality of grooves orslots 90 defined in theouter surface 88. As shown inFIG. 4 , eachslot 90 has anopening 92 defined in theupper end 84 of thebody 74. Aconcave surface 94 extends downwardly from eachopening 92 and inwardly from theouter surface 88 to define eachslot 90. Theslots 90 extend parallel to theaxis 86 and are spaced apart equally from one another around the outer circumference of thecylindrical shaft 82. In the illustrative embodiment, thehinge pin 68 includes sixslots 90, but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments thehinge pin 68 may include additional or fewer slots. - Returning to
FIG. 2 , thebody 74 of thehinge pin 68 has anopening 96 defined in theupper end 84 and anotheropening 98 defined in thelower end 80. Aninner wall 100 extends between theopenings cylindrical passageway 102 through thehinge pin 68. Theinner wall 100 of thebody 74 includes alower surface 104 having a number ofinternal threads 106 defined therein and anupper surface 108 positioned above thelower surface 104. Theupper surface 108 of theinner wall 100 is substantially smooth. - In the illustrative embodiment, the
hinge pin 68 is formed as a single monolithic component from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-formed steel. In other embodiments, thebody 74 and thecircular flange 76 may be formed as separate components that are assembled. It should be appreciated that the configuration of one or more of those components of thehinge pin 68 may be modified in other embodiments. It should further be appreciated that in other embodiments one or more of the components may be made from a polymeric material, such as, for example, a rigid plastic. - As described above, the
lower hinge assembly 30 also includes acoupler body 72 that is configured to be engaged with thehinge pin 68. Thecoupler body 72 includes anouter shell 114 formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, nylon. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments theouter shell 114 may be formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-rolled steel. Theouter shell 114 has aflange 116 that extends outwardly from alower end 118 and acam plate 120 that is formed on anupper end 122. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , thelower end 118 of thecoupler body 72 has acircular bottom surface 124. Anopening 126 is defined in thebottom surface 124, and aninner wall 128 extends upwardly from theopening 126 to aninner surface 130. Theinner wall 128 and theinner surface 130 cooperate to define anaperture 132 in theouter shell 114. Theaperture 132 is sized to receive theupper end 84 of thehinge pin 68, as described in greater detail below. - The
coupler body 72 of thehinge assembly 30 also includes aninner shaft 134 that extends downwardly from theinner surface 130 of theouter shell 114. Theshaft 134 is aligned with the center of thecircular opening 126 and is sized to be received in thepassageway 102 defined in thehinge pin 68. In the illustrative embodiment, theshaft 134 has anouter surface 136 that is cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments theshaft 134 may be tapered or keyed to match the geometric shape of thepassageway 102. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , thecoupler body 72 of thehinge assembly 30 has a plurality ofribs 138 that extend from theinner wall 128 into theaperture 132. Theribs 138 are spaced apart equally around the circumference of theinner wall 128. Eachrib 138 has asurface 140 that engages theouter surface 88 of thecylindrical shaft 82 of thehinge pin 68 when thehinge assembly 30 is assembled. In the illustrative embodiment, thesurface 140 is a convex surface. In other embodiments, thesurface 140 may be substantially planar. It should also be appreciated that in other embodiments theribs 138 may be omitted such that theinner wall 128 of thecoupler body 72 may engage theouter surface 88 of thecylindrical shaft 82 of thehinge pin 68 when thehinge assembly 30 is assembled. - The
coupler body 72 also includes a plurality ofsplines 142 that extend from theinner wall 128 into theaperture 132. As shown inFIG. 5 , thesplines 142 are positioned between theribs 138 and spaced apart equally around the circumference of theinner wall 128. Eachspline 142 is sized to be received in acorresponding slot 90 of thehinge pin 68 and has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the geometry of theslot 90. In the illustrative embodiment, eachspline 142 has aconvex surface 144 that matches theconcave surface 94 of eachslot 90. The number ofsplines 142 also corresponds to the number ofslots 90 defined in thehinge pin 68. Thus, in the illustrative embodiment, thecoupler body 72 has sixsplines 142. Further, in the illustrative embodiment, two of the six splines are larger than the other splines such that thecoupler body 72 and thehinge pin 68 are keyed and may be coupled together in one of two orientations. - Returning to
FIG. 2 , acam plate 120 is formed on theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 72. Thecam plate 120 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 150, 152 that extend downwardly from a substantially-planartop surface 154 of theouter shell 114 to abase surface 156. Thesurfaces groove 158 in theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 72. Thecam plate 120 includes another pair of angled cam surfaces 160, 162 positioned on the opposite side of the outer shell 114 (seeFIG. 8 ). The cam surfaces 160, 162, like the cam surfaces 150, 152, extend downwardly from the substantially-planartop surface 154 to abase surface 166. Thesurfaces groove 168 in theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 72. - As described above, the
lower hinge assembly 30 also includes abushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 , thebushing 70 has abody 180 and aflange 182 that extends outwardly from alower end 184. As described in greater detail below, thebody 180 is keyed to match thepassageway 238 defined in thedoor 24, and includes a rib (not shown) to align thebody 180 with thedoor 24. Anopening 186 is defined in abottom surface 188 of thebushing 70, and aninner wall 190 extends upwardly from theopening 186 to aninner surface 190. Theinner wall 190 of thebody 180 is cylindrical, and theinner wall 190 cooperates with theinner surface 192 define acylindrical aperture 194 in thebody 180. Theaperture 194 is sized to receive theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 72, as described in greater detail below. - The
bushing 70 also includes acam plate 200 that is formed on theinner surface 190 of thebody 180. Thecam plate 200 includes a pair ofwedges 202 sized to be received in thegrooves cam plate 120 of thecoupler body 72. Eachwedge 202 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 204, 206. When thebushing 70 is assembled with thecoupler body 72, the cam surfaces 204, 206 of onewedge 202 engage the cam surfaces 150, 152 of thecoupler body 72 and the cam surfaces 204, 206 of theother wedge 202 engage the cam surfaces 160, 162 of thecoupler body 72. - As shown in
FIG. 3 , thebody 180 of thebushing 70 has a plurality of planarouter side walls 210. In the illustrative embodiment, thebody 180 has eightside walls 210 such that the outer geometry of thebody 180 is octagonal. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments thebody 180 may have additional or fewer side walls. Thebushing 70 is formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, acetal. In other embodiments, thebushing 70 may be formed from a metallic material such as cold-formed steel. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , therefrigerator 10 also includes adoor stop bracket 214 for the right-hand door 24. Thedoor stop bracket 214 is formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, steel, but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments thebracket 214 may be formed from a hard polymeric material. Thedoor stop bracket 214 has a horizontally-extendingflange 216 configured to be secured to thedoor 24 and afront flange 218 extending downwardly from theflange 216. A through-hole 220 is defined in theflange 216 and is sized to receive thebody 180 of thebushing 70. In the illustrative embodiment, the through-hole 220 is defined a plurality of side walls (not shown) and has an octagonal shape to match the outer geometry of thebody 180. - The right-
hand door 24 of therefrigerator 10 has afront panel 34 that is secured to aframe 222. Theframe 222 has aslot 224 defined in alower end 226 thereof, and theslot 224 is sized to receive theflange 216 of thedoor stop bracket 214. As shown inFIG. 2 , theframe 222 includes a plurality ofside walls 230 and alower wall 232 that define theslot 224. Thebracket 214 may be secured to thedoor 24 via one or more fasteners (not shown). - The
lower wall 232 of theframe 222 has anopening 234 defined therein, and a plurality ofinner walls 236 extend upwardly from theopening 234 to define apassageway 238 in theframe 222. Thepassageway 238 is sized to receive thebody 180 of thebushing 70. When thedoor 24 is assembled with thehinge assembly 30, theinner walls 236 of theframe 222 confront theouter side walls 210 of thebushing 70. In that way, relative axial movement between thebushing 70 and thedoor 24 is prevented, and thebushing 70 pivots with thedoor 24 as thedoor 24 moves between the open position and the closed position. - The
hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24 further includes anadjustment mechanism 250 configured to move thedoor 24 vertically relative to thecabinet 12. In the illustrative embodiment, theadjustment mechanism 250 includes arod 252 that is sized to be positioned in thepassageway 102 of thehinge pin 68. Therod 252 has a plurality ofexternal threads 254 defined on anouter surface 256 thereof. Theexternal threads 254 of therod 252 correspond to theinternal threads 106 of thehinge pin 68. When therod 252 is positioned in thepassageway 102, theexternal threads 254 of therod 252 engage theinternal threads 106 of thehinge pin 68. The threaded engagement between therod 252 and thehinge pin 68 permits therod 252 to be rotated about theaxis 86 extending through thehinge pin 68. - The
lower end 258 of therod 252 has asocket 260 defined therein to receive a tool that may be used to rotate therod 252 about theaxis 86. When therod 252 is rotated in the direction indicated byarrow 262, therod 252 is moved upward, toward theupper opening 96. When therod 252 is rotated in the opposite direction, therod 252 is moved downward, toward thelower opening 98 of thehinge pin 68. Because the upperinner surface 108 ofhinge pin 68 is smooth, therod 252 is prevented from advancing beyond a predetermined position in thepassageway 102. In that way, the upperinner surface 108 is atravel stop 264 for theadjustment mechanism 250. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments thehinge pin 68, for example, may include one or more tabs, lips, or other structures to provide a mechanical stop for theadjustment mechanism 250. - To assemble the
hinge assembly 30, thehinge pin 68 is attached to the mountingplate 48. To do so, thetail 78 of thehinge pin 68 is aligned with thebore 58 of the mountingplate 48. Thehinge pin 68 is advanced downward so that thetail 78 is received in thebore 58, and theflange 76 is moved into contact with theupper surface 50 of the mountingplate 48. In the illustrative embodiment, thetail 78 is swaged to shape thelower end 80 of thetail 78 into acircular flange 270, as shown inFIG. 2 . Thecircular flange 270 is engaged with thelower surface 52 of the mountingplate 48, and the mountingplate 48 is clamped between theflanges hinge pin 68 to join thehinge pin 68 and the mountingplate 48 together. The engagement between theflanges plate 48 fix thehinge pin 68 in position and prevent thehinge pin 68 from rotating about theaxis 86. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments thehinge pin 68 may be joined to the mountingplate 48 by welding, a mechanical fastener, or other means. - When the
hinge pin 68 is secured to the mountingplate 48, thecoupler body 72 of thehinge assembly 30 is positioned above thehinge pin 68. Thecylindrical shaft 82 is aligned with theaperture 132 defined in thecoupler body 72, and thesplines 142 of thecoupler body 72 are aligned with theslots 90 defined in thehinge pin 68. Thecoupler body 72 is moved downward, and theinner shaft 134 of thecoupler body 72 is advanced into thepassageway 102 of thehinge pin 68 as theshaft 82 is moved into theaperture 132. Additionally, eachspline 142 is advanced into one of theslots 90. - To attach the
bushing 70 to thecoupler body 72, thebushing 70 is positioned above thecoupler body 72 such that theouter shell 114 is aligned with theaperture 194 defined in thebushing 70. Thebushing 70 is moved downward to position theouter shell 114 in theaperture 194 and to engage thecam plate 120 of thecoupler body 72 with thecam plate 200 of thebushing 70. Thebushing 70 may be rotated about thelongitudinal axis 86 to advance thewedges 202 of thecam plate 200 into thegrooves cam plate 120. - It should be appreciated that the
bushing 70 may be secured to theframe 222 of the right-hand door 24 before or after thebushing 70 is attached to thecoupler body 72. To do so, thedoor 24 is positioned above thebushing 70, and thebody 180 of thebushing 70 is aligned with thepassageway 238 defined theframe 222. Thedoor 24 may be moved downward (or thebushing 70 upward) to advance thebushing 70 into thepassageway 238. As described above, theinner walls 236 of theframe 222 engage theouter side walls 210 of thebushing 70 when thebushing 70 is attached to thedoor 24, thereby preventing relative axial movement between thebushing 70 and thedoor 24. When thedoor 24 is properly seated on thebushing 70, thelower flange 182 of thebushing 70 engages theflange 216 of thedoor stop bracket 214, as shown inFIG. 6 . - When the
door 24 and thehinge assembly 30 are coupled together, theadjustment mechanism 250 may be used to change the vertical position of thedoor 24. To do so, therod 252 may be attached to thelower end 80 of thehinge pin 68 and a wrench or other tool may be attached to thesocket 260 of therod 252. The wrench may be used to rotate therod 252 about theaxis 86 in the direction indicated byarrow 262 to move therod 252 upward along thepassageway 102 of thehinge pin 68. As therod 252 is moved upward, theupper end 280 of therod 252 is advanced into contact with thelower end 282 of theinner shaft 134 of thecoupler body 72. When therod 252 is engaged with thecoupler body 72, continued upward movement of therod 252 causes thecoupler body 72, thebushing 70, and thedoor 24 to move upward to the position shown inFIG. 6 . - As shown in
FIG. 6 , thefront panel 34 of the right-hand door 24 has alower end 284 positioned in front of theflange 218 of thedoor stop bracket 214. Thefront panel 34 also has abottom surface 286 that faces atop surface 288 of thedrawer 20 of therefrigerator 10. Agap 290 is defined between thesurfaces door 24 is attached to thehinge assembly 30. As shown inFIG. 6 , thegap 290 has amagnitude 292 of approximately twelve millimeters. - The size of the
gap 290 corresponds to the vertical position of thedoor 24 relative to thecabinet 12. Theadjustment mechanism 250 may be used to move the right-hand door 24 higher or lower from the position shown inFIG. 6 , and thereby change the size of thegap 290. To do so, therod 252 may be rotated about theaxis 86 in the direction indicated byarrow 262 to move therod 252 upward along thepassageway 102 of thehinge pin 68. As described above, the upward movement of therod 252 causes thecoupler body 72, thebushing 70, and thedoor 24 to move upward. When therod 252 reaches thetravel stop 264, as shown inFIG. 7 , thetravel stop 264 prevents further upward movement of therod 252. In that position, thegap 290 has amagnitude 292 of approximately sixteen millimeters. In that way, thedoor 24 may be lifted approximately three millimeters between the position shown inFIG. 6 and the position shown inFIG. 7 . - When the
rod 252 is rotated about theaxis 86 in the direction indicated byarrow 294, therod 252 may be moved downward along thepassageway 102 of thehinge pin 68. The movement of therod 252 causes thecoupler body 72, thebushing 70, and thedoor 24 to move downward until theinner surface 130 of thecoupler body 72 is advanced into contact with theupper end 84 of thehinge pin 68, thereby preventing further downward movement of thehinge assembly 30 and thedoor 24. In that position, thegap 290 has a magnitude of approximately ten millimeters. Thus, in the illustrative embodiment, the vertical position of thedoor 24 relative to the drawer 20 (and hence the cabinet 12) may be adjusted by approximately six millimeters. - As described above, the right-
hand door 24 may be pivoted about theaxis 86 to move thedoor 24 between the open position and the closed position. When thedoor 24 is in the closed position, the cam surfaces 204, 206 of thewedges 202 of thecam plate 200 of thebushing 70 confront the corresponding cam surfaces 150, 152, 160, 162 of thecam plate 120 of thecoupler body 72. When thedoor 24 is opened, thedoor 24 is pivoted about theaxis 86 as indicated byarrow 296 inFIG. 8 . As thedoor 24 is pivoted, thewedges 202 of thecam plate 200 apply a load to the cam surfaces 150, 160 of thecoupler body 72 in the direction indicated byarrows 298 inFIG. 8 . - The load is transferred through the
coupler body 72 to thehinge bracket 40 via thehinge pin 68. The engagement between thesplines 142 of thecoupler body 72 and theslots 90 of thehinge pin 68 prevents thecoupler body 72 from pivoting with thedoor 24 and thebushing 70. As a result, thewedges 202 of thebushing 70 slide upwardly along the cam surfaces 150, 160 of thecoupler body 72 as thedoor 24 is pivoted about theaxis 86, thereby lifting thedoor 24 as thedoor 24 is opened. When thedoor 24 is moved to the open position, thedoor stop bracket 214 is advanced into thepocket 62 defined in the mountingplate 48. Thedoor stop bracket 214 engages theside wall 62 and theflange 64 such that further movement of thedoor 24 about theaxis 86 is prevented. - When the
door 24 is moved from the open position to the closed position, thewedges 202 of thebushing 70 advance along thetop surfaces 154 of thecam plate 120 of thecoupler body 72 and then downward along the cam surfaces 150, 160 of thelower cam plate 120 such that thedoor 24 is lowered as thedoor 24 is moved to the closed position. - As described above, the
refrigerator 10 also includes a left-hand door 26 that is hinged to the front of thecabinet 12 via anupper hinge assembly 28 and alower hinge assembly 36. Referring now toFIG. 9 , thelower hinge assembly 36 is configured to be secured to ahinge bracket 340. Thehinge bracket 340 is formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, steel, and is sized to support the weight of the left-hand door 26. Thehinge bracket 340, like thehinge bracket 40, includes avertical flange 342 configured to be attached to thefront wall 44 of thecabinet 12 via a plurality of bolts (not shown), which extend throughholes 46 formed in theflange 342 and engage thecabinet 12. Thehinge bracket 340 also includes a mountingplate 348 that extends horizontally from theflange 342. - The mounting
plate 348 of thehinge bracket 340 extends outwardly from thecabinet 12 when thebracket 340 is secured to thecabinet 12. The mountingplate 348 has anupper surface 350 and alower surface 352 positioned opposite theupper surface 350. As shown inFIG. 10 , anopening 354 is defined in theupper surface 350 of the mountingplate 348, and aninner wall 356 extends downwardly from theopening 354 to define abore 358 through the mountingplate 348. In the illustrative embodiment, theopening 354 is circular, and thebore 358 is substantially cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the opening may be oblong, square, or other geometric shapes. - The
lower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 includes ahinge pin 368 configured to be secured to thehinge bracket 340, abushing 70 configured to be secured to the left-hand door 26, and acoupler body 72 positioned between thehinge pin 368 and thebushing 70. As shown inFIG. 9 , thehinge pin 368 has abody 374 and aflange 376 that extends outwardly from thebody 374. Thebody 374 has atail 378 that extends downwardly from theflange 376 to alower end 380. Thetail 378 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match thebore 358 of the mountingplate 348. In the illustrative embodiment, thetail 378 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that thetail 378 may be received in thebore 358. - The
body 374 of thehinge pin 368 includes acylindrical shaft 382, which extends upwardly from theflange 376 to anupper end 384. Theshaft 382 defines a vertically-extendinglongitudinal axis 386 of thehinge pin 368, and the left-hand door 26 is configured to pivot about theaxis 86 between the open and closed positions when thehinge assembly 36 and thedoor 26 are assembled (seeFIG. 10 ). Theshaft 382 of thepin body 374 has anouter surface 388 and a plurality of grooves orslots 390 defined in theouter surface 388. As shown inFIG. 9 , eachslot 390 has anopening 392 defined in theupper end 384 of thebody 374. Aconcave surface 394 extends downwardly from eachopening 392 and inwardly from theouter surface 388 to define eachslot 390. Theslots 390 extend parallel to theaxis 86 and are spaced equally apart from one another around the outer circumference of thecylindrical shaft 382. In the illustrative embodiment, thehinge pin 368 includes sixslots 390, but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments thehinge pin 368 may include additional or fewer slots. - As shown in
FIG. 10 , thebody 374 of thehinge pin 368 has anopening 396 defined in theupper end 384 and anotheropening 398 defined in thelower end 380. Aninner wall 400 extends between theopenings cylindrical passageway 402 through thehinge pin 368. Thesurface 404 of theinner wall 400 is substantially smooth. - As described above, the
lower hinge assembly 36 also includes acoupler body 72 that is configured to be engaged with thehinge pin 368. In the illustrative embodiment, thecoupler body 72 used in thelower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 is identical to thecoupler body 72 used in thelower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24. Similarly, thebushing 70 used in thelower hinge assembly 36 of the left-hand door 26 is identical to thebushing 70 used in thelower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , therefrigerator 10 also includes adoor stop bracket 414 for the left-hand door 26. Thedoor stop bracket 414 has a horizontally-extendingflange 416 configured to be secured to thedoor 24 and afront flange 418 extending downwardly from theflange 416. A through-hole 420 is defined in theflange 416 and, like the through-hole 220 of thedoor stop bracket 214, is sized to receive thebody 180 of thebushing 70. In the illustrative embodiment, the through-hole 420 is defined a plurality of side walls (not shown) and has an octagonal shape to match the outer geometry of thebody 180. - The left-
hand door 26 of therefrigerator 10 has afront panel 38 that is secured to aframe 422. Theframe 422 has aslot 424 defined in alower end 426 thereof that is sized to receive theflange 416 of thedoor stop bracket 414. As shown inFIG. 10 , theframe 422 includes a plurality ofside walls 430 and alower wall 432 that define theslot 424. Thebracket 414 may be secured to thedoor 26 via one or more fasteners (not shown). - The
lower wall 432 of theframe 422 has anopening 434 defined therein, and a plurality ofinner walls 436 define apassageway 438 in theframe 422. Thepassageway 438 is sized to receive thebody 180 of thebushing 70. When thedoor 26 is assembled with thehinge assembly 36, theinner walls 436 of theframe 422 confront theouter side walls 410 of thebushing 70, as shown inFIG. 10 . In that way, relative axial movement between thebushing 70 and thedoor 26 is prevented such that thebushing 70 pivots with thedoor 26 as thedoor 26 moves between the open position and the closed position. - To assemble the
hinge assembly 36, thehinge pin 368 is attached to the mountingplate 348. To do so, thetail 378 of thehinge pin 368 is aligned with thebore 358 of the mountingplate 348. Thehinge pin 368 is advanced downward so that thetail 378 is received in thebore 358, and theflange 376 is moved into contact with theupper surface 350 of the mountingplate 348. In the illustrative embodiment, thetail 378 is swaged to shape thelower end 380 of thetail 378 into acircular flange 470, as shown inFIG. 10 . Thecircular flange 470 is engaged with thelower surface 352 of the mountingplate 348. The mountingplate 348 is clamped between theflanges hinge pin 368, thereby joining thehinge pin 368 and the mountingplate 348 together. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments thehinge pin 368 may be joined to the mountingplate 348 by welding, a mechanical fastener, or other means. - When the
hinge pin 368 is secured to the mountingplate 348, thecoupler body 72 of thehinge assembly 30 is positioned above thehinge pin 368. Thecylindrical shaft 382 of thehinge pin 368 is aligned with theaperture 132 defined in thecoupler body 72, and thesplines 142 of thecoupler body 72 are aligned with theslots 390 defined in thehinge pin 368. Thecoupler body 72 is moved downward, and theinner shaft 134 of thecoupler body 72 is advanced into thepassageway 402 of thehinge pin 368 as theshaft 382 of thehinge pin 368 is received in theaperture 132. Additionally, the eachspline 142 of thecoupler body 72 is advanced into one of theslots 390. - The
bushing 70 may be attached to thecoupler body 72 as described above. It should be appreciated that thebushing 70 may be secured to theframe 422 of the left-hand door 26 before or after thebushing 70 is attached to thecoupler body 72. To do so, thedoor 26 is positioned above thebushing 70 such that thebody 180 of thebushing 70 is aligned with thepassageway 438 defined theframe 422. Thedoor 26 may be moved downward (or thebushing 70 upward) to advance thebushing 70 into thepassageway 438. As described above, theinner walls 436 of theframe 422 engage theouter side walls 210 of thebushing 70 when thebushing 70 is attached to thedoor 26, thereby preventing relative axial movement between thebushing 70 and thedoor 26. When thedoor 26 is properly seated on thebushing 70, thelower flange 182 of thebushing 70 engages theflange 416 of thedoor stop bracket 414, as shown inFIG. 10 . - The
front panel 38 of the left-hand door 26 has alower end 484 positioned in front of theflange 418 of thedoor stop bracket 414. Thefront panel 38 also has abottom surface 486 that faces atop surface 288 of thedrawer 20 of therefrigerator 10. Agap 490 is defined between thesurfaces door 26 is attached to thehinge assembly 36. As shown inFIG. 10 , thegap 490 has amagnitude 492 of approximately thirteen millimeters. - As described above, the left-
hand door 26 may be pivoted about theaxis 386 to move thedoor 26 between the closed position and the open position. When thedoor 26 is opened, thedoor 26 is pivoted about theaxis 386 and a load is applied to thecoupler body 72 by thecam plate 200 of thebushing 70. The engagement between thesplines 142 of thecoupler body 72 and theslots 390 of thehinge pin 368 prevents thecoupler body 72 from pivoting with thedoor 26 and thebushing 70. As with thelower hinge assembly 30 of the right-hand door 24, the interaction between thecoupler body 72 and thebushing 70 lifts thedoor 26 as thedoor 26 is moved between positions. - Referring now to
FIGS. 11-14 , another embodiment of a lower hinge assembly (hereinafter lower hinge assembly 530) is illustrated. Some features of the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 11-14 are substantially similar to those discussed above in reference to the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-9 . Such features are designated inFIGS. 11-14 with the same reference numbers as those used inFIGS. 1-9 . - The
lower hinge assembly 530 is configured to be secured to ahinge bracket 40. As shown inFIG. 11 , thehinge bracket 40 includes avertical flange 42 and a mountingplate 48 that extends horizontally from theflange 42. The mountingplate 48 has anupper surface 50 and alower surface 52 positioned opposite theupper surface 50. Anopening 54 is defined in theupper surface 50 of the mountingplate 48, and aninner wall 56 extends downwardly from theopening 54 to define abore 58 through the mountingplate 48. - As shown in
FIGS. 11-14 , thelower hinge assembly 530 includes ahinge pin 568 configured to be secured to thehinge bracket 40, abushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24, and acoupler body 572 positioned between thehinge pin 568 and thebushing 70. As shown inFIG. 12 , thehinge pin 568 has abody 574 and acircular flange 76 that extends outwardly from thebody 574. Thebody 574 has atail 78 that extends downwardly from thecircular flange 76 to alower end 80. Thetail 78 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match thebore 58 of the mountingplate 48. In the illustrative embodiment, thetail 78 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that thetail 78 may be received in thebore 58. - The
body 574 of thehinge pin 568 includes acylindrical shaft 582, which extends upwardly from thecircular flange 76 to anupper end 584. Theshaft 582 defines a vertically-extendinglongitudinal axis 86 of thehinge pin 568. As described in greater detail below, the right-hand door 24 is configured to pivot about theaxis 86 to move between the closed position and the open position when thehinge assembly 30 and thedoor 24 are assembled. Theshaft 582 of thepin body 574 has anouter surface 588 that includes a pair of substantiallyplanar surfaces convex surfaces surfaces surfaces surfaces - The
body 574 of thehinge pin 568 has anopening 600 defined in theupper end 584 and anotheropening 602 defined in thelower end 80. Aninner wall 604 extends between theopenings cylindrical passageway 606 through thehinge pin 568. Theinner wall 604 of thebody 574 includes alower surface 104 having a number ofinternal threads 106 defined therein and anupper surface 610 positioned above thelower surface 104. Theupper surface 610 of theinner wall 604 is tapered and substantially smooth. - In the illustrative embodiment, the
hinge pin 568 is formed as a single monolithic component from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-formed steel. In other embodiments, thebody 574 and thecircular flange 76 may be formed as separate components that are assembled. It should be appreciated that the configuration of one or more of those components of thehinge pin 568 may be modified in other embodiments. It should further be appreciated that in other embodiments one or more of the components may be made from a polymeric material, such as, for example, a rigid plastic. - As described above, the
lower hinge assembly 530 also includes acoupler body 572 that is configured to be engaged with thehinge pin 568. Returning toFIG. 11 , thecoupler body 572 includes anouter shell 614 formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, nylon. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments theouter shell 614 may be formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-rolled steel. Theouter shell 614 has aflange 116 that extends outwardly from alower end 618 and acam plate 120 that is formed on anupper end 122. - As shown in
FIG. 13 , thelower end 618 of thecoupler body 72 has acircular bottom surface 624. Anopening 626 is defined in thebottom surface 624, and aninner wall 628 extends upwardly from theopening 626 to aninner surface 630. Theinner wall 628 and theinner surface 630 cooperate to define anaperture 632 in theouter shell 614. Theaperture 632 is sized to receive theupper end 584 of thehinge pin 568, as described in greater detail below. - The
coupler body 572 of thehinge assembly 530 also includes aninner shaft 634 that extends downwardly from theinner surface 630 of theouter shell 614. Theshaft 634 is aligned with the center of thecircular opening 626 and is sized to be received in thepassageway 606 defined in thehinge pin 568. In the illustrative embodiment, theshaft 634 has anouter surface 636 that is tapered and has a plurality oflongitudinal grooves 638 defined therein. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments theshaft 634 may be cylindrical or keyed to match the geometric shape of thepassageway 606. - As shown in
FIG. 13 , thecoupler body 72 of thehinge assembly 530 has a plurality ofribs 640 that extend from theinner wall 628 into theaperture 632. Theribs 640 are spaced apart around the circumference of theinner wall 628. Eachrib 640 has asurface 642 that engages one of the pair of convex surfaces of 594, 596 of thehinge pin 568 when thehinge assembly 530 is assembled. In the illustrative embodiment, thesurface 642 of therib 640 is a convex surface. In other embodiments, thesurface 642 may be substantially planar. It should also be appreciated that in other embodiments theribs 640 may be omitted such that theinner wall 628 of thecoupler body 572 may engage the convex surfaces of 594, 596 of thehinge pin 68 when thehinge assembly 530 is assembled. - The
inner wall 628 of thecoupler body 572 has a pair of substantiallyplanar surfaces FIG. 13 , thesurfaces inner shaft 634. Thesurfaces surfaces hinge pin 568. The number of substantially planar surfaces formed on thecoupler body 572 corresponds to the number of substantially planar surfaces formed on thehinge pin 568. - Returning to
FIG. 11 , acam plate 120 is formed on theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 572. Thecam plate 120 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 150, 152 that extend downwardly from a substantially-planartop surface 154 of theouter shell 114 to abase surface 156. As shown inFIG. 14 , thesurfaces groove 158 in theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 72. Thecam plate 120 includes another pair of angled cam surfaces 160, 162 positioned on the opposite side of theouter shell 614. The cam surfaces 160, 162, like the cam surfaces 150, 152, extend downwardly from the substantially-planartop surface 154 to abase surface 166. Thesurfaces groove 168 in theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 572. - As described above, the
lower hinge assembly 530 also includes abushing 70 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24. As shown inFIG. 11 , thebushing 70 has abody 180 and aflange 182 that extends outwardly from alower end 184. Thebushing 70 has acylindrical aperture 194 defined therein that is sized to receive theupper end 122 of thecoupler body 572. - The
bushing 70 also includes acam plate 200 that is formed on theinner surface 190 of thebody 180. Thecam plate 200 includes a pair ofwedges 202 sized to be received in thegrooves cam plate 120 of thecoupler body 572. Eachwedge 202 includes a pair of angled cam surfaces 204, 206. When thebushing 70 is assembled with thecoupler body 572, the cam surfaces 204, 206 of onewedge 202 engage the cam surfaces 150, 152 of thecoupler body 572 and the cam surfaces 204, 206 of theother wedge 202 engage the cam surfaces 160, 162 of thecoupler body 572. - As shown in
FIG. 11 , thedoor 24 has afront panel 34 that is secured to aframe 222. Therefrigerator 10 also includes adoor stop bracket 214 for the right-hand door 24 that is secured to theframe 222 via one or more fasteners (not shown). Theframe 222 includes apassageway 238 that is sized to receive thebody 180 of thebushing 70. When thedoor 24 is assembled with thehinge assembly 530, theinner walls 236 of theframe 222 confront theouter side walls 210 of thebushing 70. In that way, relative axial movement between thebushing 70 and thedoor 24 is prevented, and thebushing 70 pivots with thedoor 24 as thedoor 24 moves between the open position and the closed position. - The
hinge assembly 530 further includes anadjustment mechanism 680 configured to move thedoor 24 vertically relative to thecabinet 12. In the illustrative embodiment, theadjustment mechanism 680 includes arod 252 that is sized to be positioned in thepassageway 606 of thehinge pin 568. Therod 252 has a plurality ofexternal threads 254 defined on anouter surface 256 thereof. Theexternal threads 254 of therod 252 correspond to theinternal threads 106 of thehinge pin 568. When therod 252 is positioned in thepassageway 606, theexternal threads 254 of therod 252 engage theinternal threads 106 of thehinge pin 68. The threaded engagement between therod 252 and thehinge pin 68 permits therod 252 to be rotated about theaxis 86 extending through thehinge pin 68. - The
lower end 258 of therod 252 has asocket 260 defined therein to receive a tool that may be used to rotate therod 252 about theaxis 86. When therod 252 is rotated in the direction indicated byarrow 262, therod 252 is moved upward, toward theupper opening 600. When therod 252 is rotated in the opposite direction, therod 252 is moved downward, toward thelower opening 602 of thehinge pin 568. Because the upperinner surface 610 ofhinge pin 568 is smooth and tapered, therod 252 is prevented from advancing beyond a predetermined position in thepassageway 606. In that way, the upperinner surface 610 is atravel stop 682 for theadjustment mechanism 680. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments thehinge pin 568, for example, may include one or more tabs, lips, or other structures to provide a mechanical stop for theadjustment mechanism 680. - As described above, the right-
hand door 24 may be pivoted about theaxis 86 to move thedoor 24 between the open position and the closed position. When thedoor 24 is in the closed position, the cam surfaces 204, 206 of thewedges 202 of thecam plate 200 of thebushing 70 confront the corresponding cam surfaces 150, 152, 160, 162 of thecam plate 120 of thecoupler body 572. When thedoor 24 is opened, thedoor 24 is pivoted about theaxis 86 as indicated byarrow 296 inFIG. 14 . As thedoor 24 is pivoted, thewedges 202 of thecam plate 200 apply a load to the cam surfaces 150, 160 of thecoupler body 572 in the direction indicated byarrows 298 inFIG. 14 . - The load is transferred through the
coupler body 572 to thehinge bracket 40 via thehinge pin 568. The engagement between thesurfaces coupler body 572 and thesurfaces hinge pin 568 prevents thecoupler body 572 from pivoting with thedoor 24 and thebushing 70. As a result, thewedges 202 of thebushing 70 slide upwardly along the cam surfaces 150, 160 of thecoupler body 572 as thedoor 24 is pivoted about theaxis 86, thereby lifting thedoor 24 as thedoor 24 is opened. - When the
door 24 is moved to from the open position to the closed position, thewedges 202 of thebushing 70 advance along thetop surfaces 154 of thecam plate 120 of thecoupler body 572 and then downward along the cam surfaces 150, 160 of thelower cam plate 120 such that thedoor 24 is lowered as thedoor 24 is moved to the closed position. - Referring now to
FIGS. 15-20 , another embodiment of a lower hinge assembly (hereinafter lower hinge assembly 700) is illustrated. Some features of the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 15-20 are substantially similar to those discussed above in reference to the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-9 . Such features are designated inFIGS. 15-20 with the same reference numbers as those used inFIGS. 1-9 . - The
lower hinge assembly 700 is configured to be secured to ahinge bracket 40. As shown inFIG. 15 , thehinge bracket 40 includes avertical flange 42 and a mountingplate 48 that extends horizontally from theflange 42. The mountingplate 48 has anupper surface 50 and alower surface 52 positioned opposite theupper surface 50. Anopening 54 is defined in theupper surface 50 of the mountingplate 48, and aninner wall 56 extends downwardly from theopening 54 to define abore 58 through the mountingplate 48. - As shown in
FIG. 15 , thelower hinge assembly 700 includes ahinge pin 68 configured to be secured to thehinge bracket 40, acloser assembly 702 configured to be coupled to thedoor 24, acoupler body 704 configured to be coupled to thehinge bracket 40 and thecloser assembly 702, and aspacer 706. Thecoupler body 704 configured to be positioned between thespacer 706 and thecloser assembly 702, as described in greater detail below. Thespacer 706 is configured to be positioned above theflange 76 of thehinge pin 68 to vertically offset thecoupler body 74 from theflange 76. - Referring now to
FIG. 16 , thehinge pin 68 has abody 74 and acircular flange 76 that extends outwardly from thebody 74. Thebody 74 has atail 78 that extends downwardly from thecircular flange 76 to alower end 80. Thetail 78 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match thebore 58 of the mountingplate 48. In the illustrative embodiment, thetail 78 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter that is sized such that thetail 78 may be received in thebore 58. - The
body 74 of thehinge pin 68 includes acylindrical shaft 82, which extends upwardly from thecircular flange 76 to anupper end 84. Theshaft 82 defines a vertically-extendinglongitudinal axis 86 of thehinge pin 68. As described in greater detail below, the right-hand door 24 is configured to pivot about theaxis 86 to move between the closed position and the open position when thehinge assembly 700 and thedoor 24 are assembled. Theshaft 82 of thepin body 74 has anouter surface 88 and a plurality of grooves orslots 90 defined in theouter surface 88. As shown inFIG. 16 , eachslot 90 has anopening 92 defined in theupper end 84 of thebody 74. Aconcave surface 94 extends downwardly from eachopening 92 and inwardly from theouter surface 88 to define eachslot 90. Theslots 90 extend parallel to theaxis 86 and are spaced apart equally from one another around the outer circumference of thecylindrical shaft 82. In the illustrative embodiment, thehinge pin 68 includes sixslots 90, but it should be appreciated that in other embodiments thehinge pin 68 may include additional or fewer slots. - Returning to
FIG. 15 , thebody 74 of thehinge pin 68 has anopening 96 defined in theupper end 84 and anotheropening 98 defined in thelower end 80. Aninner wall 100 extends between theopenings cylindrical passageway 102 through thehinge pin 68. Theinner wall 100 of thebody 74 includes alower surface 104 having a number ofinternal threads 106 defined therein and anupper surface 108 that is positioned above thelower surface 104. Theupper surface 108 of theinner wall 100 is substantially smooth. - In the illustrative embodiment, the
hinge pin 68 is formed as a single monolithic component from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-formed steel. In other embodiments, thebody 74 and thecircular flange 76 may be formed as separate components that are assembled. It should be appreciated that the configuration of one or more of those components of thehinge pin 68 may be modified in other embodiments. It should further be appreciated that in other embodiments one or more of the components may be made from a polymeric material, such as, for example, a rigid plastic. - As described above, the
lower hinge assembly 700 also includes acoupler body 704 that is configured to be engaged with thehinge pin 68. As shown inFIG. 15 , thecoupler body 704 includes anouter shell 114 formed from a polymeric material, such as, for example, nylon. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments theouter shell 114 may be formed from a metallic material, such as, for example, cold-rolled steel. Theouter shell 114 has aflange 116 that extends outwardly from alower end 118 and anopening 708 defined in anupper end 710. As shown inFIG. 17 , thelower end 118 of thecoupler body 704 has acircular bottom surface 124. Anopening 126 is defined in thebottom surface 124, and aninner wall 128 extends upwardly from theopening 126 to aninner surface 130. Theinner wall 128 and theinner surface 130 cooperate to define anaperture 132 in theouter shell 114. Theaperture 132 is sized to receive theupper end 84 of thehinge pin 68, as described in greater detail below. - The
coupler body 704 of thelower hinge assembly 700 also includes aninner shaft 134 that extends downwardly from theinner surface 130 of theouter shell 114. Theshaft 134 is aligned with the center of thecircular opening 126 and is sized to be received in thepassageway 102 defined in thehinge pin 68. In the illustrative embodiment, theshaft 134 has anouter surface 136 that is cylindrical. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments theshaft 134 may be tapered or keyed to match the geometric shape of thepassageway 102. - The
coupler body 704 also includes a plurality ofsplines 142 that extend from theinner wall 128 into theaperture 132. As shown inFIG. 17 , thesplines 142 are positioned betweenribs 138 and spaced apart equally around the circumference of theinner wall 128. Eachspline 142 is sized to be received in acorresponding slot 90 of thehinge pin 68 and has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the geometry of theslot 90. In the illustrative embodiment, eachspline 142 has aconvex surface 144 that matches theconcave surface 94 of eachslot 90. The number ofsplines 142 also corresponds to the number ofslots 90 defined in thehinge pin 68. Thus, in the illustrative embodiment, thecoupler body 704 has sixsplines 142. Further, in the illustrative embodiment, two of the six splines are larger than the other splines such that thecoupler body 704 and thehinge pin 68 are keyed and may be coupled together in one of two orientations. - As described above, the
coupler body 704 has theopening 708 is formed in theupper end 710 thereof, as shown inFIG. 16 . Theupper end 710 of thecoupler body 704 has a circulartop surface 714. Aninner wall 716 extends downwardly from theopening 708 to define anaperture 712 in thecoupler body 704. Theaperture 712 includes anupper chamber 718 and alower chamber 720 having a smaller cross-sectional diameter than theupper chamber 718. As described in greater detail below, theaperture 712 is sized to receive a portion of ashaft 722 of thecloser assembly 702. - The
coupler body 704 also includes a plurality ofsplines 724 that extend from theinner wall 716 into theupper chamber 718 of theaperture 712. Aslot 726 is defined between each pair ofsplines 724. In the illustrative embodiment, thesplines 724 are spaced apart equally around the circumference of theinner wall 716, and eachspline 724 has aconvex surface 728. Further, in the illustrative embodiment, thecoupler body 704 has sixsplines 724 extending into theupper chamber 718. - As described above, the
lower hinge assembly 700 also includes acloser assembly 702 configured to be secured to the right-hand door 24. As described above, thecloser assembly 702 includes ashaft 722 that is configured to engage thecoupler body 704. Theshaft 722 has abase 730 and analignment pin 732 that extends downwardly from thebase 730. When thelower hinge assembly 700 is assembled, thebase 730 of theshaft 722 is received in theupper chamber 718 of thecoupler body 704 and thealignment pin 732 is received in thelower chamber 720 of thecoupler body 704. - As shown in
FIG. 16 , thebase 730 has a plurality ofslots 734 defined therein that correspond to thesplines 724 of thecoupler body 704. Aspline 736 is defined between eachslot 734, which corresponds to eachslot 726 defined in thecoupler body 704. Theslots 734 of theshaft 722 receive and confront thesplines 724 of thecoupler body 704 and theslots 726 of thecoupler body 704 receive and confront thesplines 736 of theshaft 722. In that way, relative axial movement between theshaft 722 and thecoupler body 704 is prevented. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, thebase 730 of theshaft 722 and thecoupler body 704 may be keyed with a different geometrical shape. - The
shaft 722 of thecloser assembly 702 is secured to anadaptor 738 positioned in ahousing 740. As shown inFIG. 15 , thehousing 740 includes acasing 742 that extends from alower end 744 of thehousing 740 to anupper end 746 thereof. Thehousing 740 also includes anarm 748 that extends outwardly from thecasing 742 at thelower end 744 of thehousing 740. Anopening 750 is defined in thelower end 744 of thehousing 740, and thecasing 742 includes a number ofinner walls 752 that extend upwardly from theopening 750 to define anaperture 754 in thecasing 742. - The
adaptor 738 of thecloser assembly 702 is positioned in theaperture 754 and is configured to pivot relative to thecasing 742 about theaxis 86 defined by thehinge pin 68. Thecloser assembly 702 includes a biasing element, such as, for example,torsional spring 756, that is configured to resist the rotation of the adaptor 738 (and hence shaft 722) about theaxis 86. Thespring 756 has anupper end 758 that is fixed to thecasing 742 and alower end 760 secured to theadaptor 738. - As shown in
FIG. 15 , thedoor 24 has afront panel 34 that is secured to aframe 762. Therefrigerator 10 also includes adoor stop bracket 214 for the right-hand door 24 that is secured to theframe 762 via one or more fasteners (not shown). Theframe 762 includes thepassageway 238 that is sized to receive thecasing 742 of thehousing 740. In the illustrative embodiment, thecasing 742 has a plurality ofribs 766 formed thereon that are sized to be received in a corresponding plurality ofslots 768 defined in theframe 762. Eachrib 766 has a cross-sectional geometry that is shaped to match the geometry of acorresponding slot 768, and the number ofribs 766 also corresponds to the number ofslots 768 defined in theframe 762. In that way, relative axial movement between thecasing 742 and thedoor 24 is prevented. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, thecasing 742 and thedoor 24 may be keyed with a different geometrical shape. - As shown in
FIG. 15 , thehinge assembly 700 further includes anadjustment mechanism 250 configured to move thedoor 24 vertically relative to thecabinet 12. In the illustrative embodiment, theadjustment mechanism 250 includes arod 252 that is sized to be positioned in thepassageway 102 of thehinge pin 68. Therod 252 has a plurality ofexternal threads 254 defined on anouter surface 256 thereof. Theexternal threads 254 of therod 252 correspond to theinternal threads 106 of thehinge pin 68. When therod 252 is positioned in thepassageway 102, theexternal threads 254 of therod 252 engage theinternal threads 106 of thehinge pin 68. The threaded engagement between therod 252 and thehinge pin 68 permits therod 252 to be rotated about theaxis 86 extending through thehinge pin 68. - Referring now to
FIGS. 18 and 19 , alower end 258 of therod 252 has asocket 260 defined therein to receive a tool that may be used to rotate therod 252 about theaxis 86. When therod 252 is rotated in the direction indicated byarrow 772, therod 252 is moved upward, toward theupper opening 96 as shown inFIG. 18 . When therod 252 is rotated in the opposite direction, therod 252 is moved downward, toward thelower opening 98 of thehinge pin 68 as shown inFIG. 19 . In the illustrative embodiment, the upperinner surface 108 ofhinge pin 68 is smooth and tapered as shown inFIG. 15 . As such, therod 252 is prevented from advancing beyond a predetermined position in thepassageway 102. In that way, the upperinner surface 108 is atravel stop 774 for theadjustment mechanism 250. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, thehinge pin 68, for example, may include one or more tabs, lips, or other structures to provide a mechanical stop for theadjustment mechanism 250. - As described above, the right-
hand door 24 may be pivoted about theaxis 86 to move thedoor 24 between the open position and the closed position. When thedoor 24 is in the closed position, thesplines 142 of thecoupler body 704 confront the correspondingslots 90 of thehinge pin 68. Likewise, thesplines 724 of thecoupler body 704 are received in the correspondingslots 734 and confront thesplines 736 of theshaft 722. When thedoor 24 is opened, thedoor 24 is pivoted about theaxis 86 as indicated byarrow 776 inFIG. 20 . As thedoor 24 is pivoted, thesplines 142 of thecoupler body 704 apply a load to theslots 90 of thehinge pin 68 in the direction indicated byarrow 780 inFIG. 20 . Likewise thesplines 724 of thecoupler body 704 apply a load to theslots 734 and thesplines 736 of theshaft 722 in the direction indicated byarrow 782. - The load is transferred through the
coupler body 704 to thehinge bracket 40 via thehinge pin 68. The engagement between thesurfaces coupler body 704 and thesurfaces hinge pin 68 prevents thecoupler body 572 from pivoting with thedoor 24. Likewise, the engagement between thesplines coupler body 572 and theshaft 722 prevents theshaft 722 from pivoting with the door. - When sufficient force is applied to the
door 24, the bias exerted by thespring 756 of thecloser assembly 702 is overcome and thedoor 24 is pivoted about theaxis 86. When thedoor 24 is released at an open position, thespring 756 urges the door to return to the closed position. - While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such an illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
- For example, in other embodiments, the left-hand door may have an adjustable hinge assembly operable to raise and lower the left-hand door relative to the cabinet. Similarly, the right-hand door may have a fixed hinge assembly that does not permit the right-hand door to be raised and lowered when the door is in the closed position.
- There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arising from the various features of the method, apparatus, and system described herein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the method, apparatus, and system of the present disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of the method, apparatus, and system that incorporate one or more of the features of the present invention and fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (20)
1. A domestic refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein,
a door positioned at a front of the cabinet, the door being operable to pivot about an axis of rotation between (i) a closed position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is limited and (ii) an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted,
a closer assembly including a base secured to the door and a downwardly-extending shaft moveably coupled to the base,
a mounting bracket coupled to the front of the cabinet,
a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and extending upwardly from the mounting bracket, and
a coupler body having (i) a first inner sidewall defining a lower aperture that receives an upper end of the hinge pin, and (ii) a second inner sidewall defining an upper aperture that receives a lower end of the shaft,
wherein (i) the shaft of the closer assembly has a first plurality of splines formed thereon, and (ii) the second inner sidewall of the coupler body has a second plurality of splines formed thereon, the second plurality of splines engaging the first plurality of splines to prevent relative axial rotation between the coupler body and the shaft.
2. The domestic refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupler body has a third plurality of splines that extend inwardly from the first inner sidewall,
the hinge pin includes (i) a shaft having an upper end positioned in the lower aperture of the coupler body, and (ii) a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the shaft, and
each spline of the third plurality of splines is received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin to prevent rotation of the coupler body about the axis of rotation.
3. The domestic refrigerator of claim 1 , further comprising an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically relative to the cabinet between a first position and a second position.
4. The domestic refrigerator of claim 3 , wherein:
the hinge pin has a passageway defined therein, and
the adjustment mechanism includes a threaded rod positioned in the passageway of the shaft, the threaded rod having an upper end engaged with the coupler body.
5. The domestic refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein the coupler body includes a central shaft positioned in the lower aperture, the central shaft having a lower end that is (i) positioned in the passageway of the shaft and (ii) engaged with the upper end of the threaded rod.
6. The domestic refrigerator of claim 4 , wherein:
the threaded rod has a plurality of outer threads, and
the hinge pin includes an inner wall that defines the passageway therethrough, the inner wall of the hinge pin having a plurality of inner threads defined therein that are engaged with the outer threads of the threaded rod such that (i) rotation of the threaded rod in a first direction causes upward movement of the coupler body and the door, and (ii) rotation of the threaded rod in a second direction causes downward movement of the coupler body and the door.
7. The domestic refrigerator of claim 6 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a stop configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
8. The domestic refrigerator of claim 7 , wherein the stop includes a substantially smooth section of the inner wall of the hinge pin, the substantially smooth section being positioned above the plurality of inner threads.
9. The domestic refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the closer assembly includes a biasing element having a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the base, the biasing element being configured to inhibit movement of the door about the axis of rotation.
10. The domestic refrigerator of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of splines include six splines.
11. A domestic refrigerator comprising:
a cabinet having a temperature-controlled compartment defined therein,
a door operable to pivot about an axis of rotation to an open position in which user access to the temperature-controlled compartment is permitted,
a closer assembly including a base secured to the door and a downwardly-extending shaft moveably coupled to the base, and
a hinge assembly including a hinge pin defining the axis of rotation and an adjustment mechanism configured to move the door vertically between a first position and a second position, the adjustment mechanism including:
a coupler body positioned over the hinge pin, the coupler body including an inner side wall that defines aperture receiving the shaft of the closer assembly,
a threaded rod positioned in a passageway defined in the hinge pin, the threaded rod being configured to rotate in (i) a first direction to cause upward movement of the door and (ii) a second direction to cause downward movement of the door, and
a stop positioned in the passageway defined in the hinge pin, the stop being configured to prevent upward movement of the threaded rod beyond a predetermined position corresponding to the second position of the door.
12. The domestic refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the coupler body includes a central shaft having a lower end that is (i) positioned in the passageway of the hinge pin and (ii) engaged with an upper end of the threaded rod.
13. The domestic refrigerator of claim 11 , wherein the hinge pin includes a longitudinal slot defined in an outer surface thereof, and the coupler body includes a spline extending from an inner wall thereof, the spline being received in the longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
14. The domestic refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein (i) the shaft of the closer assembly has a spline formed thereon, and (ii) the coupler body has a second spline formed thereon, the spline of the shaft engaging the second spline of the coupler body to prevent relative axial rotation between the coupler body and the shaft.
15. The domestic refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the closer assembly includes a biasing element having a first end coupled to the shaft and a second end coupled to the base, the biasing element being configured to inhibit movement of the door about the axis of rotation.
16. The domestic refrigerator of claim 15 , wherein the biasing element includes a coil spring.
17. The domestic refrigerator of claim 14 , wherein the shaft of the closer assembly includes an upper surface having the spline formed thereon and a lower surface that is substantially smooth.
18. The domestic refrigerator of claim 13 , wherein the longitudinal slot includes at least six longitudinal slots, and the spline includes at least six splines extending from the inner wall of the coupler body, each of the splines being received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
19. A domestic appliance comprising:
a cabinet,
a door positioned at a front of the cabinet,
a closer assembly secured to the door, the closer assembly including a downwardly-extending shaft,
a mounting bracket coupled to the front of the cabinet,
a hinge pin extending upwardly from the mounting bracket, and
a coupler body having (i) a first inner sidewall defining a lower aperture that receives an upper end of the hinge pin, and (ii) a second inner sidewall defining an upper aperture that receives a lower end of the shaft,
wherein (i) the shaft of the closer assembly has a first plurality of splines formed thereon, and (ii) the second inner sidewall has a second plurality of splines formed thereon, the second plurality of splines engaging the first plurality of splines.
20. The domestic appliance of claim 19 , wherein:
the hinge pin includes (i) a shaft having an upper end positioned in the lower aperture of the coupler body, and (ii) a plurality of longitudinal slots defined in the shaft, and
the coupler body has a third plurality of splines that extend inwardly from an inner wall, each spline of the third plurality of splines being received in a corresponding longitudinal slot of the hinge pin.
Priority Applications (1)
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US13/587,211 US20130249371A1 (en) | 2012-03-23 | 2012-08-16 | Hinge assemblies for a domestic refrigerator |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US13/428,067 US20130249373A1 (en) | 2012-03-23 | 2012-03-23 | Adjustable hinge assembly for a domestic refrigerator |
US13/587,211 US20130249371A1 (en) | 2012-03-23 | 2012-08-16 | Hinge assemblies for a domestic refrigerator |
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US13/428,067 Continuation-In-Part US20130249373A1 (en) | 2012-03-23 | 2012-03-23 | Adjustable hinge assembly for a domestic refrigerator |
Publications (1)
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US20130249371A1 true US20130249371A1 (en) | 2013-09-26 |
Family
ID=49211135
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US13/587,211 Abandoned US20130249371A1 (en) | 2012-03-23 | 2012-08-16 | Hinge assemblies for a domestic refrigerator |
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US20140306595A1 (en) * | 2013-04-12 | 2014-10-16 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Refrigerator |
US20150059126A1 (en) * | 2013-08-29 | 2015-03-05 | Electrolux Home Products, Inc | Hinge assembly for a refrigerator |
EP2957844A1 (en) | 2014-06-20 | 2015-12-23 | LG Electronics Inc. | Hinge for refrigerator and method for manufacturing the same |
WO2017180126A1 (en) * | 2016-04-14 | 2017-10-19 | Whirlpool Corporation | Double cabinet vacuum insulated refrigerator with a structural foamed mullion |
US9834967B2 (en) | 2015-12-15 | 2017-12-05 | Electrolux Home Products, Inc. | Hinge constructions |
WO2018080482A1 (en) * | 2016-10-26 | 2018-05-03 | Hussmann Corporation | Case frame and door assembly for a merchandiser |
US9976328B2 (en) * | 2015-06-05 | 2018-05-22 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Refrigerator hinge and manufacturing method thereof |
CN112444057A (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2021-03-05 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Multi-door refrigerator capable of realizing inward movement of gravity center |
CN112444077A (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2021-03-05 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Refrigerator capable of realizing inward movement of gravity center |
CN112444076A (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2021-03-05 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Embedded multi-door refrigerator with switching assembly |
WO2021062498A1 (en) * | 2019-10-02 | 2021-04-08 | Electrolux Do Brasil S.A. | Refrigerator door hinge with height adjustability feature cross-reference to related applications |
CN113007955A (en) * | 2019-12-20 | 2021-06-22 | Bsh家用电器有限公司 | Support bracket for a cooling device and method for producing the same |
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CN112444076A (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2021-03-05 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Embedded multi-door refrigerator with switching assembly |
CN112444077A (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2021-03-05 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Refrigerator capable of realizing inward movement of gravity center |
CN112444057A (en) * | 2019-08-28 | 2021-03-05 | 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司 | Multi-door refrigerator capable of realizing inward movement of gravity center |
WO2021062498A1 (en) * | 2019-10-02 | 2021-04-08 | Electrolux Do Brasil S.A. | Refrigerator door hinge with height adjustability feature cross-reference to related applications |
US20220333417A1 (en) * | 2019-10-02 | 2022-10-20 | Electrolux Do Brasil S.A. | Refrigerator door hinge with height adjustability feature |
CN113007955A (en) * | 2019-12-20 | 2021-06-22 | Bsh家用电器有限公司 | Support bracket for a cooling device and method for producing the same |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION, MICHIGAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LIVELY, ERIC D., MR.;MANN, JULIE A., MS.;REUTER, DARYL LEE, MR.;REEL/FRAME:028797/0909 Effective date: 20120816 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |