US2368146A - Lid construction - Google Patents

Description

Em 3 45 A. A. KOOYMAN LID CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 10, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l W N m m MN Ira/672507" fig] POMS-W A. A. KOOYMAN Jan. 36), T1945.

LID CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 10, 1941 Jan. 30, 1945. A. A. KOOYMAN 2,368,146

LID CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Feb. 10, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 30, 1945 LID CONSTRUCTION Adrianus A. Kooyman, Chicago, 111., assignmto International Harvester Company, a corporation oi New Jersey Original application February 10, 1941, Serial No.

378,420. Divided and this 22, 1942, Serial No. 455,759

3 Claims.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 378,420, filed February 10, 1941, which was filed for abandoned application Serial No. 218,160, filed July 8, 1938.

This invention relates to a lid construction. More specifically, it relates to an arrangement applicable to a lid of a refrigerator or the like for releasing or reducing the counterbalancing action of a spring upon movement of the lid into closed position.

in many cases it is necessary to provide a ocunterbalancing spring for aiding the opening of a lid on a device such as a refrigerator. Since the spring aids opening, it will naturally oppose closing, and it is desirable that some means be provided for minimizing the action of the spring at closed position of the lid.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved lid construction for a container.

A further object is to provide for a lid construction an arrangement for releasing the counterbalancing action of a spring intended to hold open a lid.

Still another object is the provision of a reapplication August lease mechanism for a counterbalancing spring in connection with a double lid construction,

Other objects will appear from the disclosure.

According to the present invention, a pair oi containers, one within the other, provide adjacent compartments suitable for food and refrigerant. Lids for the compartments are pivotall; aiined ar extend in the same direction from the in closed position. Arena" straps extend the inner sides or the lids d are slotted ent the lids. A extends between the s with its ends partially in the a s. the one lid is opened, the end of the pin moves out of the slot and the pin is moved longitudinally by contact with the strap further into the lot in the other strap, so that movement of the latter strap to release the pin from engagement with the slot is impossible and the lid is locked in closed position against the compartment. Counterbalancing springs are connected to the lids and containers,

so as to hold the lids in open position. A mechanism is provided for releasing the action of the counterbalancing springs when the doors are moved nearly into closed position.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view taken along the line l.'l of Figure 3, but with the lids closed;

Figure 2 is a similar section with one lid in open position;

iii)

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, but with the same lid partially open;

Figure 4 shows in detail a locking pin;

Figure 5 shows a sleeve for the lockingpin;

Figure 6 shows a bell-crank member for releasing a counterbalancing spring;

Figure 7 is a detail, showing a member on which the locking pin is mounted;

Figure 8 is a perspective view, showing how the locking pin is mounted; and

Figure 9 is a detail, showing a connecting piece for a counterbalancing spring.

A dry tank It for food is mounted within a refrigerant tank il in a manner not completely shown, since it forms no part of the present invention. In any event, the tanks are so arranged as to form separate compartments for food and refrigerant. A lid is covers the food compartment, and a lid Hi, the refrigerant compartment. The lids are hinged on alined axes, as at 95. Secured to the under side of the lids l3 and M, respectively, are arcuate straps El and It, the centers of which fall on the alined pivot axes I5 of the lids. near its point of attachment to the lid, as at ill, with a sloping groove 20 extending from the slot on the surface facing the other strap.

The dry tank ill has a flange 2!, by means of which the tank is supported at one side On a pair of angle irons 22 and 23, having end portions 22 and 23 resting on the refrigerant tank ll. as shown in Figure 'l for the angle iron 22, angle iron 23 being similarly formed, there is'a threaded opening 2 3 and an elongated slot 25 with a circular portion 26 at one end. Secured opposite this circular portion to angle iron 23 is a U-shaped member it? with a registering opening and a slot 29 receiving the arcuate strap it as shown in Figure 8. A short tubular section 3% is secured in the opening 26 of the angle members 22 and 23 and the registering opening of the U-shaped member 28, and is almost as long as the distance between the straps ll and it. There is an elongated opening 3| in the tubular section 30 nearer the end which is opposite the strap H (see Figures 3 and 5). A looking pin 33 is positioned within the tubular. section 3!! and has an opening 34 opposite the opening 3| in the tubular section. There are reduced ends 35 and 36 on the locking pin 33, which extend partly through the slots IS in the arcuate straps l1 and 18 when the lids are both in closed position. A spring member 38 extends into the opening in the pin 33 and has an eye portion 39, through which a bolt extends and is se- Each strap is slotted cured to the angle members 22 and 23, securing the spring member thereto. The spring member tends to retain the locking pin 33 in a central position between the straps l1 and I3, and yet allows it some movement along its length into and out of the slots I! in the arcuate members l1 and II.

Clips 4| are welded to the ends of the members l1 and I8 and retain, by means of pins 42 passing through holes 42' in legs 43, bolts 44 fastened to one end of counterbalancing springs 45. Bolts 46 connect the other end of the springs and brackets 41, secured to the angle members 22 and 23. The arrangement is such that either lid tends to stay in the open position of Figure 2, for in this position the clips 43 are closest to the brackets 41. When the lid is shut, the spring 45 is caused to elongate and resist the movement to closed position. In order that the counterbalancing action may be released in closed positlon, bell-crank member 50, shown in detail in Figure 6, and nut bell-crank member 50 is pivoted on the angle members 22 and 23, as at 52. As the lid 14 moves to closed position, the end of the arcuate strap l8 strikes an end portion 54 of the bellcrank member 50, which is spaced a considerable distance from the pivot at 52. The bolt 44 passes between legs 55 with the nut Ii resting against the legs when closed position has been reached. In this position, the distance between the contact of the nut 6| v point 52 is small in comparison with the distance between pivot point 62 and the point of contact of strap l8 on end portion 54 of the bell-crank member. Consequently, in the closed position or in the approach to closed position, the effective lever arm at which the spring 45 acts is small in comparison with the lever arm on whichpressure applied to the cover acts, and the ability of the spring to resist closing force to the cover is considerably reduced. The mechanical advantage' of the lidin respect to the spring is considerable.

Whenthe lids are in closed position, the looking pin 33 occupies a mid-position between the straps i'l'and i8 becauseof the action of the spring 38, with the ends 35 and 36 extending through the openings IS in the straps i1 and I8 to a point opposite the sloping grooves 20. When lid 14, for example, as shown in Figure 3, is raised, the reduced end 36 of the pin 33 is able to slide out of the holes is of the strap I8 by passing along sloping groove 20. However, as this happens, the locking pin 33 tudinally farther into the opening IQ of strap I'I beyond the groove 20. If an attempt is now made to raise lid l3, the end portion 35 of pin 33 is not in a position to slide out of hole 19 of strap 11 by passing over sloping portion 20, and consequently strap movement. It now lid 14 is lowered to closed position, end portion 36 of locking pin 33 moves back into hole IQ of strap l8, and end portion 35, partially out of hole IQ of strap I1. Now, lid l3 may be raised, since end portion 35 of pin 33 is in a position to slide out of hole I9 along sloping groove 20. When this happens, locking pin 33 is moved far enough into strap ii to lock it and lid [4 against movement.

It may be considered that the sloping groove adjacent the hole I! in one strap l8 constitutes means for displacing the end of the pin 33 in the hole to bring the other end of the pin aseame into locked engagement with the hole I! in the other arcuate strap ll.

In the open position of lid l4 of Figure 2, clip 4! contacts U-shaped member 23 and lid 14 rests against a stop 51. Thus, the opening of the lid is limited. A similar stop for limiting the move- 5| on bolt 44 are provided. The

and legs 55 and pivot is moved longi- I1 and lid l3 are locked against ment of lid I3 is also provided.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that a novel structure has been provided in which one lid of a pair of lids is locked in closed position, while the other lid is open, and the counterbalancing action of springs on the lids is reduced as the lids are closed. The invention has been shown in connection with a refrigerator, but it is to be understood that the invention is applicable wherever lids or closures are used.

The invention is to be limited only to the terms of the appended claims.

What b claimed is:

1. In combination, a container part having an opening, a lid part, a hinge pivotally mounting the lid part on the outside of the container part for movement to and from a closed position in the opening, a curved member connected to the lid part and movable therewith concentrically about said hinge, a counter-balancing spring means connected at one end to the member and at the other to the container inside the opening, and a bell crank lever having a long arm in the path of movement of the member and a short arm adjacent the spring means, said lever being pivotally mounted inside the container part to one side of the opening independently of the member and spring means and at a side of the hinge away from the opening thereby enabling the member to come into engagement with the long arm of the lever at a relatively large distance from the pivot of the lever and the spring means to come into engagement with the short arm of the lever at a relatively small distance from its said pivot, whereby resistance of the spring means is slackened as the lid part approaches its closed position.

2. In combination, a container part having an opening, a lidpart, a hinge pivotally mounting the lid part on the outside of the container part for movement to and from a closed position in the opening, a curved member connected to the lid part and movable therewith concentrically about said hinge, -a counter-balancing spring means connected at one end to the member and at the other to the container part inside the opening, and a bell crank lever having a long arm in a position to be engaged by the member and a short arm in a position to be engaged by the spring means, said lever pivotally mounted inside the container part independently of the member and spring means at a side of the hinge away from the opening thereby enabling the member to come into engagement with the long arm of the bell crank and the spring means to come into engagement with the short arm of the bell crank, whereby resistance of the spring means is slackened as the lid part approaches its closed position.

3. In combination, a container having a wall with an opening, a lid hinged to the outside of the container to close said opening, an arcuate guide member connected at one end to the inner face of the lid in spaced relation to the hinge, extending into the opening and arranged in substantially coaxial relationship with the hinge, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted in the container at the side of the lid hinge opposite from the connection 2,ses,14a

of the member to the lid, 3. counter-balance spring for the lid connected at one end to the container at the side of the opening opposite the hinge and at its other'end the spring being connected to a rod, said rod connected at its free end to the free end of the guide member, and a fulcrum nut carried by the rod, said bellcrank lever having a short arm extending toward said spring and engaging the fulcrum nut and a, long arm engaged by the free end of the guide member, whereby as the lid is moved to closed position the force of 5 the spring is relaxed. 4

ADRIANUS A. KOOYMAN.

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