Door hinge assembly for an appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsLouis A. Wantland, Bagawathkumar Chellappan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hinge assembly for an appliance includes features that allow for a door rotatably hinged to the appliance to be raised or lowered through various phases of the swing arc of the door by utilizing a ramped surface of a bracket of the hinge assembly as the working surface. In one exemplary aspect, a hinge assembly includes a hinge bracket having a pivot pin and a ramped surface. The door hinge assembly also includes a cam assembly coupled with the door and having a cam projection. As the door is swung about its swing arc, the cam projection engages the ramped surface of the hinge bracket. In this way, the door can be raised along the vertical direction as the door is rotated through its swing arc.
Claims20
An appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction each mutually perpendicular to one another, the appliance comprising:
- a housing;
- a door rotatable through a swing arc;
- a hinge assembly rotatably coupling the door with the housing, the hinge assembly comprising:
- a hinge bracket coupled with the housing, the hinge bracket comprising:
- an attachment plate coupling the hinge bracket with the housing;
- a pin plate extending in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction;
- a pivot pin extending from the pin plate along the vertical direction, the pivot pin defining a hinge axis;
- and
- an extension portion extending between the attachment plate and the pin plate, the extension portion having a ramped surface;
- wherein the ramped surface slopes downward along the vertical direction from the attachment plate to the pin plate;
- and
- a cam plate coupled or integral with the door, the cam plate having a cam projection projecting therefrom, wherein the cam projection engages the ramped surface as the door is rotated through at least a portion of the swing arc of the door such that the door is moved along the vertical direction.
A hinge assembly for a door of an appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction and comprising a housing, the door rotatably coupled with the housing by the hinge assembly, the door rotatable through a swing arc, the hinge assembly comprising:
- a hinge bracket coupled with the housing, the hinge bracket comprising:
- a ramped surface extending outward from the housing and sloped in the vertical direction as the ramped surface extends outward from the housing;
- a pin plate connected to the ramped surface of the hinge bracket;
- and
- a pivot pin extending from the pin plate and defining a hinge axis;
- and
- a cam assembly coupled or integral with the door, the cam assembly comprising:
- a cam plate;
- a thimble extending from the cam plate along the hinge axis and configured to receive the pivot pin;
- a cam projection projecting from the cam plate, wherein the cam projection engages the ramped surface as the door is rotated through at least a portion of the swing arc of the door such that the door is moved along the vertical direction.
A refrigerator appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction each mutually perpendicular to one another, the refrigerator appliance comprising:
- a housing;
- a door rotatable through a swing arc;
- a hinge assembly rotatably coupling the door with the housing, the hinge assembly comprising:
- a hinge bracket coupled with the housing, the hinge bracket comprising:
- a ramped surface extending outward from the housing and sloped in the vertical direction as the ramped surface extends outward from the housing;
- a pin plate connected to the ramped surface of the hinge bracket;
- and
- a pivot pin extending from the pin plate and defining a hinge axis;
- and
- a cam assembly coupled or integral with the door, the cam assembly comprising:
- a cam plate;
- a thimble extending from the cam plate along the hinge axis and configured to receive the pivot pin;
- and
- a cam projection projecting from the cam plate, wherein the cam projection engages the ramped surface as the door is rotated through at least a portion of the swing arc of the door such that the door is moved along the vertical direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.