# US 11,116,049 B2 · Door opening speed controller and automatic opening structure for an appliance

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- Number: US 11,116,049 B2
- Document ID: US11116049B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/366,594
- Filed: 2019-03-27
- Published: 2019-10-03
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-27
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Jangmo Shin; Jeongkil Kim; Myeong Jun Shin; Seongho Jeong; Sangki Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11116049B2

## CPC

- H05B 6/6417: {Door interlocks of the microwave heating apparatus and related circuits}
- E05B 15/022: {movable, resilient or yieldable (adjustable into different discrete positions E05B15/024; yieldable striker for emergency opening E05B65/1026)}
- E05B 15/1635: {of plastics materials (springs E05B15/04)}
- E05B 47/0012: {with rotary electromotors (actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68)}
- E05B 47/0046: {Electric or magnetic means in the striker or on the frame; Operating or controlling the striker plate (E05B47/0696, E05B63/248 take precedence)}
- E05C 19/12: pivotally mounted {around an axis (E05C3/045, E05C3/40 take precedence)}
- E05F 1/1261: {for counterbalancing}
- E05F 1/1276: {for counterbalancing}
- E05F 3/02: with pneumatic piston brakes (rotary type E05F3/14)
- E05F 3/18: with counteracting springs (double-acting springs E05F1/14)
- E05F 3/20: in hinges
- E05F 3/224: {for assisting in opening the wing}
- F24C 15/022: {Latches}
- F24C 15/023: {Mounting of doors, e.g. hinges, counterbalancing}
- H05B 6/6414: {Aspects relating to the door of the microwave heating apparatus}
- E05B 2047/0068: {Door closed}
- E05Y 2201/21: Brakes
- E05Y 2201/254: Fluid or viscous friction
- E05Y 2201/264: linear
- E05Y 2800/26: Form or shape
- E05Y 2900/302: for built-in appliances
- E05Y 2900/308: for ovens
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- E05C: BOLTS OR FASTENING DEVICES FOR WINGS, SPECIALLY FOR DOORS OR WINDOWS (latching means for sideboard or tailgate structures for vehicles B62D, {B62D33/02}; fastening devices for constructional or engineering elements E04, F16B; locks, fastening devices structurally or operatively combined or having significant cooperation with locks E05B; means for operating or controlling wing fasteners in conjunction with mechanisms for moving the wing E05F)
- E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING
- F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF

## Abstract

An appliance includes a hinge module between a main body and a pull-down door. The hinge module includes a housing, a rotational axis member disposed in the housing serving as a center of rotation between the pull-down door and the main body, an inner link housing movably disposed in the housing that moves with the opening of the pull-down door in a direction of the rotational axis member, and a damper installed in the inner link housing, the damper including a piston and a cylinder and providing damping force according to a relative movement of the piston and the cylinder. Any one of the piston and the cylinder of the damper moves with the inner link housing and the other of the piston and the cylinder of the damper moves by a predetermined distance as the inner link housing moves and then is interfered by the housing so as not to move further, and the piston and the cylinder of the damper starts damping, wherein the predetermined distance corresponds to an opening angle of the pull-down door in which the damping is started.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A home appliance, comprising:
a main body having a cavity therein;
a door that opens and closes an open front of the cavity; and
a first and second hinge module, each having a rotational axis member serving as a center of rotation for opening and closing movements of the door,
wherein the rotational axis member swivably connects the door to the main body around a horizontal rotation axis placed in a front lower part of the main body and extending in a left-right direction;
a first damper installed in the first hinge module installed at a lower end of one side of the door that starts damping when an opening angle of the door is at a first damping start angle; and
a second damper installed in the second hinge module installed at a lower end of an other side of the door that starts damping when an opening angle of the door is at a second damping start angle greater than the first damping start angle, so as to control an opening speed of the door;
wherein each hinge module comprises:
a housing extending in a front-back direction and fixed at the main body;
a door bar swivably connected to the housing around the rotational axis member and fixed at the door;
an inner link housing swivably connected to the door bar through a door bar connecting hinge and guided by the housing so as to move forward and backward; and
each damper having a piston and a cylinder and providing damping force according to a relative movement of the piston and the cylinder,
wherein, in the first hinge module, the door bar connecting hinge is spaced apart from the rotational axis member by a first predetermined distance, and in the second hinge module, the door bar connecting hinge is spaced apart from the rotational axis member by a second predetermined distance, and
in the first damper, any one of the piston and the cylinder of the first damper moves forward as the inner link housing moves forward, and the other of the piston and the cylinder of the first damper moves forward by a first predetermined distance as the inner link housing moves forward and then is interfered by the housing so as not to move further forward, and
in the second damper, any one of the piston and the cylinder of the second damper moves forward as the inner link housing moves forward, and the other of the piston and the cylinder of the second damper moves forward by a second predetermined distance as the inner link housing moves forward and then is interfered by the housing so as not to move further forward,
wherein the first predetermined distance of the first hinge module installed on the one side of the door is shorter than the second predetermined distance of the second hinge module installed on the other side of the door,
wherein each damper comprises a slot provided at the other of the piston and the cylinder of the damper and extending in the front-back direction, and a damper support pin installed in the housing and fitted into the slot, and
the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance are determined based on a length of the slot of the respective first and second hinge module.

### Claim 2

A home appliance, comprising:
a main body having a cavity therein;
a door that opens and closes an open front of the cavity; and
a first and second hinge module, each having a rotational axis member serving as a center of rotation for opening and closing movements of the door,
wherein the rotational axis member swivably connects the door to the main body around a horizontal rotation axis placed in a front lower part of the main body and extending in a left-right direction;
a first damper installed in the first hinge module installed at a lower end of one side of the door that starts damping when an opening angle of the door is at a first damping start angle;
a second damper installed in the second hinge module installed at a lower end of an other side of the door that starts damping when an opening angle of the door is at a second damping start angle greater than the first damping start angle, so as to control an opening speed of the door;
wherein each hinge module comprises:
a housing extending in a front-back direction and fixed at the main body;
a door bar swivably connected to the housing around the rotational axis member and fixed at the door;
an inner link housing swivably connected to the door bar through a door bar connecting hinge and guided by the housing so as to move forward and backward; and
each damper having a piston and a cylinder and providing damping force according to a relative movement of the piston and the cylinder,
wherein, in the first hinge module, the door bar connecting hinge is spaced apart from the rotational axis member by a first predetermined distance, and in the second hinge module, the door bar connecting hinge is spaced apart from the rotational axis member by a second predetermined distance, and
in the first damper, any one of the piston and the cylinder of the first damper moves forward as the inner link housing moves forward, and the other of the piston and the cylinder of the first damper moves forward by a first predetermined distance as the inner link housing moves forward and then is interfered by the housing so as not to move further forward, and
in the second damper, any one of the piston and the cylinder of the second damper moves forward as the inner link housing moves forward, and the other of the piston and the cylinder of the second damper moves forward by a second predetermined distance as the inner link housing moves forward and then is interfered by the housing so as not to move further forward,
wherein a distance between the door bar connecting hinge and the rotational axis member of the first hinge module installed on the one side of the door is longer than a distance between the door bar connecting hinge and the rotational axis member of the second hinge module installed on the other side of the door.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The home appliance of claim 2, where a stroke of the damper of the first hinge module installed on the one side of the door is different from a stroke of the damper of the second hinge module installed on the other side of the door at the same opening angle of the door.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The home appliance of claim 3, wherein a damping coefficient of the first damper of the hinge module installed on the one side of the door is substantially the same as a damping coefficient of the damper of the second hinge module installed on the other side of the door.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The home appliance of claim 2, wherein magnitude of damping force applied to the door by the first hinge module installed on the one side of the door is different from magnitude of damping force applied to the door by the second hinge module installed on the other side of the door.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The home appliance of claim 2, wherein the first damping start angle of the first hinge module is within a range of 30° to 40°, and
the second damping start angle of the second hinge module is within a range of 60° to 80°.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The home appliance of claim 2, wherein each hinge module comprises a spring, and elasticity is applied to the door by the spring in a direction in which the door is closed.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The home appliance of claim 2, wherein the cavity is a cooking chamber, and the home appliance is a cooking appliance.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the first damping start angle of the first hinge module is within a range of 30° to 40°, and
the second damping start angle of the second hinge module is within a range of 60° to 80°.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The home appliance of claim 1, wherein each hinge module comprises a spring, and elasticity is applied to the door by the spring in a direction in which the door is closed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the cavity is a cooking chamber, and the home appliance is a cooking appliance.