# US 2015/0145397 A1 · Home appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0145397 A1 - Document ID: US20150145397A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/553,638 - Filed: 2014-11-25 - Published: 2015-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-26 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.; Pusan National University Industry-University Cooperation Foundation - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.; Pusan National University Industry-University Cooperation Foundation - Inventors: Jaemyung CHIN; Sungho Choi; Yoongho Jung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150145397A1 ## CPC - F24C 15/023: {Mounting of doors, e.g. hinges, counterbalancing} - A47L 15/4261: {Connections of the door to the casing, e.g. door hinges} - E05F 1/1025: {with a compression or traction spring} - E05Y 2201/638: Cams; Ramps - E05Y 2900/30: for domestic appliances - E05Y 2900/308: for ovens - F24C: DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES (exclusively for solid fuels F24B); DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) - 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 - 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 Disclosed is a home appliance. The home appliance includes a cabinet having a chamber configured to receive an object therein, a door configured to open or close the chamber, a cam assembly configured to convert rotation into horizontal linear movement upon rotation of the door, and a spring configured to be compressed by horizontal linear movement of the cam assembly. The cam assembly has a variable horizontal linear movement distance for compression of the spring according to a rotation angle of the door. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A home appliance comprising: a cabinet having a chamber configured to receive an object therein; a door configured to open or close the chamber; a cam assembly configured to convert rotational movement of the door into horizontal linear movement upon rotation of the door; and a spring configured to be compressed by the horizontal linear movement of the cam assembly, wherein an amount of the horizontal linear movement per a prescribed amount of rotation of the door is variable according to a rotation angle of the door. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the horizontal linear movement of the cam assembly increases as the rotation angle of the door increases as the door is opened. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the cam assembly includes: a first cam configured to rotate with the door; and a second cam configured to linearly move via rotation of the first cam. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The home appliance according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first cam or the second cam includes a plurality of guide faces having different gradients at portions thereof that come into contact with the other cam. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of guide faces include a first guide face, a second guide face and a third guide face which are positioned adjacent to each other and have constant gradients which are different from each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The home appliance according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of guide faces correspond to a different range of the rotation angle of the door. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein an intersection between adjacent guide faces is bent at a prescribed angle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein an intersection between adjacent guide faces is curved. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The home appliance according to claim 4, wherein a contact surface of the other one of the first cam or the second cam has a constant gradient. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The home appliance according to claim 1, wherein the spring includes a coil spring having a constant coefficient of elasticity. ### Claim 11 A home appliance comprising: a cabinet; a door; and a cam assembly coupled to the cabinet and the door and configured to convert rotational movement of the door into horizontal linear movement upon rotation of the door, wherein the cam assembly includes: a first cam configured to rotate with the door; and a second cam configured to linearly move via rotation of the first cam, and wherein an amount of horizontal linear movement of the second cam per a prescribed amount of rotation of the door is variable according to a rotation angle of the door. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The home appliance according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the first cam or the second cam includes a plurality of stepped guide faces at a portion of the first cam or the second cam that face each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The home appliance according to claim 11, further comprising a spring configured to be compressed by the horizontal linear movement of the second cam. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The home appliance according to claim 13, wherein the spring is provided adjacent to the second cam to exert a force in a first direction, the second cam is configured to move linearly in the first direction, and the first cam is provided adjacent the second cam and configured to rotate in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The home appliance according to claim 14, wherein the spring, the second cam and the first cam are linearly aligned in the first direction, parallel to a rotational axis of the first cam. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The home appliance according to claim 14, wherein a guide face of the first cam that contacts the second cam has a prescribed shape to vary the amount of horizontal linear movement of the second cam, the guide face including a first surface having a first gradient, a second surface provided adjacent to the first surface and having a second gradient, and a third surface provided adjacent to the second surface and having a third gradient, wherein the first gradient, the second gradient, and the third gradient are different from one another. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The home appliance according to claim 16, wherein the second gradient of the second surface is greater than the first gradient of the first surface such that the spring is compressed at a greater rate through the second surface than the first surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The home appliance according to claim 16, wherein the first gradient, the second gradient, and the third gradient are constant. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The home appliance according to claim 16, wherein the first surface of the first cam corresponds to a first angular range of the door relative to the cabinet that extends from a closed position to a first prescribed angle of the door, the second surface of the first cam corresponds to a second angular range of the door that extends from the first prescribed angle to a second prescribed angle of the door, and the third surface of the cam corresponds to a third angular range of the door that extends from the second prescribed angle to a fully open position of the door. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The home appliance according to claim 19, wherein the cam assembly is configured to transfer a force from the spring to the door to counteract a weight of the door, wherein the force is increased at a greater rate when the door is positioned in the second angular range than the first range and increased at a greater rate when the door is positioned in the third angular range than the first and second angular ranges.