Counterbalancing hinge for range oven doors or the like

A door counterbalancing hinge assembly adapted to support a door on a body structure in closing relation to an opening in the body structure and from which the door must be capable of swinging to an open position about an axis along the bottom edge of the opening, comprising:

• articulted hinge members one member of which is adapted to support the door and the other member of which is adapted to be secured fixedly to the body structure;
• means pivotally connecting the members for movement between a closed door position and an open door position;
• counterbalancing spring means carried by and operatively connected to said one member;
• means operatively connecting the spring means to said other member and comprising a reciprocatable part;
• and separable detent means comprising a part located in a fixed position on said one member and coactive with said reciprocatable part to maintain the members selectively in a partially open door position and being separable by movement of said reciprocatable part in response to leverage force applied to said one member toward either the closed door position or the open door position from said partially open door position.

A counterbalancing hinge assembly adapted to mount a door in closing relation to an opening in the body structure of an appliance and from which the door must be capable of swinging to an open position about an axis along the bottom edge of the opening, comprising:

• articulated members including a supporting bracket adapted to be secured to the body structure adjacent to one side of the bottom edge of the opening and an arm adapted to be received within the door;
• means pivotally connecting the arm to the bracket for swinging of the arm between a generally upright closed door position and a generally horizontal open door position;
• an elongate counterbalancing spring carried by said arm and operative in the upright position of the arm to effect spring bias of the arm toward the closed door position, and operative to counterbalance the door when the arm is moved with the door between said upright position and said open door position;
• said spring having one end connected to the arm;
• rack means connected to the opposite end of the spring;
• spur gear means fixedly mounted on said supporting bracket and meshing with said rack means so that when the arm is swung pivotaly on pivotally bracket, coaction of the spur gear means with the rack means causes the rack means to more relative to the arm and condition the counterbalancing spring for its counterbalancing function;
• and said spur gear means and the rack means having cooperative stop surfaces which engage when the arm is moved to the fully open door position relative to the supporting bracket.

A door counterbalancing hinge assembly adapted to support a door on a body structure in closing relation to an opening in the body structure and from which the door must be capable of swinging to an open position about an axis along the bottom edge of the opening, comprising:

• articulated hinge members, one of which comprises an elongate hollow frame arm;
• means pivotally connecting the members;
• an elongate counterbalancing spring extending longitudinally within said hollow arm member;
• means operatively connecting one end of the spring to the other of said members;
• the end of said hollow arm member opposite to the pivot having an opening through which said spring is adapted to be assembled;
• a crown piece removably mounted in closing relation across said opening;
• and means connecting the adjacent end of the spring to said crown piece, and permitting removal of the crown piece for access to the spring when desired.

A door counterbalancing hinge assembly adapted to support a door on a body structure in closing relation to an opening in the body structure and from which the door must be capable of swinging to an open position about an axis along the bottom edge of the opening, comprising:

• articulated hinge members one of which is adapted to support the door and the other of which is adapted to be secured fixedly to the body structure;
• means pivotally connecting the members for movement between a closed door position and an open door position;
• counterbalancing spring means carried by and operatively connected to said one member;
• means operatively connecting the spring means to said other member;
• a door into which said one member projects for supporting the door;
• means permitting the door to be removed from said one member in a partially door open position;
• interlock shoulder means rigid with the door;
• means comprising a spring finger carried by said one member;
• and said connecting means having a part operative in the movement of the door farther toward open position from said partially open position to thrust said finger into interlocking relation to said interlock shoulder means to thereby lock the door against removal until the door is moved back to said partially open position.