US 4,787,121 A · Hinge with stop

Abstract

An appliance hinge having internal stop mechanisms. The hinge has a first member which provides a thin bearing surface on both sides of a formed cylindrical segment on the back lip of the door. The second hinge member is a molded block which mounts on the floor of the door recess on the appliance cabinet top, and has a cylindrical shaped guide slot for receiving the first member in sliding engagement. The first and second hinge members are snapped together to prevent disengagement during assembly. When the door is rotated about the hinge axis, the bearing surfaces of the cylindrical segment slilde along the guide slot until the door contacts the back lip of the slot and the edge of the cylindrical segment contacts the terminating surface of the guide slot. Cooperatively, these two stop mechanisms distribute the strain of a relatively strong opening force.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A hinge for pivotally connecting a first and second member about a pivot axis, comprising:

a first hinge portion comprising a cylindrical segment having first and second opposing surfaces and a terminating edge, said first hinge portion being connected to said first member;
a second hinge portion having a guide slot for receiving said cylindrical segment of said first hinge portion, said slot comprising a mouth portion, a throat portion having spaced opposing arcuate walls substantially conforming with respective ones of said first and second opposing surfaces of said cylindrical segment for receiving said cylindrical segment in sliding engagement, and an end portion, said second hinge portion being connected to said second member;
and
a lip extending outwardly from said mouth portion, said first member engaging said lip after a predetermined rotation of said first hinge portion with respect to said second hinge portion for providing a stop.

1 more element

In a top loading clothes washer, a hinge for pivotally connecting the downwardly extending lip of the lid of said washer within a recess in the cabinet top, comprising:

a first hinge portion connected to said lip of said lid, said first hinge portion having a first section on the inside of said lip defining a concave cylindrical bearing surface and a second section on the outside of said lip defining a convex cylindrical bearing surface;
and
a second hinge portion connected within said recess of said cabinet top, said hinge portion having a guide slot for receiving said first hinge portion, said slot having a top entrance extending laterally thereacross and having a downwardly and forwardly extending throat with opposing spaced concentric bearing surfaces terminating at an end portion, said first hinge portion being engaged in said throat portion of said second hinge portion wherein, when said lid is opened upwardly from the front, said first hinge portion rotates about an axis at the center of said concentric bearing surfaces with said concave and convex surfaces of said first hinge portion respectively sliding along said concentric bearing surfaces until the edge of said lip of said lid contacts the terminating end portion of said throat thereby providing a hinge stop.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hinge with stop

Life of this patent

Hinge with stop

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11