US 7,017,232 B1Granted

Load limiting hinge

OwnerThomas G. Priddyinventor

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Abstract

The load limiting hinge provides a rigid, essentially inelastic drop down door mounting structure when normal loads are placed upon the door, but includes an easily replaceable weak link or “mechanical fuse” which breaks or opens when excessive force is applied to the open door. The hinge assembly supports the drop down door with practically no deflection of the door or hinge assembly when normal loads are applied to the open door, but allows the door to drop from the horizontal when excessive loads are applied to the door, to preclude the tipping of an appliance to which the door is attached or the continued use of the door as a platform. The hinge assembly is particularly useful in oven door installations, serving to assure that hot articles atop the stove are not spilled due to tipping of the appliance or inappropriate access by small children.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A load limiting hinge, comprising:

a substantially rigid hinge post having a hinge plate attachment portion, a spring attachment end opposite the hinge plate attachment portion, said hinge post having hinge plate pivot and hinge plate locking holes defined therein;
said hinge post further including a hinge plate pivot limit fastener hole defined therein;
a substantially rigid hinge plate having a pivot attachment hole, a door arm attachment hole, and threaded mechanical fuse attachment hole defined therein;
said hinge plate having a pivot limit slot in the shape of an arc formed therein, the center of the arc of the pivot limit slot being located at the pivot attachment hole of said hinge plate;
a hinge plate pivot limit fastener extending through the hinge plate pivot limit fastener hole of said hinge post and the pivot limit slot of said hinge plate;
an elongate, substantially rigid door arm having a hinge plate attachment end with a hinge plate attachment hole defined therein;
a hinge plate pivot fastener extending through the hinge plate pivot hole and the pivot attachment hole, pivotally attaching the hinge plate to the hinge post;
a door arm pivot fastener extending through the door arm attachment hole and the hinge plate attachment hole, pivotally attaching the door arm to the hinge plate;
and
a threaded mechanical fuse extending through the hinge plate locking hole and the mechanical fuse attachment hole, the fuse having a fracture stress so that the fuse immovably affixes the hinge plate to the hinge post under normal load, and fractures when an excessive load applied to the door arm exerts tensile stress to fracture the fuse and pivot the hinge plate about the hinge plate pivot fastener.

7 more elements

A load limiting hinge, comprising:

a substantially rigid hinge post having a hinge plate attachment portion, a spring attachment end opposite the hinge plate attachment portion, and hinge plate pivot and hinge plate locking holes defined therein;
said hinge post further has a hinge plate pivot limit fastener hole defined therein;
a substantially rigid hinge plate having a pivot attachment hole, a door arm attachment hole, and threaded mechanical fuse attachment hole defined therein;
an elongate, substantially rigid door arm having a hinge plate attachment end with a hinge plate attachment hole defined therein;
a hinge plate pivot fastener extending through the hinge plate pivot hole and the pivot attachment hole, pivotally attaching the hinge plate to the hinge post;
a door arm pivot fastener extending through the door arm attachment hole and the hinge plate attachment hole, pivotally attaching the door arm to the hinge plate;
a slider bar attachment arm extending from said door arm, the slider bar attachment arm having a slider bar attachment hole defined therein;
an elongate, substantially rigid slider bar having a door arm attachment end and a hinge post contact end opposite the door arm attachment end, the hinge post contact end slidably bearing against said hinge post;
a door arm attachment lug extending from the door arm attachment end of said slider bar, the door arm attachment lug having a door arm attachment hole defined therein;
a door arm and slider bar connection fastener disposed through said slider bar attachment hole of said door arm and through said door arm attachment hole of said slider bar;
and
a threaded mechanical fuse extending through the hinge plate locking hole and the mechanical fuse attachment hole, the fuse having a fracture stress so that the fuse immovably affixes the hinge plate to the hinge post under normal load, and fractures when an excessive load applied to the door arm exerts tensile stress to fracture the fuse and pivot the hinge plate about the hinge plate pivot fastener.

9 more elements

An oven with load limiting hinge, comprising:

an oven having an open front with a lower edge;
a drop down door disposed at the open front of the oven, said door having a lower edge;
a pair of hinge assemblies connecting the lower edge of said door with the lower edge of the front of said oven, each of said hinge assemblies comprising:
a substantially rigid hinge post having a hinge plate attachment portion and a spring attachment end opposite the hinge plate attachment portion, said hinge post further having a hinge plate pivot limit fastener hole defined therein;
a substantially rigid hinge plate, said hinge plate having an arcuate pivot limit slot defined therein;
a hinge plate pivot limit fastener extending through the hinge plate pivot limit fastener hole of said hinge post and the pivot limit slot of said hinge plate;
an elongate, substantially rigid door arm pivotally attached to the hinge plate, the door being attached to the door arm;
and
a pivot fastener pivotally attaching a first end of the hinge plate to the hinge post and a threaded mechanical fuse having a fracture stress, the fuse immovably affixing a second end of the hinge plate to the hinge post under normal load, and fracturing when an excessive load is applied to the door arm and exerts tensile stress sufficient to fracture the fuse and pivot the hinge plate about the pivot fastener.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.