Door balancing system for an appliance

#Various appliances have doors that are hinged near a bottom edge, for example, to allow the withdrawal of shelves or baskets on which items are placed or to allow the insertion and removal of items from a cavity of the appliance. Example appliances include dishwashers, ovens, microwaves, washers, dryers, refrigerators, etc. Typically, a user pulls on a top of the door to open it. The doors may have different weights depending, for example, on whether or not a decorative panel is positioned over the exterior of the door, on whether or not detergent is placed in a detergent container in the door, whether or not items are pressing against the door, etc. The center of gravity as well as the weight of the doors further may vary from model to model.

#The force that balances the door varies as the door opens due to the effect of gravity and the varying torque that is applied to the door as the door swings open from a vertical position to a horizontal position. Counterbalancing springs are often included to oppose the door opening force or to assist in holding the door closed or in reclosing the door. For example, the counterbalancing springs may oppose the rapid movement that may otherwise occur as the door approaches the fully open position. The counterbalancing springs are located on each side of the door and are connected by a cable between the body of the appliance and the door hinge. An adjustment screw that contacts a bearing surface may be included on each side of the door to separately adjust the spring tension of each spring to control the door opening/closing.

#In an example embodiment, a door balancing system for an appliance is provided. The door balancing system may include, but is not limited to, an adjustment block, a single adjustment screw, a first pulley system, and a second pulley system. The adjustment block is configured to mount within a bearing housing. The bearing housing may include, but is not limited to, a bearing surface mounted to a body of an appliance. The adjustment block may include, but is not limited to, a threaded orifice. The single adjustment screw is configured for threading into the threaded orifice and is configured to abut the bearing surface. The first pulley system may include, but is not limited to, a first pulley, a first cable, and a first spring. The first cable is configured to mount between a first hinge and the adjustment block using the first pulley and the first spring. The first hinge is configured to mount a door to the body on a first side of the door. The first pulley is configured to mount to the body. The second pulley system may include, but is not limited to, a second pulley, a second cable, and a second spring. The second cable is configured to mount between a second hinge and the adjustment block using the second pulley and the second spring. The second hinge is configured to mount the door to the body on a second side of the door. The second pulley is configured to mount to the body. The first spring and the second spring are configured to exert a force on the door to control a rate of movement of the door relative to the body.

#Illustrative embodiments of the invention will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

#FIG. 1 depicts a front view of an appliance in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

#FIG. 2 depicts a front, right side perspective view of the appliance of FIG. 1 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

#With reference to FIG. 1, an appliance 100 is shown in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. With reference to the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 1, appliance 100 is a dishwasher. In alternative embodiments, appliance 100 may include an oven, a microwave, a washer, a dryer, a refrigerator, or any other appliance that includes a door mounted on an appliance body using a plurality of bottom-mounted hinges.

#With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3a, and 4a, appliance 100 may include a door 102, a handle 104, and a body 106. Handle 104 may be mounted to door 102 near a top of door 102 to facilitate opening of door 102, which rotates from a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 1, to a horizontal position (not shown) as understood by a person of skill in the art.

#Use of directional terms, such as top, bottom, right, left, front, back, etc. are merely intended to facilitate reference to the various surfaces of the described structures relative to the orientations shown in the drawings and are not intended to be limiting in any manner.