Elastic hinge, particularly for oven doors of gas and electric cooking ranges

Abstract

 This elastic hinge, in particular for oven doors of gas and electric cooking ranges, comprises a frame (2) rigidly associable with the door and swingingly connected to a lever (5) engageable in a slit defined laterally of the range opening and elastic return means (6) acting on the lever (5). In order to achieve a good strength and to afford an increased rigidity of the door in the wide open position thereof, the lever (5) is pivoted to a link (10) having a portion thereof slidable in a guide element (15a, 15b) defined on the hinge frame (2). The guide element is restricted in length to block rotation of the frame (2) with respect to the lever (5) to support the door in the open position.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an elastic hinge, particularly for gas and electric cooking ranges.

[0002] Known are doors for gas and electric cooking ranges and the like which incorporate hinges mounted close to the door edges around which the door swings open and closed.

[0003] In particular, Italian Patent No. 63 60 34, filed on September 20, 1960, discloses a hinge comprising a frame associable rigidly with the door and accommodating a pin rigid therewith and associated swingingly with a lever which extends externally of the frame to engage rigidly beside the cooking range opening to be closed off with the door. The frame can swing relatively to the lever about the axis of the pin against or by the action of elastio return means consisting of a coil apring coiled around the pin and having one end rigid with the frame and the other end rigid with the lever.

[0004] The lever has, moreover, at an intermediate portion thereof a recess engageable by a roller associated with the frame and pushing against the lever to block the door rotation at an intermediate open position.

[0005] That hinge type has shown over time to be susceptible to modification in order to improve the rigidity of the coupling formed between the door and range.

[0006] The main problem inherent to these hinges is in fact that of minimizing the elastic yielding of the door in the wide open position in order to enable heavy pots to rest on the open door. In this condition, it is necessary that the door can retain its horizontal position to prevent the pot from sliding off and turn over causing burns to the user.

[0007] With the type of hinge described and others still available commercially, the weight of the door, and hence of the pot or another object resting thereon, bears on that partion of the frame which engages with the lever in the wide open position of the door. Owing to the particular construction of the frame and the lever it may happen that the degree of safety afforded by these hinge types, after prolonged use, is not sufficiently satisfactory and that the door acquires an undesired elasticity.

[0008] It is the primary aim of this invention to provide a structure of a hinge which can better withstand the stresses just described, so as to afford increased rigidity of the door in the wide open position thereof.

[0009] Within the above aim, it is an object of the invention to better spread the stresses undergone by the frame so as to reduce its size and allow reduced thickness for the door with a concurrently increased spacing of the hinges attached to the door edges for the benefit of the width dimension of the cooking range opening.

[0010] This aim, and these and other objects to become apparent herein below, are achieved by an elastic hinge, particularly for oven doors of gas and electric cooking ranges, as defined in the appended claim 1.

[0011] The features and advantages will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description of a hinge according to the invention, as shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hinge of this invention, as viewed from the door inside;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge according to the invention;

Figure 3 is a front view of the hinge according to the invention; and

Figures 4 to 6 are part-sectional side views detailing the hinge respectively with the door in the open position, in the part-open position, and in the fully closed position.

[0012] With reference to the drawing figures, the hinge according to the invention, generally designated with the reference numeral 1, comprises a frame 2 which is rigidly connectable with the door 3 of a cooking range and accommodates a pin 4 rigid therewith. With the pin 4 there engages swingingly a lever 5 which may be fitted in a known manner in a slit suitably provided laterally of the opening of the range to be closed with the door 3, not shown, such that the lever 5 is rigidly hooked on the range during the oscillation of the door 3. The frame 2 is thus swingingly associated with the lever 5, and hence the range, and the door 3 is allowed to swing about a pivot axis defined by the pin 4.

[0013] The conformation of that portion of the lever 5 which engages in the slit provided laterally of the cooking range opening is no further described because of a known and changing type'according to necessity.

[0014] Usually, attachment of the door 3 to the cooking range is accomplished by means of a hinge pair which are associated with the inside portion of the door at the two lower edges such that the pins 4 are aligned along a horizontal axis.

[0015] The pin 4 may be swung about its axis with respect to the lever 5 againet or by the action of elastic return means which may comprise a coil spring 6 coiled around the pin 4 and having one end rigidly associated with the frame 2 and the other end rigidly associated with the lever 5.

[0016] The frame 2 may consist of two legs 7,9 which extend perpendicularly to each other and have, over a substantial portion of their lengths, a U-like cross-section. In detail, on the inward side of the door, the first leg 7 defines a housing for the pin 4 which extends longitudinally to said first leg 7, while the second leg 9 defines a housing for a portion of the lever 5 which comes out of a passage 8 provided on this second leg 9.

[0017] According to the invention, a portion of the lever 5 is pivoted to an end of a link 10 which is housed internally of the second leg 9 of the frame and has the other end slidable internally of a guide element defined on the frame 2. More particularly, an intermediate portion of the lever 5 is provided with a hole 11 and the end of the link 10, which is pivoted thereto, is configured bracket-like to embrace it laterally on opposed sides. The two legs of the bracket are provided with a pair of holes 12a, 12b which may be brought in alignment to the hole 11 for allowing insertion of a pivot shaft 13.

[0018] The other end of the link 10 has a shaft 14 extending transversely to the link and engaging with its two opposed ends a pair of elongated slots 15a and 15b, which form said guide element and extend longitudinally for a given length on the lateral faces of the second leg 9 of the frame.

[0019] According to the embodiment shown, the link 10 has a U-like cross-section and, in order to retain the link positioning on the shaft 15, a small spacer cylinder 16 is provided between the link 10 and an arm of the U-like leg 9. To prevent the ends of the shaft 14 from slipping incidentally off the guide pair 1'5a and 15b there may be provided expansions 17a and 17b on these ends.

[0020] Close to the pivot point of the link 10 to the lever 5 there is further provided a locking member 18 which is pivoted to the link 10 and during oscillation thereof, can concurrently engage with a portion of the lever 5 and an edge of passage 8 wherein the lever 5 is passed.

[0021] Advantageously the locking member 18 is housed in the link 10 and by its oscillation one end thereof may be brought to approach the pivot point of the lever 5 on the link 10 (shaft 13), whilst its other end engages with the top edge of the passage 8. Thereby in this position, the locking member 18 interferes with that portion of the lever 5 which is pivoted to the link 10, blocking the closing oscillation of the door.

[0022] That portion of the lever 5 which is pivoted to the link 10 has, in fact, an eccentric configuration with respect to the pivot point 4 so as to require increasing bulk inside the passage 8 as the door is being closed. The looking member reduces in oscillating the space available for this portion of the lever 5 in the passage 8 such that the lever 5 can rest against the locking member 18 which is made to rest in turn on the edge of the passage 8 thus providing a stop to the door closure.

[0023] For completeness of description it should be said that the frame 2 may be associated rigidly with the door with the first leg 7 parallel to the door horizontal edge and with the second leg 9 parallel to the door side edge by means of a pair of screws inserted through a pair of holes 19a and 19b suitably provided on the legs of the frame 2.

[0024] From what has been described the operation of the hinge having the construction according to the invention is evident.

[0025] On opening the cooking range door 3, the frame 2 rigid therewith will swing about the axis defined by the pin 4 with respect to the lever 5 attached to the range.

[0026] Owing to this rotation the shaft 14 slides internally of the guide slots 15a and 15b to arrive at the ends of the guides which are sized such that the shaft 14 reaches this position with the door open wide, or in horizontal position.

[0027] In this position the door is not supported by contact of the lever 5 with an edge of the passage 8 through which the lever 5 protrudes, but by the link 10 which is hooked on the guides 15a and 15b. Thus increased rigidity of the hinge is provided which is accordingly less elastically compliant it being able to withstand considerable stresses without the door yielding.

[0028] When the door is to be brought to a partly open position, the locking member 18 is caused to swing with respect to the link 10 by means of a thin member such as a coin or the tip of a kitchen knife. As mentioned the locking member 18 oscillation reduces the space available for the lever 5 in its movement relatively to the frame 2 or rather relatively to the link 10.

[0029] Owing to the eccentric conformation of the portion of the lever 5 close to the pivot point with the link 10, during the door closure, this requires increasing space and the presence of the locking member 18, which is engaged on the opposed side with the edge of the passage 8, results in stopping the door oscillation at a set position usually at 17° with respect to the fully closed position.

[0030] By suitably shaping, in a manner known per se, the lever 5 it is possible to obtain in this position sliding of the lever 5 off the slit provided laterally of the opening in the range.

[0031] When it is desired to completely close the door, it suffices to act on the locking member 18 such that its oscillation releases it from the top edge of the passage 8 and from the lever'5.

[0032] It has been found in practice that the hinge constructed in accordance with the invention fully achieves the aim set forth, providing increased rigidity for the door in the wide open position and hence improved safety.

[0033] Another advantage is a better distribution of the stresses on the frame which has as its consequence a reduction in the thickness of the frame itself and thus allows the lever to be kept as close as possible to the side edge of the door affording greater width of the opening in the cooking ranage for a given door.

[0034] Another advantage is that there are no projections, besides the lever, on the inside face of the door, thanks to the locking member being housed in the link, which safeguards the user against possible hurting while cleaning the door or unvoluntary operations.

[0035] In practicing the invention, the materials used and the dimensions may be any ones according to necessity.

Claims

1. An elastic hinge, particularly for oven doors of gas and electric cooking ranges, comprising a frame (2) rigidly assooiable with the door and swingingly connected to a lever (5) engageable in a slit defined laterally of the range opening to be closed with said door, elastic return means (6) being provided acting on said lever (5), characterized in that said lever (5) is pivoted to a link (10) having a portion thereof slidable in a guide element (15a, 15b) defined on said frame (2), said guide element (15a,15b) being restricted in length to block rotation of said frame (2) with respect to said lever (5) to support said door in the open position.

2. A hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that at the pivot point (13) with said lever (5) said link swingingly carries a locking member (18) engageable with said lever (5) and with said frame (2) to stop said frame at an intermediate position in its oscillation with respect to said lever (5) to lock said door at an intermediate open position.

3. A hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that said frame (2) comprises two mutually transverse legs (7,9), a first leg (7) accommodating a pivot pin (4) for the swinging connection of said lever (5 ) to said frame (2)and a second leg (9) accommodating said link (10) and a portion of said lever (5) pivoted (13) to said link, said lever projecting out of a passage (8) provided on said second leg (9) on the side facing said opening in the cooking range.

4. A hinge according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said second leg (9), to be mounted parallel to a side edge of said door, has an opposing sides laterally of said link (10) a pair of guides (15a,15b) engaging slidingly with a transverse shaft (14) carried on said portion of said link (10).

5. A hinge according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least said an end of said link (10) pivoted to said lever (5) is configured bracket-like to embrace laterally said lever (5) on opposite sides, between the legs of said bracket there being accommodated said locking member (₁8) engageable simultaneously with said lever (5) and an edge of said passage (8).

6. A hinge according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said elastic return means (6) comprise a coil spring coiled around said pivot pin (4) and having one end rigid with said lever (5) and the other end rigid with said first leg (7) of said frame (2).

7. A hinge according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lever (5) has close to the pivot point (13) on said link (10) an eccentric configuration with respect to said pin (4) for engaging with said locking member (18) at an intermediate open position of the door.

Drawing