Compact hinge device for a door

Abstract

 A compact hinge device for a door (2) of a structure (3) is provided with connection members, first (4) and second (5), mutually connected by means of a first rotation pivot (6) and respectively fit to be fixed to the door (2) and to the structure (3), it is also provided with elastic means (7) fit to provide to the connection members, first (4) and second (5) with an elastic closing force.
The device comprises an arm mean (8), whose a first end is connected by means of a second rotation pivot (9) to the first connection member (4) and whose second end has a head (10) connected at an end to the elastic mean (7) whose opposite end is constrained to a lock (13) of the second connection member (5).
In the passage from an extreme closing condition (C) to an extreme opening condition (A) the head (10) of the arm mean (8) compresses the elastic mean (7) balancing the door (2).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hinges, and it refers to a compact hinge device for a door with horizontal rotation axis, in particular for a household appliance such as a dishwasher, an oven and the like.

[0002] There are known hinges for rotating a door with horizontal axis from a closing condition, in which said door is vertical, to an opening condition, in which the door comes down in an almost horizontal position.

[0003] Said known hinges are sometimes equipped with traction springs having an end fixed to bulky and heavy supports which cause at least increases of the transportation costs of the hinges.

[0004] Further drawback of said known hinges consists in that, in order to balance the weight of the door with the elastic force, they cannot stop the door in intermediate positions between the completely closing positions and completely opening positions.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to propose a compact hinge device for a door having a dimension, during the transportation, even five or six times smaller than the known types of hinges and likewise not heavy.

[0006] Other object is to propose a hinge device to maintaining the door in any intermediate position.

[0007] Further object is to propose a simple device, extremely reliable, that it doesn't require regulations and can be easily and quickly assembled to its elastic element and to the appliance.

[0008] The objects mentioned above can be reached in accordance with the content of the claims.

[0009] The characteristics of the present invention are underlined in the following with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the compact hinge device for a door of the present invention in a closing condition and in which some parts are removed for better viewing other parts ;
• the figures 2 and 3 show the device of figure 1 respectively in an intermediate condition and in an extreme opening condition;
• the figure 4 shows a side view of an arm of the device in figure 1, of an elastic mean and of a spring guide;
• the figures 5-7 show a variant of the device of figure 1 respectively in a closing condition, an intermediate condition and an extreme opening condition.

[0010] With reference to the figures 1 - 4, numeral 1 indicates the compact hinge device for a door 2 of a structure 3, for example of a household oven, of a household appliance with horizontal rotation axis of the door or of a furniture element.

[0011] The device 1 is provided of connection members, first 4 and second 5, fit to be fixed to a side respectively of the door 2 and of the structure 3 of the household appliance for the rotation of the door between the extreme closing conditions C and the extreme opening condition A. Said connection members 4, 5 are mutually connected by means of a first rotation pivot 6 and the device 1 is provided with elastic means 7 fit to provide an elastic closing force to said connection members first 4 and second 5.

[0012] The device comprises an arm mean 8, whose one first end is connected, by means of a second rotation pivot 9, to the first connection member 4 and whose second end has a head 10.

[0013] A side portion of said head 10 is connected to an end of the elastic mean 7, of compressed helicoidal spring type, whose opposite end is constrained to a lock 13 of the second connection member 5. In the passage from the extreme closing condition C to the extreme opening condition A the head 10 of the arm mean 8 compresses the elastic mean 7 balancing the door 2.

[0014] The second connection member 5 comprises a housing mean 14, of approximately cylindrical tubular shape, fit to contain a portion of the elastic means 7. Said housing mean 14 is orientated almost parallelly in respect to the plane of the door 2 in the closing condition.

[0015] The head 10 has a connection mean 12 for a spring guide 15 inserted into the corresponding end portion of the helicoidal spring elastic means 7. For example the spring guide 15 is cylinder shaped, with a rimmed end that is shaped in a manner complementary to the connection mean 12.

[0016] The second connection member 5 has a first sliding guiding mean 16, approximately parallel to the door 2 in the closing condition, for a first sliding block mean 17 connected, by means of a respective third rotation pivot 18, to the head 10.

[0017] Said third rotation pivot 18 of the first sliding block mean 17, is fixed to the head 10 in the position approximately opposite to the connection mean 12 for the spring guide 15.

[0018] The arm mean 8 includes a central section slightly curved and is carried out integral with the respective head 10 with which it forms a kind of "τ" whose lower portion has the second pivot 9. The upper portion, oriented toward the door 2, of said "τ" shaped integral piece has the third pivot 18 and the opposing upper portion has the connection mean 12 for the spring guide 15.

[0019] The first connection member 4 includes a protrusion 23 fit to match a stop 24 of the second member 5 in the extreme opening condition A and the second connection member 5 includes a hollow 25 fit to match the first rotation pivot 6 in the same extreme opening condition A.

[0020] The operation of the device provides that the first sliding guiding mean 16 transmits to the first sliding block mean 17 a reaction force to the elastic force of the spring 7. In any static and dynamic situation, said reaction force has a component orthogonal in respect to the first sliding guiding mean 16 which presses, against this latter, the first sliding block mean producing, between these two means, a friction force opposing their mutual movement and particularly it contrasts the door opening.

[0021] The variant of figures 5 - 7 of the device 1 differs from the preceding mentioned embodiment due to the fact that the head 10 consists of an oscillating element centrally connected to the arm mean 8 by means of a fourth rotation pivot 19. Furthermore, the end opposite to the first sliding block mean 17 of the head 10 is connected, by means of a fifth rotation pivot 20, to a second sliding block mean 21 sliding along a second sliding guiding mean 22 obtained in the second connection member 5.

[0022] The first 16 and second 22 sliding guiding means to are nearly parallel.

[0023] The connection mean 12 and the fifth rotation pivot 20 of the second sliding block mean 21 define a slightly inclined line in respect to the axis of the elastic mean 7.

[0024] The operation of this variation of the device provides that the friction forces which oppose to the movements of the door are produced by both the sliding block means against the respective sliding guiding means.

[0025] An advantage of the present invention is to provide a compact hinge device for a door which is five times or even six times smaller than the corresponding hinges of the know types and is very light.

[0026] Other advantage is to provide a hinge device able to maintain the door in any kind of intermediate position.

[0027] Further advantage is to provide a simple device, very reliable, that it does not require adjustments and can be assembled in easy and fast manner to its elastic element and to the household appliance.

Claims

1. Compact hinge device for a door (2) of a structure (3) provided with connection members, first (4) and second (5), mutually connected by means of a first rotation pivot (6) and respectively fit to be fixed to the door (2) and to the structure (3) for the rotation of the door between an extreme closing conditions (C) and an extreme opening condition (A.) and provided with elastic means (7) fit to provide the connection members, first (4) and second (5), with an elastic closing force; the device being characterized in that it comprises an arm mean (8) whose one first end is connected by means of a second rotation pivot (9) to the first connection member (4) and whose second end includes a head (10) connected to an end to the elastic mean (7) of compressed type whose opposite end is constrained to a lock (13) of the second connection member (5); in the passage from the extreme closing condition (C) to the extreme opening condition (A) the head (10) of the arm mean (8) compresses the elastic mean (7) balancing the door (2).

2. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the second connection member (5) comprises a housing mean (14), approximately cylindrical tubular shaped, fit to contain a portion of the elastic means (7), of helicoidal spring type, said housing mean (14) being nearly parallel in respect to the plane of the closed door (2).

3. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the head (10) includes a connection mean (12) for a spring guide (15) inserted in the corresponding end portion of the helicoidal spring elastic means (7).

4. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the second connection member (5) includes a first sliding guiding mean (16) for a first sliding block mean (17) connected by means of a respective third rotation pivot (18) to the head (10).

5. Device according to claims 3 and 4 characterized in that the third rotation pivot (18) of the first sliding block mean (17) is fixed to the head (10) in position approximately opposite to the connection mean (12) for the spring guide (15).

6. Device according to claim 4 characterized in that the first sliding guiding mean (16) is at least approximately parallel to the closed door (2).

7. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the arm mean (8) includes a central section slightly curved.

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 - 7 characterized in that the arm mean (8) and the respective head (10) they are rigidly connected or carried out integral.

9. Device according to claims 5 and 8 characterized in that the arm mean (8) and the head (10) form a kind of "τ" whose lower portion includes the second pivot (9), the upper portion, oriented toward the door (2), includes the third pivot (18) and the opposite upper portion includes the connection mean (12) for the spring guide (15).

10. Device according to claim 4 and any one of claims 1 - 3 and 5 - 7 characterized in that the head (10) is centrally connected to the arm mean (8) by means of a fourth rotation pivot (19) and the end opposite to the first sliding block mean (17) of the head (10) is connected, by means of a fifth rotation pivot (20), to a second sliding block mean (21) sliding along a second sliding guiding mean (22).

11. Device according to claim 10 characterized in that the sliding guiding means, first (16) and second (22), are nearly parallel to each other.

12. Device according to claims 3 and 10 characterized in that the connection mean (12) and the fifth rotation pivot (20) of the second sliding block mean (21) define a slightly inclined line in respect the axis of the elastic mean (7).

13. Device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the first connection member (4) includes a protrusion (23) fit to match a stop (24) of the second member (5), in the extreme opening condition (A).

14. Device according to claim 3 characterized in that the second connection member (5) includes a hollow (25) fit to match the first rotation pivot (6) in the extreme opening condition (A).

Drawing