Patent ID: 11859434
Assignee: MANSFIELD ENGINEERED COMPONENTS, LLC
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E  F | IPC E  F

Claim 1:
2. An appliance door hinge assembly comprising:
a hinge plate including: (i) an inner portion adapted to be connected to an associated appliance structure; and, (ii) an outer portion adapted for pivoting connection of an associated appliance door thereto;
a stud projecting from the outer portion of the hinge plate and adapted to pivotally engage the associated appliance door;
a damper system comprising a damper connected to the hinge plate;
a damper engagement arm pivotally connected to the outer portion of the hinge plate by said stud that projects from the outer portion of the hinge plate to form an integrated assembly including said hinge plate and said damper engagement arm, wherein the stud is pivotally engaged with an aperture defined in the damper engagement arm such that said stud connects the damper engagement arm to the hinge plate, said damper engagement arm adapted to be connected to the associated appliance door such that the associated appliance door and damper engagement arm pivot together about said stud;
said damper system comprising: (i) a base including a damper support bore; and (ii) a damper comprising a cylinder body slidably located in the damper support bore of the base, said damper further comprising a piston slidably supported in a cylinder bore defined in said cylinder body and a piston rod connected to said piston and extending outwardly from a first end of the cylinder body, said piston adapted for movement in said cylinder bore between an extended position corresponding to an extended position of the damper and a retracted position corresponding to a retracted position of the damper;
wherein said damper engagement arm is separated from the damper system when the associated door is in an opened position, said damper engagement arm contacts said damper system when the associated door is pivoted to an engagement position located between said opened position and a closed position, and said damper engagement arm contacts and activates the damper system and causes sliding movement of the cylinder body relative to the base in the damper support bore such that said damper is moved from its extended position to its retracted position when the associated door is pivoted toward the closed position from the engagement position such that said damper slows movement of the associated door toward the closed position when the damper is activated.