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

Claim 3:
4. 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 door thereto;
a door mounting stud located at said outer portion of said hinge plate and configured for pivotally connecting the associated door to the hinge plate;
a base plate connected to the hinge plate by said stud to form an integrated assembly with said hinge plate, said base plate comprising an aperture through which said door mounting stud extends such that said base plate is pivotally connected to the outer portion of the hinge plate by said door mounting stud, wherein said base plate is adapted to be connected to the associated door for pivoting movement with the associated door relative to the hinge plate about said door mounting stud;
a damper system comprising a damper connected to the hinge plate;
a damper engagement structure connected to the base plate;
wherein said damper engagement structure is separated from the damper system when the associated door is in an opened position, said damper engagement structure 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 structure contacts and activates the damper system when the associated door is pivoted toward the closed position from the engagement position whereby said damper slows movement of the associated door toward the closed position when the damper is activated;
wherein said damper system further comprises a base including a damper support bore, and wherein said damper comprises 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;
and wherein an inner end of the damper support bore is closed by a coaxially located set screw threaded into the damper support bore, wherein an axial position of the set screw in the damper support bore is adjustable to correspondingly adjust an axial location of said damper in the damper support bore.