Abstract:
A refrigerator incorporates a dual swing door including a dual hinge mechanism. The dual hinge mechanism includes a lock bar having a first end portion and a second end portion joined by an intermediate portion. Each of the first and second end portions includes first and second lobe elements. The hinge mechanism also includes a hinge plate having a first end section and a second section joined by an intermediate section. Each of the first and second end sections include a wedge member and a rudder member. The hinge plate further includes first and second hinge pins, mounted to corresponding ones of the first and second end sections, that define left and right pivot axes for the door. The rudder and wedge members interact with the first lobes to automatically force one of the second lobes into engagement with a respective hinge pin to establish a desired hinge axis for pivoting of the door.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a refrigerator having a dual swing door. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Appliances having dual swing doors, i.e., doors that can be operated from both left and right sides, are known in the art. Typically, a dual swing door includes two sets of hinges, one set positioned along each side portion, allowing the door to pivot about either a left or right hinge axis. The door also includes a trapping member that slides between and traps one set of hinges to establish a pivot axis on a desired side of the door. 
     The trapping member typically takes the form of a sliding rod or bar that is incorporated into upper and/or lower edge portions of the door. The bar is acted upon by a mechanism that guides the bar into a linkage which, in turn, traps the desired set of hinges. When the door is in a closed position, the bar is shifted into a centered or neutral position. Centering is accomplished through additional linkages and/or springs. While effective, the use of linkages and springs creates a complicated mechanism that increases the complexity and manufacturing costs of the door. Also, the more complex the system, the greater the tendency for the system to fail. 
     Based on the above, there still exists a need for an enhanced dual swing door mechanism for a refrigerator. More specifically, there exists a need for a dual swing door mechanism that employs a simple hinge mechanism which does not rely upon springs and complicated linkages to allow the door to pivot about multiple axes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to refrigerator having a dual swing door. The refrigerator includes a cabinet shell within which is mounted a liner having top, bottom, rear and opposing side walls that collectively define a fresh food compartment. In accordance with the invention, the dual swing door includes a top edge portion, a bottom edge portion and opposing side edge portions and is pivotally mounted to the cabinet shell through a dual hinge mechanism that selectively allows pivoting of the door about axes defined along the opposing side edge portions. 
     The dual hinge mechanism employed in the invention includes a lock bar slidably mounted to the bottom edge portion of the door. The lock bar includes a first end portion and a second end portion that are joined by an intermediate portion. Preferably, each end portion includes first and second lobe elements. In addition to the lock bar, the hinge mechanism also includes a hinge plate fixedly mounted to the cabinet shell below the dual swing door. The hinge plate includes a first end section and a second section that are joined by an intermediate section. Each of the end sections includes a wedge member and a rudder member that are arranged so as to interact with the first lobe elements on the lock bar. 
     In accordance with the most preferred form of the invention, the hinge plate also includes first and second hinge pins that are mounted to corresponding ones of the first and second end sections. The hinge pins define left and right pivot axes for the door. That is, upon pivoting the door about either one of the left and right pivot axes, the first lobe elements on the end portion being shifted engages with the corresponding rudder member to shift the lock bar along the bottom edge portion of the door. As the lock bar shifts, the second lobe element on the end portion opposite the pivot axis interacts with and traps the hinge pin, thereby enabling the door to continue to pivot and expose the fresh food compartment. When the door is closed, the wedge members interact with the first lobe elements to re-center the locking bar. 
     Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an upper right perspective view of a bottom mount refrigerator incorporating a dual swing door constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial, lower perspective view of a dual hinge mechanism of the dual swing door constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an upper right perspective view of a hinge plate portion of the dual hinge mechanism; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of a bottom edge portion of the dual swing door in a closed position, with the hinge plate portion shown in phantom; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial, detailed view of a first side section of the dual swing door of  FIG. 4 , with the dual swing door starting to pivot about an opposing second side section; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial detailed view of the first side section of  FIG. 5 , illustrating the dual swing door shifting to an open position; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial detailed view of the second side section of the dual swing door of  FIG. 4 , with the door shown in a closed position; 
         FIG. 8  is a partial detailed view of the second side section of  FIG. 7  illustrating the dual swing door just starting to move to an open position; 
         FIG. 9  is a partial detailed view of the second side section of  FIG. 8  showing the dual swing door moving further towards an open position; and 
         FIG. 10  is a partial detailed view of the second side section of  FIG. 8  illustrating the dual swing door moving still further open. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With initial reference to  FIG. 1 , a refrigerator, generally indicated at  2 , is shown to include a cabinet shell  4  having arranged therein a liner  6 . Liner  6  includes top, bottom, rear and opposing side walls  8 - 12  that collectively define a fresh food compartment  14 . A door  20  is pivotally mounted relative to cabinet shell  4  to selectively provide access to fresh food compartment  14 . Door  20  is shown to include a top edge portion  22 , a bottom edge portion  23  and opposing side edge portions  24  and  25 . As will be detailed more fully below, door  20  constitutes a dual swing door that is pivotable about multiple, vertical axes defined along opposing side edge portions  24  and  25 . Given that door  20  is pivotal about multiple axes, a pair of handles  30  and  31  are mounted at spaced locations to an outer portion  32  of door  20 . Of course, it should be understood that handles  30  and  31  could take on various forms, for example, recesses integrally formed into opposing side edge portions  24  and  25 . 
     In the embodiment shown, refrigerator  2  is constituted by a bottom mount refrigerator. That is, arranged below fresh food compartment  14  is a freezer compartment  40  having a freezer compartment door  41 . Freezer compartment door  41  can be pivotal about a vertical axis, or can be mounted to extensible rails that allow door  41  to slide out from freezer compartment  40 . Typically, in the slide-out configuration, door  41  is mounted to a basket (not shown) that extends outward from freezer compartment  40  together with freezer door  41 . In any event, the above described structure has been provided for the sake of completeness and to enable a better understanding of the drawings and the overall invention. 
     The present invention is particularly directed to a hinge arrangement that enables door  20  to pivot about multiple axes. Refrigerator  2  includes a first dual hinge mechanism  44  arranged at a lower portion of door  20  and a second dual hinge mechanism  49  arranged at an upper portion of door  20 . However, given that, with very few minor exceptions which will be detailed, dual hinge mechanisms  44  and  49  are substantially identical, a detailed description will be made with respect to lower dual hinge mechanism  44  with an understanding that upper dual hinge mechanism  49  is substantially, similarly constructed. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , dual hinge mechanism  44  includes a door mounted portion, indicated generally at  52 , and a cabinet mounted portion, indicated generally at  54 . In accordance with the invention, door mounted portion  52  includes a lock bar  60  slidably mounted within a groove or channel  64  formed in bottom edge portion  23  of door  20 . As best shown in  FIG. 4 , lock bar  60  includes a first end portion  74  that extends to a second end portion  75  through an intermediate portion  78 . Each end portion  74 ,  75  is provided with a respective first lobe element  80 ,  81 , as well as a respective second lobe element  83 ,  84 . Also, each of first and second end portions  74  and  75  includes a rounded or radiused end section  85 ,  86 . In addition to lock bar  60 , bottom edge portion  23  includes first and second hinge receivers  87  and  88 , as well as a plurality of support rollers, one of which is indicated at  90 . Rollers  90  are, in accordance with the embodiment shown, partially recessed within bottom edge portion  23 . Of course, it should be understood that, in an alternative arrangement, rollers  90  could be mounted to cabinet mounted portion  54 . Bottom edge portion  23  is also formed with a pair of recesses  94  and  95  which, as will be discussed more fully below, cooperate with cabinet mounted portion  54  when door  20  is in a closed position. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 3 , cabinet mounted portion  54  is constituted by a hinge plate  114  having a first end section  116  that extends to a second end section  117  through an intermediate section  119 . Hinge plate  114  also includes a back section  124  that extends between first and second end sections  116  and  117 . Back section  124  is provided with a plurality of mounting ears  127 - 130  (see both  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) used to mount hinge plate  114  to cabinet shell  4  with mechanical fasteners (not shown). 
     In further accordance with the invention, hinge plate  114  includes first and second wedge members  134  and  135  provided at first and second end sections  116  and  117  respectively. In addition, hinge plate  114  includes first and second rudder members  140  and  141 , also provided at first and second end sections  116  and  117  respectively. Actually, first and second rudder members  140  and  141  are arranged adjacent and angled with respect to first and second wedge members  134  and  135 . Finally, hinge plate  114  is shown to include a pair of hinge pins  146  and  147  that are arranged outboard of first and second rudder members  140  and  141  respectively. Hinge pins  146  and  147 , together with corresponding hinge pins (shown in  FIG. 1  but not separately labeled) arranged on upper dual hinge mechanism  49 , establish the pivot axes for door  20 . In any case, each hinge pin  146 ,  147  includes a guide track portion  154 ,  155  which, as will be discussed more fully below, selectively cooperates with a respective second lobe element  83 ,  84  to trap the corresponding hinge pin  146 ,  147 , thereby allowing door  20  to transition between an open and closed position. 
     Having described a preferred construction of dual hinge mechanism  44 , reference will now be made to  FIGS. 4-10  in describing a preferred method of operation. Initially, it should be noted that the description of the preferred method of operation of dual hinge mechanism  44  will describe door  20  opening about a pivotal axis defined by hinge pin  147 . However, it should be understood that door  20  could also pivot about an axis defined by hinge pin  146  without requiring any modifications to door  20  except for the location of force applied to door  20 . 
     As door  20  begins to pivot about hinge pin  147 , hinge pin  146  contacts radiused end  85  imparting an initial movement to lock bar  16 . As door  20  continues to open, first lobe element  80  on first end portion  74  of lock bar  60  contacts first rudder member  140  on hinge plate  114  and second lobe element  83  interacts with guide track portion  154  as shown in  FIG. 5 . Minimal rotation or pivoting of door  20 , generally in the order of a few degrees of rotation, causes lock bar  60  to be constrained by the interaction of rudder member  140  with first lobe element  80  and second lobe element  83  with guide track  154 . As door  20  continues to pivot about hinge pin  147 , first lobe element  80  interacts with rudder member  140  causing lock bar  60  to shift within channel  64  towards hinge pin  147 . More specifically, when the rotation of door  20  exceeds approximately 25° as represented in  FIG. 6 , lobe element  80  clears rudder member  140  and locking is accomplished by the interaction between second lobe element  84  and guide track portion  155  in a manner that will be discussed more fully below. It should also be noted that, during the initial stages of opening door  20 , rollers  90  move along intermediate section  119  of hinge plate  114 . Rollers  90  provide support to door  20  to prevent any cocking of hinge mechanisms  44  and/or  49  that might interfere with the proper operation of door mounted portion  52 . 
     When door  20  is in a closed position, lock bar  60  is centered within groove  64  as represented in  FIGS. 4 and 7 . However, as discussed above, once door  20  begins to pivot about hinge pin  147  ( FIG. 5 ), hinge pin  146  contacts radiused end  85  imparting an initial movement to lock bar  60 . As door  20  continues to open, additional movement is imparted to lock bar  60  through interaction of second lobe element  83  with guide track portion  154  and first lobe element  80  with rudder member  140 . Lock bar  60  shifts within groove  64 , second end portion  75  is caused to move closer to hinge pin  147  as represented in  FIG. 8 . With continued pivoting of door  20 , lock bar  60  is constrained by the interaction of second rudder member  141  and first lobe element  81  until door  20  achieves an opening angle of 25° (see  FIG. 9 ). At this point, second lobe element  84  is already positioned between hinge pin  147  and guide track portion  155  locking or trapping hinge pin  147  in hinge pin receiver  88  enabling door to pivot freely as represented in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
     When door  20  is moved to the closed position, first lobe elements  80  and  81  abut first and second wedge members  134  and  135  causing lock bar  60  to re-center within groove  64 . More specifically, first lobe element  80  abuts and travels along rudder  140  until contacting wedge member  134 . Given the curvature of wedge member  134 , first lobe element  80  is forced laterally outwardly, causing lock bar  60  to shift in channel  64 . This shifting causes first lobe element  81  to abut wedge member  135  and, upon further closing of door  20 , first lobe element  81  to ride along wedge member  135  which automatically centers lock bar  60 . With lock bar  60  being re-centered, door  20  is again free to pivot about either hinge pin  146  or  147 . 
     While not shown, it should be understood that upper dual hinge mechanism  49  functions in a manner corresponding to that described above. That is, upper dual hinge mechanism  49  includes all of the components of lower hinge mechanism  44  except for rollers  40 . Based on the above discussion, it should be understood that the present invention advantageously provides a dual hinge mechanism that enables a refrigerator door to pivot about multiple axes without requiring complicated and failure-prong linkages or springs. In this manner, the present invention provides a simple, cost effective method of enabling a door of an appliance to be selectively pivoted about multiple axes. 
     Although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, while shown in connection with a bottom mount refrigerator, the present invention could easily be incorporated into a top mount or other models. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.