Abstract:
Described is a hinge for wings or doors, in particular for electrical household appliances, comprising a first body ( 5 ), a second body ( 6 ) and a connecting lever ( 7 ) between the first and the second body ( 5, 6 ).

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to Italian Patent Application BO2009A000226 filed Apr. 8, 2009, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a hinge for wings or doors. 
         [0003]    The use of a hinge according to the invention is particularly advantageous for connecting the door of an electrical household appliance to the respective mounting frame. 
         [0004]    This specification describes the present invention with reference to an oven purely by way of a non-limiting example. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In prior art ovens, when the oven door is opened by rotating it away from the closed position, the door may interfere with one of the lateral uprights of the oven because its axis of rotation cannot physically be located at the absolute end of the door. 
         [0006]    In effect, the mere fact of locating the pivot axis even just a few millimeters above the lower end of the door means that opening the door by rotating it about its pivot axis causes a part of the door itself to move into the interior of the oven. 
         [0007]    The ends of the uprights are therefore cut to allow the door to be opened without causing the lower portion of it to interfere with the uprights. 
         [0008]    These cuts, besides not being visually pleasing when the door is open, provides a repository for dirt or pieces of food, which may accidentally fall into the oven structure, and may also be dangerous as they are made by shearing often relatively thin metal sheets. 
         [0009]    In the prior art hinges with two arms are known which tackle and partly overcome this shortcoming. 
         [0010]    Prior art hinges with two arms, although they solve the above mentioned problem, are not free of disadvantages, particularly as regards compliance with basic safety standards. 
         [0011]    Indeed, besides the complexity due to the presence of the two arms, the arms themselves constitute a serious danger for users during operation of the hinge because of the risk of squashing their fingers between the two hinge arms when opening the door. For this reason, hinges with two arms have in practice been phased out of the market. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The aim of this invention is to provide a hinge for wings or doors which is free of the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. 
         [0013]    The technical features of the invention, with reference to the above aim, can be easily inferred from the appended claims, in particular claim  1 , and preferably any of the claims that depend, whether directly or indirectly, on claim  1 . 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention provided merely by way of example and without restricting the scope of the inventive concept, and in which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view from above of an oven equipped with door connected to it by means of two hinges made according to this invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a hinge for wings or doors according to this invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates the hinge of  FIG. 2  with some parts transparent in order to better illustrate others; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  illustrates the hinge of  FIG. 2  with some parts cut away and/or transparent in order to better illustrate others; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5 to 7  are schematic side elevation views, with some parts transparent, showing the hinge of the figures listed above in three different use configurations; 
           [0020]      FIGS. 8 to 10  are schematic side elevation views, with some parts transparent, showing another embodiment of the hinge of the figures listed above in three different use configurations; 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a schematic front elevation view of the hinge of  FIG. 10  with some parts cut away for clarity; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate another embodiment of a detail of the hinge of the figures listed above. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , the numeral  1  denotes in its entirety an oven comprising a frame  2  to which a door  3  is connected by two hinges  4  which enable it to rotate in tilting fashion about a first horizontal axis A. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , each of the two hinges  4  comprises a first body  5  fixed to the frame  2  of the oven  1 , and a second body  6 , fixed to the door  3 . The first and the second body  5  and  6  are kinematically connected by a connecting lever  7 . 
         [0025]    With reference also to  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the second body  6  comprises a first internal box-shaped element  61  and a second external box-shaped element  62  located outside the first element and movable relative to the latter, as described in more detail below. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first internal box-shaped element  61  has a substantially C-shaped transversal cross section and extends longitudinally along an axis B. 
         [0027]    The second external box-shaped element  62  also has a substantially C-shaped transversal cross section and extends longitudinally along the axis B, in practice surrounding the first element  61 . Spacing means are interposed between the elements  61  and  62  to allow them to slide correctly relative to each other according to a predetermined direction D 1  parallel to the axis B. With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the spacing means preferably comprise a plurality of protruding buttons  63  made by plastic deformation of the metal sheet of one or the other of the box-shaped elements  61 ,  62 . In the hinges illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the buttons  63  are made on the first element  61  and protrude towards the second box-shaped element  62 . 
         [0028]    With reference to the embodiment of  FIGS. 8 to 11  described below,  FIG. 11  clearly illustrates the position of said buttons  63 . 
         [0029]    Again with reference to  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the connecting lever  7  comprises a first arm  8 , designed to be rigidly connected to the first body  5 , and a second arm  9  connected to the second body  6 . 
         [0030]    For connecting the second arm  9  to the second body  6 , the hinge  1  comprises a first pin  10  passing through a respective hole made at the end of the second arm  9  and coaxial with the axis A. 
         [0031]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 to 7 , the hinge  4  also comprises a rod  11  and a stem  12  located one after the other longitudinally along the axis B, inside the first box-shaped element  61  and hooked to each other. 
         [0032]    Advantageously, the rod  11  is also box shaped, with a C-shaped cross section, and has a lower end  11   a  pivoted to the lever  7  at a respective pin P, in substantially known manner, and an upper end  11   b  for connection to the stem  12 . 
         [0033]    The second body  6  mounts a first helical spring  13 , fitted round the outside of the stem  12  and stressed by compression. 
         [0034]    The first box-shaped element  61  comprises an upper wall  14  at right angles to the axis B and having a hole for the passage of the stem  12 . The upper wall  14  forms an abutment surface for a proximal end coil  13   a  of the spring  13 . 
         [0035]    The stem  12  has an upper end longitudinally opposite the one hooked to the rod  11 , the upper end being designed to engage a distal end coil  13   b  in such a way as to compress the spring  13 . 
         [0036]    The spring  13  constitutes for the hinge  4  an elastic element designed to generate a reaction force that opposes the opening of the door  3 . 
         [0037]    Added to the elastic action of the spring  13 , in a substantially known manner not further described, is the action of a second, pre-compressed helical spring  15 , shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0038]    Pivoting on the opposite side walls of the first box-shaped element  61 , labeled P 1  and P 2  in  FIG. 4 , are two rotating rocker elements  16  designed to rotate about a respective axis R transversal of the longitudinal axis B of extension of the box-shaped elements  61 ,  62 . 
         [0039]    As clearly illustrated in  FIGS. 2 to 4 , each rotating element  16  has, at opposite ends of it, two pins  17 ,  18  protruding from opposite faces of the element  16  itself. 
         [0040]    In other words, a first pin  17  extends towards the inside of the first box-shaped element  61  in order to engage a respective slot  19  made in the rod  11 . 
         [0041]    A second pin  18 , on the other hand, extends in the opposite direction to the first, that is to say, towards the outside of the first box-shaped element  61  in order to engage a respective slot  20  made in the box-shaped element  62 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0042]    As clearly illustrated in  FIGS. 5 to 7 , respective curved slots  21 ,  22  are made on the side walls P 1 , P 2  of the first box-shaped element  61  to allow each rotating rocker element  16  to rotate. More specifically, the slot  21  made on each wall P 1 , P 2  of the first element  61  must allow the pin  17  to go right through the thickness of the wall P 1 , P 2  itself to engage the respective slot  19  made in the underlying rod  11 . 
         [0043]    In use, as shown by way of example in  FIGS. 5 to 7  which illustrate a sequence of opening the door  3 , the rotation of the second body  6  in tilting fashion about the axis A relative to the first body  5  causes, in known manner, a movement of the rod  11  and of the first box-shaped element  61  relative to each other. 
         [0044]    Since the first pin  17  is engaged inside the slot  19 , the movement of the rod  11  relative to the box-shaped element  61  causes the rocker elements  16  to rotate about their axis R. 
         [0045]    During this rotation, however, the second pin  18 , which is engaged in the respective slot  20  made in the second box-shaped element  62 , pushes the latter and causes it to move relative to the first box-shaped element  61 . 
         [0046]    In other words, the rotation of the rotary rocker element  16  causes relative sliding between the first box-shaped element  61  and the second box-shaped element  62  in the above mentioned direction D 1 . 
         [0047]    When opened, the door  3 , which is fixed stably to the second box-shaped element  62 , does not interfere with any part that is integral with the frame  2  because the sliding of the elements  61  and  62  relative to each other causes it to move away from the frame  2 , as clearly shown in  FIGS. 5 to 7 . 
         [0048]    The rotary rocker elements  16 , the pins  17 ,  18  and the respective slots  19 ,  20  together form actuator means  23  for imparting the relative sliding movement to the first and second box-shaped elements  61 ,  62 . 
         [0049]    Advantageously, by varying the distance of the pins  17 ,  18  from the pivot axis R of the rocker elements  16 , it is possible to modify the extent of the relative sliding movement between the two box-shaped elements  61 ,  62  and also the effort the user is required to exert to obtain this movement. 
         [0050]    In alternative embodiments not illustrated, the rotary rocker elements  16  may for this purpose have different alternative positions for the pins  17 ,  18  or even pins which are adjustable in position. 
         [0051]      FIGS. 8 to 11  illustrate another embodiment  4 ′ of the hinge  4  described above, where unlike the latter, the body  6  is housed inside the frame  2  and the connecting lever  7  is instead designed to engage a door not illustrated. 
         [0052]    The operating principle of the hinge  4 ′ does not substantially differ from the one described above with reference to the hinge  4 , since it too involves the sliding of the two box-shaped elements  61 ,  62  relative to each other in order to move the door  3  away from the frame  2  of the oven  1  during opening of the door  3 . 
         [0053]      FIGS. 8 to 10  illustrate an example embodiment of the hinge  4 ′ in three different configurations of it: in the first, shown in  FIG. 8 , the door is closed; in the second, shown in  FIG. 9 , the door is half open; and in the third, shown in  FIG. 10 , the door is open. 
         [0054]    It may be immediately inferred from these drawings that the effect obtained with this invention is precisely that of moving the part of the hinge that is integral with the door (in this case, the lever  7 ) away from the part of the hinge that is integral with the frame (in this case, the body  6 ). 
         [0055]    With reference to  FIG. 8 , when the door is in the closed configuration, the distance between the distal end of the second box-shaped element  62 —integral with the frame—and the axis A of the pin  10  about which the lever  7  and the door, not illustrated, integral with it rotate, is minimal and represented by the measurement L. 
         [0056]    When the lever  7  has rotated in the opening direction, for example through 45°, the box-shaped elements  61 ,  62  have already been made to slide relative to each other by the actuating means  23 , thereby increasing the above mentioned distance to a value L′ greater than L. 
         [0057]    Lastly, when the door has reached its fully open position and the lever  7  has been rotated through 88° from its initial configuration shown in  FIG. 8 , the distance between the axis A and the end of the second box-shaped element  62  is at its largest and equal to a value L″, greater than L′. 
         [0058]    In an experimental non-limiting example version of the hinge  4 ′, illustrated in  FIGS. 8 to 11 , the distances L, L′ e L″ measure 16, 19 and 23 millimetres, respectively. 
         [0059]      FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate an alternative embodiment of the spacing means between the elements  61 ,  62  instead of the buttons  63  described above and illustrated in  FIGS. 3 to 11 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the spacing means comprise a plurality of removable shoes  64 , advantageously made of a material with a low friction coefficient, such as Teflon®, for example. 
         [0060]    The shoes  64  are hooked to the first box-shaped element  61  at its opposite longitudinal ends, there being two for each side wall P 1 , P 2 . 
         [0061]    Each shoe  64  has two respective convex portions  64   a,  protruding towards the second box-shaped element  62 , in such a way as to space the box-shaped elements  61 ,  62  from each other and, thanks also to the low-friction material they are made of, to facilitate their relative sliding movement. 
         [0062]    The invention described has evident industrial applications and can be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.