Abstract:
A hinge is provided for hinging the top cover of an appliance to the remaining cabinet. The hinge body includes an upper end, a lower end, first and second opposite lateral edges, a front face, and a rear face. The hinge body includes one or more appendages protruding outwardly from the front face of the hinge body. The hinge body also includes a hook formed therein and protruding upwardly from the upper edge of the hinge body. The hook is adapted to fit within a hook-receiving opening in the top cover and the appendages of the hinge body are adapted to fit within openings in the cabinet

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a top cover hinge and method for using same.  
           [0002]    Many appliances include a cabinet having a top cover forming the upper surface thereof. During normal operation the top cover is secured in place and is not removable. However, for purposes of repair, it is desirable to be able to pivot the top cover upwardly so as to gain access to the interior of the appliance for repair.  
           [0003]    A preferred method for permitting this motion is to hinge the back edge of the top cover so that it can be pivoted upwardly about a horizontal axis. Various types of hinges have been provided for this purpose.  
           [0004]    Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is the provision of an improved top cover hinge and method for using same.  
           [0005]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of a hinge that is compatible with prepainted sheet metal parts.  
           [0006]    Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hinge that is made of plastic so as to minimize damaging of objects with which it comes in contact.  
           [0007]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge that minimizes damage to the cabinet and the top cover.  
           [0008]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge that minimizes damage to sheet rock walls in homes as the result of the hinge protruding outwardly from the cabinet.  
           [0009]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge that requires less tooling and equipment maintenance in manufacture as compared to present methods for making hinges of this type.  
           [0010]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge that eliminates the need for top cover sheet metal gussets and the need for a sheet metal hinge.  
           [0011]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge that does not require welding to the cabinet.  
           [0012]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge that is made of one piece and which is economic to manufacture, durable in use, and simple in assembly.  
           [0013]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge that can be replaced easily in the field.  
           [0014]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge which functions to hold the top cover down and which minimizes the movement of the top cover in a forward-rearward direction and in a left-right direction.  
           [0015]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge for a top cover, which includes stops for holding the top cover in an upright position while servicing the machine.  
           [0016]    A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved hinge, which maintains the correct gap between the upper edge of the cabinet and the top cover.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0017]    The foregoing objects may be achieved by a hinge that includes a hinge body comprised of an upper end, a lower end, first and second opposite lateral edges, a front face, and a rear face. The hinge body has one or more appendages protruding outwardly from the front face thereof. The hinge body also includes a hook formed therein and protruding upwardly from the upper edge of the hinge body, the hook having a curved shape extending forwardly beyond the front face of the hinge body and terminating in a hook end.  
           [0018]    According to one feature of the invention, the hinge body is comprised of one-piece construction.  
           [0019]    According to another feature of the invention, at least one of the appendages of the hinge body extends from the front face of the hinge body below the hook.  
           [0020]    According to a further feature of the present invention a second of the appendages extends from the front face adjacent and above the lower end of the hinge body.  
           [0021]    According to another feature of the present invention a third and a fourth appendage are located adjacent the first and second opposite lateral edges of the hinge body.  
           [0022]    According to a modified form of the present invention the first and second appendages each have a lateral width extending between the first and second lateral edges of the hinge body, the lateral widths of the first and second appendages being greater than one-half of the distance between the first and second opposite edges of the hinge body.  
           [0023]    According to another feature of the present invention, the hinge body described above is used in combination with a top cover and a remaining cabinet. The hinge body is attached to the cabinet wall and the hook portion of the hinge body extends into an opening in the top cover to permit pivoting of the top cover with respect to the hook portion about a hinge axis.  
           [0024]    The method of the present invention comprises attaching the hinge body to the cabinet wall; inserting the hook portion of the hinge body into the hook receiving hole of the top cover; and pivoting the top cover about a fulcrum created by the hook portion from a horizontal position to a vertical position.  
           [0025]    Further features of the method of the present invention include inserting a plurality of appendages on the hinge body into a plurality of appendage receiving holes in the cabinet wall so as to stabilize the hook member against movement with respect to the cabinet wall.  
           [0026]    A further feature of the method includes using a securing member extending through both the hinge body and the cabinet wall to attach the hinge body to the cabinet wall. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of an appliance cabinet utilizing the hinge of the present invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the hinge taken along line  2 - 2  of FIG. 1.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view taken along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 2.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the top cover in its elevated position.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a modified form of the hinge of the present invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view taken along line  8 - 8  of FIG. 6. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]    Referring to the drawings the numeral  10  generally designates an appliance utilizing the top cover hinge of the present invention. While a washing machine is shown in the drawings, many appliances include a top cover hinge to the top of a cabinet, and the present hinge construction may be used with any of these appliances.  
         [0036]    A cabinet assembly  12  includes a top cover  14  and a remaining cabinet  16 . The top cover  14  includes a top wall  18 , side walls  19  (FIG. 3), a front wall  20 , and a rear hinge wall  24 . Front wall  20  is provided with a front flange  22  and rear hinge wall  24  is provided with a rear wall flange  26 . The rear hinge wall  24  of top cover  10  includes a hook-receiving hole  28 . Mounted on the upper surface of top cover  14  is a console cabinet  30 .  
         [0037]    The remaining cabinet  16  includes a front cabinet wall  32 , a rear cabinet wall  34 , and side cabinet walls  36 . Extending inwardly from the top of front cabinet wall  32  is a front cabinet flange  37 . Attached to the front cabinet flange  37  is a front latch member  38  that extends upwardly and terminates in a latch pawl  40 . Latch pawl  40  retentively engages the upper edge of front flange  22  of top cover  14 . The latch pawl  40  may be released by insertion of a screw driver between the top cover  14  and the remaining cabinet  16  so as to engage the front latch member  38  and cause it to spring rearwardly. This moves the pawl  40  out of engagement with the front flange  22  and permits upward movement of the front edge of the top cover  14  from the remaining cabinet  16 . The particular configuration of the latch  38  and the pawl  40  are shown for illustrative purposes only, and numerous types of latch mechanisms can be utilized to latch the front edge of the top cover  14  to the upper end of the cabinet  16 .  
         [0038]    The rear cabinet wall  34  is registered below the rear hinge wall  24  of top cover  10 . These two walls  24 ,  34  are retentively secured together by a pair of hinge bodies  42 . While not shown in the drawings, there are two or more hinge bodies located across the width of the rear hinge wall  24 . Only one of these hinge bodies  42  is shown, the remaining being identical in construction.  
         [0039]    Hinge body  42  includes an upper edge  44  (FIG. 4), a lower edge  46 , a side edge  48  and another side edge  50 . Extending upwardly at the upper edge  44  is a hook portion  52 . Also protruding rearwardly are two stop members  54 . Protruding forwardly from the hinge body  42  is an upper appendage  56  having a stepped end  58 . Also extending forwardly from hinge body  42  are a pair of side appendages  60 ,  62 , and a bottom appendage  64 . The bottom appendage  64  includes a pawl end  66 .  
         [0040]    To accommodate the appendages  56 ,  60 ,  62 , and  64 , the cabinet  16  is provided with a top hole  68 ; a bottom hole  70 , and a pair of side holes  72 ,  74 . The upper appendage  56  extends into the top hole  68 , and the stepped end  58  extends through the top hole  68  and beneath a flange  100  which forms a part of the rear cabinet wall  34 . This stepped end  58  helps to retain the hinge body  42  in the proper position relative to the rear cabinet wall  34 .  
         [0041]    In addition the bottom appendage  64  extends into the bottom hole  70  of cabinet  16  and the pawl end  66  engages the interior surface of the rear cabinet wall  34  so as to further retentively hold the hinge  42  in place.  
         [0042]    Side appendages  60 ,  62  extend within the two side holes  72 ,  74  and provide further stable attachment of the hinge body  42  to the rear cabinet wall  34 .  
         [0043]    A screw  76  extends through both the hinge body  42  and the rear wall  34  and, by virtue of it&#39;s threaded engagement with rear wall  34 , retentively attaches the hinge body  42  to the rear wall  34 . Securing means other than screw  76  may be used without departing from the invention.  
         [0044]    The hook member  52  is provided at its end with a first stop surface  78 , and the two stop members  54  are each provided with an upwardly presented stop surface  80 . Stop surface  78  is vertical and stop surface  80  is horizontal.  
         [0045]    As can be seen in FIG. 5, the top cover  14 , when pivoted to its elevated position comes to rest against the stop surfaces  78 ,  80 . The rear hinge wall  24  rests against stop surface  80  and the rear wall flange  26  rests against the stop surface  78 . This permits the operator to elevate the top cover  14  and maintain it in its elevated position during repair of the appliance.  
         [0046]    The particular configuration of the hinge may vary without detracting from the invention. It is preferable that the hinge be of singular unitary construction, but it is also possible that the hinge may be made of more than one part. It is also preferable that the hinge body  42  be constructed of plastic, but the hinge body  42  could be made of other materials such as metal without detracting from the invention.  
         [0047]    The numeral  82  generally designates a modified hinge body shown in FIG. 6. This hinge body  82  includes a hook portion  84 , an upper appendage  86 , a middle appendage  88 , and a lower appendage  90 . The lower appendage  90  has a snap pawl  92 . The top cover  14  includes a hook-receiving hole  94  for receiving the hook portion  84 . The middle appendage hole  96  of cabinet wall  34  receives the middle appendage  88 . The middle appendage  88  protrudes downwardly and engages the interior surface of rear wall  34 , thereby retentively engaging the hinge body  82  to the rear wall  34  of cabinet  16 . The upper appendage  86  of hinge body  82  protrudes between the rear wall flange  26  of top cover  14  and the rearwardly extending flange  100  of cabinet  16 . The upper appendage  86  provides a spacer between these two flanges and also, in combination with the middle appendage  88 , further secures the hinge body  82  to the rear wall  34  of cabinet  16 .  
         [0048]    The lower appendage  90  protrudes within the lower appendage hole  98  of rear wall  34 , and the snap pawl  92  further attaches the hinge body  82  to the rear wall  34 . Top cover  14  is adapted to pivot about the hook portion  94  in the manner described before as to the first modification. The end of hook portion  84  engages flange  26  in the upper most position so as to provide a stop surface for limiting the upper pivotal movement of the top cover  14 .  
         [0049]    As can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the hook portion  84  has approximately the same width as the remaining portion of hinge body  82 . Similarly, as seen in FIG. 7, the middle flange  88  and the lower flange  90  are of the same width as the entire width of the hinge body  82 . It is preferable that this width be at least equal to or greater than 50% of the width of the hinge body  82  so as to impart stability to the attachment between the top cover  14  and the cabinet  16 .  
         [0050]    Both of the hinge bodies  42  and  82  provide stability to the attachment between the top cover  14  and the cabinet  16 . They prevent movement of the top cover in a forward or rearward direction or in a lateral direction relative to the cabinet  16 . Furthermore they space the top cover  14  slightly upwardly from the upper edge of the cabinet  16  so as to minimize vibration or contact therebetween.  
         [0051]    The hook portions  52 ,  84  are shown to curve about an approximate 90° turn. However, the curvature of hook portions  52 ,  84  could be increased or decreased substantially without detracting from the invention.  
         [0052]    The term “appendages” includes appendages of varying shapes and sizes. The appendages may be flanges, tabs, posts, or other objects having varying configurations.  
         [0053]    The term “hook” refers to an appendage of any sort that changes angles from the surface of the body  52 ,  82 , and that is capable of protruding into the hook receiving opening of the top cover  10 . The hook may curve varying degrees, and may have different shapes and configurations without detracting from the invention.  
         [0054]    Specific structure details disclosed above are not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, but merely as a basis for the claims and for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in any appropriately detailed structure. Changes may be made in the specific structural details of that particular embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.