Domestic appliance with concealed hinge

Abstract

A domestic appliance for built-in installation, comprising: a housing having at least two sides; a front door; a hinge mechanism, provided at or adjacent one of the sides, coupling the door to the housing and permitting relative movement thereof, wherein the door is movable between a first position, in which the door is closed, and a second position, in which the door is fully open; wherein the hinge mechanism is attached to the door and to the housing at points spaced apart from the vertical extremities thereof, whereby, when the door is in said first position, the hinge mechanism is not visible from a position in front of the appliance, and / or wherein the hinge is so shaped and dimensioned whereby, in use, the extent of protrusion of the door laterally beyond said one side when the door is in said second position is less than or equal to that when the door is in said first position. Preferably, the hinge mechanism is shaped and arranged whereby double movement, for example both rotational and translational movement, of the door relative to the housing is facilitated during movement between said first position and said second position. At the top and bottom of the device, a pair of hinge members (brackets) are used, with connecting pins, and different shaped slots in each of the hinge members permits two different motions of the hinge members relative to each other during door opening.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to household appliances, and more particularly to household appliances having a dedicated door hinge mechanism. Background technique [0002] The present invention relates to household appliances having hinged doors, such as stoves, refrigerators, freezers and the like. The invention is particularly advantageous, for example, in relation to microwave ovens. However, the invention may be used in free-standing household appliances, but the invention is advantageous for built-in mounted appliances, which are to be mounted in a frame or external housing, or with kitchen appliances or other household appliances ( Sometimes called "slotted" appliances or "built-in" appliances). [0003] Published UK patent application GB2410059A discloses a domestic appliance, such as a refrigerator or microwave oven, with a door hinged transversely between an upper hinge and a lower hinge for support. The upper hinge includes a corner bracke...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] The problem is that as the demand for microwave ovens and other household appliances to be built-in into household appliances (such as combination cabinets) grows, appliances designed for free-standing situations, such as the appliance in the aforementioned GB2410059 (the door can be opened 130 + degrees) cause difficulties in installation, and thus cannot meet the needs

For example, it is difficult or impossible to mount an appliance such as a microwave oven flush in a kitchen appliance without visible gaps around the sides or other ends

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