Multi-joint hinge

Abstract

A multi-joint hinge (1), more particularly for a refrigerator, comprises a mounting element (2), which can be fastened to a body, and a hinge part (3), which can be fastened to a door and which is retained on the mounting element (2), for pivoting between a closed position and a maximal open position, by means of a joint mechanism having a plurality of articulatedly connected levers (4, 5, 6, 7), wherein, in a draw-in range, the hinge part (3) is preloaded in the closing direction by means of a spring (10), and wherein at least one linear damper (30) is provided, which has a damper housing (31) and a piston rod (32) translatable relative to the damper housing (31), which damper housing and piston rod brake a closing movement of the hinge part (3) before the closed position is reached. The damper housing (31) of the at least one linear damper (30) is rotationally fixed within a lever (4) by means of a retaining element (33), and the retaining element (33) is fixed on a lever (4) of the joint mechanism. The piston rod (32) can be inserted into the damper housing (31) by means of an actuation element (14), which is disposed on an additional lever (7) of the joint mechanism.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a multi-joint hinge, a multi-joint hinge, in particular for a refrigerator, comprising a mounting element that can be fixed to a body and a hinge part that can be fixed to a door, which hinge part is pivotally held on the mounting element between a closed position and a maximum opening position via a joint mechanism with several articulated levers, wherein the hinge part is pretensioned in the closing direction by a spring in a tightening region and at least one linear damper is provided with a damper housing and a piston rod that can be displaced relative to the damper housing, which decelerates a closing movement of the hinge part before reaching the closed position,wherein the at least one linear damper is arranged with the damper housing in a rotationally fixed manner via a holding element within a lever, and the holding element is fixed to a lever of the joint mechanism, and the piston rod can be inserted into the damper housing via an actuating element, wherein the actuating element is arranged on a further lever of the joint mechanism.

[0002] WO 2008 / 119647 discloses a multi-joint hinge in which a hinge part is pivotably mounted on a fastening element, wherein a spring is provided within the lever of the hinge mechanism for retracting a door that can be secured to the hinge part into the closed position. To slow the movement of the hinge part into the closed position, a linear damper is also provided, comprising a damper housing and a movable piston rod. The linear damper is rotatably mounted here and thus requires additional installation space due to the pivoting movement. An elongated hole is formed on one of the levers so that the linear damper only moves when the hinge part is positioned shortly before the closed position. These multi-joint hinges have proven themselves; however, it may be necessary to optimize the required installation space for the hinge, especially with heavy doors such as those used in refrigerators.

[0003] WO 2018 / 104199 proposes a damper arrangement with two parallel linear dampers in a multi-joint hinge. The two linear dampers are fixed to the damper housing via an eyelet on one side, and on the opposite side, the piston rod is connected to an eyelet, allowing compressive and tensile forces to be exerted on the linear dampers. The linear dampers are also rotatably mounted and thus require additional installation space due to their pivoting movement. The manufacture and assembly of these dampers is comparatively complex, and in addition, the linear dampers are very long and coupled to the levers of the joint mechanism across the entire pivoting range of the hinge part. This requires additional installation space.

[0004] WO 2019 / 242942 discloses a hinge for furniture in which a damper for slowing down the closing speed is provided, which is arranged between two levers of the hinge mechanism.

[0005] WO 2016 / 201461 discloses a furniture hinge with a linear damper having a piston rod that can be inserted into a damper housing. DE 20 2016 102 909 discloses another furniture hinge.

[0006] US 2020 / 0131830 discloses a multi-joint hinge with a linear damper that can also be used in household appliances.

[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-joint hinge which has improved damping during a closing movement of the hinge part and has a small installation space requirement.

[0008] This object is achieved with a multi-joint hinge having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments emerge from the subclaims.

[0009] In the multi-joint hinge according to the invention, at least one linear damper, which comprises a damper housing and a displaceable piston rod, is arranged with the damper housing in a rotationally fixed manner via a holding element within a lever, and the holding element is fixed to a lever of the joint mechanism. The piston rod can be inserted into the damper housing via an actuating element, wherein the actuating element is arranged on a further lever of the joint mechanism. This simplifies assembly, since the damper housing is inserted into the receptacle on the holding element, eliminating the need to attach an eyelet in connection with the multi-joint hinge. The receptacle allows the damper housing to be positioned with a predetermined orientation within the multi-joint hinge in order to then generate damping forces during a closing movement of the hinge part.This achieves a compact design, with the retaining element being arranged within the lever. The lever can be U-shaped or L-shaped in cross-section, so that the retaining element is accommodated in a groove-shaped or angled channel within the lever. Preferably, the lever is U-shaped in cross-section, and the damper housing of the at least one linear damper is arranged between the two arms of the lever.

[0010] Preferably, the actuating element has an arcuate contour on which the piston rod can slide directly or indirectly with one end face. The actuating element is designed here as a pin, for example, a cylindrical pin, which is secured between two walls of the further lever of the joint mechanism.

[0011] At least one piston rod of the linear damper can move on the actuating element and is preferably aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the piston rods. Two or more piston rods of the linear dampers can also move on the actuating element simultaneously or offset from one another. If the linear dampers are offset, a particularly gentle damping curve can be achieved. The actuating element can be designed as a cylindrical pin or with a different cross-sectional shape. In this case, the actuating element on the further lever can act on the piston rods in a damping range when the hinge part is pivoted and can be moved freely in a range outside the damping range. In this case, part of the pivoting range of the hinge part is designed as a freewheel in which no damping forces act.This is achieved by positioning the actuating element in the freewheel area at a distance from the piston rods and not in contact with them. This freewheel is independent of any spring forces.

[0012] Alternatively, the actuating element can be adjustable, in particular slidably mounted on the further lever and thus allow adjustment of the range of the freewheel with regard to the damping forces.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the retaining element is fixed to a joint axis between the lever and the other lever. Alternatively, the retaining element can also be attached to one of the levers of the hinge. This allows the installation space within the multi-joint hinge to be optimally utilized for the linear dampers. For stable support of the retaining element, the retaining element can have a stop that rests against a wall of the lever.

[0014] Preferably, a stop element is provided on each receptacle, which limits the movement of a damper housing when the piston rod is pushed in and supports the damper on the side opposite the piston rod. The stop element can, for example, be designed as a stop pin that is attached to two walls of the lever and passes through the holding element. This means that even high forces when the piston rod is pushed in can be absorbed by the stop element, which is attached to the walls of the lever at opposite ends. The holding element can, for example, consist of molded plastic bodies or comprise such a body. The stop element can be designed as a metal pin and is therefore designed to absorb higher forces. Optionally, an adjustment mechanism can be integrated into the damper housing, with the aid of which linear adjustment of the damper housing orthe piston rod and consequently an adjustment of the damping performance is possible.

[0015] The spring of the multi-joint hinge preferably acts on a guide lever or a slider that can be moved along a curved guide when the hinge part pivots. This allows a spring tension range to be defined via the curved guide, which preferably lies between the closed position of the hinge part and an opening angle of the hinge part between 20° and 40°. The effective range of the linear dampers, i.e. the damping range, is preferably smaller than the spring tension range in relation to the pivoting range of the hinge part, so that the door is not accidentally stopped in an opening range. The two linear dampers can, for example, be effective between a closed position of the hinge part and an open position of the hinge part between 10° and 25°, in particular 15° to 20°. The effective range can begin when damping forces are generated via the linear damper after overcoming a possible idle stroke.

[0016] Each linear damper preferably has a spring element that preloads the piston rod into a protruding position. This allows the actuating element for compressing the linear damper to compress it exclusively, while the piston rod of the linear damper is automatically moved into the extended position upon an opening movement of the hinge part.

[0017] The multi-joint hinge is preferably designed as a seven-joint hinge with four levers that can be pivoted relative to one another, forming a total of seven joints. Alternatively, the multi-joint hinge can also be designed as a four-joint hinge. Preferably, at least one lever of the hinge mechanism is designed as a U-shaped sheet steel part and can support high weight loads.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, at least two linear dampers are provided, with the piston rods being able to be inserted jointly into the damper housing via the actuating element, at least in a partial area between the closed position of the hinge part and an open position of the hinge part. The use of two parallel dampers on the multi-joint hinge also enables the deceleration of heavy doors, for example, in refrigerator doors.

[0019] The actuating element on the additional lever preferably acts on the at least one piston rod when pivoting the hinge part in a damping range and can be freely moved in a range outside the damping range. The actuating element is thus arranged in the freewheel area at a distance from the at least one piston rod. This eliminates the need to attach the linear damper to opposite sides.

[0020] In a further embodiment of the invention, the actuating element comprises an inlet guide for the at least one piston rod. The inlet guide can be funnel-shaped to provide lateral guidance toward the actuating element when the piston rod enters the inlet guide. The inlet guide for the at least one piston rod can allow for slight lateral play and accommodate the piston rod with play, preferably with a lateral play of less than 1 mm.

[0021] The actuating element is preferably designed to be adjustable relative to the linear damper, so that a contact point between the at least one piston rod and the actuating element can be adjusted depending on the angular position of the hinge part. This allows the damping range to be adjusted.

[0022] The multi-joint hinge is preferably used in a refrigerator with an appliance body and a door that is pivotably mounted on the appliance body.

[0023] The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Figures 1A and 1B show two views of the multi-joint hinge in a closed position; Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the multi-joint hinge of the Figure 1 ; Figures 3A to 3D show several views of the multi-joint hinge in different positions; Figures 4A and 4B show two sectional views through the multi-joint hinge of the Figure 1 ; Figures 5A to 5D show several sectional views of the multi-joint hinge in different positions, and Figures 6A and 6B show two sectional views of the damping in different positions.

[0024] A multi-joint hinge 1 comprises a mounting element 2 that can be fixed to a body of a piece of furniture or a household appliance, for example, a refrigerator. A hinge part 3 is pivotably mounted on the mounting element 2 via a joint mechanism. Figures 1A and 1B a closed position is shown in which the multi-joint hinge 1 is arranged in a box-shaped manner in a folded position.

[0025] In Figure 2 The multi-joint hinge 1 is shown in an exploded view. The joint mechanism comprises four levers 4, 5, 6, and 7, which establish a connection between the mounting element 2 and the hinge part 3.

[0026] The mounting element 2 comprises a first axis A1, to which a first lever 4 is articulated. In addition to the first axis A1, the first lever 4 has a second axis A2 and a fifth axis A5. A second lever 5 is articulated to the mounting element 2 at a third axis A3. At the opposite end, the second lever 5 has a fourth axis A4 that is articulated to a third lever 6. The third lever 6 has the fourth axis A4 in a central region and is connected at one end via the axis A2 to the first lever 4. On the opposite side, the third lever 6 is connected to the hinge part 3 at the sixth axis A6. The hinge part 3 is articulated to a seventh axis A7 with the fourth lever 7, which is articulated to the first lever 4 at the opposite end via the fifth axis A5. All levers 4, 5, 6, and 7 are made as U-shaped parts in cross-section from a bent sheet steel.

[0027] The mounting element 2 has a height adjustment. For this purpose, an axis A8 is formed by a screw 20 having a threaded portion 21. An internally threaded insert 22 is mounted on the threaded portion 21 and is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on a holder 24. For this purpose, two projections 23 are formed on the internally threaded insert 22 as end stops. By turning the screw 20, the screw 20 and thus the mounting element 2 are axially displaced relative to the internally threaded insert 22. The internally threaded insert 22 is fixed in the axial direction to the holder 24, which is fixed to a body via the opening 26 using fastening means such as screws. By turning the screw 20, the height of the mounting element 2 can thus be adjusted relative to the holder 24.

[0028] The joint mechanism of the multi-joint hinge 1 comprises a spring 10 held between a first guide element 11 and a second guide element 12. The first guide element 11 is hinged to an axis A11, and the second guide element 12 is hinged to a guide lever 13. The guide lever 13 is hinged to the fourth lever 7 and carries a guide roller 15 that is movable along a curved guide 18 on a guide element 16. The guide element 16 is fixed to the fourth lever 7 via an opening 17 with an axis.

[0029] The fourth lever 7 comprises an insert element 9, which is pivotable together with the fourth lever 7 about the fifth axis A5. The insert element 9 is fixed to the fourth lever 7 via a further axis A13. The fourth lever 7 and the insert element 9 thus form a jointly movable unit, whereby the insert element 9 can optionally also be formed integrally with the fourth lever 7.

[0030] An axis A14 is formed on the insert element 9, into which an actuating element 14 in the form of a pin is inserted. In the mounted position, the actuating element 14 can act on the front ends of piston rods 32, which can then be inserted into the damper housing 31.

[0031] The multi-joint hinge 1 comprises two linear dampers 30, each with a damper housing 31 and a piston rod 32. It is also possible for only one linear damper 30 to be provided. The linear damper(s) 30 are arranged within a U-shaped lever 4. The linear damper(s) 30 are at least partially concealed laterally by the legs of the U-shaped lever 4. The linear dampers 30 are fixed to a holding element 33, which has two adjacent receptacles 35, into each of which a part of a damper housing 31 is inserted. The insertion depth of the damper housing 31 is limited by a stop 34. The stop 34 is designed as a stop pin and is inserted into an opening 37 in the holding element 33. The stop 34 is held at opposite ends on the first lever 4, wherein openings 36 for inserting one end of the stop 34 are formed on the first lever 4 for this purpose.The stop 34 can also be secured to the first lever 4 via other fastening means. Furthermore, the stop 34 does not have to pass through the opening 37 in the retaining element 33, but can also extend adjacent to the retaining element 33.

[0032] The holding element 33 is fixed to the fifth axis A5 via an opening and, in the installed position, is supported on the first lever 4 and is movable together with it.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge part 3 has an L-shaped cross-section, with a mounting part 103 fixed to the hinge part 3 so that the sixth axis A6 and the seventh axis A7 can run between a wall of the hinge part 3 and the mounting part 103. The mounting part 103 forms a spacer so that the cover 8 can pivot. In the assembled position, the levers 6 and 7 are arranged within the U-shaped door bearing consisting of the hinge part 3 and the mounting part 103.

[0034] The multi-joint hinge 1 further comprises covers 8, which, in an open position, cover gaps between the third lever 6 and the fourth lever 7, thereby forming an anti-tamper device. The covers 8 can be hinged to the stop 34 or another axis and have a slotted guide that interacts with a guide pin fixed to the hinge part 3.

[0035] In the Figures 3A to 3D The multi-joint hinge 1 is shown in different positions. In the folded, closed position, the levers 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the hinge mechanism are nested, and the multi-joint hinge 1 is box-shaped.

[0036] If the hinge part 3 is pivoted relative to the mounting element 2, the joint mechanism unfolds and the levers 4, 5, 6 and 7 pivot towards each other, as shown in the Figures 3B and 3C shown. In 3D figure The maximum opening position of the hinge part 3 is shown, which is, for example, in a range between 100° and 150° from the closed position. The opening angle can be determined based on two parallel surfaces of the mounting element 2 and the hinge part 3 in the closed position.

[0037] In the Figures 4A and 4BThe multi-joint hinge 1 is shown in a sectional view. Each linear damper 30 is inserted into the holding element 33 with a damper housing 31, with one end of the damper housing 31 being supported on the stop 34, which is held between two walls of the first lever 4. The stop 34, designed as a stop pin, can be made of metal and can absorb high compressive forces.

[0038] On the opposite side, the piston rod 32 rests with one end face against the actuating element 14, which is designed as a pin, in particular a cylindrical pin. The actuating element 14 can also be made of metal in order to be able to transmit high compressive forces.

[0039] The spring 10 is pivotally connected to the insert element 9 between the first guide element 11 and the insert element 9 along an axis A11. A pin extends into the guide element 11, and the second guide element 12 also has a pin for guiding the spring 10. The pins ensure centering within the lever 7. The insert element 9 serves to center the guide element 11 within the lever 7, which is preferably movable without grinding. The second guide element 12 is pivotally connected to the guide lever 13, which is pivotally centered on the insert element 9 around the axis A13. The guide lever 13 serves to move a guide roller 15, which rolls along a curved guide 18. The curved guide 18 is formed on the guide element 16, which is held non-rotatably on the hinge part 3.

[0040] As in Figure 4BAs shown, two linear dampers are arranged side by side on the holding element 33, both of which are supported by a single stop 34 and whose piston rods 32 are both movable by an actuating element 14. The longitudinal axes of the actuating element 14 and the stop 34 extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the linear dampers.

[0041] In Figure 5A The multi-joint hinge is shown in its maximum opening position. It can be seen that the spring 10 is arranged in a compressed, shrunken position and the guide roller 15 has been moved along the curved guide 18. The linear damper 30 is arranged on the holding element 33, and the piston rod 32 of each linear damper is arranged freestanding without contact with any other component. The multi-joint hinge is in a free-running position. In the free-running position, the linear damper 30 is not effective.

[0042] If the multi-joint hinge is moved in the closing direction, as shown in Figure 5BAs shown, the guide roller 15 moves along the curved guide 18. Up to an angle of approximately 30° before the closing position, for example between 20° and 40° before the closing position, the spring 10 remains in the compressed position because the first guide element 11 and the second guide element 12 do not move or only move slightly relative to one another. When the angular position of the hinge part 3 at which the tightening range begins is reached, the guide roller 15 is moved along the curved guide 18 in such a way that the guide lever 13 pivots, so that the second guide element 12 moves away from the first guide element 11. This allows the spring 10, which has been compressed under pressure, to relax and thus supports the closing process. At the beginning of the tightening range, one end face of the piston rod 32 is still at a distance from the actuating element 14 because the linear damper 30 only becomes effective later during a closing movement.

[0043] In Figure 5CThe position of the hinge part 3 is shown in which the actuating element 14 begins to push the piston rod 32 into the damper housing 31. The damper housing 31 is supported by the stop 34, so that a closing movement of the hinge part 3 can be slowed down. At the same time, the spring 10 ensures a preload of the hinge part 3 in the closing direction through the movement of the guide roller 15 along the curved guide 18.

[0044] In Figure 5D The closed position is shown, in which the spring 10 was released by moving the guide roller 15 along the curved guide 18. At the same time, the piston rod 32 was pressed into the damper housing 31, thereby slowing down the movement of the hinge part 3.

[0045] In the Figures 6A and 6B The linear damper 30 is shown in an enlarged view. In the Figure 6Athe linear damper 30 is in a free-running position and does not touch the actuating element 14. The actuating element 14 has a curved surface. This curved surface is surrounded by an inlet guide 38. The inlet guide 38 is funnel-shaped. The inlet guide 38 serves as a guide for the piston rod 32. In the Figure 6Bshows the moment at which the piston rod 32 directly impacts the actuating element 14. It can be seen that the inlet guide 38 of the piston rod 32 allows only minimal lateral play, thereby preventing unwanted transverse forces that may act on the piston rod 32. As the hinge continues to close, the piston rod 32 slides on the actuating element 14 because the angle of the levers 4 and 7 changes continuously. The damper 30 thus partially orbits the actuating element 14. The inlet guide 38 is shaped, among other things, in such a way that the piston rod 32 is not pushed laterally away from the inlet guide 38 as it partially orbits the actuating element 14.

[0046] In the illustrated embodiment, the two linear dampers 30 are mounted between the first lever 4 and the fourth lever 7. It is of course also possible to provide the linear dampers between two other levers 4, 5, 6, and 7, or on the mounting element 2 designed as a lever, or on the hinge part 3. The spring 10 with the guide lever 13 can also be mounted at a different position on the multi-joint hinge instead of between the fourth lever 7 and the hinge part 3.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the linear dampers 30 and the actuating element 14 are not adjustable. However, it is also possible for the linear dampers 30 to be arranged on an adjustable carriage on the holding element 33. In this case, an eccentric or a worm gear can be provided as the adjustment means. The linear dampers 30 can be adjusted from outside the lever 4.

[0048] Alternatively, it is also possible for the actuating element 14 to be adjustably mounted. For this purpose, for example, a threaded device can be provided on the actuating element 14 so that the actuating element can be displaced in depth. If the actuating element is designed as a pin 14, the bolt can be guided laterally in a guide on the lever 7. It is essential here that the actuating element 14 is adjustable relative to the linear damper 30 so that a contact point between the at least one piston rod 32 and the actuating element 14 can be adjusted depending on the angular position of the hinge part 3. List of reference symbols

[0049] 1 Multi-joint hinge 2 Mounting element 3 Hinge part 4 Lever 5 Lever 6 Lever 7 Lever 8 Cover 9 Insert element 10 Spring 11 Guide element 12 Guide element 13 Guide lever 14 Actuating element 15 Guide roller 16 Guide element 17 Opening 18 Curved guide 20 Screw 21 Threaded section 22 Internal thread insert 23 Projection 24 Holder 25 Receptacle 26 Opening 30 Linear damper 31 Damper housing 32 Piston rod 33 Holding element 34 Stop 35 Receptacle 36 Opening 37 Opening 38 Inlet guide 103 Mounting part A1 Axis A2 Axis A4 Axis A5 Axis A6 Axis A7 Axis A11 Axis A13 Axis A14 Axis

Claims

1. Multi-joint hinge (1), particularly for a refrigerator, having a mounting element (2) which can be fixed to an appliance body and a hinge part (3) which can be fixed to a door and is held pivotably on the mounting element (2) between a closed position and a maximum open position via a joint mechanism having a plurality of joint levers (4, 5, 6, 7), wherein the hinge part (3) is biased in the closing direction in a contraction range via a spring (10) and at least one linear damper (30) with a damper housing (31) and a piston rod (32) displaceable relative to the damper housing (31) is provided, which brake a closing movement of the hinge part (3) before the closing position is reached, wherein in the folded closed position, the levers (4, 5, 6 and 7) of the joint mechanism are nested inside each other and the multi-joint hinge (1) is box-shaped and the opening angle can be determined from two parallel surfaces of the mounting element (2) and the hinge part (3), characterized in that the at least one linear damper (30) is arranged with the damper housing (31) in a rotationally fixed manner via a holding element (33) within a lever (4) and the holding element (33) is fixed to a lever (4) of the joint mechanism and the piston rod (32) can be pushed into the damper housing (31) via an actuating element (14), the actuating element (14) being arranged on a further lever (7) of the joint mechanism.

2. Multi-joint hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that the lever (4) is U-shaped in cross-section and the damper housing (31) of the at least one linear damper (30) is arranged between the two legs of the lever (4).

3. Multi-joint hinge according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the actuating element (14) has a curved contact surface arranged between two walls of the further lever (7).

4. Multi-joint hinge according to claim 3, characterized in that the piston rod (32) slides with one end face indirectly or directly on the contact surface of the actuating element (14) at least during a closing movement of the hinge.

5. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding element (33) is fixed on a joint axis (A5) between the lever (4) and the further lever (7).

6. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding element (33) is supported with a stop on a wall of the lever (4).

7. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holding element (33) comprises at least one receptacle (35) for the damper housing (31), the receptacle (35) limiting a movement of a damper housing (31) when the piston rod (32) is pushed in, wherein a stop (34) for the damper housing (31) is preferably formed on the receptacle (35).

8. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contraction range of the spring (10) between the closed position of the hinge part (3) and an open position of the hinge part (3) is provided between 20° to 40°.

9. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the effective range of the linear dampers (30) in relation to the pivoting range of the hinge part (3) is smaller than the contraction range of the spring (10) and at least one linear damper (30) is effective preferably in an opening position of the hinge part (3) between 10° to 25° and the closing position.

10. A multi-joint hinge according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each linear damper (30) comprises a spring element biasing the piston rod (32) into a projecting position.

11. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the multi-joint hinge (1) is designed as a seven-joint hinge with four levers (4, 5, 6, 7) which can be pivoted relative to one another and together form seven joints (A1 to A7).

12. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least two linear dampers (30) are provided, wherein the piston rods (32) can be pushed together into the damper housing (32) via the actuating element (14) at least in a partial region between the closed position of the hinge part (3) and an open position of the hinge part (3).

13. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element (14) on the further lever (7) acts on the at least one piston rod (32) in a damping range when the hinge part is pivoted and is freely movable in a range outside the damping range, the actuating element (14) being arranged in the range of free movement at a distance from the at least one piston rod (32) and thus the at least one piston rod (32) being arranged without contact with the actuating element (14).

14. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element (14) comprises a run-in guide (38) for the at least one piston rod (32), wherein the inlet guide (38) is preferably funnel-shaped, wherein the inlet guide (38) of the at least one piston rod (32) is preferably arranged with lateral play around the piston rod (32).

15. Multi-joint hinge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuating element (14) is adjustable relative to the linear damper (30) so that a contact point between the at least one piston rod (32) and the actuating element (14) is adjustable in dependence on the angular position of the hinge part (3).

16. A refrigerator comprising an appliance body and a door pivotably mounted on the appliance body and held on the appliance body by at least one multi-joint hinge according to any one of the preceding claims.

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