Hinge device with lifting of a panel

Abstract

A hinge device with lifting of a panel, comprises a first connection element (3) assigned to be fixed to a body or frame of an appliance or other furniture and pivoted via a hinge pivot (5) to a second connection element (7) assigned to be fixed to a door or leaf for closing and opening the appliance. The second connection element (7) is connected via a transmission element (9) to an elastic element (11) to transmit to such second connection element (7) and door an elastic closing force. Said device further comprises a joint means (13) slidably connected to the second connection element (7) and assigned for fixing the panel. Said device (1) comprises an arm element (19) a first end portion of which is pivoted to the second connection element (7) via a rotation pin (15) parallel to the hinge pivot (5) and carries a pinion (23) engaged with a rack (25) fixed to, or obtained in, the joint means (13), the second and opposite end portion of the arm element (19) is connected to the first connection element (3) via a connection pin (27) parallel to the hinge pivot (5) and sliding in a shaped buttonhole (29). Such connection pin (27) and shaped buttonhole (29) are respectively fixed to the first connection element (3) and fixed or obtained in the arm element (19) or vice versa.

Description

[0001] HINGE DEVICE WITH LIFTING OF A PANEL

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present invention falls within the sector concerning hinges for household appliances or furniture and refers to a hinge device with lifting of a covering panel of a door or leaf associated with the device itself where the term "lifting of a panel" means the translation of the same parallel to the door in the direction of moving away from, or towards, the hinge pivot as a consequence, respectively, of the opening or closing rotation of such door.

[0005] There are known hinge devices provided with springs and / or brakes assigned to facilitate the opening and closing of hatches, doors, leafs or shutter and provided with lifting mechanisms in the opening of a decorative panel, connected to the door or leaf, in order to avoid impacts of the panel with finishing baseboards or other inconveniences.

[0006] Such known devices have the disadvantage of being complex and expensive and / or of having highly stressed components having to simultaneously perform the functions of balancing the weight and lifting the panel, or translation of the panel along the door, thus being subject to the risk of wear or failure.

[0007] Some of the known devices do not allow optimization of the movement of the panel, particularly in the initial opening stages.

[0008] Some of the known devices have a ratio between the opening of the device and the movement of the panel determined by the geometry of parts of the device itself assigned to other functions and which cannot be modified, unless the device is completely modified, and therefore is often not optimal for determining the best movement of the panel.

[0009] Furthermore, the known devices generally have the disadvantage of a ratio between the opening of the device and the movement of the panel which is exclusively linear, as well as fixed.

[0010] Prior art documents N. WO2017 / 021500, N. ITB020130202 and N. EP3219244 disclose the preamble of claim one of the present invention.

[0011] DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION a purpose of the present invention is to propose a hinge device with lifting of a panel which is relatively simple and economical but rugged, long-lasting and reliable.

[0012] Another purpose of the present invention is to propose a hinge device in which it is possible to determine the shape of a single component to predetermine, in a simple and economical way, the ratio between the opening angle and the movement of the decorative panel.

[0013] A further purpose is to make it possible to predetermine, in a simple and economical way, said ratio so that it is constant for a linear movement or so that it is variable by modifying the shape of a single component.

[0014] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The characteristics of the invention are highlighted below with particular reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0016] - Figures 1-3 illustrate side views of the hinge device with lifting of a panel object of the present invention in closed, intermediate or partially open and maximum opening conditions respectively;

[0017] - Figure 4 illustrates a front and enlarged view of the device of Figure 2;

[0018] - Figure 5 illustrates a side, partial and enlarged view of the device of Figure 2 and in which a hidden element is illustrated in dashed lines;

[0019] - Figure 6 illustrates the device of Figure 5 in which a part has been sectioned according to the section plane VI - VI of Figure 4 to better illustrate the dashed element of Figure 5;

[0020] - Figure 7 illustrates the device of Figure 5 seen from the opposite side;

[0021] - Figure 8 illustrates an exploded view of the device of Figure 1;

[0022] - Figures 9-11 illustrate side views of a variant of the device of Figure 1 in closed, intermediate or partially open and maximum opening conditions respectively;

[0023] - figure 12 shows an exploded view of the device of figure 9.

[0024] BEST MODE TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION

[0025] With reference to figures 1-8, numeral 1 indicates the hinge device with lifting of a panel which is the object of the present invention.

[0026] In the preferred embodiment, the device 1 comprises a first connection element 3, assigned to be fixed to a body or frame of an apparatus, household appliance or a piece of furniture, and a second joint element 7, assigned to be fixed to a door or leaf of the appliance for closing and opening an inner space of the appliance itself.

[0027] The panel is, for example, a covering or decorative panel assigned to be connected to the external face of the door to cover, to mask or to decorate it.

[0028] The second joint element 7 is hinged to the first connection element 3 by means of a hinge pivot 5 and is connected to an elastic element 11 by means of a transmission element 9 which is assigned to transmit to the second joint element 7, and therefore to the door fixed thereto, an elastic closing force aimed at bringing the device 1 into its own closed condition C, which corresponds to a closed condition of the appliance in which the door closes the respective inner space or compartment.

[0029] A first end of the transmission element 9 is rotatably connected to the second joint element 7 by means of a coupling pivot 41. A second end of the transmission element 9, opposite to the first, is connected to the elastic element 11.

[0030] The elastic element 11 preferably comprises a spring provided with a spring guide 12. The spring acts in compression having one end blocked against the first connection element 3 and the opposite end blocked by one end of the spring guide 12.

[0031] The second end of the transmission element 9 is connected to the spring guide 12 of the elastic element 11 directly or preferably by interposition of a rocker arm element 43, to which it is rotatably pivoted, as illustrated in the aforementioned figures. This rocker arm element 43 is hooked to the end of the spring guide opposite the end locked to the spring, and is provided with a set of rollers or preferably, and as illustrated, pads respectively rolling or sliding along opposite and parallel walls 44 of the first connection element 3 to guide the translation of the second end of the transmission element 9 and possibly, and preferably, also to brake the rotation of the second joint element 7, for example by means of the friction of said pads along said walls 44 of the first connection element 3.

[0032] The device 1 also comprises a longitudinal joint means 13, slidably connected to the second joint element 7 and assigned for fixing the decorative panel to the device 1 and for the translation or lifting of the decorative panel with respect to the door during the opening and closing of the device 1 itself.

[0033] The device 1 also comprises an arm element 19 having a first end portion and an opposite second end portion.

[0034] The second end portion of the arm element 19 is connected and slidably constrained to the first connection element 3 by means of a connection pin 27 parallel to the hinge pivot 5 and sliding in a shaped buttonhole 29. Preferably, the connection pin 27 is fixed to the first connection element 3 and the shape\d buttonhole 29 is obtained through the thickness of the arm element 19.

[0035] The connection pin 27 may be optionally provided with a bushing 28 or other similar rolling or friction means, respectively to facilitate or hinder the sliding of the connection pin 27 along the shaped buttonhole 29 and, consequently, to facilitate or to dampen the opening and closing of the device 1. The first end portion of the arm element 19 is hinged to the second joint element 7 by means of a rotation pin 15 parallel to the hinge pivot 5, and carries a pinion or pinion sector 23 engaged with a rack 25 fixed to, or preferably formed in the joint means 13 and having a toothing or other similar complementary profile or engageable to the toothing of the pinion 23.

[0036] The pinion 23 has a radius equal to the distance between the rotation pin 15 and the rack 25, and its toothing extends along a circular sector centered in the rotation pin 15 and of an angular extension such as to always engage the rack 25 throughout the entire extent of its reciprocating motion. This angular extension is for example approximately 90°. The entity of said motion of the rack, caused by the opening of the hinge device, depends on the shapes and mutual positions of at least: the shaped buttonhole 29, the arm element 19, the pinion 23, the rack 25, the connection pin 27 and the rotation pin 15.

[0037] The rack 25 is preferably in a single body with the joint means 13, made of metal or plastic material, for example carried out by casting, injection moulding, extrusion moulding, or other hot or cold workings.

[0038] A variant of the joint means 13 provides for the rack 25 to be fixed to it. In this case, the joint means 13 and the rack 25 can be made of different materials, for example, metal and plastic or elastomeric material respectively, in order to ensure a better grip and less mechanical play in the connection with the pinion 23.

[0039] The joint means 13 also has a joint portion 26 comprising, for example, one or more screw holes and / or a shaped seat, assigned to release a constraint with a corresponding mounting element fixed to the rear face of the panel or facing the door of the appliance to achieve the fixing of the panel to the device 1. This mounting element, of a known type, for example, consists of a shaped arm or bracket for connecting the joint means 13 to the panel which is constrained to the door in a sliding manner, for example by means of one or more carriages sliding in one or more linear guides parallel to the rack 25 where such carriages and guides are fixed respectively to the rear face of the panel and to the door of the appliance or vice versa. The joint portion 26 is arranged, for example, at the end of the rack 25 furthest from the hinge pivot 5.

[0040] The second joint element 7 has a linear seat 31 which slidably hosts the joint means 13 and its rack 25, which are constrained and guided by such linear seat 31 to slide linearly along the linear seat 31 itself perpendicular to the hinge pivot 5 and almost parallel to the longitudinal development of the rack. In correspondence with the closed condition C, the joint means 13 is its nearest position in respect with the hinge pivot 5; in correspondence with a maximum opening condition A of the device 1, in which the second joint element 7 and the door are almost perpendicular to the first connection element 3 and to the open side of the compartment or inner space of the appliance, the joint means 13 is translated along the linear seat 31 at a maximum distance from the hinge pivot 5.

[0041] The decorative panel, fixed to the joint portion 26, translates parallel to the external surface of the door, preferably not in contact with it, in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the hinge 5 and according to the same motion law.

[0042] The second joint element 7 is made of metal sheet, with the linear seat 31 obtained by bending said metal sheet, where at least one of the cross sections of the linear seat 31 is squared “C” or “U” shaped in order to keep the joint means 13 constrained to slide in the linear seat 31 itself. The pinion 23 is inserted into the linear seat 31 from the open side of this “C” or “U” to match the rack 25, pressing on it and on the joint means 13, constraining them into the linear seat 31 also from said open side.

[0043] The linear seat 31 is laterally opened in correspondence with the section furthest from the hinge pivot 5 to leave the joint portion 26 of the joint means 13 uncovered and accessible between the closed C and maximum opening A conditions, so as not to obstruct the constraint of the joint means 13 with the panel.

[0044] Optionally, the joint means 13 may be provided with a protruding pivot slidingly engaged in a buttonhole 33 parallel to the rack 25 and formed along a wall of the linear seat 31. This constraint provides an alternative or additional guide means for the joint means 13 during its sliding with respect to the second joint element 7.

[0045] The arm element 19, carrying the shaped buttonhole 29, is preferably interchangeable and replaceable with another arm element 19 carrying a shaped buttonhole 29 of a different shape. The particular selected shape of the shaped buttonhole 29 contributes to determine the relationship, linear or even non-linear, between the opening angle of the device 1 and the movement of the joint means 13 with respect to the second joint element 7, i.e. the motion law of the panel. In particular, the shaped buttonhole 29 illustrated by way of example in the figures, in cooperation with the geometry of the other elements of the device, provides a motion law of a type that can be represented with a linear function, therefore with a ratio between the opening angle and the displacement of the rack, or the angular coefficient of the linear function, constant in the transition between the open and closed conditions or vice versa. Alternatively, the invention provides that the shape of the shaped buttonhole 29 can be modified to vary the value of this coefficient or to have a non-constant trend of the ratio, obtaining a different and non-linear motion law of the panel. The first connection element 3, to which the connection pin 27 is fixed, has one or preferably more alternative seats 35 for the latter. Alternatively, or in addition, the second joint element 7, to which the rotation pin 15 is constrained, has one or preferably more alternative seats for the latter. The arrangement of these connection pins 27 and rotation pin 15 contributes to determine and / or to optimize the motion law of the joint means 13, and therefore of the panel, as a function of the opening angle of the device 1.

[0046] As seen, during the transition between the closed C and maximum opening A conditions of the device 1, the joint means 13 slides with respect to the second joint element 7 as a function of the opening angle according to the motion law dependent on the constraints imposed by the arrangement of the connection pin 27 and rotation pin 15 and by the shape of the shaped buttonhole 29.

[0047] Preferably, the edge of the transmission element 9 has a notch 37 or a shoulder or another shaped matching portion which, in correspondence with the maximum opening condition A of the device 1, is assigned to meet a stop 39 fixed to the first connection element 3 and protruding from the latter parallel to the hinge pivot 5, preventing the second joint element 7 from rotating further and the device 1 from opening further.

[0048] In a variant of the device 1, the positions of the connection pin 27 and the respective shaped buttonhole 29 are inverted, with the connection pin 27 fixed to the arm element 19 and the shaped buttonhole 29 obtained or fixed to the first connection element 3, without changing the nature and function of the reciprocal constraint.

[0049] In another variant of the device 1, the shaped buttonhole 29 is fixed on the surface of the arm element 19 in a removable or interchangeable way, so that it can be easily replaced with a shaped buttonhole 29 having a different shape to modify the motion law of the joint means 13 as a function of the opening angle while using a single arm element 19 from the device 1.

[0050] A second embodiment of the device 1, illustrated in particular in figures 9-12, provides that the first end of the transmission element 9 is rigidly fixed to the second joint element 7, and that its 9 second opposite end is connected, directly or by means of flexible or rigid tie-rods 45, to one end of the elastic element 11 comprising a spring acting in extension.

[0051] The opposite end of the elastic element 11 is anchored, for example, to the body of the device.

[0052] The opening of the door causes the rotation, with respect to the hinge pivot 5, of the second joint element 7 and of the transmission element 9 integral with it. The second end of the transmission element 9 pulls the elastic element 11 into extension, which imparts to this second end an elastic closing force, resulting in an elastic closing moment acting on the door.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Hinge device with lifting of a panel, comprising a first connection element (3) assigned to be fixed to a body or frame of an appliance or other furniture and pivoted via a hinge pivot (5) to a second connection element (7) assigned to be fixed to a door or leaf for closing and opening the appliance and connected via a transmission element (9) to an elastic element (11) to transmit to such second connection element (7) and door an elastic closing force; said device further comprises a joint means (13) slidably connected to the second connection element (7) and assigned for fixing the panel; said device (1) being characterized in that it comprises an arm element (19) a first end portion of which is pivoted to the second connection element (7) via a rotation pin (15) parallel to the hinge pivot (5) and carries a pinion (23) engaged with a rack (25) fixed to, or obtained in, the joint means (13), the second and opposite end portion of the arm element (19) is connected to the first connection element (3) via a connection pin (27) parallel to the hinge pivot (5) and sliding in a shaped buttonhole (29), where such connection pin (27) and shaped buttonhole (29) are respectively fixed to the first connection element (3) and fixed or obtained in the arm element (19) or vice versa.2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the second connection element (7) has a linear seat (31) slidingly hosting the joint means (13) and the rack (25), which are guided to slide by this linear seat (31) and / or at least one protruding pin thereof slidingly engaged in a buttonhole (33) parallel to the rack (25) and obtained in the second connection element (7).3) Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the second connection element (7) is made of sheet metal, with the linear seat (31) obtained by folding said sheet metal, where at least one of the cross sections of the linear seat (31) is shaped like a squared “C” or “U”4) Device according to any one of the previous claims characterized in that the shaped buttonhole (29) is interchangeably fixed to the arm element (19) and can be replacedwith another having a different shape, or the shaped buttonhole (29) is obtained in the arm element (19) and the latter is interchangeable and replaceable with another carrying the shaped buttonhole (29) of a different shape.5) Device according to any one of the previous claims characterized in that the connection pin (27) is fixed to the first connection element (3), where the first connection element (3) has one or more alternative seats (35) for the connection pin (27) and / or the second connection element (7) has one or more alternative seats for the rotation pin (15).6) Device according to any one of the previous claims characterized in that the rack (25) is in a single body with the joint means (13) and is made of metallic or plastic material.7) Device according to any one of the previous claims characterized in that the edge of the transmission element (9) has a notch (37) which, in correspondence with a maximum opening condition (A) of the device (1), is assigned to abut a stop (39) fixed to the first connection element (3) preventing the device (1) from opening further.8) Device according to any one of the previous claims characterized in that a first end of the transmission element (9) is rotatably connected to the second connection element (7) and an opposite second end thereof (9) is connected to the elastic element (11) which comprises a spring acting in compression and provided with a spring guide.9) Device according to claim 8 characterized in that the second end of the transmission element (9) is directly connected to the spring guide or is rotatably pivoted to a rocker arm element (43) hooked to the spring guide and provided with a set of skids sliding along walls (44) of the first connection element (3) to brake the rotation of the second connection element (7).10) Device according to any one of claims 1-7 characterized in that a first end of the transmission element (9) is rigidly fixed to the second connection element (7) and an opposite second end thereof (9) is connected, directly or via flexible or rigid tie-rods (45), to the elastic element (11).

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