Laundry Lid Hinge Assembly With Cam-Activated Soft Close
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry treating appliances often face challenges in providing a smooth and controlled lid operation, with existing hinge assemblies lacking in soft-close functionality and damping mechanisms, leading to potential slamming and user inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly for laundry treating appliances featuring a hinge housing, cam, snubber housing with a damper, and a piston, where the damper is biased by a cam to selectively depress and provide damping force when the lid moves from the opened to the closed position, ensuring a soft-close operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional hinge assembly is used for the lid, then the structure is simple, but the lid closure is uncontrolled and may slam shut causing user inconvenience and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: a hinge portion for basic rotation, a damper portion with snubber housing for damping control, and a cam mechanism for actuating the damper. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving controlled closure without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A cam mechanism acts as an intermediary between the lid movement and the damper activation. As the lid closes, the cam rotates and selectively depresses the damper, mediating the transition from uncontrolled gravitational closure to controlled damping-assisted closure. This intermediary mechanism enables precise timing of the damping effect.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If no damping mechanism is provided, then the hinge assembly is simple, but the lid may accidentally slam shut causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is pre-positioned within the snubber housing and biased in a retracted state. As the lid approaches closure, the cam mechanism activates the damper beforehand, allowing it to cushion the final closure phase. This prior cushioning prevents slamming before it occurs, protecting the lid and cabinet from impact damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The natural gravitational force that causes the lid to slam shut is converted into a beneficial effect. The cam mechanism uses the lid's downward motion to rotate the cam, which in turn activates the damper. The harmful kinetic energy is transformed into controlled damping force, turning the slamming problem into a controlled closure solution.
3Productivity
If a damper is always engaged, then the lid closure is always controlled, but the lid requires excessive force to open and operate inefficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The damper's engagement state is dynamically changed based on the lid's position and motion phase. The cam mechanism rotates as the lid moves, selectively engaging the damper only during the closure phase when needed for control. During opening, the cam remains in a position that does not compress the damper, allowing free movement and reducing the force required to open the lid.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper is activated periodically during each lid cycle, specifically during the closure phase. The cam mechanism creates a periodic engagement pattern where the damper is compressed only when the lid is closing, not when opening. This periodic action maintains productivity by ensuring controlled closure every cycle while minimizing the force requirement during the opening phase.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a soft-close hinge assembly that aids in easy lid opening and smooth, controlled closure, reducing user effort and preventing accidental slamming, while being adaptable to various lid materials and designs.
Implementation Method 1
a damper at least partially received within the damper receiving portion and at least partially underlying the top panel when the lid is in the opened position
Data Source
AI summary
A laundry treating appliance for treating laundry items according to an automatic cycle of operation can include a cabinet defining an interior and having a top panel that at least partially defines an access opening to the interior. A lid is rotatable between a closed position and an opened position to selectively open or close the access opening. At least one hinge assembly couples the top panel with the lid. The at least one hinge assembly can include a hinge housing coupled to the top panel. A cam is received within the hinge housing and coupled to the lid. A snubber housing is coupled to the hinge housing and has a damper receiving portion. A damper is at least partially received within the damper receiving portion.