HINGE ASSEMBLY
United States Patent 3682348
This hinge assembly includes a base having a lid attached thereto by means of a pair of articulating hinges which permit the lid to be swung about the base and also to be raised relative to the base. Each hinge consists of a slotted hinge element attached to the base and a second hinge element attached to the lid. Associated elements of each pair of hinges are interconnected by a pin which is slidably received within the slot of the slotted hinge elements. One of the hinge elements of each pair includes a pair of shoulders and the other includes a pair of associated abutment lugs. One of the shoulders engages one of the abutment lugs to hold the lid in a spaced horizontal position and the other shoulder engages the other lug to hold the lid in a vertical position. A bell crank element, pivotally attached to the slotted hinge element, provides a notched latch supporting the pin and predetermining the space between the lid and the base.
US Patent References:
/2732580.html
Schwaneke - January 1956 - 2732580
Electric toaster
Barnes et al. - July 1932 - 1866874
Electrical appliance hinge
Rehga - July 1939 - 2167489
Electric grill
Farr et al. - August 1949 - 2478529
Three position hinge for cooking appliances
Miller - January 1954 - 2666946
/2732580.html
Schwaneke - January 1956 - 2732580
Electric toaster
Barnes et al. - July 1932 - 1866874
Electrical appliance hinge
Rehga - July 1939 - 2167489
Electric grill
Farr et al. - August 1949 - 2478529
Three position hinge for cooking appliances
Miller - January 1954 - 2666946
Application Number:
05/016345
Publication Date:
08/08/1972
Filing Date:
03/04/1970
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
16/361, 220/815, 220/832
International Classes:
A47J37/06; B65D43/16
Field of Search:
220/32 16/135,146,160,166,190,179
US Patent References:
| 2641994 | Combined handle and support | June 1953 | Miller |
Primary Examiner:
Schacher, Richard A.
Assistant Examiner:
Mar, Michael Y.
Claims:
I claim as my invention
1. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
2. a first hinge element,
3. a second hinge element,
4. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center that permits the lid member to be raised to the spaced, substantially parallel relation above the base member,
5. stop means between said hinge elements selectively engaging to maintain said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
6. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 1, in which:
7. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
8. a first hinge element,
9. a second hinge element,
10. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center, and
11. stop means between said hinge elements maintaining said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
12. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
13. a first hinge element,
14. a second hinge element,
15. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center, and
16. stop means between said hinge elements maintaining said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
17. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 4, in which:
18. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 4, in which:
19. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
20. a first hinge element,
21. a second hinge element,
22. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center, and
23. stop means between said hinge elements maintaining said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
24. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance, comprising:
25. a first hinge element attached to the base member and including a slot,
26. a second hinge element attached to the lid member and including a pivot pin, said pivot pin extending through and being movable in said slot to provide translational and pivotal interconnecting means between said hinge elements whereby said lid member may be swingingly displaced about said base member and selectively spaced in substantially parallel relation about said base member, and
27. the first hinge element including first and second abutment lugs and the second hinge element including first and second shoulders disposed in spaced relation from the pivot pin,
28. said first shoulder engaging said first abutment in spaced relation from said pivot to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of said lid member relative to said base member in one direction, and said second shoulder engaging said second abutment in spaced relation from said pivot center to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of the lid member relative to the base member in the other direction.
1. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
2. a first hinge element,
3. a second hinge element,
4. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center that permits the lid member to be raised to the spaced, substantially parallel relation above the base member,
5. stop means between said hinge elements selectively engaging to maintain said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
6. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 1, in which:
7. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
8. a first hinge element,
9. a second hinge element,
10. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center, and
11. stop means between said hinge elements maintaining said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
12. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
13. a first hinge element,
14. a second hinge element,
15. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center, and
16. stop means between said hinge elements maintaining said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
17. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 4, in which:
18. A hinge assembly as defined in claim 4, in which:
19. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance or the like, comprising:
20. a first hinge element,
21. a second hinge element,
22. interconnecting means between said hinge elements providing the translational pivot center, and
23. stop means between said hinge elements maintaining said selectively spaced, substantially parallel relation between said base and lid members,
24. A hinge assembly for a cooking appliance, comprising:
25. a first hinge element attached to the base member and including a slot,
26. a second hinge element attached to the lid member and including a pivot pin, said pivot pin extending through and being movable in said slot to provide translational and pivotal interconnecting means between said hinge elements whereby said lid member may be swingingly displaced about said base member and selectively spaced in substantially parallel relation about said base member, and
27. the first hinge element including first and second abutment lugs and the second hinge element including first and second shoulders disposed in spaced relation from the pivot pin,
28. said first shoulder engaging said first abutment in spaced relation from said pivot to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of said lid member relative to said base member in one direction, and said second shoulder engaging said second abutment in spaced relation from said pivot center to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of the lid member relative to the base member in the other direction.
Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a hinge assembly for an appliance and in particular, to a hinge assembly capable of holding the lid of a cooking appliance at rest in selected positions relative to the base.
Almost all portable cooking appliances in use in the present day kitchen operate by electricity. This applies in particular to the various grills, waffle irons and other appliances which include a base with an overfitting lid. In many conventional items of this variety, both the lid and the base include interconnected heating elements and, for this reason, it is essential that the lid and the base be suitably hinged together.
Of the several types of hinge used for this purpose, by far the most common is the piano or strip hinge which includes opposing hinge elements attached to the lid and the base. This hinge permits only rotational movement of the lid relative to the base, and results in the heating faces of the lid and the base elements bearing an inclined relation to each other when open. Thus, in the grilling of a sandwich, the heating elements do not distribute heat evenly to the item to be cooked.
In addition to this disadvantage, the usual hinged lid bears directly on the sandwich disposed on the base. Moreover, the lid, in addition to being in direct contact with the food, tends to squash the food by virtue of its weight. Another disadvantage of the common hinge connection is that it does not permit the lid to be held in an upright position. Thus, if the appliance is to be versatile and permit the cooking of those food items which must be observed while the cooking is in progress, the lid must be either propped up against a wall or opened fully to a horizontal position. The first of these alternatives renders the device somewhat unstable and the second takes up valuable working space. Thus, neither can be considered particularly suitable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present hinge assembly permits the lid to be swung about the base in the normal manner. In addition, the hinge mechanism is articulated such that the lid may be held in place in a substantially horizontal position spaced above the base. Thus, the heat distribution is even and, in addition, the weight of the lid does not bear on the sandwich or other item to be cooked.
The lid may be moved to an upright position and held securely in place in that position and yet be easily returned to a closed position. By applying a slight upward pull during turning, the lid may also be moved through 180° to a fully open position.
This hinge assembly includes base and lid members disposed in overlying relation and articulating means interconnecting said members for swinging displacement of the lid member relative to the base member about a pivot center, the pivot center being translational.
The articulating means includes a first hinge element attached to the base member and including a slot, and a second hinge element attached to the lid and including a pivot pin extending into the slot. The pivot pin provides the translational pivot center to permit linear displacement of the hinge elements relative to each other.
One of the hinge elements includes an abutment engageable by a shoulder on the other hinge element to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of the lid member relative to the base member in one direction. Similarly, one of the hinge elements includes an abutment and the other hinge element includes a shoulder engageable by the abutment to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of the lid member relative to the base member in the other direction. The shoulders are disposed in spaced relation from the pivot center and are preferably disposed on the lid member hinge element. Said lid hinge element includes an arcuate portion rotatable about the pivot center to avoid interference with one of said abutments and is notched to avoid interference with the other of said abutments.
A bell crank latch element is mounted in pivotal relation to the base member hinge element, said crank including a notched arm, adjacent the slot, and a counterbalance arm tending to urge said notched arm into engagement with said pivot pin. The notches provide graduations predetermining the parallel spacing between the lid and base members.
The pivot pin has a shank of non-circular configuration and the notches on the bell crank are compatibly shaped to engage said pivot pin. A limit pin carried by the base member hinge element is engageable by the counterweight arm to limit rotation of said counterweight arm and align said notched arm in overlapping relation to the slot. The pivot pin shank is preferably elliptical and the diameter of the minor axis is less than the net width of the slot and overlapping notched arm to permit said shank to move freely in said slot when the lid member is substantially upright.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appliance;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the hinge assembly taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the lid held in a spaced, horizontal position above the base;
FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIG. 2 but illustrating the lid held in a substantially upright position;
FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIG. 2 but with the lid held in the fully open position;
FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating the individual hinge elements, and
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the pivot pin.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, and first to FIG. 1, it will be understood that the appliance is represented by a sandwich toaster and waffle baker combination, generally shown by numeral 10. The appliance 10 includes a base member 11 and a lid member 12, each of said members being provided with a waffle iron 13.
The lid member 12 is connected to the base member 11 by a pair of opposed hinge assemblies, generally indicated by numeral 14, each hinge assembly constituting an articulating means. The hinge assemblies are mirror images of each other and are otherwise substantially identical. For this reason, only one of the hinge assemblies 14 will be described, it being understood that this description applies equally to the other.
In general, the structure of the hinge assemblies 14 permits the lid member 12 to be disposed above the base member 11 and held in a substantially horizontal position as indicated in FIG. 2. Further, the hinge assemblies 14 permit the lid member 12 to be swung about the rear end of the base member 11 by means of a pivoted front handle 15 to an upright position, as indicated in FIG. 3, and a fully open horizontal position as indicated in FIG. 4. In the latter case, the handle 15 may be rotated to a position indicated in broken outline by numeral 16 and thereby provide a support for the front end of the lid member 12. Feet 20 of each hinge assembly 14 provide rear support for the base member 11. A pair of conventional feet 21 are provided on the underside of the base member 11 to support the front of said base member 11. Opposed side handles 22 permit the base 11, and therefore the appliance as a whole, to be lifted and relocated to any desired position.
Turning now specifically to the hinge assembly 14, shown in detail in FIGS. 2 through 5, it will be understood that each hinge assembly 14 includes a bracket 23 attached as by fastener 24 to the rear face 25 of the hollow base member 11. For this purpose, an aperture 26 is provided on an outstanding flange 27 as shown in FIG. 5. The bracket 23 constitutes a first hinge element.
The hinge assembly 14 also includes a bracket 30, which is attached as by fasteners 31 to the outside of the rear face 32 of the lid member 12. Apertures 33 are provided in the outstanding flange 34 of the bracket 30 for this purpose as shown in FIG. 5. The bracket 30 constitutes a second hinge element.
The brackets 23 and 30 are interconnected by means of a pivot pin 40 which is attached to the outstanding leg 35 of the bracket 30 in non-rotatable relation as shown in FIG. 6. The pivot pin 40 includes a circular head 41, a reduced shoulder portion 42, a substantially elliptical shank portion 43 and a reduced diameter threaded portion 44. The outstanding leg 35 is provided with an aperture 36 having a recessed portion 37 accommodating the elliptical shank 43. The pivot pin 40 is secured to the outstanding leg 35 by means of a spring washer 45 and a nut 46.
The bracket 23 includes an outstanding leg 47 which is provided with a substantially vertical slot 50. In its installed position as shown in FIG. 6, the circular shoulder portion 42 of the pivot 40 is received within the slot 50. The slot 50 is slightly larger than said shoulder 42 and permits the pivot 40 to be moved freely along the length of the slot 50 and also to be rotated about its own axis within said slot 50. Thus, the lid member 12 may be swung about the base member 11 and may also be raised within the slot 50 relative to the base member 11, the pivot pin 40 providing a translating pivot center.
The bracket 23 includes a pair of lugs 51 and 52 constituting abutment portions. The bracket 30 includes adjacent shoulder portions 53 and 54 engageable respectively with associated abutment lugs 51 and 52 to maintain the lid member 12 in specific positions relative to the base member 12. The engaging shoulder portion 53 and abutment lug 51 constitute a first stop means. The engaging shoulder portion 54 and abutment lug 52 constitute a second stop means.
The hinge assembly 14 permits rotation of the lid member 12 about the pivot pin 40 when said pin 40 is disposed at the bottom of the slot 50, the base hinge bracket 23 being radiused to avoid interference with the corner of said lid member 12. When the lid member 12 has been rotated to a substantially upright position, the lid hinge bracket 30 may be easily raised relative to the base hinge bracket 23 because, at this point, an upward force may be applied to the pin 40, causing it to slide upwardly in the slot 50. When a desired elevation has been achieved, based on the required space between the waffle irons 13, the lid member 12 may be rotated in a clockwise direction about the newly elevated pivot center and returned to a horizontal position. When the operation is completed, the shoulder 53 of the bracket 30 engages the abutment lug 51 of the bracket 23, as shown in FIG. 2. Because the pivot center is spaced from the engaging shoulder 53, said shoulder 53 bears against the abutment lug 51 and the pin 40 bears against the innermost side of the slot 50. This results in horizontal couple forces being set up which resist the downward weight of the lid member 12 and said lid member 12 is thereby maintained in spaced, substantially parallel relation to the base member 11.
In the preferred embodiment of the hinge assembly, a notched bell crank 60 is provided which constitutes a latch means. This bell crank 60 is pivotally mounted to the lower bracket 23 as by a rivet 61 which extends through an aperture 62 in the outstanding leg 47, and an aperture 63 in the bell crank 60. The bell crank 60 includes upper and lower angularly related arms 64 and 65 respectively. The upper arm 64 includes a plurality of notches 57 compatibly configurated to receive the elliptical shank 43 of the pivot pin 40 in bearing relation. The lower arm 65, because of the angular relationship between the arms, tends to rotate the bell crank 60 in a counterclockwise direction and into engagement with the pin 40. A limit stud 55 limits said rotation and aligns the notched edge of the upper bell crank arm 64 in overlapping relation with the slot 50.
The bell crank 60 is free to rotate in a clockwise direction to the extent permitted by a second limit stud 56. Thus, when the pivot pin 40 is moved vertically in the slot 50, said pin 40 simply pushes the bell crank away from the vicinity of the slot 50, the inclined upper faces 58 of the notches 57 providing the necessary cam action to accomplish this pushing action. When the desired elevation has been achieved, the elliptical pivot 40 rotated until the major axis of said pin 40 is substantially horizontal and the weight of the lid member is released, resulting in the couple action already referred to. The pin 40 is received in the bell crank notch 57 closest to it and in effect, the bell crank 60 acts as a gauge predetermining the spacing between the waffle irons 13.
The minor axis of the pivot pin 40 is smaller than the net width of the slot 50 and the overlapping portion of the bell crank arm 64. Thus, when it is desired to close the lid member 12, said lid member 12, and therefore pin 40 are rotated until the lid member 12 is substantially upright whereupon said lid member 12 may be lowered without interference from the bell crank 60.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the disposition of hinge parts when the lid member 12 is held in the upright and fully open positions respectively. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the lid member 12 is held in the upright position by engagement of the shoulder portion 54 of the bracket 30 with the abutment lug 52 of the bracket 23. It will be observed that the outstanding leg 35 of the bracket 30 has a quadrant configuration permitting rotation of the bracket 23 through 90° without interference from the abutment lug 52. Further, the shoulder 54 is tangential to said quadrant configuration so that it will engage the abutment lug 52 and hold the lid member 12 in the raised position. As a practical matter, the structural arrangement of parts is such that the lid member 12 is inclined slightly rearwardly in the raised position and thus the weight of the lid member 12 is slightly eccentric to the pivot pin 40. Therefore, the pivot pin 40, which bears against the bottom of the slot 50, in combination with the engagement of the shoulder 54, which bears against the abutment lug 52, provides couple resistance holding the lid member 12 in the upright position.
When it is desired to rotate the lid member 12 to the fully open position from the upright position, the lid member 12 must be raised slightly so that the shoulder 54 of the bracket 30 clears the abutment lug 52 of the bracket 23. Further counterclockwise rotation can then take place until the lid member 12 is substantially horizontal. As shown in FIG. 4, the bracket 30 is provided with a notch 66 adapted to receive the abutment lug 51 of the bracket 23 and thereby avoid interference between the upper and lower brackets 30 and 23. In the open, horizontal position, the lid member 12 is conveniently supported at one end by the front handle 15, which is rotated to provide a leg. The lid member 12 is supported at the other end by the pivot pins 40. Alternatively, the lid member 12 may be held in a fully open, cantilever position by a couple force resulting from bearing engagement of the pin 40 against the side of the slot 50 and bearing engagement between the face 67 of the bracket 30 and the abutment lug 51 of the bracket 23.
It is thought that the functional advantages of this hinge assembly have become fully apparent from the foregoing description of parts, but for completeness of disclosure, the various operational positions of this lid member 12 relative to the base member 11 will be briefly summarized.
The hinge assembly 14 permits the lid member 12 to be rotated about the pivot pin 40. It permits, in addition, the raising of the lid member 12 relative to the base member 11 in such a way that the appliance is provided with spaced and parallel hot plates, such as waffle plates, which are held apart at a selected distance. This particular arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 2, and in this position, the downward weight of the lid member 12 is resisted by couple action provided by the pivot pin 40, acting against the slot 50, and engagement of the shoulder 53 against the abutment lug 51. The relatively short couple arm represented by the spacing between the pivot pin 40 and the point of engagement of the shoulder 53 and lug 51 produces a force much in excess of the weight of the lid member and, in consequence, the friction between the engagement points causes a binding which holds the lid member 12 in its pre-selected position. The notched edge of the bell crank 60 provides additional support and also a gauge by which the spacing between the plates may be predetermined. It will be understood that when the lid member 12 is returned by clockwise motion to the horizontal position, while the pivot pin is elevated, the weight of the base is sufficient to resist any tendency of the appliance to slide.
When the lid member 12 is rotated slightly beyond the vertical position, the center of gravity of the lid is eccentric to the pivot center. The lid member 12 is held, slightly out of vertical, by couple action resulting from engagement of the tangential shoulder 54 against the abutment lug 52 and engagement of the pivot pin 40 against the bottom of the slot 50. The lid member 12 is thereby held in a stable, substantially upright position. By pulling slightly upwardly, the shoulder 54 is disengaged from the abutment lug 52 and the lid member 12 may be rotated in a continued counterclockwise direction and conveniently supported in the horizontal position by the rotated handle 15.
This invention relates generally to a hinge assembly for an appliance and in particular, to a hinge assembly capable of holding the lid of a cooking appliance at rest in selected positions relative to the base.
Almost all portable cooking appliances in use in the present day kitchen operate by electricity. This applies in particular to the various grills, waffle irons and other appliances which include a base with an overfitting lid. In many conventional items of this variety, both the lid and the base include interconnected heating elements and, for this reason, it is essential that the lid and the base be suitably hinged together.
Of the several types of hinge used for this purpose, by far the most common is the piano or strip hinge which includes opposing hinge elements attached to the lid and the base. This hinge permits only rotational movement of the lid relative to the base, and results in the heating faces of the lid and the base elements bearing an inclined relation to each other when open. Thus, in the grilling of a sandwich, the heating elements do not distribute heat evenly to the item to be cooked.
In addition to this disadvantage, the usual hinged lid bears directly on the sandwich disposed on the base. Moreover, the lid, in addition to being in direct contact with the food, tends to squash the food by virtue of its weight. Another disadvantage of the common hinge connection is that it does not permit the lid to be held in an upright position. Thus, if the appliance is to be versatile and permit the cooking of those food items which must be observed while the cooking is in progress, the lid must be either propped up against a wall or opened fully to a horizontal position. The first of these alternatives renders the device somewhat unstable and the second takes up valuable working space. Thus, neither can be considered particularly suitable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present hinge assembly permits the lid to be swung about the base in the normal manner. In addition, the hinge mechanism is articulated such that the lid may be held in place in a substantially horizontal position spaced above the base. Thus, the heat distribution is even and, in addition, the weight of the lid does not bear on the sandwich or other item to be cooked.
The lid may be moved to an upright position and held securely in place in that position and yet be easily returned to a closed position. By applying a slight upward pull during turning, the lid may also be moved through 180° to a fully open position.
This hinge assembly includes base and lid members disposed in overlying relation and articulating means interconnecting said members for swinging displacement of the lid member relative to the base member about a pivot center, the pivot center being translational.
The articulating means includes a first hinge element attached to the base member and including a slot, and a second hinge element attached to the lid and including a pivot pin extending into the slot. The pivot pin provides the translational pivot center to permit linear displacement of the hinge elements relative to each other.
One of the hinge elements includes an abutment engageable by a shoulder on the other hinge element to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of the lid member relative to the base member in one direction. Similarly, one of the hinge elements includes an abutment and the other hinge element includes a shoulder engageable by the abutment to provide couple resistance to swingable displacement of the lid member relative to the base member in the other direction. The shoulders are disposed in spaced relation from the pivot center and are preferably disposed on the lid member hinge element. Said lid hinge element includes an arcuate portion rotatable about the pivot center to avoid interference with one of said abutments and is notched to avoid interference with the other of said abutments.
A bell crank latch element is mounted in pivotal relation to the base member hinge element, said crank including a notched arm, adjacent the slot, and a counterbalance arm tending to urge said notched arm into engagement with said pivot pin. The notches provide graduations predetermining the parallel spacing between the lid and base members.
The pivot pin has a shank of non-circular configuration and the notches on the bell crank are compatibly shaped to engage said pivot pin. A limit pin carried by the base member hinge element is engageable by the counterweight arm to limit rotation of said counterweight arm and align said notched arm in overlapping relation to the slot. The pivot pin shank is preferably elliptical and the diameter of the minor axis is less than the net width of the slot and overlapping notched arm to permit said shank to move freely in said slot when the lid member is substantially upright.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appliance;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the hinge assembly taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the lid held in a spaced, horizontal position above the base;
FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIG. 2 but illustrating the lid held in a substantially upright position;
FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIG. 2 but with the lid held in the fully open position;
FIG. 5 is an exploded view illustrating the individual hinge elements, and
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the pivot pin.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, and first to FIG. 1, it will be understood that the appliance is represented by a sandwich toaster and waffle baker combination, generally shown by numeral 10. The appliance 10 includes a base member 11 and a lid member 12, each of said members being provided with a waffle iron 13.
The lid member 12 is connected to the base member 11 by a pair of opposed hinge assemblies, generally indicated by numeral 14, each hinge assembly constituting an articulating means. The hinge assemblies are mirror images of each other and are otherwise substantially identical. For this reason, only one of the hinge assemblies 14 will be described, it being understood that this description applies equally to the other.
In general, the structure of the hinge assemblies 14 permits the lid member 12 to be disposed above the base member 11 and held in a substantially horizontal position as indicated in FIG. 2. Further, the hinge assemblies 14 permit the lid member 12 to be swung about the rear end of the base member 11 by means of a pivoted front handle 15 to an upright position, as indicated in FIG. 3, and a fully open horizontal position as indicated in FIG. 4. In the latter case, the handle 15 may be rotated to a position indicated in broken outline by numeral 16 and thereby provide a support for the front end of the lid member 12. Feet 20 of each hinge assembly 14 provide rear support for the base member 11. A pair of conventional feet 21 are provided on the underside of the base member 11 to support the front of said base member 11. Opposed side handles 22 permit the base 11, and therefore the appliance as a whole, to be lifted and relocated to any desired position.
Turning now specifically to the hinge assembly 14, shown in detail in FIGS. 2 through 5, it will be understood that each hinge assembly 14 includes a bracket 23 attached as by fastener 24 to the rear face 25 of the hollow base member 11. For this purpose, an aperture 26 is provided on an outstanding flange 27 as shown in FIG. 5. The bracket 23 constitutes a first hinge element.
The hinge assembly 14 also includes a bracket 30, which is attached as by fasteners 31 to the outside of the rear face 32 of the lid member 12. Apertures 33 are provided in the outstanding flange 34 of the bracket 30 for this purpose as shown in FIG. 5. The bracket 30 constitutes a second hinge element.
The brackets 23 and 30 are interconnected by means of a pivot pin 40 which is attached to the outstanding leg 35 of the bracket 30 in non-rotatable relation as shown in FIG. 6. The pivot pin 40 includes a circular head 41, a reduced shoulder portion 42, a substantially elliptical shank portion 43 and a reduced diameter threaded portion 44. The outstanding leg 35 is provided with an aperture 36 having a recessed portion 37 accommodating the elliptical shank 43. The pivot pin 40 is secured to the outstanding leg 35 by means of a spring washer 45 and a nut 46.
The bracket 23 includes an outstanding leg 47 which is provided with a substantially vertical slot 50. In its installed position as shown in FIG. 6, the circular shoulder portion 42 of the pivot 40 is received within the slot 50. The slot 50 is slightly larger than said shoulder 42 and permits the pivot 40 to be moved freely along the length of the slot 50 and also to be rotated about its own axis within said slot 50. Thus, the lid member 12 may be swung about the base member 11 and may also be raised within the slot 50 relative to the base member 11, the pivot pin 40 providing a translating pivot center.
The bracket 23 includes a pair of lugs 51 and 52 constituting abutment portions. The bracket 30 includes adjacent shoulder portions 53 and 54 engageable respectively with associated abutment lugs 51 and 52 to maintain the lid member 12 in specific positions relative to the base member 12. The engaging shoulder portion 53 and abutment lug 51 constitute a first stop means. The engaging shoulder portion 54 and abutment lug 52 constitute a second stop means.
The hinge assembly 14 permits rotation of the lid member 12 about the pivot pin 40 when said pin 40 is disposed at the bottom of the slot 50, the base hinge bracket 23 being radiused to avoid interference with the corner of said lid member 12. When the lid member 12 has been rotated to a substantially upright position, the lid hinge bracket 30 may be easily raised relative to the base hinge bracket 23 because, at this point, an upward force may be applied to the pin 40, causing it to slide upwardly in the slot 50. When a desired elevation has been achieved, based on the required space between the waffle irons 13, the lid member 12 may be rotated in a clockwise direction about the newly elevated pivot center and returned to a horizontal position. When the operation is completed, the shoulder 53 of the bracket 30 engages the abutment lug 51 of the bracket 23, as shown in FIG. 2. Because the pivot center is spaced from the engaging shoulder 53, said shoulder 53 bears against the abutment lug 51 and the pin 40 bears against the innermost side of the slot 50. This results in horizontal couple forces being set up which resist the downward weight of the lid member 12 and said lid member 12 is thereby maintained in spaced, substantially parallel relation to the base member 11.
In the preferred embodiment of the hinge assembly, a notched bell crank 60 is provided which constitutes a latch means. This bell crank 60 is pivotally mounted to the lower bracket 23 as by a rivet 61 which extends through an aperture 62 in the outstanding leg 47, and an aperture 63 in the bell crank 60. The bell crank 60 includes upper and lower angularly related arms 64 and 65 respectively. The upper arm 64 includes a plurality of notches 57 compatibly configurated to receive the elliptical shank 43 of the pivot pin 40 in bearing relation. The lower arm 65, because of the angular relationship between the arms, tends to rotate the bell crank 60 in a counterclockwise direction and into engagement with the pin 40. A limit stud 55 limits said rotation and aligns the notched edge of the upper bell crank arm 64 in overlapping relation with the slot 50.
The bell crank 60 is free to rotate in a clockwise direction to the extent permitted by a second limit stud 56. Thus, when the pivot pin 40 is moved vertically in the slot 50, said pin 40 simply pushes the bell crank away from the vicinity of the slot 50, the inclined upper faces 58 of the notches 57 providing the necessary cam action to accomplish this pushing action. When the desired elevation has been achieved, the elliptical pivot 40 rotated until the major axis of said pin 40 is substantially horizontal and the weight of the lid member is released, resulting in the couple action already referred to. The pin 40 is received in the bell crank notch 57 closest to it and in effect, the bell crank 60 acts as a gauge predetermining the spacing between the waffle irons 13.
The minor axis of the pivot pin 40 is smaller than the net width of the slot 50 and the overlapping portion of the bell crank arm 64. Thus, when it is desired to close the lid member 12, said lid member 12, and therefore pin 40 are rotated until the lid member 12 is substantially upright whereupon said lid member 12 may be lowered without interference from the bell crank 60.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the disposition of hinge parts when the lid member 12 is held in the upright and fully open positions respectively. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the lid member 12 is held in the upright position by engagement of the shoulder portion 54 of the bracket 30 with the abutment lug 52 of the bracket 23. It will be observed that the outstanding leg 35 of the bracket 30 has a quadrant configuration permitting rotation of the bracket 23 through 90° without interference from the abutment lug 52. Further, the shoulder 54 is tangential to said quadrant configuration so that it will engage the abutment lug 52 and hold the lid member 12 in the raised position. As a practical matter, the structural arrangement of parts is such that the lid member 12 is inclined slightly rearwardly in the raised position and thus the weight of the lid member 12 is slightly eccentric to the pivot pin 40. Therefore, the pivot pin 40, which bears against the bottom of the slot 50, in combination with the engagement of the shoulder 54, which bears against the abutment lug 52, provides couple resistance holding the lid member 12 in the upright position.
When it is desired to rotate the lid member 12 to the fully open position from the upright position, the lid member 12 must be raised slightly so that the shoulder 54 of the bracket 30 clears the abutment lug 52 of the bracket 23. Further counterclockwise rotation can then take place until the lid member 12 is substantially horizontal. As shown in FIG. 4, the bracket 30 is provided with a notch 66 adapted to receive the abutment lug 51 of the bracket 23 and thereby avoid interference between the upper and lower brackets 30 and 23. In the open, horizontal position, the lid member 12 is conveniently supported at one end by the front handle 15, which is rotated to provide a leg. The lid member 12 is supported at the other end by the pivot pins 40. Alternatively, the lid member 12 may be held in a fully open, cantilever position by a couple force resulting from bearing engagement of the pin 40 against the side of the slot 50 and bearing engagement between the face 67 of the bracket 30 and the abutment lug 51 of the bracket 23.
It is thought that the functional advantages of this hinge assembly have become fully apparent from the foregoing description of parts, but for completeness of disclosure, the various operational positions of this lid member 12 relative to the base member 11 will be briefly summarized.
The hinge assembly 14 permits the lid member 12 to be rotated about the pivot pin 40. It permits, in addition, the raising of the lid member 12 relative to the base member 11 in such a way that the appliance is provided with spaced and parallel hot plates, such as waffle plates, which are held apart at a selected distance. This particular arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 2, and in this position, the downward weight of the lid member 12 is resisted by couple action provided by the pivot pin 40, acting against the slot 50, and engagement of the shoulder 53 against the abutment lug 51. The relatively short couple arm represented by the spacing between the pivot pin 40 and the point of engagement of the shoulder 53 and lug 51 produces a force much in excess of the weight of the lid member and, in consequence, the friction between the engagement points causes a binding which holds the lid member 12 in its pre-selected position. The notched edge of the bell crank 60 provides additional support and also a gauge by which the spacing between the plates may be predetermined. It will be understood that when the lid member 12 is returned by clockwise motion to the horizontal position, while the pivot pin is elevated, the weight of the base is sufficient to resist any tendency of the appliance to slide.
When the lid member 12 is rotated slightly beyond the vertical position, the center of gravity of the lid is eccentric to the pivot center. The lid member 12 is held, slightly out of vertical, by couple action resulting from engagement of the tangential shoulder 54 against the abutment lug 52 and engagement of the pivot pin 40 against the bottom of the slot 50. The lid member 12 is thereby held in a stable, substantially upright position. By pulling slightly upwardly, the shoulder 54 is disengaged from the abutment lug 52 and the lid member 12 may be rotated in a continued counterclockwise direction and conveniently supported in the horizontal position by the rotated handle 15.