Appliance lid hinge assembly

摘要

An appliance lid hinge assembly has a channel housing including first and second spaced-apart side walls and a transverse face walls, a cavity located between the first and second side walls and a slot having first and second slot portions respectively located in said first and second side walls. The channel housing is pivotally connected to a cam via a rivet or other pivot fastener at a pivot point. A biasing element acts between the housing and the cam in order to control the movement of housing relative to the cam about the pivot point. Alternatively, a damper can be used to control movement of the housing relative to the cam about the pivot point. A snubber subsystem can also be added to provide further damping resistance.

主权项

1. An appliance lid hinge assembly comprising:
a housing including first and second spaced-apart side walls and a transverse face wall; a slot comprising first and second slot portions respectively located in said first and second side walls; a cam arm adapted to be connected to an associated appliance body, said cam arm comprising a lobed edge, wherein the housing is pivotally connected to said cam arm via a pivot fastener at a pivot point; and a biasing element that acts between the housing and the cam in order to control the movement of housing relative to the cam about the pivot point, said biasing element comprising:
a spring rod slidably engaged with the housing and including a roller located adjacent an inner end, said roller engaged with and riding on the lobed edge of the cam arm such that said spring rod reciprocates relative to said housing in response to contact between said roller and said lobed edge;a helical coil spring coaxially mounted about said spring arm and engaged between said housing and said spring arm and biasing said roller into contact with said lobed edge when said housing pivots relative to said cam arm for all positions of said housing when said housing pivots relative to said cam arm;wherein the roller is connected to the spring rod by a fastener having opposite ends that are captured in said first and second slot portions located in said first and second side walls.