CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to United States Patent

Application Serial No. 13/754,962, filed on January 31 , 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

[0002] The present invention relates generally to an appliance apparatus and more particularly to a clothing appliance apparatus including a bonded polymeric bracket or support.

[0003] It is known to have an appliance, such as a washing machine or dryer, which has a glass door or lid. Such doors typically include polymeric frames or bezels that are mechanically connected by way of screws in order to sandwich external and backside surfaces of the glass lid adjacent its periphery.

Often such frames include handles, striker latches and metallic hinge brackets which are separately screwed on to the polymeric frame. One such example can be found within U.S. Patent No. 8,297,085 entitled "Washing Machine" which issued to Kim et al. on October 30, 2012, and is incorporated by reference herein.

[0004] It is also known to adhesively bond a stamped metal bracket onto a glass appliance lid. The stringent bleach vapor and corrosion resistance requirements for appliances, however, require expensive and relatively heavy e- coating of the metal brackets. This device is shown in U.S. Patent No. 8,276,409 entitled "Glass Appliance Cover with Bonded Hardware" which issued to Tooker on October 2, 2012, which is incorporated by reference herein.

[0005] In accordance with the present invention, an appliance apparatus includes an adhesively bonded bracket or support. In another aspect, a clothing apparatus includes a moveable transparent panel, such as a glass door or lid, which has a polymeric support or bracket adhesively bonded thereto. A further aspect provides polyurethane adhesive pellets bonding a polymeric hinge bracket to only a backside of a glass appliance panel. A method of manufacturing an appliance apparatus is also disclosed.

[0006] The appliance apparatus of the present invention is advantageous over traditional constructions. For example, the polymeric support or bracket of the present apparatus is bleach and corrosion resistant without requiring expensive and heavy coatings. Furthermore, the present apparatus is advantageously injection molded from an engineering grade polymer to have a stiff and rigid shape with offset angled walls and spaced apart ribs extending therebetween, with optional holes extending therethrough created in the same process as the flange and wall. Moreover, the heat activated adhesive pellets used to bond the present bracket to the transparent panel do not exhibit the typical messy application and end of cycle purging otherwise required with pumped bead adhesives and the like. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an appliance of the present invention;

[0008] Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view showing the present appliance with its door in an open position;

[0009] Figure 3 is a top elevational view showing the present appliance with the door in a closed position;

[0010] Figure 4 is an exploded, top perspective view showing a hinge bracket of the present appliance;

[0011] Figure 5 is an exploded, bottom perspective view showing the hinge bracket of the present appliance;

[0012] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 6-6 of Figure 3, showing the hinge bracket attached to the door of the present appliance; and

[0013] Figures 7A-7C are a series of diagrammatic side views showing processing steps for the hinge bracket and door of the present appliance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] An appliance 1 1 is preferably a clothing washing machine or a clothing dryer. Such a washing machine appliance 1 1 is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Washing machine appliance 1 1 is either a top loading model with a lid or door 13 which is moveable from a generally horizontal closed position (as shown in Figure 1 ) to a generally vertical or beyond vertical open position (as shown in Figure 2). For the top loading model, door 13 is pivotable about a generally horizontal hinge axis defined by a pair of aligned metal hinges 15. For the front loading model, a lid or door 17 is moveable from a closed position to an open position about a generally vertical hinge axis. For either version, door 13 or 17 allows access to a rotating clothing basket 19 behind a backside surface of the door.

[0015] Door 13 includes a predominantly transparent glass panel 23 and may optionally include a black or opaque frit band adjacent a periphery thereof on a backside surface 21 , to hide the various components attached thereto when door 13 is closed. Additionally, a handle 25 is fastened to an exterior surface 27 of glass panel 23.

[0016] Referring to Figures 4-6, a polymeric hinge bracket or support 31 is bonded to only backside surface 21 of glass panel 23, or the frit attached thereto, through pre-formed and discrete polyurethane pellets 33. Hinge bracket 31 includes a pair of outwardly extending flanges or wings 35, angularly offset and almost perpendicular main walls 37, a spanning bottom wall 39 and at least three tapered ribs 41 spanning between at least flange 35 and the adjacent main wall 37. Walls 37 and 39 define a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The outermost ribs additionally extend across and project from bottom wall 39, and transition into an overhanging peripheral reinforcement structure 43. Ribs 41 and structure 43 stiffen hinge bracket 31 to deter torsional flexure. At least one hole 51 is disposed in each main wall 37 for receiving a threaded bolt fastener 53, upon which a nut 55 is engaged for securing to hinge 15 which is inserted within the trough-like space defined by an inside surface of main walls 37 and bottom wall 39. There are also at least two holes 57 in bottom surface 39 for receiving threaded fasteners 59 which also engage hinge 15. Alternatively, fasteners 53 and 59 may be a rivet, cotter pin, or the like.

[0017] Raised pads 61 are formed in upper surfaces of flanges 35 for receiving adhesive pellets 33. Pads 61 are preferably elongated and somewhat oval shape, but may alternately be circular, rectangular or have other shapes depending upon the size of the adhesive pellets, the adhesive glass panel-to- flange gap desired, and the particular application to be employed. Hinge bracket 31 is preferably injection molded from an engineering grade polymer, such as a 30% glass filled nylon or PBT polymeric resin. The walls, flanges, ribs and holes are all integrally molded as a single polymeric part. The use of a polymeric material is highly advantageous since it is resistant to bleach, detergent and water vapor during use in the clothing appliance, without requiring an additional expensive and relatively heavy coating such as e-coating, galvanization or paint as would otherwise be required for a metallic hinge bracket. It is believed that the present polymeric hinge bracket 31 will exceed standard industry laboratory test procedures for bleach vapor resistance and also the required force loading along direction F as shown in Figure 2.

[0018] Adhesive pellets 33 are of a polyurethane composition which is pre-formed into discrete, disc-shaped pellets having a circular side shape bounded by generally flat ends. The present adhesive pellets 33 advantageously do not require messy and cumbersome application by a pump and dispersing gun as a continuous bead. The composition of adhesive pellets 33 is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0083578 entitled "System And Method for Manufacturing Heat-Activatable Adhesive Pellets" which published to Bremont et al. on April 5, 2012, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 201 1/0288242 entitled "Adheisve Polyurethane Powder Capable of being Activated By Heat" which issued to Bremont et al. on November 24, 201 1 , both of which are commonly owned with the present application and are incorporated by reference herein. Alternately, the adhesive pellets may have tapered ends, be 2-3 mm diameter spheres, or have other shapes.

[0019] The installation process can be observed in Figures 7A-7C. First, adhesive pellets 33 are included as separate and discrete parts, made off- site, prior to installation on the hinge bracket or glass. Secondly, hinge bracket 31 is injection molded in an injection molding machine entirely from polymeric resin. Third, the flat ends of adhesive pellets 33 are manually placed upon and preliminarily stuck to the pads on flanges 35 of each polymeric hinge bracket 31 .

[0020] Fourth, glass panel 23 is then placed adjacent to the opposite flat ends of adhesive pellets 33 from those ends attached to hinge bracket 31 . In practice, glass panel 23 may be above hinge bracket 31 , as is illustrated, or hinge bracket 31 may be inverted such that glass panel 23 is below it, depending upon the specific installation fixtures employed and order of installation desired.

[0021] Fifth, Figure 7B next shows heaters 71 heating glass panel 23 and hinge bracket 31 which cause adhesive pellets 33 to surpass their heat activation temperature of at least 100°C, and more preferably between 150- 160°C. Hot plate heating is preferred, but alternately, an oven 73, heat lamp, infrared or other heaters may be employed. Subsequently and sixth, at least one die or fixture 75 is moved toward another in order to compress adhesive 33 between glass panel 23 and hinge bracket 31 to create a secure bond therebetween. Finally, after at least initial adhesive curing and crosslinking, the dies or fixtures are opened and the attached parts are removed for later assembly to the hinges and appliance.

[0022] While various embodiments of the present appliance apparatus and bonded bracket have been disclosed, it should be appreciated that other variations are possible. For example, the bracket or support may be a polymeric striker 81 including an adhesively bonded flange 83 with a polymeric U-shaped loop 85 extending therefrom for receiving a latch (see Figures 2 and 3). It is also envisioned that the hinge itself may have a variety of shapes and components, although certain advantages may not be realized. Additional processing steps can additionally be employed beyond those disclosed. Moreover, a pumpable adhesive bead can be used in place of the discrete adhesive pellets, however, many advantages will not be achieved. Furthermore, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims, that various changes, modifications and variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in the following claims.