TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention concerns hinges for doors, hatches, doors or doors of appliances and furniture and refers to a hinge device with a door coating panel translation, particularly suitable for appliances such as dishwashers, appliances in general, mobile and furniture.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

There are know hinges for rotating appliance doors, which are equipped with a fixed portion designed to be fixed to appliance structure and pivoted to a movable portion intended to be fixed to appliance door for allowing the rotation between closing and opening conditions. These known hinges can be equipped with joints, for example deformable quadrilateral, intended to raise or move away door from structure during its rotation from closed condition to end opening condition so as to avoid the interference of door or panel coating applied thereto with the underlying elements, for example basic sockets.

There are also known hinges with a sliding attachment for coating panel operated by levers for moving the panel to avoid interference with sockets or other during opening of the door.

A disadvantage of such known hinges consists in that the panel excursion is not always sufficient. Further disadvantage of such known hinges consists in that they are quite complex, expensive and bulky due to joints and guides provided to give a translational movement to the coating panel during the door rotation.

Another disadvantage consists in that pins and linear guides of said known hinges are highly stressed and subject to early wear.

Further disadvantage consists in that the rectilinear motion law of panel attacks depending on door rotating angle is not linear or regular, and in certain cases, could cause stiffeners or irregularities in door movement.

Documents WO 83/01647 Al, US 465 112 A and US 1 998 319 A disclose the features of the preamble of claim 1.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to propose a hinge device with a door coating panel translation that ensures an excursion of this panel, suitable for each assembly type.

Further object is to propose a device that allows to change the panel travel through simple modifications of some components. Another object is to propose a device allowing to change the panel excursion, by lifting or lowering this latter during opening, by simple changes.

Further object is to propose a device with minimum transverse dimensions. Another object is to propose a device that is simple, inexpensive to manufacture, wear and stress resistant.

Further object is to propose a device fit for imparting to panel a regular and proportional motion to the opening angle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristics of the invention are highlighted in the following with particular reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a partial side view of the hinge device with a door panel coating translation object of the present invention, in a closed condition, associated with a domestic appliance and to the panel coating, shown in dashed lines, and translating in the direction indicated;

Figure 2 shows the device of Figure 1 in an intermediate condition;

- Figure 3 shows the device of Figure 1 in the open condition;

Figures 4 to 6 show isometric views of the device of Figure 1.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION With reference to Figures 1-6, numeral 1 indicates hinge device for appliance and furniture door, with translation of door coating panel 3 translation, object of the present invention; when said panel translation is relative to door.

Device 1 is provided with first 4 and second 5 connection members designated to be fixed respectively to a structure or frame of appliance or furniture and to door for rotation thereof from end closing C and opening A conditions.

The appliance may be, for example, a dishwasher where the door is hinged at the bottom opening by a pair of devices 1 with coincident and horizontal rotation axes.

Door coating panel 3 can have insulation and/or aesthetic functions and device 1 pushes it away from rotation axis during door opening to avoid that the lower panel edge interferes and impacts against the underlying elements, such as socket or base. Said first 4 and second 5 connecting members are mutually pivoted by a pivot pin 6.

The pivot pin 6 is placed close to the lower end of the first connecting member 4.

Said first 4 and second 5 connection members are preferably made of metal cut and folded sheet.

Said device 1 comprises a toothed wheel means 20 made, i.e. by punching or cutting a sheet or by casting or removing from solid, in single body with the second connecting member 5. The toothed wheel means 20 is centred on rotation axis of the pivot pin 6. The toothed wheel means 20 consists, for example, in about 90° or more sector of a toothed wheel with straight teeth.

Alternatively to the realization in a single body, the invention provides that the toothed wheel means 20 is fixed to the second connecting member 5 by joint, welding, gluing, screws, rivets or similar. The device 1 also comprises a rack means 22 slidably translating along a seat means 25 of the first connecting member 4.

The rack means 22, is made by punching or cutting a sheet, by casting or removing from solid, and is forced to slide along the seat means 25 of the first connecting member 4 into a sliding direction D perpendicular to rotation axis of pivot pin 6 and parallel to the geometrical plane of panel 3 to which is fixable via a respective attachment 23, for example "L" shaped and made with folded and cut metal sheet.

The toothed wheel means 20 is cinematically interconnected to rack means 22 by a gear cascade comprising a first intermediate gear 29 and a second intermediate toothed wheel 35 freely rotatable about respective pins 30, 36 fixed to the first connection member 4 in parallel with pivot pin 6. The teeth of the intermediate toothed wheels 29, 35 of this gear cascade are complementary to teeth of rack means 22 and to a toothed wheel means 20. The intermediate toothed wheels 29, 35 are respectively engaged with the rack means 22 and toothed wheel means 20.

The toothed wheel means 20 carries a circular segment slot 38 centred on the axis of pivot pin 6 and slidably engaged by a pin 39 rigidly fixed to first connecting member 4.

The rotation of door and of first connecting member 4, with respect to second connecting member 5 between the closing C and opening A end conditions and vice versa, cause the rotation of toothed wheel means 20 around pivot pin 6, the motion transmission through the cascade of intermediate toothed wheels 29, 35 to rack means 22 and to connected panel 3 with subsequent translation of these latter 22, 3. The teeth of the toothed wheel means 20, of the intermediate toothed wheels 29, 35 and of the rack means 22 are mutually compatible.

The relationship between the teeth number of the toothed wheel determines the ratio trans lation/angle of pivot door. Substituting the intermediate toothed wheels 29, 35 of the cascade is then possible to determine the amplitude entity of panel 3 depending on the door opening angle.

At least one of the intermediate toothed wheels 29,35 can be equipped with two different teeth crowns engaged to teeth of the respective members of the kinematic chain located downstream and upstream of this intermediate wheel so as to change the transmission ratio and the law of operation motion of the panel depending on the opening angle without changing the rotation axis position.

Alternatively the invention provides that the toothed wheel means 20 is cinematically interconnected to the rack means 22 for engaging directly or through the single toothed wheel 29 engaged with both 20, 22.

The number or the absence of the intermediate toothed wheels causes the translation direction of the door during opening, upward or downward.

The seat means 25 is concave shaped with elongated longitudinal development parallel to the sliding direction D. For example, the seat means 25 can be obtained by two 90° bends of sheet metal of the first connecting member 4 in order to give a concave shape elongated with longitudinal development parallel to the sliding direction D and with cross section "U", or similar.

At least one of the two side walls of the seat means 25, preferably both, has a guide means 27 parallel to the sliding direction D and slidably engaged by a slide means 28 fixed to the rack means 22.

Preferably the slide means 28 is partially housed in a complementary hollow seat, made in the rack means 22 and in which is blocked.

Preferably the guide means 27 consists of elongated through slot formed in the respective side wall of the seat means 25 and the slide means 28, for example of metal or synthetic material, has an elongated shape and slides longitudinally into the slot without or with small transversal clearance.

The attachment 23 for the panel 3 is fixed to the rack means 22 via at least one screw, pin or arm through a through-slot having a longitudinal development parallel to the sliding direction D and formed in the first connecting member 4. Preferably said through slot, for at least one screw pin or connecting arm of attachment 23 to rack means 22, is the slot of guide means 27.

The slide means 28 has a flat projecting face, through guide means 27, from the first connecting member and is designed to abut with a corresponding face of attack 23 fixed to slide means 28 and to rack means 22 through said at least one screw, pin or arm.

The operation of the device provides, starting from the closing condition C, that the progressive rotation of the second connecting member 4 of device 1 towards the door opening condition, involves the simultaneous pivoting of the toothed wheel 20 relative to the first member 4 with a consequent rotation of wheels of cascade and translation of rack means moving away from door rotation axis. This involves a corresponding translation of the panel 3 parallelly to door 3. To keep this parallelism between door and panel these two last may also be interconnected via sliding guides parallel to sliding direction D.

In the operating assembly condition, the rotation axis of pivot 6 is horizontal and below the opening to which door is associated, in this case device 1 illustrated in figures provides for lifting the door during opening; is also provided that this axis of pivot pin can be horizontal upper or lateral to vertical mouth of appliance by providing in these cases the drop down or lateral translation of the panel during the opening of closing door of mouth. Varying the number of intermediate toothed wheels or removing them, and adopting the direct engagement of toothed wheel means with rack means, it is possible to reverse the panel translation direction obtaining, for example, its drop down during door opening whose device is with horizontal axis and below opening. It is also provided the chance to install the device associated with closing doors of horizontal mouths, such as tank appliances.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide hinge device with a door coating panel ensuring a panel movement suitable for each type of assembly.

Further advantage is to provide a device which allows to change the panel movement by simple modifications of some components.

Another advantage is to provide a device that allows to change the movement direction of the panel, by lifting or lowering it during the opening, through simple changes.

Another advantage is to provide a simple device, inexpensive to manufacture and wear and stress resistant. Further advantage is to provide a device fit for imparting to the panel a regular and proportional motion to opening angle.

Another advantage is to provide a device which allows to fix the coating panel in a simple and fast way.