Hinged lid actuator and prop

Jan. 13, 1953

C. HOLLERITH

2,625,293

HINGED LID ACTUATOR AND PROP

Filed Feb. 17, 1949

SHEETS—SHEET 1

<img file="US2625293A_D0001.tif" />

Jan. 13, 1953

Filed Feb. 17, 1949

C. HOLLERITH 2,625,293

HINGED LID ACTUATOR AND PROP 2 SHEETS—SHEET 2

<img file="US2625293A_D0002.tif" />

Patented Jan. 13, 1953

2,625,293

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,625,293

HINGED LID ACTUATOR AND PROP

Charles Hollerith, Jackson, Mich., assignor to Lake State Products, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Michigan

Application February

Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for controlling the swinging movements of hinged lids, covers, doors and the like in such manner that the swingable hinged member is automatically held arrested in any of a pre-selected number of different angular positions in the swinging operation but can be readily moved past a said angularly arrested position upon the exertion of an additional opening or closing effort.

Although the invention is applicable to the controlling of the swinging movements of hinged members generally, such as lids, covers and doors, it i_s applicable with especial advantage to the controlling of the opening and closing swinging motion of the vat lid or cover of a domestic dishwasher.

It is an object of the invention to provide an actuator and prop mechanism which is capable of being operatively associated with a hinged closure member in such maimer and arrangement as not only constrains the closure member to move into a partly open position but also automatically maintains the closure member in a preselected angular position in the opening or closing movement of closure member.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an actuator and prop mechanism for operative association with the hinged vat closure member of a dishwasher such that the prop, with an associated cam surface, functions to constrain the closure member to move into a vat venting position as well as automatically to arrest the closure member in the fully open position, while permitting the closure member to be immediately opened and closed merely by applying a sufficient opening or closing effort to move the prop past a prop arresting position on said cam surface, and this without need for actuation of any extraneous or additional mechanism.

The above and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear clear from a consideration of the following description and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a front view of one form of the invention shown applied to the lid closure of a domestic dishwasher, the surrounding lid and vat structure being shown broken away for ease of illustration and the lid actuator and prop being shown in position, relatively to its associated cam surface abutment, corresponding to the fully closed condition of the lid closure,

Fig. II is a side elevational view of Fig. I and showing the lid closure and prop in dotted positions corresponding to the vat venting and fully open conditions of the lid closure, and

17,1949, Serial No. 77,020 (Cl. 220—35)

Fig. Ill is a detail plan view of the line A—A of Fig. II but with the cam follower on the prop in position corresponding to the full open condition of the lid closure.

⁸ Referring to the drawings 10 indicates the vat of a domestic dishwasher and 12 a top closure lid therefor hinged at 14 to a fixed frame structure 16 and having a front latching plunger 18 and latch 19 for holding the lid closed substan¹⁰ tially as disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 638,273 in the names of Meadowcraft et al. and filed December 29,1945.

Secured upon the inside of the lid closure 12, as by screws 20, and adjacent the elongated hinge ¹⁰ 14 there is an elongated angle plate 22 having a central boss 24 and a laterally spaced boss 26 on each side thereof, which bosses serves for the mounting of a rod 28 upon which there is mounted the coil portion 30 of a pair of springs each of ^ζυ which has a short end extension 32, which is tensioned into firm contact with the top wall 34 of the angle plate 22, and a long end extension or leg 36 disposed to depend into the vat and tensioned towards a cam surfaced abutment plate ²⁸ fixed upon the inside of the vat and indicated generally at 38. The coil springs 30 provide, therefore a pair of similar and laterally spaced tensioned legs 36, which constitute a prop for holding the lid closure 12 open as well as for ac30 tuating the latter to the venting position when the latched connection at 18—19 is released and as will be described later.

At its lower end, the prop, as constituted by the tensioned spring legs 36, carries a cam fol35 lower roller mounted upon a cross pin 40 and providing a central roller portion 42 and two outside cam follower portions 44.

The abutment plate 38 is of channel shape, as seen clearly in Fig. Ill, and presents similar cam 40 surfaces on the front edge of each forwardly extending side flange 46 thereof. The said roller cam followers 44 are normally tensioned into engagement with these cam surfaces whereas the central roller portion 42 is guided for movement 45 between the said flanges 46.

The cam surfaced abutment plate 38, which is shown secured in position upon the rear wall of the vat 10 by screw studs 48 and in a manner which will be described in detail later, has its cam 50 edge surfaces formed as shown clearly in Fig. II to provide a series of vertically extending elevations and depressions consisting of a top steep elevation 50 followed by a depression 52, a shallower elevation 54 followed by a deep elevation 55 56 and a bottom depression 58 followed by a deep bottom elevation 60. The cammed abutment

3,625,293 plate 38 is also shown provided with a bottom recess 62, which serves to support the upper tray element 64 normally present in a domestic dishwasher, the tray being supported on the opposite side by a stud structure 66.

The construction and arrangement of the spring prop and cam surfaced abutment plate is such that when the lid 12 is held closed by the latch mechanism 18—19, as shown in full lines in Fig. II, the cam followers 42 are located against the ] bottom elevations 60 of their respective flanges 46 of the abutment plate and the spring arms 36, constituting the prop, are thus tensioned in opposition to the restraining influence of the latch mechanism with the result that when this mecha- : nism is automatically released at the end of a rinsing cycle the prop arms 36 spring automatically into position where the cam followers are engaged in their respective cam depressions 58 and the lid 12 is held partly open, as shown in : dotted lines in Fig; H. To open the lid 12 further, it is merely necessary to exert a further lifting effort on the lid to force the cam followers over the second- elevations 56-. This is accompanied by a further stressing of the; spring arms 35, which is released-in-constraining the cam followers tn engage the shallower elevations 54, which correspond to a further partly opened condition of the lid at an increased-angle of, for instance, 45°. Further opening movement brings the cam followers into position where they snap into the top depressions 52-and in this position the prop holds the lid- in the fully open position, also shown in dotted lines· in Fig, II.

To-close-the lid it/is merely necessary to exert sufficient closing effort thereon as to-constrain the cam- followers to· traverse their respective cam surfaces in the reverse direction, as will be understood.

To-provide-for ease of assembly and adjustment and the maintaining of an effective seal between the:abutment:plate-38 and the rear vat wall it is proposed to employ a: unitary screw stud affixing block; indicated, generally' at 70,. and convenientlyo-f star shape as~ seen. in. Fig. I. This block 70:and also the abutment plate 33 are capable-of being.fixed.in position upon the. rear vat wall. 68 by screw, studs inserted from the inside of. the vat wall 68; For. this purpose each arm of the star shape block has a rearwardly projecting thickened portion 72 provided with. a screw threaded bore. 74, while a similar thickened portion 76 with a screw threaded bore 78 is provided, at. the. central block. portion. Noting that the base 80 of the abutment plate has a central elongated opening 82 and. an elongated, opening 84 vertically spaced.on each side, of the latter and that a. sheet 8S of packing material is inserted between the block 70 and the vat wall 58, it.will.be appreciated that the block can. be secured upon the said wall by the central.screw stud 88-and that the.abutment plate 38 can also be secured, upon this wall by the screw studs 30, the head of the stud 88 passing through- the central elongated opening. 82 for tightening contact with the wall 68,and the heads of the studs S3 being tightened against the base 89 of the. abutment plate: 38 and the packing, sheet 8S being, apertured for the passage of the screw, studs. To adjust the .abutment plate vertically and thereby correctly, position its cam. surfaces with respect, to: the cam followers it is merely necessary to slacken the screw studs 90, whereas by slackening the central stud 88

ΙΌ :θ '25 abutment plate 38 can be vertically adjusted within the limits of the aforesaid slots.

A channel shape cover plate structure 92 for enclosing the spring prop and associated cam abutment plate is conveniently held in position by further screw studs 94 engaged in the block 78 and having their heads located against elongated openings 9S in base flanges 98 of the cover plate structure.