Removable oven door hinge system

Claim 2

A vertical door frame forming a door opening, a door adapted to be hinged to the door frame and movable between a horizontal open position and a vertical closed position, a pair of hinge mechanisms mounted on the door frame, the said door being removably mounted upon the hinge mechanisms, each hinge mechanism comprising a support bracket, a door guide pivotally supported from the support bracket, a hinge lever pivotally connected to the door guide, and slot means in the door frame through which the support bracket and hinge lever extend, a door guide sleeve mounted in the door for receiving the said door guide, and slot means in the door for reception of the door guide and hinge lever, the said support bracket including a roller assembly above the bracket for cooperating with the said hinge lever, and counterbalance spring means fixed at one end and connected at the other end to the hinge lever; the invention comprising antiwobble resilient means between the door guide and door guide sleeve at both the top and bottom thereof to cause a tight fit between these two members and retard wobble action of the door on the hinge mechanisms in the front to back direction of pivotal movement of the door the said anti-wobble resilient means comprises an inwardly directed spring tab on the door guide sleeve adjacent the top thereof and a vertically offset outwardly directed spring tab on the door guide adjacent the bottom thereof so that the anti-wobble means serves to take up the clearance between the two members.

Claim 3

An appliance comprising an outer cabinet with a front-opening access door, a front frame forming a door opening, and hinge means connecting the door to the cabinet so the door may move between a vertical closed position and a horizontal open position, the hinge means comprising a pair of hinge mechanisms, the door being removably mounted upon the hinge mechanisms, each hinge mechanism comprising a support bracket, a door guide pivotally supported from the support bracket, a hinge lever pivotally connected to the door guide and a door counterbalance spring fixed at one end within the cabinet and joined at its other end to the hinge lever, a door guide sleeve mounted within the door for receiving the said door guide, the said support bracket including a roller assembly having a roller on which the lower edge of the hinge lever is adapted to slide, said lower edge having a first intermediate detent position, and a second door-closed detent position, and a slam-prevention stop adjacent the pivotal connection of the hinge lever to the door guide that is adapted to engage the front side of the said roller in the event the door has been removed from the pair of hinge mechanisms and the hinge lever begins to slide out of control over the said roller so that the door guide may not strike the front frame, the top portion of the roller assembly having a hinged connection to the door frame, while the bottom portion of the support bracket is provided with an adjustable fastener and slot arrangement for allowing the adjustment of the position of the door relative to the door frame, the said hinge connection at the top portion of the roller assembly comprising a front-applied fastener and resilient washer combination in the front frame of the appliance cabinet and an apertured rounded pad on the roller assembly for receiving the fastener to allow for limited relative movement of the roller assembly in the plane of the roller assembly.

Claim 4

An appliance comprising an outer cabinet with a front-opening access door, a front frame forming a door opening, and hinge means connecting the door to the cabinet so the door may move between a vertical closed position and a horizontal open position, the hinge means comprising a pair of hinge mechanisms, the door being removably mounted upon the hinge mechanisms, each hinge mechanism comprising a support bracket, a door guide pivotally supported from the support bracket, a hinge lever pivotally connected to the door guide and a door counterbalance spring fixed at one end within the cabinet and joined at its other end to the hinge lever, a door guide sleeve mounted within the door for receiving the said door guide, the said support bracket including a roller assembly having a roller on which the lower edge of the hinge lever is adapted to slide, said lower edge having a first intermediate detent position, and a second door-closed detent position, and a slam-prevention stop adjacent the pivotal connection of the hinge lever to the door guide that is adapted to engage the front side of the said roller in the event the door has been removed from the pair of hinge mechanisms and the hinge lever begins to slide out of control over the said roller so that the door guide may not strike the front frame, the top portion of the roller assembly having a hinged connection to the door frame, while the bottom portion of the support bracket is provided with an adjustable fastener and slot arrangement for allowing the adjustment of the position of the door relative to the door frame, the said hinge connection at the top portion of the roller assembly comprising a front-applied fastener and resilient washer combination in the front frame of the appliance cabinet and an apertured rounded pad on the roller assembly for receiving the fastener to allow for limited relative movement of the roller assembly in the plane of the roller assembly.