Hinge device for storage container

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2001-39946 filed on Jul. 5, 2001, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a hinge device for a storage container, and, more particularly, to a hinge device for a storage container having a container body with a receptacle chamber and a top opening, and a cover closing the top opening of the receptacle chamber.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0006] In general, as a top opening-type storage container, a typical Kimchi storage container has a container body and a top cover attached to the container body to swingably open and close the container body. As shown in FIG. 1, the above-mentioned Kimchi storage container includes a container body 1, a receptacle chamber 2 formed therein, a top opening, a cover 3 closing the top opening of the receptacle chamber 2, and a hinge device 4 swingably coupling the cover 3 to the container body 1 and mounted on a rear upper portion of a side wall of the container body 1.

[0007] In the above top opening-type storage container, the hinge device 4 has a hinge case 4aattached to the rear upper portion of the side wall of the container body 1, and a hinge shaft 4bdisposed in the hinge case 4ato swingably couple the cover 3 to the container body 1. Furthermore, the hinge case 4ais provided therein with an extendable rod 4ccausing the cover 3 to be swung to an opened position or a closed position when the cover 3 is opened and closed, a coil spring 4dbiasing the extendable rod 4c, and a guide groove 4eguiding the extending and swing motion of the extendable rod 4c. With the hinge device 4, the cover 3 is easily opened and closed because the cover 3 is biased to the opened position when being opened while the cover is also biased to the closed position when being closed.

[0008] However, the conventional hinge device for a storage container is complicated in configuration and somewhat bulky and is difficult to be mounted on the storage container during a production process thereof. In addition, the conventional hinge device has disadvantages in that the appearance is not neat and in that it is cumbersome in handling the storage container because the hinge device 4 is outwardly projected from the container body 1 to allow the extending and swing motion of the extendable rod 4c.

[0009] Accordingly, the present invention has been made to overcome the above and other problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hinge device for a storage container which is not projected from a container body due to size minimization, thereby providing a neat appearance to the container and also comfort of use to a user due to a reduction of a space occupied by the container.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide a hinge device for a storage container, which is minimized in size and simplified to facilitate a production and attachment process of the hinge device and the storage container.

[0011] Additional objects and advantageous of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learded by practice of the invention.

[0012] In order to achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a hinge device rotatably coupling a cover to a container body in a storage container. The hinge device includes a housing having a cavity and attached to one of the cover and the container body, a hinge shaft having a cam part and an insert part extended from the cam part, the cam part rotatably disposed within the cavity of the housing and having a major axis and a minor axis in a cross-section, the insert part projected from the housing and connected to the other one of the cover and the container body, and a pair of leaf springs disposed in the housing to press corresponding opposite outer surfaces of the cam part.

[0013] The cam part may be provided with a pair of rounded corners and a pair of angular corners such that the pair of rounded corners are disposed at diagonally opposite corners and that the pair of angular corners are disposed at diagonally opposite the other corners. Each of the rounded corners is disposed between the angular corners, each of the angular corners is disposed between the rounded corners. Flat surfaces are provided between an adjacent rounded corner and angular corner.

[0014] The pair of leaf springs may be in contact with the corresponding opposite outer surfaces of the cam part while being maintained to be parallel to each other, and supported at opposite ends by support grooves formed at an inner surface of the housing.

[0015] Each of the flat surfaces of the cam part may be maintained to be inclined at a certain angle with respect to a tangential line of the leaf spring when the cover is completely opened or closed such that the leaf springs cause the hinge shaft to further rotate in an opening direction or in a closing direction.

[0016] An elastic buffer member may be disposed between the pair of leaf springs to absorb shock generated when the cover is opened and closed.

[0017] The cam part of the hinge shaft may be provided with a limit protrusion, and the housing may be provided at an inner surface with a limit step so that an opening motion of the cover is limited by engagement of the limit protrusion with the limit step.

[0018] The housing includes a housing body, a side wall formed at one side of the housing body and having a first hole through which the insert part of the hinge shaft passes, an open side formed at another side of the housing body opposite to the side wall and having an opening, and a housing cover adapted to close the opening of the open side of the housing body and having a second hole in which an end of the cam part of the hinge shaft is rotatably inserted, the cam part being supported by the housing cover.

[0019] The cam part may be formed with one or more grooves containing lubricant reducing frictional force between the leaf springs and the cam part.

[0020] These and other objects and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional Kimchi storage container as a storage container having a cover and a container body;

[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a Kimchi storage container having a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing opening and closing operations of a cover and the hinge device of FIG. 2;

[0024] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the hinge device of FIG. 3;

[0025] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the hinge device of FIG. 3 when the corner is in a closed position;

[0026] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hinge device when the cover is between the closed position and an opened position;

[0027] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hinge device when the cover is in the opened position.

[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

[0029] This invention will be described in further detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the present invention will be described as being applied to a top opening-type Kimchi storage container in which kimchi ferments and is preserved.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a Kimchi storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 10 made of a heat insulating material and having at least one receptacle chamber 11 with a top opening, and at least one cover 20 coupled to an upper end of the container body 10 to cover the top opening of the receptacle chamber 11 of the container body 10. The receptacle chamber 11 of the container body 10 is divided into left and right compartments by a partition plate 12. An evaporator 13 is provided in the walls of the container body 10 and includes a refrigeration pipe cooling the receptacle chamber 11 and a heater 14 heating the receptacle chamber 11 to ferment Kimchi. Furthermore, the container body 10 is provided at a lower machine room with a compressor 15 coupled to the evaporator 13. The compressor 15 and the heater 14 are coupled to an external power source.

[0031] Two covers 20 are provided to open and close the respective compartments of the receptacle chamber 11. Each cover 20 is swingably coupled to a rear portion to the container body 10 via at least one hinge device 30.

[0032] The hinge devices 30 function to swingably couple the covers 20 to the container body 10. Also, the hinge devices 30 cause the covers 20 to be swung to an opened position in a direction of an arrow “A” when a user opens the covers 20. The hinge devices 30 also cause the covers 20 to be swung to a closed position in a direction of an arrow “B” when the user closes the covers 20. As a result, the covers 20 are easily opened and closed although the covers 20 have a considerable weight due to the heat insulating material contained in the covers 20. In addition to the above-mentioned functions, the hinge devices 30 are relatively small in size so as not to be projected from the container body 10, thereby providing a neat appearance to the storage container.

[0033] To assemble each hinge device 30 into the storage container, the container body 10 is provided at an upper rear end with a plurality of hinge supports 17 which upwardly protrude and have a semicircular cross-section, and each cover 20 is provided at a rear end with a connector 21 adapted to be snugly fitted between two adjacent hinge supports 17, as shown in FIG. 2. Each end of the hinge supports 17 includes a fitting hole 17ato receive and fit the corresponding hinge device 30 therein. A hinge shaft 33 protrudes from the hinge device 30 and is rotatably inserted into a connecting hole 23 of the connector 21 of the cover 20. Although this embodiment of the present invention describes the hinge supports 17 formed on the container body 10 and the connector 21 formed on the cover 20, the hinge supports 17 may be provided at the cover 20, and the connector 21 may be provided at the container body 10.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, each hinge device 30 includes a housing body 31 having the same semicircular shape as the fitting hole 17aof the hinge support 17 in a cross-section such that the housing body 31 does not rotate within the fitting hole 17aof the hinge support 17. The hinge device 30 includes an open side 31dformed at a side of the housing 31, a side wall 31eformed at another side of the housing body 31 opposite to the open side 31d, a housing cover 32 attached to the open side of the housing body 31, a pair of leaf springs 36 elastically pressing the cam part 34 of the hinge shaft 33, and a pair of buffer members 37 disposed around the cam part 34 and between the leaf springs 36 to absorb shock generated when the cover 20 is opened and closed.

[0035] The cam part 34 is rotatably supported by the housing body 31 and the house cover 32, and the insert part 35 is extended from the cam part 34 and protrudes from the side wall 31eof the housing body 31 through a first through hole 31aformed on the side wall and then inserted into a connecting hole 23 of the connector 21. The first through hole 31ahas a diameter equal to that of the insert part 35 such that the insert part 35 of the hinge shaft 33 is rotatably supported therein and passes therethrough. The insert part 35 is provided with first flat portions 35acorresponding to second flat portions 23aof the connecting hole 23 so that the insert part 35 is fixedly coupled to the connector 21.

[0036] The housing cover 32 is provided with a second through hole 32asuch that a circular end 34fof the cam part 34 of the hinge shaft 33 is rotatably supported therein. The housing cover 32 is provided at a peripheral region with a plurality of screw holes 32bso that the housing cover 32 is attached to the open side 31dof the housing body 31 using fastening screws 38. With this configuration of the hinge device 30, when the housing cover 32 is attached to the housing body 31, the hinge shaft 33 can be rotatably supported by the side wall 31eof the housing body 31 and the housing cover 32 when the insert part 35 and the circular end 34fof the cam part are inserted into the first through hole 31aof the housing body 31 and the second through hole 32aof the housing cover 32, respectively.

[0037] A flange 33ais formed between the insert part 35 and the cam part 34, and a limit protrusion 33bis formed on the flange 33a. Round corners 34a, angular corners 34b, flat surfaces 34c, 34d, and at least one lubricant groove 3eis formed around the cam part 34. A limit step 31bis formed in the housing body 31 corresponding to the limit protrusion 33b. Supporting grooves 31care formed in the housing body 31 to receive both ends of each leaf spring 36.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 5 through 7, the cam part 34 is shaped to have an approximately rectangular cross-section having an axial axis, a major axis and a minor axis. The cam part 34 rotates about the axial axis, and the major and minor axes are perpendicular to the axial axis. Also, the cam part 34 is provided with a pair of the rounded corners 34adisposed at two corners diagonally symmetrical to each other around the cam part 34 and a pair of the angular corners 34bdisposed at the other two corners around the cam part 34. The rounded corners 34aof the cam part 34 allow the cam part 34 to smoothly rotate between the leaf springs 36 when the leaf springs 36 are in close contact with the cam part 34.

[0039] Furthermore, the cam part 34 has the flat surfaces 34cand 34dbetween the adjacent rounded corner 34aand angular corner 34bsuch that the cam part 34 is prevented from being rotated when the leaf springs 36 come into contact with the flat faces 34c, 34d. The flat surfaces 34c, 34dincludes large flat surfaces 34ccorresponding to the major axis and small flat surfaces 34dcorresponding to the minor axis. As shown in FIG. 4, the cam part 34 is formed with a plurality of the lubricant grooves 34econtaining typical lubricant therein so that the cam part 34 smoothly rotates by virtue of a reduction of frictional force between the leaf springs 36 and the cam part 34. The lubricant grooves 34eare formed on a circumferential surface of the rounded corner 34ain a rotational direction of the cam part 34 for the sake of smooth rotation of the cam part 34.

[0040] The insert part 35 of the hinge shaft 33 is integrally formed with the cam part 34 by injection molding. The insert part 35 is formed at opposite sides with a pair of the first flat portions 35acorresponding to the second flat portion 23aof the connecting hole 23, and the connecting hole 23 of the connector 21 of the cover 20 has a shape corresponding to a cross section of the insert part 35. With the insert part 35 and the connecting hole 23, the hinge shaft 33 can rotate together with the cover 20 when the cover 20 is opened and closed.

[0041] The hinge shaft 33 is provided at a boundary between the insert part 35 and the cam part 34 with the flange 33alarger than the cam part 34 in diameter so that the hinge shaft 33 can be stably and smoothly supported within the housing body 31. The flange 33ahas the limit protrusion 33bto limit the opening of the cover 20 to a predetermined position. The housing body 31 is provided at an inner surface with the limit step 31bso that the cover 20 is stopped at the position where the limit protrusion 33bof the flange 33acomes into contact with the limit step 31bof the housing body 31.

[0042] The pair of leaf springs 36 are each made of a steel plate and elastically press opposite outer surfaces of the cam part 34, such as the rounded corner 34aor the flat surfaces 34c, 34d. The pair of leaf springs 36 are disposed to be parallel to each other such that the cam part 34 is prevented from being unbalanced by the pressing force of the leaf springs 36 during rotation of the cam part 34. The leaf springs 36 are supported at the opposite ends in the supporting grooves 31cformed at opposite inner surfaces of the housing body 31. As mentioned above, the cam part 34 is shaped into the rectangular form having the major axis and the minor axis in cross-section and provided with the rounded corners 34aand the flat faces 34cand 34d. Since the outer surfaces of the cam part 34 are subjected to the pressing force of the leaf springs 36, the hinge device 30 causes the cover 20 to be more easily opened in the direction of the arrow “A” when the user opens the cover 20, and the hinge device 30 also causes the cover 20 to be more easily closed in the direction of the arrow “B” when the user closes the cover 20, thereby achieving easy opening and closing operations of the cover 20.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 through 7, the flat surfaces 34cand 34dof the cam part 34 are adapted to be positioned to have an angle “θ₁” or “θ₂” with respect to tangential lines “C” from points where the leaf springs 36 are in contact with the cam part 34 when the cover 20 is completely closed or opened. Since the cover 20 rotates in the closing direction or the opening direction until the cover 20 is completely opened or closed, the cover 20 is prevented from being shaken. A more detailed description of the hinge device 30 for preventing shaking of the cover 20 will be described in a later part of this description.

[0044] As mentioned above, since the leaf springs 36 of the hinge device 30 are adapted to press the outer surfaces of the cam part 34, even if the hinge shaft 33 receives high torque due to the considerable heavy weight of the cover 20 made of the heat insulating material, the cover 20 can be easily opened and closed. To provide stable support of the opposite ends of the leaf springs 36, the housing body is relatively thick at a wall formed with the supporting grooves 31cto increase rigidity.

[0045] The buffer members 37 are made of an elastic material, such as urethane, a rubber material, and a sponge, and disposed between the leaf springs 36 and on both sides of the cam part 34. The buffer members 37 reduce shock and vibration exerted on the hinge shaft 33 and the leaf springs 36 during rotation of the hinge shaft 33 in response to opening and closing operations of the cover 20, thereby providing smooth opening and closing operations of the cover 20. The buffer members 37 are shaped to have a length equal to that of the cam part 37. The buffer members 37 are in contact with both leaf springs 36 and both sides of the cam part 34 when the cover 20 is completely opened.

[0046] The opening and closing operations of the hinge device 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail hereinafter.

[0047] When the cover 20 is closed as shown in FIG. 5, the major axis of the cam part 34 of the hinge shaft 33 is upright, and the cam part 34 is pressed at the small flat surfaces 34dby the leaf springs 36. At this point, since the small flat surfaces 34dof the cam part 34 being in contact with the leaf springs 36 are positioned to have an angle “θ₁” with the respective tangential lines “C” of the leaf springs 36, the hinge shaft 33 tends to further rotate in the direction of the arrow “B”, i.e., in the closing direction.

[0048] When the hinge shaft 33 is opened by a certain degree by the user as shown in FIG. 6, the cam part 34 is pressed at the rounded corners 34aby the leaf springs 36. At this point, since the points where the leaf springs 36 are in contact with the cam part 34 are deviated from a plane containing the major axis of the hinge shaft 33, the hinge shaft 33 is caused to rotate in the opening direction of the arrow “A”. Accordingly, the cover 20 is automatically opened by the rotation of the hinge shaft 33 due to the leaf springs 36, even though the user does not have to completely lift the cover 20 to an open position.

[0049] When the cover 20 is completely opened as shown in FIG. 7, the cam part 34 of the hinge shaft 33 rotates so that the major axis is parallel to the leaf springs 36 and so that the leaf springs 36 come into contact with a portion of the large flat surfaces 34cof the cam part 34. At this point, since the limit protrusion 33bof the hinge shaft 33 is engaged with the limit step 31bof the housing body 31, the cover 20 is prevented from rotating more than the open position.

[0050] Since the large flat surfaces 34cof the cam part 33 being in contact at the portion with the leaf springs 36 are maintained to be inclined at a certain angle of “θ₁” from the tangential lines “C” of the leaf springs 36 when the cover 20 is completely opened, the hinge shaft 33 has a tendency to further rotate in the opening direction of the arrow “A”. Therefore, the hinge shaft 33 tends to further rotate in the opening direction until the limit protrusion 33bis engaged with the limit step 31bof the housing body 31. As a result, the cover 20 is prevented from being shaken when the cover 20 is completely opened at the open position. In addition, since shock and vibration transmitted to the cam part 34 of the hinge shaft 33 and the leaf springs 36 and generated when the cover 20 is opened are reduced by the buffer members 37, a silent and smooth opening operation of the cover 20 can be achieved.

[0051] As described above, the present invention provides a hinge device for a storage container which enables a cover to be coupled to a container body, and which is minimized in size so as not to project from the container body, thereby achieving a neat appearance at the container and reduction of space occupied by the container.

[0052] Furthermore, since the hinge device is minimized in size and simplified in construction as compared with a conventional hinge device, production and installation of the hinge device can be easily performed.

[0053] Additionally, since a hinge shaft is caused to be rotated by a compressing action of a cam part of the hinge shaft by leaf springs, thereby serving to open and close a cover, easy opening and closing of the cover can be achieved.

[0054] Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.