Whirlpool Corporation

Vinicius Simm

Ledimara Mascarello

Paulo Henrique Alves Manara

A hinge assembly to couple a door with a cabinet, for movement between open and closed positions about a vertical axis, includes a first hinge plate coupled with the cabinet and a second hinge plate coupled with the door. The second hinge plate is moveable relative to the first hinge plate about a pivot pin that extends between the first and second hinge plates. One of the first and second hinge plates includes a step with a first surface vertically offset from a body of one of the first and second hinge plates and the other of the first and second hinge plates includes a second surface that engages the first surface when the door is in the closed position. When the door is moved into the open position, the second hinge plate travels downward relative to the first hinge plate such that the first surface becomes disengaged from the second surface.

Hinge assembly for a home appliance and method of assembling

A home appliance includes a door coupled with a cabinet of the home appliance and moveable about a vertical axis between open and closed positions. A lower hinge assembly moveably couples a lower portion of the door with the cabinet. A mounting assembly is configured to support an upper portion of the door relative to the cabinet until the upper portion of the door is coupled with the cabinet and includes a first bracket supporting a pivot pin and a second bracket including a slot configured to receive the pivot pin therein. When the lower portion of the door is coupled to the cabinet by the lower hinge assembly and the pivot pin is received within the slot, the mounting assembly is configured to maintain the upper portion of the door in vertical alignment with the lower portion along the vertical axis.

Mounting assembly for a door of a home appliance and method of use

A hinge assembly for moveably coupling a door with a cabinet of a home appliance includes a first hinge plate coupled with the cabinet and a second hinge plate coupled with the door and moveable relative to the first hinge plate about a pivot pin. One of the first hinge plate and the second hinge plate includes a step vertically offset from a body of the hinge plate. When the door is moved into the open position, the second hinge plate travels downward relative to the first hinge plate due to the step. The step is configured to inhibit movement of the door to the closed position until a vertical force is applied to lift the second hinge plate relative to the first hinge plate into a closed position.

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Joinville, Brazil

Vinicius Simm