Locator rail for appliance door hinge

Abstract

An appliance including a case body defining a plurality of case apertures, a locator rail attached to a first side of the case body, the locator rail comprising a plurality of locator tabs, each locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs being engaged with one corresponding aperture of the plurality of case apertures, and a door hinge bracket positioned on a second side of the case body, the door hinge bracket defining a plurality of bracket apertures, each locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs being engaged with one corresponding bracket aperture of the plurality of bracket apertures, wherein the plurality of locator tabs constrains the door hinge bracket in at least three degrees of freedom.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the appliance comprising:
 a case body defining a plurality of case apertures;   a locator rail attached to a first side of the case body, the locator rail comprising a plurality of locator tabs, each locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs being engaged with one corresponding aperture of the plurality of case apertures; and   a door hinge bracket positioned on a second side of the case body, the door hinge bracket defining a plurality of bracket apertures, each locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs being engaged with one corresponding bracket aperture of the plurality of bracket apertures, wherein the plurality of locator tabs constrains the door hinge bracket in at least three degrees of freedom.   
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of case apertures are defined on a top wall of the case body, the first side of the case body is a bottom side of the top wall, and the second side of the case body is a top side of the top wall. 
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the three degrees of freedom comprise translation along the lateral direction, translation along the transverse direction, and rotation about the vertical direction. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bracket apertures are elongated such that the plurality of locator tabs only contact the door hinge bracket along sides of the plurality of locator tabs. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bracket apertures are aligned diagonally along a mounting plate of the door hinge bracket. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a first locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs is oriented along a first direction to constrain movement of the door hinge bracket along the first direction and a second locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs is oriented along a second direction approximately perpendicular to the first direction to constrain movement of the door hinge bracket along the second direction. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of case apertures comprises a first set of case apertures that are pass through apertures that do not contact the plurality of locator tabs and a second set of case apertures that are locator fit apertures that contact the plurality of locator tabs. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of case apertures comprise a set of first side case apertures at a first end of the case body and a set of second side case apertures at a second end of the case body, and wherein the plurality of locator tabs comprise a set of first side locator tabs at a first end of the locator rail and a set of second side locator tabs at a second end of the locator rail opposite the first end of the locator rail. 
     
     
         9 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the locator rail and the plurality of locator tabs are formed of a unitary construction. 
     
     
         10 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the locator rail is formed from a single piece of sheet metal, and wherein the plurality of locator tabs are punched and formed the single piece of sheet metal. 
     
     
         11 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of locator tabs defines a tab height measured from a top surface of the locator rail along the vertical direction, and wherein the tab height is greater than a case thickness of the case body plus a bracket thickness of the door hinge bracket. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the door hinge bracket further defines a plurality of through holes and the locator rail defines a plurality of receiving bosses, the appliance further comprising:
 a plurality of mechanical fasteners that pass through the plurality of through holes and are secured in the plurality of receiving bosses to constrain the door hinge bracket in three additional degrees of freedom.   
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of through holes are clearance holes that are wider than the plurality of mechanical fasteners. 
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the three additional degrees of freedom comprises translation along the vertical direction, rotation about the lateral direction, and rotation about the transverse direction. 
     
     
         15 . A hinge bracket assembly for a door of an appliance, the appliance comprising a case body defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the case body further defining a plurality of case apertures, the hinge bracket assembly comprising:
 a locator rail attached to a first side of the case body, the locator rail comprising a plurality of locator tabs, each locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs being engaged with one corresponding aperture of the plurality of case apertures; and   a door hinge bracket positioned on a second side of the case body, the door hinge bracket defining a plurality of bracket apertures, each locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs being engaged with one corresponding bracket aperture of the plurality of bracket apertures, wherein the plurality of locator tabs constrains the door hinge bracket in at least three degrees of freedom.   
     
     
         16 . The hinge bracket assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of case apertures are defined on a top wall of the case body, the first side of the case body is a bottom side of the top wall, and the second side of the case body is a top side of the top wall, and wherein the three degrees of freedom comprise translation along the lateral direction, translation along the transverse direction, and rotation about the vertical direction. 
     
     
         17 . The hinge bracket assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of bracket apertures are elongated such that the plurality of locator tabs only contact the door hinge bracket along sides of the plurality of locator tabs. 
     
     
         18 . The hinge bracket assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of bracket apertures are aligned diagonally along a mounting plate of the door hinge bracket. 
     
     
         19 . The hinge bracket assembly of  claim 15 , wherein a first locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs is oriented along a first direction to constrain movement of the door hinge bracket along the first direction and a second locator tab of the plurality of locator tabs is oriented along a second direction approximately perpendicular to the first direction to constrain movement of the door hinge bracket along the second direction. 
     
     
         20 . The hinge bracket assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of case apertures comprises a first set of case apertures that are pass through apertures that do not contact the plurality of locator tabs and a second set of case apertures that are locator fit apertures that contact the plurality of locator tabs.