Patent Application
20090261697
The present invention relates to appliance drawer constructions, and particularly to constructions of additive dispenser drawers used in washing appliances, such as automated laundry washing machines.
Automated washing machines (such as laundry washing machines) often include mechanisms for dispensing additives into a washing chamber (e.g., a drum of a laundry washing machine). Such dispenser drawers typically contain receptacles for holding and dispensing different additives, which can include detergents, whiteners, fabric softeners, scents, rinse aids, etc. Typically, a user fills a dispenser chamber with one or more additives. At selected times during a wash cycle, water is then automatically introduced into the dispenser chamber and mixes with the additive. The water/additive mixture then flows out of the dispenser drawer and into a separate washing chamber, e.g., drum.
An example of a drawer-style additive dispenser is illustrated and described in commonly-owned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0011089 (titled “Washing Aid Dispenser and Washing Machine Comprising Said Dispenser”). Access to the drawer by the user is obtained by withdrawing the drawer from an associated dispenser housing provided within the appliance cabinet. Typically, the drawer slides in and out of the dispenser housing along guideways provided on opposite sides of drawer, and on corresponding sides of the cavity that receives the drawer. The drawer is retracted manually, and no separate latching mechanism is generally provided, since the friction between the mating surfaces of the drawer and the dispenser housing, along with the generally horizontal orientation of the guideways (in the typical level appliance installation), are sufficient to retain the drawer in the desired extended or retracted position.
PGP US 2006/0162392 discloses a dispenser additives drawer with frictional slide glides, and also having a stopper and elastic slot that serve to releasably hold the drawer in its fully inserted position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,911 discloses a childproof lock/latch mechanism in a washer additives dispenser drawer.
Apart from laundry additive dispenser drawers, other mechanisms are known which cause release of a drawer, or opening of a door. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,871 (push-button of glove box releases a latch, which allows a spring to bias the closure lid open); U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,074 (push-push ashtray drawer with spring to bias drawer to extended position); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,721 (push-button released door of microwave range).
In a modern trend, laundry appliances are taking on a more prominent stylistic role in the home. Along with this, greater emphasis is being placed on convenience, user friendliness and the “look and feel” of laundry appliances. An additive dispenser drawer that operates more smoothly and easily than the existing dispenser drawers would be a significant improvement in this regard.
Aspects of the present invention provide an appliance drawer construction of improved operability, allowing, upon the press of a button, the extension of the drawer. At the same time, inadvertent unintended opening caused, e.g., by a person's body brushing past or up against the appliance, may be avoided. In another aspect, the invention provides a simple and effective latch release linkage which is particularly well suited to a drawer, like a laundry washer additives dispenser drawer, that requires an offset of the latch from the operation push-button, due to the placement of an additive storage compartment portion of the drawer directly behind the front console of the drawer, and the space constraints within the housing that receives the drawer.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent and fully understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken in connection with the appended drawings.
Referring to
Push-button 5 is operably connected with first catch 7 so as to effect a disengagement of first catch 7 from second catch 9 upon being pressed. In particular, as shown in
A coil tension spring 17 is attached between the linkage member 11 and a side portion 19 (see
The assembly further comprises a bias mechanism 20 (See
Under the aforesaid condition that the drawer is not blocked from moving outwardly, a spring-biased return of first catch 7 to its original angular orientation (upon a release of push-button 5) will not cause a reengagement of first catch 7 with second catch 9. Thus, drawer 1 will remain free to be manually extended further out of the housing to allow a user full access to the additive storage compartments of the drawer. On the other hand, in a condition that drawer 1 is blocked from moving outward at a time that push-button 5 is pressed, first catch 7 remains in a position to be biased back into engagement with second catch 9 upon a release of push-button 5, whereby the drawer remains secured within housing 3.
The foregoing arrangement is of highly significant functional consequence. Namely, it can serve to avoid a situation where a person brushing by or up against the appliance inadvertently cause the drawer to open (move outwardly). With an occurrence of “brush-by,” it is possible that push-button 5 will be depressed, i.e., pushed inwardly causing a disengagement of the mating catches 7, 9. However, during this time, the person's hip or other body portion that inadvertently pressed button 5 will also typically be positioned so as to block drawer 1 from moving outwardly. Thus, in this condition, first catch 7 will remain in a position to be reengaged with second catch 9 upon a release of button 5, and thus drawer 1 will advantageously be retained in its latched, retracted position. The principal operative forces are diagrammatically depicted by arrows A-C in
The latch mechanism is preferably configured to permit the drawer to move sufficiently outwardly relative to push-button 5, upon disengagement of first catch 7 from second catch 9, to prevent a reengagement of the first catch with the second catch upon a user's release of push-button 5. In the illustrated arrangement, a press of button 5 causes an initial pivot of linkage member 11 sufficient to release first catch 7 from second catch 9. Thereafter, further rearward displacement of push-button 5 relative to drawer 1 is permitted to at least partially absorb the outward movement of drawer 1 caused by bias mechanism 20 upon a release of first catch 7 from second catch 9. In this manner, a press of push-button 5 by a user does not, by itself, inhibit a release of the drawer allowing it to be thereafter fully extended from the housing.
In the illustrated laundry washing machine additive dispenser drawer embodiment, the push-button actuator 5 is positioned on a front console 26 of drawer 1. As seen in
In the illustrated embodiment, the housing is a housing that receives the drawer of an automated laundry washing machine, and the drawer is an additive dispenser drawer thereof. It will be understood, however, that aspects of the invention may be applied to other automatic washing appliances, e.g., dishwashing machines, and to appliance and other storage drawers in general.
The present invention has been described in terms of preferred and exemplary embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this disclosure.
