Patent Application
20250075531
This application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119 (a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0115177 filed on Aug. 31, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
At least one example embodiment relates to an automatic opening (auto-open) door-lock device, and more particularly, to an auto-open door-lock device used for home appliances, for example, an oven and a microwave oven.
There are various types of home appliances in our daily lives. In particular, a home appliance that is used by inserting contents, for example, a washing machine, a dryer, a dishwasher, a microwave oven, and an oven, is installed with a door to block the inserted contents from the outside. A locking device that opens and closes a door is an essential part that constitutes a corresponding home appliance.
Until recently, various technologies related to a door-lock device are developed. Representative examples include Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1667916 titled “Door-lock apparatus for push and push” and Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1915250 titled “Manual door-lock device.”
The door-lock apparatus for push and push relates to a door-lock device that automatically opens a door without a need for a user to open the door when an operation of a corresponding home appliance is terminated.
The door-lock apparatus for push and push includes a release button installed inside a body and configured to release a locked locker by releasing a binding force of a fastening member through a sliding operation and a driving unit configured to selectively control a door holding operation, a door locking operation, and an automatic door opening operation by a rotational operation of a rotational shaft with a cam protrusion on one side.
The manual door-lock device relates to a door-lock device that may be manually operated with a simple structure, which differs from an existing method that is electronically operated by a solenoid.
The door-lock apparatus for push and push used for home appliances has a complex operating process and frequently breaks down since an excessive force is applied to a torsion spring. The manual door-lock device has a device stability, but is inconvenient in that a door lock is opened or closed by a human action and an irregular force is applied to the device, which also often causes a malfunction.
Therefore, there is a need for a door-lock device to implement an organic combination between components and various functions.
An objective of at least one example embodiment is to provide an automatic opening (auto-open) door-lock device applicable to home appliances, for example, an oven and a microwave oven.
Also, an objective of at least one example embodiment is to provide an auto-open door-lock device that barely malfunctions and is implementable in a compact size.
Also, an objective of at least one example embodiment is to provide an auto-open door-lock device having an organic connection between parts constituting the device, small moving clearance of parts, and superior durability.
According to an example embodiment, there is provided an auto-open door-lock device including a locking set configured to couple with or decouple from a hook installed on a door; and a control set configured to provide power to the locking set. The control set includes a first motor configured to operate a locking lever, a first micro switch configured to determine a rotation status of the first motor, a first line configured to connect the locking set and the first motor, a second motor configured to operate a latch, a second micro switch configured to determine a rotation status of the second motor, and a second line configured to connect the locking set and the second motor, the locking set includes a locker configured to fasten the hook and to receive a rotational force in a first direction based on a first center, the latch configured to receive a rotational force in a second direction based on a second center attached to one side, and the locking lever configured to move a locking flange that implements a locked state by fastening the locker and including a lever hole track configured to connect to the first line, and the locking set and the control set are separate from each other.
According to some example embodiments, there is provided an auto-open door-lock device that may be implemented in a compact size and installed in various home appliances.
Also, according to some example embodiments, there is provided an auto-open door-lock device that barely malfunctions and is stable due to an organic combination between parts.
Also, according to some example embodiments, since push limits load on a device due to push, a failure risk of the device may decrease.
Also, according to some example embodiments, since accessories installed in a heating area and accessories installed in a non-heating area are installed separately, there is no risk of failure due to heat.
The aforementioned features and effects of the disclosure will be apparent from the following detailed description related to the accompanying drawings and accordingly those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains may easily implement the technical spirit of the disclosure.
These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of example embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Specific structural or functional descriptions related to example embodiments according to the concept of the disclosure set forth herein are simply provided to explain the example embodiments according to the concept of the disclosure and the example embodiments according to the concept of the disclosure may be implemented in various forms and are not limited to the example embodiments described herein.
Referring to
In the auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment that is divided into the locking set 1 and the control set 2, components of the control set 2 that are susceptible to heat are installed in a non-heating area such that the entire auto-open door-lock device does not malfunction due to heat, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first line 440 and the second line 540 may be beams made of a metal material with guaranteed heat resistance, but are not necessarily limited thereto. Any methods capable of connecting a movement of the first motor 400 and a movement of the second motor 500 to the locking lever 300 and a bridge 550 of the locking set 1, respectively, while ensuring heat resistance, may be adopted.
The locking lever 300 includes the lever hole track 380 configured to connect to the first motor 400 through the first line 440, the lever hole track 380 is a hole with a predetermined length that is formed in a longitudinal direction along a heading direction of the first line 440, and the first line 440 rotates the locking lever 300 while moving along the lever hole track 380 in response to a movement of the first motor 400. The latch 200 performs a lifting motion by rotation of the bridge 550 connected to the second motor 500 through the second line 540.
Also, an operation of the first motor 400 is controlled to maintain the locked state when a temperature sensor indicates a first reference temperature or more. Also, an operation of the second motor 500 is controlled to automatically open a door when a temperature sensor indicates a second reference temperature or less.
Here, the first reference temperature and the second reference temperature may be existing set temperatures or setting values thereof may be changed by a user.
A locked state of an auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment will be described with reference to
In the auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment, as the first motor 400 operates, the first line 440 moves. Here, the first line 440 moves along the lever hole track 380 of the locking lever 300 and pushes the locking lever 300 at an end of the lever hole track 380.
The locking lever 300 pushes the locking flange 310 while rotating counterclockwise, and the locking flange 310 moves along a flange track 720 as illustrated in
The locking lever 300 has a restoring force to move clockwise by a spring 390 and, to counter this, allows the locking flange 310 to engage with the groove portion 130 while the first line 440 moves along the lever hole track 380 implemented in a circular shape.
Referring to
The first direction may represent a clockwise rotation and the second direction may represent a counterclockwise rotation, but are not necessarily limited thereto.
The auto-open door-lock device of
The base 10, the locker 100, and the latch 200 that constitute the auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment may be made of a hard metal material, and without being limited thereto, may be made of a hard plastic material
Also, a heat-resistant material may be used depending on a function of a corresponding home appliance in which the door-lock device is installed.
The locker 100 according to an example embodiment receives a continuous rotational force in a clockwise direction by the first torsion spring 102. When the hook 20 is introduced into the locker 100, the locker 100 is forced to have a counterclockwise rotational force opposite to a clockwise rotational force. Here, it is expected that the locker 100 will rotate counterclockwise as the hook 20 is introduced with a stronger external force than the rotational force of the first torsion spring 102.
In detail, the locker 100 includes a seating portion 110 formed by a first ring 103 and a second ring 104, a stopping portion 120 configured to protrude from a lower portion of the second ring 104, a stopping piece 122 in a bent shape at one end of the stopping portion 120, and the groove portion 130 in a recessed shape on an outer edge.
The seating portion 110 is a portion into which the hook 20 is introduced and fastens. Although the seating portion 110 is formed in a U shape in
The first ring 103 and the second ring 104 may be integrally formed and lengths of the first ring 103 and the second ring 104 may differ from each other when forming the seating portion 110.
The locker 100 according to an example embodiment includes the stopping portion 120. The stopping portion 120 is formed in a protruding form in the lower portion of the second ring 104. The stopping portion 120 may be integrally formed with the first ring 103 and the second ring 104 to be simultaneously rotatable with rotation of the first ring 103 and the second ring 104.
Also, as illustrated in
The stopping piece 122 refers to an area for controlling a movement of the locker 100 by the latch 200 and may be solidly and firmly manufactured in an integral form with the stopping portion 120.
Also, the groove portion 130 in a recessed shape is formed on the outer edge of the locker 100. As illustrated in
Also, referring to
The latch 200 according to an example embodiment receives a continuous rotational force in a direction opposite to the first direction that is a rotational direction of the locker 100, which is caused by the second torsion spring 202 attached at one end of the latch 200.
Referring to
The first slope 210 formed in the latch 200 is formed in the direction of the locker 100. In detail, the edge of the latch 200 in which the stopping piece 122 rides and moves by the rotation of the locker 100 is the first slope 210.
The second slope 220 is the edge formed in the direction of the locker 100 like the first slope 210. In detail, similar to the first slope 210, the second slope 220 is a slope on which the stopping piece 122 is seated by the rotation of the locker 100. The second slope 220 is separate from the first slope 210, and a height at which the first slope 210 is formed is different from a height at which the second slope 220 is formed. Also, as illustrated in
The latch 200 according to an example embodiment is open only in an edge area that includes the first slope 210 and the second slope 220 and includes the accommodation portion 230 that is an open space in a hook shape.
Referring to
The latch 200 according to an example embodiment includes the protruding piece 240 in the bent shape at one edge of the accommodation portion 230. As illustrated in
Each component of the latch 200 may represent a detailed component part of the latch 200 that is integrally formed.
The auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment includes the locking lever 300 having the locking flange 310 configured to move by the first motor 400 and to engage with the groove portion 130.
The locking lever 300 rotates in such a manner that one end of the locking lever 300 couples with the base 10 and is pushed and moves by a first motor arm 410. In this manner, the locking flange 310 moves toward the locker 100 and engages with the groove portion 130, thereby preventing the locker 100 from rotating.
In particular, in the case of an oven, a heating and cleaning process of heating oil stuck in the oven to a temperature of 300 degrees and blowing the same into the air during cooking is periodically performed. During this process, a door of the oven needs to be maintained in an automatically locked state to not be opened.
Here, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Referring to
The housing bracket 600 forms a space in which the locker 100 and the latch 200 are mounted and is connected to the base 10 using a fourth center 610.
Also, one end of a spring 14 configured to couple with outer peripheral surface of a fastening rod 12 fastened to the base 10 is coupled with one upper side of the housing bracket 600. A fastening member (not shown) formed nearby may couple with a housing track 630 formed in the housing bracket 600 such that the housing bracket 600 may rotate at a predetermined angle along the housing track 630 based on the fourth center 610.
The auto-open door-lock device has an issue that a door cannot be opened if a malfunction occurs while the door is closed. In this case, if the door is pulled with a relatively strong force, the locker 100 is pulled by the hook 20 and the locker 100 is caught on a stopping step formed on the housing bracket 600.
When the door is pulled by further applying an external force, the housing bracket 600 rotates based on the fourth center 610. If the door is pulled with a strong force capable of countering an elastic force of the spring 14 on the opposite side of the fourth center 610, the locker 100 is forced to rotate and the hook 20 falls out of the first ring 103 of the locker 100.
That is, by constructing the housing bracket 600 as in the example embodiment, the locker 100 and the hook 20 may be separated in an emergency.
The separate bracket 700 is attached opposite the housing bracket 600. A flange track 720 on which the aforementioned locking flange 310 may move is formed on the side of the separate bracket 700.
A configuration of the auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment is described above. Hereinafter, a closing process of the auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment through an opening process thereof through push will be described with reference to
Referring to
Referring to
If the stopping piece 122 of the locker 100 is introduced into the accommodation portion 230 as illustrated in
If the door is pushed in a closed state, the hook 20 pushes the second ring 104 and, as illustrated in
When separation of the locker 100 and the latch 200 is completed, the locker 100 rotates in an open state as illustrated in
The auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment may be opened by push using a mechanical shape and a rotational force by a torsion spring.
As described above, the auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment may push and open the door when cooking starts or when cooking ends. Also, when cooking ends, the door-lock device may be automatically released to open the door.
Referring to
Referring to
If the stopping piece 122 falls out of the accommodation portion 230 of the latch 200, the hook 20 falls to the outside while rotating by a restoring force of the locker 100 in the first direction and the door is opened.
While this disclosure includes specific example embodiments, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various alterations and modifications in form and details may be made in these example embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order, and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner, and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure is defined not by the detailed description, but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included in the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0115177 | Aug 2023 | KR | national |
