Patent Application
20180000312
The present invention relates generally to a domestic electrical appliance, in particular a dishwashing machine.
A dishwashing machine typically has a main appliance body in which a product treatment chamber (washing chamber) is formed. A door is mounted on the main appliance body so as to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis that is close to the floor; the door serves to close an access opening to the product treatment chamber. During operation of the dishwashing machine, the door should be securely locked so that the hot washing liquid used in the washing chamber to clean the dishes does not escape from the machine and possibly endanger people standing in the vicinity. Dishwashing machines are therefore generally equipped with a locking device in order to be able to hold the door closed.
A conventional locking device for a dishwashing machine is disclosed in DE 10 2006 037 494 A1. In this conventional locking device, a depression is provided in an upper narrow side of the door (at the top when the door is upright, that is to say when the door is closed), into which recess a main slider arranged on the main appliance body engages with a protruding latching nose as the door closes. The engagement of the latching nose into the depression in the door holds the door closed.
By contrast, the present invention provides a domestic electrical appliance, in particular a dishwashing machine, comprising a main appliance body having a product treatment chamber, a door mounted on the main appliance body so as to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis that is close to the floor, for closing an access opening to the product treatment chamber, and a locking device having a locking assembly arranged on the main appliance body and a closing pin arranged on the door. The locking assembly comprises a latch which is arranged to be movable between a release position and a latching position, which latch, in the latching position, engages behind the closing pin in order to hold the door closed and, in the release position, releases the closing pin to open the door. As it moves between the release position and the latching position, the latch performs a rotational movement along a horizontal plane, and the closing pin is oriented vertically when the door is closed.
In some embodiments, the latch has a latch mouth delimited by two jaws, wherein the closing pin comes into contact with a first of the jaws as the door closes and thereby initiates a movement of the latch from the release position into the latching position. In the course of this movement of the latch, the second of the jaws of the latch moves behind the closing pin. In other embodiments, the latch has a latching system which moves behind the closing pin as the latch moves from the release position into the latching position, comparable to the function of the second jaw in the embodiments mentioned hereinbefore having a latch mouth. However, in these other embodiments, the movement of the latch from the release position into the latching position is initiated not by the closing pin striking the latch itself, but by a system (closing pin or another structure) arranged on the door striking a control member which is separate from the latch and is arranged to be movable relative thereto. For an example of such a control member, reference may be made to the control lever 52 shown in
In the context of mass production, mounting tolerances on the one hand of the closing pin on the door and on the other hand of the door relative to the main appliance body cannot be ruled out. Horizontal-lateral mounting tolerances, in particular, can limit the correct operation of the locking device. Lateral here means a sideways direction from the perspective of a user who is standing in front of the dishwashing machine and looking at the (closed) door head-on. From the perspective of this user, lateral accordingly means a direction to the right or left. In order to ensure reliable operation of the locking device despite the mentioned horizontal-lateral mounting tolerances, there is formed on the locking assembly in some embodiments an aligning system for the mutual horizontal-lateral alignment of the closing pin and the latch, which aligning system cooperates with the closing pin as the door closes.
In some embodiments, the aligning system comprises a guide slot which the closing pin enters as the door closes. In the guide slot, the closing pin can be substantially free of horizontal-lateral movement play. In order to ensure that the closing pin engages reliably in the guide slot, an entry funnel can be arranged in front of the guide slot in the region of one of its slot ends closer to the closing pin. The entry funnel has a centring function, in order to centre the closing pin relative to the guide slot.
In some embodiments, it can be provided that the closing pin is mounted on the door with horizontal-lateral movement play. In these embodiments, the cooperation of the closing pin and the aligning system has the result that the closing pin assumes a defined lateral position relative to the latch (which is in the release position). In other embodiments, on the other hand, the latch and the aligning system are arranged for joint movement with a horizontal-lateral movement component. In the latter embodiments, the cooperation of the closing pin with the aligning system as the door closes effects a displacement of the aligning system and—together therewith—a displacement of the latch until the latch (which is in its release position) is situated in a defined position relative to the closing pin in which correct operation of the locking device is ensured.
The latch and the aligning system can be combined in a lock module which is mounted in a lock housing of the locking assembly with play movability along a horizontal plane. The play movability of the lock module can include rotational movability about an axis of rotation that is fixed relative to the lock housing, or linear movability relative to the lock housing.
In some embodiments, the play movability of the lock module is intended to compensate for horizontal-lateral position tolerances of the closing pin of at least ±1.5 mm or at least ±2 mm or at least ±2.5 mm or at least ±3 mm.
In addition to the latch and the aligning system, a spring arrangement for spring-biasing the latch or/and an electric switch, in particular a switch that responds to the closing and opening of the door, can be contained in the lock module.
According to a further aspect, the present invention provides a domestic electrical appliance, in particular a dishwashing machine, comprising a main appliance body having a product treatment chamber, a door for closing an access opening to the product treatment chamber, and a locking device having a locking assembly and having a closing body. The locking assembly is arranged on one of the two appliance components, the main appliance body and the door, while the closing body is arranged on the other of the two appliance components. The locking assembly comprises a latch which is arranged to be movable between a release position and a latching position, which latch, in the latching position, engages behind the closing body in order to hold the door closed and, in the release position, releases the closing body to open the door. There is additionally formed on the locking assembly an aligning system for the mutual alignment of the closing body and the latch, which aligning system cooperates with the closing body as the door is closed, wherein the latch and the aligning system are combined in a lock module which is mounted with play movability relative to a lock housing of the locking assembly.
The invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Reference will first be made to
A rectangular xyz coordinate system, the z-axis of which points in the vertical direction and the x-axis and y-axis of which span a horizontal plane, is also marked in
Mounted on the door 26 is a closing pin 36 which, as the door 26 closes, cooperates with a locking assembly (not shown in
In the top wall 20 of the main machine body 12 there is formed a cutout 38 which is open at the bottom and which the closing pin 36 enters as the door 26 closes. Behind the cutout 38 is the mentioned locking assembly.
In order to describe a first embodiment of a locking device with which the dishwashing machine of
The latch 46 is biased by a spring element 54, which in the example shown is in the form of a torsion spring (leg spring). The torsion spring 54 effects bistable biasing of the latch 46 into each of the two positions of the latch 46 (release position, latching position). In order to transfer the latch 46 from one position into the other position, a point of greatest spring tension of the torsion spring 54 must be overcome in each case; after this point has been overcome, the torsion spring 54 assists with the further movement of the latch 46 into the respective other position. It will be appreciated that, instead of a spring element with bistable action, it is possible to use a spring element with monostable action, which biases the latch 46 only in the direction of one of its two positions, in particular, the latching position. Such a spring element with monostable action is provided in the second embodiment, which will be described below with reference to
The latch 46 and the torsion spring 54 are part of a lock module 56 which is accommodated inside the lock housing 44 and is guided therein with play movability in the horizontal-lateral direction, that is to say in the direction of the x-axis. The lock module 56 comprises a plate body (compensating plate) 58, on which the latch 46 and the torsion spring 54 are mounted. The plate body 58 has a bearing recess 60 in which a bearing pin 62 of the latch 46 engages. In the example shown, the bearing recess 60 is in the form of a slot extending in the direction of the x-axis, which permits displacement of the latch 46 relative to the plate body 58 in the x-direction.
This movability of the latch 46 in the x-direction within the lock module 56 permits a self-healing function of the locking device 40: if, through manipulation of the locking assembly 42, the latch 46 is transferred from its release position into the latching position without the door 26 being closed at the same time, the locking assembly 42 can be returned to the correct state again by subsequent closure of the door. During such a subsequent closing operation, the closing pin 36 comes into contact with the jaw 48 of the latch 46 and thereby displaces the latch 46 sideways in the x-direction until the closing pin 36 is able to pass the jaw 48 and enter the latch mouth 52. This sideways evading movement of the jaw 48 is achieved by a corresponding displacement of the bearing pin 62 in the bearing recess 60. By contrast, as the latch 46 moves between the release position and the latching position, it performs substantially only a rotational movement about a vertical axis of rotation defined by the bearing pin 62; a movement of the bearing pin 62 in the x-direction in the bearing recess 60 does not occur or occurs at most to only a small degree as the latch 46 moves between the release position and the latching position.
The lock housing 42 has guiding systems by means of which the plate body 58 (or the lock module 56 generally) is guided on the lock housing 52 with play movability in the x-direction. The guiding systems comprise a guide web 64 (see, for example,
The lock housing 44 has in its outside wall a housing opening 72 through which the closing pin 36 enters the locking assembly 42 as the door 26 closes. Behind the housing opening 72 in the y-direction there is formed in the plate body 58 a guide slot 74 which extends in the y-direction and is open in the region of its slot end facing the housing opening 72. In the region of this open slot end, the guide slot merges into an entry funnel 76 with, for example, conically tapering funnel walls. The guide slot 74 has a slot width, measured in the x-direction, which corresponds substantially to the dimension of the closing pin 36 in the x-direction, so that the closing pin 36 is substantially free of play in the x-direction in the guide slot 74.
The guide slot 74 and the entry funnel 76 form an aligning system which allows the lock module 56 to be aligned in the x-direction relative to the closing pin 36 as the door closes. In practice, mounting tolerances of the door 26 on the main machine body 12 or/and of the closing pin 36 on the door 26 can have the result that the x-position of the closing pin 36 relative to the main machine body 12 varies from machine to machine. For example, position tolerances of the closing pin 36 of up to 3 mm or even more relative to the main machine body 12 can easily occur in practice. In order nevertheless to ensure reliable operation of the locking assembly 42, the lock module 56 is mounted in the lock housing 44 “floatingly”, as it were, namely with play movability in the x-direction. As the door 26 closes, the entry funnel 76 effects automatic alignment of the lock module 56 in the x-direction relative to the closing pin 36, so that the closing pin 36 is able to enter the guide slot 74. The latch 46 does not change its relative position with respect to the plate body 58 during this compensating movement of the lock module 56 in the x-direction. The relative position of the entry funnel 76 and of the jaw 48 of the latch 46 in the y-direction is such that the alignment of the lock module 56 in the x-direction due to the cooperation of the closing pin 36 with the entry funnel 76 is complete before the closing pin 36, as the door 26 closes, reaches the region of the jaw 48 and passes it. This ensures that, irrespective of any mounting tolerances, the latch 46 is always reliably able to engage with its jaw 48 behind the closing pin 36 as the door closes.
The locking assembly 42 additionally comprises an electric switch 78 which serves to detect whether the door 26 is open or closed. The switch 78 can be actuated by means of a two-armed actuating lever 80 pivotably mounted on the lock housing 44. A first lever arm 82 of the actuating lever 80 cooperates with an actuating nose projecting from a switch housing of the switch 78. The other lever arm, designated 84, of the actuating lever 80 cooperates indirectly or directly with the closing pin 36 so that, as the door 26 closes, that is to say when the closing pin 36 enters the guide slot 74 and is caught in the latch mouth 52 of the latch 46, a pivot movement is induced in the actuating lever 80, which leads to the switch 78 being switched over. There is direct cooperation of the closing pin 36 with the lever arm 84 when the closing pin 36 is in direct contact with the lever arm 84. There is indirect cooperation, on the other hand, when the closing pin 36 comes into contact only with the latch 46 and presses it against the lever arm 84.
The electric switch 78 and the actuating lever 80 do not belong to the lock module 56, that is to say they are arranged inside the lock housing 44 without movement play in the x-direction. A helical compression spring shown at 86 serves to bias the actuating lever 80 in the direction towards the pivot position that it assumes when the door 26 is open.
As is shown in
Reference will now be made to the second embodiment according to
In the embodiment of
The lock module 56a comprises a module housing 94a on which the latch 46a is arranged. The module housing 94a includes two plate parts 58a (compensating plates), which are arranged one above the other at a distance in the z-direction and each form a guide slot 74a with an entry funnel 76a in front for the closing pin 36a. The latch 46a is accommodated between the two plate parts 58a of the module housing 94a. When the latch 46a moves from its release position shown in
The spring element 54a rests between the latch 46a and a bearing block 100a seated on the bearing pin 92a. When the closing pin 36a comes into contact with the jaw 50a of the latch 46a as the dishwasher door closes, a torque is introduced into the latch 46a, which effects rotation (through a comparatively small angular distance) of the latch 46a relative to the module housing 94a about the axis of rotation defined by the bearing pin 92a. During this rotation, the supporting nose 98a comes out of engagement with the abutment face 96a, so that the spring element 54a is able to relax. In the course of this relaxation, the latch 46a moves backwards inside the module housing 94a in the y-direction, until the bearing block 100a abuts an abutment web 102a of the latch 46a. This situation is shown in
In the latching position of the latch 46a according to
The self-healing element 104a performs its function when, without closing the door, the latch 46a has moved into its latching position according to
As in the first embodiment according to
In
In the variant according to
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. Further modification of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2016 008 044.2 | Jul 2016 | DE | national |
