In the following the invention will be further described with reference to embodiments and figures.
FIG. 1 shows a lock for a house appliance under the prior art.
FIG. 2 shows a locking means for locking the inner space of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a holding element arranged in the area of a closing element of the device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a locking means in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows a built-in refrigerator for a camping vehicle as device using two locking means in accordance with the present invention at two different doors as closing elements.
FIG. 1 shows a lock for a house appliance, as shown in DE 10 2005 017 870 A1. The lock 10 shown there comprises a holding element with a recess 160 into which a bolt engages, said holding element being referred to by 30. In addition, from the representation a solenoid 50 with actuation tappet 90 can be seen, said tappet being guided back via a pressure spring 150. On an actuation shaft with gate 100 a switching rocker 80 is located, into which said tappet 90 engages for turning said shaft. It can be clearly seen that said holding element 30 is pretensioned by a spring 140 and that the locking mechanics are of expensive construction.
In the state of art a movement of said holding element 30 against said spring 15 is caused by actuation of said shaft via said gate 100 such that a locking hook engaging with said holding element can no longer be removed from the latter.
FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a locking means 200 in accordance with the present invention. On said locking means fixation elements 221 and 222 are located by means of which said locking means can be fixed to the inner space of a device on the housing. Furthermore, said locking means comprises an inner space illumination in form of a light emitting diode 1. As well, a crank shaft 5 of simple mechanical construction can be recognized, a crank 51 being arranged thereon. Said crank shaft is rotatably and mechanically stably supported on bearing positions 511, 512 and 513 in said housing 46. Between said crank 51 and a fixation position 15 a tension spring can be arranged for mechanically pretension said crank for mechanically stabilizing said crank in two bolt positions. Furthermore, a locking hook or bolt 7, respectively, can be clearly seen, which engages into a holding means shown in FIG. 3 in the area of said closing element when said locking means is actuated. As well, a first detector 9 can be seen, which in connection with a magnet 8 issues a bolt signal from which the orientation of said bolt can be detected.
In addition, a second detector 2 can be seen, which is actuated via a magnet 1 carrying out locking detection via a slide 6 when said holding element when said holding element upon engagement into said locking means shifts said slide across said detector 2 and thus said magnet e.g. actuates a reed switch.
Furtheron, schematically in the area of said housing 46 a control board 10 is shown which contains micro circuits serving for control of said locking means and for evaluation of the signals supplied by said detectors. In FIG. 2 the mechanically simple construction of the locking means in accordance with the present invention can be clearly seen since in this embodiment said bolt 7 is actuated via said shaft 5 directly.
In particularly advantageous manner, it can be seen from FIG. 2 as clearly that here a slide 6 is arranged, which actuates said second detector so that several functions are compactly combined in one housing and e.g. also an illumination circuit is contained in the housing of said locking means 200.
In this context is has to be noted that statuses of said detectors 2 and 9 can be detected by said control on said control board 10 or via a contact not shown here, as interface to outside. When said magnet 8 is located opposite to said detector 9, said bolt 7 is opened. I.e. when said reed switch 9 issues a signal, said bolt is opened. If said reed switch 9 does not issue a signal, said bolt is locked i.e. it is in lifted position whereby said magnet 8 is lowered. This condition can be seen in FIG. 4 more clearly. In contrast thereto, said detector 2 which is actuated via a magnet 3 when it is embodied as reed switch issues a signal if said locking element is opened, i.e. said slide 6 is not actuated. This condition can also be clearly seen from FIG. 4, where said magnet is located directly above said reed switch.
Advantageously, said switching signal can be used for activating said light emitting diode. It can also be seen from the representation that an holding element which is inserted into the housing in the area of said bolt 7 shifts said slide 6 in backward direction and thus removes said magnet 3 from said detector 2. Thereby a spring 49 shown in FIG. 4 is pretensioned.
Of course, arbitrary other modifications of detectors and switching conditions can be realized in connection with the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows an example of a holding element in the area of a locking element in accordance with the present invention. E.g. fixation bores 33 are provided for, by which said holding element 32 can be fixed to a door using screws or rivets or other fixation means. It is characteristic that said holding element 32 comprises an opening 35 into which said bolt 7 shown in FIG. 2 engages upon actuation.
Advantageously, thus e.g. a user is given the impression that he handles a standard household refrigerator, provided the locking means in accordance with the present invention is not actuated, since said holding means is embodied as plate or thin sheet which enter or leave said locking means without substantial mechanical contact. With a front face 34 it does e.g. therein actuate said slide 6 shown in FIG. 2 for causing a locking signal.
FIG. 4 advantageously shows a further representation of the locking means in accordance with the present invention. Especially, in FIG. 4 the opened housing 46 is shown and springs 44, 47 and 49 can be clearly seen. Said spring 44 therein stabilizes said crank shaft 5 shown in FIG. 2, in two orientations which can be caused by said magnet 4 in known manner via a switch gate. Here it can also be clearly seen that said bolt 7 is in locked position, said magnet 4 being tilted in downward direction so that it does not actuate said detector 9. Here, too, a circuit 41 can be clearly seen as well as communication contacts 43 through which communication with said circuit 41 from outside is possible and through which current can be supplied to the circuit. In this example in accordance with the present invention the circuit controlled by microprocessor can carry out all functions for controlling the locking means in accordance with the present invention and for evaluating the signals supplied by the detectors.
It further is possible that diagnostic signals are sent to outside in order to be able to check the functioning of the circuit in most simple manner. In particularly advantageous manner said locking means in accordance with the present invention is operated with 12 V direct current and, particularly advantageous, it is possible to start the locking operation using a signal issued with switched-on ignition, i.e. usually with applied D+. In particularly advantageous manner said magnet in said locking means is embodied as monostable magnet. Particularly advantageously, said locking means in accordance with the present invention can be used in absorption refrigerating units for boats, motor caravans and caravans, hotels and similar places.
In particular when used in hotels, said circuit 41 can be used also for evaluating the filling condition of a minibar, wherein status signals characterizing the filling conditions of individual places in the minibar, are supplied via said outside contact 43. If required special programs have to be loaded into the memory of the control and corresponding evaluation routines have to be made available additionally.
In further advantageous manner said locking means in accordance with the present invention includes an urgency release via a button so that even in case of applied D+, i.e. ignition of the vehicle is switched on and the engine is running, access is possible to the refrigerator.
In further advantageous manner said circuit in accordance with the present invention is designed such that it has a closed circuit consumption being as low as possible, which e.g. is made sure via a sleeping mode during which said circuit consumes less than 10 μA.
FIG. 5 shows as example an built-in refrigerator for a leisure vehicle 500 comprising a froster compartment 510 and a standard cooling compartment 520. In the area of said refrigerator 500 two locking means in accordance with the present invention are installed and marked with reference nos. 200. When said locking means is not actuated, the closing element, in this case the refrigerator door, is held closed by a magnetic seal 550 as known from household appliances.
With the above description an extremely simple and compact locking means for devices with inner space is described, which can be traded with as compact unit. In particularly advantageous manner said locking means comprises several detectors for detecting conditions of said bolt, as well as of said closing element and an integrated illumination unit, as well as a control with a communication bus which can be interrogated from outside. Mechanical wear is minimized by an optimation of said locking means in accordance with the present invention to operation as touch-free as possible, and accordingly the simple construction also guarantees reliable long-term operation.
Patent Application
20080083242
