STATIONARY HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE, IN PARTICULAR A DISHWASHER

Abstract

A stationary household appliance having a housing wall, components, and a force transmitting element to transmit a force that acts upon the housing wall from the outside of the stationary household appliance into the components. The force transmitting element has at least two force application regions to transmit the force into at least two different ones of the components.

Description

The invention relates to a stationary household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, as claimed in the preamble of claim 1.

The transportation or stacking of stationary household appliances, in particular dishwashers, may take place at the factory using a clamping device, wherein clamping elements press with a holding force from outside onto the opposite side walls of the stationary household appliance housing.

In order to avoid transportation damage such as possible deformations occurring at the side walls in this situation, in a generic stationary household appliance a force transmitting element or force transducer which is capable of absorbing a force acting upon the housing wall from the outside is provided between a function element situated inside the housing and the housing wall. A holding force exerted from outside upon the housing side wall can thus be applied into the functional part inside the housing by way of the force transducer without this resulting in a deformation of the housing side wall. In this situation, the force transmitting element can transmit the force into structural components of the stationary household appliance at least two force application regions.

The object of the invention consists in making available a stationary household appliance which is able to reliably absorb holding forces with a reduced dead weight and increased functionality.

The object is achieved by the features described in claim 1. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

The invention is based on a stationary household appliance, in particular a dishwasher, at least having one housing wall and with at least one force transmitting element which transmits a force acting upon the housing wall from the outside into structural components of the stationary household appliance.

According to the characterizing portion of claim 1, the force transmitting element has at least two force application regions for transmitting force into at least two different structural components of the stationary household appliance. In this manner, at least two force paths parallel to one another are provided to the two different structural components. The applied clamping forces are thus distributed over the at least two structural components, with the overall result that the risk of damaging the structural components is reduced. The invention is applicable to all stationary household appliances, for instance a dishwasher, a stove/oven, a washing machine or a dryer.

By preference, a first force application region can be provided in a hinge support, on which is articulated a pivoting hinge lever of an appliance door of the stationary household appliance. The second force application region can by contrast be provided in a front frame delimiting a loading opening of the stationary household appliance.

By preference, the clamping forces can be applied into the stationary household appliance in further force paths. Thus, a third force application region can be provided in the hinge lever of the appliance door. A fourth force application region can be provided in a base of the stationary household appliance.

The force transmitting element can have one or more supporting elements projecting therefrom, which are supported against the structural components of the stationary household appliance. In order to ensure an even application of force into the at least two different structural components, at least one supporting element can be associated with each of the force application regions respectively. In this situation, in an exemplary embodiment which is simple to manufacture the supporting elements associated with the force application regions can all be supported against the hinge support.

The stationary household appliance can have two opposing lateral hinge supports, between which the appliance door is arranged. The two hinge supports spaced apart from one another can be linked with one another by way of a force transmitting cross member, for instance a base rail which supports the two hinge supports with respect to the clamping forces.

The force transmitting element can have a plate-like basic element having at least one supporting element projecting therefrom, which can support itself against the stationary household appliance structural component. According to the invention, the force transmitting element is therefore not a compact structural component consisting of solid material. Rather, the force transmitting element can bear with its plate-like basic element on the housing wall in order to avoid indentations on the housing wall. On the side facing the functional part, the force transmitting element is however not in contact over its entire area but in accordance with its lightweight construction only with the at least one supporting element projecting from the plate-like basic element. As a result, weight can be saved overall—given appropriate dimensioning of the supporting element—without adversely affecting the functionality of the force transmitting element.

In order to further reduce the weight and to increase the strength, the plate-like basic element of the force transmitting element can have lattice-like stiffening walls, which by way of example are arranged in the manner of a honeycomb structure. In this situation, the stiffening walls and the supporting element can be arranged on a common side surface of the basic element, which preferably faces away from the housing wall.

In terms of installation, the force transmitting element can preferably be designed to be formed from the same material throughout and in one piece and for instance be manufactured as a plastic or metal injection molded part. In order to achieve a reduction in components, latching elements can be formed in one piece on the force transmitting element, by means of which the force transmitting element can be captively pre-fixed to the functional part. To realize a compact design, it is advantageous if the latching element is formed directly on the frontal supporting surface of the supporting element of the force transducer.

As already mentioned above, lateral hinge supports in particular, between which an appliance door is articulated in pivoting fashion, are suitable as functional parts in the housing interior for the application of force and/or for mounting the force transmitting elements according to the invention. In the case of a dishwasher, the appliance door can pivot around a horizontal axis of rotation in order to open or close the washing container which is open at the front.

The two lateral hinge supports are normally stiff, plate-like sheet metal parts which are held in a base group of the dishwasher. The lateral hinge supports together with the appliance door articulated thereto and connected between form an extremely stiff structure in the side direction of the appliance, to which the lateral holding forces acting on it from outside can be applied without causing damage.

Normally the appliance door is articulated in rotatable fashion by way of lateral hinge levers on bearing pins which are seated in the hinge supports. The two hinge levers of the appliance door can moreover each have a lever arm which is also pivoted laterally along the hinge support. The lever arm can be connected to a compensation device which for instance by way of a spring exerts a compensation moment on the appliance door which counteracts the weight moment of the appliance door. Through appropriate dimensioning of the compensation device, the moments acting on the appliance door are always in equilibrium regardless of the pivot position of the appliance door.

The lever arm of the hinge lever of the appliance door can be arranged in one side direction of the appliance between the respective hinge support and the force transmitting element. In this case, the force transmitting element can overlap the lever arm of the hinge lever in hood-like fashion. The supporting element of the force transmitting element should be arranged here outside the pivot path of the lever arm. In particular, a free space into which the lever arm of the hinge lever can be pivoted without impairment can be provided between the force transmitting element and the hinge support.

By preference, in the region of the hinge lever the base plate of the force transmitting element can have a raised contact contour. In the normal state this can be spaced away from the hinge lever and only in the event of an external application of force be deflected onto the force transmitting element with elastic resilience until contact is made with the hinge lever. In this case, the lateral holding forces can be applied directly by way of the hinge lever into the stiff hinge structure.

When the stationary household appliance is fully installed, the lever arm of the door-side hinge lever protrudes through a hinge opening of a front frame part delimiting the washing container opening right into the free space delimited by the hinge support and by the force transducer. This free space is thus configured to be open towards the outside by way of the hinge opening. Operating noises inside the housing can thus issue to the exterior through the free space and the front-side hinge opening. In order to prevent this, the force transmitting element can have sound-damping walls which preferably can extend between the force transmitting element and hinge support. In this manner, said free space for the lever arm of the hinge lever is separated with respect to the housing interior. In addition, the sound-damping walls can at least partially cover the hinge opening on the front side, by which means the noise emission from the appliance is further inhibited.

In order to further increase its stiffness, the plate-like basic element of the force transducer can have a side wall running all round the edge. The basic element is thus designed to be approximately dish-shaped. When the force transmitting element is installed, the flat dish base can be in contact with the housing side wall and the side wall running all around the edge can project in the direction of the functional part.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in the following with reference to the attached figures.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective partial view of a dishwasher;

FIG. 2 shows in a further perspective view a lateral hinge region of the dishwasher, on which an appliance door is articulated; and

FIG. 3 shows a force transducer according to the invention on its own.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective partial view of a dishwasher having a washing container 1 which is open at the front. The washing container 1 is usually arranged in an outer housing 3 of the dishwasher. Only a housing side wall 5 and front frame elements 7, 9 of the outer housing 3, which delimit a front loading opening of the washing container 1, are shown in FIG. 1. The front loading opening of the washing container 1 can be closed by means of an appliance door 13, articulated in pivoting fashion around a horizontal axis of rotation 11, which is indicated in FIG. 1 only by means of dashed lines.

The appliance door 13 is supported in the usual manner on both sides by means of hinge levers 15. The hinge levers 15 are in turn articulated by way of bearing pins 25 to lateral plate-like hinge supports 17, only one of which is shown in FIG. 2. According to FIG. 2, the hinge support 17 is a sheet metal part of an approximately angular configuration, the vertical arm of which is held laterally in a base group 19 of the dishwasher.

The hinge lever 15 of the appliance door 13 has a lever arm 21 which projects laterally beneath the washing container 1 through a hinge opening 23 in the vertical front frame part 7 into the housing interior. The lever arm 21 is operatively connected to a compensation device (not shown) which exerts a compensation moment M₁ clockwise on the appliance door 13, which counteracts the weight moment of the appliance door 13 acting counterclockwise. In the two FIGS. 1 and 2, only the right-hand hinge region of the dishwasher is shown in each case. The corresponding left-hand hinge region (not shown) is of identical construction.

As can also be seen from FIG. 2, the hinge lever 15 is rotatably mounted in the side direction y laterally outside the hinge support 17 on the latter's bearing pins 25. In this situation, the lever arm 21 of the hinge lever 15 moves along an outer side surface of the hinge support 17. The two hinge supports 17 arranged in each case in the lateral region of the dishwasher together with the appliance door 13 arranged between them overall form a hinge structure which is extremely stiff in the side direction y. This can absorb holding forces F_H acting laterally on the opposing side walls 5 without any damage during a transport situation.

According to FIG. 2, the front loading opening of the washing container 1 is delimited by a front frame 22. This is supported in the usual manner against the hinge support 17 by way of its lateral frame strip shown in FIG. 2. For a fixed connection with the hinge support 17, the front frame 22 is screwed together with the hinge plate 17 by means of an indicated screw connection 24.

The two lateral hinge supports 17 are furthermore connected together beneath the washing container base by way of a cross member, in other words the indicated base rail 26. The base rail 26 of planar configuration closes off to the front an assembly opening to the motor compartment. Furthermore, the base rail 26 is used for noise damping and can be provided with a corresponding damping layer, a bitumen layer for instance.

In order to apply the holding force F_H from the respective housing side wall 5 into the dishwasher, according to FIG. 2 a force transmitting element 27 is provided which absorbs a holding force F_H acting from outside on the side wall 5 and applies it into the interior of the dishwasher.

The force transmitting element 27 is supported according to FIG. 2 by way of supporting elements 30 on the outside on the hinge support 17 shown. In this situation, the supporting elements 30 are widely distributed over the entire hinge support 17 in such a manner that the associated force application regions I, II, III, IV are associated with different structural components, in other words the hinge support 17, the front frame 22 of the washing container 1, the base group 19 and the hinge lever 15.

The first force application region I here is associated with the hinge support 17, while the second force application region II is associated with the front frame 22. In contrast, the third force application region III is associated with the hinge lever 15 of the appliance door 13 and the fourth force application region IV is associated with the base group 19. In this manner, not only a single structural component is subjected to the clamping force F_H. Rather, the force application regions I, II, III, IV make available force paths running parallel to one another, by means of which the clamping forces F_H are distributed over the hinge plate 17, the base group 19, the front frame 26 and the hinge lever 15.

The force transducer or the force transmitting element 27 is shown on its own in FIG. 3. The force transducer 27 here is designed as an injection molded plastic part in one piece and formed from the same material throughout. Overall, the force transducer 27 is implemented in lightweight construction in its geometrical configuration. To this end, the force transducer 27 has a plate-like basic element 29 and supporting elements 30 projecting therefrom. The plate-like basic element 29 has a closed smooth surface facing the side wall 5 in order to avoid indentations or dents in the side wall 5 during transportation. The closed smooth surface of the force transducer 27 is delimited by a side wall 31 miming all around the edge, which projects in the direction of the hinge support 17. Together with the closed smooth outer surface of the force transducer 27, the side wall 31 running all around the edge overall forms an approximately dish-shaped structure which incorporates lattice-like stiffening walls 33.

The supporting elements 30 of the force transmitting element 27 projecting from the basic element 29 are designed differently according to FIG. 3. Thus, a first supporting element 30 is configured as a cylindrical latching dome, on the front of which, facing the hinge support 17, a latching element 35 is formed centrally. The latching element 35 is surrounded by an annular surface 37 which is supported against the hinge support 17. The second supporting element 30 has two supporting struts spaced apart from one another, between which is arranged a further latching element 35 which overtops the two struts in the side direction of the appliance y. Both latching elements 35 can engage behind corresponding latching openings in the hinge support 17. The third supporting element 30 is designed without an additional latching element 35 and is supported merely on the side surface of the hinge support 17.

In FIG. 2, the force transducer 27 is shown latched laterally to the hinge support 17. In this situation, the plate-like basic element 29 is spaced by way of a free space 39 from the hinge support 17 by means of the supporting elements 30. According to FIG. 2, the lever arm 21 of the hinge lever 15 protrudes into the free space 39 formed between the hinge support 17 and the force transmitting element 27. In this situation, the supporting elements 30 are positioned such that they do not impede the pivot path S of the hinge lever 21.

As can be seen further from FIG. 3, a contact contour 41 raised from the stiffening walls 33 is also formed in addition to the supporting elements 30. In the normal state the contact contour 41 is spaced away from the lever arm 21 of the hinge lever 15 so as not to impede the door pivoting motion. In the event of an application of force by means of the lateral holding force F_H, the force transducer deflects in the region of the contact contour 41 with elastic resilience until contact is made with the lever arm 21. In this manner, the holding force F_H can in addition also be applied by way of the hinge lever 15 into the hinge support 17.

The free space 39 provided between the force transducer 27 and the hinge support 17 is open towards the outside by way of the hinge opening 23 in the front frame part 7. Operating noises from inside the housing are carried outside undamped through the hinge opening 23. In order to achieve a reduction in noise here the force transducer 27 has sound-damping walls 43. A first of the sound-damping walls 43 is arranged in the structural depth direction x on the rear of the force transducer 27 and separates the free space 39 to the rear from the housing interior. Furthermore, according to FIGS. 1 to 3, a vertical section of the side wall 31 situated at the front in the structural depth direction x likewise serves as a sound-damping wall 43. According to FIG. 1, the front sound-damping wall 43 of the force transducer 27 partially covers the hinge opening 23 of the front frame part 7, by which means the noise emission is likewise reduced.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

• 1 Washing container
• 3 Outer housing
• 5 Housing wall
• 7, 9 Front frame parts
• 11 Axis of rotation
• 13 Appliance door
• 15 Hinge lever
• 17 Hinge support
• 19 Base group
• 21 Lever arm of hinge lever 15
• 22 Front frame
• 23 Hinge opening
• 24 Screw connection
• 25 Bearing pins
• 26 Base rail
• 27 Force transducer or force transmitting element
• 29 Plate-like basic element
• 30 Supporting elements
• 31 Side wall running all around edge
• 33 Stiffening walls
• 35 Latching elements
• 37 Annular surface
• 39 Free space
• 41 Contact contour
• 43 Sound-damping walls
• y Side direction
• x Depth direction
• S Pivot path
• M1 Compensation moment
• F_H Holding force
• I, II, III, IV Force application regions

Claims

1-25. (canceled)

26. A stationary household appliance, comprising: a housing wall;a plurality of components; anda force transmitting element to transmit a force that acts upon the housing wall from the outside of the stationary household appliance into the plurality of components;wherein the force transmitting element has at least two force application regions to transmit the force into at least two different ones of the plurality of components.

27. The stationary household appliance of claim 26, wherein the stationary household appliance is a dishwasher.

28. The stationary household appliance of claim 26, further comprising: an appliance door having a pivoting hinge lever; anda hinge support on which the pivoting hinge lever of the appliance door is articulated;wherein a first force application region of the at least two force application regions is provided in the hinge support.

29. The stationary household appliance of claim 26, further comprising a front frame delimiting a loading opening of the stationary household appliance, wherein a second force application region of the at least two force application regions is provided in the front frame.

30. The stationary household appliance of claim 28, wherein a third force application region of the at least two force application regions is provided in the pivoting hinge lever of the appliance door.

32. The stationary household appliance of claim 26, further comprising a base, wherein a fourth force application region of the at least two force application regions is provided in the base.

31. The stationary household appliance of claim 28, wherein the force transmitting element has at least one supporting element projecting from the force transmitting element, and wherein the at least one supporting element is associated with a respective one of the at least two force application regions.

33. The stationary household appliance of claim 32, wherein the at least one supporting element is supported against the hinge support.

34. The household appliance of claim 26, further comprising: two opposing hinge supports;an appliance door arranged between the two opposing hinge supports; anda base rail to link the two opposing hinge supports.

35. The stationary household appliance of claim 26, wherein the force transmitting element has a plate-like basic element.

36. The stationary household appliance of claim 35, wherein the plate-like basic element has lattice-like stiffening walls.

37. The stationary household appliance of claim 36, wherein the lattice-like stiffening walls and a supporting element of the force transmitting element are arranged on a common side surface of the plate-like basic element.

38. The stationary household appliance of claim 37, wherein the side of the plate-like basic element facing away from the supporting element is situated opposite the housing wall.

39. The stationary household appliance of claim 26, wherein the force transmitting element is one of a plastic injection molded part and a metal injection molded part.

40. The stationary household appliance of claim 26, wherein the force transmitting element has a plurality of latching elements to make a latching connection with a respective one of the plurality of components of the stationary household appliance.

41. The stationary household appliance of claim 40, wherein the plurality of latching elements is formed from at least one of the same material throughout and in one piece on a supporting element of the force transmitting element.

42. The stationary household appliance of claim 41, wherein the supporting element has a frontal supporting surface on which a respective one of the plurality of latching elements is formed.

43. The stationary household appliance of claim 35, wherein the plate-like basic element has a side wall running all round an edge of the plate-like basic element.

44. The stationary household appliance of claim 28, wherein the pivoting hinge lever has a lever arm connected to a compensation device that exerts a compensation moment to counteract a weight moment of the appliance door.

45. The stationary household appliance as claimed in claim 44, wherein the lever arm of the hinge lever is arranged between the hinge support and the force transmitting element.

46. The stationary household appliance of claim 45, wherein a supporting element of the force transmitting element is arranged outside a pivot path of the lever arm of the hinge lever.

47. The stationary household appliance of claim 35, wherein, in a region of a hinge lever of an appliance door of the stationary household appliance, the plate-like basic element of the force transmitting element has a raised contact contour which, in a normal state, is spaced away from the lever arm and which is, in the event of an external application of a holding force, deflected with elastic resilience until contact is made with the hinge lever.

48. The stationary household appliance of claim 35, wherein the force transmitting element has at least one sound-damping wall.

49. The stationary household appliance of claim 48, wherein the sound-damping wall extends from the plate-like basic element to a hinge support on which a pivoting hinge lever of the appliance door is articulated.

50. The stationary household appliance of claim 48, wherein, in a sound emission direction, the sound-damping wall at least partially covers a hinge lever opening on a front side of a housing of the stationary household appliance.

51. A force transmitting element for a stationary household appliance, the stationary household appliance comprising: a housing wall; anda plurality of components;wherein the force transmitting element transmits a force that acts upon the housing wall from the outside of the stationary household appliance into the plurality of components; andwherein the force transmitting element has at least two force application regions to transmit the force into at least two different ones of the plurality of components.