Power transmission mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to a power transmission mechanism (100) for actuating a movable part (200) of a household appliance item (300), comprising a plurality of power transmission branches which are arranged in parallel for moving a linearly movable coupling part (110), the invention relates to a power transmission device (100) comprising a linearly movable coupling portion (110) for a push and / or pull transmission coupling with the movable part (200), in which the power transmission branches are sequentially arranged depending on sections (TB1, TB2) of a limited range of movement (B) of the coupling portion (110), and at least one of the power transmission branches comprises a torque limiter (120).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of power transmission, and more specifically to a power transmission mechanism for a movable part of an item for actuating household equipment according to claim 1, and an actuation module and household item for household use having such a power transmission mechanism according to claims 12 and 14, respectively. Background Art

[0002] In the case of many household appliances such as dishwashers, the door usually opens automatically at the end of the rinsing process. For example, European patent application EP 0 687 439 A1 discloses a dishwasher whose door can be opened a crack after the rinsing and drying process is completed by a combination of an electric motor, a gear box and a closing clamp. The main purpose of this is to allow steam to escape from the interior of the dishwasher to obtain a better drying effect. However, it is now desired that the door closes again automatically afterwards.

[0003] One reason is to achieve further internal evaporation or post-evaporation for better drying. For example, German patent application DE 10 2021 113 554 A1 discloses a door mechanism for a dishwasher with an electrically controlled door opener for mechanical door opening and subsequent door closing. On the other hand, especially in Asia, people want to close the door again to prevent mosquito larvae or mosquitoes from settling. These particularly like the humid climate inside the dishwasher. A third reason is that the open door is an obstruction in the room.

[0004] However, if the door in the room is partially open, for example, if the door is about to close again by itself, a child's fingers could be caught. To avoid this, sliding couplings were introduced, as can be seen in patent specification DE 10 2005 028448 B4. This patent discloses a dishwasher in which a torque limiter is arranged between the motor and the closing plate. The torque limiter serves to close the dishwasher gently, so that fingers cannot be caught because the torque limiter would slip. However, this gentle closing action does not necessarily result in a reliable locking of the dishwasher door. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an improved, in particular safe and reliable closing mechanism for a door of an item of domestic equipment, preferably a dishwasher.

[0006] Solution

[0007] This task is accomplished by a power transmission mechanism for actuating a movable part of an item of household equipment according to claim 1, the power transmission mechanism having a plurality of parallel arranged power transmission branches for moving a linearly movable connecting part, the linearly movable connecting part being used for push and / or pull transmission connection with the movable part, the power transmission branches being arranged sequentially depending on sections of the limited movement range of the connecting part, and at least one of the power transmission branches comprising a torque limiter.

[0008] The key point of the invention is that individual forces can be applied to the coupling part sequentially, i.e. depending on successive sections, which in particular enables the coupling part to define a higher or lower effective speed within its range of movement. At the same time, its force can be reduced in areas where the movable part is particularly susceptible to blocking, while being increased in the section where the coupling part is about to lock the movable part.

[0009] Thus, a mechanism is essentially provided. This mechanism can be specifically adjusted to suit different challenges when operating a movable part of an item of household equipment within the range of movement of the coupling part. In particular, this provides a particularly safe and reliable closing mechanism for the door of a household item, preferably a dishwasher.

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the fastening device according to the invention

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the power transmission mechanism according to the invention are given in the dependent claims.

[0012] Therefore, in certain advantageous embodiments of the power transmission mechanism according to the invention, a plurality of gear pairs arranged in parallel power transmission branches are provided, each gear pair causing a different effective speed of the coupled part, which gear pairs are alternately meshed in different sections of the movement range of the coupled part. If the coupled part leaves one of the sections, the meshing engagement of the relevant gear pair is released and another gear pair enters into meshing engagement. The corresponding gear pairs define different transmission ratios (in the case of a gear / rack connection, the distance traveled by the rack per the rotational speed of the gear) and represent a particularly safe and reliable type of power transmission, which can be used to easily influence the effective speed and the kinetic force of the coupled part.

[0013] Advantageously, the first gear teeth of each of the plurality of gear pairs are formed by a rack arrangement coupled to the coupling portion for joint linear movement, and the second gear teeth of each of the plurality of gear pairs are formed as gear teeth. The rack arrangement may be formed by a single rack, but alternatively it may also be formed by a plurality of rack elements which, although arranged to move together, do not necessarily have to be firmly connected to each other.

[0014] The second gear teeth of each of the plurality of gear pairs are preferably formed by circumferential gear teeth which extend in particular to the periphery, respectively have different pitch circle diameters, and the rack arrangement associated with each circumferential gear tooth has longitudinal teeth which extend in particular over a respective longitudinal section of the rack. The annular extension of the circumferential gear teeth of a gear wheel refers to an extension over the entire circumference of the gear wheel.

[0015] The peripheral gear teeth and the longitudinal teeth are preferably offset to one another at a right angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the toothed rack, which is a particularly simple design solution with regard to optimizing the installation space.

[0016] A preferred embodiment of the second gear teeth is that each of the plurality of gear pairs comprises gears with different pitch diameters, which are arranged axially aligned with one another and at least one of the gears has a torque limiter. By optionally assigning a torque limiter to one of the gears, for example, the risk of injury due to a finger being caught can be reliably excluded in its separate power transmission branch. In particular, a power transmission branch can be selected with a gear pair that is effective in a section of the coupling part in which the coupling part operates in a dangerous section of its range of movement in which movable parts of the item of household equipment are particularly open.

[0017] In principle, the power transmission mechanism can include a gear set with a plurality of (at least two) gears, each gear belonging to a different gear pair. However, alternatively, the power transmission mechanism can also include a single gear, which forms the gear teeth of the corresponding gear pair.

[0018] Preferably, the at least one gear with the torque limiter is arranged adjacent to a drive gear of the power transmission mechanism and the torque limiter is accommodated in the drive gear. Since the drive gear generally has a larger pitch diameter than the gears of the gear pair, more space is available for integrating the torque limiter. At the same time, the gears of the power transmission mechanism are not subject to any size restrictions.

[0019] The ability of the power transmission mechanism to operate in different configurations may be independent of the position of the coupling part along its path of motion, or may depend on the position of the coupling part. In certain advantageous embodiments of the power transmission mechanism according to the invention, it is provided that the sections have different section lengths, respectively, and that the power transmission mechanism is designed to be identical to the drive speed of the motor to which it can be connected, so that a higher effective speed of the coupling part is achieved in a section with a larger section length than in another section with a shorter section length. The configuration of the power transmission mechanism depends on the position of the coupling part. If the coupling part is located in a first section of its range of movement, the power transmission mechanism moves the coupling part at a first effective speed for a given speed of the motor. If the coupling part is located in another second section of its range of movement, the power transmission mechanism moves the coupling part at a different second effective speed for a given motor speed.

[0020] It will be appreciated that the number of configurations of the power transmission mechanism is not limited to two. Instead, the power transmission mechanism may also be adjusted in three or more different configurations. Thus, three or more different sections of the range of motion of the coupling part may be defined, each section differing in a different effective speed of the coupling part at a given motor speed. The torque limiter may be provided in at least one of these sections, in particular in a section where the position of the movable part of the item of household equipment makes it desirable to take into account potential obstruction by the object.

[0021] Preferably, the power transmission branch including the torque limiter is arranged in a section with a longer section length, so that in the case of particularly open movable parts of the item of household appliance there is no risk of objects blocking the movement.

[0022] On the contrary, it is preferred that the segment length of the segment at the end of the movement range of the coupling part facing the movable part is shorter than the segment lengths of the other segments. If a power transmission branch is provided in this segment, the movable part of the item of household equipment can be located just in front of the housing and only the gap is wide open, in which no further obstruction of the movement by objects occurs. In this short segment at the end of the movement range of the coupling part facing the movable part, a particularly high force can then be applied to the coupling part over the short segment by means of a suitable gear pair, in order to ensure that the movable part is closed forcefully and therefore reliably on the household item.

[0023] The sections of the range of movement of the power transmission mechanism that result in different effective speeds of the coupling part at a given motor speed may preferably have different section lengths.

[0024] For example, for a given motor speed, the power transmission mechanism may cause a higher effective speed of the coupled portion in a segment with a longer segment length than in a segment with a shorter segment length. Of course, the reverse configuration is also acceptable, so that a segment with a shorter segment length is accompanied by a higher effective speed of the coupled portion than a segment with a longer segment length.

[0025] Each of the segments of the range of motion of the coupling portion can, for example, have a segment length of at least about 10 mm, or at least about 15 mm, or at least about 20 mm, or / and a segment length of at most 120 mm, or at most about 100 mm, or at most about 80 mm. Of course, these drawings are exemplary and apply to certain embodiments of the invention, and are not intended to be fundamentally limiting.

[0026] The above-mentioned task is also achieved by an actuator module according to the invention having a power transmission mechanism as described in claim 12. The actuator module has a module housing, in which the power transmission mechanism is connected to the motor and is accommodated between the motor and a rack body forming a coupling portion. The rack body can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the rack between a feed position and a retracted position, in which the rack body moves out of the module housing with the coupling portion in front, and in which the rack body is retracted into the module housing, in particular at least almost completely retracted into the module housing. The actuator module can be designed as a prefabricated, mechanically functional actuator module.

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the actuator module according to the invention are given in the dependent claims.

[0028] Preferably, if, at a given speed of the electric motor, the power transmission mechanism of the actuator module causes a lower effective speed of the coupling part in a first section of the movement range of the coupling part, which first section is closer to the retracted position of the rack body, in particular including the retracted position, and causes a higher effective speed of the coupling part in a second section further away from the retracted position. The torque limiter can be particularly arranged in the power transmission branch of the first section to avoid movement blocking.

[0029] The above-mentioned task is also achieved by an item of household equipment according to the invention having a power transmission mechanism according to claim 14. The household item comprises: a movable part and an electric motor for driving the movable part, and a coupling part, which can be driven within a limited range of movement by means of the electric motor, in particular can be moved linearly, for push and / or pull transmission connection with the movable part. The power transmission mechanism is arranged between the electric motor and the movable part and, at a given speed of the electric motor, can ensure different effective speeds of the coupling part respectively in the sections of the range of movement. When the movable part is blocked and the coupling part travels at a relatively high speed, the torque limiter can be activated in the section. This ensures that the obstruction of the object does not pose a risk, especially when the movable part of the item of household equipment moves quickly.

[0030] Preferred embodiments of the household article according to the invention are given in the dependent claims.

[0031] The household appliance is preferably an appliance having a usable space formed in the main body of the appliance, wherein the movable component is a door for closing the usable space, which is movably arranged relative to the main body of the appliance. The power transmission mechanism is advantageously designed and controlled for at least one of the following three operation modes: it operates as a door opener to push open a closed door, or / and it operates as a door closer to close a door opened more than a gap, or / and it does not operate against a jamming of a door opened more than a gap.

[0032] The term "door" is to be understood in the context of the present disclosure in a broad sense. The term "door" is not subject to any particular restrictions with respect to its direction of movement (rotational, linear) and its spatial orientation and position (e.g. standing upright on the front of the household article, or as a flap or cover that can be rotated upwards on the upper side of the household article). Thus, the door can be brought from a closed position to a gap-opened position by being pushed open slightly in a straight line or by being rotated about a rotation axis.

[0033] According to some embodiments of the household article according to the invention, the power transmission mechanism according to the invention is arranged to cause the effective speed of the coupling part in a first partial range of movement of the door including the door closed position to be lower than the effective speed of the coupling part in a second partial range of movement; in the second partial range of movement, the door is opened more than in the first partial range of movement. The power transmission mechanism is also arranged to activate the torque limiter if the movement of the coupling part in the second partial range of movement is blocked.

[0034] The control unit of the household article is capable of controlling the electric motor in such a way that, regardless of the current configuration of the power transmission mechanism and regardless of the current position of the coupling part within its range of movement, the electric motor always operates with a constant supply voltage. Although, depending on the current load, the speed of the electric motor may not always remain constant, in such an embodiment, the supply voltage of the electric motor is not adjusted to compensate for possible load and speed fluctuations of the electric motor.

[0035] Due to the versatility of the different, parallel arranged power transmission branches (including the torque limiter) of the power transmission mechanism according to the invention, the household item can be, for example, a household cooling appliance (e.g. a refrigerator or a freezer), a dishwasher or a laundry machine (e.g. a washing machine or a tumble dryer).

[0036] At least in some embodiments, the coupling of the coupling part to the part to be moved is a releasable, ie non-permanent coupling, which may for example be designed as a mechanical detent coupling, a positive locking coupling or a magnetic coupling.

[0037] In some embodiments, the appliance includes a door lock at the front to keep the door closed. At a given speed of the motor, the power transmission mechanism can ensure a relatively low effective speed of the coupling part in the phase when the closed door is opened, the closing retention effect of the door latch still counteracts the door's push-opening, compared to the phase when the closing retention effect of the door latch has been overcome.

[0038] It is to be understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained hereinafter can be used not only in the combination indicated in each case but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In the following, the power transmission mechanism according to the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals denote the same or functionally the same components. The accompanying drawings show:

[0040] Figure 1A An oblique top perspective view of a power transmission mechanism for an article of household equipment according to the present invention;

[0041] Figure 1B an oblique top perspective view of the power transmission mechanism of FIG. 1 taken transversely to the longitudinal direction;

[0042] Figure 1C A partial side view of the power transmission mechanism of FIG1 ;

[0043] Figure 2 A top view of the connection portion of the power transmission mechanism of FIG1 ;

[0044] Figure 3AA perspective view from obliquely above the power transmission mechanism of FIG. 1 , with the direction of movement of the advancing coupling portion;

[0045] Figure 3B A perspective view from above of the power transmission mechanism of FIG. 1 , with the direction of movement of the retracted coupling portion;

[0046] Figure 4 A side view of the power transfer mechanism of FIG1 coupled to the electric motor via a drive gear;

[0047] Figure 5A an actuator module having a housing in which an electric motor coupled to the power transmission mechanism of FIG. 1 is housed;

[0048] Figure 5B A top view of the combination of the power transmission mechanism and the motor of FIG1 ;

[0049] Figure 6 A top view of a household article of FIG. 1 on which a power transmission mechanism is exposed for opening a movable part;

[0050] Fig. 7A Figure 6 household articles with open movable parts;

[0051] Figure 7B Figure 6 Household items with movable parts that open gaps, and

[0052] Figure 7C Figure 6 Household articles with enclosed movable parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Figure 1A An oblique top perspective view of a power transmission mechanism 100 for an item of household equipment according to the invention is shown. This comprises two different power transmission branches arranged in parallel with respective gear pairs 130, 140. The gear pairs 130, 140 are formed by respective first gear teeth 131, 141, wherein respective second gear teeth 133, 143 of rack arrangements 132, 142 extend in the longitudinal direction of the coupling part 110. The first gear teeth 131, 141 are connected by respective gears 134, 144 (in Figure 1B, 142) are formed with different pitch circle diameters. The rack arrangements 132, 142 are offset in parallel along the coupling part 110 to ensure individual meshing engagement of the associated gears 134, 144. The gears 134, 144 are arranged coaxially on a common axis A with a drive gear 150. When the drive gear 150 moves clockwise, for example by an electric motor connected thereto, the coupling part 110 is fed to the left by the meshing engagement of the gears 134, 142 in the gear teeth 131, 141 of the corresponding rack arrangements 132, 142, and conversely, is retracted to the right when the drive gear moves counterclockwise. The coupling part 110 has an opening 111 at its front end, into which a movable part of an item of household equipment engages. The power transmission branch defined by the gear pair 140 has a torque limiter 120, as in Figure 1B Visible in.

[0054] Figure 1B An oblique top perspective view of the power transmission mechanism 100 of FIG. 1 is shown, which is cut transversely to the longitudinal direction. In particular, the torque limiter 120 is free-cut, which is integrated in the drive gear 150 and allows the gear 144 to slide in the event of a movement blockage in the area of ​​the rack arrangement 142. The torque limiter 120 is designed as a spring-loaded friction clutch. Since the section TB2 extending from the rack arrangement 142 is larger than the section TB1 extending from the rack arrangement 132, a blockage of the movable parts of the item of the household appliance can be avoided in a particularly wide opening range. At the same time, the effective speed of the coupling part 110 caused by the transmission ratio of the gear pair 130 (the feed / retraction length of the coupling part 110 per rotation of the gears 134, 144) is greater than the effective speed of the coupling part 110 caused by the transmission ratio of the gear pair 130, the gear 134 of the gear pair having a smaller pitch diameter than the gear 144. At the same time, the different transmission ratios of the two power transmission branches via the gear pair 130 can reliably provide a greater force for pulling the movable component into or out of the locking position.

[0055] Figure 1CA partial side view of the power transmission mechanism of FIG. 1 is shown, wherein the meshing engagement of the gear pair 130 is evident. The meshing engagement of the gear 134 with the first gear tooth 131 of the rack arrangement 132 becomes clear. In this position of the coupling part 110, the gear 144 arranged behind the gear 134 on the common axis A is not in meshing engagement with its associated gear tooth 141, which is offset to the left (not visible here) parallel to the gear 131 and abuts the gear 131. A drive gear 150 can be seen behind the gear 144, which can be driven by an electric motor. In this case, a high force can be applied via a short area of ​​the first gear tooth 131 of the rack arrangement 132 and a small gear ratio between the gear 134 and the rack arrangement 132 there, to close the movable part that is open relative to the housing base. On the other hand, in the region of the rack arrangement 142 and in the case of a relatively high transmission ratio between the gear wheel 144 and the rack arrangement 142, a high efficiency speed of the coupling part 110 can be achieved for moving the movable part, wherein the torque limiter 120 ( Figure 1B ) can be made active to avoid obstruction of movement.

[0056] Figure 2 A top view of the coupling part 110 of the power transmission mechanism 100 of FIG. 1 is shown, wherein a first section TB1 and a second section TB2 of a section of the movement range B of the coupling part are shown. In section TB2, the gear teeth 143 of the gear 144 and the gear teeth 143 can be seen, wherein the gear teeth 141 of the rack arrangement 142 are meshed. In section TB1, the gear pair 130 is formed together with the gear teeth 133 of the gear 134, wherein the gear teeth 133 are meshed with the gear teeth 131 of the rack arrangement 132. From Figure 1A As can be seen in the figure, since the gear 134 is smaller than the gear 144, the section length TB1 and its transmission ratio are smaller, so a higher opening and closing force can be applied to the connecting part 110 in this section, thereby applying a higher opening and closing force to the movable part of the household appliance. The size of the section TB1 is determined so that the movable part of a household appliance is opened only through a gap that no longer allows fingers to be clamped. On the other hand, in the section TB2, the transmission ratio is larger, which applies a lower feed force or / and retraction force to the connecting part 110, but increases its effective speed. In this section TB2, the torque limiter 120 is effective, which prevents the movable part from blocking the movement. Therefore, this relatively wide section TB2 for opening and closing the movable part can reliably eliminate the obstruction of the object to the movement. The movable part engages in the opening 111 of the connecting part 110 for its movement.

[0057] Figure 3A1 with the moving direction for advancing the coupling part 110. If the drive gear 150 is driven clockwise, the coupling part 110 first moves to the left through its opening 111 via the meshing engagement of the gear 144 and the rack arrangement 142.

[0058] Figure 3B An oblique top perspective view of the power transfer mechanism of FIG. 1 is shown with the movement direction for retracting the coupling portion 110 when the rotation direction of the drive gear 150 is reversed. Figure 3A and Figure 3B In the representation, the power transmission branch is active, including the segment TB2 of the movement range B (such as Figure 2 ), in which the torque limiter is active and movement obstruction is excluded.

[0059] In the first few millimeters of travel of the coupling part 110, the pinion 134 engages in the section TB1 of the rack arrangement 132. The pinion 134 has a fixed connection with the drive gear 150 of the power transmission mechanism 100. In this section TB1, the torque limiter 120 is inactive. As a result, when opening and closing the movable part, a higher force can be applied as required, which serves to close the movable part 110 tightly so that it is sealed.

[0060] After the first section TB1 of the rack arrangement 132, there is a transition section in which the pinion 134 is no longer engaged and the large gear 144 with the torque limiter 120 is engaged. Up to now, the power transmission mechanism 100 could not be operated via the torque limiter 120. This is followed by a transition section from high force to low force, whereby from a certain point onwards the movable part can be supported by the spring of the household item. This reduces the required force. Due to the design of the power transmission mechanism 100, it is always stuck in the transition area between the sections TB1, TB2, which are respectively provided with and without the torque limiter 120.

[0061] In the second section TB2 of the rack arrangement 142, the gear 144 with the torque limiter 120 then comes into play. In this section TB2, lower forces are applied to the coupling part 110. When the coupling part 110 is extended, the torque limiter 120 can be actuated by pushing or pulling, which provides mechanical overload protection or jamming protection. If the movable part 200 (for example a door) is pulled closed, the torque limiter 120 is triggered if something is stuck or a person's fingers or hands are pinched. The door can then be pushed back to the transition part of the section TB1 by the function of the torque limiter 120. The door can also be pulled open in the section TB2 of the torque limiter 120 until a mechanical stop is reached.

[0062] Figure 4 A side view of the power transmission mechanism 100 of FIG. 1 is shown, which is coupled to the motor 400 via the drive gear 150. The motor 400 is coupled to the drive gear 150 of the power transmission mechanism 100 via a reduction gear 401, which includes a worm gear on the output shaft of the motor 400 and a plurality of continuously engaged gears. A spring-driven torque limiter 120 is integrated in the drive gear, which acts on the gear 134 and ensures its sliding in the event of a motion blockage. In this case, the friction force based on the action of the spring on the cylindrical shaft of the gear 134 is exceeded by the driving force of the drive gear 150, so that the drive gear 150 continues to rotate, but the gear 144 is blocked, and the coupling part 110 and the movable parts connected thereto no longer move. On the other hand, the gear 134 is firmly connected to the drive gear 150, and all the gears 134, 144 and 150 are arranged along a common axis A.

[0063] Figure 5A An actuator module 500 is shown having a housing 501 in which an electric motor 400 coupled to the power transmission mechanism 100 of FIG1 is housed. The actuator module 500 is designed as a prefabricated, mechanically functional actuator module 500 that can be installed in any household item that requires a jam-free opening and closing mechanism. The actuator module 500 has an overall flat design so that it can be installed in any desired household item.

[0064] Figure 5B A top view of the combination of the power transmission mechanism 100 and the motor 400 of FIG1 is shown, in which the equiaxial arrangement of the drive gear 150 (with the torque limiter 120, which is not visible here) and the gears 134, 144 can be seen. When the drive gear 150 and the gear 134 with a small gear ratio are firmly connected to each other, the gear teeth 144 with a large gear ratio are coupled to the drive gear 150 via the torque limiter 120.

[0065] This results in two power transmission branches, one including gear 134 and the other including gear 144, which can be designed according to the transmission ratio and thus the need for power transmission and effective speed and no obstruction. Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, these power transmission branches can also be realized in a relatively flat design.

[0066] Figure 6A top view of a household item 300 is shown, wherein the power transmission mechanism 100 of FIG. 1 is exposed on the household item 300 for opening a movable part 200 on the body of an appliance 310. In this example, the household item 300 will be a dishwasher, and the movable part 200 will be a closing flap actuated via the power transmission mechanism 100 coupled to an electric motor 400. Its reduction gear 401 meshes with the drive gear 150 of the power transmission mechanism 100, which in turn actuates the coupling part 110 into the opening 111, with which the closing flap 200 engages to open and close the coupling part. The power transmission mechanism 100 shown can be mounted in the form of an actuator module 500 and is designed as a prefabricated, mechanically functional actuator module 500.

[0067] Fig. 7A Shows Figure 6 A household article 300 having a fully opened closing flap 200 may be blocked in its movement path toward the main body of the appliance 310. The coupling part 110 of the power transmission mechanism 100 extends the sections TB1 and TB2 of the movement range B, and the closing flap 200 is hooked into the opening 111 of the coupling part 110 via a spring-operated catching latch. On the section TB2, the obstruction of the movement is eliminated in the household article because the power transmission branch with the torque limiter 120 included therein and the higher effective speed of the coupling part 110 is effective, while transmitting a lower power to the coupling part 110.

[0068] Figure 7B Shows Figure 6 A household article 300 with fully opened closure flaps 200, in which, for example, fingers can no longer be trapped, is provided. The power transmission branch without torque limiter 120 now acts via the section TB1, which can apply relatively high closing and opening forces to the closure flaps 200 at a lower effective speed.

[0069] Figure 7C Shows Figure 6 A household article 100 having a closed closure flap 200, wherein the coupling part 110 measures its range of movement B and the closure flap 200 is locked to the body of the appliance 310. Even if a blockage of movement occurs in section TB2, the torque limiter 120 means that it can be removed without damaging the power transmission mechanism 100, the reduction gear 401 or the motor 400. The length of section TB1 is selected so that no fingers or other objects can be trapped in the gap before the movable part is completely closed.

[0070] Overall, the power transmission mechanism 100 according to the present invention results in a household article, particularly a dishwasher, which is capable of reliably and safely opening and closing the door.

[0071] Reference numerals list

[0072] 100 Power transmission mechanism

[0073] 110 Connection part

[0074] 111 from 100 openings

[0075] 120 Torque limiter

[0076] 130 gear pairs

[0077] 131 First gear tooth from 130

[0078] 132 Rack arrangement from 130

[0079] 133 Second gear tooth from 130

[0080] 134 (small) gear

[0081] 140 gear pairs

[0082] 141 first gear tooth from 140

[0083] 142 Rack arrangement from 140

[0084] 143 Second gear tooth from 140

[0085] 144 (large) gear

[0086] 150 drive gear from 100

[0087] 200 removable parts from 300 (closing flaps)

[0088] 201 Lock

[0089] 300 Household equipment items

[0090] 310 The body of the appliance from 300

[0091] 400 Electric Motor

[0092] 401 Reduction gear

[0093] 500 Actuator Module

[0094] 501 module housing from 600

[0095] A Common axis of 134, 144, 150

[0096] B 110 moving range

[0097] TB1 (first) segment of the moving range

[0098] TB2 moves the (second) segment of the range.

Claims

1. A power transmission mechanism (100) for actuating a movable part (200) of a household appliance item (300), the power transmission mechanism having a plurality of power transmission branches, the power transmission branches being arranged in parallel for moving a linearly movable connecting part (110), the linearly movable connecting part being used for push and / or pull transmission connection with the movable part (200), wherein the power transmission branches are arranged sequentially depending on sections (TB1, TB2) of a limited movement range (B) of the connecting part (110), and at least one of the power transmission branches comprises a torque limiter (120).

2. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 1 has a plurality of gear pairs (130, 140), which are arranged in parallel in the power transmission branches and cause different effective speeds of the connecting part (110) in each case, and the plurality of gear pairs are alternately meshed and engaged in different sections (TB1, TB2) of the moving range (B) of the connecting part (110) in each case.

3. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 2, wherein the first gear teeth (131, 141) of each of the multiple gear pairs (130, 140) are formed by a rack arrangement (132, 142), which is connected to the connecting part (110) for common linear movement, and the second gear teeth (133, 143) of each of the multiple gear pairs (130, 140) are formed as gear teeth.

4. A power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 4, wherein the second gear teeth (133, 143) of each of the multiple gear pairs (130, 140) are formed by circumferential gear teeth, which particularly extend around and each gear has a different pitch circle diameter, and the rack arrangement (132, 142) has longitudinal gear teeth, which are associated with each of the circumferential gear teeth and particularly extend on the corresponding longitudinal section of the rack.

5. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 4, wherein the peripheral gear teeth and the longitudinal gear teeth are respectively offset relative to each other in a transverse direction of the longitudinal direction of the rack.

6. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 5, wherein the second gear teeth (133, 143) of each of the plurality of gear pairs (130, 140) respectively include gears (134, 144) having different pitch diameters, the gears being arranged axially aligned with each other, wherein at least one gear (134) has a torque limiter (120).

7. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 6, wherein: The at least one gear (144) having the torque limiter (120) is arranged adjacent to a drive gear (150) of the power transmission mechanism (100), and the torque limiter (120) is accommodated in the drive gear (150).

8. A power transmission mechanism (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sections (TB1, TB2) have different section lengths respectively, and the power transmission mechanism (100) is designed to be the same as the driving speed of the electric motor that can be connected thereto, so that a higher effective speed of the connecting part (110) is achieved in the section (TB2) with a larger section length than in the other section (TB1) with a shorter section length.

9. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 8, wherein: A power transmission branch is provided in a section (TB2) having a larger section length, said section (TB2) including said torque limiter (120).

10. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 9, wherein: The section length of the section (TB1) located at the end of the moving range (B) of the coupling portion (110) facing the movable member (200) is shorter than the section lengths of the other sections (TB2).

11. The power transmission mechanism (100) according to claim 10, wherein each of the segments (TB1, TB2) has a segment length of at least about 10 mm or at least about 15 mm or at least about 20 mm or / and a segment length of at most 120 mm or at most about 100 mm or at most about 80 mm.

12. An actuator module (500) having a power transmission mechanism (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, the actuator module having a module housing (501), In the module housing, the power transmission mechanism (100) is coupled to the motor (400) and is accommodated between the motor (400) and a rack body forming the coupling portion (110), wherein the rack body is movable between a feeding position and a retracted position in a longitudinal direction of the rack, In the feeding position, the rack body moves out of the module housing with the coupling portion (110) in front, In the retracted position, the rack body is retracted into the module housing (501), in particular at least nearly completely retracted into the module housing (501).

13. An actuator module (500) according to claim 12, wherein the power transmission mechanism causes a lower effective speed of the connecting part (110) in a first section (TB1) of the moving range (B) of the connecting part (110) at a given rotational speed of the electric motor (400), the first section (TB1) being closer to the retracted position of the rack body and particularly including the retracted position, and the power transmission mechanism causes a higher effective speed of the connecting part (110) in a second section (TB2) away from the retracted position.

14. A household appliance item (300), having a power transmission mechanism (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the power transmission mechanism comprising a movable part (20) and a motor (400) for driving the movable part (200), and a connecting part (110), the connecting part being capable of being driven within a limited movement range (B) by means of the motor (400), in particular being capable of being moved linearly, for push and / or pull transmission connection with the movable part (200), wherein the power transmission mechanism (100) is arranged between the motor (400) and the movable part (200), and at a given rotational speed of the motor (400), is capable of ensuring different effective speeds of the connecting part (110) in sections (TB1, TB2) of the movement range (B), respectively, and a torque limiter (120) is capable of being activated at a relatively high effective speed of the connecting part (110) in section (TB2) when the movable part (200) is blocked.

15. The equipment item (300) according to claim 14, the equipment item being an electric appliance, the appliance having a usable space formed in a body of the appliance (310), and the movable part (200) being a door, the door being movably arranged relative to the body of the appliance (310) to close the usable space, wherein the power transmission mechanism (100) is designed and controlled for at least one of the following three operating modes: - the power transmission mechanism (100) is used as a door opener to push open a closed door, - the power transmission mechanism (100) is used as a door closer to close the door with a gap opened, and - The power transmission mechanism (100) does not work against jamming of the door opening greater than a gap.

16. An equipment item (300) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the power transmission mechanism (100) is arranged so that, at a given speed of the motor (400), the effective speed of the connecting part (110) in a first partial moving range (TB1) of the door including a door closing position is lower than the effective speed in a second partial moving range (TB2), the door opens more in the second partial moving range (TB2) than in the first partial moving range (TB1), and the power transmission mechanism (100) is used to activate the torque limiter (120) when the movement of the connecting part (110) in the second partial moving range (TB2) is blocked.

17. An item of equipment (300) according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the item of equipment is one of the following: a domestic refrigeration appliance, a dishwasher, a laundry machine.

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