Locking device for door of household appliance

Abstract

The invention relates to a locking device for a door of a household appliance, comprising a clamping element pivotally arranged between a clamped state and a released state, the clamping element being engaged in an engaged state with a closing body of a lockable door, wherein the clamping element can be brought from a release state into a final clamping state by means of an electrically driven sliding mechanism and a pivotable clamping element carrier coupled thereto, and in the final clamping state, a sliding movement of a blocking sliding element blocking the clamping element can be blocked by means of an electrically driven blocking element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking device for a door of a household appliance, comprising a clamping element pivotally arranged between a locked state and a released state, the clamping element engaging in the closed body of a lockable door in the clamped state. Background Technology

[0002] Door locks operated by a spring mechanism are known in household washing machines and dryers. In this case, closing the door lock requires an initial pushing action, i.e., the user pushes the door of the appliance to close it. This causes the door lock to move to its position where it holds the door closed.

[0003] This pushing action requires relatively little force, allowing anyone to close the door. To achieve this, a force must be applied to overcome the resistance of the sealing element located between the door and the housing. If the pushing force isn't high enough for anyone to close the door, the resistance of the sealing element must not be too great, otherwise the door won't close by engaging the locking mechanism. This, in turn, means that the sealing element may fail to perform its sealing function when the door is closed due to a lack of compressive force acting on it. This can lead to leaks, especially after prolonged use of the appliance. On the other hand, if the sealing element is compressed sufficiently to ensure a secure seal, the force a user must apply to close the door may be excessive for someone with limited strength.

[0004] Motorized locking devices are also known to assist in the manual closing of doors to such household appliances. These devices enable the door to close automatically without any action by the user on the components, while providing the necessary compressive force for the sealing elements to achieve the desired tightness.

[0005] However, a drawback of these motor-driven locking devices is that they can block the locking mechanism in the event of a power outage, preventing access to the laundry inside the appliance. This, in turn, means that clothes can remain damp inside the appliance for an extended period of time, potentially leading to mold or further damage. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a locking device for doors of household appliances that allows the door to be easily locked with the necessary tightness to prevent water spillage and to be mechanically opened in the event of a power outage.

[0007] Therefore, a locking device for a door of a household appliance is provided, comprising a clamping element pivotable between a clamping state and a released state, and engaged in the closed body of a lockable door in the clamping state, wherein the clamping element can be moved from a released position to a final clamping position by means of an electrically driven sliding mechanism and its coupled pivotable clamping element carrier. In the final clamping position, the sliding movement of the blocking sliding element is blocked by means of an electrically actuated blocking element.

[0008] The clamping element is thus brought into its final clamping position by an electrically driven sliding mechanism that surrounds the closure, which may be designed as, for example, a pin element and attached to the door to press the door firmly against the appliance housing. This ensures the required tightness of the sealing element between the appliance housing and the door.

[0009] Such locking devices are specifically designed for so-called push-to-open and push-to-close mechanisms, where a single push opens or keeps the door closed.

[0010] The electrically driven sliding mechanism includes not only a motor and multiple gears, but also a rack that slides the clamping element carrier. By means of a synchronous rotational motion perpendicular to the sliding motion, the rack rotates or tilts the clamping element, thereby rotating it to the final clamping position.

[0011] As the final clamping position is achieved, the independently operating blocking sliding element is moved to contact the clamping element from the front. When the rotation ends and the clamping element is thus in its final clamping position, the displacement of the blocking sliding element is stopped by an electrically actuated blocking element. This blocking of the blocking sliding element's displacement means that the clamp cannot rotate backward because it is blocked by the front face of the blocking sliding element.

[0012] However, once the blocking element releases the blocking sliding element, the latter can move again, and the clamping element can be rotated backward to achieve the released state.

[0013] The blocking element is preferably at least one blocking pin engaged in the blocking sliding element, whose electromagnetically activated blocking position can be moved to the released position by means of a mechanically operable shift lever. Such a shift lever is manually operable and acts purely mechanically, independent of the power supply or electrical power required for the normal operation of the locking device. In particular, in the event of a power outage or other cause that blocks the entire locking device, this shift lever can be used to ensure that the door of a household appliance can still be opened. However, to open the door in this way, the blocking pin or locking element must first be released or disengaged, which can be achieved purely mechanically. For this purpose, the shift lever is preferably designed to be substantially rod-shaped and pullable from the housing surrounding the locking device, and thus movable, wherein one end of the shift lever inside the housing has a contact pin that moves into the blocking unit by sliding the shift lever to interrupt the electromagnetic activation of the blocking pin.

[0014] The shift lever is preferably additionally connected to the clamping element so that the clamping element is moved from the clamping state to the released state while the blocking pin releases the blocking sliding element. To do this, the clamping element is rotated backward by means of the shift lever, so that it is now in the released position. Thus, the door can be reopened because the closing body is released by the free clamping element.

[0015] The shift lever acts as an emergency latch when the locking device malfunctions or becomes obstructed, such as during a power outage. In this situation, pulling the shift lever mechanically moves both the blocking pin and the clamping element to the release position. Once the blocking pin is in the release position, the blocking sliding element is released and moves again. This allows the blocking sliding element to move backward, thereby rotating the clamping element back to the release position by pushing the blocking sliding element backward.

[0016] The so-called blocking sliding element, which moves backward due to the pressure from the clamping element caused by its rotation, can be spring-loaded in the opposite direction with a force value so that the blocking sliding element always automatically or on its own contacts with the clamping element during the closing process or when the final clamping position is reached. This is important when the final clamping position is reached so that the blocking pin is activated to lock the blocking sliding element and thus permanently hold the clamping element in the closed position, thereby keeping the door closed until it is actively released.

[0017] The clamping element is preferably mounted such that it can pivot about a pivot axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the blocking sliding element.

[0018] The blocking sliding element is preferably designed as a rod and contacts the outside of the clamping element at its front end, making pivotal movement of the clamping element impossible because the blocking sliding element cannot be displaced. This is achieved by a blocking pin currently locking the blocking sliding element. However, once the blocking pin releases the blocking sliding element, displacement occurs (possibly spring-loaded), and the clamping element can enter the released state.

[0019] Similar to a shift lever, a blocking sliding element has a shift direction, which allows the two shift directions to be parallel to each other.

[0020] According to the preferred embodiment, the shifting lever is connected to the clamping element by means of an intermediate component, and this design has several advantages.

[0021] The shift lever is essentially rod-shaped, with various recesses and protruding protrusions, but is elongated in shape. The shift lever can be pushed out of the housing surrounding the locking device and is therefore displaceable. The inner end of the shift lever's housing has a contact pin, which can be inserted into the blocking unit by the shifting of the shift lever to release the blocking pin. This is necessary for subsequently shifting the blocking sliding element and thus releasing the clamping element.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment, the clamping element is designed as a curved clamping groove for clamping a pin-shaped locking element during the pivoting movement of the clamping element. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Further advantageous implementation schemes can be obtained from the detailed embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In the attached image:

[0025] Figure 1 A simplified perspective view of a washing machine with a locking device for the door according to the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A perspective top view of a locking device with a housing cover is shown;

[0027] Figure 3 A perspective top view of the locking device after the outer casing has been removed is shown;

[0028] Figure 4 A perspective top view of the locking device with the outer casing removed and the clamping element in a closed clamping state is shown;

[0029] Figure 5 A side sectional view of the locking device is shown, with the clamping element open;

[0030] Figure 6 A side sectional view of the locking device is shown, in which the clamping element is partially closed;

[0031] Figure 7 A side sectional view of the locking device is shown, with the clamping element in its final clamping position. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of a washing machine 1 is shown. The washing machine 1 includes a housing 2 and a door 3 pivotally mounted on the housing 2 by means of a hinge element 4. An internally arranged washing drum 5 has an opening at the front through which clothes can be loaded into the washing drum 5. The door 3 is closed by means of a locking device 6 and a closing body 33, and fully seals the housing 2.

[0033] Figure 2 A perspective top view of a locking device 6 according to an embodiment of the present invention, having a housing cover 11, is shown. The locking device 6 is typically disposed within the housing 2 of a washing machine 1 and includes a housing cover 11, which is connected to a housing base 13 by means of an insertion or snap-fit ​​connection 12. The housing cover 11 thus covers the housing base 13. Numerous components and elements of the locking device 6 are arranged within the housing base 13. These are... Figure 3 and Figure 4 It is shown in detail in the text.

[0034] Figure 3 A perspective top view of the locking device 6 for removing the outer casing cover 11 is shown. Figure 4 A locking device 6 is shown with the outer casing 11 removed and the clamping element 20 in a closed clamping state 30.

[0035] A sliding mechanism comprising a gear 14, a movable rack 16, and a motor 15 directly or indirectly engaged with the gear 14 via a worm gear 19, drives a clamping element 20, which, when the door 3 is closed, is responsible for enclosing and retaining a closed body 33 in the form of a pin-shaped element. The clamping element 20, by means of an electrically driven sliding mechanism and a pivotable clamping element carrier 17 connected thereto, moves from... Figure 5 The release position 31 shown is moved to Figure 7 The final clamping state 30 is shown.

[0036] The pivotable clamping element carrier 17 can pivot upward by means of the upward-pointing compression spring 18 shown in the figure.

[0037] like Figure 6 The shift lever 24, arranged on the upper side of the blocking unit 40, is used, for example, to release the blocking pin 35 and the blocking sliding element 22 from the blocking state by manually pulling the blocking pin 35 and the blocking sliding element 22 out of the housing base 13 in the direction of the shift movement 25. Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, this provides an emergency locking mechanism in the event of a power outage. In other words, the emergency locking mechanism allows the door 3 of the washing machine 1 to be opened even in the event of a power outage, because the aforementioned clamping element 20 is released by the blocking sliding element 22 and the electrically actuated blocking pin 35.

[0038] To release or deactivate the blocking pin 35, which blocks the second sliding movement 36 of the blocking sliding element 22, the shift lever 24 has an extension in the form of a contact pin 39 at its end in the pulling direction, for example... Figure 6 As shown, contact pin 39 is positioned at the inner end 24a of the housing of the shift lever so as to be introduced into the blocking unit 40 by the displacement of the shift lever 24, thereby releasing the blocking pin 35. The blocking pin 35 is connected to a spring-biased rotary lever, which moves up and down by means of the rotary lever. This rotary lever is in turn driven by an electromagnet. A wire frame is attached to the rotary lever, passing through a link on the housing of the blocking unit 40, and holds the rotary lever in place. When the electromagnet is activated, the rotary lever is pulled down, and the wire frame leaves the "unlocked" position of the link. When the control signal ends, the rotary lever is spring-pushed up and moved to the "locked" position. In this position, contact pin 39 on the shift lever 24 can engage with the rotary lever and move it downwards. This causes the blocking pin 35 to move upwards and release the lock.

[0039] Furthermore, the shift lever 24 is indirectly connected to the clamping element 20 by means of an intermediate piece 26 arranged between the shift lever 24 and the clamping element 20, one end 26a of which engages in the clamping element 20 on the upper side to pivot it to the release position.

[0040] Figure 4 A perspective view of the locking device is shown with the outer casing 11 removed and the clamping element 20 in a closed clamping state 30. In this view, the door 3 is present, with its closing body 33 in a closed state, not shown in detail here. This means that the door 3 is closed within the casing 2 of the washing machine 1. To achieve this state, an electrically driven sliding mechanism, aided by the motor 15, moves the rack 16 forward, as indicated by arrow 21. Simultaneously, the clamping element 20 engages with the closing body 33, clamping and pulling it into the locking device 6.

[0041] Because the clamping element 20 moves in the form of rotational motion 32, its rotational position differs from that in the released state 31. The clamping element 20 is fixed in this closed position by the blocking sliding element 22. The blocking sliding element 22 can move back and forth along the direction of the first sliding motion 23, thereby... Figure 5 The front end 22a of the blocking sliding element shown prevents the clamping element 22 from pivoting backward by pressing the front end 22a of the blocking sliding element against the outside of the clamping element 20, that is, prevents rotational movement 32 in the opposite direction to that shown by the rotation arrow.

[0042] The rack 16 or rack is preferably integral and connected to a component 16a arranged at one end, which is movable and serves as a support for the intermediate part 26 and its movement events.

[0043] Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 Side sectional views of the locking device 6 are shown respectively, in which Figure 5 The clamping element 20 shown is in the open position. Figure 6 The clamping element 20 shown is in a partially closed position. Figure 7 The clamping element 20 shown is in the final clamping state 30.

[0044] exist Figure 5 In the side sectional view of the locking device 6 shown, the clamping element 20 is in the open state. In this clamping element 20, as... Figure 7 The closure 33 shown engages in a U-shaped clamping groove 41, which is part of the closure 33. The closure 33 is attached to the door 3 of the washing machine 1 and is pulled into the locking device 6 by the clamping element 20. This is... Figure 5 The rotating arrow in the diagram indicates that it represents the rotational movement 32 of the clamping element 20. By comparison... Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 The schematic diagram clearly shows that the closed body 33 is pulled into the locking device 6 from below by the rotating clamping element 20, and as shown in the diagram... Figure 7 As shown, it remains in the final clamping state 30.

[0045] The pivot axis 37 about which the clamping element 20 can pivot is preferably arranged perpendicular to the first sliding movement 23 of the blocking sliding element 22. Similarly, the pivotable clamping element 20 can rotate 32 during the final clamping state 30, so that the clamping element carrier 17 moves upward when the final clamping state 30 is adopted.

[0046] like Figure 5 As shown, in the released state 31 of the clamping element 20, the clamping element carrier 17 does not pivot upwards, but is in a lower position. The rotational movement 32 of the clamping element 20 is supported by the compression spring 18.

[0047] If the clamping element 20 is now set to a rotational motion 32 via an electrically driven sliding mechanism, as indicated by the rotation arrow, the closing body 33 will be closed until the clamping element 20 reaches its final clamping state 30. Simultaneously or subsequently, the blocking sliding element 22 moves along the second sliding motion 36, such that in the plane shown, the blocking sliding element 22 moves to the right and contacts the clamping element 20 with its front end 22a, so that the clamping element 20, due to its special design in this area, namely by means of its flat outer side, can no longer be rotated back to its original position as long as the blocking sliding element 22 remains in this position.

[0048] The blocking sliding element 22 can be held in this position because the blocking pin 35, preferably activated electronically or electromagnetically, moves from top to bottom and locks it by engaging with the blocking sliding element 22. This prevents the blocking sliding element 22 from moving backward, thereby locking the clamping element 20 to prevent rotation back to its original position. Rightward movement of the blocking sliding element 22 is supported by the spring element 38.

[0049] Both the blocking sliding element 22 and the blocking pin 35 are part of the electromagnetically controllable locking unit 40.

[0050] If the blocking pin 35 in the locking unit 40 needs to be disabled or released without the need for a power supply, such as during a power outage, it is activated by manually pulling the shift lever 24 out of the housing 2. The shift lever 24 then engages with the contact pin 39 at the inner end 24a of the shift lever within the housing of the locking unit 40 to manually interrupt the electromagnetic activation of the blocking pin 35. In this way, the blocking pin 35 and the blocking sliding element 22 can be manually released, at which point, under the pressure of the spring element 38, when someone pulls the closing body 33, thereby pulling the door 3, the blocking sliding element 22 can move to the left in the plane shown. Pulling the door 3 and thus pulling the closing body 33 will cause the clamping element 20 to pivot to the released position. This is a rotational movement opposite to the direction of the rotation arrow. This reverse rotational movement is facilitated by the intermediate member 26, which engages with and pulls the clamping element 20 at one end 26a.

[0051] The release state 31 of the clamping element 20 is exemplified by the reference numeral "31" in the accompanying drawings, for example in... Figure 5 The final clamping state 30 of the clamping element 20 is exemplified by the reference numeral "30" in the accompanying drawings, for example, in... Figure 7 middle.

[0052] The blocking sliding element 22 has a recess on its upper surface for engaging with the blocking pin 35, or, by means of electromagnetic interaction, the blocking, release, activation or deactivation of the magnetic force between the two components can be easily achieved.

[0053] All features listed in this application are considered essential components of the present invention.

[0054] List of reference numerals 1. Home appliances 2. Casing 3 doors, 4. Hinge components, 5. Washing drum, 6. Locking device, 11. Outer shell cover, 12. Insert or snap-fit ​​connection. 13. Outer casing and base. 14 Gears 15 motors, 16 racks, 16a component, 17. Component carrier, 18. Compression springs 19. Worm gear 20 clamping components, 21 arrows, 22. Blocking sliding element, 22a The front end of the blocking sliding element, 23 First sliding motion, 24. Shifting lever, 24a The inner end of the outer casing of the shift lever, 25. Displacement movement. 26. Middleware 26a One end of the middleware, 30. Clamping state, 31. Released state. 32. Rotational motion, 33. Closed body, 35. Blocking pin, 36 Second sliding motion, 37. Pivot axis, 38. Spring elements, 39 Contact pins, 40 locking units, 41 Clamping groove.

Claims

1. Locking device (6) for a door (3) of a household appliance (1), comprising: A clamping element (20) arranged pivotable between a clamping state (30) and a release state (31), which clamping element engages in a closure body (33) of a lockable door (3) in the clamping state (30), characterized in that the clamping element (20) can be moved from the release state (31) to a final clamping state (30) by means of an electrically driven slide mechanism (14, 15, 16) and its coupled pivotable clamping element carrier (17), and a second slide movement (36) of a blocking slide element (22) blocking the clamping element (20) in the final clamping state (30) can be blocked by means of an electrically actuatable blocking element.

2. The locking device (6) according to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking element is at least one blocking pin (35) engaging in the blocking slide element (22), the electromagnetically activated blocking position of the blocking pin (35) can be converted into a release position by means of a mechanically executed displacement lever (24).

3. The locking device (6) according to claim 2, characterized in that the displacement lever (24) is connected with the clamping element (20) in order to move the clamping element (20) from the clamping state (30) to the release state (31) by means of a displacement movement (25) at the same time as the blocking pin (35) releases the blocking slide element (22).

4. The locking device (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the clamping element (20) is pivotably mounted on a pivot axis (37), which extends perpendicular to the direction of the first slide movement (23) of the blocking slide element (22).

5. The locking device (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the blocking slide element (22) is designed as a rod and contacts the outside of the clamping element (20) at a front end (22a) of the blocking slide element, so that a rotational movement (32) of the clamping element (20) can be blocked and released during the second slide movement (36) of the blocking slide element (22).

6. The locking device (6) according to claim 5, characterized in that the blocking slide element (22) can be spring-loaded in the direction of the clamping element (20) by means of at least one spring element (38).

7. The locking device (6) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the displacement lever (24) is connected with the clamping element (20) by means of an intermediate piece (26).

8. The locking device (6) according to claim 3, characterized in that the direction of the displacement movement (25) of the displacement lever (24) is parallel to the direction of the first slide movement (23) of the blocking slide element (22).

9. The locking device (6) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The displacement lever (24) is substantially rod-shaped and can be pulled out of the housing (11, 13) surrounding the locking device and thus displaced, wherein the housing inner end (24a) of the displacement lever is provided with a contact pin (39) which can be inserted into a blocking unit (40) by displacement of the displacement lever (24) in order to interrupt the electromagnetic activation of the blocking pin (35).

10. The locking device (6) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The clamping element (20) is designed as a curved clamping groove (41) for clamping a pin-like closure body (33) during a rotational movement (32) of the clamping element (20).

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