Spring driven door catch mechanism

Abstract

A spring-driven door lock catch structure, it includes the lock catch casing, installs the catch hook in the lock catch casing, the lock catch casing is also installed with the rotating mechanism, the rotating mechanism is articulated with the lock catch casing, installs the spring between the rotating mechanism and the lock catch casing, the spring can give the rotating mechanism upper end to the push force that turns outwards to the back, the catch hook is articulated with the upper end of the rotating mechanism, the limiting pin that limits the back end of the catch hook is installed on the lock catch casing, the back end of the catch hook is provided with the arc segment, the front side of the arc segment is provided with the recess, the back side of the arc segment is provided with the limiting stop. The utility model is used for the electric appliance such as dish-washing machine, steaming oven, when closing the door, through the rotating mechanism can be driven by the spring and make the catch hook move back, make the limiting pin embed the recess of the catch hook, limit the rotation of the catch hook, make the door panel can be stably locked, has the advantages such as simple structure, low in cost, convenient operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a door lock structure for household appliances, specifically a spring-driven door lock latch structure. Background Technology

[0002] Appliances such as dishwashers and steam ovens typically have door locks installed on their doors to ensure sealing and safety during operation. However, many of these locks are not very secure, allowing the door to be opened with slight force, posing a safety hazard.

[0003] A simplified door lock mechanism for a dishwasher, disclosed by the Chinese Patent Office on April 8, 2025 (patent number 202421268640.6), includes a lock body mounted on the door panel and a retractable latch mounted on the inner tub. The lock body has a slot for the latch to insert into. The lock body has a groove perpendicular to the slot, the top of which communicates with the slot. A slider is installed within the groove, with a hook at its top that partially extends into the slot. Both sides of the hook are beveled. A compression spring is installed at the bottom of the slider. The latch has a cylindrical front end and a lock hole at its rear. When the latch is inserted into the slot, the cylinder contacts the beveled surface of the hook, pushing the slider downwards. In this invention, when the latch is inserted into the lock body, the cylinder of the latch contacts the beveled surface of the hook, pushing the slider downwards until the hook is embedded in the lock hole, preventing the latch from being pulled out, thus locking the door. With this type of door lock, applying a slight outward force to the latch will push the slider downward, causing the latch to disengage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this utility model is to address the defects and shortcomings of the existing technology by providing a spring-driven door latch structure for use in electrical appliances such as dishwashers and steam ovens in high-temperature applications.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: The spring-driven door latch structure includes a latch housing. A latch hook is installed inside the latch housing. The front end of the latch hook has a front hook body and a rear hook body, with a hook groove between the front and rear hook bodies. The locking rod is inserted into the hook groove from front to back and abuts against the rear hook body, pushing the latch hook to rotate backward. The front hook body of the latch hook can be inserted upward into the locking groove on the locking rod. A rotating mechanism is also installed inside the latch housing, hinged to the latch housing. A spring is installed between the rotating mechanism and the latch housing, providing rotational force. The upper end of the mechanism is pushed backward and outward; the hook is hinged to the upper end of the rotating mechanism, and a limiting pin is installed on the lock housing to limit the rear end of the hook. The rear end of the hook is provided with an arc-shaped section, the front side of the arc-shaped section is provided with a groove, and the rear side of the arc-shaped section is provided with a limiting stop. When in the open state, the limiting pin abuts against the limiting stop of the hook, and the locking rod pushes the hook to rotate backward until the limiting pin slides past the arc-shaped section. Under the action of the spring restoring force, the rotating mechanism drives the hook to flip backward and outward together, and the limiting pin is embedded in the groove of the hook, switching to the closed state, so that the hook cannot rotate.

[0006] The rotating mechanism is embedded in the rear groove of the lock housing, and its bottom is hinged to the lock housing through a first pin. A torsion spring is mounted on the first pin. The torsion spring supports the rotating mechanism and the lock housing and can provide a thrust to the upper end of the rotating mechanism to flip backward and outward.

[0007] The rotating mechanism is embedded in the rear groove of the latch housing. The middle part of the rotating mechanism is hinged to the latch housing through a first pin. A fixing post is provided in the rear groove of the latch housing. The fixing post passes through the lower end of the rotating mechanism. A screw is installed on the fixing post. A compression spring is fitted on the screw. The compression spring is supported between the head of the screw and the rotating mechanism. The restoring force of the compression spring can cause the lower end of the rotating mechanism to retract forward and cause the upper end of the rotating mechanism to flip backward and outward.

[0008] The hook is hinged to the upper end of the rotating mechanism via a second pin.

[0009] The hook has a torsion spring groove on its side, and a hook torsion spring is embedded in the torsion spring groove. The outer side of the hook torsion spring abuts against the rotating mechanism. The hook torsion spring provides a restoring force to the hook to rotate forward and reset. In the open state, it ensures that the limiting pin abuts against the limiting stop of the hook.

[0010] This invention can be applied to products used in high-temperature applications such as dishwashers and steam ovens to prevent steam from injuring people when the door suddenly opens during high-temperature operation. When closing the door, the rotating mechanism can drive the hook to move backward through the spring, so that the limiting pin can be embedded in the groove of the hook, limiting the rotation of the hook and making the door panel lock stably. It has the advantages of simple structure, low cost and convenient operation. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hook structure of this utility model.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the locking rod of this utility model.

[0014] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure in the open state of the first embodiment of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the closed state structure of the first embodiment of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the door closing action according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the door opening action according to the first embodiment of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the structure of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure in the open state of the second embodiment of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the closed state structure of the second embodiment of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0022] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, this utility model is a spring-driven door latch structure, which includes a latch housing 30, which is generally installed on the door panel of an appliance. A latch hook 10 is installed inside the latch housing 30. The front end of the latch hook 10 has a front hook body 16 and a rear hook body 14, with a hook groove 15 between the front hook body 16 and the rear hook body 14. A locking rod 20 is also provided on the appliance. The front end of the locking rod 20 has a locking groove 21. After the locking rod 20 is inserted into the hook groove 15 from front to back, it abuts against the rear hook body 14, pushing the latch hook 10 to rotate backward. The front hook body 16 of the latch hook 10 can be inserted upward into the locking groove 21 on the locking rod 20, limiting the locking rod 20. A micro switch 70 is also embedded on the side of the latch housing 30 for transmitting a closing signal.

[0023] like Figure 4As shown, a rotating mechanism 40 is also installed inside the latch housing 30. In the first embodiment, the rotating mechanism 40 is embedded in the rear groove 31 of the latch housing 30, and its bottom is hinged to the latch housing 30 through a first pin 41. A torsion spring 60 is mounted on the first pin 41. The torsion spring 60 is supported between the rotating mechanism 40 and the latch housing 30 and can provide a thrust to the upper end of the rotating mechanism 40 to flip backward and outward.

[0024] The hook 10 is hinged to the upper end of the rotating mechanism 40 via a second pin 19. A limiting pin 50 is installed on the locking housing 30 to limit the rear end of the hook 10. The rear end of the hook 10 is provided with an arc-shaped segment 12, the front side of which is provided with a groove 13, and the rear side of which is provided with a limiting stop 11. When the arc-shaped segment 12 of the hook 10 abuts against the limiting pin 50, the upper end of the rotating mechanism 40 cannot be flipped backward and outward. After the limiting pin 50 slides past the arc-shaped segment 12, under the restoring force of the torsion spring 60, the rotating mechanism 40 drives the hook 10 to flip backward and outward together, and the limiting pin 50 is embedded in the groove 13 of the hook 10.

[0025] The hook 10 has a torsion spring groove 17 on its side, and a hook torsion spring 18 is embedded in the torsion spring groove 17. The outer side of the hook torsion spring 18 abuts against the rotating mechanism 40. The hook torsion spring 18 provides a restoring force for the hook 10 to rotate forward and reset. When in the open state, it ensures that the limiting pin 50 abuts against the limiting stop 11 of the hook 10.

[0026] like Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, when the hook 10 is in the open state, the hook groove 15 of the hook 10 faces forward, the limiting pin 50 abuts against the limiting stop 11 of the hook 10, and the rotating mechanism 40 is fully embedded in the rear groove 31 of the lock housing 30.

[0027] like Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, when the hook 10 is in the closed state, the hook groove 15 of the hook 10 faces upward, the upper end of the rotating mechanism 40 flips outward together with the hook 10, and the limiting pin 50 abuts against the groove 13 of the hook 10.

[0028] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, when the door is closed, it is in the open state. The locking rod 20 is inserted into the hook groove 15 from front to back and abuts against the rear hook body 14, pushing the hook 10 to rotate backward. The front hook body 16 of the hook 10 can be inserted upward into the locking groove 21 on the locking rod 20, limiting the locking rod 20. Until the limiting pin 50 slides past the arc-shaped section 12 of the hook 10, under the restoring force of the torsion spring 60, the rotating mechanism 40 drives the hook 10 to flip backward and outward together, and the limiting pin 50 is embedded in the groove 13 of the hook 10. At the same time, the hook groove 15 of the hook 10 faces upward, firmly locking the locking rod 20 and switching to the closed state.

[0029] like Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, the door is in the closed state during the opening action. When the locking rod 20 is pulled back, the hook 10 itself cannot rotate. Therefore, the locking rod 20 drives the hook 10 and the rotating mechanism 40 to rotate forward around the first pin 41. After the limiting rod leaves the groove 13, the rotating mechanism 40 is fully embedded in the rear groove 31 of the lock housing 30. At this time, the locking rod 20 can drive the hook 10 itself to rotate forward around the second pin 19. The front hook body 16 of the hook 10 leaves the locking groove 21 of the locking rod 20, and the locking rod 20 can be pulled out smoothly. Under the restoring force of the hook torsion spring 18, the hook 10 continues to rotate forward until the limiting pin 50 abuts against the limiting stop 11 of the hook 10, switching to the open state.

[0030] like Figure 9 As shown, in the second embodiment, the rotating mechanism 40 is embedded in the rear groove 31 of the latch housing 30. The middle part of the rotating mechanism 40 is hinged to the latch housing 30 through the first pin 41. A fixing post 32 is provided in the rear groove 31 of the latch housing 30. The fixing post 32 passes through the lower end of the rotating mechanism 40. A screw 81 is installed on the fixing post 32, and a compression spring 80 is fitted on the screw 81. The compression spring 80 is supported between the head of the screw 81 and the rotating mechanism 40. The restoring force of the compression spring 80 can cause the lower end of the rotating mechanism 40 to retract forward and the upper end of the rotating mechanism 40 to flip backward and outward. The other structures of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment and will not be described again.

[0031] like Figure 10 As shown, in this embodiment, when the hook 10 is in the open state, the hook groove 15 of the hook 10 faces forward, the limiting pin 50 abuts against the limiting stop 11 of the hook 10, and the rotating mechanism 40 is horizontally embedded in the rear groove 31 of the lock housing 30.

[0032] like Figure 11 As shown, in this embodiment, when the hook 10 is in the closed state, the hook groove 15 of the hook 10 faces upward, the lower end of the rotating mechanism 40 retracts forward, and the upper end of the rotating mechanism 40 flips backward and outward together with the hook 10, and the limiting pin 50 abuts against the groove 13 of the hook 10.

[0033] This invention can be applied to products used in high-temperature applications such as dishwashers and steam ovens to prevent steam from injuring people when the door suddenly opens during high-temperature operation. When the door is closed, the rotating mechanism 40 can drive the hook 10 to move backward through the spring, so that the limiting pin 50 is embedded in the groove 13 of the hook 10, which restricts the rotation of the hook 10 and allows the door panel to be locked stably. It has the advantages of simple structure, low cost and convenient operation.

Claims

1. A spring-driven door latch structure, comprising a latch housing, a latch hook installed within the latch housing, the front end of the latch hook having a front hook body and a rear hook body, a hook groove between the front hook body and the rear hook body, a locking rod inserted from front to back into the hook groove and abutting against the rear hook body, capable of pushing the latch hook to rotate backward, the front hook body of the latch hook capable of inserting upward into the locking groove on the locking rod; characterized in that... The locking housing also houses a rotating mechanism hinged to the locking housing. A spring is installed between the rotating mechanism and the locking housing, providing a pushing force to the upper end of the rotating mechanism to flip backward and outward. The hook is hinged to the upper end of the rotating mechanism. A limiting pin is installed on the locking housing to limit the rear end of the hook. The rear end of the hook has an arc-shaped section with a groove on the front side and a limiting stop on the rear side. When in the open state, the limiting pin abuts against the limiting stop of the hook, and the locking rod pushes the hook to rotate backward until the limiting pin slides past the arc-shaped section. Under the restoring force of the spring, the rotating mechanism drives the hook to flip backward and outward together, and the limiting pin is embedded in the groove of the hook, switching to the closed state and preventing the hook from rotating.

2. The spring-driven door latch structure according to claim 1, characterized in that... The rotating mechanism is embedded in the rear groove of the lock housing, and its bottom is hinged to the lock housing through a first pin. A torsion spring is mounted on the first pin. The torsion spring supports the rotating mechanism and the lock housing and can provide a thrust to the upper end of the rotating mechanism to flip backward and outward.

3. The spring-driven door latch structure according to claim 1, characterized in that... The rotating mechanism is embedded in the rear groove of the latch housing. The middle part of the rotating mechanism is hinged to the latch housing through a first pin. A fixing post is provided in the rear groove of the latch housing. The fixing post passes through the lower end of the rotating mechanism. A screw is installed on the fixing post. A compression spring is fitted on the screw. The compression spring is supported between the head of the screw and the rotating mechanism. The restoring force of the compression spring can cause the lower end of the rotating mechanism to retract forward and cause the upper end of the rotating mechanism to flip backward and outward.

4. A spring-driven door latch structure according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that... The hook is hinged to the upper end of the rotating mechanism via a second pin.

5. A spring-driven door latch structure according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that... The hook has a torsion spring groove on its side, and a hook torsion spring is embedded in the torsion spring groove. The outer side of the hook torsion spring abuts against the rotating mechanism. The hook torsion spring provides a restoring force to the hook to rotate forward and reset. In the open state, it ensures that the limiting pin abuts against the limiting stop of the hook.

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