Electronic lock for washing machines
The door opening and closing guide grooves designed with guide cams solve the problem of damage caused by forcibly pulling open the door lock when it is locked, thus achieving a more stable lock body.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUIZHOU LIDE ELECTRONICS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-26
AI Technical Summary
Traditional washing machine door locks are easily damaged when forcibly pulled open while locked, reducing their lifespan.
The lock body is designed with a guide cam. By connecting the door closing guide groove and the door opening guide groove, the lock body can be switched between pressing to open and closing, thus avoiding damage to the lock body by pulling.
It improves the lifespan of the lock body, ensures the smoothness and stability of the closing and opening process, and avoids damage to the lock body caused by forcibly pulling the door.
Smart Images
Figure CN224412134U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electronic locks, and more specifically, to an electronic lock for a washing machine. Background Technology
[0002] The electronic door lock of a washing machine is one of the core components in modern washing machines, ensuring security and enabling intelligent control. It controls the opening and closing of the door lock via electronic signals to prevent accidental opening during operation. In related technologies, the electronic door lock is locked while the washing machine is running, preventing the user from opening the door from the outside. When the washing machine finishes its cycle, the electronic door lock automatically unlocks, allowing the user to open the door from the outside. Traditionally, the door is opened by simply pulling it open. The drawback of this method is that if the washing machine is still running or the lock is still locked, forcibly pulling the door can cause significant impact to the locking structure, potentially damaging the lock and reducing its lifespan. Utility Model Content
[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides an electronic lock for a washing machine.
[0004] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:
[0005] An electronic lock for a washing machine includes:
[0006] The outer shell has an internal cavity;
[0007] A door hook is movably inserted into the housing. The door hook is provided with a guide post and a locking buckle. The guide post is located in the receiving cavity.
[0008] The locking mechanism is slidably disposed within the receiving cavity, including a movable frame and a guide cam elastically engaged within the movable frame; the guide cam is provided with a door-closing guide groove and a door-opening guide groove that communicate with each other;
[0009] A drive mechanism is used to drive the movable frame to move below the locking latch to restrict the movement of the door hook;
[0010] When closing the door, pressing the door hook causes the guide post to slide from the beginning of the closing guide groove to the beginning of the opening guide groove; when opening the door, pressing the door hook again causes the guide post to slide from the beginning of the opening guide groove to the beginning of the closing guide groove.
[0011] In the above technical solution, the door closing guide groove and door opening guide groove that are interconnected on the guide cam are used to cleverly guide the movement trajectory of the guide column on the door hook, realizing the switching between the two states of opening and closing. Whether closing or opening the door, the user only needs to perform the same action of pressing the door hook. Compared with the traditional pull door unlocking method, the push-to-open method adopted by this utility model can effectively avoid the problem of the user breaking the door lock due to excessive force when the lock body is in the locked state.
[0012] Furthermore, the locking method of the lock body of this utility model is simpler. Since opening and closing the door both require pressing the door hook, the moving frame is driven by the drive mechanism to the bottom of the locking buckle so that the door hook cannot be pressed down.
[0013] Optionally, in one possible implementation, the door closing guide groove includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion that are interconnected; the groove depth of the first guide portion gradually decreases along its extension direction, and the groove depth of the second guide portion is greater than the groove depth of the terminating end of the first guide portion.
[0014] In the above technical solution, during the initial closing phase, when the guide post enters the first guide section, as the door hook presses down, the guide post slides within the gradually shallowing groove, providing a smoother transition and avoiding jamming or impact caused by sudden changes in depth, thus making the closing action more stable. Furthermore, the groove depth of the second guide section is greater than the groove depth at the end of the first guide section. When the guide post enters the second guide section, it can slide within a relatively deep and stable groove, further ensuring the smoothness of the closing process.
[0015] Optionally, in one possible implementation, the door opening guide groove includes a third guide portion and a fourth guide portion that are interconnected; the third guide portion is connected to the second guide portion, and the groove depth at the starting end of the third guide portion is greater than the groove depth at the ending end of the second guide portion; the groove depth of the fourth guide portion is a depth-gradient structure.
[0016] In the above technical solution, when the door is closed, the guide post is engaged at the starting end of the third guide section. When the user presses the door hook again to open the door, the guide post moves along the third and fourth guide sections. When the guide post enters the fourth guide section from the third guide section, it can achieve a smooth transition with the gradual change of groove depth. During the opening process, the guide post will not jam or jump due to sudden changes in depth, ensuring the continuity and stability of the door hook movement.
[0017] Optionally, in one possible implementation, the movable frame has an opening facing the guide post, and the guide cam abuts against the opening via an elastic limiting component.
[0018] In the above technical solution, the orientation of the opening and the guide post correspond, and the guide cam is fixed at the opening by the elastic limiting component, making the cooperation between the moving frame, the guide cam, and the guide post more compact and coordinated. The movement of the moving frame drives the guide cam to move synchronously. The guide cam can move relative to the moving frame, and the guide cam precisely guides the sliding of the guide post through its guide groove, thereby realizing the locking and releasing of the door hook.
[0019] Optionally, in one possible implementation, the elastic limiting component includes a guide plate and an elastic element, the guide plate abutting against the guide cam, and one end of the elastic element abutting against the guide plate and the other end abutting against the movable frame.
[0020] In the above technical solution, the guide plate directly abuts against the guide cam, providing precise planar positioning for the guide cam. The elastic element allows the guide cam to move relative to the moving frame. When the door hook is pressed, the guide cam can be squeezed to ensure that the guide post can always slide within the closing guide groove or opening guide groove, preventing the guide post from disengaging from the closing guide groove or opening guide groove.
[0021] Alternatively, in one possible implementation, the guide plate is provided with a limiting groove that matches the elastic element.
[0022] In the above technical solution, the setting of the limiting groove allows the elastic element to be accurately embedded in it during installation, effectively preventing the elastic element from shifting or falling off due to factors such as vibration and reaction force generated by the door hook during the operation of the washing machine.
[0023] Optionally, in one possible implementation, a torsion spring is provided within the receiving cavity, with one end of the torsion spring abutting against the outer shell and the other end abutting against the bottom of the door hook.
[0024] In the above technical solution, the torsion spring allows the guide post to be pressed against the groove wall of the door opening guide groove when the door is closed, providing a certain locking force to the guide post and improving the stability of the lock. Furthermore, when unlocking, the guide post can be pushed out, allowing the door hook to pop out quickly for easy opening.
[0025] Optionally, in one possible implementation, the drive mechanism includes a motor and a screw connected to the output end of the motor, the motor being mounted in the receiving cavity, and the screw being threadedly connected to the movable frame.
[0026] In the above technical solution, the motor and the screw work together to convert the rotational motion of the motor into the linear motion of the moving frame, thereby locking or unlocking the lock body. The motor can drive the moving frame to move closer to or away from the guide post through the screw. When the moving frame moves below the locking latch, the door hook is limited by the moving frame and cannot be pressed, thus locking the lock body. When the moving frame moves away from the locking latch, the lock body automatically returns to the openable state.
[0027] Optionally, in one possible implementation, a stop is provided in the receiving cavity, the stop is located between the moving frame and the motor, and the screw passes through the stop and is connected to the output end of the motor.
[0028] In the above technical solution, the stop block can serve as a physical limiting device for the movement of the movable block. By rationally designing the position and size of the stop block, the travel distance of the movable block on the screw can be precisely limited, ensuring accurate switching of the door hook between the locked and unlocked positions.
[0029] Optionally, in one possible implementation, an emergency unlocking mechanism is also included, which includes a pull cord and a handle, one end of the pull cord being connected to the guide cam and the other end extending to the outside of the housing and connected to the handle.
[0030] In the above technical solution, when the washing machine's electronic lock fails to unlock electrically due to sudden situations such as motor failure, circuit abnormality, or program malfunction, the emergency unlocking mechanism provides a reliable emergency manual unlocking method. The user simply pulls the handle located on the outside of the casing, transmitting force to the guide cam via a pull cord. This directly rotates the guide cam, disengaging the door hook and enabling quick door opening. Attached Figure Description
[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0032] Figure 1 This is an overall structural assembly drawing of one embodiment.
[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of one embodiment.
[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a door hook according to one embodiment.
[0035] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a guide cam in one embodiment.
[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a movable frame in one embodiment.
[0037] Reference numerals: 1-Outer shell; 11-Stop block; 12-Positioning block; 2-Door hook; 21-Guide post; 22-Locking buckle; 3-Moving frame; 31-Opening; 4-Guide cam; 41-Closing guide groove; 411-First guide part; 412-Second guide part; 42-Opening guide groove; 421-Third guide part; 422-Fourth guide part; 44-“V”-shaped inner wall; 45-Positioning part; 5-Drive mechanism; 51-Motor; 52-Screw; 6-Elastic limiting assembly; 61-Guide plate; 611-Limiting groove; 62-Elastic element; 7-Torsion spring; 8-Emergency unlocking mechanism; 81-Pull rope; 82-Handle. Detailed Implementation
[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of this application described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.
[0039] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0040] Please refer to Figure 1 This embodiment provides an electronic lock for a washing machine, including: a housing 1, a door hook 2, a locking mechanism, and a driving mechanism 5; the housing 1 has an internal receiving cavity; the door hook 2 is movably inserted into the housing 1, and the door hook 2 has a guide post 21 and a locking buckle 22, with the guide post 21 located within the receiving cavity; the locking mechanism is slidably disposed within the receiving cavity, including a moving frame 3 and a guide cam 4 elastically engaged within the moving frame 3; the guide cam 4 has a door-closing guide groove 41 and a door-opening guide groove 42 that communicate with each other; the driving mechanism 5 is used to drive the moving frame 3 to move below the locking buckle 22 to restrict the movement of the door hook 2;
[0041] When closing the door, pressing the door hook 2 causes the guide post 21 to slide from the starting end of the closing guide groove 41 to the starting end of the opening guide groove 42; when opening the door, pressing the door hook 2 again causes the guide post 21 to slide from the starting end of the opening guide groove 42 to the starting end of the closing guide groove 41.
[0042] This embodiment utilizes the interconnected closing guide groove 41 and opening guide groove 42 on the guide cam 4 to cleverly guide the movement trajectory of the guide post 21 on the door hook 2, realizing the switching between the two states of opening and closing. Whether closing or opening, the user only needs to perform the same action of pressing the door hook 2. Compared with the traditional pull-to-unlock method, the press-to-unlock method adopted by this utility model can effectively avoid the problem of the user damaging the door lock due to excessive force when the lock body is in the locked state.
[0043] Furthermore, the locking method of the lock body in this embodiment is simpler. Since opening and closing the door both require pressing the door hook 2, the moving frame 3 can be driven to the bottom of the locking buckle 22 by the driving mechanism 5 so that the door hook 2 cannot be pressed down.
[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, the electronic lock is used by installing the outer casing 1 on the main body of the washing machine, and one end of the door hook 2 is installed on the door. When the door is opened, the door will cause the door hook 2 to disengage from the outer casing 1. When the door needs to be closed, the door hook 2 is inserted into the outer casing 1 and pressed. The guide post 21 gradually squeezes the guide cam 4 from the starting end of the closing guide groove 41 until the guide post 21 enters the starting end of the opening guide groove 42. At this time, the guide post 21 abuts against the groove wall of the opening guide groove 42 to close the door. When the door needs to be opened, the door hook 2 is pressed again, and the guide post 21 will squeeze the guide cam 4 again and slide out along the opening guide groove 42 until it reaches the starting end of the closing guide groove 41 and disengages from the guide cam 4, thus completing the opening of the door. Since the guide cam 4 is elastically connected to the moving frame 3, the guide post 21 can always slide within the opening guide groove 42 or the closing guide groove 41.
[0045] In this embodiment, the door closing guide groove 41 includes a first guide portion 411 and a second guide portion 412 that are interconnected; the groove depth of the first guide portion 411 gradually decreases along its extension direction, and the groove depth of the second guide portion 412 is greater than the groove depth of the terminating end of the first guide portion 411.
[0046] In the initial stage of closing, when the guide post 21 enters the first guide section 411, as the door hook 2 is pressed down, the guide post 21 slides in the gradually shallowing groove, providing a smooth transition and avoiding jamming or impact caused by sudden changes in depth, making the closing action more stable. The groove depth of the second guide section 412 is greater than the groove depth at the end of the first guide section 411. When the guide post 21 enters the second guide section 412, it can slide in a relatively deep and stable groove, further ensuring the smoothness of the closing process.
[0047] In addition, the door opening guide groove 42 includes a third guide portion 421 and a fourth guide portion 422 that are interconnected; the third guide portion 421 is connected to the second guide portion 412, and the groove depth at the starting end of the third guide portion 421 is greater than the groove depth at the ending end of the second guide portion 412; the groove depth of the fourth guide portion 422 is a depth-gradient structure.
[0048] When the door is closed, the guide post 21 engages with the starting end of the third guide section 421. When the user presses the door hook 2 again to open the door, the guide post 21 moves along the third guide section 421 and the fourth guide section 422. When the guide post 21 enters the fourth guide section 422 from the third guide section 421, it can smoothly transition with the gradual change in groove depth, and the gradual structure can also push the guide post 21 out. During the opening process, the guide post 21 will not jam or jump due to sudden changes in depth, ensuring the continuity and stability of the door hook 2's movement.
[0049] In this embodiment, a torsion spring 7 is provided inside the receiving cavity. One end of the torsion spring 7 abuts against the outer shell 1, and the other end abuts against the bottom of the door hook 2.
[0050] The torsion spring 7 allows the guide post 21 to be pressed against the groove wall of the door opening guide groove 42 when the door is closed, providing a certain locking force to the guide post 21 and improving the stability of the lock. In addition, when unlocking, the guide post 21 can be pushed out, allowing the door hook 2 to pop out quickly for easy door opening.
[0051] It should be noted that in this embodiment, a top block is provided between the closing guide groove 41 and the opening guide groove 42. The top block is provided with an arc-shaped groove that matches the guide post 21. When the guide post 21 slides to the starting end of the opening guide groove 42, the guide post 21 is just engaged in the arc-shaped groove. In addition, the connection between the second guide part 412 and the third guide part 421 has a "V"-shaped inner wall 44. The tip of the "V"-shaped inner wall 44 points to the center of the arc-shaped groove, so that when the guide post 21 is in the closed state, the tip of the "V"-shaped inner wall 44 points exactly to the axis of the guide post 21.
[0052] In this embodiment, the movable frame 3 is provided with an opening 31 facing the guide post 21, and the guide cam 4 abuts against the opening 31 through the elastic limiting component 6.
[0053] The alignment of the opening 31 with the guide post 21, and the fixation of the guide cam 4 at the opening 31 by the elastic limiting component 6, make the cooperation between the moving frame 3, the guide cam 4, and the guide post 21 more tight and coordinated. The movement of the moving frame 3 drives the guide cam 4 to move synchronously. The guide cam 4 can move relative to the moving frame 3, and the guide cam 4 precisely guides the sliding of the guide post 21 through its guide groove, thereby realizing the locking and releasing of the door hook 2.
[0054] Specifically, the elastic limiting component 6 includes a guide plate 61 and an elastic element 62. The guide plate 61 abuts against the guide cam 4, and one end of the elastic element 62 abuts against the guide plate 61 and the other end abuts against the movable frame 3. The guide plate 61 is abutted against or fixedly connected to the guide cam 4, and the elastic element 62 is a metal spring. The guide plate 61 is provided with a limiting groove 611 that matches the elastic element 62.
[0055] The guide plate 61 directly abuts against the guide cam 4, providing precise planar positioning for the guide cam 4. The elastic element 62 allows the guide cam 4 to move relative to the moving frame 3. When the door hook 2 is pressed, the guide cam 4 can be squeezed to ensure that the guide post 21 can always slide within the closing guide groove 41 or the opening guide groove 42, preventing the guide post 21 from disengaging from the closing guide groove 41 or the opening guide groove 42.
[0056] In addition, the setting of the limiting groove 611 allows the elastic element 62 to be accurately embedded in it during installation, effectively preventing the elastic element 62 from shifting or falling off due to factors such as vibration and the reaction force generated by the door hook 2 during the operation of the washing machine.
[0057] It should be noted that a positioning block 12 is also provided in the receiving cavity of this embodiment, and a positioning part 45 that cooperates with the positioning block 12 is also provided on the guide cam 4. When the driving mechanism 5 drives the moving frame 3 to move until the positioning part 45 on the guide cam 4 abuts against the positioning block 12, the lock body is in the unlocked state, and the door hook 2 can be freely opened and closed. It can be understood that the driving mechanism 5 can continue to drive the moving frame 3 to move. At this time, since the guide cam 4 is restricted by the positioning block 12, the guide cam 4 will not move with the moving frame 3. The moving frame 3 can continue to move to the bottom of the locking buckle 22 to restrict the pressing action of the door hook 2 and realize the locking function of the lock body.
[0058] In this embodiment, the drive mechanism 5 includes a motor 51 and a screw 52 connected to the output end of the motor 51. The motor 51 is installed in the receiving cavity, and the screw 52 is threadedly connected to the movable frame 3.
[0059] The motor 51 and the screw 52 work together to convert the rotational motion of the motor 51 into the linear motion of the moving frame, thereby locking or unlocking the lock body. The motor 51 can drive the moving frame 3 to move closer to or away from the guide post 21 through the screw 52. When the moving frame 3 moves below the locking buckle 22, the door hook 2 is limited by the moving frame 3 and cannot be pressed, thus locking the lock body. When the moving frame 3 moves away from the locking buckle 22, the lock body automatically returns to the openable state.
[0060] In this embodiment, a stop block 11 is provided in the receiving cavity. The stop block 11 is located between the moving frame 3 and the motor 51. The screw 52 passes through the stop block 11 and is connected to the output end of the motor 51.
[0061] The stop block 11 can serve as a physical limiting device for the movement of the movable block. By rationally designing the position and size of the stop block 11, the movement stroke of the movable block on the screw 52 can be precisely limited, ensuring that the door hook 2 accurately switches between the locked and unlocked positions.
[0062] It should be noted that the electronic lock in this embodiment also includes an emergency unlocking mechanism 8, which includes a pull rope 81 and a handle 82. One end of the pull rope 81 is connected to the guide cam 4, and the other end extends to the outside of the housing 1 and is connected to the handle 82.
[0063] When the washing machine's electronic lock fails to unlock electrically due to sudden situations such as motor 51 malfunction, circuit abnormality, or program disorder, the emergency unlocking mechanism 8 provides a reliable emergency manual unlocking method. The user only needs to pull the handle 82 located on the outside of the outer casing 1, and the force is transmitted to the guide cam 4 through the pull rope 81, which directly drives the guide cam 4 to rotate, causing the door hook 2 to disengage from the locked state and achieve quick door opening.
[0064] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.
[0065] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0066] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. An electronic lock for a washing machine, characterized in that, include: The outer shell has an internal cavity; A door hook is movably inserted into the housing. The door hook is provided with a guide post and a locking buckle. The guide post is located in the receiving cavity. The locking mechanism is slidably disposed within the receiving cavity, including a movable frame and a guide cam elastically engaged within the movable frame; the guide cam is provided with a door-closing guide groove and a door-opening guide groove that communicate with each other; A drive mechanism is used to drive the movable frame to move below the locking latch to restrict the movement of the door hook; When closing the door, pressing the door hook causes the guide post to slide from the beginning of the closing guide groove to the beginning of the opening guide groove; when opening the door, pressing the door hook again causes the guide post to slide from the beginning of the opening guide groove to the beginning of the closing guide groove.
2. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The door closing guide groove includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion that are interconnected; the groove depth of the first guide portion gradually decreases along its extension direction, and the groove depth of the second guide portion is greater than the groove depth at the terminating end of the first guide portion.
3. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 2, characterized in that, The door opening guide groove includes a third guide section and a fourth guide section that are interconnected; the third guide section is connected to the second guide section, and the groove depth at the starting end of the third guide section is greater than the groove depth at the ending end of the second guide section; the groove depth of the fourth guide section is a depth-gradient structure.
4. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable frame has an opening facing the guide post, and the guide cam abuts against the opening through an elastic limiting component.
5. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic limiting component includes a guide plate and an elastic element. The guide plate abuts against the guide cam, and one end of the elastic element abuts against the guide plate and the other end abuts against the movable frame.
6. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide plate is provided with a limiting groove that matches the elastic element.
7. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity is equipped with a torsion spring, one end of which abuts against the outer shell and the other end of which abuts against the bottom of the door hook.
8. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes a motor and a screw connected to the output end of the motor. The motor is installed in the receiving cavity, and the screw is threadedly connected to the movable frame.
9. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cavity is equipped with a stop block, which is located between the moving frame and the motor. The screw passes through the stop block and is connected to the output end of the motor.
10. The washing machine electronic lock according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an emergency unlocking mechanism, which includes a pull cord and a handle. One end of the pull cord is connected to the guide cam, and the other end extends to the outside of the housing and is connected to the handle.