An appliance door lock

Abstract

The utility model discloses an electric appliance door lock, including casing, locking plate, locking body and elastic drive part, the casing has the lock mouth that can supply the door hook to insert the shell cavity and can supply the installation slot of locking body rotation or linear slip in the shell cavity, the locking plate articulates in the shell cavity, the elastic drive part can indirectly push the locking body rotation through the locking plate during normal door closing to give the door hook auxiliary door closing force, the locking body still can after the mistake touch through along the installation slot and move to make the door hook can insert and mutually engage, can solve the pain point of'can not close the door'after the mistake touch, and the door closing force requirement is smaller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of door locks, and in particular to the technical field of electrical door locks. Background Technology

[0002] For electrical appliances with functional cavities, a door is typically installed at the opening to allow it to be opened or closed, while a lock is installed between the appliance body and the door to lock the opening. Currently, common appliance locks on the market typically consist of a housing and a locking rod mounted on the appliance body and door respectively, as well as a rotatable latch connected within the housing. Examples include a door lock structure for electrical appliances (CN211818746U) and a washing machine using this lock structure, and a smart detection safety door lock for household appliances (CN119244087A). Their working principle is that when the user closes the appliance door, the locking rod on the door first inserts into the housing and initially engages with the latch until the latch rotates to the preset locking position (at which point the appliance door and appliance body are tightly locked). This structural design is widely used in household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers due to its ease of operation and stable locking.

[0003] However, in actual use, this type of traditional door lock has a significant drawback—it is prone to accidental triggering, causing the door to fail to close properly. Specifically, when the door is not closed, the locking body, due to the lack of effective protection of the portion exposed inside the housing, may be accidentally driven into the locked position by external non-hooking forces (for example, a child inserting a stick, finger, or other long object into the housing while playing, mimicking the action of the hook to push the locking body to rotate). After such accidental triggering, when the user attempts to close the door, the hook cannot properly insert into the housing and drive the locking body to rotate because the locking body is already in the locked position, resulting in the door failing to lock with the main body of the appliance, ultimately leading to a "door cannot be closed" malfunction. More problematic is that this type of malfunction is not a simple operational issue; users usually cannot resolve it themselves and must contact after-sales service personnel for professional handling. This not only affects the user's normal experience but also increases the user's time and after-sales maintenance costs, while also reducing the product's reliability. Furthermore, this type of traditional door lock often requires a relatively large closing force, resulting in a poor user experience.

[0004] In conclusion, how to solve the problem of traditional electrical door locks failing to close properly due to accidental triggering and resulting in a poor closing experience has become a technical direction that urgently needs improvement in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to solve the problems in the prior art by proposing an electrical door lock that can solve the problem of "not being able to close the door" after accidental activation, and requires less closing force.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model proposes an electrical door lock, comprising a housing, a locking plate, a locking body, and an elastic drive member. The housing has a lock opening for inserting a door hook into the housing cavity and a mounting groove for the locking body to rotate or slide linearly within the housing cavity. The locking plate is hinged to the housing cavity. The elastic drive member can indirectly push the locking body to rotate through the locking plate during normal door closing to provide auxiliary closing force to the door hook. The locking body can also move along the mounting groove after accidental activation so that the door hook can be inserted and engaged.

[0007] Preferably, one end of the locking plate is hinged to the housing, while the other end is indirectly fixed to the housing via an elastic drive member.

[0008] Preferably, the locking plate has a cavity that can be retracted into the elastic drive member.

[0009] Preferably, the elastic drive element is a straight spring aligned with the mounting slot.

[0010] Preferably, the locking body has an outwardly protruding portion formed by the intersection of an equidistant arc surface and a second flat inclined surface. The locking plate has a concave arc surface adapted to the equidistant arc surface and a first flat inclined surface that gradually thins its thickness from the end away from the hinge point to the end near the hinge point on the side facing the locking body. In case of accidental triggering, the door hook moves along the mounting groove during insertion by the driving force generated by the second flat inclined surface until the door hook engages with the locking body. The locking body can also be reset under the action of spring force.

[0011] Preferably, the convex portion ensures that the equidistant arc surfaces are in close contact with the concave arc surfaces when the door is normally open.

[0012] Preferably, the convex portion ensures that the connection between the equidistant arc surface and the second flat inclined surface is tightly attached to the first flat inclined surface when the door is normally closed.

[0013] Preferably, the convex portion ensures that the connection between the equidistant arc surface and the second flat inclined surface is tightly attached to the first flat inclined surface during the process of closing the door again after accidental contact.

[0014] Preferably, the locking body is provided with a rotating shaft, which extends into the mounting groove.

[0015] Preferably, the door hook has a through-hole at the insertion end, and the locking plate has a recess that can engage with the through-hole.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1) It solves the pain point of "not being able to close the door" after accidental activation, improving reliability: Traditional door locks will get stuck in the locking position after the locking body is accidentally activated (such as by a foreign object), causing the door hook to be unable to properly insert and lock; In this utility model, even if the locking body rotates to the locking position prematurely after accidental activation, the door hook can still push the locking body along the mounting groove until it locks with the locking body during the door closing process; This design allows the door lock to automatically restore the normal closing function without user or maintenance personnel intervention, completely avoiding the "not being able to close the door" failure caused by accidental activation of traditional door locks, reducing after-sales maintenance costs, and improving product reliability; 2) Provides stable auxiliary closing force and optimizes closing feel: In this utility model, the elastic drive component can indirectly push the locking body to rotate through the locking plate, thereby providing a continuous and stable auxiliary closing force to the door hook and reducing the manual pushing force when the user closes the door; at the same time, the locking plate is not only connected in a hinged manner (rather than a sliding connection) in the housing cavity, which can be subjected to less friction during rotation, but also can further ensure uniform and stable closing force through different stages of surface adaptation contact design with the locking body, avoiding the closing jamming phenomenon of traditional door locks and improving the user's operating feel; 3) Strong structural adaptability and high locking stability: In the utility model, the convex part of the locking body is composed of equidistant arc surfaces and a second flat inclined surface, which can be precisely matched with the concave arc surface and the first flat inclined surface of the locking plate. Thus, on the one hand, when the door is opened normally, the equidistant arc surfaces fit into the concave arc surfaces to ensure the initial position is stable. On the other hand, when the door is closed normally or after accidental contact and re-closing, the connection part between the equidistant arc surfaces and the second flat inclined surface fits into the first flat inclined surface to ensure the force balance of the locking body. In addition, the symmetrically arranged elastic drive members (straight springs) can also apply force evenly to the locking body, effectively preventing the locking body from tilting or loosening, further improving the locking stability, and making it more suitable for home appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers that require high-frequency opening and closing. 4) Compact structure, easy to assemble and adapt to existing equipment: The locking plate of this utility model can utilize the cavity to house the elastic drive component, thereby reducing the internal space occupied; in addition, the locking body can cooperate with the mounting groove through the rotating shaft to realize the compound motion of rotation and sliding, and the overall structure does not require complex transmission components; the above compact design not only facilitates production and assembly, but also adapts to the shell size of existing electrical appliances, and can replace traditional door locks without making major modifications to the main body of the electrical appliance, thus lowering the application threshold.

[0017] The features and advantages of this utility model will be described in detail through embodiments and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an exploded schematic diagram of an electrical door lock according to this utility model; Figure 2 This is an assembly diagram of an electrical door lock according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the normal open state of an electrical door lock according to this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the normal closing process of an electrical door lock according to this utility model; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of point A; Figure 6 yes Figure 4 An enlarged view of point B; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting slot position for an electrical door lock according to this utility model; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the process of closing the door again after accidental activation of an electrical door lock according to this utility model; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the normal opening process of an electrical door lock according to this utility model.

[0019] In the figure: 1-shell, 11-locking port, 12-mounting groove, 2-locking plate, 21-plate cavity, 22-concave arc surface, 23-first flat inclined surface, 3-locking body, 31-outward protrusion, 311-equidistant circular arc surface, 312-second flat inclined surface, 32-notch, 4-elastic drive component, 5-rotating shaft, 6-door hook, 61-through opening. Detailed Implementation

[0020] See Figures 1 to 9 This utility model discloses an electrical door lock, comprising a housing 1, a locking plate 2, a locking body 3, and an elastic drive member 4. The housing 1 has a lock opening 11 for inserting a door hook 6 into the housing cavity and a mounting groove 12 for rotating or sliding the locking body 3 within the housing cavity. The locking plate 2 is hinged to the housing cavity. The elastic drive member 4 can indirectly push the locking body 3 to rotate through the locking plate 2 during normal door closing to provide auxiliary closing force to the door hook 6. The locking body 3 can also move along the mounting groove 12 after accidental activation so that the door hook 6 can be inserted and engaged.

[0021] One end of the locking plate 2 is hinged to the housing 1, while the other end is indirectly fixed to the housing 1 through the elastic drive member 4. If the locking plate 2 is directly slidably connected to the housing cavity, the locking plate 2 will be subjected to a large frictional force during linear motion, resulting in a large fluctuation in the opening force. This hinged scheme can make the locking plate 2 subjected to a relatively small frictional force during rotational motion, thereby making the opening force more stable.

[0022] The locking plate 2 has a cavity 21 that can be retracted into the elastic drive member 4.

[0023] The elastic drive element 4 is a straight spring arranged in the direction of the mounting groove 12; in this embodiment, the number of elastic drive elements 4 is at least two and they are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the locking body 3; in addition, the elastic drive element 4 may also be only one in the middle.

[0024] The locking body 3 has an outwardly protruding portion 31 formed by the intersection of an equidistant arc surface 311 and a second flat inclined surface 312. The locking plate 2 has a concave arc surface 22 adapted to the equidistant arc surface 311 and a first flat inclined surface 23 whose thickness gradually decreases from the end away from the hinge point to the end near the hinge point on the side facing the locking body 3. In case of accidental triggering, the door hook 6 moves the locking body 3 along the mounting groove 12 during insertion by the driving force generated by the second flat inclined surface 312 until the door hook 6 and the locking body 3 are engaged. The locking body 3 can also be reset under the action of spring force. Compared with the traditional method of using two equidistant arc surfaces to contact the locking plate 2 and the locking body 3 (where the lever arm of the contact point between the two changes), this design can keep the lever arm of the point of action between the locking plate 2 and the locking body 3 constant. The convex portion 31 causes the equidistant arc surface 311 to be in close contact with the concave arc surface 22 when the door is open; that is, after the door is opened, the locking plate 2 and the locking body 3 are in contact through the arc structure, which makes it easier to maintain stability (due to the larger contact area).

[0025] The convex portion 31 ensures that the connection between the equidistant arc surface 311 and the second flat inclined surface 312 is tightly attached to the first flat inclined surface 23 when the door is normally closed.

[0026] The convex portion 31 ensures that the connection between the equidistant arc surface 311 and the second flat inclined surface 312 is tightly attached to the first flat inclined surface 23 during the process of closing the door again after accidental contact.

[0027] The locking body 3 is provided with a rotating shaft 5, which extends into the mounting groove 12.

[0028] The door hook 6 has a through-hole 61 at the insertion end, and the locking plate 2 has a recess 32 that can engage with the through-hole 61.

[0029] The working process of this utility model: See Figure 3 When the door is open normally, the locking body 3 is in the initial position (the equidistant arc surface 311 and the concave arc surface 22 are in close contact).

[0030] See Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6During the normal closing process (i.e., as the door gradually approaches the main body of the appliance and closes), the door hook 6 will gradually extend into the housing cavity along the lock opening 11 and push the locking body 3 to rotate counterclockwise until the opening 61 and the recess 32 engage and the connection between the equidistant arc surface 311 and the second flat inclined surface 312 is in close contact with the first flat inclined surface 23.

[0031] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 If the locking body 3 is accidentally rotated to the locking position in advance (i.e., the connection between the equidistant arc surface 311 and the second flat inclined surface 312 is in close contact with the first flat inclined surface 23), then when the user closes the door again, the locking body 3 will slide along the mounting groove 12 under the pushing action of the door hook 6 until the opening 61 and the recess 32 engage.

[0032] See Figure 9 During the normal opening process (i.e., while the appliance door is gradually moving away from the appliance body and opening), the door hook 6 will gradually exit the housing cavity along the lock opening 11 and pull the locking body 3 to rotate clockwise until the opening 61 separates from the recess 32 and the equidistant arc surface 311 and the concave arc surface 22 are tightly attached again.

[0033] The above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any simple modifications to the present invention are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical door lock, characterized in that: The device includes a housing (1), a locking plate (2), a locking body (3), and an elastic drive (4). The housing (1) has a locking slot (11) for inserting a door hook (6) into the housing cavity and a mounting groove (12) for rotating or sliding the locking body (3) within the housing cavity. The locking plate (2) is hinged to the housing cavity. The elastic drive (4) can indirectly push the locking body (3) to rotate through the locking plate (2) during normal closing to provide auxiliary closing force to the door hook (6). The locking body (3) can also move along the mounting groove (12) after accidental contact so that the door hook (6) can be inserted and engaged.

2. An electrical door lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the locking plate (2) is hinged to the housing (1), while the other end is indirectly fixed to the housing (1) through an elastic drive member (4).

3. An electrical door lock as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The locking plate (2) has a cavity (21) that can be retracted into the elastic drive member (4).

4. An electrical door lock as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic drive element (4) is a straight spring arranged in the direction of the mounting groove (12).

5. An electrical door lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The locking body (3) has an outwardly protruding part (31) formed by the intersection of an equidistant arc surface (311) and a second flat inclined surface (312). The locking plate (2) is provided with a concave arc surface (22) adapted to the equidistant arc surface (311) and a first flat inclined surface (23) that gradually thins its thickness from the end away from the hinge point to the end near the hinge point on the side facing the locking body (3). When the door hook (6) is accidentally triggered, the door hook (6) moves the locking body (3) along the mounting groove (12) during insertion by the driving force generated by the second flat inclined surface (312) until the door hook (6) engages with the locking body (3). The locking body (3) can also be reset under the action of spring force.

6. An electrical door lock as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The convex part (31) causes the equidistant arc surface (311) to be in close contact with the concave arc surface (22) when the door is normally open.

7. An electrical door lock as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The protruding part (31) ensures that the connection between the equidistant arc surface (311) and the second flat inclined surface (312) is tightly attached to the first flat inclined surface (23) when the door is normally closed.

8. An electrical door lock as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The protruding part (31) causes the connection between the equidistant arc surface (311) and the second flat inclined surface (312) to be closely attached to the first flat inclined surface (23) during the process of closing the door again after accidental contact.

9. An electrical door lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The locking body (3) is provided with a rotating shaft (5), which extends into the mounting groove (12).

10. An electrical door lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The door hook (6) has a through-hole (61) at the insertion end, and the locking plate (2) has a recess (32) that can engage with the through-hole (61).

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