Door lock assembly and household appliance comprising the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a door lock assembly (100) comprising a strike cam (30) configured to be switchable between a latching position and a release position, a locking bolt (50) configured to be switchable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and a bolt locking element (130) configured to release the locking bolt (50) to allow the locking bolt (50) to move automatically from the locked position to the unlocked position when the strike cam (30) is in the release position, and configured to prevent the locking bolt (50) from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position when the strike cam (30) is in the latching position. The present disclosure also provides a home appliance comprising the door lock assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to door lock components, and more specifically to a door lock component for a household appliance and a household appliance including the door lock component. Background Technology

[0002] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of presenting the general background of this disclosure. To the extent described in this section, the work of the currently named inventors and aspects that may not otherwise be described as prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly considered as prior art to this disclosure.

[0003] In household appliances (such as washing machines), door lock assemblies ensure reliable locking of the door during operation and have a main circuit disconnection function to prevent users from coming into contact with high-voltage components while the appliance is running. When a user closes the appliance door, the door hook inserts into the latch of the door lock assembly, causing the latch cam to rotate and engage the door hook. However, existing door lock assemblies typically require manual opening and closing of the door.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a door lock assembly that can reliably and automatically realize the unlocked (door not open) state, the unlocked (door open) state, the closed (door not locked) state, and the closed (door locked) state, and can reliably realize the power cut-off function. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure aims to provide a door lock assembly that can reliably and automatically realize an unlocked but not opened state, an unlocked and opened state, a closed but unlocked state, and a closed and locked state, and can reliably realize a power cut-off function.

[0006] In one aspect, a door lock assembly is provided, comprising: a latch cam configured to switch between a latched position and a released position; a locking latch configured to switch between a locked position and an unlocked position; and a latch locking element configured to release the locking latch when the latch cam is in the released position to allow the locking latch to automatically move from the locked position to the unlocked position, and configured to prevent the locking latch from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position when the latch cam is in the latched position.

[0007] In one example, the locking latch extends longitudinally and has a rearwardly projecting latch protrusion on its rearward side. The latch locking element may be configured as a spring, including a pivot portion defining a vertical spring rotation axis, a flat spring body extending to the right longitudinally in the XZ plane from the pivot portion, a spring protrusion formed by bending forward from the flat spring body, and an inclined spring portion bent rearward from the end of the flat spring body away from the pivot portion.

[0008] In one example, the door lock assembly may further include: a lateral slider configured to be driven forward from a first lateral slider position to a second lateral slider position by the door hook sidewall when the door hook is inserted into the lock hook cam; a lateral slider spring configured to bias the lateral slider backward; a high-voltage protection slider configured to be driven leftward from the first protection slider position to the second protection slider position when the lateral slider moves from the first lateral slider position to the second lateral slider position; and a high-voltage protection slider spring configured to bias the high-voltage protection slider to the right. The high-voltage protection slider may include a protective slider tilting portion, which cooperates with a tilting spring portion to allow the latch locking element to pivot about the pivot portion away from the latch protrusion when the high-voltage protection slider is in a first protective slider position, so as to allow the locking latch to automatically move from the locked position to the unlocked position, and to pivot the latch locking element about the pivot portion toward the latch protrusion when the high-voltage protection slider moves from the first protective slider position to the second protective slider position, so as to prevent the locking latch from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0009] In one example, the lateral slider may include a lateral slider inclined surface, and the high-voltage protection slider is provided with a protective slider inclined surface at the end facing the lateral slider. The lateral slider inclined surface and the protective slider inclined surface cooperate to convert the lateral movement of the lateral slider in the lateral direction into the longitudinal movement of the high-voltage protection slider.

[0010] In one example, the door lock assembly may further include: a motor; a transmission gear set connected to the motor; a compound gear including an input section, a latch output section, and a hook output section, the input section meshing with the transmission gear set, the latch output section and the hook output section being fixedly coaxially arranged with the input section; a locking latch; and a hook cam. The latch output section is configured to selectively drive the locking latch to switch between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the hook output section is configured to selectively drive the hook cam to switch between a latched position and a released position.

[0011] In one example, the latch output portion may be provided with latch drive teeth at its outer periphery, and the locking latch may be provided with latch teeth protruding vertically upward. The latch drive teeth can selectively engage with the locking latch to drive the locking latch from the unlock position to the left to the locked position when the compound gear rotates about the compound gear axis parallel to the transverse direction in a first rotational direction, and to drive the locking latch from the locked position to the unlock position when the compound gear rotates about the compound gear axis in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction.

[0012] In one example, the latch output may also be provided with a trigger tooth at its outer periphery, and the door lock assembly may also include a gear contact switch, the trigger tooth being configured to trigger the gear contact switch when the compound gear rotates a predetermined angle around the axis of the compound gear.

[0013] In one example, the latch drive teeth and trigger teeth may be offset in the circumferential direction.

[0014] In another aspect, a household appliance is provided, including the door lock assembly described above.

[0015] In one example, the household appliance includes a washing machine.

[0016] With the help of the latch output and the lock hook output of the compound gear, the locking latch and the lock hook cam are driven respectively. The door lock assembly can reliably and automatically realize the unlocked and closed state, the unlocked and opened state, the closed and unlocked state, and the closed and locked state. It can complete the two sets of actions of automatic opening / closing and automatic locking and automatic unlocking using only a single power mechanism (motor).

[0017] By means of the trigger teeth of the latch output section of the compound gear, the motor stops rotating when the compound gear rotates a predetermined angle around the axis of the compound gear, thereby ensuring reliable operation of the door lock assembly.

[0018] The latch locking element holds the locking latch in the locked position when the latch cam is in the latched position and the locking latch is in the locked position, thereby ensuring reliable operation of the door lock assembly.

[0019] The horizontal slider and the high-voltage protection slider allow the locking latch to automatically move from the locked position to the unlocked position when the door of a household appliance is forcibly pulled open, thereby disconnecting the main circuit of the household appliance and protecting it.

[0020] Other areas of application of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0021] This disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the base of the door lock assembly has been removed to better show the internal components of the door lock assembly.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein some parts of the door lock assembly have been removed to better show the other parts of the door lock assembly.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein some parts of the door lock assembly have been removed to better show the other parts of the door lock assembly.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a compound gear, a clutch gear, and a locking latch.

[0027] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An exploded perspective view, in which the input section of the compound gear has been removed to better show the other structures of the compound gear.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a latch output of a compound gear, a locking latch, a push rod, and a trigger rod.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch is in the initial position and the latch teeth of the locking latch are outside the envelope of the latch output portion of the compound gear.

[0030] Figure 9 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch is in the unlocked position and the latch teeth of the locking latch are within the envelope of the latch output portion of the compound gear.

[0031] Figure 10 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch is driven to a locked position by the latch output of a compound gear and the latch teeth of the locking latch are outside the envelope of the latch output of the compound gear.

[0032] Figure 11 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch moves to the right under the action of a push rod spring and the latch teeth of the locking latch are within the envelope of the latch output portion of the compound gear.

[0033] Figure 12 This is a perspective view of a latch locking element of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 13 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a latch locking element prevents the locking latch from moving from a locked position to an unlocked position.

[0035] Figure 14 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a latch locking element rotates counterclockwise to allow the locking latch to automatically move from a locked position to an unlocked position.

[0036] Figure 15 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a lock hook cam, a lock hook torsion spring, a lateral slider, a lateral slider spring, a longitudinal slider, and a longitudinal slider spring.

[0037] Figure 16 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a lock hook cam, a horizontal slider, a vertical slider, and a longitudinal slider.

[0038] Figure 17 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a longitudinal slider, a latch slider, and a locking latch.

[0039] Figure 18 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the longitudinal slider is in a second longitudinal slider position and the latch slider prevents the locking latch from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position.

[0040] Figure 19 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a longitudinal slider is in a first longitudinal slider position and a latch slider allows the locking latch to move from an unlocked position to a locked position.

[0041] Figure 20 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a clutch gear, a clutch gear torsion spring, and a lock hook cam.

[0042] Figure 21This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a clutch gear, a lock hook torsion spring, and a lock hook cam.

[0043] Figure 22 This is a timing diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear, wherein the door lock assembly is in an open state.

[0044] Figure 23 This is a timing diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear, wherein the lock hook torsion spring is at the cam flip point.

[0045] Figure 24 This is a timing state diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear, wherein the door lock assembly is at a minimum locking point, and wherein the clutch gear drive teeth of the lock hook output of the compound gear just drive the clutch gear teeth of the clutch gear outside the envelope of the clutch gear drive teeth.

[0046] Figure 25 This is a timing diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear, showing an intermediate state of the lock hook cam flipping, wherein the clutch engagement tooth is in a position between a position contacting a first edge of the clutch groove and a position contacting a second edge of the clutch groove.

[0047] Figure 26 This is a timing state diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear, wherein the door lock assembly is at a maximum locking point, and wherein the clutch engagement teeth are in contact with the second edge of the clutch groove and are within the envelope of the clutch gear drive teeth.

[0048] This disclosure is readily adaptable to various modifications and alternatives, some representative embodiments of which are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the novel aspects of this disclosure are not limited to the specific forms shown in the foregoing drawings. Rather, this disclosure will cover all modifications, equivalents, combinations, sub-combinations, arrangements, groupings, and alternatives that fall within the scope of this disclosure, for example, as covered by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0049] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit this disclosure, its application, or its use. This disclosure is readily embodied in many forms. Representative examples of this disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein; it is to be understood that these embodiments are provided as illustrative of the principles of the disclosure and not as limitations on the broad aspects of this disclosure. Furthermore, the drawings are generally schematic and not necessarily drawn to scale. Some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show detail of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but are merely intended to teach those skilled in the art a representative basis for using this disclosure in various ways. For this purpose, elements and limitations described, for example, in the abstract, background, summary, description of drawings, and detailed description sections but not expressly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated, individually or jointly, by implication, inference, or otherwise, into the claims.

[0050] Certain terms may be used for reference only in the following description and are therefore not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “above” and “below” refer to orientations in the referenced figures. Terms such as “front,” “rear,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “rear,” “side,” “up,” “down,” “top,” and “bottom” describe the orientation and / or position of parts of a component or element within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference, as will become clear from the text describing the component or element in question and the associated figures.

[0051] Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" may be used to describe individual components. These terms are used to describe the accompanying drawings and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0052] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of…” as used in this disclosure refers to “one or more” of the desired choices. As an example, the phrase “at least one of…” as used in this disclosure refers to “only one single choice” or “both of two choices” if the number of choices is two. As another example, the phrase “at least one of…” as used in this disclosure refers to “only one single choice” or “any combination of two or more choices” if the number of choices is three or more. Moreover, the term “and / or” as used in this disclosure refers to “either one or both”. For example, the phrase “at least one of A and B” includes (1) A alone, (2) B alone, and (3) both A and B. The phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” includes (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) both A and B, (5) both B and C, (6) both A and C, and (7) all A, B, and C. In other words, in this disclosure, the phrase “at least one of A and B” does not mean “at least one of A and at least one of B”.

[0053] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout several views to denote the same features. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the base 105 of the door lock assembly 100 is removed to better show the internal components of the door lock assembly 100. Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein some components of the door lock assembly 100 have been removed to better show the other components of the door lock assembly 100. Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein some components of the door lock assembly 100 have been removed to better show the other components of the door lock assembly 100.

[0054] The door lock assembly 100 is fixed to the body of a household appliance (not shown). In one example, the household appliance is a washing machine. As those skilled in the art will understand, the door lock assembly 100 of this disclosure can be used with any other suitable household appliance, such as a dryer, oven, microwave oven, etc., without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The door lock assembly 100 has a housing. As used herein, according to the door lock assembly 100 in, for example Figure 2In the orientation, the Z-axis and -Z-axis directions represent the vertical direction. The Z-axis direction represents vertically upward, which is the insertion direction of the door hook 101, and the -Z-axis direction represents vertically downward. The X-axis and -X-axis directions represent the longitudinal direction (left and right direction). The X-axis direction represents rightward, and the -X-axis direction represents leftward. The Y-axis and -Y-axis directions represent the lateral direction (front and back direction). The Y-axis direction represents backward, and the -Y-axis direction represents forward.

[0055] In one example, the door lock assembly 100 may include a door hook 101, a housing, a socket 103 disposed in the housing, a motor 1, a transmission gear set 2 connected to the motor 1, a compound gear 40, a locking latch 50, a manual unlocking lever 3, a manual unlocking lever spring 303, a latch spring 53, a lock hook cam 30, a lock hook torsion spring 33, a clutch gear 80, a clutch gear torsion spring 83, a push rod 120, a push rod spring 123, a trigger rod 20, a trigger rod spring 2, a micro switch 10, a gear contact switch 4, a latch locking element 130, a lateral slider 60, a lateral slider spring 63, a high-voltage protection slider 70, a high-voltage protection slider spring 73, a longitudinal slider 110, a longitudinal slider spring 113, a latch slider 90, and a latch slider spring 93. As those skilled in the art will understand, the door lock assembly 100 of this disclosure may employ more or fewer components without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0056] In one example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the housing includes a base 105 and a cover 104. As those skilled in the art will understand, the door lock assembly 100 of this disclosure can take any form of housing without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, in addition to the base 105 and the cover 104, the housing may also include any other suitable intermediate housing structure located within the base 105 and the cover 104 without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0057] In one example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the door hook 101 may include a door hook insertion rod 1011, a door hook sidewall 1013, and a door hook hole 1012. Figure 15 As shown, the locking cam 30 may include a first cam arm 31, a second cam arm 32, and a cam recess 34 defined by the first cam arm 31 and the second cam arm 32. When the user closes the door of the household appliance, the door hook insertion rod 1011 of the door hook 101 is inserted into the cam recess 34 of the locking cam 30 via the insertion port 103, causing the locking cam 30 to rotate. This causes the second cam arm 32 of the locking cam 30 to insert into the door hook hole 1012 to lock the door hook 101. At this time, the locking cam 30 is in the locked position. As used herein, in Figure 1In this document, the lock cam 30 is in the released position when the door hook 101 has not yet been inserted or has just contacted the lock cam 30. As used herein, the lock cam 30 can also be considered to be in the released position when the lock cam 30 is broken, causing the door hook 101 to be pulled out. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the door lock assembly 100 of this disclosure can employ any form of lock cam 30 and door hook 101 without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0058] The transmission gear set 2 is configured to reduce the output of the motor 1 and transmit it to the compound gear 40. In one example, the transmission gear set 2 may include four gears. As those skilled in the art will understand, the transmission gear set 2 of this disclosure may employ any other suitable number of gears, such as three, without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0059] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a compound gear 40, a clutch gear 80, and a locking latch 50. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 An exploded perspective view, in which the input portion 41 of the compound gear 40 is removed to better show the other structures of the compound gear 40. Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a latch output 42 of a compound gear 40, a locking latch 50, a push rod 120, and a trigger rod 20. Figure 8 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch 50 is in the initial latch position and the latch teeth 51 of the locking latch 50 are outside the envelope of the latch output portion 42 of the compound gear 40. Figure 9 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch 50 is in the unlocked position and the latch teeth 51 of the locking latch 50 are within the envelope of the latch output portion 42 of the compound gear 40. Figure 10 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch 50 is driven to a locked position by the latch output portion 42 of the compound gear 40 and the latch teeth 51 of the locking latch 50 are outside the envelope of the latch output portion 42 of the compound gear 40. Figure 11 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the locking latch 50 is moved to the right by the action of the push rod spring 123 and the latch teeth 51 of the locking latch 50 are within the envelope of the latch output portion 42 of the compound gear 40.

[0060] In one example, the compound gear 40 includes an input section 41, a latch output section 42, and a hook output section 43. The input section 41 meshes with the transmission gear set 2, and the latch output section 42 and the hook output section 43 are fixedly coaxially arranged with the input section 41. The latch output section 42 is configured to selectively drive the locking latch 50 to switch between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the hook output section 43 is configured to selectively drive the hook cam 30 to switch between a latched position and a released position. In one example, the input section 41, the latch output section 42, and the hook output section 43 may be integrally formed. As those skilled in the art will understand, the input section 41, the latch output section 42, and the hook output section 43 may be separate components and fixedly connected together in any suitable manner without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0061] In one example, the latch output portion 42 may be provided with latch drive teeth 425 at its outer periphery, and the locking latch 50 may be provided with vertically upward-projecting latch teeth 51. The latch drive teeth 425 may selectively engage with the locking latch 50 to drive the locking latch 50 from the unlocked position to the left to the locked position when the compound gear 40 rotates about a compound gear axis parallel to the transverse direction in a first rotational direction, and to drive the locking latch 50 from the locked position to the unlocked position when the compound gear 40 rotates about the compound gear axis in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. In one example, the latch output portion 42 is provided with a pair of latch drive teeth 425 that are diametrically opposed with respect to the compound gear axis. As those skilled in the art will understand, the latch output portion 42 of this disclosure may be provided with any other suitable number of latch drive teeth 425 that are diametrically opposed with respect to the compound gear axis without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0062] In one example, the latch output 42 may also be provided with a trigger tooth 421 on its outer periphery, and the gear contact switch 4 is provided with a resilient contact piece 401. The trigger tooth 421 is configured to contact the resilient contact piece 401 electrically connected to the gear contact switch 4 when the compound gear 40 rotates around the compound gear axis by a predetermined angle, thereby stopping the motor 1 from rotating and ensuring reliable operation of the door lock assembly 100. As those skilled in the art will understand, the gear contact switch 4 may not have a resilient contact piece, and the trigger tooth 421 may be configured to trigger the gear contact switch 4 when the compound gear 40 rotates around the compound gear axis by a predetermined angle, without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In one example, the latch drive tooth 425 and the trigger tooth 421 are offset in the circumferential direction. By means of the latch output 42 and the lock hook output 43 of the compound gear 40 driving the locking latch 50 and the lock hook cam 30 respectively, the door lock assembly 100 can reliably and automatically realize the unlocked closed state, the unlocked open state, the closed unlocked state, and the closed locked state.

[0063] The clutch gear 80 selectively engages with the lock hook cam 30 and is coaxially arranged with a cam axis 36 parallel to the transverse direction. It is configured to allow the lock hook cam 30 to switch between a locking position and a released position via a motor 1. With the aid of the clutch gear 80, the door lock assembly 100 can reliably achieve automatic opening and closing. When the motor 1 is off or not operating, the compound gear 40 is disengaged from the clutch gear 80, allowing the lock hook cam 30 to rotate freely, enabling manual opening and closing.

[0064] In one example, the lock hook output part 43 may be provided with a clutch gear drive tooth 431 on its outer periphery, and the clutch gear 80 may be provided with a clutch gear tooth 81 on its outer periphery. The clutch gear drive tooth 431 can selectively engage with the clutch gear tooth 81 to drive the lock hook cam 30 from the release position to the latching position when the compound gear 40 rotates around the compound gear axis parallel to the transverse direction in a first rotational direction, and to drive the lock hook cam 30 from the latching position to the release position when the compound gear 40 rotates around the compound gear axis in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. In one example, the latch drive tooth 425 and the clutch gear drive tooth 431 are offset in the circumferential direction to realize the timing control of automatic closing-automatic locking and automatic unlocking-automatic opening. For example, when the motor reverses, the locking latch 50 is moved to the unlocking position first, and then the lock hook cam 30 is driven to open the door. When the motor rotates forward, it first drives the latch cam 30 to close the door (after the latch cam 30 is in the latched position, the latch slider 90 moves the locking latch 50 from the initial position to the unlocked position, i.e., within the envelope of the latch drive teeth 425), and then moves the locking latch 50 to the locked position. When the latch cam 30 is not flipped to the correct position (i.e., not in the latched position), the latch slider 90 blocks the locking latch 50, preventing the locking latch 50 from moving to the unlocked position, i.e., within the envelope of the latch drive teeth 425, thereby ensuring that the automatic closing and automatic locking actions are separated, ensuring the reliable operation of the door lock assembly 100.

[0065] In one example, the push rod 120 extends longitudinally to the left of the locking latch 50. A push rod spring 123 is configured to bias the push rod 120 to the right. The trigger rod 20 extends laterally behind the push rod 120 and is provided with a trigger protrusion 21. The micro switch 10 is provided with a switch protrusion 11. In one example, the trigger protrusion 21 is located at the rear end of the trigger rod 20 and projects to the left. The switch protrusion 11 projects to the right. As those skilled in the art will understand, the trigger protrusion 21 and the switch protrusion 11 of this disclosure can take any other suitable form, as long as the trigger protrusion 21 and the switch protrusion 11 can selectively contact and separate from each other without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The trigger rod spring 23 is configured to bias the trigger rod 20 forward. When the locking latch 50 moves from the unlocked position to the left and then to the locked position, the locking latch 50 pushes the push rod 120 to the left, and the push rod 120 pushes the trigger rod 20 backward, causing the trigger protrusion 21 on the trigger rod 20 to contact the switch protrusion 11 on the micro switch 10, thereby connecting the main circuit. When the locking latch 50 moves from the locked position to the right and then to the unlocked position, the push rod spring 123 pushes the push rod 120 to the right, and the trigger rod spring 23 pushes the trigger rod 20 forward, causing the trigger protrusion 21 on the trigger rod 20 to move away from the switch protrusion 11 on the micro switch 10, thereby disconnecting the main circuit.

[0066] In one example, the push rod 120 has a push rod inclined surface 122 at its end near the trigger rod 20, and the trigger rod 20 has a trigger rod inclined surface 22 at its end near the push rod 120. The push rod inclined surface 122 and the trigger rod inclined surface 22 cooperate to convert a leftward movement of the push rod 120 into a backward movement of the trigger rod 20. As those skilled in the art will understand, the door lock assembly 100 of this disclosure may not include the trigger rod 20 and the push rod 120, and may employ any other form of transmission structure, as long as the transmission structure can trigger the micro switch 10 when the locking latch 50 is in the locked position, without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The arrangement of the trigger rod 20 and the push rod 120 can maximize the use of the internal space of the door lock assembly 100, thereby reducing the size of the door lock assembly 100.

[0067] Figure 12 This is a perspective view of the latch locking element 130 of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 13 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a latch locking element 130 prevents the locking latch 50 from moving from a locked position to an unlocked position. Figure 14 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein a latch locking element 130 rotates counterclockwise to allow the locking latch 50 to automatically move from a locked position to an unlocked position.

[0068] The latch locking element 130 is configured to release the locking latch 50 when the latch cam 30 is in the release position to allow the locking latch 50 to automatically move from the locked position to the unlocked position, and is configured to prevent the locking latch 50 from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position when the latch cam 30 is in the latched position and the locking latch 50 is in the locked position. In one example, the locking latch 50 extends longitudinally and has a rearwardly projecting latch protrusion 56 on its rearward side. In one example, the latch locking element 130 is configured as a spring, including a pivot portion 131 defining a vertical spring rotation axis, a flat spring body 132 extending to the right longitudinally in the XZ plane from the pivot portion 131, a spring protrusion 133 bent forward from the flat spring body 132, and an inclined spring portion 134 bent rearward from the end of the flat spring body 132 away from the pivot portion 131.

[0069] The lateral slider 60 is configured to be driven forward from the first lateral slider position to the second lateral slider position by the hook sidewall 1013 of the hook 101 when the hook 101 is inserted into the locking hook cam 30. The lateral slider spring 63 is configured to bias the lateral slider 60 backward. The high-voltage protection slider 70 is configured to be driven to the left from the first protection slider position to the second protection slider position when the lateral slider 60 moves from the first lateral slider position to the second lateral slider position. The high-voltage protection slider spring 73 is configured to bias the high-voltage protection slider 70 to the right. In one example, the high-voltage protection slider 70 includes a protection slider tilting portion 71 that engages with a tilting spring portion 134 to allow the latch locking element 130 to pivot about the pivot portion 131 away from the latch protrusion 56 when the high-voltage protection slider 70 is in a first protection slider position, allowing the locking latch 50 to automatically move from the locked position to the unlocked position, and to pivot the latch locking element 130 about the pivot portion 131 toward the latch protrusion 56 when the high-voltage protection slider 70 moves from the first protection slider position to the second protection slider position, preventing the locking latch 50 from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0070] In one example, the lateral slider 60 may include a lateral slider inclined surface 64, and the high-voltage protection slider 70 has a protective slider inclined surface 74 at its right end facing the lateral slider 60. The lateral slider inclined surface 64 and the protective slider inclined surface 74 cooperate to convert the lateral movement of the lateral slider 60 into longitudinal movement of the high-voltage protection slider 70. In one example, the lateral slider 60 may include a lateral slider recess 62 on its left side, configured to receive the right end of the high-voltage protection slider 70. The latch locking element 130 holds the locking latch 50 in the locked position when the lock hook cam 30 is in the latched position and the locking latch 50 is in the locked position, thereby ensuring reliable operation of the door lock assembly 100. The lateral slider 60 and the high-voltage protection slider 70 allow the locking latch 50 to automatically move from the locked position to the unlocked position when the door of the household appliance is forcibly pulled open, thereby disconnecting the main circuit of the household appliance and protecting the household appliance.

[0071] Figure 15 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a lock hook cam 30, a lock hook torsion spring 33, a lateral slider 60, a lateral slider spring 63, a longitudinal slider 110, and a longitudinal slider spring 113. Figure 16 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a lock hook cam 30, a horizontal slider 60, a vertical slider 110, and a longitudinal slider 110. Figure 17 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a longitudinal slider 110, a latch slider 90, and a locking latch 50. Figure 18 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the longitudinal slider 110 is in a second longitudinal slider position and the latch slider 90 prevents the locking latch 50 from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position. Figure 19 This is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the longitudinal slider 110 is in a first longitudinal slider position and the latch slider 90 allows the locking latch 50 to move from the unlocked position to the locked position.

[0072] The longitudinal slider 110 is configured to be driven to the left by the locking hook cam 30 from the first longitudinal slider position to the second longitudinal slider position when the locking hook cam 30 moves from the latching position to the releasing position. The latch slider 90 is configured to prevent the locking latch 50 from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position when the locking hook cam 30 is in the releasing position, and is configured to allow the locking latch 50 to move from the unlocked position to the locked position when the locking hook cam 30 is in the latching position. The latch spring 53 is configured to bias the locking latch 50 to the left. The longitudinal slider spring 113 is configured to bias the longitudinal slider 110 to the right. The latch slider spring 93 is configured to bias the latch slider 90 backward. Figure 15 As shown, the locking cam 30 may include a first cam arm 31, a second cam arm 32, and a cam notch 34 defined by the first cam arm 31 and the second cam arm 32. In one example, the longitudinal slider 110 is provided with a longitudinal slider mating surface 112 that mates with the second cam arm 32, and the transverse slider 60 is provided with a transverse slider mating surface 61 that mates with the hook sidewall 1013 of the door hook 101. When the door hook 101 is inserted into the locking cam 30, the hook sidewall 1013 of the door hook 101 pushes the transverse slider mating surface 61, causing the transverse slider 60 to move forward in the transverse direction. At the same time, as the second cam arm 32 rotates away from the longitudinal slider mating surface 112, the longitudinal slider 110 returns to the first longitudinal slider position from the second longitudinal slider position to the right under the spring biasing force of the longitudinal slider spring 113. When the door hook 101 is pulled out from the locking cam 30, the door hook sidewall 1013 of the door hook 101 moves away from the transverse slider mating surface 61, causing the transverse slider 60 to move backward in the transverse direction under the spring biasing force of the transverse slider spring 63. At the same time, the second cam arm 32 pushes the longitudinal slider mating surface 112, causing the longitudinal slider 110 to be driven to the left from the first longitudinal slider position to the second longitudinal slider position.

[0073] In one example, the longitudinal slider 110 may be provided with a longitudinal slider recess 111, and the latch slider 90 is provided with an insertion part 91 at the end facing the longitudinal slider 110. When the longitudinal slider 110 is in the first longitudinal slider position, the insertion part 91 is aligned with the longitudinal slider recess 111 in the lateral direction, so that the insertion part 91 can be inserted into the longitudinal slider recess 111 in the lateral direction under the spring biasing force of the latch slider spring 93. When the longitudinal slider 110 is in the second longitudinal slider position, the insertion part 91 is not aligned with the longitudinal slider recess 111 in the lateral direction, so as to prevent the insertion part 91 from being inserted into the longitudinal slider recess 111.

[0074] In one example, the locking latch 50 may further include a latch groove 54 disposed on a top surface and a latch stop 52 protruding vertically downward at the right end of the latch groove 54, the latch groove 54 being configured to receive the latch slider 90 and allow the latch slider 90 to move laterally within the latch groove 54. In one example, the latch slider 90 has a latch slider groove 95 disposed on its upper surface, the latch slider groove 95 being configured to receive the locking latch 50 and allow the locking latch 50 to move longitudinally within the latch slider groove 95. In one example, the latch slider 90 has a latch slider protrusion 92 disposed on the rearward side of the latch slider groove 95, the latch slider protrusion 92 protruding to the right and configured to prevent the locking latch 50 from moving to the left when the latch slider protrusion 92 is located within the latch groove 54. In one example, the insertion portion 91 is provided with an insertion inclined surface 96, which is configured to convert leftward movement of the longitudinal slider 110 into forward movement of the latch slider 90. In one example, the latch slider protrusion 92 is provided with a latch slider inclined surface 97, which is configured to drive the latch limiting portion 52 of the locking latch 50 when the latch slider 90 moves forward, such that the locking latch 50 moves rightward from the unlocked position to the latch initial position, in which the locking latch 50 is outside the envelope of the latch output portion 42, so that the latch output portion 42 cannot drive the locking latch 50. In one example, the locking latch 50 may also have a manual unlocking protrusion 55 protruding vertically upward at the right end of the locking latch 50. The manual unlocking lever 3 is configured to pull the manual unlocking protrusion 55 to the right when needed to move the locking latch 50 from the locked position to the unlocked position. The manual unlock lever spring 303 is configured to bias the manual unlock lever 3 to the left.

[0075] Figure 20 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a clutch gear 80, a clutch gear torsion spring 83, and a lock hook cam 30. Figure 21 This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a clutch gear 80, a hook torsion spring 33, and a hook cam 30. In one example, the hook cam 30 may include a pair of clutch engagement teeth 35 diametrically opposed about a cam axis 36, the pair of clutch engagement teeth 35 being disposed at the front end of the hook cam 30 and rotatable together with the hook cam 30 about the cam axis 36. The clutch gear 80 may include a pair of clutch grooves 87 diametrically opposed about the cam axis 36, the clutch grooves 87 being fan-shaped and having a larger circumferential extension than the clutch engagement teeth 35.

[0076] In one example, the locking hook torsion spring 33 includes a first locking hook torsion spring leg 37 and a second locking hook torsion spring leg 38. The first locking hook torsion spring leg 37 and the second locking hook torsion spring leg 38 are arranged parallel to and eccentrically with respect to the cam axis 36. The first locking hook torsion spring leg 37 is fixed inside the locking hook cam 30, and the second locking hook torsion spring leg 38 is fixed to the housing. The clutch groove 87 includes a first edge 88 and a second edge 89 along the circumferential direction of the clutch gear 80. When the locking cam 30 is in the released position, the first locking torsion spring leg 37 and the second locking torsion spring leg 38 are not coplanar with the cam axis 36. When the compound gear 40 rotates in the first rotation direction, the first edge 88 of the clutch groove 87 contacts the clutch engagement tooth 35 to drive the locking cam 30 from the released position to the locking position. When the locking cam 30 is in a position between the released position and the locking position, the first locking torsion spring leg 37 and the second locking torsion spring leg 38 are coplanar with the cam axis 36 to form a locking cam flipping point, so that the clutch engagement tooth 35 can flip from the position contacting the first edge 88 of the clutch groove 87 to the position contacting the second edge 89 of the clutch groove 87 by means of the restoring force of the locking torsion spring 33. At the point where the hook cam flips, the hook torsion spring 33 is twisted to its maximum, and because the first hook torsion spring leg 37 and the second hook torsion spring leg 38 are coplanar with the cam axis 36, the hook torsion spring 33 is at a critical point, capable of applying torque in either direction, thereby driving the hook cam 30 to rotate. As those skilled in the art will understand, the door lock assembly 100 may also include a hook tension spring or a hook compression spring in place of the hook torsion spring 33 without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0077] In one example, the clutch gear torsion spring 83 is disposed around the cam axis 36 and may include a first clutch support leg 831 and a second clutch support leg 832. The housing may be provided with a first positioning post 833 and a second positioning post 834, which are diametrically opposed about the cam axis 36. The clutch gear 80 may include a first clutch gear post 85 and a second clutch gear post 86, which project forward from the front end surface of the clutch gear 80 and are diametrically opposed about the cam axis 36. The clutch gear torsion spring 83, the first positioning post 833, the second positioning post 834, the first clutch gear post 85, and the second clutch gear post 86 cooperate to allow the clutch gear tooth 81 to return to the envelope of the clutch gear drive tooth 431 by means of the restoring force of the clutch gear torsion spring 83 after the clutch gear drive tooth 431 disengages from the clutch gear tooth 81.

[0078] Figure 22This is a timing diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear 80, wherein the door lock assembly 100 is in an open state. Figure 23 This is a timing diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear 80, wherein the lock hook torsion spring 33 is at the cam flip point. Figure 24 This is a timing state diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear 80, wherein the door lock assembly 100 is at a minimum locking point, wherein the clutch gear drive tooth 431 of the lock hook output portion 43 of the compound gear 40 just drives the clutch gear tooth 81 of the clutch gear 80 outside the envelope of the clutch gear drive tooth 431. Figure 25 This is a timing diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to the clutch gear 80, showing an intermediate state of the lock hook cam 30 being flipped, wherein the clutch engagement tooth 35 is in a position between contacting the clutch groove 87 at 89 and contacting the second edge of the clutch groove 87. Figure 26 This is a timing state diagram of an exemplary door lock assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, relating to a clutch gear 80, wherein the door lock assembly 100 is at the maximum locking point, wherein the clutch engagement tooth 35 is in contact with the second edge 89 of the clutch groove 87 and is within the envelope of the clutch gear drive tooth 431.

[0079] The operation of the door lock assembly 100 of this disclosure will now be described. When the door hook 101 is not inserted into the socket 103, the door lock assembly 100 is in an unlocked, closed state. The lock hook cam 30 is in the released position, the locking latch 50 is in the initial latch position and the latch teeth 51 of the locking latch 50 are outside the envelope of the latch output portion 42 of the compound gear 40, the lateral slider 60 is in the first lateral slider position, the longitudinal slider 110 is in the second longitudinal slider position, the insertion portion 91 of the latch slider 90 is not aligned with the longitudinal slider recess 111 of the longitudinal slider 110 in the lateral direction and is not inserted into the longitudinal slider recess 111 of the longitudinal slider 110, and the latch slider protrusion 92 is located in the latch groove 54, thereby preventing the locking latch 50 from moving to the left. When the door hook 101 contacts the lock hook cam 30, the motor 1 rotates forward, driving the compound gear 40 to rotate in the first rotation direction (clockwise). The clutch gear drive tooth 431 of the lock hook output part 43 of the compound gear 40 drives the clutch gear tooth 81 of the clutch gear 80 to rotate counterclockwise, causing the lock hook cam 30 to rotate counterclockwise around the cam axis 36, thereby driving the lock hook cam 30 to the lock position and realizing automatic door closing. Simultaneously, the lateral slider 60 moves forward to the second lateral slider position, and the longitudinal slider 110 moves to the right to the first longitudinal slider position. The insertion part 91 of the latch slider 90 aligns with the longitudinal slider recess 111 of the longitudinal slider 110 in the lateral direction and inserts into the longitudinal slider recess 111 of the longitudinal slider 110, causing the latch slider 90 to move backward in the lateral direction. The latch slider protrusion 92 of the latch slider 90 leaves the latch groove 54, thereby locking the latch 50 to move to the unlock position to the left under the spring bias of the latch spring 53, and locking the latch teeth 51 of the latch 50 to be within the envelope of the latch output part 42 of the compound gear 40. At this time, the door lock assembly 100 is in the closed and unlocked state. The motor 1 continues to rotate forward, thereby driving the latch output part 42 of the compound gear 40 to drive the latch teeth 51 of the latch 50 to move to the left to the locked position, realizing the automatic locking of the door lock assembly 100. The locking latch 50 pushes the push rod 120 to the left, and the push rod 120 pushes the trigger rod 20 backward, so that the trigger protrusion 21 on the trigger rod 20 contacts the switch protrusion 11 on the micro switch 10, thereby connecting the main circuit. The door lock assembly 100 is in the closed and locked state.

[0080] When motor 1 reverses, it drives compound gear 40 to rotate in the second rotation direction (counterclockwise), causing the latch output part 42 of compound gear 40 to drive the latch teeth 51 of latch 50 to move to the right to the unlock position, thereby automatically unlocking the door lock assembly 100. At this time, the door lock assembly 100 is in the unlocked and closed state. When motor 1 continues to reverse, the clutch gear drive teeth 431 of the lock hook output part 43 of compound gear 40 drives the clutch gear teeth 81 of clutch gear 80 to rotate clockwise, causing the lock hook cam 30 to rotate clockwise around the cam axis 36, thereby driving the lock hook cam 30 to the release position, thereby automatically opening the door. At this time, the door lock assembly 100 is in the unlocked and open state.

[0081] On the other hand, a household appliance is provided, including the door lock assembly 100 as described above. In one example, the household appliance includes a washing machine.

[0082] The foregoing description is illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure, its application, or use. The broad teachings of this disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes specific examples, its true scope should not be so limited, as other modifications will become apparent upon examination of the drawings, specification, and appended claims. For example, unless otherwise specifically stated, the size, shape, position, or orientation of various components may be varied as needed and / or desired, provided that such variations do not substantially affect their intended function. Unless otherwise specifically stated, directly connected or contacting components may have intermediate structures arranged between them, provided that such variations do not substantially affect their intended function. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the function of one element may be performed by two elements, and vice versa. The structure and function of one embodiment may be adopted in another embodiment. All advantages are not necessarily present simultaneously in a particular embodiment. Each feature unique compared to the prior art, individually or in combination with other features, should also be considered as the applicant's separate description of further inventions, including structural and / or functional concepts embodied by such features. It should be understood that one or more steps within the method may be performed in different orders (or simultaneously) without altering the principles of this disclosure. Furthermore, while each of the embodiments described above is described as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with reference to any embodiment of this disclosure may be implemented in and / or combined with features of any of other embodiments, even if such combinations are not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and substitutions of one or more embodiments for each other remain within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A door lock assembly, characterized in that, include: A locking hook cam, configured to switch between a locking position and a releasing position; A locking latch, configured to switch between a locked position and an unlocked position; as well as A latch locking element is configured to release the locking latch when the latch cam is in the release position to allow the locking latch to move automatically from the locked position to the unlocked position, and is configured to prevent the locking latch from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position when the latch cam is in the latch position.

2. The door lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The locking latch extends longitudinally and has a rearwardly projecting latch protrusion on its rearward side. The latch locking element is configured as a spring, including a pivot portion defining a vertical spring rotation axis, a flat spring body extending to the right longitudinally in the XZ plane from the pivot portion, a spring protrusion formed by bending forward from the flat spring body, and an inclined spring portion bent rearward from the end of the flat spring body away from the pivot portion.

3. The door lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein, The door lock assembly also includes: A lateral slider, configured to be driven forward from a first lateral slider position to a second lateral slider position by the hook sidewall of the hook when the hook is inserted into the locking hook cam; A lateral slider spring configured to bias a lateral slider backward; A high-voltage protection slider, configured such that when the horizontal slider moves from a first horizontal slider position to a second horizontal slider position, the horizontal slider is driven to the left from the first protection slider position to the second protection slider position; and A high-voltage protection slider spring, configured to bias the high-voltage protection slider to the right. The high-voltage protection slider includes a protective slider tilting portion, which cooperates with a tilting spring portion to allow the latch locking element to pivot around the pivot portion away from the latch protrusion when the high-voltage protection slider is in the first protective slider position, so as to allow the locking latch to automatically move from the locked position to the unlocked position. And when the high-voltage protection slider moves from the first protective slider position to the second protective slider position, the latch locking element is pivoted around the pivot portion toward the latch protrusion to prevent the locking latch from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position.

4. The door lock assembly according to claim 3, wherein, The lateral slider includes a lateral slider inclined surface, and the high-voltage protection slider is provided with a protective slider inclined surface at the end facing the lateral slider. The lateral slider inclined surface and the protective slider inclined surface cooperate to convert the movement of the lateral slider in the lateral direction into the movement of the high-voltage protection slider in the longitudinal direction.

5. The door lock assembly according to claim 2, wherein, The door lock assembly also includes: Electric motor; The transmission gear set connected to the motor; and A compound gear, comprising an input section, a latch output section, and a lock hook output section, wherein the input section meshes with a transmission gear set, and the latch output section and the lock hook output section are fixedly coaxially arranged with the input section; The latch output is configured to selectively drive the locking latch to switch between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the hook output is configured to selectively drive the hook cam to switch between a latched position and a released position.

6. The door lock assembly according to claim 5, wherein, The latch output section is provided with latch drive teeth at its outer periphery, and the locking latch is provided with latch teeth that protrude vertically upward. The latch drive teeth can selectively engage with the locking latch to drive the locking latch from the unlock position to the left to the locked position when the compound gear rotates around the compound gear axis parallel to the transverse direction in a first rotational direction, and to drive the locking latch from the locked position to the unlock position when the compound gear rotates around the compound gear axis in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction.

7. The door lock assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The latch output section is further provided with trigger teeth at its outer periphery, and the door lock assembly also includes a gear contact switch. The trigger teeth are configured to trigger the gear contact switch when the compound gear rotates around the axis of the compound gear by a predetermined angle.

8. The door lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein, The latch drive teeth and trigger teeth are offset in the circumferential direction.

9. A household appliance, characterized in that, Includes the door lock assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The household appliance according to claim 9, characterized in that, The household appliances include washing machines.

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