dishwasher

Abstract

Dishwasher (1) with a machine base (13) and a washing container providing a washing chamber, wherein the washing container has a washing chamber access opening that can be closed by means of a pivotable door (4), and with a door spring (7) that is arranged at one end with the interposition of a cable pull (6) on the door (4) and at the other end on the machine base (13), characterized by a break sensor (25) for the door spring (7).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a dishwasher, also called an automatic dishwasher, with a machine base and a washing container providing a washing chamber, wherein the washing container has a washing chamber access opening that can be closed by means of a pivotable door, and with a door spring that is arranged at one end with the interposition of a cable on the door and at the other end on the machine base.

[0002] Dishwashers of the aforementioned type, i.e., the generic type, are known per se from the prior art. They have a pivoting door, by means of which the wash chamber access opening can be closed.

[0003] To increase ease of use, dishwashers of the aforementioned type generally have systems that allow the door to be slowed down, particularly when swinging down. Typically, so-called door springs are used for this purpose. These are arranged on one end of the door, possibly with a cable interposed between them, and on the other end of the machine base.

[0004] Depending on the dishwasher's design, one or two door springs may be used. In the case of two door springs, a first door spring is preferably used on the left side of the door and a second door spring on the right side.

[0005] The use of the above-described door springs is particularly common in doors equipped with a decorative panel on the front that increases the overall weight of the door, as described, for example, in DE 10 2004 023 509 A1 or DE 10 2009 014 023 B3. Proper adjustment of the door springs ensures that the door remains locked in any angular position and does not open or close again on its own.

[0006] US 2009 / 0 031 848 A1 describes a dishwasher that opens and closes by a vertical up-and-down movement of a door caused by the pivoting of a pivot arm. A compression spring is designed and arranged in such a way that it prevents the opened door from suddenly falling down, even in the event of a spring break.

[0007] DE 195 33 153 A1 describes an automatic sliding door with an emergency opening or closing device. The emergency opening or closing device comprises a coil spring that is ineffective during normal operation and whose energy content is monitored by a sensor device.

[0008] The use of the door springs described above has proven itself in everyday practical use. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement, particularly with regard to increased operational reliability. Therefore, the object of the invention is to improve a dishwasher of the type mentioned above so that the door springs used provide increased operational reliability.

[0009] To achieve this object, the invention proposes a dishwasher of the type mentioned at the outset, which is characterized in that a break sensor is provided for the door spring.

[0010] If the door spring breaks, the door will swing open without stopping. This poses a significant safety risk because the door will fall into the fully open position without stopping when opened, posing a danger to the user, who could be struck and injured by the door falling without stopping. A door falling without stopping poses a particular danger to children standing in front of the dishwasher or crawling or creeping along it. This is even more true for doors with a decorative panel on the front, as such doors are comparatively heavy.

[0011] The inventive design provides a remedy for this. For example, a break sensor is provided for the door spring. The break sensor allows a possible break in the door spring to be detected, i.e., a defective or broken door spring can be identified using the break sensor. The break in the door spring can be indicated to the dishwasher user, if necessary also as a warning signal, for example, a warning light or warning tone. In this way, the dishwasher user is warned in advance and is not surprised by the door falling down uncontrollably when opening it. Instead, the user can open the door in a controlled manner, which minimizes the aforementioned safety risk and thus increases the overall operational reliability of the dishwasher according to the invention.

[0012] A break sensor can be provided for each door spring. If multiple door springs are provided, a common break sensor can also interact with all door springs. The only essential aspect of the invention is that the dishwasher has a break sensor that allows the detection of an otherwise undetected break in the door spring(s), making it possible to subsequently notify the dishwasher user of the door spring break via a signal output. If necessary, an additional door lock can also be provided that, in the event of a detected door spring break, closes the door. This lock must be actively, i.e., deliberately, unlocked by the user.

[0013] According to a further feature of the invention, the break sensor comprises a bolt that serves as an end support for the door spring and supports it against the machine base. The door spring is preferably designed as a spiral tension spring. For attachment to the machine base, the door spring has a hook-like extension on the machine base side. A bolt is provided to support the door spring against the machine base, which, when the door spring is finally assembled, is encompassed by its hook-like extension. In this way, the door spring is secured to the machine base of the dishwasher on the machine base side.

[0014] The bolt used to secure the door spring is part of the break sensor provided according to the invention. Preferably, the bolt is spring-mounted, oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of action of the door spring.

[0015] In its normal, intended condition, the door spring is pre-tensioned even when the door is closed. If a spring breaks, the force otherwise exerted on the bolt by the spring pre-tension is eliminated. Since the bolt itself is spring-mounted, the removal of this force caused by the door spring pre-tension causes the bolt to shift. This shifting movement of the bolt allows a door spring break to be detected.

[0016] According to a special embodiment of the invention, the bolt is mounted in a recess in the machine base for longitudinal displacement. The recess formed on the machine base thus serves as a guide for the bolt. Unintentional displacement of the bolt, i.e., displacement not caused by a door spring break, can thus be prevented, thus largely eliminating false alarms.

[0017] The recess formed on the machine base side is preferably a blind hole that opens downwards when the dishwasher is in use, and which accommodates a compression spring for the purpose of resiliently supporting the bolt. In the fully assembled state, the compression spring rests against the bottom of the blind hole on the one hand and the bolt on the other. The bolt is thus subjected to pressure by the compression spring and therefore tends to move out of the blind hole. If the door spring is intact, the bolt is pressed against the walls of the blind hole due to the preload exerted by the door spring. In this way, a friction surface is formed between the bolt on the one hand and the wall of the blind hole on the other.Normally, i.e., with an intact door spring, the force exerted by the compression spring on the bolt is insufficient to move the bolt from its home position, i.e., out of the blind hole, because the frictional forces between the bolt and the blind hole predominate. However, if the door spring breaks, the force exerted on the bolt due to its preload is lost, with the result that the frictional forces otherwise acting between the bolt and the blind hole are no longer sufficient to hold the compression-spring-loaded bolt in its home position. As a result, the bolt will fall out of the blind hole due to the compression spring acting on it and the force of gravity, which is recognized as a door spring break.

[0018] According to a further feature of the invention, the break sensor has a contactor. This contactor, in turn, has a contact breaker, which in turn interacts with the bolt guided in the blind hole. When the bolt moves, the contact breaker is activated, which, depending on the design of the contactor, either creates a contact or breaks a contact. In either case, the action of the bolt on the contact breaker results in a contact signal being emitted by the contactor, which can be used to signal the user that the door spring has broken, both visually and / or acoustically.

[0019] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the contactor comprises two sheet metal strips. The contact breaker is arranged between these two sheet metal strips, wherein it is preferably provided that the contact breaker is rotatably mounted and supported by a housing extension of the contactor. Normally, i.e., with an intact door spring, the two sheet metal strips of the contactor close an electrical circuit. If a spring breaks, the bolt of the break sensor shifts as described above, which in turn leads to a twisting movement of the contact breaker, since the bolt interacts with the contact breaker. As a result of the twisting movement of the contact breaker, the two sheet metal strips of the contactor are separated from one another, which subsequently leads to the interruption of the otherwise existing circuit.This circuit interruption can then be further processed in signal technology to indicate to the user of the dishwasher according to the invention that the door spring has broken.

[0020] According to a further feature of the invention, the contact breaker can be formed as a plastic part. Preferably, the plastic part is formed as an injection-molded part and has a U-shaped or L-shaped configuration.

[0021] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description based on the figures. These show: Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective rear view of a dishwasher according to the invention; Fig. 2 in a schematic side view of a door spring with the door closed; Fig. 3 in schematic side view a door spring with the door half-open; Fig. 4 in a schematic side view of a door spring with the door open; Fig. 5 shows a partial perspective rear view of the machine base supported by the base pan of the dishwasher; Fig. 6 the representation according to Fig. 5, but without machine base; Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of the fracture sensor according to Fig. 5; Fig. 8 shows a partially sectioned side view of the machine base supported by the base pan of the dishwasher in accordance with the illustration according to Fig. 5.

[0022] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic rear view of a dishwasher 1 according to the invention. This dishwasher comprises, in a conventional manner, a housing 2, which in turn provides housing walls 3 and a base pan 5. In the fully assembled state, the housing 2 of the dishwasher 1 accommodates a washing container (not shown in detail in the figures).

[0023] The washing container provides, in a manner known per se, a washing chamber that is accessible to a user of the dishwasher 1 via a washing chamber access opening at the front. The washing chamber access opening can be closed by means of a pivoting door 4.

[0024] The dishwasher 1 further comprises a door spring 7, which is arranged at one end with the interposition of a cable 6 on the door 4 and at the other end on the machine base 13, which machine base 13 is arranged in Fig. 1 is not shown.

[0025] The Fig. 2 to 4 show the functioning of the door spring 7 in a schematic side view.

[0026] The door spring 7 is designed as a spiral tension spring. It has hook-shaped sections on one end and the other, with a hook section 15a on the machine base side and a hook section 15b on the door side. The hook section 15a on the machine base side interacts with a bolt 8 serving as an abutment. By means of this bolt 8, the door spring 7 is held against the Fig. 2 to 4 not further shown machine base 13.

[0027] The hook section 15b provided on the door side interacts with the cable pull 6.

[0028] The cable pull 6, in turn, has a cable 9 that is guided over deflection pulleys 10. On the door spring side, the cable 9 is equipped with a coupling element 14, into which the door-side hook section 15b of the door spring 7 is hooked. At the other end, the cable 9 is connected to the door 4, for which purpose the cable 9 carries a connecting element 11 on the door side, which is articulated to an angle plate 12 of the door 4.

[0029] When the door 4 is pivoted from the Fig. In the closed position shown in Figure 2, the cable 9 is pulled in the direction of action of the door spring 7, resulting in an elongation of the door spring 7. A summary of the Fig. 2 to 4 clearly shows this, whereby Fig. 3 a door opening at an angle of 45 degrees and Fig. 4 shows a fully opened door 4.

[0030] The purpose of the door spring 7 is to slow down the door 4, especially when opening, so that it does not follow gravity into the open position. Fig. 4 falls. If the door spring 7 is correctly adjusted, it is ensured that the door 4 remains in any angular position and does not open or close again on its own.

[0031] The dishwasher 1 according to the invention has a break sensor 25 for the door spring 7. This makes it possible to detect a break in the door spring 7. The design of the break sensor 25 results from the Fig. 5 to 8.

[0032] As a summary of the Fig. 5, Fig. 6 and Fig. 8, the door spring 7 is accommodated in a cavity in the machine base 13. This cavity is open towards the base pan 5, as can be seen in particular from the illustration according to Fig. 8 results.

[0033] The bolt 8 serves to support the door spring 7 against the machine base 13 and serves as a counterbearing for the door spring 7. This bolt 8 is part of the break sensor 25.

[0034] As shown in particular in the Fig. 8, the bolt 8 is at least partially received in a recess 20 of the machine base 13, which is designed as a blind hole. With its end section opposite the bottom of the blind hole, the bolt 8 protrudes from the blind hole. This end section of the bolt 8 protruding from the blind hole is provided with a circumferential groove 21, into which the hook section 15a of the door spring 7, which is designed on the machine base side, engages in the final assembled state, as is particularly the case with the Fig. 6, Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 can be seen.

[0035] The break sensor 25 further comprises a contactor 26, also called a switching contact. The contactor 26 in turn comprises two sheet metal strips 17 and 18 arranged in a housing 16, which, as particularly Fig. 7 can be seen, when the door spring 7 is intact they are in contact with each other and thus form a closed circuit.

[0036] The housing 16 of the contactor 26 has a housing extension 24 on the door spring side. A plastic part 19 is rotatably mounted on this housing extension 24, which plastic part 19 serves as a contact breaker, as will be described below.

[0037] The bolt 8 is longitudinally displaceable within the recess 20 of the machine base 13, i.e. displaceable in the vertical direction 23 and interacts at one end with the U-shaped plastic part 19 arranged between the two sheet metal strips 17 and 18 of the contactor 26, as is particularly shown in the illustration according to Fig. 8 can be seen.

[0038] The bolt 8 is arranged in a blind hole 27. This blind hole 27 accommodates a compression spring 22. This compression spring 22 is supported on the one hand by the machine base 13 and on the other hand by the bolt 8.

[0039] The inventive operation of the break sensor 25 is as follows. The compression spring 22 rests with its ends on the machine base 13 on the one hand and on the bolt 8 on the other. The compression spring 22 loads the bolt 8 with pressure, so that it tends to move in the vertical direction 23 with respect to the plane of the drawing. Fig. 8 downwards out of the recess 20 formed in the machine base 13. In the normal case, that is to say with an intact door spring 7, the pressure force generated by the compression spring 22 is not sufficient to move the bolt 8 out of its Fig. 8, since the frictional forces prevailing between the bolt 8 and the inner wall of the recess 20 predominate. These frictional forces prevailing between the bolt 8 and the recess 20 arise because the door spring 7 is always under a certain pretension, even when the door 4 is closed, so that the bolt 8 is always pressed against the inner wall of the recess 20.

[0040] If the door spring 7 breaks, the force acting on the bolt 8 due to the spring preload is eliminated, so that, in contrast to the normal case, the friction effects between the bolt 8 and the recess 20 no longer outweigh the pressure force caused by the compression spring 22, which consequently leads to the bolt 8 being driven by the compression spring 22 from its Fig. 8 shown basic position out of the recess 20.

[0041] With reference to the drawing plane Fig. Below the bolt 8, an electrical switch in the form of a contactor 26 is formed. The switch essentially consists of a housing 16 and two sheet metal contacts in the form of sheet metal strips 17 and 18 housed therein. The sheet metal strips 17 and 18 touch each other and form a closed electrical contact as soon as an electrical circuit is connected to the sheet metal strips. A U-shaped bracket in the form of a plastic part 19 is arranged between the sheet metal strips 17 and 18, with the plastic part 19 being pivotably mounted.

[0042] In case of breakage of the door spring 7, the plastic part 19 is pushed back by the pressure of the Fig.8 is tilted downwards, forcing the two metal strips 17 and 18 apart. As a result, the electrical circuit opens, which is detected by the machine control system of the dishwasher 1. The machine control system can now issue a warning to the user of the dishwasher 1, for example, via an LED, a signal tone, a display, or the like. Furthermore, provision can be made to deactivate the door opening mechanism so that the door can no longer be opened.

Claims

[1] Dishwasher (1) with a machine base (13) and a washing container providing a washing chamber, wherein the washing container has a washing chamber access opening which can be closed by means of a pivotable door (4), and with a door spring (7) which is arranged at one end with the interposition of a cable (6) on the door (4) and at the other end on the machine base (13), characterized by a break sensor (25) for the door spring (7). [2] Dishwasher according to claim 1, characterized by that the break sensor (25) has a bolt (8) which serves as an abutment on the other end for the door spring (7) and supports it against the machine base (13). [3] Dishwasher according to claim 2, characterized by that the bolt (8) is spring-mounted substantially perpendicular to the direction of action of the door spring (7). [4] Dishwasher according to claim 3, characterized bythat the bolt (8) is mounted in a recess (20) of the machine base (13) so as to be longitudinally displaceable. [5] Dishwasher according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by that the bolt (8) is arranged in a blind hole (27) which is open downwards when the dishwasher is in use and from which it is pressed out by a compression spring (22). [6] Dishwasher according to claim 5, characterized by that the compression spring (22) is supported on the one hand on the machine base (13) and on the other hand on the bolt (8). [7] Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the break sensor (25) has a contactor (26). [8] Dishwasher according to claim 7, characterized by that the contactor (26) has a contact breaker. [9] Dishwasher according to claim 8, characterized bythat the contactor (26) has two sheet metal strips (17, 18) between which the contact breaker is arranged. [10] Dishwasher according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by that the contact breaker is rotatably mounted on a housing extension (24) of the contactor (26). [11] Dishwasher according to claim 8, 9 or 10, characterized by that the contact breaker interacts with the bolt (8). [12] Dishwasher according to one of the preceding claims 8 to 11, characterized by that the contact breaker is designed as a plastic part (19).

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