Switch arrangement for a household appliance

Abstract

Household appliance (2) with a switch (8) arranged on a base unit (4) and a cover (6) connectable to the base unit (4) such that the cover (6) covers the switch (8) in a closed position, while in an open position of the cover (6) the switch (8) is freely accessible, wherein the cover (6) comprises an actuating element (14) which enables the switch (8) to be actuated when the cover (6) is in a closed position, characterized in that the switch (8) extends to a surface of the base unit (4) facing the cover (6).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance with a switch arranged on a base unit, in particular with a switch arranged behind an openable or removable panel.

[0002] Most household appliances have at least one or more switches that are used to turn the appliance on or off or to set different operating modes, as is known, for example, from DE 103 09 823 A1, DE 198 31 850 A1, DE 86 10 241 U1, and EP 1 321 090 A2. Washing machines, for example, often have one or more buttons or push-buttons that activate different washing programs. The same applies to coffee machines, which usually have a main switch that can start the appliance or disconnect it from the power supply, as is known, for example, from DE 10 2004 027 841 A1 and DE 197 01 033 A1. Furthermore, coffee machines also have a number of additional control buttons to preselect different brewing programs or, in the case of fully automatic coffee machines, different extraction quantities or concentrations.

[0003] Particularly in the case of built-in appliances or appliances designed for installation, there is often a panel in front of the actual base unit, for example a washing machine in a built-in configuration, which can be matched to the decor of the furniture surrounding the built-in or built-in appliance. These panels offer visual advantages if the appliances are to blend in with the design of the surroundings, and they are often also functionally necessary to ensure safe and long-lasting operation of the household appliance. In the case of coffee machines or fully automatic coffee machines, for example, the coffee beans have to be fed in through an opening and the ground or used coffee residues have to be removed from the machine as grounds. This requires openings in the appliance, which in built-in appliances are only accessible from the front.In addition to the optical aspects, the cover also serves to ensure that no impurities or moisture can get into the coffee or the loading material of the household appliance.

[0004] The switches and controls of the household appliance must be positioned so that they can be operated safely and reliably, even if a panel is present, without, for example, allowing the appliance to be switched off accidentally or unnecessarily. This would lead to a loss of convenience in fully automatic coffee machines, for example, because the brewing unit requires a certain amount of time to preheat after being switched off before it is ready for use again and coffee can be dispensed from the machine. Furthermore, frequent switching on and off can increase wear on the electrical components and, for example, lead to increased calcification in such machines.

[0005] There are a number of solutions, particularly with regard to the on / off switch or the main switch on household appliances that have a pivoting door, a pivoting, sliding, or removable panel. In some cases, the main switch is mounted on the outside of the panel, requiring movable and therefore wear-prone cable glands to the panel and switch. The cables often carry mains voltage, which poses a safety risk in the event of a kink or breakage due to wear or fatigue. In other alternatives, the main switch is located behind the panel, which impairs ease of use and also causes wear on the panel's operating mechanisms, such as the hinges, because the panel or door must be opened to switch it on or off.

[0006] There is therefore a need to provide an improved switch arrangement for a household appliance with a base unit and with a panel arranged in front of the base unit.

[0007] The stated problem is solved by a household appliance having the features of claim 1. It should be explicitly noted here that the reference symbols contained in all claims are not intended to be used to restrict the wording of the claims. Rather, their implicit references to specific embodiments of the teaching defined in the claims are intended merely to facilitate understanding of the scope of protection defined by the wording of the claims.

[0008] Some embodiments of household appliances according to the invention, comprising a base unit and a panel connectable to the base unit, enable this by arranging a switch on the base unit such that it is covered by the panel when the panel is closed, while it is freely accessible to the operator when the panel is open. To enable the switch to be operated both in the closed and open positions of the panel, the panel further comprises an actuating element that enables the switch to be operated even when the panel is in the closed position.

[0009] This means that even with the cover closed, the user can still turn the machine on and off, for example, thus avoiding the aforementioned disadvantages. In particular, the switch can be located in a secure location within the base unit, protected from everyday influences, eliminating the need to route live cables into the cover via a hinge or other connecting mechanism. Furthermore, opening or removing the cover is no longer necessary to turn the machine on or off daily, which helps reduce wear and tear.

[0010] In other words, when using household appliances according to the invention, it is not necessary to integrate the main switch into the revolving door, thus eliminating the need for a cable guide. The main switch can be operated with the appliance open or closed. For example, by installing an auto-off main switch, the appliance needs to be switched on more frequently. When operated via an actuating element, opening a door is no longer necessary, which, among other things, improves ergonomics.

[0011] Advantageous training and further education, which can be used individually or in combination, are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0012] Some examples of household appliances are built-in appliances, meaning they are designed to be installed in furniture and, for example, have fastening devices for connecting to surrounding furniture parts. These can generally only be filled with a filling material from one direction via a filling opening. A filler in this sense is any material or object that is to be processed or treated with the household appliance, such as coffee beans in the case of a fully automatic coffee machine or laundry items in the case of a washing machine. Here, the cover is often necessary not only for cosmetic reasons, but also for functional or safety reasons, as already explained above.

[0013] In the case of a built-in fully automatic coffee machine, the coffee dispensing area may not be able to be located next to the filling opening for adding coffee beans and the disposal opening for disposing of the consumables or grounds for purely technical reasons, as there is not enough space to arrange these components side by side on a base unit. For this purpose, it may be necessary to position the dispensing area, from which the coffee can be dispensed, on the side facing away from the base unit of a panel covering the filling opening or the disposal opening in order to maintain the necessary space to place a cup or pot, even if the machine is fundamentally only accessible from one direction. This means that in such coffee machines or fully automatic coffee machines, the dispensing area for the coffee made with the coffee machine is located on the side of the household appliance facing away from the base unit.

[0014] In some embodiments, a push button is used as the on / off switch, so that the actuating element can be formed by a low-cost, linearly movable rod or the like made of a solid material, which extends from the operating element to the base unit when the panel is arranged in the closed position.

[0015] According to the invention, the switch extends to a surface of the base unit facing the panel. The embodiments of the present invention enable simplified operation with simple, cost-effective design and can prevent unnecessary wear. Thus, a visually appealing, robust, and reliable switch assembly can be provided.

[0016] Further advantageous embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing, to which the invention is not limited, however.

[0017] They show schematically: Fig. 1 a built-in coffee machine with a panel in a closed position; and Fig. 2 the built-in coffee machine with the panel in an open position.

[0018] In the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, like reference numerals designate like or comparable components.

[0019] Fig. Figure 1 shows, as an example of a household appliance, a built-in coffee machine 2 comprising a base unit 4 and a removable panel 6. The base unit 4 can be installed in a kitchen cabinet or the like. For the sake of clarity, the base unit 4 has fastening means (not shown here) by means of which the base unit 4 can be connected to the surrounding cabinet.

[0020] The basic unit 4 includes the components required to make the coffee, such as a grinder or a brewing unit, which are Fig. 1 are also not shown for reasons of clarity. The base unit 4 further comprises a switch 8, which extends to a surface of the base unit 4 facing the panel 6 and is designed as a push-button in this case. It goes without saying that any other types of switches, such as rocker switches, toggle switches, or slide switches, can be used in other embodiments of the invention.

[0021] The aperture 6, which in Fig. 1 is shown in the closed position, can be moved from the closed position to a position shown in Fig. 2, so that the switch 8 is freely accessible when the panel 6 is in the open position. The panel 6 comprises both purely optical and functional elements, in particular an outlet 10 for the produced coffee, which is arranged in a dispensing area on the side of the panel 6 facing away from the base unit 4. The dispensing area or outlet 10 serves to transfer the finished coffee into a container 12 arranged in the dispensing area.

[0022] In general, a cover should not be understood as merely a design part, but rather as any element or multi-part component that can be connected to the basic device and that, in the closed position, covers the switch 8 so that it is no longer directly accessible.

[0023] In order to enable actuation of the switch 8 even when the panel is in the closed position, the panel further comprises an actuating element 14 in the form of a rigid plastic component with an L-shaped cross-section, which is loaded by means of a spring 16, which fixes the actuating element 14 in its rest position, provided no external force is exerted on the actuating element 14. It goes without saying that in further embodiments, the actuating element 14 can also be designed in any other geometry, for example, the actuating element can also consist of a rocker-like mechanism if a rocker or another switching element is used as the switch 8. In further embodiments, the actuating element 14 does not move merely in a linear direction when actuated from the outside, as in Fig. 1, a force is exerted on the actuating element 14. For example, it is also possible to actuate the switch 8 by exerting a force by actuating a lever or via a joint using a lever mechanism. In the present case, the actuating element 14 is understood to mean all elements, single-part or multi-part, that transform a force exerted on the actuating element into a movement such that the switch 8 is actuated by the movement of the actuating element. Of course, any materials other than plastic can also be used.

[0024] For the sake of simplicity, the Fig. 1 and Fig.2, the mechanism by which the cover can be connected to the base unit 4 is not shown. This can be any mechanism by which the cover 6 remains permanently connected to the base unit 4, wherein parts of the cover 6 can change their relative position with respect to the base unit 4, for example a hinge. In alternative embodiments, the cover 6 as a whole can be locked to the base unit, for example by means of a snap mechanism, or separated from it again. In further alternative embodiments, the connection can be made by means of a sliding mechanism, i.e. the cover 6 can be moved linearly relative to the base unit 4, wherein at the end of the linear movement in the open position the switch 8 of the base unit 4 is freely accessible from the outside.

[0025] In other words, in some embodiments of the invention, the main switch actuation is also integrated into a pivoting door or a pivoting, sliding, or removable panel. The main switch is located in the base unit, and actuation is achieved via a mechanical slider or other mechanical element (rocker, button) with a reset mechanism in the door or panel.

[0026] When the appliance is closed, the operating slide is pushed forward with your finger. This slide activates the main switch on the base unit. This action turns the built-in fully automatic coffee machine on and off.

[0027] The embodiments of the present invention thus enable simplified operation with simple, cost-effective design and can prevent unnecessary wear. Thus, a visually appealing, robust, and reliable switch assembly can be provided.

[0028] Although in the preceding embodiments the switch arrangement for household appliances was discussed predominantly with reference to a fully automatic coffee machine, it goes without saying that in further embodiments such a switch arrangement can also be used in other household appliances, such as in vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, washing machines or similar household appliances.

[0029] The features disclosed in the above description, the claims and the drawings may be important both individually and in any combination for the realization of the invention in its various forms. List of reference symbols 2 built-in coffee machines 4 Basic unit 6 aperture 8 switches 10 Outlet 12 containers 14 Actuating element 16 spring

Claims

[1] Household appliance (2) with a switch (8) arranged on a base unit (4) and a panel (6) connectable to the base unit (4) in such a way that the panel (6) covers the switch (8) in a closed position, while in an open position of the panel (6) the switch (8) is freely accessible, wherein the panel (6) comprises an actuating element (14) which enables the switch (8) to be actuated when the panel (6) is in a closed position, characterized by that the switch (8) extends to a surface of the base unit (4) facing the panel (6). [2] Household appliance (2) according to claim 1, characterized by that the basic unit (4) can be installed in a cabinet. [3] Household appliance (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the switch (8) is a main switch for switching the basic unit (4) on or off. [4] Household appliance (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the switch (8) is a push button. [5] Household appliance (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating element (14) is a rigid body which is designed to transform a force exerted on the actuating element (14) into a linear movement when the shutter (6) is in the closed position, such that the switch (8) is actuated. [6] Household appliance (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the actuating element (14) is preloaded with a spring force in order to fix the actuating element (14) in a rest position in the absence of external force. [7] Household appliance (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the base unit (4) further comprises at least one disposal or filling opening for disposing of a consumable material or for filling a filler, which is arranged on the base unit (4) in such a way that the disposal or filling opening is covered by the cover (6) in the closed position. [8] Household appliance (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the household appliance (2) is a coffee machine or a fully automatic coffee machine. [9] Household appliance (2) according to claim 8, in which a dispensing area for a coffee prepared with the coffee machine is arranged on the side of the panel (6) facing away from the base unit (4). [10] Household appliance (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cover (6) is connected to the base unit (4) via a hinge.

Images