Mechanism for a door of an electrical household appliance

Abstract

Mechanism (26) for a door (18) of an electrical household appliance (10), comprising - an opener (24) for pushing open the door, wherein the opener comprises an opener housing (48) and - accommodated therein - a pusher (50) arranged for a particularly linear pushing-open movement and a particularly electric motor drive (52) for the pusher, - a closure (22) designed as a separate structural unit from the opener (24) for keeping the door closed, wherein the closure (22) comprises a closure housing (30) and - received therein - at least one movably arranged closing element (32) and a closing spring arrangement (34) acting on the closing element, wherein the at least one closing element (32) is provided for engagement with a counter-body (28) which approaches the closing element (32) when the door is closed, in order to keep the door (18) closed, wherein the closure (22) has the function of mechanically influencing at least one movement feature of the handle (50) in such a way that the closure (22) contributes to the intended functioning of the opener (24) or is a prerequisite for this.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a mechanism for a door of an electrical household appliance.

[0002] Electrical household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, washer-dryers (i.e. combination appliances for washing and drying laundry), ovens and the like have a working area that can be closed by a door. To keep the door closed, these household appliances are equipped with a lock which, when the door is closed, engages with an approaching counter-body and holds this in a closed state of the lock. Usually, in its closed state, the lock offers a certain resistance to the opening of the door (closing holding force), which results from the need to initially tighten a closing spring arrangement of the lock when the door is opened until the counter-body is finally released again from the lock.

[0003] The use of openers is becoming increasingly widespread in household appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers. These openers allow the controlled opening of closed doors without the user having to manually pull on the door. Such an opening function, which can be executed purely program-controlled or upon input of a corresponding opening command by a user, allows the door to be opened slightly after the end of a household appliance's operating program, for example, to allow moisture to escape from the working area and / or accelerate the cooling process.

[0004] According to EP 2 394 558 B1, the closure and opener of a household dishwasher can be designed as mechanically and functionally completely separate assemblies.

[0005] Separate assemblies for an opener and a lock in a dishwasher are also described in WO 2022 / 045409 A1. The opener comprises an electric motor-driven lever body, which, when the opener is in operation, presses against the dishwasher door with a spring-loaded push rod and – in a force transmission path parallel to the push rod – acts on the lock to release it.

[0006] Another prior art door opener mechanism is known from US 2014 / 0346938 A1.

[0007] There may be a desire to maintain such a structurally separate design of the closure and opener. A structurally separate design of the closure and opener may be desirable, for example, if the assembly process for the household appliance provides for different phases for the installation of the closure and the installation of the opener into the household appliance. At the same time, however, it may be desirable to avoid complete functional separation of the closure and opener, for example, if a manufacturer of closures and openers wants to ensure that a purchaser only purchases the openers in a package with closures from the same manufacturer, rather than purchasing the closures from another source.

[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to show a way in which a functional dependency between the two units can be maintained despite the structural separation of the closure and the opener.

[0009] To achieve this object, the invention provides a mechanism for a door of an electrical household appliance having the features of claim 1, comprising an opener for pushing the door open, wherein the opener comprises an opener housing and - accommodated therein - a pusher arranged for a particularly linear pushing-open movement as well as an especially electric motor drive for the pusher; and a closure designed as a separate structural unit from the opener for keeping the door closed, wherein the closure comprises a closure housing and - accommodated therein - at least one movably arranged closing element as well as a closing spring arrangement acting on the closing element, wherein the at least one closing element is provided for engagement with a counter-body approaching the closing element when the door is closed, so as to keep the door closed.In such a mechanism, the closure serves to mechanically influence at least one movement characteristic of the handle. This ensures that the closure contributes to the intended functioning of the opener or is even a prerequisite for it.

[0010] The at least one movement feature of the handle can, for example, relate to a blocking of the handle from extending from an initial position into a forward position required for pushing open the door. According to certain embodiments, the lock has the function of mechanically releasing such a movement block of the handle. In these embodiments, the restriction of the handle's mobility is therefore eliminated by the lock. This means that the lock is required to enable the opener to perform its intended function (pushing open the door). For example, the movement block of the handle is only released upon proper installation of the lock and opener on the household appliance. As long as the lock is not installed on the household appliance, proper operation of the opener is not possible in such embodiments.Certain embodiments provide that the movement block of the push button is released as a result of a proper installation of the opener on the household appliance, after the lock has already been properly installed on the household appliance.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the closure has a release member which, upon assembly of the closure or upon assembly of the opener on the household appliance, urges a movably arranged blocking element from a blocking position, in which the blocking element is positioned to block the trigger, into a release position, in which the blocking element is positioned to release the trigger. The release member can be arranged stationary relative to the closure of the housing; for example, the release member is formed directly by the closure housing. The blocking element can be a component of the opener; in this case, it may be necessary to mount the opener on the household appliance to release the movement block of the trigger.Alternatively, it is conceivable that the blocking element is provided on a component of the household appliance separate from the lock and the opener. In this case, only the installation of the opener on the household appliance, as long as the lock is not yet mounted on the appliance, blocks the handle from moving into the forward position. In both cases, the installation of the lock on the household appliance is a prerequisite for the handle to be released for its intended movement when the opener is installed.

[0012] Alternatively or additionally, the at least one movement feature of the pusher can relate to its guidance in the direction of movement. Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the closure serves to guide the movement of the pusher. Certain embodiments provide in this regard that the pusher is designed as an elongated pusher rod, with the closure being designed with a guide lug, formed in particular by the closure housing, which is designed to engage in a guide groove of the pusher rod extending in the longitudinal direction of the rod for the purpose of longitudinally guiding the rod.

[0013] According to yet another alternative or additional possibility, the at least one movement feature of the pusher relates to its travel stroke. Certain embodiments provide in this regard that the closure has a function for limiting the travel stroke of the pusher. Certain embodiments provide that the closure has a stop, formed in particular by the closure housing, which, after the closure and the opener have been mounted on the household appliance, extends into the travel path of the pusher to limit its extension stroke.

[0014] The invention further provides an electrical household appliance comprising a main appliance body and a door movably mounted on the main appliance body for closing an access opening to a working space formed in the main appliance body. A mechanism of the type described above is mounted on the main appliance body.

[0015] Furthermore, the invention provides a method for assembling a household appliance of the type described, wherein the closure is mounted as a pre-assembled unit on the main body of the appliance, before the opener is subsequently mounted as a pre-assembled unit on the main body of the appliance. As a result of the assembly of the opener, the at least one movement feature of the pusher is in the intended state of being influenced by the closure.

[0016] The invention is further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show: Fig. 1 schematically shows a household dishwasher, Fig. 2a schematically shows a closure for installation in the dishwasher of the Fig. 1, Fig. 2b schematically shows an opener for installation in the dishwasher of the Fig. 1, Fig. 3a schematically shows the opener and the closure of the Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b in an embodiment in which the closure has a blocking release function for a push button of the opener, wherein the closure and the opener are in a mutual relative position before assuming a final assembly state in the dishwasher of the Fig. 1 are shown, Fig. 3b schematically shows the opener and the closure of the Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b in the design of the Fig. 3a, wherein the opener and the closure are shown in a mutual relative position after assuming a final assembly state in the dishwasher, Fig. 4 schematically shows the opener and the closure of the Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b in a configuration in which the closure has a guiding function for the push button of the opener, and Fig. 5 schematically shows the opener and the closure of the Fig. 2a, Fig. 2b in an embodiment in which the closure has a stroke limiting function for the push button of the opener.

[0017] It will initially be Fig. 1. The dishwasher shown therein, intended for use in a private household, is generally designated 10. It is an example of a household appliance in which a mechanism according to the invention, comprising an opener and a closure, can be used. However, a limitation of the field of application of mechanisms according to the invention to dishwashers is indicated by the Fig. 1 is not intended in any way. The dishwasher 10 comprises a washing container 12 (main appliance body) with a washing chamber 14 formed therein, which is accessible to a user through a front access opening 16. The latter can be closed by a door 18, which is pivotably mounted on the base of the washing container 12 about a horizontal pivot axis (not shown in detail).

[0018] Built into the roof of the washing tub 12 (designated 20) is a door mechanism comprising two separately pre-assembled structural units 22, 24, generally designated 26, which has a locking function for keeping the door 18 closed and an opening function for the mechanized, i.e., non-manual, opening of the door 18. The locking function is performed by one of the structural units (hereinafter referred to as structural unit 22), and the opening function by the other structural unit (hereinafter referred to as structural unit 24). The structural unit 22 can therefore also be referred to as a locking structural unit or, in short, as a lock, and the structural unit 24 as an opener structural unit or, in short, as an opener. When the door 18 is closed, the lock 22 interacts with a counter-body 28 arranged on the same, which in the example shown is of bow-shaped design, and which the lock 22 grips and holds in place to keep the door 18 closed.

[0019] To fulfill the locking function, a wide variety of designs of the locking unit 22 are conceivable. Fig. 2a schematically shows an exemplary embodiment in which the closure 22 - housed in a closure housing 30 - has a rotatably arranged rotary gripper 32 acting as a closing element within the meaning of the invention, as well as a closing spring 34 designed as a torsion spring in the example shown. The rotary gripper 32 has a gripping mouth 40 delimited by two jaws 36, 38, into which the counter-body 28 dips with a central web 42 when the door 18 is closed (along an arrow direction 44). The central web 42 abuts against a rear one of the jaws (here, jaw 38) and thereby causes the rotary gripper 32 to rotate. The rotation of the rotary gripper 32 causes the front one of the jaws (here, jaw 36) to engage behind the central web 42 of the counter-body 28 and thereby holds the counter-body 28 captive in the gripping mouth 40. Further details on a closure with such a rotary gripper can be found, for example,DE 198 37 248 A1, DE 10 2016 008 044 B4 or DE 10 2020 124 399 B3; the content of these documents is hereby incorporated in its entirety into the present disclosure by express reference. An alternative embodiment has, instead of a rotary gripper, an elongated locking body, which, when the door is closed, engages with a front gripping lug in a recess formed on the door, see, for example, DE 10 2006 037 494 B4, the content of which is hereby also incorporated in its entirety into the present disclosure by express reference.

[0020] In the closure 22 according to Fig. 2a, the closing spring 24 acts after the rotary gripper 32 has been moved from its Fig. 2a, has rotated into the gripping position in which it holds the counter-body 28 captive, preventing the rotary gripper 32 from rotating back towards the release position. Therefore, to open the door 18, this closing resistance of the lock 22 must be overcome. When opening the door 18 manually, the user must pull on the door 18 with a correspondingly strong force in order to overcome the closing force of the closing spring 34. During mechanized opening by means of the opener 24, the latter applies the necessary force. For this purpose, the opener 24 is Fig. 2b is designed with a pusher 50 that is linearly movable (along a double arrow 46) in an opener housing 48, which in the example shown is in the form of an elongated pusher rod and is mechanically connected to a drive 52 that is also housed in an opener housing 48. In certain embodiments, the drive 52 is an electric motor drive with an electric motor and, if necessary, a reduction gear. With such a design of the drive 52, the pusher 50 can be designed with a toothing (not shown in detail) with which an output-side pinion of the reduction gear meshes. Alternatively, it is conceivable to design the drive 52, for example, as an electromagnetic drive or as a spring drive. The invention is not subject to any restrictions in this regard.

[0021] The pusher 50 is actuated by the drive 52 from a Fig. 2b shown retracted position (initial position) into a forward position indicated by dashed lines. When the opener 24 is installed in the dishwasher 10, such a forward movement of the pusher 50, with the door 18 closed, leads to the door 18 being pushed open, whereby the opener 24 overcomes the closing force of the closure 22. The pusher 50 can press directly against the door 18 with a front rod tip, as shown in Fig. 2b is indicated.

[0022] Although the closure 22 and the opener 24 are designed as separate units and can be installed in the container roof 20 at different stages of the assembly process of the dishwasher 10, the closure 22 and the opener 24 are not completely functionally decoupled from each other. In this regard, reference is now made to the Fig. 3a, Fig. 3b, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, which shows three different possibilities for the functional coupling of the closure 22 and the opener 24. These three possibilities can be implemented individually or in combination.

[0023] When designing according to the Fig. 3a, Fig. 3b, the closure 22 has a blocking release function for the push button 50 of the opener 24. The opener 24 comprises a blocking element 54, which is arranged between a Fig. 3a shown blocking position and one in Fig. 3b shown release position. In the example shown, the blocking element 54 is designed as a pivotally mounted blocking lever; it is understood that other movable designs of the blocking element are readily possible, e.g., as a linearly movable slide. In its blocking position, the blocking element 54 blocks the pusher 50 against movement from the retracted position (initial position) into the advance position. For this purpose, for example, the blocking element 54 can be Fig. 3a, Fig. 3b, the blocking recess 56 of the pusher 50, indicated by dashed lines. Here, too, a variety of other configurations are conceivable as to how the blocking element 54 can be used to block the pusher 50 from leaving the retracted position or at least from reaching the advanced position.

[0024] If only the opener 24 is installed in the rinsing container 12, the blocking element 54 remains in its blocking position according to Fig. 3a; the opener 24 cannot then be used as intended because it is not possible to push open the door 18. The opener 24 can only be used if the closure 22 is also installed in the washing container 12. This is because the closure 22 is designed with a release element 58, which, when the closure 22 and the opener 24 are properly installed in the washing container 12, strikes the blocking element 54 and moves it from the blocking position into the release position according to Fig. 3b. In the release position, the trigger 50 is released for movement from the retracted position to the advanced position. The release member 58 can, for example, be formed by the breech housing 30 of the breech 22. Of course, the release member 58 can alternatively be formed by a component separate from the breech housing 30, which is received in the breech housing 30 and, if necessary, protrudes therefrom.

[0025] A possible sequence of events during the assembly of the dishwasher 10 is that the closure 22 is first installed in the roof 24 of the washing container 12. In a later phase of the assembly process, the opener 24 is then installed in the washing container 12, wherein during the installation of the opener 24, it is moved into a proper installation position relative to the closure 22 according to Fig. 3b. In the relative installation position, it is ensured that the release member 58 holds the blocking element 54 in its release position. Because the opener 24 cannot be used as intended without the closure 22, the closure 22 cannot be replaced by any other closure without a blocking release function for the opener 24.

[0026] When designing according to Fig. 4, the lock 22 has the function of guiding the movement of the push button 50 of the opener 24. The lock 22 therefore has the task of controlling the movement of the push button 50 in the direction of arrow 46 (cf. Fig. 2b). In the example shown, the Fig. 4 the pusher 50 has a guide groove 60 running in the longitudinal direction of the rod ( Fig. 4 schematically shows a section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rod, into which a nose-like guide projection 62 of the bolt 22 engages. The guide projection 62 is formed, for example, by the bolt housing 30 of the bolt 22 or is a separate component received in the bolt housing 30, possibly protruding from the bolt housing 30. It is understood that other design solutions for ensuring the guide function of the bolt 22 for the pusher 50 are conceivable.

[0027] Precise movement guidance of the pusher 50 may be necessary for the proper operation of the opener 24 and can prevent uncontrolled wobbling of the pusher 50 transverse to the direction of its pressing movement. To the extent that this guiding function is assumed by the closure 22 and its guide projection 62, the installation of both structural units 22, 24 in the rinsing container 12 is necessary. Without the closure 22 or when installing a differently designed closure, the pusher 50 of the opener 24 does not receive the required longitudinal guidance. The design according to Fig. 4 can therefore support the aim of being able to operate the opener 24 only in a package with a specific closure.

[0028] When designing according to Fig. 5, the closure 22 has the function of limiting the travel of the pusher 50. The closure 22 therefore forms an end stop for the advance movement of the pusher 50. For this purpose, the closure 22 is designed with a stop element 64, which - similar to the release member 58 and the guide projection 62 - can be formed directly by the closure housing 30 or can be accommodated as a separate component in the closure housing 30 and, if necessary, protrudes from the closure housing 30. Without the closure 22 and its stop element 64, there could be a risk that the pusher 50 extends too far out of the opener housing 48 and possibly falls out of it. The design according to Fig. 5 is therefore conducive to the aim of making the opener 24 functionally dependent on the closure 22 despite structural separation.

Claims

[1] Mechanism (26) for a door (18) of an electrical household appliance (10), comprising - an opener (24) for pushing open the door, wherein the opener comprises an opener housing (48) and - accommodated therein - a pusher (50) arranged for a particularly linear pushing-open movement and a particularly electric motor drive (52) for the pusher, - a closure (22) designed as a separate structural unit from the opener (24) for keeping the door closed, wherein the closure (22) comprises a closure housing (30) and - received therein - at least one movably arranged closing element (32) and a closing spring arrangement (34) acting on the closing element, wherein the at least one closing element (32) is provided for engagement with a counter-body (28) which approaches the closing element (32) when the door is closed, in order to keep the door (18) closed, wherein the closure (22) has the function of mechanically influencing at least one movement feature of the handle (50) in such a way that the closure (22) contributes to the intended functioning of the opener (24) or is a prerequisite for this. [2] Mechanism (26) according to claim 1, wherein the closure (22) has a function for mechanically releasing a movement blockage of the pusher (50). [3] Mechanism (26) according to claim 2, wherein the movement blocking of the pusher (50) is released by proper assembly of the closure (22) and the opener (24) on the household appliance (10). [4] Mechanism (26) according to claim 3, wherein the movement blocking of the pusher (50) is released by proper mounting of the opener (24) after the closure (22) has been properly mounted on the household appliance (10). [5] Mechanism (26) according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the closure (22) has a release member (58) which, when the closure (22) or when the opener (24) is mounted on the household appliance (10), urges a movably arranged blocking element (54) from a blocking position, in which the blocking element (54) is positioned to block the pusher (50), into a release position, in which the blocking element (54) is positioned to release the pusher (50). [6] Mechanism (26) according to claim 5, wherein the release member (58) is arranged stationary relative to the closure housing (30), in particular is formed by the closure housing (30). [7] Mechanism (26) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the blocking element (54) is part of the opener (24). [8] Mechanism (26) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the closure (22) has a function for guiding the movement of the pusher (50). [9] Mechanism (26) according to claim 8, wherein the pusher (50) is designed as an elongated pusher rod and the closure (22) is designed with a guide nose (62) formed in particular by the closure housing (30), which is provided for engagement in a guide groove (60) of the pusher rod running in the longitudinal direction of the rod for the purpose of its longitudinal guidance. [10] Mechanism (26) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the closure (22) has a function of limiting the stroke of movement of the pusher (50). [11] Mechanism (26) according to claim 10, wherein the closure (22) has a stop (64) formed in particular by the closure housing (30), which, after assembly of the closure (22) and the opener (24) on the household appliance (10), extends into the path of movement of the pusher (50) to limit its extension stroke. [12] Electrical household appliance (10) comprising an appliance main body (12) and a door (18) movably mounted on the appliance main body for closing an access opening (16) to a working space (14) formed in the appliance main body, wherein a mechanism (26) according to one of claims 1 to 11 is mounted on the appliance main body (12). [13] Method for assembling a household appliance (10) according to claim 12, wherein in the method the closure (22) is mounted as a pre-assembled unit on the appliance main body (12) before the opener (24) is subsequently mounted as a pre-assembled unit on the appliance main body (12), wherein as a result of the assembly of the opener (24) the at least one movement feature of the pusher is in the intended state of being influenced by the closure (22).

Images