Household appliance and method for operating it

Abstract

Household appliance (1) comprising a housing device (2) with a treatment chamber (3) having an opening (4) for loading the treatment chamber (3), and a door (5) closing the opening (4) of the treatment chamber (3), wherein the door (5) comprises a lower stop (6) with a hinge device (7). A rail arrangement (9) with an extendable rail (10) is arranged on a wall (8) of the treatment chamber (3), wherein the rail arrangement (9) comprises a preloading device (11) which preloads the rail (10) from a retracted position (12) towards an extended position (13). Furthermore, a pivot lever arrangement (14) is provided with a pivot lever (15) with a fixed pivot axis (16) and with a first guide device (17) and a second guide device (18), wherein an end section (30) of the pivot lever (15) is connected in an articulated manner to a linearly displaceable part (19) of the hinge device (7).A retaining element (20) is guided over the guide devices (18, 19) of the pivot lever (15) and connected to the extendable rail (10). In the method for operating such a household appliance (1), the pivot lever (15) of the pivot lever arrangement (14) is pivoted by actuating the cooking chamber door (5), so that when the door (5) is opened, the rail (10) is moved into the extended position (13) by releasing the retaining element (20) by means of the preloading device (11). When the door (5) is closed, the rail (10) is retracted into the retracted position (12) by retracting the retaining element (20) when the pivot lever (15) is pivoted against the force of the preloading device (11).

Description

The present invention relates to a household appliance comprising at least one housing device with at least one treatment chamber with at least one opening for charging the treatment chamber, and at least one door closing the opening of the treatment chamber. The door comprises a lower stop with at least one hinge device and at least one rail arrangement with at least one extendable rail is arranged on at least one wall of the treatment space. The present invention also relates to a method for operating such a household appliance.In household appliances having a treatment chamber, for example in cooking appliances such as, for example, an oven, extracts for food carriers are known in the prior art. Such pull-outs are considered practical by many users, since the item to be cooked on the item carrier can be pulled out of the cooking chamber at least a certain distance and partially also completely via such a pull-out. This facilitates the control of the cooking progress, processing steps during the cooking process and also the loading of the cooking chamber.Other household appliances with a treatment room also have drawers or drawers or else baskets, such as refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and / or the like.Embodiments are particularly comfortable for a user in which such extensions take place automatically or coupled to the opening or closing of the door when opening or closing the door of such a treatment room.However, it is problematic that the door of a treatment room is usually opened in a manner pivoted from top to bottom or else laterally. This pivoting movement must be converted into a linear movement for extending and retracting the pull-out. For this purpose, mechanisms have become known, for example, which use a rather complex gear arrangement in order to extend and retract the drawer. However, such gear assemblies are complex in construction, costly to manufacture, and may also be susceptible to wear.It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an automatically extending and retracting extension which is of simpler construction.This object is achieved by a household appliance having the features of claim 1 and by a method for operating a household appliance having the features of claim 14. Further advantages and features of the invention are evident from the exemplary embodiments.The household appliance according to the invention comprises at least one housing device with at least one treatment chamber with at least one opening for charging the treatment chamber. At least one door closing the opening of the treatment chamber is provided, wherein the door comprises a lower stop with at least one hinge device. Furthermore, at least one rail arrangement with at least one extendable rail is arranged on at least one wall of the treatment space. The rail arrangement comprises at least one prestressing device which prestresses the rail from a retracted position in the direction of an extended position. Furthermore, at least one pivot lever arrangement is provided with at least one pivot lever with a fixed pivot axis with a first guide device and a second guide device. An end section of the pivot lever is connected in an articulated manner to at least one linearly displaceable part of the hinge device. Furthermore, at least one retaining element is provided, which is guided via the guide devices of the pivot lever and is connected to the extendable rail.The household appliance according to the invention can be, for example, a cooking appliance such as, for example, an oven, a microwave oven, a steam cooker, a combination appliance or the like, wherein the treatment chamber is then designed as a cooking chamber.The household appliance can, however, also be, for example, a dishwasher or also in the refrigerator or any other household appliance which has at least one extension which is advantageously intended to automatically extend when a door is opened. Thus, for example, in a cooking appliance, a product support can be automatically moved out of the cooking chamber when the door is opened. In a dishwasher, the baskets or at least one basket can be automatically extended during opening, depending on the design. In a refrigerator as well, a drawer or drawer can be automatically extended by the embodiment according to the invention, for example.The first and the second guide device are arranged spaced apart in particular along the pivot lever, so that the retaining element is guided during the movement of the pivot lever in such a way that the retaining element is further released or retracted.Depending on the configuration, the pivot lever can be arranged substantially horizontally or also vertically. Other positions or orientations can also be used advantageously depending on the field of application.The household appliance according to the invention offers many advantages. A considerable advantage is that an automatically displaceable rail is provided in a treatment space, wherein the rail is automatically extended depending on the open position of the door.In this case, a linear movement is achieved as a function of the pivoting movement of the door, for which purpose the pivot lever arrangement with the at least one pivot lever is provided. It is thus possible that, when the door is opened or the door is pivoted in a small manner, the retaining element is released by the pivoting lever being folded over in such a way that the prestressing device of the rail arrangement moves the at least one displaceable rail out of the treatment space.The configuration according to the invention makes it possible in particular to provide an automated movement of a rail without having to use complex technology with gearwheels or the like.The rail is also retracted in the same simple manner, wherein the pivoting of the door again translates a linear movement of the hinge device into the pivoting of the pivoting lever, so that the pivoting lever oscillates back and the retaining element is displaced back, whereby the rail is retracted against the prestressing force of the prestressing device, so that the door can be closed.Preferably, the pivot lever is connected in an articulated manner via at least one coupling element to the linearly displaceable part of the hinge device. In this case, the coupling element can be, for example, a rivet or the like, to which the pivot lever is articulated or connected.Particularly preferably, the retaining element is held in a fixed position on the hinge device and / or the housing device. It can thus be achieved that by the folding over of the pivot lever a relative release or extension of the retaining element can be achieved.In expedient refinements, the pivot axis is held in a fixed position on the hinge device and / or housing device. As already explained above, this is advantageous in order to achieve a corresponding release or relative extension of the retaining element to the displaceable rail.Preferably, the retaining element is substantially flexible at least in sections. It is thus possible for the retaining element to be guided well to the rail and to be connected thereto and to be flexibly displaceable during the displacement of the pivot lever.Particularly preferably, the retaining element is provided at least in sections by at least one cable or the like. A cable is in particular a cable-like element, a band or cable made of metal or another material, a belt, a chain, a cord and / or the like. In this case, it is preferably possible to use any material which has properties suitable for the desired use and additionally provides a certain flexibility.In advantageous refinements, at least one guide device or at least one further guide device is arranged behind the rear wall of the treatment space, wherein the retaining element is guided and deflected by the rear wall in order to be connected to the rail. It is particularly preferred that the retaining element is then guided at least twice through the rear wall, namely once from the pivot lever arrangement through the rear wall behind the treatment space, so that the retaining element behind the treatment space can be guided, for example, upward in the direction of the rail, wherein the retaining element is then guided through the rear wall back into the treatment space in the direction of the rail.In advantageous embodiments, at least one guide device is designed as a deflection device. It is thus possible in particular for the retaining element to be able to be guided to the rail in terms of space or installation space or else generally in suitable paths or tracks. In particular, the direction or the course of the retaining device or of the cable can thus be influenced.Preferably, at least one guide device comprises at least one roller. Such a configuration as a roller can in particular fulfil the function of a guide device and a deflection device.Preferably, the pivot axis of the pivot lever is provided substantially centrally between a first end position and a second end position of the pivot lever. In this case, the fastening of the pivot lever is provided in particular in such a way that the distance from the end stops is substantially the same, so that a preferably maximum length release can be made possible.Preferably, the rail is present in the retracted position when the pivot lever is present in the first end position and the rail is present in the extended position when the pivot lever is present in the second end position.Preferably, the rail arrangement comprises a plurality of rails. The rails can be provided in particular telescopically, wherein in each configuration with a plurality of rails, in particular each rail can be assigned at least one prestressing device, so that even when a plurality of rails are used, these are automatically prestressed in the direction of the extended position by means of a prestressing device.The household appliance is preferably designed as a cooking appliance and the rail arrangement provides at least one extension for at least one food carrier.The method according to the invention for operating a household appliance as described above is characterized in that the pivot lever of the pivot lever arrangement is folded over by actuating the cooking chamber door, so that the rail is moved into the extended position when the door is opened by the release of the retaining element by means of the preload device. Likewise, when the door is closed, the rail is retracted into the retracted position by the retraction of the retaining element when the pivot lever is moved over in the other direction counter to the force of the biasing device.The method according to the invention also offers the advantages as already explained above with respect to the household appliance according to the invention and in particular with respect to a cooking appliance.Further advantages and features of the present invention result from the exemplary embodiments which are explained below with reference to the attached figures.The figures show: FIG. 1 shows a purely schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a household appliance according to the invention with a retracted rail in an overview view and a sectional view from the side; and FIG. 2 shows the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 with the rail extended in an overview view and a sectional view from the side.FIG. 1 shows a purely schematic view in a small overview and a sectional view from the side of a household appliance 1 according to the invention, which in the exemplary embodiment shown here is designed as a cooking appliance 100. The household appliance 1 comprises a housing device 2, in which a treatment chamber 3 is formed, which in the exemplary embodiment shown provides a cooking chamber 101 of the cooking appliance 100.The treatment chamber 3 has an opening 4, via which the treatment chamber 3 or, in this case, the cooking chamber 101 can be supplied. Furthermore, a door is provided which closes the opening of the treatment chamber 3 and can be pivoted open or opened downward here and thus opens up the treatment chamber 3 or the opening 4.In the overview shown here, the door 5 is in a closed position, which covers the opening 4 of the treatment space 3. For pivoting open or opening the door 5, the door 5 has a lower stop 6 with a hinge device 7 or here in each case a hinge device 7 on both sides of the opening.Furthermore, a rail arrangement 9 with movable rails 10 is arranged in each case on the walls 8 or the side walls of the treatment space 3 in the treatment space 3. This provides a drawer 102 for a food carrier in the cooking chamber 101.According to the invention, the rail 10 or, in the case of a plurality of rails 10, the rails 10 are automatically moved or extended from a retracted position 12 in the direction of an extended position 13 when the door 5 is opened.For this purpose, according to the invention, a pivot lever arrangement 14 with at least one pivot lever 15 is provided, wherein the pivot lever 15 comprises a fixed pivot axis 16, about which the pivot lever 15 can be displaced from a first end position 28 to a second end position 29.In the exemplary embodiment shown, the lower end or an end section 30 of the pivot lever 15 is connected here by means of a coupling element 21 in an articulated manner to a linearly displaceable part 19 of the hinge device 7. This ensures that the pivoting movement of the door 5, i.e. the opening or closing of the door by a user, is translated into a linear movement which transfers the pivoting lever from the first end position 28 into the second end position 29.The pivot lever arrangement 14 can preferably be provided horizontally or also vertically or as desired. In particular, the upper or free section of the pivot lever 15 is moved from further front to further back in the treatment chamber 3.Furthermore, in addition to a plurality of rails 10 here, the rail arrangement 9 also comprises a prestressing device 11 per rail 10, which are designed here as springs. By means of these biasing devices 11, the rails 10 are biased in the direction of the extended position 13.The rails 10 are connected to a back retention element 20, which is designed here as a cable 22, wherein the cable 22 is guided here via a plurality of guide devices 17, 18, 23, 24 or deflecting device 26 from a fixed fastening 31 of the retention element 20 at one end to the rails 10.In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the guide devices 17, 18, 23, 24 are designed as rollers 27, so that the cable 22 can be optimally directed or guided the path from the fixed or stationary fastening 31 to the rails 10.In FIG. 1, the pivot lever 15 is pivoted into the first end position 28, which results from the door 5 being pivoted toward and thus the coupling element 21 being present in such a position that the pivot lever 15 is pivoted to the left about the pivot axis 16.In this position, the rails 10 are retracted by means of the retaining element 20 against the prestressing force of the prestressing devices 11 and are present in the retracted position 12.In order to guide or deflect the retaining element 20 as much hidden and safely as possible to the rails 10, the retaining element 20 or the cable 22 is guided in the exemplary embodiment shown through a small opening in the rear wall 25 behind the treatment space, is guided there via two guide devices 23, 24 or deflection devices 26 upwards here and is guided back again into the treatment space 3 to the rails 10 through a further small opening at the height of the rails 10 and is connected thereto.In FIG. 2, the exemplary embodiment shown above is again shown in a small overview view and in a sectional view from the side.In contrast to the situation in FIG. 1, the door for 5 is pivoted open here, such that the coupling element 21 has been displaced forwards together with the linearly displaceable part 19 of the hinge device 7 in the direction of the opening 4 of the treatment space 3.As a result, the pivot lever 15 is folded over about the fixed pivot axis 16, as a result of which the retaining element 20 is released relative to the rails 10, as a result of which the rails 10 are displaced forwards by means of the prestressing devices 11. Thus, opening the door 5 results in the pivot lever 15 being present in the second end position 29, in which the rails 10 are displaced into the extended position 13.A type of cable pull is provided by the pivot lever arrangement 14, wherein the retaining element 20 is nevertheless released without an actual change in length by the folding over of the pivot lever 15 relative to the rails 10.The fixed fastening 31 of the retaining element 20, the fixed pivot axis 16 and the coupling element 21 which can be displaced together with the linearly displaceable part 19 of the hinge device 7 are marked with dashed arrows in order to make the movement or the fixed position of the individual parts with respect to one another more clearly recognizable.List of reference characters1 Household appliance 2 housing device 3 treatment space 4 opening 5 door 6 stop 7 hinge device 8 wall 9 rail arrangement 10 rail 11 preloading device 12 retracted position 13 extended position 14 pivot lever arrangement 15 pivot lever 16 pivot axis 17 first guide device 18 second guide device 19 linearly displaceable part 20 retaining element 21 coupling element 22 cable 23 guide device 24 guide device 25 rear wall 26 deflection device 27 roller 28 first end position 29 second end position 30 end portion 100 cooking appliance 101 cooking chamber 102 drawer

Claims

Household appliance (1) comprising at least one housing device (2) with at least one treatment chamber (3) with at least one opening (4) for charging the treatment chamber (3), and at least one door (5) closing the opening (4) of the treatment chamber (3), wherein the door (5) comprises a lower stop (6) with at least one hinge device (7), and wherein at least one rail arrangement (9) with at least one extendable rail (10) is arranged on at least one wall (8) of the treatment chamber (3), characterised in that the rail arrangement (9) comprises at least one biasing device (11) which biases the rail (10) from a retracted position (12) in the direction of an extended position (13), and in that at least one pivot lever arrangement (14) is provided with at least one pivot lever (15) with a fixed pivot axis (16) and with at least one first guide device (17) and a second guide device (18), and in that an end section (30) of the pivot lever (15) is connected in an articulated manner to at least one linearly displaceable part (19) of the hinge device (7), and in that at least one retaining element (20) is guided over the guide devices (18, 19) of the pivot lever (15) and is connected to the extendable rail (10).Household appliance (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the pivot lever (15) is connected in an articulated manner via at least one coupling element (21) to the linearly displaceable part (19) of the hinge device (7).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the retaining element (20) is held in a fixed position on the hinge device (7) and / or the housing device (2).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pivot axis (16) is held in a fixed position on the hinge device (7) and / or the housing device (2).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the retaining element (20) is substantially flexible.Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the retaining element (20) is provided by at least one cable (22).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one guide device (23, 24) is arranged behind the rear wall (25) of the treatment space (3) and in that the retaining element (20) is guided and deflected by the rear wall (25) in order to be connected to the rail (10).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one guide device (17, 18, 23, 24) is designed as a deflection device (26).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one guide device (17, 18, 23, 24) comprises at least one roller (27).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pivot axis (16) is provided substantially centrally between a first end position (28) and a second end position (29) of the pivot lever (15).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rail is present in the retracted position (12) when the pivoting lever (15) is present in the first end position (28), and in that the rail is present in the extended position (12) when the pivoting lever (15) is present in the second end position (29).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rail arrangement (9) comprises a plurality of rails (10).Household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the household appliance (1) is a cooking appliance (100) and in that the rail arrangement (9) provides at least one drawer (101) for at least one food carrier.Method for operating a household appliance (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pivot lever (15) of the pivot lever arrangement (14) is folded over by actuating the cooking chamber door (5), such that the rail (10) is moved into the extended position (13) by the preload device (11) when the door (5) is opened by the release of the retaining element (20), and such that the rail (10) is retracted into the retracted position (12) when the door (5) is closed by the retraction of the retaining element (20) when the pivot lever (15) is folded over counter to the force of the preload device (11).

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