Locking device for a door of a domestic appliance

Abstract

A locking device for a door (3) of an electrical household appliance (1) is shown, comprising a gripping element (7) pivotably arranged between a gripping state (17) and a release state (10), which in the gripping state (17) engages in a locking body (15, 16) of a lockable door (3), wherein the gripping element (7) can be pivoted into the final gripping state (17) by means of a sliding element (11) of an electrically driven sliding mechanism (34), wherein the sliding mechanism (34) has a mechanically actuated decoupling element (37, 38) with which a first sliding part (36) for the drive (31, 32, 33) can be decoupled from a second sliding part (35) having the sliding element (11) in the direction of displacement movement (38).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a locking device for a door of an electrical household appliance, which has a gripping element pivotably arranged between a gripping state and a release state and a sliding mechanism.

[0002] Washing machines and tumble dryers for home use commonly have door latches that operate using a spring mechanism. To close the door, an initial push is required, in which the user presses against the door of the appliance to close it. This forces the door latch into a position where it holds the door closed.

[0003] When closing such doors, it is desirable that the force required is not too great, so that anyone can close them. This requires overcoming the resistance of sealing elements located between the door and the housing. If the force required to close the door is not to be too high, so that anyone can do so, then the resistance of the sealing elements must also not be too great, otherwise the door will not engage properly by latching into the locking mechanism. This, in turn, means that the sealing elements may not be able to perform their sealing function due to the lack of the compression force that should be acting on them when the door is closed. This leads to leaks, especially after prolonged use of the electrical appliance.However, if the sealing elements have been sufficiently compressed to ensure a secure seal, the pressure required by the user to close the door could be too great for weak people.

[0004] To assist with manual closing of such household appliance doors, motor-driven locking devices are also known. These allow the door to be automatically closed with the necessary compression force for the sealing elements, ensuring the required tightness, without any manual intervention.

[0005] However, such motorized locking devices have the disadvantage that they lock in the event of a power outage, making it impossible to access the laundry inside the appliance. This, in turn, means that the laundry remains wet in the appliance for an extended period, which can lead to mildew or other damage.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a locking device for a door of an electrical household appliance, in which it is possible to easily close the door with the necessary tightness against water leakage and to mechanically open the door in the event of a power failure.

[0007] This task is solved by a locking device for the door of an electrical household appliance, which has a gripping element pivotably arranged between a gripping state and a release state. In the gripping state, this gripping element engages in a locking body of a lockable door, and a sliding element of an electrically driven sliding mechanism allows the gripping element to be pivoted into its final gripping state. For subsequent manual opening of the door, a mechanically actuated decoupling element is provided, which allows a first drive sliding part to be decoupled from a second sliding part, which also contains the sliding element, in the direction of the sliding movement.

[0008] The gripping element is thus brought into its final gripping position by an electrically driven sliding mechanism, which engages the locking element (which can be designed, for example, as a pin element) attached to the door, thereby pulling the door firmly against the appliance housing. This ensures the required seal between the appliance housing and the door.

[0009] At the same time, the sliding mechanism is not only used to move the swiveling gripping element, but can also be divided into two parts, namely the first and the second sliding part, in order to decouple the two sliding parts and thus decouple the motor drive with associated gears and rack from the sliding element which holds the gripping element in the closed gripper position, i.e. in the gripping state.

[0010] By releasing the first sliding part from the second, the sliding element can then be pushed back into place, releasing the gripping element from its gripping position. This decoupling of the two sliding parts can be carried out purely mechanically using the decoupling element, thus requiring no power supply. Therefore, even in the event of a power failure, the door can be opened, allowing the removal of wet laundry from the washing machine or dry laundry from the dryer.

[0011] The decoupling element preferably comprises a lip-like component that extends in the direction of the sliding movement of the sliding mechanism, the first sliding part, and the second sliding part, and which can be brought into engagement with at least one projection. The projection is preferably attached to the first sliding part, whereas the lip-like component is arranged on the second sliding part.

[0012] In this way, with an engaging lip-like component featuring a corresponding recess in the aforementioned projection, both the first and second sliding parts are coupled and thus firmly connected. In this state, the locking mechanism operates normally. The unit consisting of the first and second connected sliding parts is moved by a motor drive such that the sliding element, during its pivoting motion, continues to move the gripping element until it reaches a position where, in its final position, the gripping element firmly engages the locking body, which, for example, is bolt-shaped and attached to the door.

[0013] The projection is preferably located on the first sliding part and the lip-like component is preferably located on the second sliding part, so that both sliding parts can be easily coupled to each other. Decoupling is also easily possible.

[0014] For manual decoupling in the event of a power failure, a pivotable hand lever is mounted on the housing of the locking device. This lever allows the lip-like component to be pushed out of its engagement with the projection. On the washing machine or tumble dryer, this hand lever is accessible from the outside and can be operated by anyone. The resulting decoupling of the two sliding parts means that the second sliding part, with its sliding element, can be moved backward independently of the first sliding part, which is held in its current position by the motor and its associated gears. This movement allows the second sliding part to be moved back into a position that no longer blocks the gripping element.

[0015] For electric drive, the first sliding section has at least one rack on its side, the teeth of which interact with gears driven by at least one electric motor. This allows for a relatively simple electric drive to perform a sliding movement of the first sliding section and, if necessary, also of the second sliding section.

[0016] Furthermore, the electric drive allows the coupling state to be restored if the two sliding elements are decoupled. For this purpose, the electric drive is operated in reverse to move both sliding elements back, with the second sliding element reaching a stop that halts it, while the first sliding element continues to be moved backward by the motor. This results in the coupling state between the two sliding elements being re-established by the lip-like component, as the lip-like component engages again in the projection.

[0017] Advantageously, the first and second sliding parts have the same directions of displacement, and their relative displacement is actuated by at least one spring element. This spring element is preferably designed as a compression spring and is in its relaxed state when the first sliding part is decoupled from the second. This means that when the two sliding parts are decoupled, the spring element is tensioned, so that when a decoupling process is initiated by means of the spring force, the two sliding parts move relative to each other without current flow, which is essential for decoupling the two sliding parts.

[0018] The gripping element is pivotally mounted on a pivot axis perpendicular to the direction of movement. It is preferably designed as a curved gripping groove to engage a pin-like locking element, which constitutes the locking body and is attached to the door, while the gripping element pivots. In this way, the pin-like locking element moves further and further into the gripping groove relative to the gripping element and, due to the curved shape of the gripping groove, is pulled firmly against the housing of the electrical household appliance and thus against the compression pressure of the sealing elements.

[0019] Further embodiments are described in the dependent claims in conjunction with the drawing.

[0020] This shows: Fig. 1 Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c show a washing machine with a door locking device according to the invention in a simple perspective schematic representation; Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c show a side view of the locking device according to an embodiment of the invention with a gripping element in various pivot positions; Figures 3a and 3b show a top view of the locking device according to an embodiment of the invention in the coupled and uncoupled states; Figures 4a and 4b show a partial top view of the locking device with the sliding mechanism according to the invention during the transition from the coupled to the uncoupled state; and Fig. 5a, 5b and 5c in a top view the closure device according to an embodiment of the invention during the transition from a decoupling state to a coupling state.

[0021] In Fig. 1 A washing machine is shown in perspective in a schematic diagram. This washing machine 1 comprises a housing 2 and a door 3, which is pivotally attached to the housing 2 by means of hinge elements 4. An internally located washing drum 5 has an opening at the front through which laundry can be loaded into the drum. The door 3 is closed by means of a locking device 6 and a closing element 15a and is adequately sealed to the housing 2.

[0022] In Fig. 2a , 2b and 2c A side view shows a section of the locking device according to the invention, in which a gripping element is shown in various pivot positions.

[0023] According to these illustrations, the locking device 6 comprised a pivotable gripping element 7, which can be pivoted about an axis 8. This is also indicated by the arrow 9.

[0024] The position in Fig. 2a This represents a release state 10. This means that a locking element (not shown in detail here), for example in the form of a locking bolt, has not yet been inserted into a locking opening 12 and is therefore not yet engaged by a gripping groove 13. Thus, the electrical household appliance is in a state where the door is open. The locking device is therefore in an open position.

[0025] In Fig. 2b A closing process takes place, which according to the illustration... Fig. 2c is completed in its final position. Fig. 2b A locking bolt 15 with its associated base body 16, which is attached to a door (not shown), is inserted into the opening 12 and engaged by the gripping groove 13 during this movement. The extension 14 of the gripping element 7 serves to initiate this pivoting process in the direction of arrow 9.

[0026] The Fig. 2b The intermediate state shown then transitions into a state that is in Fig. 2c The final state shown is reached. In this depicted final gripping state, the locking pin 15 is encompassed by the gripping groove 13 in such a way that it can no longer slide out of the opening 12. For this purpose, the gripping element 7 pivots about the pivot axis 8, as shown by the pivot arrow 18. As a result of this pivoting movement of the gripping element 7, the pin, together with the base body 16, is drawn into the opening 12. This is shown by arrow 19. This ensures that the sealing elements (not shown in detail) between the door and the base body of the household appliance are compressed so strongly in the area of ​​its opening that a seal is guaranteed during the washing process.

[0027] The pivoting movement and the blocking of the pivoting movement in the final state of the gripping element is supported by a movable sliding element 20, which - viewed in the plane of the image - grips under an outer surface of the gripping element 7 and thus supports the pivoting movement by the sliding movement according to the arrow 20 until the final state or the final gripping state 17 is reached.

[0028] In Fig. 3a und 3b The inventive locking device according to one embodiment of the invention is shown in a top view.

[0029] The locking device according to the invention has a circumferential housing, the upper extent of which is not shown in detail. An electric drive is provided by a motor 31, which interacts with a rack and its teeth 33 via gears 32. This rack is arranged on a first sliding part 35 of the sliding mechanism 34. The sliding mechanism 34 also includes the sliding rails arranged on the housing side, as can be seen in the upper area, as well as the second sliding part 36, which is coupled to the first sliding part 35.

[0030] The sliding mechanism is movable along the sliding directions 38 due to the sliding rails.

[0031] The Fig. 2a and 2bThe sliding element 11 described above is also moved by means of the second sliding part 35, to which the sliding element 11 is attached, provided that the second sliding part 35 is moved. The first sliding part 36, on the other hand, is connected to the rack 33 and is thus driven by the motor and the associated gears 30.

[0032] In Fig. 3a The figure shows a decoupling state between the first sliding part and the second sliding part. This means that the first sliding part 36 and the second sliding part 35 are connected to each other. Fig. 3b However, the two sliding parts 35,36 are decoupled from each other.

[0033] A lip-like component 37 is provided as a decoupling element, which is arranged on the second sliding part 35 and extends in the longitudinal direction or in the direction of the sliding movement 38. This lip-like component 37 can, as shown in Fig. 3b The first sliding part 36 can be deflected to the left to disengage from a pin or projection 39. This allows the second sliding part 35 to be pushed backwards, as indicated by arrow 43. This is also clearly visible upon closer inspection of the position of the lip-like component 37 in relation to the projection 38.

[0034] To support this decoupling movement independently of a motor drive, a spring element 44 is provided which moves the second sliding part 35 backwards relative to the first sliding part 36 in accordance with arrow 43.

[0035] To initiate such a decoupling process, only manual operation is necessary. This can be done independently of any current being supplied to the locking device.

[0036] A more detailed examination of the decoupling process can be found in the following figures. Fig. 4a and 4b The decoupling process of the two sliding parts 35 and 36 from each other is described in more detail. Figuren 4a and 4b An excerpt can be taken from it, which is in Fig. 3a und 3b is also present.

[0037] According to Fig. 4a The lip-like component 37 is still in a coupled state. The lip-like component 37 thus engages with a projection 38. Fig. 4b In contrast, the lip-like component 37 is no longer engaged with the projection 38. To achieve this, a manually operated lever 40 is provided, which is pivotally mounted on a pivot axis 42 relative to the housing. This lever 40 can be pivoted by means of a handle 41, which is pulled in the direction of arrow 43. This causes an extension 39 of the lever 40 to pivot in the same direction, as indicated by arrow 44, and the lip-like component 37 to be pushed out of engagement with the projection 38. This decouples the sliding part 36 from the sliding part 35.

[0038] In Fig. 5a, 5b and 5c The opposite coupling state is shown in 3 different sequence steps. For this purpose, the locking device is shown in a top view.

[0039] Initially, according to Fig. 5a The lip-like component 37 is outside the engagement of the projection 38 and therefore set back relative to the first sliding part 36. If a renewed coupling state of the two sliding parts 35, 36 is desired, the first sliding part 35 is moved backward or upward by means of the motor and the gears and rack 33, and thus driven, as indicated by arrow 45. This results in the first sliding part 36 moving backward together with the second sliding part 35 during such a backward movement until the second sliding part 35 reaches an end stop of the housing 45a. At this point, the second sliding part 35 is stopped, while the first sliding part 36 continues to move backward in the direction indicated by arrow 45. This is also shown by arrow 46.

[0040] The motor continues to drive the first sliding part 36 until the lip-like component 37 engages again in the projection 38. For this to happen, the lip-like component or coupling element 37 is deflected, as indicated by arrow 47.

[0041] The Fig. 5b The depicted intermediate step state then transitions into a Fig. 5c The illustration shows the final state of the coupling. This illustration shows that the lip-like component 37 has fully engaged with the projection 38, and thus both sliding parts 35 and 36 are connected.

[0042] At the same time, due to the motor drive force, the spring element 44 has been pre-tensioned as a compression spring in order to then, in the event of a desired decoupling process, automatically cause a backward or upward movement of the second sliding part without the aid of an electric drive.

[0043] All features listed in the application are considered to be in accordance with the invention. Bezugszeichenliste

[0044] 1 Household appliance 2 Housing 3 Door 4 Hinge element 5 Washing drum 6 Locking device 7 Gripping element 8 Swivel axis 9 Arrow 10 Release state 11 Sliding element 12 Opening 13 Gripping groove 14 Extension 15 Locking pin 15a Locking body 16 Base body 17 Gripping state 18 Swivel arrow 19 Arrow 20 Sliding element 30 Circulating housing 31 Motor 32 Gears 33 Teeth 34 Sliding mechanism 35 Sliding part 36 Sliding part 37 Lip-like component 38 Direction of sliding movement 39 Projection 40 Lever 41 Handle 42 Swivel axis 43 Arrow 44 Fault element 45 Arrow 45a Housing 46 Arrow 47 Arrow

Claims

1. Locking device for a door (3) of an electrical household appliance (1), comprising: a gripping element (7) pivotably arranged between a gripping state (17) and a release state (10), which in the gripping state (17) engages in a locking body (15, 16) of a lockable door (3), characterized by in that the gripping element (7) can be pivoted into the final gripping state (17) by means of a sliding element (11) of an electrically driven sliding mechanism (34), the sliding mechanism (34) having a mechanically actuated decoupling element (37, 38) with which a first sliding part (36) for the drive (31, 32, 33) can be decoupled from a second sliding part (35) having the sliding element (11) in the sliding movement direction (38).

2. Closure device according to claim 1, characterized bythat the decoupling element is a lip-like component (37) extending in the direction of displacement (38) of the sliding mechanism (34), the first sliding part (36) and the second sliding part (35), which can be brought into engagement with at least one projection (38).

3. Closure device according to claim 2, characterized by that the projection (38) is arranged on the first sliding part (36) and the lip-like component (37) on the second sliding part (35) or vice versa.

4. Closure device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by a hand lever (39, 40, 41) pivotably or linearly movable on a housing (30), with which the lip-like component (37) can be pressed out of engagement in the projection (38).

5. Closure device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the first sliding part (36) has at least one toothed rack (33) for the drive on the side, the teeth of which interact with gears (32) driven by at least one electric motor (31).

6. Closure device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the first and the second sliding part (36, 35) have the same directions of displacement (38) and their relative displacement movement (45, 46) is spring-loaded by means of at least one spring element (44).

7. Closure device according to claim 6, characterized by that the spring element (44) as a compression spring is relaxed when a decoupling state (Fig. 3b) of the first sliding part (36) is present relative to the second sliding part (35).

8. Closure device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , thatthe gripping element (7) is pivotally mounted on a pivot axis (8) running perpendicular to the direction of displacement movement (38).

9. Closure device according to claim 8, characterized by that the gripping element is designed as a curved gripping groove (7,14) for gripping around a pin-like closing element (15,16) during a pivoting movement (9,18) of the gripping element (7)

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