Household appliance comprising a device for retaining and opening door

Abstract

The present invention relates to a household appliance, comprising a cabinet with a compartment to receive various articles and a door assembly used to close said compartment, said cabinet and said door assembly being provided with a device for retaining and automatic opening of the door assembly. Said device for holding and automatically releasing a door assembly (3) comprises a lock (5a) arranged on or in the fixed front wall (2') of a housing (2), and a holding element (5b) preferably arranged on a removable upper part of a frame (9) of the door assembly (3) so that it can cooperate with the lock (5a), wherein the door assembly (3) comprises a release mechanism (8) enabling the door assembly (3) to be opened or closed, a removable upper part of the frame (9) within which the release mechanism (8) is arranged, and at least one external glazing (10).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance, comprising a cabinet with a compartment to receive various articles and a door assembly used to close said compartment, said cabinet and said door assembly being provided with a device for retaining and automatic opening of the door assembly.

[0002] Household appliance of the aforementioned kind is known from the patent document No. CN 109750902 B. Disclosed is a door panel comprising a handle groove for receiving a door handle mounted at the handle groove and adapted to the shape thereof, and reciprocable relative to the door plate to extend or retract into the handle groove. The ejecting mechanism cooperates with the door panel and the door handle to enable the door handle to extend out of the handle slot when pressed, and to retract into the handle slot when pressed again.

[0003] It is a drawback of the know solution that the user must first press the handle to open it, and only then can the door be opened, which is rather time-consuming. In addition, the household appliance must be formed in a manner that sufficient space is provided above the handle to allow movement thereof from its closed position. If the user does not close the handle when closing the door, the flow of air is obstructed through the gap between the door and the front panel.

[0004] It is the object of the present invention to create a door assembly of a household appliance which remedies drawbacks of the know solution.

[0005] The object according to the present invention is accomplished by the characteristics set forth in the characterising portion of claim 1. Details of the invention are disclosed in the corresponding sub-claims.

[0006] The invention is further described in detail by way of a non-limiting embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings where Fig. 1shows a three-dimensional simplified view of a household appliance with a door assembly in closed position, Fig. 2shows a partial view of the detail II of Fig. 1, Fig. 3shows a device for retaining and automatically releasing the door assembly, viewed from above in the closed position of the door assembly, Fig. 4shows the device of Fig. 3 in a partially open position of the door assembly Fig. 5shows the device of Fig. 3 in the open position of the door assembly.

[0007] Household appliance 1, such as a dishwashing machine, a drying machine, a microwave oven, a refrigerator, and in the present embodiment shown in Fig. 1 as an oven, comprises a cabinet 2 with a compartment for receiving various items that belong in each appliance, and a door assembly 3 to close said compartment. The door assembly 3 according to the present embodiment is articulated in the lower area of the body 2 by means of pre-tensioned hinges known per se and not shown, said hinges continuously act on the door assembly 3 by trying to hold it in the open position. Furthermore, said body 2 and the door assembly 3 are provided with a device 4 for retaining and automatically releasing the door assembly 3.

[0008] Said device 4 for retaining and automatically releasing the door assembly 3 comprises a lock 5a, which is preferably arranged on or in the front wall of the body 2, and a holding element 5b, which is preferably arranged on the removable upper part of a frame 9 of the door assembly 3, so that it can cooperate with the lock 5a. Said removable upper part of the frame 9 is optionally provided as a cooling air guide. However, such an embodiment of the device 4 for retaining and automatically releasing the door assembly 3 is also possible, where the lock 5a is arranged on the door assembly 3 and the holding element 5b is arranged on or in the front wall of the housing 2 of the household appliance 1. Said holding element 5b may be removable from said frame 9, or may be an integral part thereof.

[0009] Said lock 5a comprises a pair of approximately parallel holders 6, 7, lying approximately in a horizontal plane, each first end thereof cooperating with the holding element 5b is formed with a roller 6', 7', while each of the opposite ends of the holders 6, 7 is associated with a spring means not shown which forces said rollers 6', 7' towards each other in said horizontal plane. Said rollers 6', 7' are facing each other and formed in a manner to be movable in the direction towards each other and in the direction away from each other.

[0010] Furthermore, the holding element 5b is formed in a manner that, when closing the door assembly 3, it facilitates entry between said rollers 6', 7' and when opening the door assembly 3, it facilitates exit from said rollers 6', 7'. For this purpose, the section of the holding element 5b, which faces said rollers 6', 7' and directly cooperates with the latter, resembles the form of an arrow, a convex deltoid or the like.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the proposed invention, it is provided that the door assembly 3 comprises a release mechanism 8, which enables the door assembly 3 to be opened or closed, a removable upper part of the frame 9, within which the release mechanism 8 is arranged, and at least one external glazing 10.

[0012] Said release mechanism 8 comprises a support plate 11, which is connected to said frame 9 in a manner known per se, and a release button 12, which in the unloaded state is flush with the outer surface 10 of the household appliance 1, for example with the glazing 10, and by means of which the release mechanism 8 is actuated. Said release button 12 is movable relative to the support plate 11 and the door assembly 3 in a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the door assembly 3. The support plate 11 prevents the release mechanism 8 from being undesirably separated from the frame 9, and also provides a reliable sliding surface on which the release button 12 slides.

[0013] At least one pivotable lever 13, preferably two pivotable levers 13, 14, are provided on the support plate 11, by means of which the force for opening the door assembly 3 is transmitted from the release button 12 to the stationary front wall 2' of the housing 2. Said levers 13, 14 are pivotable about each pivot point 15, 16 attached to the support plate 11, whereby each lever 13, 14 is held in a neutral position by means of an associated spring means 17, 18 when the door assembly 3 is closed and the release button 12 is unloaded and flush with the said outer glazing 10. Said spring means 17, 18 are selected as a torsion spring, for example.

[0014] Said latch 5a holds the door assembly 3 in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 3. The holding element 5b, which is provided on the upper section of the upper part of the frame 9, is then held between said rollers 6', 7' of the latch 5a. The force holding the holding element 5b between the rollers 6', 7' is in this case the same as, and preferably greater than, the force exerted by the pre-tensioned hinges on the door assembly 3 and forcing the door assembly 3 to open.

[0015] When the user wishes to open the door assembly 3 of the household appliance 1, the user presses the release button 12 and moves it in a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the door assembly 3 (see Fig. 4). The range of movement of the release button 12 is determined by the said glazing 10 and the said front wall 2' of the housing 2, which also prevents the release button 12 from undesirably falling out of the release mechanism 8. During the movement, which is a result of the user's action, the release button 12 transfers force to the pivoting levers 13, 14, which in this case rotate around the respective pivot point 15, 16 and rest against the said front wall 2' of the housing 2. Upon further movement of the release button 12, the force that moves the release button 12 is transferred from the latter via the pivoting levers 13, 14 to the said front wall 2' of the housing 2, which pushes the door assembly 3 away from the said front wall 2' of the housing 2. In this case, the holding element 5b starts via the rollers 6', 7' slide out of the grip of the lock 5a, whereby said rollers 6', 7' move away from each other and release the holding element 5b. When the holding element 5b comes out of the area of cooperation with the lock 5a or when the rollers 6', 7' release the holding element 5b, the door assembly 3 can be moved completely into the open position (see Fig. 5).

[0016] As soon as the user stops operating the release button 12, the pivoting levers 13, 14 return to the initial position shown in Fig. 3 due to the action of the respective spring means 17, 18.

[0017] The process of closing the door assembly 3 is exactly the opposite of that of opening. However, there is a significant difference, whereby instead of the release button 12, the user acts directly on the door assembly 3, for example on the glazing 10. The function of the release button 12 is only to open the door assembly 3, since when the release button 12 is pressed, the said pivoting levers 13, 14 push the door assembly 3 away from the said front wall 2' of the housing 2, while the holding element 5b is disengaged with the lock 5a. When the holding element 5b comes into contact with the rollers 6', 7', the user must apply a force to close the door assembly 3 that is greater than the force that forces the rollers 6', 7' towards each other.

[0018] The present invention represents a cost-effective solution and enables the pre-installation of the lock 5a on the said front wall 2' of the housing 2 and the release mechanism 8 in the upper section of the upper part of the frame 9, which significantly facilitates the assembly of the household appliance 1.

Claims

1. A household appliance, comprising a cabinet with a compartment to receive various articles and a door assembly used to close said compartment, said cabinet and said door assembly being provided with a device for retaining and automatic opening of the door assembly, characterized in that a device for holding and automatically releasing a door assembly (3) comprises a lock (5a) arranged on or in a fixed front wall (2') of a housing (2), and a holding element (5b) preferably arranged on a removable upper part of a frame (9) of the door assembly (3) so that it can cooperate with the lock (5a), wherein the door assembly (3) comprises a release mechanism (8) enabling the door assembly (3) to be opened or closed, a removable upper part of the frame (9) within which the release mechanism (8) is arranged, and at least one external glazing (10).

2. A door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the release mechanism (8) comprises a support plate (11) connected to said frame (9) and a release button (12) by means of which the release mechanism (8) is operated, the release button (12) being movable relative to the support plate (11) and the door assembly (3) in a direction perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the door assembly (3).

3. A door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the release button (12) is flush with the glazing (10) in the unloaded state.

4. A door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one pivotable lever (13, 14) is provided on the support plate (11), by means of which the force for opening the door assembly (3) is transmitted from the release button (12) to the stationary front wall (2') of the housing (2), wherein at least one said lever (13, 14) is pivotable about a respective pivot point (15, 16) arranged on the support plate (11), wherein each respective lever (13, 14) is held in a neutral position by means of an associated spring means (17, 18) when the door assembly (3) is closed and the release button (12) is unloaded and is flush with the said outer glazing (10).

5. A door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said spring means (17, 18) is selected as a torsion spring.

6. A door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the section of the holding element (5b) facing the said rollers (6', 7') and directly cooperating with them resembles a form of an arrow, a convex deltoid or the like.

7. A door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the lock (5a) comprises a pair of holders (6, 7), each first ends thereof, which cooperate with the holding element (5b), is formed with a roller (6', 7'), while each of the opposite ends of the holder (6, 7) is connected to a spring means which forces said rollers (6', 7') towards each other.

8. A door assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said holding element (5b) may be removable from said frame (9) or may be an integral part thereof.

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